Chapter 103: Strength Enhanced, the Sword-Bearer, and the Corpse Keeper (Combined Chapter—Please Subscribe)

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Chen Yushu felt the urge to study again! After several consecutive days without reading, a vague sense of guilt lingered in his heart. Of course, the key reason was that he clearly understood how much studying benefited him. Truly, reading made one stronger!

Studying: Enlightenment (485/800)

Glancing at his attribute panel, he calculated that with a daily improvement of about fifty to sixty points, it would take roughly eight more days to level up again. With this in mind, Chen Yushu smoothly entered the Wen Chang Pavilion of the academy and immediately selected a few books to begin reading.

Studying +1

Feeling his reading experience increase, Chen Yushu grew more joyful and his reading speed quickened accordingly.

He could read ten lines at a glance.

Typically, he flipped through a page within two or three breaths. Repeating this process, even a relatively thick book could be finished within the time it took for one or two incense sticks to burn. Of course, upon finishing a book, Chen Yushu would not immediately start the next one; instead, he would pause for half an incense stick’s time to swiftly reflect on the questions and insights gained.

Often, this was when his reading experience grew the most.

Generally, reading a book would increase experience by three to five points, and the half-incense pause for contemplation would add another three to five points. Occasionally, if he had an epiphany, the gain could reach seven to nine points.

"Young brother, you read so fast—can you understand it?"

At that moment, a voice interrupted. Chen Yushu looked up to see the old tutor he had met before.

“Yes, I understand!” Chen Yushu nodded, casually pulling out another book.

“Understand? Then let me test you!” The elderly gentleman seemed quite surprised, picking up the book Chen Yushu had just finished reading. “What is the main theme of this ‘Agricultural Discourse’?”

“Field research!” Chen Yushu replied.

“Field research?” The old tutor looked astonished.

“A literary leader passing through the fields, casually questioning some farmers, then using those questions to extrapolate a series of high-level political insights—wouldn’t that be field research? Of course, Yang Xingye was indeed a top scholar, with extraordinary literary talent, exquisite and polished prose.” Chen Yushu smiled as he spoke.

“This… you…” The old tutor was first stunned, then suddenly became speechless. He could clearly tell Chen Yushu held a low opinion of the work. But on reflection, it was true—the article offered no solutions to the fundamental problems faced by farmers. It merely used agricultural discourse as a vehicle to satirize officialdom, ultimately revolving around political struggles. The agricultural discourse was merely a tool for political combat.

However, most scholars would never say this openly. They would analyze the literary merit of the prose, infer the author’s thoughts, and many even used this to guess his preferences and curry favor—just as the tutor himself had once sought the favor of powerful figures before his own demotion.

Chen Yushu paid no mind, instead turning his attention to another article in hand. Unlike other Confucian works, this book spoke of ghosts and monsters. It told of a scholar’s travels during which he encountered strange and eerie phenomena: sightings of dragons in rivers, firebirds in forests, and demons in ancient temples.

However, it did not reveal how he dealt with or escaped these encounters. It only described the reactions of those around him and detailed the abilities and potential dangers of these entities.

Having read it through, Chen Yushu felt a bit disheartened, then eagerly glanced at the author’s name.

A Confucian Renegade, Xue Heng!

A Confucian renegade? Chen Yushu blinked, curious about this Xue Heng’s identity. If he were not an exceptional martial artist, he must have profound progress in the path of darkness. After all, judging by the ghosts, evil, disasters, and calamities described, that demon dragon alone must be at least disaster-level, perhaps calamity-level.

Without formidable skills, how could he have escaped unscathed?

“Young brother, do you have any questions?” The old tutor noticed Chen Yushu’s frown and asked.

“A bit. Do you know this Xue Heng?” Chen Yushu quickly inquired.

“Xue Heng? One of the Eight Great Wanderers? Though he calls himself a Confucian scholar, he’s really a martial artist. His writings are merely personal observations. A proper tribute student who shirks the imperial audience to practice martial arts—truly neglecting his studies, quite foolish.” The old tutor sneered disdainfully.

“Tribute student? Then turned to martial arts and roamed the world?” Chen Yushu understood that a tribute student was one who had passed the provincial examination, qualifying for further advancement through the palace exam and imperial audience to earn the title of jinshi. If his writings were outstanding and earned imperial favor, he might even be granted the titles of top scholar. Essentially, such a person was deeply immersed in scholarly studies and could become a prominent official or great Confucian scholar, mingling with the powerful and nurturing many disciples.

