Chapter 36. The First Night of the New Term

The meeting concluded as peacefully as my heart. I, who conducted the meeting so efficiently, dismissed the officers first. While Xiao Junping was leading the Jinlong Pavilion to tighten the security, I welcomed a serene and sacred night. It was also a day when the power of Tianyu filled me.

As I stood alone in the grand hall, wearing a mask and merely breathing, a servant approached and asked, "Lord Fangzhu, would you like to have dinner? Or should I prepare a bath for you first?"

Does this servant know that the Fangzhu has changed? Or does she not know? It's natural for her not to know if she hasn't come out and only handled miscellaneous tasks here. I replied to let her hear my voice.

"I don't need a bath. I've already eaten pig's trotters, so I'm fine. It seems some blood has splattered on my face, so bring some water for washing here."

"Understood."

The servant walked away briskly without noticing anything unusual. I fell into a moment of contemplation.

'Is my voice similar to Tuzi's?'

Both were low, but they had different characteristics.

As I watched the servant return with a basin of water, I took off my mask. The servant, without much thought, confirmed my face and was startled, dropping the basin of water on the floor.

The servant's eyes widened to their fullest.

I looked at the water she had spilled and said in a calm tone, "Go and fetch more. Clean the floor. You really threw that basin away with a splash."

"A, yes..."

"Don't be surprised. Don't spill it this time."

"Understood. I apologize."

A moment later, the servant returned with the basin, trembling, placed it on the table, and bowed deeply.

"Don't be afraid. I won't harm you. I am the new Black Cat Fangzhu."

"Yes, Lord Fangzhu. It's an honor to meet you."

After wiping the blood from my face and cleaning the bloodstained mask, I asked the servant, "Is my voice similar to the previous Fangzhu's?"

"It's not similar now."

"Now?"

"Yes, when you wear the mask, your voice is slightly altered, so I didn't notice the difference."

"So, when I speak with the mask on, it sounds similar."

"Yes."

Upon inspection, the inside of the mask was made of a hard material, and there were tiny holes around the mouth to allow air to escape. The overall enclosed structure caused the voice to be altered. With such a mask, it was safe to assume that my identity wouldn't be revealed due to my voice. Moreover, I could mimic the previous Fangzhu's voice and tone to some extent.

Suddenly, the servant seemed to be looking at me a few times, so I asked, "Why? Am I handsome? Do you keep staring?"

"I apologize."

"Hmm."

What did "I apologize" mean? Was it because I wasn't handsome, or because she dared to look at the Fangzhu and felt guilty?

"Today is the first day of my term as Fangzhu. Guide me. Show me my quarters, personal training room, and the medicinal storage. Lead the way."

"Yes, Lord Fangzhu."

I followed the servant to inspect various places the Fangzhu used. The structure was luxurious, with everything one could need. There was a place just for changing clothes, two bedrooms, a personal bathroom, and a room with an unknown wooden bed.

"What is this place? Only a bed is here."

"On days when external exercises were practiced, the muscles were relaxed here."

"Who relaxed them?"

"The servants did."

"Practicing wasn't done, but useless things were done..."

The next place she showed me was a personal training room and medicinal storage combined.

I ordered the servant, "Gather the servants and have them wait at a distance. If someone approaches, you don't need to forcibly stop them. Just ask, 'What brings you here?' I'll handle the rest. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Lord Fangzhu."

I waved my hand to dismiss the servant and closed the door.

* * *

There are rare and common types of medicinal pills. Very few people have consumed the rarest medicinal pills.

Heirs of noble families, successors of sects, leaders in their prime, or martial artists who obtained rare medicinal pills through extraordinary luck...

Even combined, they are not many.

Therefore, most martial artists spend their lives consuming common medicinal pills and die.

Common medicinal pills are essentially high-quality medicines made by doctors. Thus, when martial artists talk about a divine doctor (神醫), they might also mean someone who can make good common medicinal pills.

I know one such person.

He was a very problematic character, and his fate was extremely tragic. He was also someone I needed to find along with Guangming Zuo. I don't want him to meet a tragic end again. However, he is also entangled with the Great Monastery, and the timing isn't right now. The sooner I deal with the Great Monastery, the less likely he is to have a tragic life. Of course, in my previous life, I was still a waiter at Yiliangxian, so I have plenty of time.

I opened each small drawer to check the common medicinal pills.

There are various types of common medicinal pills.

Healing internal injuries, antidotes, and wound-healing pills were mixed, so I couldn't just take them randomly. Medicinal pills can be broadly classified, and more finely divided, there are many types. One of the most representative is the Qinsi Lingyao (禽獸靈藥).

Qinsi refers to birds and beasts.

Qinsi Lingyao is given to homing pigeons or used to permanently enhance the endurance and explosive power of horses. The Black Cat Sect also dealt with homing pigeons, so they had this type of medicinal pill.

The reason the martial alliance is powerful is that they can mass-produce these common medicinal pills. They expand their horse force by feeding them medicinal pills and use them to unofficially operate a cavalry composed of martial artists.

The Devil Sect is even more extreme.

