Chapter 10

With his guard up, the pressure Zhong Wen felt from the Black Cloaked Man’s second strike was much less.

Moreover, he sensed that the speed of the Black Cloaked Man’s sword seemed to have slowed down.

Zhong Wen used the "Cloudy Immortal Steps" to continuously dodge the Black Cloaked Man’s attacks. Occasionally, when he was caught, he used the "Flower Transference" technique to redirect the offensive. Although the disparity in cultivation levels prevented him from directly deflecting the opponent’s sword moves, he was not in danger of being severely injured.

The situation was still one-sided, but Zhong Wen was temporarily out of mortal danger. Instead, in the constant dodging and evading, his understanding of the "Cloudy Immortal Steps" deepened even further.

After a dozen or so rounds, the Black Cloaked Man’s speed slowed down even more, and the power of his sword was far less than when they first met.

Could it be... there’s something wrong with his body?

Zhong Wen speculated to himself.

Unable to break through, the Black Cloaked Man gradually became agitated. Suddenly, he accelerated, closing the distance with Zhong Wen, and his long sword burst with unprecedented momentum.

Not good, he’s going all out!

The disparity in strength was hard to conceal. The aura of this sword strike brought an overwhelming sense of despair to Zhong Wen.

Am I going to be the first protagonist in history to die within a week of crossing over?

How frustrating!

With death looming, Zhong Wen’s mind raced, searching for the slightest glimmer of hope.

Suddenly, an idea struck him, and he shouted:

"Come to my bowl!!"

A pill furnace suddenly appeared in Zhong Wen’s hand, with its four legs facing him and the opening facing outward, ready to meet the incoming sword.

"Clang!"

The long sword pierced into the pill furnace, and the spiritual energy on the sword dissipated along the sides of the furnace, vanishing without a trace.

Zhong Wen thought he would be thrown back a great distance even if he managed to block the sword, but the pill furnace absorbed most of the force. He only took a few steps back, feeling no discomfort, and was overjoyed.

What a treasure!

At that moment, he realized the extraordinary nature of this top-tier pill furnace.

The Black Cloaked Man, about to succeed, had put all his effort into this strike. He never expected Zhong Wen to suddenly produce a large furnace, and was immediately thrown back several steps by the counterforce from the sword. When he tried to attack again, he felt weak all over, swaying and almost losing his balance.

An opportunity!

Seeing the Black Cloaked Man in poor condition, Zhong Wen did not hesitate. He used the "Cloudy Immortal Steps" and quickly appeared beside the Black Cloaked Man.

The Black Cloaked Man was startled and tried to raise his sword to block, but felt intense pain and could not muster the strength. He could only watch helplessly as Zhong Wen pointed at his waist.

The One Yang Finger!

"Clang!"

The long sword fell to the ground, and the Black Cloaked Man looked at Zhong Wen with a gaze full of resentment. He then slowly collapsed, feeling numb all over, unable to move even a finger.

Seeing his opponent fall, Zhong Wen was still uneasy. He approached and used the One Yang Finger to strike several points on the Black Cloaked Man’s body before stopping, panting heavily.

After experiencing his first perilous situation since crossing over, almost losing his life, Zhong Wen was still trembling with fear for a long time.

Regaining his composure, he approached the Black Cloaked Man, squatted down, and pulled off the black cloth covering his face.

A beautiful face appeared before Zhong Wen.

It’s a woman!

Zhong Wen was so shocked that his jaw almost dropped.

The Black Cloaked Girl lay on the ground, her pale face with a hint of baby fat, her beautiful eyes glaring fiercely at Zhong Wen, trying to intimidate him, but failing to instill any fear. Instead, she looked... cute.

Seeing a beautiful woman, Zhong Wen’s murderous intent instantly vanished.

Sigh, I’ll die at the hands of a woman one day.

He muttered to himself and asked, "Who are you? Why did you ambush me?"

The Black Cloaked Girl continued to glare at Zhong Wen, her eyes filled with stubbornness and defiance, ignoring his questions.

"You can ignore me, but if I’m not mistaken, you’re injured, and quite badly," Zhong Wen sighed. "After this fight, your injuries have worsened. If you don’t get treated soon, you might not live for more than a few days."

The Black Cloaked Girl remained silent, but her eyes showed a hint of sadness.

"Although you almost killed me, I don’t have the habit of killing women," Zhong Wen said softly. "Since you’re not willing to talk, just tell me, are you targeting me, Zhong Wen, or the Floating Flower Palace? If your target isn’t me, I’ll let you go, okay?"

