After the Immortal Disappeared

Chapter 163: Chapter 164: The Dawn of Cultivation

The man was fair-skinned, with a round face and a round nose. Hee Lingchuan recognized him—it was indeed Aluo, the medic from the battlefield.

Aluo shot Hu Min a glare. "I’m getting medicine. Out of my way!" ’Can’t you see I’m busy?’

"I brought Brother Hee to see you! We need a recipe for the Emperor’s Liquid!"

Aluo looked at Hee Lingchuan, his eyes full of confusion. He had no idea who this was.

Apparently, he didn’t have a protagonist’s aura that made him unforgettable.

Hu Min cleared his throat. "The battle at the River Valley. He broke his arm, I broke my leg, and you wrapped us both up like rice dumplings. Remember?"

Aluo let out a long "Ohhh." "So it was you!" He reached out, grabbed Hee Lingchuan’s arm, and pressed it lightly a couple of times. "A good constitution," he said with satisfaction. "You’ve recovered better than him."

’That doesn’t seem right,’ Hee Lingchuan thought. ’It was a fracture. As the saying goes, a serious injury takes a hundred days to heal. Even with Spirit Medicine, it would be difficult to recover completely in just a month or so. Hu Min is living proof of that.’

He had healed so quickly because he lived in reality; entering and exiting the Dream Realm one time had erased the injuries he sustained in the dream.

’Aluo is an expert in pharmacology, yet he doesn’t find this strange. It must be the Broken Blade’s doing.’

It seemed that this was a Dream Realm, after all. Perhaps some illogical things were simply forced to become logical here.

Aluo looked at Hu Min again. "Does only he want a recipe?"

Hu Min rubbed his hands together, an ingratiating smile on his face. "If it’s not too much trouble, could you write one for me, too?"

"It is!"

Hee Lingchuan cleared his throat. "Time is precious. Doesn’t Aluo still need to go out and gather herbs?"

"Fine, I’ll write recipes for both of you!" Aluo said, looking at Hu Min. "But you’re going to reimburse me for the ingredients I use for my own Emperor’s Flowing Powder." He gestured with a thumb toward his small wooden cabin. "I’m poor right now. Desperately short on cash."

"Fine, fine." Hu Min pursed his lips. "It’s just a bit of military merit, right? I’ve got plenty!"

Aluo let them inside. He diagnosed them both, checking their pulses and then inspecting the flow of Hee Lingchuan’s True Power. Finally, he wrote a separate recipe for each of them.

His brushwork was swift and fluid, yet surprisingly legible, unlike the scrawl of most doctors. Hee Lingchuan compared the two prescriptions and, sure enough, several ingredients were different.

Aluo finished writing quickly and shoved the prescriptions into their hands. He then gave them instructions for brewing the Medicinal Powder: "Any container will do, but the most important thing is not to use metal pots or jars!"

Hee Lingchuan committed it all to memory, then handed over a small packet containing one tael of Chewing Tobacco.

It was excellent stuff for currying favor.

After accepting the gift, Aluo’s expression softened considerably. "You have better manners than that Hu fellow. Next time you’re sick and need medicine, you can come find me."

The two men left and started walking back.

Hu Min sighed. "Aluo wasn’t always like this. But he’s still a good guy. You’ll see once you get to know him."

He added, "I saw that tree in your yard—its branches are stretching over to your neighbor’s property. Remember to trim the overhanging leaves and branches before dark. Otherwise, if any Emperor’s Liquid lands on them, it’ll be hard to tell who it belongs to. Something like that happened two years ago. Two neighbors, friends for over a decade, got into a massive brawl over Emperor’s Liquid on some leaves. They beat each other senseless. One ended up dead, two were injured, and the survivor got hauled off to do hard labor."

Panlong City didn’t really throw people in jail; it had no place for freeloaders. Once convicted, most criminals were sent to do hard labor in the mines, on road and bridge construction, or in logistics. Female convicts were put to work making clothes, farming, or mending. In any case, no one was left idle.

