Chapter 32

In the afternoon, the sunlight fell upon the courtyard, warm and comfortable.

Su Yi sat in a bamboo chair, binding a cluster of fresh willow branches.

The courtyard had been thoroughly cleaned, spacious and tidy.

Hu Quan had also meticulously added bedding, toiletries, and repaired the vegetable beds and trellises.

Wu Guangbin and the other three doctors had returned to the Apricot Yellow Medical Hall to see patients.

On the contrary, Su Yi, the manager, found himself with more leisure time.

"Brother Su, what is this rooster for?"

Not far away, Huang Ganjun was idly playing with a rooster he had just bought.

This bird was extremely fierce, with sharp claws and a pointed beak, moving like the wind and crowing loudly.

Huang Ganjun, along with over a dozen servants, had almost turned the city market upside down to find such a proud and spirited rooster.

"Kill it, and let the blood drain."

Su Yi casually instructed.

After today's events, he suddenly realized that having someone to do odd jobs was not bad, as it saved a lot of time and energy.

"Alright."

Huang Ganjun pulled out a short knife from his waist and started to work.

Soon, he brought a bowl of fresh red chicken blood to Su Yi.

"Done, no more business for you. You can go home now."

Su Yi picked up the bound willow branches and dipped the tips into the bowl of chicken blood. The green leaves and the crimson blood mingled, creating a striking contrast.

Huang Ganjun hesitated, "Brother Su, in my opinion, since you've chased away all the people who served Wen Changqing at the Apricot Yellow Medical Hall, Wen Changqing won't let this go. Should I ask my father to warn Wen Changqing?"

Su Yi glanced at him and said, "If you're willing, help me find out which family in Guangling City is best at forging weapons."

Huang Ganjun's spirits lifted, "Brother Su, this is too easy. My family monopolizes the weapon forging business in the city, with over thirty blacksmiths! Just tell me what weapon you want to forge, and I'll ensure the best blacksmith works for you!"

Only then did Su Yi realize that the three major clans in Guangling City were: the Wen family, which monopolized the herbal business; the Li family, which monopolized the grain trade; and the Huang family, which monopolized the weapon forging business.

"I plan to forge a sword," Su Yi said.

Huang Ganjun immediately smiled, "Forge a sword? Then find Wang Tianyang. Old Wang's sword forging skills are unparalleled in Guangling City, and many people from other places come here just to get a good sword from him."

Su Yi nodded, "Come here tomorrow morning and take me to see him."

Huang Ganjun readily agreed, "Brother Su, is there anything else?"

He was extremely enthusiastic about helping Su Yi.

"Go home quickly."

Su Yi waved his hand.

"Brother Su, I'll come back tomorrow."

Huang Ganjun bowed and left.

He was considerate enough to know that staying too long might annoy Su Yi.

Just like when he used to visit brothels, the most annoying thing was the bodyguards his father sent with him...

After soaking the willow branches in the rooster's blood, Su Yi picked up a knife and started chopping a three-foot-long green peach wood.

As the fine wood chips fell, a peach wood sword soon took shape.

Then, Su Yi stood up from the bamboo chair, examined the peach wood sword, and nodded in satisfaction.

"Just wait until tonight."

Su Yi casually waved the peach wood sword and glanced at the willow branches soaked in the rooster's blood.

His gaze then shifted to an old locust tree not far from the courtyard.

The locust tree, known as the "ghost of the trees,"

This tree is yin in nature and is most likely to attract ghosts and evil spirits to parasitize on it.

The layout of this courtyard was problematic because a well was dug next to the locust tree, allowing the underground yin energy to rise, turning the courtyard into a "haunted house" in the eyes of ordinary people.

"This well is clearly sealed, which suggests that someone had already noticed the problem with the well."

"But no one told me about this..."

Su Yi pondered.

...

The Wen family.

Wen Changqing's residence.

"Father, I just got the news. That scoundrel Su Yi, on his first day taking over the Apricot Yellow Medical Hall, kicked out all our servants. Isn't he slapping our face?"

Wen Jieyuan said angrily.

He was Wen Changqing's son, nineteen years old, full of vigor, and had reached the "flesh refinement" stage of the Blood Circulation Realm. In half a year, he would go to the Qinghe Sword Mansion to cultivate.

"I didn't expect this waste to be so ruthless."

Wen Changqing frowned, "Where is he now?"

Wen Jieyuan said, "It's said he settled in the haunted house behind the Apricot Yellow Medical Hall."

"Hmm?"

Wen Changqing's eyes showed surprise, and his frown relaxed, "If so, we don't need to do anything. That waste probably won't survive the night!"

"Why is that?" Wen Jieyuan was stunned.

Wen Changqing recalled, "Nine years ago, a tragedy occurred in that haunted house. A doctor and two apprentices living there died mysteriously in one night."

