Chapter 111.2: Divine Strength Grand Pill! (II)

"Physician Lu, you are finally back."

When Zhang Xuan saw Lu Changsheng, his face lit up with joy. Even Lu Yang, who was usually quiet and reserved, scratched his head, unable to hide the smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

Now that Lu Changsheng had returned, the gang regained its pillar of support. Fortunately, even during his absence, everything still ran steadily with no trouble.

Lu Changsheng's days at the Four Seas Gang passed quietly.

Using the merits he had accumulated, Lu Changsheng exchanged for nearly all of the gang's second and third-tier martial techniques. Only someone with his rate of earning merits could afford to exchange for so many second and third-tier martial techniques in such a short span of time.

Although learning these techniques required little time for Lu Changsheng, each one contributed to an increase in his Perception points, so he did not see a reason not to do it.

In the blink of an eye, a month passed. Lu Changsheng summoned his Status Panel to review his condition.

[Status Panel]

Host: Lu Changsheng

Perception: 1750 (Praised by All)

[Skills]

Blood Qi Sword Crafting Secret Technique: Sword Crafting, 12 months and 15 days

Starry Sky Waterfall Intent: Progress 1%

Wave Intent: Progress 25%

Celestial Treasure-Refinement Secret Technique: Fifth Layer

Ninefold Carp-Dragon Ascension: Fifth Stage

His Perception had risen to one thousand seven hundred fifty points. The number itself was already astonishing. Even so, Lu Changsheng could sense that it was still far from triggering any fundamental transformation.

As for his other attributes, there was little change. At his current level, he had entered a relatively stable stage of cultivation. It was not quite a bottleneck, but rapid growth was no longer possible. Progress from this point on would have to come steadily, step by step.

***

Today, news spread throughout Zhanhai City from the north. The northern barbarians had amassed eight hundred thousand troops along the border, and their movements clearly signaled an impending southward advance.

The northern barbarians had always been fiercely aggressive and were long-standing enemies of the Da Yu Dynasty. For several hundred years, the two sides had been fighting without pause, so their mutual hatred ran deep.

Now that the Da Yu Dynasty was being plagued by both internal chaos and external threats, the northern barbarians chose to strike and take advantage of such an opportunity.

Under ordinary circumstances, such matters would have had little to do with the jianghu. However, the Da Yu Dynasty's Martial Pavilion issued a Martial Decree, calling on martial artists from across the jianghu to head north and jointly resist the invasion.

The Martial Pavilion was a special force within the jianghu. It specialized in gathering intelligence and collecting martial arts, and there was little, whether great or small, that escaped its notice.

At the same time, it rarely involved itself directly in jianghu disputes, which gave it a uniquely detached and authoritative position.

However, many had long suspected that the Martial Pavilion was closely tied to the Da Yu Dynasty. Some even believed it had been established by the dynasty itself to monitor the affairs of the jianghu.

Since the Martial Pavilion had openly issued a Martial Decree, mobilizing the martial artists of the jianghu against the northern barbarians, it became clear that the Da Yu Dynasty was in jeopardy.

Rebellions erupted throughout the land, and the dynasty no longer had the strength to confront the northern barbarians on its own.

Turning to the very martial artists it had always regarded with caution was, in truth, an act of concession.

It was also said that the Martial Pavilion had joined forces with powerful merchant groups to provide incentives for those willing to fight in the north. For every northern barbarian slain, their head could be exchanged for a fixed amount of silver.

Those uninterested in silver could instead bring the heads to the Martial Pavilion and trade them for martial arts.

Once this news spread, it swept through the jianghu like a storm. Anything issued by the Martial Pavilion was guaranteed to be of the highest quality. Countless martial artists were tempted, especially the rogue cultivators who lived by their own strength.

Over several hundred years, the Martial Pavilion had built an impeccable reputation. Regardless of its true relationship with the Da Yu Dynasty, its credibility within the jianghu was beyond reproach.

Any martial art obtained from the Martial Pavilion was certain to be top-tier and meticulously refined, never something common.

Now, as long as one could kill northern barbarians, there was a chance to obtain such martial arts. Opportunities of this kind were exceedingly rare.

With this announcement, Lu Changsheng quickly noticed a change in Zhanhai City. There were far fewer martial artists on the streets than before. Even within the Four Seas Gang, many had quietly vanished, leaving without so much as a farewell.

Lu Yang and Zhang Xuan no longer discussed daily affairs in the city. Instead, their conversations revolved around rumors carried by traveling storytellers, tales of brutal clashes and desperate battles against the northern barbarians in the northern lands.