"Also, try not to leave the city for a while. When the Emperor’s Liquid falls on the Wilderness, it’s bound to stir up herds of beasts and Demons. The wilds will be very unsafe." Hu Min scratched his head. "The last time the Emperor’s Liquid appeared, an inexperienced army unit from the Xianyou Kingdom stupidly made camp right out on the plains. An Ox Demon led a stampede of over a thousand agitated wild oxen and trampled them flat. The casualties were immense."

Hee Lingchuan smiled. "How does the Merit Department handle the Emperor’s Liquid they collect? Do they also refine it into Pills and Powders?"

"The entire city will be under curfew starting tonight. There are special teams with special methods for collecting Emperor’s Liquid both inside and outside the city. I heard last time they found a piece of Emperor’s Liquid Paste as big as a fist down by the river."

Since everyone is confined to their homes, the officials are free to collect all the Emperor’s Liquid that falls on the streets, squares, markets, and even the entire Chipa Plateau.

Furthermore, the Emperor’s Liquid has a very short preservation time, which puts their organization, logistics, and transportation capabilities to the test.

"The medicines they can refine from Emperor’s Liquid are numerous. They can regenerate flesh and blood, restore stamina, and even keep someone on the brink of death alive. There are all sorts of varieties, each with miraculous effects. There’s also something called Cyan Jade Paste. If you take a piece the size of a mung bean before Cultivation, it’s not just a matter of getting twice the results with half the effort—it’s more than three times as effective. The only problem is the price is too high; it costs a huge amount of military merit." He sighed. "I took one once. The effect was incredible. I’ll never forget it!"

Hee Lingchuan stared at him with wide, hopeful eyes. "What about the Pill Recipe for the Cyan Jade Paste?"

"I don’t have it! I’m not a Pharmacist!" Hu Min retorted with a laugh. "I heard no more than three people in this whole city know the recipe, and Aluo isn’t one of them."

"Oh." He couldn’t say he was disappointed. ’That’s life.’

"Oh, right! Speaking of free stuff, I almost forgot something important!" Hu Min’s expression turned serious. "What Basic Cultivation Technique do you practice?"

"A family Breathing Technique called the ’Traction Technique’."

"So not a complete, systematic Cultivation General Outline?"

"No." This was what frustrated Hee Lingchuan the most. "It’s just the most basic kind of Heart Method."

The Hee Family hadn’t passed down much of value. The father and his two sons had all practiced this Heart Method, with his predecessor being the most diligent of all, but none of them had ever developed any special abilities from it.

The ceiling was just too low.

"That’s good! That’s great! You’re a blank slate!" Hu Min clapped him on the back and laughed. "Across from the Pengcheng Bureau we were just at is the Economic Revitalization Bureau. They handle all sorts of Divine Techniques!"

Hee Lingchuan was overjoyed. "Really?"

’The Broken Blade really is thoughtful,’ he mused. Just when he was worrying about having no path for his cultivation, it came to lend a helping hand.

"The government promotes five Basic Heart Methods. Go to the Economic Revitalization Bureau, and a specialist will test you and give you a recommendation," Hu Min advised. "The Basic Heart Methods are available to all citizens of Panlong City, with free instruction and guidance. As for all other cultivation methods for Divine Techniques, those have to be earned with merit."

"Oh, and the Economic Revitalization Bureau also periodically invites experts and Great Powers to give lectures and teach. They cover all sorts of disciplines, and most of them don’t charge an entrance fee. You definitely don’t want to miss out."

Hee Lingchuan’s eyes lit up. ’Isn’t that just a guest lecture series by famous masters? And it’s free! Plus, knowing Panlong City’s character, they wouldn’t skimp on it. The experts they invite are bound to have real substance.’

He could hardly wait to leave and head straight for the Economic Revitalization Bureau.

But by the time they finished talking, the sun was already sinking low in the west. The curfew was starting tonight, they were far from the government offices, and Hu Min still had to go get his medicine, so he couldn’t stay long.

"Should I get an extra set of ingredients for you while I’m there?"

