Chapter 174: Using The Ancient Manual

"Boss is back!"

Li Junjie, his top lieutenant, was standing in front with a machete in hand. He spotted Li Xiaofei first, and the crowd immediately erupted in cheers.

Yang Cheng, his rotund body rolling like a frenzied ball, rushed out, shouting, "Boss, Boss... You're not dead, are you?"

Young officer Wu Junzhuang let a small smile cross his face, visibly relieved.

Swish.

Li Xiaofei landed gracefully.

"Brother Wu, what's all this?" Li Xiaofei asked, looking at the assembled soldiers in surprise.

𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

"We heard you were attacked by bandits in the wilderness," Wu Junzhuang smiled. "These are the brothers who fought alongside you that night. They were all eager to head out and rescue you."

A warm feeling surged through Li Xiaofei's heart.

This is what it means to be soldiers. Once you've shouldered a rifle together, fought together, and bled together, they'll always consider you their brother.

"Thanks," Li Xiaofei said, punching Wu Junzhuang lightly on the shoulder. "It was just a small problem and I sorted it all out. No need for the brothers to worry."

Wu Junzhuang returned the punch, then turned and waved his hand. "Dismissed."

The soldiers waved and smiled at Li Xiaofei in greeting before dispersing, some still casting admiring looks at Li Xiaofei. The members of the Cloudy Sky Gang left the city wall behind and hurried back to the slum. After all, Chu Yuntian was severely injured and needed immediate treatment.

Li Xiaofei trusted Little Aunt's medical skills more than the hospitals in the rule-of-law district controlled by the five great families.

As expected, once they reached the neighborhood, Little Aunt checked Chu Yuntian and provided a timeline. "Ten days."

This meant that Chu Yuntian would be able to move again in ten days. After receiving herbal treatment and bandaging, Chu Yuntian fell into a deep sleep. Yang Cheng and others carried him away.

Li Xiaofei then instructed the Cloudy Sky Gang members to tighten their defenses. He stayed behind because he had something more important to do.

President Li took out the Medicine King Divine Manual and said, "Little Aunt, I obtained an ancient book on medicine and poisons. It's too niche for me to understand. Can you help me interpret it?"

Little Aunt nodded quietly. Li Xiaofei then began reading aloud from the Medicine King Divine Manual. Initially, Little Aunt's expression remained neutral, but she gradually seemed more and more surprised.

Her beautiful eyebrows furrowed slightly as she contemplated a passage. Eventually, a look of delight appeared on her face as she asked, "Is this book called the Medicine King Divine Manual?"

Li Xiaofei confirmed the name.

"Medicine and poison are fundamentally the same. This book comprehensively summarizes the arts of medicine and poison, making it a rare ancient medical text. It’s also been preserved so well. It should be very famous... but I haven't heard of the Medicine King Divine Manual in the classical texts I've studied," she said, visibly astonished.

Li Xiaofei seized the opportunity to ask, "Do ancient medical texts still hold any significance in today's world? Considering the enormous changes in the world's environment, with nuclear and radiation altering Earth and causing unimaginable mutations in plants and animals, do they still retain their original medicinal properties?"

"You don't understand," Little Aunt replied confidently. "The Earth's environment has indeed changed, and many plants and animals have mutated. However, their life essence remains unchanged. The inherent medicinal properties have not diminished, but rather, they've been enhanced."

Li Xiaofei was overjoyed upon hearing this. He asked, "Does that mean the contents of this ancient book are even more effective now?"

"Exactly," Little Aunt nodded. "The value of ancient medical texts in today's era is immeasurable. Unfortunately, many medical texts from ancient Great Xia have been lost or are incomplete. Some have even been taken abroad."

"Taken abroad?" Li Xiaofei asked curiously, "What happened?"

Little Aunt replied, "That's a story from a hundred years ago. It's not recorded in school textbooks for certain reasons. Our Great Xia made tremendous contributions to the survival of humanity on Earth, but unfortunately, it was betrayed... But let's not dwell on that. Read the contents of the Medicine King Divine Manual again."

