Chapter 163: The Dawn of Cultivation

The person was fair-skinned with a round face and nose. He Lingchuan recognized the face; it was indeed Alo, the medic from the battlefield.

Alo glared at Hu Min. "Buying medicine? Don't block my way! Can't you see I'm busy?"

"I brought Brother He to you for a prescription for Imperial Nectar!"

Alo looked at He Lingchuan, a confused expression in his eyes. He didn't know who this was.

Clearly, he didn't have the protagonist's aura that would make him unforgettable.

Hu Min cleared his throat. "During the River Valley Battle, he broke his arm and I broke my leg. You bandaged us both up like zongzi. Remember?"

Alo let out a long "Oh." "So it was you!" He reached out, took He Lingchuan's arm, pressed it lightly a couple of times, and said with satisfaction, "Good physique. You've recovered better than him."

He Lingchuan thought to himself, 'This isn't right.' That was a bone fracture; as the saying goes, 'a hundred days to recover from a broken bone or torn tendon.' Even with miraculous medicine, it would be difficult to fully recover in just a month or two, and Hu Min was proof of that.

He could recover quickly because he lived in reality; entering and exiting the dream world meant the injuries sustained there were erased.

That Alo, despite being skilled in pharmacology, didn't find it strange. He figured it must be the Broken Blade at work.

It seemed this was, after all, a dream, where some illogical things perhaps simply became logical.

Alo looked at Hu Min again. "Only he needs a prescription?"

Hu Min rubbed his hands, a ingratiating smile on his face. "If it's convenient, could you give me one too?"

"It's not convenient!"

He Lingchuan lightly coughed. "Time is precious. Aren't you still going out to get more herbs, Alo?"

"I can write prescriptions for both of you, fine!" Alo looked at Hu Min. "But you'll have to pay for the herbs I use to refine the Imperial Nectar Powder for myself." He gestured with a backhand towards his small wooden house. "I'm poor right now; I'm really short on money."

"Alright, alright," Hu Min pouted. "It's just spending some military merits, isn't it? I've got plenty!"

Alo let the two of them in. He took their pulses and diagnosed them individually, then examined the flow of He Lingchuan's vital energy. Finally, he wrote a prescription for each of them.

His handwriting was fluid and elegant, not as illegible as a typical doctor's. He Lingchuan compared the two prescriptions and, sure enough, several ingredients were different.

Alo quickly finished writing, thrusting the prescriptions into their hands. Then he explained how to simmer the powder: "Any container will do, but most importantly, don't use metal bottles or jars!"

He Lingchuan committed everything to memory. Then he handed over a small pouch containing an ounce of chewing tobacco.

This item made for a genuinely good favor.

After receiving his thank-you gift, Alo's expression brightened considerably. "You're much better at dealing with people than that Hu fellow. Next time you're ill or need medicine, you can come find me again."

He Lingchuan and Hu Min left the house and started walking back.

Hu Min sighed. "Alo wasn't like this before. But he's a good person now; you'll naturally see it if you spend more time with him."

He added, "I saw that tree in your yard; its branches are extending into the neighbor's property. Remember to trim the trespassing branches and leaves before dark, otherwise, it will be hard to define ownership if Imperial Nectar lands on them. The year before last, something like this happened: two neighbors who had been friends for over a decade fought fiercely over Imperial Nectar on tree leaves, beating each other senseless. It resulted in one death and two injuries, and the survivors were even seized for hard labor."

Dragoncoil City doesn't typically imprison people because it doesn't tolerate freeloaders. Once found guilty, most convicts are sent to do hard labor in mines, road and bridge construction, or logistics. Female convicts are assigned to clothing manufacture, farming, or mending – none of them are left idle.

"Also," Hu Min scratched his head, "don't leave the city much lately. When Imperial Nectar falls on the wilderness, it's bound to stir up wild beasts and demons, making the outdoors very unsafe. Last time Imperial Nectar appeared, a military camp in Xianyou lacked experience and foolishly set up their camp directly on the plains. As a result, a cow demon led thousands of agitated wild oxen, who trampled and flattened the camp, causing countless deaths and injuries."

He Lingchuan chuckled. "How does the Merit Department handle the Imperial Nectar they collect? Do they also refine it into pills and powders?"

"Starting tonight, the entire city will be under martial law," Hu Min said. "There are dedicated personnel and special methods for collecting Imperial Nectar both inside and outside the city. It's said that last time, they obtained a piece of Imperial Nectar paste the size of a fist by the river."

Although the common people are confined to their homes, the authorities can freely collect all the Imperial Nectar that falls on the streets, squares, markets, and even the entire Chiba Plateau.

Moreover, Imperial Nectar has a very short shelf life, which tests their organizational, dispatch, and transportation capabilities.

"They can refine many medicines from Imperial Nectar," Hu Min continued. "They can grow flesh and blood, restore vitality, and even prolong life for those near death. All sorts of applications have miraculous effects. There's also a kind of Azure Jade Paste; taking a pea-sized amount before cultivation doesn't just double your efforts, it gives you more than triple the effect. But it's too expensive and requires a huge amount of military merit to exchange for." He sighed. "I only ever took one, and the effect was so good it's unforgettable!"

He Lingchuan looked at him eagerly. "What about the formula for Azure Jade Paste?"

"No! I'm not an alchemist!" Hu Min scoffed with a laugh. "I heard no more than three people in this city know it, and Alo isn't one of them."