"The world, the state, the jianghu, and martial artists..." Lu Changsheng murmured.

What had once seemed like separate matters now appeared tightly entangled. As time passed, more news spread. The northern barbarians had also begun recruiting experts from their own jianghu, sending them up north to fight.

The northern regions had already turned into a vast hunting ground. Everyone there was a hunter, but at the same time, anyone could just as easily become prey.

Lu Changsheng thought over the situation for three days, wondering whether he would join the fight. In the end, he made his decision. He would head north.

Zhanhai City was part of the jianghu, and so were the northern regions. Right now, the fiercest currents of the jianghu were surging northward. If he wanted to improve himself further, he had to go there. After all, no martial artist could ever hope to reach the pinnacle of martial dao through secluded cultivation alone.

After making up his mind, Lu Changsheng gave Zhang Xuan and Lu Yang a few brief instructions and asked Xu Ling to help oversee matters in his absence.

Xu Ling hesitated before speaking, his expression uneasy. "Physician Lu, the northern regions are in complete chaos. They are dangerous beyond measure. Are you truly planning to head north?"

In Xu Ling's eyes, a mere physician like Lu Changsheng going north was nothing short of madness.

Lu Changsheng looked at him calmly. "Hall Master Xu, my decision is already made. There is no need to try to change my mind."

Lu Changsheng set off alone on a horse, leaving Zhanhai City and heading north.

Just as he passed the city gates, he spotted a familiar figure.

Lu Changsheng narrowed his eyes slightly. "

Hm?

Miss Yun."

It was Yun Haitang. She had come by herself and stood quietly by the roadside, as if she had been waiting for some time.

Yun Haitang smiled faintly. "Physician Lu..."

She paused, then shook her head. "Forget it. I am more used to calling you Brother Dao. Brother Dao, take care on your journey. If you ever grow weary or tired, you may return to the Heavenly Maiden Sect at any time."

Lu Changsheng smiled in response. It seemed she already knew his true identity, but he did not find it surprising. Some things could not remain hidden forever.

Given enough time, someone was bound to discover that Lu Changsheng was Dao Shi'er.

"Miss Yun, farewell."

Lu Changsheng cupped his hands in salute, urged his horse forward, and rode off in a cloud of dust.

Yun Haitang remained where she was, lost in thought. Her gaze was fixed on Lu Changsheng, and she watched him until he vanished completely from sight.

***

In the northern regions, beneath a vast sky and across boundless plains stretched an endless sea of grass. Carrying his medicine chest, Lu Changsheng entered Beiling City at an unhurried pace.

Beiling City stood at the northern edge of the Da Yu Dynasty, a true border city. Beyond it to the north lay the territory of the northern barbarians.

However, strictly speaking, those lands could not truly be called the territory of the northern barbarians. The grassland beyond Beiling City was too vast and barren to garrison with regular troops. No army could hold it for long, and no authority could truly claim it.

Over time, it became a lawless zone, a stretch of land beyond anyone's control.

Now, that no-man's-land had turned into a battlefield, with northern barbarians and martial artists from the Da Yu Dynasty clashing relentlessly. The wind carried the heavy scent of blood, and death lingered in the air at all times.

Bam!

Lu Changsheng set down his medicine chest and began setting up his stall. Once everything was in place, he hung up a simple wooden sign that said, "only accepting nine patients each day."

At first, there were few visitors, but as the days went by, the martial artists gradually realized that this physician possessed real skills. Whether it was saber wounds, sword wounds, internal injuries, or external injuries, as long as Physician Lu treated them, they would recover.

Before long, a nickname for Physician Lu began circulating through Beiling City—the Nine-Patient Master Healer. Calling him a master healer was admittedly an exaggeration. However, in the jianghu, people coined far more absurd titles than that. By comparison, the Nine-Patient Master Healer was already humble.

Still, being a physician in the jianghu did not mean one could avoid trouble. In fact, it did not take long for trouble to find Lu Changsheng.

𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Today, Lu Changsheng had already treated his ninth patient. He was just about to pack up his stall when seven or eight martial artists stepped forward and surrounded him.

"Hurry up and treat my leg injury!" one of them barked fiercely.

"'I've closed for the day," Lu Changsheng replied. "The rule here is that I only treat nine people each day."

The man snarled. "Rules? I am the rule. If you refuse to treat me, I will kill you."

Lu Changsheng stopped what he was doing. He slowly raised his head, and his calm gaze settled on the group of martial artists standing before him.