They don't see people as people and conducted various experiments with beasts. All these experiments were to counter the elite cavalry of the martial alliance, and many innocent beasts were sacrificed.

While searching the drawers, I finally found three Xinre Wan (心熱丸) common medicinal pills.

The reason they were left is simple.

Xinre Wan, even one pill, can cause a fever and aftereffects like a bad cold, fitting its common classification. I have suffered from heat and demonic transformation many times while practicing martial arts, so I know a lot about Xinre Wan.

The best time to take Xinre Wan is when the extreme yang internal energy is firmly established.

Surprisingly, that is my current state. I listened carefully to my surroundings and then swallowed the three Xinre Wan at once.

A short while later, heat filled my body.

With a flushed face, I sat in a lotus position to practice the Jingu Xiaoyao Gong. Since I had already reached the Flame Stage, the heat from the Xinre Wan was gradually suppressed.

Suddenly, I was captivated by a strange imagination with my eyes closed.

Before I even started the cultivation technique, the process of heat absorbing heat was vividly depicted by my strange imagination.

It was a scene where the experts trapped in Tianyu rushed forward and, like beasts, pounced to devour the heat from the Xinre Wan.

My stomach felt a bit uneasy.

'Oh, what a surprise...'

Before I even started the circulation, I faintly felt the energy of Tianyu become more intense. The energy of the medicinal pill was absorbed by Tianyu and merged instantly.

The feeling was truly strange, so I extended my hand to draw the energy of Jingu Xiaoyao Gong and held it in my palm.

I held the Wood Stage energy in my hand and then switched to the Flame Stage. As the Flame Stage energy condensed in my palm, my palm gradually turned red.

'This is strange today.'

I couldn't pinpoint exactly what was strange.

Tianyu is a thing that absorbs the energy, vitality, and essence of living martial artists and accumulates them.

Suddenly, I wondered if my body, or the Tianyu I absorbed, had...

A strange ability to absorb the energy or internal energy of others.

I muttered with a dazed expression, "Surely not?"

I just want to live as a madman.

I don't want to become a monster beyond a madman like the Sect Leader. I closed my eyes, took deep breaths, and calmed my mind like a wooden chicken.

Meanwhile, I hoped nothing unusual would happen to my body.

There are still too many monkeys to beat to death.

Still, just in case...

If I had such an ability, I wanted to give it a name.

Absorption Technique, Absorption Qi Technique, Absorption Divine Technique, Tianyu Absorption Technique.

Tianyu Absorption Divine Technique, Tianyu Absorption Devil Technique, Guangma Tianyu Absorption Divine Technique.

'Absorption... let's drop it.'

Naming is the hardest part in any field.

It felt right to include the character "Absorption," but no name came to mind that felt right. I decided to think about it later since I hadn't fully recognized the ability yet.

In the personal training room, instead of practicing cultivation, I repeatedly drew the Flame Stage energy to my palm to check the ability. Judging that this wouldn't yield results, I sat in a lotus position and meditated quietly.

Mixing Guangming Zuo's words with my speculations.

Adding reasoning and imagination to the essence of Tianyu.

Silently observing the state of my body.

Then, I thought from the Sect Leader's perspective.

What did the Sect Leader do immediately after obtaining Tianyu? It must have been a critical moment for the Sect Leader to become the supreme being. The Devil Sect would have been on high alert, and the enforcers would have waited nervously around the Sect Leader.

Did he just practice cultivation...?

No, he must have performed a great technique to become a demon god simultaneously. The path of martial arts in the Devil Sect is significantly different from ordinary sects.

My free imagination reconstructed the Sect Leader's appearance. He must have applied the great technique while obtaining Tianyu, and if successful, he would have become a monster beyond anyone's resistance.

That's why I was given this unbelievable opportunity to return.

After finishing my meditation, I pondered for a while with my arms crossed and then extended my hand toward the drawer containing the medicinal pills, using the absorption technique, a supplementary method used in palm contests.

For a long time, nothing happened.

Even though nothing happened, I remained with my hand extended, adjusting my strategy, making my thoughts flexible, and verifying various insights.

Inventing a martial art that doesn't exist in the world is the job of madmen.

One must not follow others' thoughts for something new to appear.

Despite my current level of martial arts and internal energy not being sufficient for the technique of drawing objects from the air, I remained with my hand extended, re-evaluating the entire world of martial arts I had accumulated over a lifetime.

Then, I discarded the theories of martial arts I had built.

On a blank slate, I used my mental brush to organize the power of Tianyu and the essence of the absorption technique, inscribed the key points, and drew the fundamental power of Tianyu to redden my palm.

With a thud, a small drawer containing medicinal pills flew through the air and landed in my palm.

Thud!

I quickly grabbed the drawer, calmed my startled heart, and exhaled.

"Phew..."

Enlightenment came in an instant. I immediately decided on a name for this ability.

Tianyu Absorption Great Technique (天玉吸星大法).

However, since Tianyu is my secret, I planned to omit the first two characters publicly.

On the historic first night of the new Black Cat Fangzhu, I thought only about martial arts.