"This incident caused a stir in the city and severely affected our Apricot Yellow Medical Hall's business."

"I spent a lot of money and asked a famous itinerant Taoist to help."

"This person, named Wu Ruoqiu, said that a fierce ghost was attached to the well next to the old locust tree in the haunted house."

"According to Wu Taoist, unless one has the cultivation of a Master, no one can subdue that ghost."

Hearing this, Wen Jieyuan was startled, "What happened next?"

Wen Changqing said, "Wu Taoist asked me to forge a chain and seal the well with a secret technique. He said that as long as no one lives in that courtyard, the ghost won't appear again."

Wen Jieyuan suddenly understood, "So, if Su Yi stays in that haunted house tonight, he will surely die?"

Wen Changqing laughed, "That's right. I've been puzzled for a year about why the old lady insisted on Lingzhao marrying Su Yi. But no matter what, if Su Yi dies, it will be a good thing for our Wen family."

Wen Jieyuan nodded, "That's true. Now that Cousin Lingzhao is about to become a 'Master's Disciple,' how can she match a waste like Su Yi? His death will be a good thing for Cousin Lingzhao too."

Wen Changqing's expression turned serious, "Don't let anyone else know about this. If others find out that we knew about the problem with the haunted house but didn't warn Su Yi, we might be implicated."

Wen Jieyuan laughed and agreed, "I understand. This is his own fault. Did he really think the Apricot Yellow Medical Hall was so easy to get? Speaking of which, the one who should be blamed for his death is his mother-in-law, Qin Qing."

Wen Changqing scolded, "Don't be disrespectful. She is your third aunt and Lingzhao's mother. Remember to show respect in the future!"

Wen Jieyuan nodded indifferently.

As night fell,

The busy Apricot Yellow Medical Hall had closed for the day.

In the courtyard, Su Yi sat alone in the room, practicing breathing and meditation. His blood and qi circulated throughout his body, continuously refining his tendons and muscles.

This was the third level of the Blood Circulation Realm, "tendon refinement."

Tendon refinement involves using blood and qi to refine the tendons and muscles, making them as strong as bowstrings and as soft as cotton, thus making the body as agile as a cat.

The core of this practice is tendon refinement, which allows one to move like an arrow, land like the wind, and perform actions that ordinary people cannot.

After tendon refinement, one's strength will increase significantly.

In the Blood Circulation Realm, it is widely acknowledged that "refining the skin and flesh is easy, but refining the tendons and bones is difficult." When one starts tendon refinement, it means they have reached the later stages of the Blood Circulation Realm.

After a long time, Su Yi got up from his meditation, drank a cup of ginseng tea, and felt the warm, surging energy throughout his body. He couldn't help but look forward to tonight's action.

Since his reincarnation, he had never truly engaged in a real fight.

Who would have thought that his first opponent might be a ghost?

Next, Su Yi picked up the bound willow branches and the peach wood sword, walked out of the room, and sat on a bamboo chair on the stone steps.

The willow branches, soaked in rooster's blood for several hours, had turned a faint blood red. They felt like a soft whip in his hand.

The peach wood sword was leaned against the bamboo chair.

When it was time to use the sword, it would mean he had to get serious.

"Even other practitioners in the Blood Circulation Realm would struggle against a common ghost. However, in my previous life, I fought the Ghost Emperor of the West Sea. He lost the bet and gave me the 'Ten Directions Asura Sutra,' which is said to be the supreme scripture for ghost cultivators..."

Su Yi sat there, his thoughts racing.

The night breeze blew, and the sky grew darker.

It was almost midnight, and the lights on the streets of Guangling City had gradually gone out, the darkness enveloping the earth.

The city seemed to have calmed down, falling into sleep, with only the occasional dog barking in the distance.

The sky was covered with thick clouds, hiding the stars.

In the courtyard where Su Yi was, only a candle flickered in the room, casting a dim and faint light through the paper window.

He held the willow branches, sitting quietly in the dark, calm and composed.

Only his eyes showed a hint of anticipation.

Suddenly, the branches of the old locust tree in the courtyard swayed, and the leaves rustled, like whispers in the night.

On the side of the ancient well, the rusty chains binding the well cover began to move, rubbing against each other, making a screeching sound like the cry of an owl, causing one's teeth to chatter.

The air suddenly turned cold, like a winter chill invading the bones.

Whoosh~

Leaves from the locust tree, just fallen, were swept up by a gust of cold wind, flying in the ink-black night, like countless shadows dancing wildly.

Su Yi's green robe fluttered in the wind.

His pupils narrowed slightly.

When a gust of cold wind carried the leaves toward him, he finally moved.

Raising his right arm, he flicked his wrist.

The willow branches, now faintly blood-red, suddenly straightened and lashed down through the air.

Snap!

A sharp crack echoed in the night.

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