Yet Xue Heng abandoned literature for martial arts and earned a reputation as one of the Eight Great Wanderers—a true prodigy.

“Studying cultivates wisdom. Titles bring imperial grace. Imperial grace ensures protection from all manner of demons and monsters. This man is simply reckless to choose martial arts and adventure.” The tutor scolded, then looked at Chen Yushu and said, “You clearly have great talent in studies. Don’t neglect it. I heard you have no official rank yet, not even passed the novice exam. That’s a pity. I am a tutor here and can recommend you. Next February is the triennial novice exam. With your foundation, you can participate in the county exam. What do you say?”

The old tutor seemed genuinely regretful for Chen Yushu’s scholarly potential and spoke warmly.

“Wouldn’t that trouble you, sir?” Chen Yushu said, not refusing.

He knew that in this ancient world, status was crucial. Novice students, scholars, and provincial graduates had different social standings, with officials arising from the latter ranks. If he were still the slacker from his previous life, he would have shunned all this, doubting his academic abilities. But now, it was different.

Thanks to his attribute panel and advanced scholarship level, his knowledge and insight rivaled many tutors, even surpassing some. The Wen Chang Pavilion’s vast collection of books on astronomy, geography, the Four Books and Five Classics, and various academic subjects had been thoroughly studied and well understood by him.

He believed passing the county exam would not be difficult.

“No trouble at all.” The tutor waved his hand, smiling. “Now, you must tell me your name.”

“Student Chen Yushu!” Chen Yushu stood and bowed.

“Good, good. You can call me Teacher Li from now on. By the way, I’m Li Wenshu.”

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With that, Li Wenshu looked at Chen Yushu expectantly.

“Greetings, Teacher Li.” Chen Yushu bowed calmly. At his level of enlightenment, few things could stir him.

“That policy essay you read last time was written by me!” Li Wenshu hurriedly reminded him.

“It was well written.” Chen Yushu nodded in approval.

Li Wenshu was pleased but a bit disappointed by the brief response; embarrassed to ask for more praise, he muttered, “Keep reading, then. I’ll be going.” With slight displeasure, he turned and left.

Chen Yushu paid no mind; his heart was set solely on studying. As for taking the novice exam, he would do so if it went smoothly; if not, he wouldn’t worry. Ever since he learned that this world contained ghosts and martial arts, he had made his decision.

Studying was merely a backup plan, mostly a way to provide some convenience and reassurance to his family through his status.

Studying +1
Studying +1
Studying +2
…

Time passed, and dusk fell.

Reluctantly, Chen Yushu left the academy and headed home.

Upon arrival, he immediately started a fire to cook. Of course, he did not forget to brew his medicinal decoctions—Qi and Blood Soup and Vitality Nourishment Soup. This time, besides these two, he fired up another stove to prepare a blood-replenishing brew with some supplemental herbs. Finally, he took the Red Cloud Lingzhi mushroom from his room, cutting a small piece from the top where many leaves were missing, and added it to the medicine stove to simmer.

“Red Cloud Lingzhi is a holy herb for blood supplementation. A small piece can revive those near death from blood deficiency. No special preparation is needed; just combine with a few auxiliaries to unleash its full effect. It’s the best precious and spiritual medicine for the martial artist’s body refining stage,” Chen Yushu recalled the descriptions of the Red Cloud Lingzhi, his heart filled with anticipation.

The martial artist’s body refining stage was divided in great detail: stance exercises to strengthen the body and energy, external refining of skin, muscles, tendons, and marrow, internal refining of the five viscera and six bowels. All required nourishment from Qi and blood, needing abundant tonic herbs to build a solid foundation.

Chen Yushu saw the Red Cloud Lingzhi as the perfect spiritual and precious medicine for his current state. That was why he hadn’t sold it but planned to consume it himself.

After dinner, Chen Yushu quickly drank the Qi and Blood Soup and Vitality Nourishment Soup, then began practicing the Medicine King Zhuang Gong.

Once the Medicine King Zhuang Gong reached the great accomplishment stage and was initiated, a continuous surge of heat and energy appeared within him, accumulating and consuming his internal energy.

One round, two rounds, three rounds…

Feeling his internal energy abundant, Chen Yushu swiftly practiced the Medicine King Locking Power Gong. The resilient and vigorous energy immediately flowed through the prescribed path, rapidly scouring the surface of his skin.

