Chapter 116 - 115: Ingenious Hand

Chapter 116: Chapter 115: Ingenious Hand

"I’ll do it! I’ll do it! Divine doctor, please grant me the method!"

Zhang Chengzong bowed repeatedly.

The Wandering Doctor hesitated no longer. He took out a yellowed slip of paper on which were drawn several crude diagrams for breathing and circulating energy, along with a tongue-twisting incantation, and handed it to Zhang Chengzong.

As if he had found a priceless treasure, Zhang Chengzong clutched the paper tightly and returned to his residence.

He immediately ordered a trusted servant to find a live sheep.

In a secret room, Zhang Chengzong held a bowl of freshly drawn heart’s blood from the live sheep. The gamy, coppery smell that assaulted his nostrils made him hesitate.

But the thought of Lady Wang’s mockery and the effects the doctor had described made a vicious glint flash in his eyes. He tilted his head back and drained the bowl in one gulp!

The sickeningly sweet liquid slid down his throat, bringing with it a powerful wave of nausea.

Forcing it down, he immediately sat cross-legged and began to practice the Breathing Technique.

A strange thing happened!

A searing warm current rose not from his Dantian, but spread out from his stomach, flowing through his limbs and bones before finally gathering in his lower abdomen.

The persistent weakness and chill that had plagued him were actually driven away by this warm current.

He felt as if he were soaking in a hot spring, utterly relaxed and suffused with vigor!

"It’s miraculous! Truly miraculous!"

Zhang Chengzong leaped to his feet ecstatically, feeling his body filled with a long-lost sense of power.

He couldn’t wait to rush out of the secret room and head straight for Lady Wang’s quarters.

This time, things were truly different.

He felt like he was young and strong again, going at it for nearly a full hour.

He didn’t stop until Lady Wang, who had once scorned him, begged for mercy again and again, collapsing into a boneless heap. Only then did he stop, smug and satisfied.

Looking at the woman sleeping soundly beside him, Zhang Chengzong’s heart filled with immense satisfaction and a twisted sense of conquest.

’This folk remedy... it truly is a divine secret.’

In the following days, Zhang Chengzong became utterly obsessed with this method of "nourishment."

Chickens, ducks, dogs, pigs...

He kept trying larger animals. The more heart’s blood he drank, the hotter his body felt when he practiced the Breathing Technique. His energy surged, and he felt as if he had an inexhaustible supply of strength.

He could even feel that his qi and blood were abundant, as if he had been training in martial arts.

’Could that Breathing Technique be a form of Martial Arts?’

The thought shocked Zhang Chengzong.

He came from a side branch of the Zhang Family. While the name sounded good, in reality, apart from the main family, most of the other clan members didn’t have much money.

The clan school also taught Martial Arts.

But the saying "poverty breeds scholars, wealth breeds warriors" wasn’t just talk.

Coming from a poor family, he had only practiced martial arts for a few months before quitting.

He then went to the clan school to study literature, but his studies never amounted to anything.

Good at neither literature nor martial arts, he lived his days in a listless daze.

His life only took a turn when Zhang Heming, also from a side branch, became an Advanced Scholar.

For some unknown reason, his uncle, Zhang Heming, was reluctant to marry.

He had no sons, and because they were close relatives, the clan elders arranged for Zhang Chengzong to be adopted into Zhang Heming’s line.

Although Zhang Heming never treated him like a real son, the official status was enough.

His good life only began after Zhang Heming was assigned a post outside the capital.

After his life improved, he had also considered practicing martial arts.

But he was already too old and found it difficult to even reach the entry-level, so he gave up.

He never thought that, by sheer accident, the Wandering Doctor would actually teach him Martial Arts.

’This is a fortuitous encounter!’

Zhang Chengzong was overjoyed and didn’t suspect a thing.

’After all, I didn’t ask him to teach me Martial Arts. This was just a bonus.’

Gazing at the limp form of Lady Wang on the bed, Zhang Chengzong felt exceptionally pleased.

Unfortunately, Zhuoyan Collection was a small market town, and the truly beautiful women were few and far between.

This greatly displeased Zhang Chengzong.

’When I get to the county city, I’ll have to find a few more charming beauties...’

Zhang Chengzong began to scheme about the happy days ahead.

