Chapter 2

Xu Chunliang quickly became familiar with his current living environment and rapidly adapted to his new identity.

Recognizing reality is the key to living in the present.

Although the past world had things worth remembering and people worth missing, it was not enough to be a reason for him to return. Even as the revered leader of the Five Poisons Sect, with the cultivation of a grandmaster, he had never possessed the power to shatter the void and traverse dimensions, let alone now, when he had almost lost all his martial arts skills.

At five in the morning, he practiced his routine meditation. After this tribulation, he was almost no different from an ordinary person, and his cultivation could only start from scratch. Fortunately, he had the martial arts manuals he had memorized in the past, and the cultivation techniques were firmly in his mind. He believed that with time, he could surely regain his former prowess.

Even as a once-in-a-century martial arts genius, he had experienced three instances of qi deviation while cultivating the *Tongtian Baojian*. If it weren't for the secret poison manual of the Five Poisons Sect, which used poison to counter evil, he would have long been trapped by his inner demons, his meridians severed, and died a violent death.

With the lessons from the past, he dared not rush his cultivation in this life.

The *Tongtian Baojian* is an unparalleled secret manual, divided into three volumes and nine levels. Perfect cultivation can shatter the void and ascend to the realm of sainthood.

Xu Chunliang had only managed to cultivate up to the third level before the news leaked. The nine major orthodox sects, under the guise of eradicating evil and upholding justice, joined forces to besiege him. Ultimately, it was all about coveting the martial arts treasure, the *Tongtian Baojian*.

They met at the peak of Kunlun, where blood flowed and countless lives were lost.

If not for the thunderstorm yesterday, I might have already perished along with those hypocritical and righteous orthodox experts.

Xu Chunliang slowly exhaled a long breath. Even in summer, the white breath he exhaled was clearly visible, stretching half a foot before dissipating into the air.

Opening his eyes, he saw the white breath quickly dissipate. Xu Chunliang sighed inwardly, not even reaching the first level where qi could be gathered and not dispersed. With his current cultivation, it was unknown when he could restore his former powers.

He dressed and went to the adjacent study. In one night, he had completely integrated the two different sets of memories, inheriting all of Xu Cong's knowledge of this world.

The study was completely blocked by curtains. Pulling them back, the orange morning light streamed in, instantly filling the entire room.

The room was divided into two areas, separated by a bookshelf. The smaller eastern area was his study zone, with various teaching materials on the bookshelf. The desk was a mess, and there were a few torn textbooks on the floor, reminding the owner of the irrational actions taken due to the emotional outburst over failing the college entrance exam.

The larger western area belonged to his grandfather, Xu Changshan, with mostly traditional Chinese medicine books on the bookshelf, as well as some classics of Chinese literature.

Xu Chunliang went to his desk, bent down to pick up the books on the floor, and threw the severely damaged ones into the trash.

In the corner was a phone with a cracked screen, but it still worked. This small square contained a vast world.

In the vast universe, countless small worlds exist. In the world of yesterday, Xu Chunliang had disappeared, and in the world of today, Xu Cong began to awaken from yesterday.

Footsteps came from behind. Xu Changshan, who had the habit of getting up early, had already finished his morning exercise in the park and returned to find his grandson already awake, so he came to check on him.

The old man had been tossing and turning all night. If his grandson had no deep-seated obsession, he wouldn't have insisted on retaking the college entrance exam for three consecutive years. Given their family situation, studying abroad was the most feasible option. His son, Xu Jiaxuan, was willing to cover all the expenses, but this stubborn boy refused.

Deep down, Xu Changshan also couldn't bear to see his grandson leave. If Xu Chunliang went abroad, he would truly be alone.

He had three children, each successful in their careers, but none of them stayed in Dongzhou. They only returned during holidays. Every time he thought about this, the old man felt a bit selfish, wishing he had insisted on one of them inheriting the family's medical knowledge. Now, when faced with problems, he had no one to consult.

Despite their success and the praise from neighbors for his parenting, it was all superficial. The more capable his children were, the farther they went. At his age, who didn't have a loving wife and grandchildren?

Fortunately, he still had his grandson. The events of yesterday had made the old man very anxious. At his age, he couldn't bear the pain of losing a loved one. Because of this, he gave up his long-standing insistence and, at the cost of the demolition of Huichuntang, secured a stable job for his grandson.

Upon learning of Xu Changshan's conditions for the demolition, the senior management of Changxing Hospital held a meeting and made a decision within half an hour.

Although many people participated in the discussion, the final decision was made by the hospital director, Gu Houyi.

Gu Houyi was set to retire next year, and the expansion of Changxing Hospital was his greatest wish before leaving. As a native of Changxing Hospital, he had deep feelings for the hospital and wanted to do something for its future development before he left.

Huichuntang was a thorn in his side. Although Xu Changshan's conditions were somewhat excessive, to remove this thorn, some sacrifices were inevitable.

Breaking the rules was a risk, but with over a thousand employees at Changxing Hospital, having a few more idle staff wouldn't make much of a difference.

Thus, Gu Houyi overruled the objections and made the final decision.

Xu Changshan had not yet told his grandson the good news. The growing generation gap over the years made him cautious in his words, fearing that any inappropriate remark might hurt his grandson's fragile nerves.

Being a full-time employee of a tertiary general hospital was a coveted position for many medical school graduates. According to Gao Xinhua, even master's graduates couldn't secure a personnel agency contract, only ordinary employment contracts through third parties.

Times had changed. With an oversupply of medical students, hospitals wouldn't even look at you without a master's degree.

Xu Changshan was well aware of his grandson's situation. As a high school graduate, what could he do at Changxing Hospital? Even with a formal position, he could only do some后勤 work.

