Eternal Life Begins with Learning

"Brother Mu..."

Xu Yuan spoke again.

Only then did Chu Mu snap out of it.

"Brother Mu, the woman who came earlier... I think she’s the one in this wanted poster."

"She looked a little different, but she must have been in disguise..."

Chu Mu raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised. "Tell me everything again about when that woman came, including her expression and demeanor. Be detailed."

Xu Yuan nodded and recounted the events in detail. "Earlier..."

After Xu Yuan’s account, combined with what the Inspector had said earlier, the situation was undoubtedly clear.

The woman had come in disguise with the goal of getting him to make a house call to treat her injured accomplice.

But he, afraid of getting into trouble, had happened to avoid it.

Thinking about it, Chu Mu couldn’t help but feel a lingering sense of fear.

Those people from Qili Village might be pitiful, but judging by their repeated actions in Nanshan Town, none of them were the merciful type.

’If I had actually gone, I probably would have been killed to silence me.’

’The methods of a Cultivator are not something I can currently withstand...’

"Hm?"

As his thoughts churned, Chu Mu was suddenly taken aback.

’If they’re Cultivators...’

’According to Elder Li, Spiritual Qi is a miraculous product of heaven and earth. If they were truly injured, why would they need a worldly doctor like me to treat them!’

’Unless... that youth wasn’t with his accomplices...’

Chu Mu looked again at the wanted poster on the table, a trace of curiosity in his eyes.

’Who did this youth provoke?’

’Could it be a local Cultivation Immortal Clan from Jingmen?’

Chu Mu felt the two Jade Scrolls in his robes, and his previously restless heart instantly calmed.

He had everything prepared; all that was left was to achieve Divine Appearance.

’Staying home and cultivating in peace is the best course of action.’

"It has nothing to do with us."

"Here, take these wanted posters and post them on our front door."

"Alright."

Xu Yuan took the posters and went out. Chu Mu pondered for a moment, then thought no more of it and returned to the rear courtyard to continue his reading.

Outside the Hundred Herbs Pavilion, in less than an hour, wanted posters of two men and one woman were plastered all over the streets and alleys of Jingmen County.

The scene was not much different from the manhunt back in Qinghe County.

The only difference, perhaps, was that the city gates were now sealed. Someone from the Qili Village group was definitely trapped in the city, and one of them was seriously injured.

It wasn’t like in Nanshan Town, where they could simply slip into the mountains and be as free as a bird in the vast sky.

Of course, there was another difference. The wanted posters had reappeared, but Chu Mu’s identity had changed from an Inspector destined to be entangled in the affair to an ordinary doctor who could now stand aloof from it all.

The entire city was in an uproar over the manhunt.

In the rear courtyard of the Hundred Herbs Pavilion, Chu Mu remained at ease. After finishing a medical text, he picked up a medicinal soup that he had instructed an apprentice to brew and went out into the yard.

"Wangcai, come here!"

At Chu Mu’s call, Wangcai, who had been lying in his doghouse, immediately shot over.

"Here, drink up."

Chu Mu placed the medicinal soup on the ground and patted Wangcai’s head.

In the past half-year, he had changed a great deal, Xu Yuan had changed a great deal, and this mutt that had followed them from Nanshan had also changed a great deal.

Covered in dark fur, its body was robust and lean. When it stood on all fours, its height nearly reached Chu Mu’s waist.

When it bared its fangs, its sharp teeth were exposed, revealing its ferocity.

Such a dramatic change was clearly not the result of normal growth.

Ever since arriving in Jingmen half a year ago, Chu Mu had found himself with enough leisure time to start training Wangcai.

He was fed fresh meat for all three meals a day. Sometimes, when Chu Mu went into the mountains to gather herbs, he would bring Wangcai along and urge it to hunt, employing various methods to cultivate its ferocity.

Later, he even tried brewing nourishing medicinal herbs into a soup for Wangcai. As the dog grew more and more robust, Chu Mu’s idle pastime slowly changed in nature.

Now, he was treating Wangcai as an experimental subject, using medicinal baths, nourishing soups, and all sorts of other methods on the dog.

He was truly curious: humans could cultivate Qi Blood and strengthen their bodies, but what about dogs?

Could they also strengthen their Qi Blood through nourishment and thereby undergo a transformation?

’Resentful Souls, Zombies, and Cultivators have all appeared. There’s no way something like a Demon Beast doesn’t exist, right?’

After half a year of nurturing, what should have been an ordinary mutt had now completely transcended that category.

The pup grew stronger and more attuned to human nature; a single glance from him, and Wangcai could guess his command.

Chu Mu estimated that before he had developed the Dragon and Snake Soup, he probably wouldn’t have even been a match for the current Wangcai.

The medicinal soup was bitter, but Wangcai lapped it up without a care. SLURP, SLURP. Soon, the bowl was licked clean.

Chu Mu habitually placed his hand on Wangcai, and in the unseen, he could faintly feel the power surging within the pup’s body.

After half a year of this nurturing, Chu Mu knew Wangcai’s physical structure and condition by heart; he had even written a thick stack of notes on it.