Great Xia was betrayed!

This wasn't the first time Li Xiaofei had heard something similar. He swore that when he rose to power, he would seek the truth and justice for this betrayal.

When he saw Little Aunt's reluctance to elaborate, Li Xiaofei suppressed his curiosity and read the Medicine King Divine Manual again slowly. After listening, Little Aunt sat quietly for three minutes, then showed a look of understanding and relief.

"That's enough. Keep this book safe," she instructed.

Li Xiaofei was taken aback and asked, "You remembered all that?"

Little Aunt nodded gently.

"No way," Li Xiaofei exclaimed, astonished. "So much content—thousands of herbs, hundreds of animals, and various prescriptions—you remembered it all? Little Aunt, you're not a light core robot, are you?"

A faint smile appeared at the corner of her mouth as she said, "It's all about understanding it."

Li Xiaofei inhaled sharply as he realized how complex his Little Aunt was. She was shrouded in a thick layer of mystery. But just as she didn't question the origins of the Medicine King Divine Manual, Li Xiaofei didn't probe her true background. It didn't matter. Whatever the truth, they would face it together.

"Little Aunt," Li Xiaofei said, "I want to extract some of the contents from the Medicine King Divine Manual and share it with suitable members of the Cloudy Sky Gang and my classmates. Do you think that's feasible?"

Little Aunt nodded in agreement and said, "I'll prepare a simplified version for you by tomorrow. You can distribute it to the right people for cultivation and study."

"That's wonderful," Li Xiaofei said joyfully.

With Little Aunt's help, he didn't need to worry about the Medicine King Divine Manual leaking, and he could spread some of its contents. After all, it was the wisdom of ancient Great Xia, and it should be promoted.

"This ancient book also contains the method to cultivate the extraordinary poison, the Seven-Star Begonia," Little Aunt recalled. "It sounds intriguing. If we can indeed cultivate this poisonous flower, even Saints might fear it."

Seven-Star Begonia! In the world of Jin Yong's martial arts, it was considered one of the top-tier poisons. But could it really threaten Saints?

Li Xiaofei had some ideas forming in his mind.

If it could truly be cultivated, it would definitely count as a powerful weapon. If it was used skillfully, it could silently kill powerful figures in Acupoint Opening, Meridian Expansion, and Five Spirits realms.

However, the poison Seven-Star Begonia carried a heavy sense of tragedy in the original story. Chen Lingsu, the stunningly talented individual who had cultivated this rare poison, had ultimately died from it.

Switching the topic, Little Aunt said, "You have a strong aura of blood and evil energy on you. Did you get into a fight today?"

Li Xiaofei did not hide anything and recounted everything that happened outside the city in detail.

Little Aunt frowned and said, "You were reckless this time. If the other side had ambushed you with an Acupoint Opening Realm expert, you would have had no chance of coming back."

Li Xiaofei laughed. "Even though the gangs in the base city are legally registered and recognized by law, they are not considered good professions. Truly top experts prefer to join the government, the military, or legitimate business associations and companies. They rarely join gangs."

He added, "Besides, the Dragon Claw Gang is not a top-tier gang. They only have two Acupoint Opening Realm experts, so there’s no need to worry too much. Moreover, I sent a message to Inspector Li Zhoumin before I set out. He replied and told me to go ahead. Heh, if I really encountered danger, he would not sit by idly."

Li Xiaofei chuckled. Although he was a martial arts fanatic, he was not a reckless fool. He had made other preparations before setting out. Little Aunt nodded thoughtfully but did not ask further.

"Take off your clothes and get on the bed." She stood up and walked towards the bedroom.

"The massage’s effect is the best after a big fight. Besides, the potion I prepared is ready for use."

Li Xiaofei cheered up immediately. Happy times were about to begin.