This didn't worry the old man. His grandson's job was just one of the conditions for the demolition. The hospital had previously proposed a cooperative arrangement to open an expert clinic. If he insisted, getting his grandson into the traditional Chinese medicine clinic shouldn't be a problem.

As long as he was willing to learn, in three to five years, he should achieve some success in traditional Chinese medicine. Once he learned a third of his skills, he could stand firm at Changxing Hospital.

Xu Changshan had truly gone to great lengths for his beloved grandson. There was a better alternative, which was to find a new location and reopen Huichuntang, but that wouldn't allow him to protect his grandson, and the old man couldn't bear the thought.

Xu Chunliang called out to his grandfather and continued tidying up. He quickly cleaned his corner of the study, planning to sell the college entrance exam preparation books later.

Xu Changshan watched his grandson with a kind gaze. In the past, this boy wasn't so diligent. Indeed, people grow through adversity.

Once Xu Chunliang finished tidying up, Xu Changshan called him downstairs, where statues of the medical sage Zhang Zhongjing and the medicine king Sun Simiao were enshrined.

Xu Chunliang washed his hands as instructed by his grandfather and offered incense to the two sages.

"Chunliang, do you know why I asked you to offer incense today?"

Xu Chunliang knew that all medical practitioners belonged to the Pi School, and these two sages were the recognized ancestors of the Pi School. It was natural for his grandfather, a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner, to pay respects to the ancestors.

Before Xu Chunliang could answer, Xu Changshan said, "Your Uncle Gao, who is the director of Changxing Hospital, came by yesterday. The hospital has an open position, so he thought of you. If you're willing, you can start working at the hospital soon."

"Grandfather, isn't it hard to get into Changxing Hospital? I'm just a high school graduate, and I don't have the qualifications to be a doctor," Xu Chunliang said, understanding the importance of credentials in this world.

"Getting into the hospital doesn't necessarily mean becoming a doctor. The hospital has various departments, including medical departments for treating patients and administrative departments for logistics and operations. For example, leaders and security guards don't need to treat patients."

"Are you suggesting I become a security guard at the hospital?" Xu Chunliang's exceptional talent helped him quickly adapt to this world and realistically assess his situation. In a hospital full of intellectuals, the most suitable job for him was a security guard.

Xu Changshan shook his head. "Not a security guard, but a formal position. The hospital has agreed to cooperate with me to open a traditional Chinese medicine clinic. You can work and learn under me. Once you learn enough and pass the medical licensing exam, you can start practicing as a doctor." He hoped his grandson would accept, even though he knew he might refuse.

"Okay!"

Xu Changshan was stunned, not expecting such a smooth response. His long-held wish was finally realized, and the Xu family's medical skills would have a successor. He was instantly moved. "That's settled, then. I'll go with you to the district office to get a new ID card, which you'll need for the contract."

Xu Chunliang said, "Grandfather, I can go by myself."

Noticing the old man's worried gaze, he immediately understood and smiled. "Don't worry, I've made up my mind. I won't make you worry anymore."

This was a new world, bustling with people and constant movement.

Xu Chunliang knew that the various vehicles on the road were not armored war machines but cars, including sedans, SUVs, trucks, and buses.

Two-wheeled vehicles included bicycles, electric scooters, and motorcycles.

In the sky, there were not only birds but also airplanes, and in the underground tunnels, there were not only rats but also subways.

The name on the household registration was Xu Cong, and Chunliang was his nickname and courtesy name. Xu Chunliang decided to change his name back, as he needed to get a new ID card anyway.

After checking the relevant procedures, he went to the local police station's household registration center and provided the necessary documents. He estimated it would take about half a month to process, and the local police station offered convenient services, so he also completed the procedures for the new ID card.

On his way back, a police car passed by, and the window rolled down, revealing Officer Lu Qi.

Lu Qi called out, "Xu Cong, where are you going?"

Xu Chunliang, who had a good impression of him, stopped and said, "Lu Brother, I just went to get a new ID card. I changed my name; I'm now called Xu Chunliang."

Lu Qi nodded. Since he was on duty, he didn't say much to Xu Chunliang. Seeing that the boy was in good spirits, he felt relieved and continued on his way.

Xu Chunliang enviously watched the car drive away, thinking to himself, "When can I learn to operate a car? It's said to travel a thousand miles a day, and with it, I could roam freely."

After a few steps, he saw the police car stop by the roadside. Two officers, including Lu Qi, hurriedly entered a nearby mobile phone store.

Outside the store, a crowd had gathered, and Xu Chunliang, curious about this new world, joined them.

So far, this world seemed peaceful, with no wars or killings, and it could be considered a prosperous era compared to the past.

People were discussing the situation. It turned out that a large snake had fallen from the ceiling of the store, scaring the employees and customers into fleeing. In times of trouble, people call the police, so the employees immediately reported the incident.

Lu Qi and his partner, Li Zhong, entered the store to check the situation. Li Zhong, who was afraid of snakes, couldn't back down as a police officer and whispered, "Shouldn't we call 119 for snake removal? Why did they call 110?"

Lu Qi, also afraid of snakes, tried to remain calm. "This is the trust of the people. Since we're here, let's assess the situation first. If we can't handle it, we'll seek help."

In Jiangzhou, snakes were rare, and incidents of snake bites were even rarer.

He asked a uniformed female employee, "Who is in charge here?"

"Y... Yu Manager..."

The female employee was still shaken and spoke incoherently.

"Where is she?"

"I... inside... fainted... a large snake, t... three to four meters long... this... this thick..." The female employee gestured with her hands to indicate the size of a bowl.

The two officers exchanged glances, finding it hard to believe. "You must be joking. You're not describing a snake; you're describing a python."