One cycle, two cycles…

When energy waned, he switched back to the Medicine King Zhuang Gong, then again to the Locking Power Gong, repeating until the herbal power from the Qi and Blood and Vitality soups was exhausted.

He then paused slightly.

“After the Medicine King Zhuang Gong reaches great accomplishment, the effectiveness of Vitality Nourishment Soup diminishes, only allowing seven consecutive practices. But the experience gained is substantial.”

Both soups primarily increased the number of Medicine King Zhuang Gong practices. The Medicine King Locking Power Gong’s strength originated from the energy produced by the Zhuang Gong, a continuation of the same power, though the two were not directly linked.

Chen Yushu checked his attribute panel:

Medicine King Zhuang Gong: Great Accomplishment (457/800)
Medicine King Locking Power Gong: Small Accomplishment (301/400)

“The Medicine King Zhuang Gong is over three hundred experience points from breakthrough to perfection. The Locking Power Gong is even closer, needing less than a hundred points to reach great accomplishment. It should take one or two days, at most.”

He felt a surge of excitement. Indeed, his skin had become exceptionally tough, like cowhide; even a small knife would only leave a mark without breaking the skin.

In fact, at this stage, his training with the Locking Power Gong was no longer limited to skin but was beginning to strengthen his flesh and gradually extend into his meridians.

Though the Locking Power Gong started with the skin, it was essentially a permeation process. Once the skin was enhanced, it would naturally progress into flesh. When flesh grew stronger, it entered the meridians and acupoints, then began strengthening bones until reaching the marrow.

The stronger the energy, especially when advancing from great accomplishment to perfection in Zhuang Gong or from small to great accomplishment in Locking Power Gong, the initial focus remained on the skin, which then permeated layer by layer.

“So, only by bringing both the Medicine King Zhuang Gong and Locking Power Gong to perfection can I establish an incredibly solid foundation. Even if my training time is shorter than veteran martial artists, my bodily strength and the toughness of my skin and flesh will far surpass theirs. After all, few can rely on their attribute panels to refine both the Zhuang Gong and external refining arts to the utmost perfection,” Chen Yushu reasoned.

He then approached the last medicine stove, drinking the cooled Red Cloud Lingzhi soup in sips, consuming even the remaining dregs.

Almost instantly, a fiery heat surged through his body.

The terrifying medicinal power raced wildly inside him.

Without hesitation, Chen Yushu began practicing the Medicine King Zhuang Gong again.

Under the surge of medicinal power, his stance training speed increased. Within the short span of one incense stick burning, he completed one practice, then a second, and a third…

The energy generated piled up inside, making him feel unprecedentedly powerful, as if every movement could shatter mountains and stones.

His body felt swollen with energy, surging yet unexpended.

The sensation was uncomfortable.

But he didn’t want to waste this medicinal power.

“Perhaps I can practice the Medicine King Zhuang Gong while simultaneously cultivating the Locking Power Gong?” he suddenly thought.

He quickly reasoned:

The Zhuang Gong was active training, while the Locking Power Gong was static practice. The two did not conflict. As long as he could mentally divide his focus, he could do both at once.

Dual focus.

For ordinary people, this might be difficult. But at his level of enlightenment—having reached the middle stage of enlightenment and the great stillness stage of meditation—it was simple. For him, even triple or quadruple focus was no problem.

So Chen Yushu began his experiment.

His hands never stopped as he practiced the Medicine King Zhuang Gong, while his mind controlled the circulation of energy along the Locking Power Gong’s path.

After one full practice of the Zhuang Gong, the Locking Power Gong completed one cycle with the energy surging through.

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“It works!” Chen Yushu’s eyes shone brightly, excitement stirring within him.

This effectively saved him a great deal of training time.

Moreover, he genuinely felt himself growing stronger, especially in flesh and skin toughness, which he could immediately sense when exerting force.

Medicine King Zhuang Gong +5
Medicine King Locking Power Gong +7
Medicine King Zhuang Gong +6
Medicine King Locking Power Gong +8
…

One round, two rounds, three rounds…

After practicing fifteen rounds, Chen Yushu finally felt the raging medicinal power subside.

He then checked his attribute panel again.