"Oh," He Lingchuan replied. It wasn't exactly disappointment; that's just how life was.

"By the way, speaking of free things, I almost forgot something important!" Hu Min's expression turned serious. "What basic cultivation method do you practice?"

"A family breathing technique called 'Traction Art'."

"Not a comprehensive, systematic cultivation manual?"

"No," He Lingchuan replied. This was his biggest frustration. "It's just the most basic mental technique."

The He family hadn't passed down many good things. This mental technique was practiced by all three He family men, father and sons, especially the original body, who practiced it most diligently, yet didn't develop any special abilities.

The upper limit was a bit low.

"Well then, that's great, you're clean!" Hu Min patted his shoulder and laughed loudly. "Right opposite the Soaring Pavilion Office we just visited is the Vigor Enhancement Office, which specializes in all sorts of divine abilities and cultivation techniques!"

He Lingchuan's joy was immense. "Really?"

The Broken Blade was truly thoughtful. He had been worried about lacking a path to cultivation, and now it was delivering a warm gift.

"There are five basic mental techniques officially promoted," Hu Min instructed him. "Go to the Vigor Enhancement Office, and a specialist will test you and recommend one. The basic mental techniques are open to all Dragoncoil City residents, with free instruction and guidance. Other various divine abilities and cultivation techniques can only be obtained with merit."

"Oh, and the Vigor Enhancement Office also irregularly invites masters and powerful figures to teach and impart knowledge. There are all kinds of topics, and most don't charge admission. Make sure not to miss them."

He Lingchuan's eyes lit up as he listened. Wasn't this like master lectures, and public ones at that! And given Dragoncoil City's nature, they were unlikely to cut corners; the invited masters would definitely deliver substantial content.

He wished he could leave immediately and head straight to the Vigor Enhancement Office.

But by the time they finished talking, the sun was already setting fast. Tonight was curfew, and this place was far from the official building. Hu Min also had to go get his medicine and couldn't stay much longer.

"Do you want me to help you get another set of herbs?"

"No need!" He Lingchuan had earned thirty taels of silver today, so he generously hired a carriage to take him home.

Walking back to his wooden house, He Lingchuan flopped onto the bed, splaying his limbs. "Poof," a cloud of dust rose.

The bed was hard and creaked with every turn. He Lingchuan could also smell a faint musty odor – this place hadn't been lived in for a long time. Yet, he felt unusually happy and relaxed.

In this legendary city, he actually had a home.

From now on, he had a foothold.

The future was promising.

While dozing with his eyes closed, he suddenly remembered the three verses the old turtle demon had given him.

One of them, "Seek reality within emptiness," could it be referring to the Dragoncoil dream realm?

The Broken Blade wouldn't have dragged him into the dream for no reason. Perhaps he could find a way to break free and save his life here?

He needed to be more serious and pay more attention to these dream realms.

This time, no one disturbed him; He Lingchuan woke up on his own.

Seeing that his bedroom was spacious, he 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 recalled that he had entered the dream Dragoncoil City after taking Imperial Nectar and meditating.

He Lingchuan pulled the Broken Blade from under his pillow, stroking it as he spoke, "Why did you suddenly drag me into the dream? Was it because of the Imperial Nectar?"

The auxiliary army had just encountered Imperial Nectar, a phenomenon seen only once every few decades, and the dream city had also simulated related content for him. Too many coincidences suggest it's deliberate.

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

However, He Lingchuan looked down and happened to see the divine bone chain pendant around his neck flash red twice.

The last time he awoke from the dream city, this item was also glowing.

He then realized that the soldiers and citizens of the dream city always seemed to glance at his chest first before showing goodwill, and there were even petty thieves who tried to steal the divine bone.

Could it be that this item had become his pass in the dream city?

He Lingchuan zoned out for a moment, then suddenly slapped his forehead. "Oh, how could I forget the most important thing!"

He tidied his clothes and left the manor, riding straight to Frostpeak Town.

By then, it was almost dark again.

He had spent three hours meditating after taking the nectar. The guards at his gate were truly surprised: "Even Young Master He is this diligent? Young Master number two only took about an hour."

His companion chuckled, "Maybe Young Master He just fell asleep."

It was almost midnight when He Lingchuan finally returned to the manor.

The whole family had eaten dinner and gone to bed, like most people. Only a few patrol guards were still wandering around the manor.

He Lingchuan had to correctly state several passwords before he could return to his quarters, instead of just showing his face, which showed that the security was still quite strict.

He didn't go straight back to his room but went to the kitchen to light a fire. He also fetched and cleaned a small earthenware pot, adding some rootless water from the eaves cistern, a full two pounds of honey, and all the Imperial Nectar he had left.

Then came the five medicinal ingredients he had bought from Frostpeak Town.

These herbs were hard to come by. Although none of them were rare, their prices were five to ten times that of Blackwater City.

Several months had passed since the Battle of Woling Pass. Although trade had somewhat revitalized Frostpeak Town, which had suffered from the war, local livelihoods were still struggling, and there was a significant shortage of basic necessities like food and medicine. He visited every pharmacy, yet couldn't gather all five common medicinal ingredients.

The last two ingredients were eventually procured by asking the pharmacy owner to buy them from traveling merchants. The price, of course, was not cheap.

Although it took some time, these herbs had already been processed at the shop—those that needed to be powdered were powdered, and those that needed to be peeled were peeled. He poured them all in and stirred thoroughly. Then he took out a turtle pearl and a toad venom, crushed them, and added them to the mixture.