Chapter Forty-Five: Calligraphy—The Three Realms
“My goodness, is that a wild boar? It’s enormous! Must weigh over a thousand pounds.”
“What’s going on with the wildlife on this mountain? Every creature is huge. Look at the claws on that wild pheasant—they’re bigger than my hands!”
“Are these animals turning into monsters as well?”
“Hush! How dare you mention monsters—aren’t you afraid the soldiers will cut you down?”
“Alright, alright, I’ll keep my mouth shut.”
On the lengthy street, carts with wooden frames trundled along, bearing gigantic, corpulent beasts—twice, even three times larger than normal—slowly forward. The weight of their bodies pressed the wheels to creak and groan, barely holding on. Never had anyone seen such massive wild creatures; crowds lined both sides of the street, while faces peered from second and third floor windows, gazing in astonishment at the immense carcasses.
“Commander, with so many wild animals, we’ll have plenty to eat for a while.” The vanguard officer, Nie Xun, followed beside Yuan White Robe, turning to look at the mountains of spoils and laughing heartily.
After being out for so long, they could finally enjoy a proper feast.
“All you think about is food. Any progress on tracking that monster who’s reached the path of Dao?” Yuan White Robe glanced at Nie Xun’s silly grin and shook his head slightly.
“Our scouts are still pursuing it, and have narrowed its location to the Wan Dynasty Mountain area. But this monster is extremely cunning. It never stays in one place for more than half an hour. The demon-hunting powder has no effect. We can only search mountain by mountain—inefficient, to say the least,” Nie Xun replied.
“Fox spirits are clever, sly, and skilled in schemes. This one seems wounded; otherwise, it wouldn’t keep rousing these mountain beasts to block our path. But its methods are truly lacking in subtlety.”
Yuan White Robe glanced at the deformed, oversized wild beasts, rubbing the sword at his waist.
“In two months, my foster father will set out to inspect the various prefectures. This is likely to be his first stop. Tell the scouts to hurry—it’s vital we capture this fox spirit before he arrives!”
“Yes, sir! I will obey.”
Nie Xun struck his fist against his palm and responded in a deep voice.
…
Behind the crowd gathered at the street corner, Qi Xiu pulled his sleeves up and stood on tiptoe, eyes brimming with curiosity as he watched the West Wind Army slowly drag those gigantic wild beasts into their compound.
Had the West Wind Army already clashed with the monsters? It seemed they had won.
Once the excitement faded, the crowd began to disperse.
Qi Xiu cast a distant glance at the West Wind Army’s encampment before turning to head toward the Eastern Market.
…
Zhentong Medical Hall.
Qi Xiu had barely stepped through the door when a middle-aged man with a mustache and a nervous expression poked his head out, quickly shutting the door once he saw no one around.
“For heaven’s sake, didn’t I tell you—this is a legitimate medical hall; I don’t have what you’re looking for,” Tao Zhentong said, hands trembling and face full of woe.
How did I end up tangled with such a troublemaker?
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Qi Xiu strolled leisurely around the modestly sized medical hall, sniffing lightly, then wandered over to a medicine jar. He lifted the jar and drew out a stack of medicinal plasters from beneath.
Three-Whip Tiger-Dragon Patch.
“A legitimate medical hall, you say?”
His face flushed, Tao Zhentong snatched the plasters back.
“These are for my own use, alright! Wait till you’re my age, then you’ll understand what it means to have the will but not the strength.”
“Let’s not waste words. If you agree to give me what I need, I’ll add two hundred taels more. That’s enough for you to retire in comfort. It’s your life’s work—burying it with you would be a shame.”
Qi Xiu pulled a banknote worth a thousand taels from his sleeve and pressed it onto the table, tapping it lightly.
“A thousand taels—you wouldn’t earn that in ten lifetimes with this little clinic.”
Tao Zhentong swallowed unconsciously at the sight of the banknote.
“But if I give it to you, what if you turn around and report me?”
He clung to his last shred of resistance, breathing deeply to calm himself.
“Are you out of your mind? The magistrate is gone—who am I supposed to report to? And what good would it do me, for the five hundred tael reward?”
Seeing his resolve was nearly broken, Qi Xiu offered his final incentive:
“If you agree, I’ll give you a prescription—one that’s far more effective than your so-called Three-Whip.”
Tao Zhentong’s expression changed, coughing lightly as he tried to appear composed.
“Is that true? Do you have any finished medicine to show me?”
Smiling, Qi Xiu tossed a hexagonal wooden box containing two pale blue pills.
“You can call these Blue Pills. Take them two quarters of an hour before the act—the effects last about an hour.”
“How much?!”
Tao Zhentong shrieked, then quickly covered his mouth, speaking in a low voice.
“An hour? Are you serious?”
“Try for yourself.”
“Alright! If this really works, I’ll hand over what you want with both hands!” Tao Zhentong gritted his teeth and agreed to Qi Xiu’s terms.
“It’s settled, then. I’ll come for it at this time tomorrow—don’t try to cheat me. My temper isn’t the best.”
Qi Xiu smiled as he pressed his palm against the table, leaving an imprint half an inch deep.
“Don’t worry! I, Tao, won’t go back on my word.”
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Tao Zhentong’s pupils contracted as he glanced at the palm print on the table, and he nodded seriously.
…
Returning home from Zhentong Medical Hall, Qi Xiu, in excellent spirits, hummed a tune and stretched out comfortably on the rocking chair in his courtyard.
Once I get the prescription tomorrow, half my jailbreak plan will be complete.
He rocked back and forth, gazing at the clear blue sky overhead.
Qi Xiu took out a talisman from his pocket, activated it with a burst of fire energy from his Red Sand Palm. The talisman was instantly set aflame, releasing a miraculous medicinal aroma that blossomed in the air, transforming into smoke that writhed like a dragon.
The blue smoke drifted into Qi Xiu’s nostrils.
Feeling the soothing and invigorating medicinal power spread through his body, Qi Xiu’s smile widened and his feet unconsciously kicked in delight.
With this divine talisman in hand, silver will flow and gold will pile up in the days to come.
Three days ago.
Unable to train martial arts or practice alchemy as usual, Qi Xiu had thrown himself wholeheartedly into honing his calligraphy skills, finally raising his first acquired skill to the third realm!
As Qi Xiu had guessed, once calligraphy reached the third realm, a new innate cloud script broke through the fog in his mind.
It evolved from his alchemy skill: the “Medicine” character!
It was similar to his “Martial” character.
The “Medicine” character was born from medicine, and its miraculous properties were tied to it.
With each “Medicine” character, Qi Xiu could, while writing, simulate any medicine he had ever concocted and infuse it into a talisman.
Though the talisman’s medicinal power was only one-tenth that of the original, it required no alchemical process, nor any medicinal ingredients.
As long as Qi Xiu could endure, he could produce a vast number of medicinal talismans in a short time.
If quality was lacking, quantity would make up for it.
Most importantly, as the saying goes, every medicine has its poison. But the medicinal power within the talisman was generated by miraculous means, so there was no poison—pure, green, and additive-free!
Lately, Qi Xiu had treated the medicinal talismans like his own energy drinks, using them for nourishment, tranquility, and vigor, whether he was ill or simply seeking better health.
What else could he do, with so many skills at his disposal?
With talismans, he could afford to be reckless!
…