"No need!" Hee Lingchuan had made thirty taels of silver today, so he generously hired a carriage to take Hu Min home.

Back in his wooden cabin, Hee Lingchuan threw himself onto the bed, limbs spread wide. POOF! A cloud of dust rose into the air.

The bed was hard; it creaked with every movement. Hee Lingchuan could even smell a faint, musty odor—the place obviously hadn’t been lived in for a long time. Yet, he felt surprisingly cheerful and relaxed.

He actually had a home now, here in the Legendary City.

From now on, he had a foothold.

The future was full of promise.

As he lay with his eyes closed, dozing lightly, he suddenly remembered the three prophetic verses the Old Turtle Demon had given him.

One of them was "to seek the real within the illusory." ’Could that be referring to the Panlong Dream Realm?’

The Broken Blade wouldn’t have dragged him into a dream for no reason. Perhaps here, he could find a way to break through his predicament and save his own life.

He had to start taking these Dream Realms more seriously.

This time, with no one to disturb him, Hee Lingchuan woke up on his own.

He saw the spacious bedroom and couldn’t help but sigh.

He was back in reality. The Broken Blade hadn’t let him stay in the dream until nightfall. He also remembered that he had entered the dream version of Panlong City only after taking the Emperor’s Liquid and meditating to cultivate.

Hee Lingchuan pulled the Broken Blade out from under his pillow. Stroking it, he asked, "Why did you suddenly pull me into the dream? Was it because of the Emperor’s Liquid?"

The Supporting Army had just run into a once-in-decades shower of Emperor’s Liquid, and the dream city had immediately simulated a related scenario for him. Too many coincidences pointed to a deliberate design.

The Broken Blade, of course, remained silent, offering no response.

However, as Hee Lingchuan glanced down, he saw the Divine Bone Pendant around his neck give two final red flashes.

The last time he’d woken up from the dream city, it had been glowing too.

He recalled how the soldiers and citizens of the dream city always seemed to glance at his chest before showing any friendliness, and how that little thief had tried to steal his Divine Bone.

’Could it be that this thing has become my ticket into the dream city?’

Hee Lingchuan spaced out for a moment, then suddenly slapped his forehead. "Ah, how could I have forgotten the most important thing!"

He straightened his clothes, left the estate, and rode straight for Frost Union Town.

By then, it was nearly dark again.

His single session of taking the liquid and meditating had taken three double-hours. The Guard at his door was quite surprised. "Even the Eldest Young Master is this diligent now? The Second Young Master only took about one double-hour."

His companion snickered. "Maybe the Eldest Young Master just fell asleep."

...

It was late, the moon hanging high above the willow branches, when Hee Lingchuan finally returned to the estate.

The whole family had already eaten dinner and gone to bed, as had most people. Only a few guards could be seen patrolling the estate’s perimeter.

Hee Lingchuan had to exchange several passwords before he could return to his quarters, rather than being let through on sight. It showed the guards were still quite strict.

He didn’t go straight back to his room. Instead, he went to the kitchen to start a fire. He found a small earthenware pot, washed it clean, and added some Rootless Water from the jar under the eaves, a full two pounds of honey, and all the Emperor’s Liquid he had left.

Then came the five medicinal ingredients he had bought in Frost Union Town.

These ingredients hadn’t been easy to obtain. Although none of them were particularly rare, the price was five to ten times the market rate in Black Water City.

Several months had passed since the great battle at Woling Pass. Although the return of trade had breathed some life back into war-ravaged Frost Union Town, the local people’s livelihood was still in tatters, and basic supplies like food and medicine were in short supply. He had scoured every apothecary in town and still couldn’t find all five common ingredients he needed.

He had to ask the apothecary’s Shopkeeper to procure the last two ingredients from traveling merchants, and the price, of course, wasn’t cheap.

Although it had taken some time, the ingredients had already been processed at the shop—ground into powder or peeled as needed. He poured them all into the pot and gave it a good stir. Then, he took out a Turtle Pearl and a piece of toad venom, crushed them, and added them to the mix.