Forge a path to success.

Chapter 99 Taking Medicine Taking Medicine
"By Van Der's standards, you are now in a class of your own among true mechs, a legend among legends, the pinnacle of unyielding combat power in the Submerged Realm!"

"Unfortunately, I know my own limitations." Chu Hengkong removed her hand from his shoulder. "That battle cannot be replicated. If I had to fight it again, I would surely die."

The battle against the Immortal Machine was contingent on too many once-in-a-lifetime conditions: Qi Su controlling the alien beast puppets, the remnants of the Sakura Dragon's divine power, and the hypnotic spell that performed exceptionally well under the enhancement of the array. If any one of these conditions were missing, he wouldn't have survived to the final five minutes. And the "final five minutes" is a pointless premise; after leaving Ying Shi Town, where the historical fog was about to dissipate, what enemy could possibly give him an hour and a half of precise preparation time?
Whether the Immortal Machine arrives a few seconds earlier or later, Chu Hengkong will be the one who dies in the end. Such a harsh record cannot be counted.

"But back then you were just a point mass, point mass 1. Now you're a mighty, unyielding being." Ji Huaisu retaliated by draping his entire arm over him. "Under normal circumstances, where would you rank?"

Chu Hengkong gestured with his thumb and forefinger.

"Judging from the actual combat just now, I'm still a little bit stronger than you, slightly better than a legend."

He could clearly feel someone tighten their grip on his arm. Ji Huaisu gave a forced smile: "Detective Chu is quite confident, isn't he? He doesn't even respect his superiors..."

Chu Hengkong feigned surprise: "I almost forgot you're my superior. Speaking of which, our team has always prioritized strength, and I'm currently considering running for captain. We're great partners with a deep bond, and if I win, I'll definitely hire you as my secretary..."

"How dare he! He went out to make a name for himself and acted so arrogantly! The cook will deduct all of his housing provident fund and insurance for this year!"

"Jokes aside, let's not talk about money, okay?"

Chu Hengkong secretly flicked out his tentacles, intending to use a joint lock, but was grabbed by the sharp-eyed captain: "Who talked to your sister Huaisu about stealing her job first?"

"I'm just trying to improve myself normally, it's not like I'm trying to start a new resurrected unit..."

Jie An, sitting at his desk, picked at his ear, skillfully ignoring the noise from the two people behind him. Fan De looked at the potted plants and asked, "Are those two idiots always like this?"

“Like attracts like, otherwise we wouldn’t get along.” Jie An took out a small relic fan and used it to fan the fire in the medicine stove. “Interested in herbs?”

“I have some knowledge of it, and I look forward to exchanging ideas with you.” Van Der nodded reservedly.

After the pressure test was completed, Qi Su returned to the workshop area to continue the local spirit binding, while the rest of the group went to Jie An's new workshop. This place was on the same floor as the city lord's office, and the space was enormous. It was filled with all kinds of alchemy furnaces and medicine cauldrons. Just a wall away was a herb field that You You had personally brought over, where all kinds of rare herbs could be picked and used at any time. The setup was far more luxurious than Adali's private property back then.

Thanks to the large influx of manpower after the city opened, the cook no longer had to wear many hats and could finally be a proper high-ranking member of the team. Now, Jie An is only responsible for the small kitchen in the canteen at noon and evening and occasionally provides guidance to clerical staff; he spends the rest of his time on his own cultivation.

Although there's little chance of transforming the pestle into a bitter staff, the pestle itself stores a large number of medicinal formulas. Jie An's current task is to reproduce his father's old formulas and, incidentally, use the pestle's power to make some medicine himself. Therefore, while Chu Hengkong and Ji Huaisu were being tortured to the point of near death, the cook was being personally supervised by Lord Huilong in the workshop, undergoing cramming-style tutoring. This tutoring brought about significant changes to him: judging from his appearance, he had gained at least thirty pounds.

“You’ve gained at least five pounds since I left,” Chu Hengkong said confidently.