This was a trap. If she was really an enemy of the Floating Flower Palace, he wouldn’t show mercy once she admitted it.

"Neither," the Black Cloaked Girl hesitated for a moment before finally speaking.

"Huh?" Zhong Wen was taken aback. "Then why did you ambush me?"

"I... I thought you were... a pursuer sent by the Bliss Sect," the Black Cloaked Girl’s pale cheeks flushed slightly.

Your Bliss Sect!

Zhong Wen felt a thousand beasts galloping in his heart.

If the Black Cloaked Man were a man, he would have slapped him and asked, "I’m so handsome, which eye do you think I look like a gangster?"

Facing a soft girl, he couldn’t be rough, so he blamed the Bliss Sect for his anger.

"Can’t I be from Qingfeng Mountain?"

"I... I heard that there’s only the Floating Flower Palace on Qingfeng Mountain, and there are no men there," the Black Cloaked Girl’s voice was weak, whether from her injuries or shame. "A man wandering the mountain at night is probably not a good person."

Zhong Wen was speechless.

I thought you were a... no, you’re quite flat, but your logic is so tight...

"By the way, are you the assassin who killed the deputy leader of the Bliss Sect?" Zhong Wen suddenly remembered the encounter from earlier.

"Yes," the Black Cloaked Girl’s breathing became rapid, and her face turned even paler, the pain from her injuries making it hard for her to speak, only managing a nasal sound.

Being able to kill one and injure another Earth Wheel expert, this girl is likely an Earth Wheel cultivator herself. If she recovers and turns against me, it could be...

Zhong Wen was hesitant.

However, seeing the beautiful face of the Black Cloaked Girl twisted in pain, Zhong Wen finally made up his mind.

Sigh, I’ll definitely die at the hands of a woman!

He supported her back with his left hand and lifted her legs with his right, carrying her horizontally to the stone bed and gently laying her down.

"Swallow it," Zhong Wen placed a Rejuvenation Pill at the Black Cloaked Girl’s mouth.

The Black Cloaked Girl looked hesitant.

"If I wanted to harm you, could you resist?" Zhong Wen was both angry and amused.

The Black Cloaked Girl blushed, glared at him, and finally swallowed the pill obediently.

A gentle medicinal force quickly spread through her body, slightly alleviating her pain.

Zhong Wen extended his right hand and gently placed it on the Black Cloaked Girl’s wrist. She instinctively tried to pull away, but was immobilized by the One Yang Finger.

"What cultivation method are you practicing? It’s a mess!" Zhong Wen frowned, feeling the chaotic spiritual energy in her body, her meridians riddled with damage. Despite looking no more than twenty, she already felt like her life force was withering.

"This cultivation method has no name. It’s a special method used by the Ten Thousand Gold Tower to train assassins, known for its rapid cultivation speed," the Black Cloaked Girl said softly.

"Rapid cultivation, but it’s just exploiting human potential. I bet most of your Ten Thousand Gold Tower assassins don’t live past thirty," Zhong Wen sneered.

"You’re right," the Black Cloaked Girl said sadly. "Assassins who live past twenty-five are few, and this method can only be cultivated to the Earth Wheel level, with no further progress. Extending life through breakthroughs is impossible."

"Then why do you still practice it? Are you stupid?"

"As long as I can kill Duan Changhong, that beast, and avenge my family, what does it matter if I die?" The Black Cloaked Girl’s eyes glowed with hatred, her tone becoming agitated. "I’m just a commoner’s child, and my whole family was killed by that beast. Apart from dying together, what other way is there to avenge them?"

Seeing the girl’s madness driven by hatred, Zhong Wen felt a pang of sympathy.

Ordinary people might be like ants to cultivators, and the state of this world is not something a newcomer like me can change.

"Although I don’t know this Duan Changhong, as the leader of a gang, he must have done many bad things. Your desire to kill him for revenge is understandable, but if you join an assassin organization, the Ten Thousand Gold Tower will order you to kill others. Where will the innocent go to seek justice?"

"I... I haven’t killed anyone for the Ten Thousand Gold Tower yet," the Black Cloaked Girl’s expression froze, and she mumbled, "The training wasn’t over, and I escaped to find Duan Changhong for revenge."

"What about after you kill Duan Changhong?" Zhong Wen’s question struck at her heart. "Will you go back to serve the Ten Thousand Gold Tower?"

"I... I don’t know," she said dejectedly after a long silence. "Since my revenge failed, what’s the point of talking about it? I know my condition, and it’s incurable. I just hate that that beast is still living and causing harm."

