Chapter 4

Ning Xiaochuan practiced all night, with his blood circulating through his body for 240 cycles. The martial arts mystic energy in his martial arts heart palace increased significantly, and he was about to break through to the fourth level of mystic energy.

This cultivation speed was simply terrifying.

After Ning Xiaochuan got up, he held the three books he borrowed last night, intending to return them to the library and continue reading there. This was a bad habit formed from studying medicine; he always felt that his knowledge was never enough.

Now, in this unfamiliar world, he knew nothing, and he felt no different from an idiot. Only by reading more could he know more.

In the early morning, there was a heavy fog.

The Sword Pavilion Hou Mansion was shrouded in a white mist, with red walls and green tiles, and flying eaves and hanging pavilions, looking like a fairy palace where immortals lived.

Ning Xiaochuan, holding the three books, walked along the stone path, passing by the central training ground of the Sword Pavilion Hou Mansion, and slightly paused his steps.

In the training ground, over four hundred young people were practicing swordsmanship, all wearing white robes. Some were only five or six years old, while others were already in their early twenties.

Ning Xiner was among them, wearing a white martial arts uniform, with a black belt around her small waist, and holding a three-foot-long green sword. As she moved the sword, sword energy burst out, creating a thunderous explosion in the air.

Her entire body was enveloped in martial arts mystic energy, and above her head, a huge crimson divine furnace hovered, with the color of blood, carved with dragons and phoenixes.

This was the first divine skill she had cultivated after reaching the first level of the divine body, "Furnace Sword Blood Shadow."

Her sword energy covered a radius of ten zhang, and the sword was like a dragon. The sword energy formed a Taiji diagram, and anything within ten zhang of her would be reduced to powder.

The young disciples of the Sword Pavilion Hou Mansion all kept a distance, not daring to get too close, for fear of being injured by her sword energy.

"Ning Xiner's talent is too high. At just fourteen years old, she has already reached the divine body realm, and her first sword skill is almost complete! With such talent, no one in the young generation of the Sword Pavilion Hou Mansion can compare to her."

"Ning Xiaojian, the first expert of the fourth generation of the Sword Pavilion Hou Mansion, only cultivated the divine skill at the age of twenty."

Ning Han sneered, "Unfortunately, her brother is a waste. A few days ago, he competed with Wang Yunchong of the Tianxiang Hou Mansion for a courtesan at the Guanyu Tower. After losing, he was so angry that he fainted, and a courtesan had to bring him back to the Hou Mansion. This has become a laughingstock among the various Hou Mansions, disgracing the Sword Pavilion Hou Mansion!"

"I heard that the courtesan who brought him back was extremely beautiful and even shed tears for him."

Ning Han said, "No matter how beautiful she is, she is still a lowly prostitute. A prostitute and a waste are a perfect match. Unfortunately, Ning Binglao's constitution is so weak that even if a beautiful woman were to lie in front of him, he would be powerless. Ha ha!"

There was laughter all around.

Ning Han naturally saw Ning Xiaochuan standing by the training ground, so he laughed loudly, as if he was afraid Ning Xiaochuan wouldn't hear him.

"Ning Han, try saying that again," Ning Xiner shouted.

A beam of sword light flew over, and the tip of the sword was already pointing at Ning Han's throat.

Ning Han had average talent and was only at the fifth level of mystic energy, so he naturally didn't dare to provoke Ning Xiner. He retreated sullenly, glancing back at Ning Xiaochuan with disdain and sneered, "A coward who only hides behind women."

"Brother, don't take what they say to heart. They are deliberately provoking you. They are just a bunch of rich brats who want to..." Ning Xiner was afraid that her brother would be provoked into a fit again, and she was very anxious, almost on the verge of tears, wishing she could beat those rich brats to a pulp.

Ning Xiaochuan, holding the three books, had a faint smile on his face and said, "It's fine. You continue practicing. I'm going to the library to read."

Ning Xiner stared at Ning Xiaochuan's back, suddenly feeling that her brother had changed. In the past, he wouldn't have been so calm in such a situation!

Ning Xiaochuan and Ning Han weren't very familiar, and he had no memory of the events Ning Han mentioned, so he naturally ignored him, thinking it was just nonsense. He walked straight into the library to continue looking for books to read.

Ning Han, however, was furious, "That sickly person completely ignored me?"

"With Ning Xiner protecting him, he naturally acts arrogantly. But if Ning Xiner isn't by his side, do you believe that if we slap him, he won't dare to fight back?" a distant relative of the Ning family laughed.

Ning Han sneered, "The other night at the Guanyu Tower, he almost died from anger, and he didn't even dare to make a sound. Such a wimp living in this world is a disgrace to our Sword Pavilion Hou Mansion."

"I heard that the courtesan 'Yu Ningsheng' at the Guanyu Tower is as beautiful as a celestial being, with unparalleled talent, and is considered one of the three beauties of the capital. Was Ning Binglao competing with Wang Yunchong for her the other night?"

Ning Han's eyes were full of disdain, and he sneered, "Although courtesans are lowly, Yu Ningsheng is an exception. She is truly a beauty who stands out from the mud, like a celestial being. Her martial arts cultivation is extremely high, and ordinary people can't even see her. Ning Binglao doesn't have the qualifications to see Yu Ningsheng. That night, Ning Binglao and Wang Yunchong were only competing for a silver-ranked courtesan at the Guanyu Tower!"