"What can I do! Making pills requires qi and blood, and my body isn't strong enough to make medicine!" Jie An complained bitterly. "You guys just have to fight, while I'm stuck in the house eating and watching, and I still have to eat extra meals because I haven't met my nutritional needs... I'm a cook and I'm almost developing anorexia..."

“But you’ve ate so much and it’s paid off!” Ji Huaisu whistled. “Show the Chief Inspector our new pills!”

Jie An continuously tossed several kinds of medicinal herbs and some strange-looking objects into the stone mortar, grinding them meticulously with his precious pestle. Chu Hengkong had expected him to get the finished product from the mortar, but Jie An simply took out a small medicine gourd from a drawer. The gourd was full of small, yellowish pills. He tossed one of the pills over, and Chu Hengkong caught it with a book.

【Three Days of Warmth Pill】

[Rating: Level 1]

【Origin: Mysterious Realm of Senluo - Huilong City】

[Effect: Provides a large amount of energy after taking it; one pill can sustain an average person for three days.]

No hunger will occur within seven hours after taking the medicine.

[Longing: Not hungry, not anxious, not starving, not distressed.]

"Just a little gadget I made in my spare time, just for fun." Jie An touched his nose, then turned around and saw that Chu Hengkong's eyes had lit up.

“This is good stuff,” he said sincerely. “This is a lifesaver.”

The memory of eating dirt in the Netherworld God Kingdom was too deep for him; he never wanted to experience anything similar again. No matter how strong a person is, they still need to eat. If he ever encountered a place where even dirt was inedible, he would truly starve to death.

Van der clearly agreed, his eyes glued to the gourd: "How about sending a few gourds? I'll trade you my prescription for them."

“This stuff isn’t worth much, five pearls each. If the cost could be reduced further, it could be considered as relief food, but unfortunately it’s still a bit expensive now.” Jie An tapped the stone mortar in his hand. “This is the real treasure.”

The previous medicinal herbs had been ground and dissolved by the relics, turning into a soybean-colored paste. Then, Jie An added the final ingredient: a golden petal from an evergreen flower they had found in the swamp. The lotus at the end of the pestle unfurled, and the pounded herbs, enveloped by the petal, became a golden pill the size of a fingertip.

【Subduing Evil Heart and Elixir】

[Rating: Level 2 (Bold)]

【Origin: Mysterious Realm of Senluo - Huilong City】

[Effects: Subdues murderous intent, suppresses anger, harmonizes the mind, and promotes the flow of qi and blood.] [Thoughts: Filling the void with peace of mind; without resentment, harmony prevails.]

This appraisal was written in a very formal and literary style, making it difficult to understand at first glance. Jie An glanced at it and grinned mischievously, "This book is quite knowledgeable! It's actually just a set of pills for regulating the body. Taking more of them will help improve your control of your will... and incidentally, help you control your temper."

Chu Hengkong was taken aback for a moment, then realized what was happening. He stretched his back and took the pill: "Thank you."

"Take one pill a day on time, that should help for now. The real solution depends on the city lord; I have no other ideas." Jie An waved his hand. "I'll continue refining pills. Goodbye, everyone!"

The detective duo left first, while Vande lingered on the table. He examined the pestle closely and asked, "So you're the one... who used a high-quality relic as a foundation stone."

"That's right, it's me." Jie An reached into his pocket for a cigarette.

“I’ve heard about your situation from my buddy. Have you considered adding some medicinal formula to it? Like the one you just made yourself,” Vande said. “The power of relics comes from longing. If you add your own medicinal formula little by little, then the pestle will eventually count as your share.”

Jie An was about to light a cigarette when he suddenly stopped. He stared blankly for a long time until the flame from the lighter burned his fingers.

He gasped sharply and turned to look for the eyeball, but it had already vanished with Chu Hengkong.

Chu Hengkong lifted the Eye Demon up with one hand: "What did you say to the cook?"

"A little advice from a professional," Vande said, squeezing into its pocket-sized seat. "What do we do now? If there's nothing else to do, could you take me on a tour of your quirky hometown?"