"If I cure you, will you leave the Ten Thousand Gold Tower?"

"You... You can’t cure me," the Black Cloaked Girl clearly didn’t believe that this young man, who looked two years younger than her, could have such skills.

Men hate being called "incapable," especially by a beautiful woman. Zhong Wen, enraged, suddenly reached out to untie the girl’s upper clothing.

"What... What are you doing!" The Black Cloaked Girl was shocked, thinking Zhong Wen was acting on lust.

"Stop shouting, I’m treating you!" Zhong Wen flicked her forehead.

In a few quick moves, the girl’s waist belt was untied, and her upper clothing was pulled aside, revealing her white abdomen and chest tightly wrapped in white cloth. Below the cloth, a gray palm print was visible, clearly from a heavy strike by Duan Changhong, the leader of the Bliss Sect.

"You’re injured in the chest, so I have to undo this. Don’t blame me," Zhong Wen said, reaching to untie the girl’s chest bindings.

Holy cow! So big!

As the cloth was untied, two full mounds sprang up, as if they had been suppressed for too long and were finally released.

I was wrong, at least a D-cup! Is this the legendary young face with a big...

Zhong Wen almost had a nosebleed.

"I... I’ll kill you." The Black Cloaked Girl’s face turned red with shame and anger, but she was helpless.

"Don’t think too much, I’m a doctor!" Zhong Wen flicked her forehead again and took out the golden needles from the Medicine King Valley’s master.

This was his first time applying the content from the medical books, so he had to be fully focused and put in his best effort.

Soon, the Black Cloaked Girl’s chest, abdomen, and arms were filled with golden needles, and the force of the One Yang Finger continuously struck various acupoints on her body.

After countless years, the legendary "Soul Chasing Golden Needles" and "One Yang Finger" of the ancient Medicine King Valley were finally brought back to life.

Using both acupuncture and the One Yang Finger simultaneously was a great burden for Zhong Wen, who had only opened his second Human Wheel. He treated her while continuously taking Rejuvenation Pills, and soon his forehead was covered in sweat.

"Damn, I’m exhausted."

The girl’s injuries were severe, and even with the Medicine King Valley’s skills, it took Zhong Wen half an hour to complete the treatment. Drenched in sweat, he plopped down on the ground, almost collapsing.

The Black Cloaked Girl lay on the stone bed, feeling warm all over. She was surprised to find that her body was once again full of vitality.

She had heard that the Ten Thousand Gold Tower’s master had spent a fortune to invite many renowned doctors to solve the aftereffects of the unnamed cultivation method, but to no avail.

This young man actually did it!

Looking at the exhausted Zhong Wen, she didn’t know whether to be grateful or to say something harsh.

After a while, Zhong Wen, who had taken another Rejuvenation Pill and a Spirit Replenishment Pill, finally stood up, dusted off his clothes, and approached the Black Cloaked Girl’s bed.

"You’ve been saved," Zhong Wen said with a smile. "But the unnamed cultivation method has severely damaged your body. To fully recover, you need to rest and recuperate for a while. Forget about the Bliss Sect and the Ten Thousand Gold Tower for now. Get a good night’s sleep."

Seeing Zhong Wen’s handsome face and his extended right hand, the Black Cloaked Girl felt nervous.

"You..." Before she could speak, Zhong Wen’s finger had already struck the point below her ear.

The Black Cloaked Girl felt her eyelids grow heavy and soon fell into a deep sleep.

Zhong Wen pulled her upper clothing over her, stared at her for a long time, sighed, and left the cave.

In my past life, many people joked about Sun Wukong stealing peaches after immobilizing the Seven Fairies. I never thought I’d end up doing the same.

Zhong Wen thought to himself and ran quickly towards the Medicine King Valley.

Delayed by the Black Cloaked Girl, it was almost past midnight. Zhong Wen sprinted to the library and continued his pleasant book collection journey.

"Discovered the book 'Basic Alchemy Techniques' (Upper Volume) in the 'Spiritual Artifacts' category. Do you want to collect it? Yes/No."

"Discovered the book 'Basic Alchemy Techniques' (Lower Volume) in the 'Spiritual Artifacts' category. Do you want to collect it? Yes/No."

"Discovered the book 'One Hundred Examples of Pill Furnace Fabrication' in the 'Spiritual Artifacts' category. Do you want to collect it? Yes/No."

...

By the time it was the hour of the Ox, Zhong Wen had collected nearly two hundred books in the 'Spiritual Artifacts' category. The panel displayed the information he had been waiting for:

"Collected 100 books in the