His theory had already been confirmed several months ago.

Nourishing soups, as long as the medicinal effects were combined correctly and were suitable for a dog’s constitution, would indeed take effect within its body.

However, dogs lacked high Spiritual Wisdom and didn’t know how to actively control and utilize the medicinal properties. Instead, when the effects took hold, the pup would become irritable, aggressive, and extremely active.

It was similar to a dog in heat. In one case, it’s a matter of having nowhere to release hormones; in the other, it’s having nowhere to release the surging energy brought on by the medicine.

This was both a drawback and a benefit.

Although most of the medicinal properties were wasted, a small portion would be subconsciously absorbed during the pup’s aggressive activity, thereby enhancing its physical functions.

In terms of economic efficiency, raising this pup was clearly not a cost-effective endeavor.

After all, the resources spent on raising this dog would have been more than enough to train several Martial Artists.

However, for now, no matter the expense, it was only worldly wealth.

And Chu Mu had long since lost any desire for worldly wealth.

As long as there was enough for him and Xu Yuan, that was sufficient. What use would a pile of paper be when he went to the Cultivation Immortal Realm one day?

Chu Mu didn’t mind spending it on Wangcai. Besides, by using an animal as an experimental subject and repeatedly experimenting with medicinal combinations, he had learned a great deal by analogy.

Although animals lacked the crucial Spiritual Wisdom, they were superior to humans in many other aspects.

Take this pup, for example. Its hearing and sense of smell were far more exceptional than a human’s.

Sometimes, Chu Mu couldn’t help but wonder if, given the "hundred flowers blooming" diversity of the Cultivation Immortal Realm that Elder Li had described, there might be some madman experimenting in this area.

For instance, transplanting special animal organs into a human body, or modifying human bloodlines, or transplanting animal genes...

Looking at the robust Wangcai before him, a flicker of light in Chu Mu’s eyes showed he was already somewhat inclined to explore this area.

He had no intention of becoming a Beastman himself, but he felt that a deeper understanding of this field would be of great benefit to expanding his knowledge base.

After a moment’s thought, Chu Mu shook his head. Unfortunately, without a sufficient frame of reference, he had no idea what level Wangcai had reached.

In the future, what level would it need to reach to achieve Great Success in Qi and Blood Cultivation like a human, where Divine Appearance marked the beginning of the Immortal Path?

Without this cognitive framework, his experiments and nurturing of Wangcai would ultimately lack theoretical support and be that much more aimless.

’Almost there...’

Chu Mu glanced at the Skill Level on his Light Curtain Panel, and the feeling of urgency he’d felt eased slightly.

Based on his current Cultivation progress, achieving true Great Success in Qi Blood was only a matter of one or two months.

’As for Divine Appearance...’

’It shouldn’t be a problem, right...?’

Chu Mu recalled his recent mental abnormalities, and couldn’t help but feel a little uneasy.

’If I get stuck at this stage, I’ll be completely in the dark. My knowledge and understanding don’t extend to the realm of the Spirit. That means I would have absolutely no way to solve the problem...’

Chu Mu stood up and paced, a contemplative look on his face.

So far, his understanding of the Spirit, apart from the basic theory of Essence, Qi, and Spirit, came down to two consecutive instances of mental abnormality.

The first was when he had just left Nanshan Town. After casting off all his burdens, his mind had become clear, leading to an unknown change in his Spirit. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

The second was the recent mental abnormality, the difficulty in concentrating.

These were the two direct manifestations of his Spirit since he began his Cultivation.

Both proved that the existence of the Spirit was undoubtedly related to one’s state of mind...

"State of mind..."

The sky gradually darkened. As was customary, the Hundred Herbs Pavilion closed for the night at 8:45 PM, and the apprentices all went home.

After closing the main doors of the Medicine Hall, Xu Yuan began practicing his martial arts and saber techniques alone in a corner of the courtyard. He had long since grown accustomed to seeing Chu Mu in this pensive state.

In his own words, if Brother Mu didn’t practice martial arts, he would surely have the makings of a top scholar.

"WOOF WOOF WOOF..."

In the end, Chu Mu’s contemplation was broken by Wangcai’s sudden barking.

Chu Mu froze for a second, then his expression immediately became alert.

After more than half a year of nurturing and training, Wangcai was no ordinary house dog. He wouldn’t bark incessantly at the slightest disturbance.

If Wangcai was acting strangely, then there must be something strange afoot.

Chu Mu’s body tensed, his Qi Blood surged, and he looked toward the barking Wangcai.

"GRRRRRR..."

Wangcai crouched low on its front legs in a predatory stance, baring its teeth toward the covered walkway.

At the end of the walkway was the Medicine Hall, now dark with its lamps extinguished.

"Who’s there? Get out here!"

Chu Mu’s expression was icy as he shouted in a low voice.

At his side, Xu Yuan tossed a Long Saber to Chu Mu, then decisively drew his own and stepped forward.

Wangcai crouched even lower, its deep whimpers a clear sign that it was ready to pounce on its prey and deliver a fatal bite at any moment.

With Chu Mu’s shout, the atmosphere in the courtyard completely froze.