Thinking of that silver-ranked courtesan, Ning Han's eyes filled with murderous intent. She was one of the informants and the one who brought the "fainted" Ning Xiaochuan back to the Sword Pavilion Hou Mansion. Since she had shed tears for Ning Binglao, it seemed that just threatening her wasn't enough; she needed to be made to keep silent forever.

Ning Han planned to go to the Guanyu Tower after morning practice to take care of this matter!

In the library.

Ning Xiaochuan sat below a bookshelf, holding a yellowed book, reading with great interest.

"So the mysterious heart palace in my body is the legendary 'Seven Marvels Divine Devil Heart Palace.'"

Ning Xiaochuan was very curious about the strange heart in his body, so he specifically looked for books about martial arts heart palaces in the library, and unexpectedly found one.

However, the book only had a brief description of the "Seven Marvels Divine Devil Heart Palace" — "Seven marvels: two atria, two ventricles, one heart palace, one heart aperture, one blood aperture. The heart aperture is divine, the blood aperture is demonic. Heart blood connects to the mystic, and the divine and demonic emerge."

Ning Xiaochuan stroked his chin and muttered to himself, "Ordinary martial artists have only two atria, two ventricles, and one martial arts heart palace. So the extra two ventricles on the left and right are the blood aperture and the heart aperture. The blood aperture represents the demonic, and the small blood-red sword is nurtured within the blood aperture. Could it be... a demonic sword!"

Ning Xiaochuan touched his heart, shivered, and then exhaled deeply, saying, "Cultivating martial arts, I don't want to become a great demon. I'll look for medical books instead!"

Ning Xiaochuan was still very sensitive to the word "demonic" and was quite wary, fearing that he would become a great demon who killed without mercy. So he quickly recited the oath he took when he entered medical school, deciding to recite it three times every day.

Reflecting on oneself three times a day.

"I am willing to dedicate myself to medicine, adhere to medical ethics, respect teachers and follow rules, study diligently, and strive for excellence in all aspects. I am determined to do my best to alleviate human suffering, promote health, and uphold the sanctity and honor of medicine. I will save lives and help the injured, without fear of hardship..."

While reciting the medical student's oath, it was like a calming spell, and he continued to search for medical books in the library.

"Ordinary people, when sick or injured, directly seek martial artists. Martial arts mystic energy can treat diseases, heal injuries, and cure illnesses. Oh my! In this world, doctors are not needed. Martial arts mystic energy can cure everything, and any martial artist is the best doctor."

This was the answer he found.

Ning Xiaochuan was somewhat disappointed. The medical skills in this world were too lacking in technical content. As long as one had cultivated martial arts mystic energy in their body, they could open a clinic in a small town.

Mystic energy is not just used for killing; it can also treat diseases, enhance wisdom, and extend life. The status of martial artists is above all, and it's not without reason.

"Ordinary people, when sick or injured, directly seek martial artists. Then, what happens when martial artists are injured?"

Ning Xiaochuan discovered a very interesting profession, similar to doctors but different, as it only treated martial artists.

Heart Nurturer!

What is the most important thing for martial artists?

Naturally, it's the heart and blood.

When a martial artist's heart and blood are damaged, their own martial arts mystic energy is hard to repair, and they can only seek help from a Heart Nurturer.

Moreover, Heart Nurturers can refine pills and elixirs to help heal injuries, even expand the martial arts heart palace, refine blood, and enhance cultivation. Some powerful Heart Nurturers can even help ordinary people open a martial arts heart palace and bring martial artists back from the brink of death.

Ordinary people seek martial artists when injured, and martial artists seek Heart Nurturers when injured.

The status of Heart Nurturers is much higher than that of martial artists, and they are even rarer. Among a thousand martial artists, perhaps not even one can become a Heart Nurturer.

Even a junior Heart Nurturer is a highly respected existence among martial artists.

The products sold by Heart Nurturers are extremely expensive. A single drop of heart-nurturing elixir refined by a junior Heart Nurturer is worth 8,000 small coins.

100 small coins = 1 large coin.

100 large coins = 1 liang of blue gold.

8,000 small coins are enough for an ordinary family of three to live for half a year.

It can be said that every Heart Nurturer is extremely wealthy, and some powerful Heart Nurturers can even build their own cities, with wealth rivaling that of a country.

"Interesting, very interesting. If I can become a Heart Nurturer, even if I leave the Sword Pavilion Hou Mansion, I won't have to worry about starving. However, becoming a Heart Nurturer seems very difficult. To nurture others' hearts, one must first nurture their own heart. Just the first step, cultivating the martial arts heart palace into a 'Heart Nurturing Cauldron,' requires a large amount of spiritual essence and treasure, and 99% of martial artists cannot succeed."

"Before making money, I have to spend a lot of money!"

Ning Xiaochuan was a person with a firm resolve. Once he decided to do something, he wouldn't hesitate.

He returned to the training ground, where the morning practice had already ended, and the other disciples of the Sword Pavilion Hou Mansion had gone to rest. Ning Xiner, however, was still practicing.

"Xiner, lend me