...

After Zhang Heming’s departure, a flurry of activity descended upon the Chen Family.

A constant stream of well-wishers came to offer their congratulations.

Chen Li was generous, directly sending Shouye and the hired hands to the market to purchase supplies.

The very next day, they set up a running banquet.

All the Chen Family’s hired hands were mobilized, setting up canopies, building stoves, and slaughtering pigs and sheep.

An enticing aroma soon filled the entire village.

The banquet tables stretched from the Chen Family courtyard all the way to the village’s open square. The clatter of bowls and chopsticks, the clamor of laughter and chatter, and the cheerful shouts of children blended into a single symphony of sound.

The villagers, supporting the old and leading the young, all rushed over. They came to offer sincere congratulations, but also to enjoy a hearty meal and bask in the joyous atmosphere.

The news spread like wildfire, reaching all the surrounding towns and villages.

Starting in the evening, guests poured into the Chen residence in an endless stream, the threshold almost worn down from the foot traffic.

Li Weikun, the master of the Kao Mountain Martial Arts Hall, came in person with several of his disciples, bearing generous gifts.

Almost at the same time, familiar faces from the Government Office like Liu Wende, Chief of the Criminal Division, and Qian Yiqian, Head of the Revenue Division, also arrived to offer their congratulations.

As for close family, his father-in-law, Father Song, whose name was Song Zijian, arrived first with his two sons. He was old, but his face was flushed with excitement as he shouted, "Good! Good! I always said that boy Shouheng had promise!"

His older sister Chen Yao and brother-in-law Bai Shixuan also stepped through the door, their steps hurried but their hearts full of joy, carrying carefully prepared gifts.

The moment Chen Yao saw Chen Li, her eyes reddened. She grabbed his hand, her voice choked with emotion. "Shouheng brought honor to our family! Father’s spirit in heaven must be overjoyed..."

Bai Shixuan stood to the side, nodding repeatedly. His attitude was more respectful than ever, even a little reserved.

For seven straight days, it was as if Lingxi was celebrating a festival every day.

「Seven days later,」 the clamor finally began to fade, and peace returned to the home.

...

As twilight settled over Lingxi, the crisp sound of horse hooves echoed from the village entrance.

Chen Shouheng was in the lead, his figure appearing at the entrance.

Three riders followed him. Besides his master, Zhou Zhen, there were two unfamiliar faces.

One was a beautiful woman dressed in a lake-blue silk brocade dress, wearing a veiled conical hat.

Her hair was coiled high in an elegant coiffure, adorned with pearls and jade that swayed gently. Her face was gorgeous, but her phoenix eyes were sharp as knives. Her every glance carried the graceful bearing and unquestionable authority of someone long accustomed to a high position.

The old man, half a horse-length behind her, wore a worn, gray cloth robe. His face was wizened and his eyes were murky, making him look like any other old farmer one might see in the fields.

The group rode up to the main gate of the Chen Mansion and reined in their horses.

Chen Li’s gaze swept over the newcomers, pausing for a moment on the beautiful woman and the old man, his expression calm and unruffled.

"Dad, I’m back."

Chen Shouheng dismounted and strode forward, his voice holding a barely perceptible note of unease.

"You did well on the County Examination. Congratulations, son!" Chen Li patted his eldest son’s shoulder.

"As long as you’re not upset with me, Dad."

Chen Shouheng turned to the side to make the introductions. "Dad, this is the Patriarch of the Zhou Family from Liyang Commandery City, Zhou Shuwei. This is the Zhou Family’s Tributor, Elder Zhan. You already know my master."

Zhou Zhen clasped his hands in a salute to Chen Li, his attitude even more respectful than before. "Brother Chen."

Zhou Shuwei dismounted gracefully and removed her conical hat, revealing her stunning face.

She gave Chen Li a slight nod, her bright red lips curved into a perfect smile. "You must be Chen Shouheng’s father? Forgive our presumptuous visit."

Elder Zhan also dismounted silently, giving Chen Li a cupped-fist salute without a word.

Chen Li returned the salute, neither servile nor overbearing. "Patriarch Zhou, Elder Zhan, you are welcome guests who have traveled far. Please, come in. Shouheng, please show your master and our guests to the main hall for tea."