Chapter 20

Just as he stepped out of the door with a large bag of herbs, Hu Wan followed closely behind.

"Senior Brother Hu, what are you doing?"

Yang Yu's heart skipped a beat.

He knew very well that being too outstanding would draw attention, and he had once thought about keeping a low profile, but it didn't work.

Delaying his blood replacement progress to hide his abilities was not just a loss but a complete waste.

Blood replacement was not the end.

"The old man really treats you well."

Hu Wan smacked his lips, full of envy.

He had been a disciple of Wei He for at least fifteen years and had never seen money that entered his master's hands be returned.

It could only be said that people were truly different.

"Is that so?"

Yang Yu thought for a moment and realized it was indeed true.

"Do you think anyone can get these herbs?"

Seeing his puzzled look, Hu Wan's beard trembled as he said:

"Do you think this is just a bag of herbs? No! This is the foundation for survival, something far more precious than sword techniques!"

Recalling his own efforts back then, Hu Wan's heart trembled.

The significance of blood replacement was even greater than passing the imperial examination to become a scholar. The latter relied on the status granted by the court,

but the former was truly and solely his own power.

'So, the old man really has high hopes for me?'

Yang Yu's mind raced, but he remained silent.

The two left the alley, just as they did two months ago, but this time was different.

Without Yang Yu needing to speak, Hu Wan talked non-stop.

Yang Yu listened quietly.

"The human body has its limits. No matter how much you train, you can't surpass beasts like oxen and horses. But once you undergo blood replacement, it's a whole different story!"

Seemingly afraid that Yang Yu wouldn't understand, Hu Wan paused for a moment and said:

"It's like comparing two identical knives, one made of wrought iron and the other of steel. With the steel knife, you could easily crush a skull with a single strike!"

"…Not a bad analogy."

Yang Yu's lips twitched, and he stopped, pointing ahead: "Senior Brother Hu, I'm home. Would you like to come in for a while?"

"No, no."

Hu Wan bowed and bid farewell, reminding Yang Yu to visit him when he had the time.

Yang Yu watched him leave.

Recalling Hu Wan's attitude during their two meetings and the subtle changes in Old Wei, he sighed deeply:

"Is this the charm of martial arts…?"

He pushed the door open and went home.

Yang Yu started a fire and began adding the herbs in sequence, alternating between high and low heat, busy for over an hour.

He then put the lid down, leaving only a few small flames to slowly heat the pot.

Unlike before, this time the herbs were to be taken internally, and the preparation was more complicated.

"Phew!"

Wiping the fine sweat from his forehead, Yang Yu breathed a sigh of relief. Next, he just needed to wait for the liquid to cool down before attempting to refine his blood.

While waiting for the liquid to cool, Yang Yu didn't idle. He closed his eyes and entered the Cauldron of Gluttony.

On the cauldron's wall, a faint light glowed:

[Mastered Ingredients: 'Broken Blade' has been refined, 'Scroll of Human Skin' refinement progress (86/100)]

[Cauldron of Gluttony: Energy storage progress (89/100)]

"Mother wants you to practice breathing techniques…"

Staring at the floating Scroll of Human Skin, Yang Yu felt a headache.

Over the past two months, he hadn't been idle. The refinement of the Scroll of Human Skin was nearing ninety percent, and he was about to obtain the secret techniques recorded on it.

However, during the refinement process, he discovered another issue.

Simple soil and stones were gradually no longer sufficient for the Cauldron of Gluttony. He calculated that even if he ate soil and stones day and night,

it would take at least a year to initiate the next refinement.

The reason the Cauldron of Gluttony was nearly full black was because he had been eating iron for two months straight!

The money he got from Li Er was largely spent on the blacksmith shop.

He wasn't a metal-eating beast; his human body couldn't chew large pieces of iron, so he had the blacksmith forge some suitable 'iron beads.'

This was not cheap.

"Damn…"

Yang Yu picked up the Scroll of Human Skin, about to start reading, when he suddenly sensed movement outside.

He opened his eyes, and Grandma Yang was by the stove.

"Are you too tired? You fell asleep standing…"

The old woman held Yang Yu's hand, concerned, and tried to lead him back to the room.

"Grandma, I'm still boiling the medicine."

Yang Yu smiled bitterly.

This pot of medicine was crucial; he wouldn't feel at ease until he had taken it.

Seeing the old woman still frowning, Yang Yu quickly changed the subject, asking where she had been.

"I went to see Headman Yang."

The old woman sighed: "His injuries from Qingzhou never healed, and now he's been hurt again by bandits. He can't get out of bed."

"Is it that serious?"

Yang Yu's heart tightened.

Especially at this critical time before autumn, Wang Fobao's severe injuries couldn't help but worry him.

If the bandits were to raid the prison, it would be one thing, but if they were to raid the execution ground, the executioner would be the first to suffer.

"It is very serious. When I saw him, the whole room was filled with the smell of blood."

The old woman was deeply worried:

"I hope he will be alright. Otherwise, the city will be even more chaotic. If it weren't for him, the outer city riots would have spread to the inner city…"

"Headman Wang is so robust; he will surely recover."

Yang Yu comforted her while urging her to rest.

He then went to the kitchen. The medicine hadn't cooled yet, so he could only wait patiently.

This wait lasted until evening.

Lifting the lid, the medicine had boiled down to a layer of purple-black residue at the bottom of the pot.

Yang Yu carefully collected this layer of medicinal paste, washed the pot several times with hot water, and then returned to his room.

He closed the windows and doors and sat cross-legged on the bed.

"I hope it succeeds on the first try…"

Taking a deep breath to calm his agitation, Yang Yu began to swallow the medicinal paste, which he had rolled into small balls.

Boom!

After swallowing all the paste, he thought for a moment and then took out about ten iron beads the size of soybeans, pinching his nose to swallow them.

"Phew!"

"Draw!"

Yang Yu forced himself to adjust his breathing, recalling the precautions Old Wei had mentioned.

Tension and anxiety surged in his heart.

Old Wei and Hu Wan thought he was a genius, but he himself didn't know if he was a so-called genius.

Boom!

After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Yang Yu's body suddenly trembled, and a surge of intense heat exploded in his stomach!

Then, a burning pain spread throughout his body.

His intestines, organs, bones, and limbs were all in agony, and Yang Yu almost cried out in pain.

He felt all the blood in his body rush to his face!

Hot,

Swelling,

Almost bursting!

In that instant, Yang Yu could feel liquid flowing from his eyes, nose, and mouth, as if it would all burst out at any moment!

"Bad! If this bursts out, it will be disastrous!"

Yang Yu's heart screamed, and he couldn't hold it any longer. He rolled off the bed, not even bothering to put on his shoes, and rushed out the door.

He ran into the dark night.

He needed to vent.