"We can do both things at the same time." Chu Hengkong walked towards the parking lot.

"Where are you going?"

"Market, shopping."

·
The Living Serpent Shopping Market, located in the northern part of the central courtyard, is the busiest place in Dragon City since its opening three months ago. It boasts a wide view, smooth roads, and a terrain significantly lower than the rest of the central courtyard, resembling a large ditch lying across the city. This peculiar topography was created by Kanin himself during the opening battle: his fireline leveled numerous buildings and dug this massive ditch.

Considering the limited resources available for filling the ditch when the city first opened, the city lord's mansion creatively proposed making use of the terrain to create business opportunities. They built one-story buildings both above and below the ditch and generously rented them out at low prices. As a result, in just three months, the large ditch was transformed into a commercial center by the citizens who were busy making money. Tourists of various races walked through it, neon signs and colorful balloons and ribbons filled the sky, and the numerous shops above and below ground resembled colorful city walls.

"Travel essential! Banana earplugs!" "High-end earplugs, 5 beads per pair." "Breaking news! Major robbery on Frontier Dust Island, a cure for children's night crying!" "Earplugs. Delicious. Earplugs..."

Chu Hengkong dodged a minotaur, whose horn struck a sign advertising "30% off all relics," causing it to squeak angrily. Ji Huaisu never skimped on herself; she had already bought two ice creams while descending the stairs. Van der lay in his pocket, his eyes never closing since he entered.

"So...lively!" it exclaimed.

"Something made a sound that contradicted its powerful background." Ji Huaisu chuckled mischievously.

"This has nothing to do with how powerful you are! Where did you find so many races?!" Vande looked around. "I saw 38 kinds of Senmin alone! And there are also soldiers and Fufu... Who gave you the guts to let them gather together? Aren't you afraid of outsiders coming to Dust Island with so many people?!"

“The heretics came here three months ago, but my old man beat them up and sent them back.” Ji Huaisu said, munching on an ice pop.

"...Could you please tell me which specific types you mean so I can prepare myself mentally?"

“Rainbow, skull…” Chu Hengkong observed the surrounding stalls, “The Great Demon…”

Van der fell headfirst back into his pocket, nearly dying on the spot.

"I didn't hear you, I didn't hear you... Forget it, forget it..."

Chu Hengkong had completely gotten used to this eye's behavior and knew that if left unattended, it would naturally get better after a while. The important task at hand was still shopping.

After the battle with the Immortal Machine, he gained a rock-hard bone, but also lost a lot: the light armor provided by Youyou was shattered to pieces, the Iron Spider gauntlets made by Qisu were completely destroyed, the leaf throwing knives he had previously acquired were reduced to nothing, and even the rock blade was broken...

Even the rock-cutting sword is shattered! My most reliable weapon is gone!!
Thinking of this, Chu Hengkong felt extremely heartbroken. Although he no longer needed a special relic for parrying attacks, and he had already mastered the Wuhui Strike and even created his own second move, the Huigang Strike, Du Muyan probably wouldn't have any regrets if he were alive... But finding a second sword that he was so comfortable with was truly difficult...

When traveling, the most important thing is your own skills, but without good equipment, you're doomed. I need to quickly find some handy weapons and a wealthy shopkeeper… but for some reason, the Orochi Market, usually known for its diverse and abundant products, is offering a rather monotonous selection today; most stalls are selling various earplugs…

"Let's buy some banana earplugs first," Ji Huaisu said, picking up something that looked delicious. "They're quite practical."

"What's the practical use of this thing?"

"It can save you money," she said earnestly. "A lot of money."

Just then, Chu Hengkong heard the sound of plucked strings. The music rose and fell, stirring the heartstrings, sometimes like a female musician softly singing at the bow of a ferry, and sometimes like a poet singing loudly by a fireplace in winter.

That was the most beautiful sound of an instrument he had ever heard in his life.

(End of this chapter)