Medicine King Zhuang Gong: Great Accomplishment (551/800)
Medicine King Locking Power Gong: Great Accomplishment (11/800)

“The Medicine King Zhuang Gong’s experience rose by nearly a hundred points, and the Locking Power Gong has directly advanced to great accomplishment.”

Chen Yushu’s heart leapt. Indeed, when circulating the Locking Power Gong, he felt an intense impact, greatly strengthening his skin and flesh.

However, a strong fishy stench also emanated from his body. This was the bodily waste and blood impurities expelled after refinement.

He quickly fetched water and washed thoroughly.

Touching his flesh again, he clearly felt it had become stronger and tougher. His physical strength had also grown significantly. When he threw a punch—

Boom!

The air itself roared with a thunderous boom, a sound only produced when power and speed reach a certain level—a manifestation of martial prowess.

“Now I’m definitely much stronger than before.”

Without hesitation, Chen Yushu picked up a long blade and performed the Eighteen Consecutive Slashes.

Slash after slash, the last three slashes combined into one powerful strike.

Boom!

The air exploded with a roaring sound; the shockwave shook nearby trees.

“The power of the Eighteen Consecutive Slashes has also increased significantly.”

Chen Yushu was unsurprised. All martial arts required strength to support them. With his increased power, naturally his techniques’ force would grow.

Thus, he continued practicing the Eighteen Consecutive Slashes and the Eight Steps to Chase Cicada for half an hour. Afterwards, he took a shower and returned to his study.

It was time to draw talismans!

During his recent trip to Tianyuan Mountain, to confront the ghostly woman, he had expended nearly all his talismans.

Now that he was back, he needed to replenish his supplies.

Fortunately, Chen Yushu had already mastered the basics of drawing spiritual talismans. Some simpler ones, like the House Protection Talisman and the Evil Dispelling Talisman, he had even refined to mastery.

Drawing talismans was no longer as difficult as before.

He laid out talisman paper and quickly drew:

Ten House Protection Talismans, ten Evil Dispelling Talismans, five Tranquil Spirit Talismans, five Ghost Extermination Talismans, and three Thunder Summoning Talismans.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to draw more, but his energy was limited.

Though simple and rarely failing, the number of talismans he could produce in a day was still capped.

This task took nearly three hours.

When he returned to his room, it was already late at night.

With abundant Qi, he no longer felt hunger; with ample spirit, he no longer needed sleep.

Each meditation was his best rest.

He quickly entered meditation, took out his Soul Orb, and began absorbing the spiritual particles within.

After a full incense stick’s time, Chen Yushu stored the now half-shrunk Soul Orb away.

“Spirit cultivation has increased significantly.”

A satisfied expression spread over his face.

Absorbing spiritual particles from the Soul Orb once daily increased his spiritual cultivation by about ten points each time.

Though seemingly small, this equated to nearly ten days of arduous training.

This was thanks to his advanced meditation state, greatly enhancing his cultivation efficiency.

If he were still at the lesser meditation stages, it would take three to five days to gain a single point, equating to one or two months of effort.

“Shallow meditation, small meditation, great meditation, constant meditation… I’m currently at great meditation. Beyond that lies constant meditation. Once I reach constant meditation, I can enter meditation any time, meaning I can practice visualization anytime without any disturbance. Then my cultivation efficiency will surge again, and my spiritual cultivation growth will multiply.”

Chen Yushu always knew that the level of meditation directly determined cultivation efficiency.

At small meditation, it took several days to gain points; at great meditation, one point per day; near Tianyuan Mountain, where spiritual particles were denser, possibly two points per day.

This efficiency was already impressive in his eyes.

The "Record of Li Chao’s Ghost Encounters" documented many of Li Chao’s training experiences over more than thirty years. If Chen Yushu recalled correctly, Li Chao took five years to advance from one incense stick level to two incense sticks in spiritual cultivation, and thirteen more years to reach three incense sticks, never reaching the next level before his death.

“However, reaching constant meditation will dramatically accelerate my cultivation speed. And for me, this won’t be as difficult as imagined.”

Chen Yushu felt confident.

Primarily because his reading level had reached the latter middle stage of Enlightenment, close to another breakthrough.

At worst, ten days; at best, seven days to reach it.

At dawn, Chen Yushu rose, lit a fire, brewed medicine, and after some more training, prepared to head out.

But just as he stepped outside, he halted.

A young man carrying a sword passed right before him, walking steadily toward the last house on the street.

That house belonged to the corpse caretaker.