Eternal Life Begins with Learning

Elder Li waved his hand, and an invisible ripple silently enveloped the second floor.

Only then did Elder Li turn to Qingyi, who stood before him covered in bloodstains, a wretched sight.

"What happened to you?"

"I was careless. Tricked by those two little brats."

Qingyi’s face was grim.

"Those two kids... one has a ruined foundation and barely scraped his way onto the Immortal Path with some crooked tricks. The other hasn’t even reached Great Success in his Qi and Blood. And Li Chang had already injured them both..."

"You..."

Elder Li looked skeptical. He didn’t finish his sentence, but his disbelief was crystal clear.

"That brat has a Puppet Arm!"

"Even the lowest-grade version of that thing is a Middle Grade Spiritual Artifact!"

"If it hit you by surprise, you wouldn’t be able to block it either!"

Qingyi’s expression was as dark as it could possibly be.

"A Puppet Arm..."

Elder Li nodded thoughtfully. "That kid’s master walked the path of Body Refining. It’s not surprising he’d pass down a Puppet Arm."

"Normal, my ass!"

Qingyi immediately flew into a rage. "You said it yourself! That brat used explosives to ambush those mortals. Then last night, he produced a Spiritual Bomb and sent Li Chang flying."

"When I went to hunt him down, he pulled out that Puppet Arm!"

"What does that tell you? It means that brat’s master must be an Artifact Refiner!"

"He might even have the legacy of Artifact Refining!"

"An Artifact Refining legacy!"

Qingyi was beside himself with regret. "Even if it’s only one or two Artifact Refining Formulas, or just some basic knowledge! Any of it would sell for an astronomical price!"

"The opportunity was right there in front of us, and we just let it slip away!"

Elder Li’s face twitched. Qingyi looked as if he’d lost all will to live.

After a long moment, Elder Li finally spoke. "You regret it, but Li Chang must regret it even more."

"Did you cover your tracks from the pursuit?"

"If you were discovered, our next move will be much more difficult..."

Qingyi waved a dismissive hand. "I’m not an idiot. If I can’t get a piece of that pie, there’s no way I’m letting Li Chang have it!"

As he spoke, Qingyi was clearly gloating. "And speaking of which, Li Chang must be kicking himself. Those kids have slipped through his fingers twice in a row now."

Elder Li’s gaze flickered. He gave Qingyi a long, hard look but ultimately said nothing more.

Seeing the look in Elder Li’s eyes, Qingyi started shooing him away without ceremony. "Alright, I need to tend to my wounds. Go on, Old Li, get downstairs. You just standing there is giving me the creeps."

Elder Li didn’t budge. With a thoughtful expression, he changed the subject. "Based on what you’ve said, our next move just became much simpler."

"When the time comes, all we have to do is create a diversion, and we can easily lure Li Chang away..."

Qingyi paused, stunned. When he processed what Elder Li had said, his eyes lit up.

"That’s a great idea! Li Chang is a master at the Late Stage of Qi Cultivation, after all. And he’s from a Clan, so he has far more tricks up his sleeve than us poor, forgotten Loose Cultivators!"

"If we can lure him away, we won’t have to face him directly!"

"Old Li, you really are a cunning old fox!"

Elder Li clearly had no interest in bantering with Qingyi. "Fine. Just focus on your recovery."

"This will all be over in a few months. Try not to stir up any more trouble."

With that, Elder Li waved his hand again, and the invisible ripple enveloping the second floor vanished.

Qingyi pursed his lips. He pulled several glowing stone fragments from his robes. Muttering an incantation, he waved his hand, and the fragments flew to different corners of the room.

The stones flashed once and then disappeared completely. The invisible ripple that had just vanished once again enveloped the second floor of Mingxin Hall.

Elder Li acted as if he hadn’t seen a thing and started walking downstairs.

The morning sun was already rising. On any other day, villagers from all the surrounding hamlets, like Qili Village, would be swarming into Nanshan Town for market day.

This was usually the busiest, most bustling time of day in Nanshan Town, which meant it was also the busiest time for Mingxin Hall.

But now, that hustle and bustle had vanished not only from Nanshan Town itself, but also from its only Medicine Hall. Mingxin Hall was deserted.

Aside from a few apprentices busying themselves with unknown tasks, only Chu Mu sat behind the counter.

Chu Mu had long since put down the medical book in his hands. His gaze, which should have been focused on its pages, now drifted over the apprentices bustling about the Medicine Hall.

He had been a regular at Mingxin Hall for several months since arriving in this world.

But his schedule had always been tight, his attention fixed solely on his objectives.

As a result, he only recognized the apprentices by sight.

But today, distracted by the commotion from upstairs, his suspicions were piqued, and he found himself observing them more closely.

Only then did Chu Mu realize... ’Do these apprentices know Martial Arts?’

Chu Mu wasn’t entirely sure. After all, Qi and Blood Cultivation was an internal practice. Unless they demonstrated it, he had no way of judging.

And yet, the Power was evident in their every move.

It was like how a weak and frail person’s movements would inevitably appear unsteady.

In the same way, someone with abundant Qi Blood would appear powerful in everything they did.

’Elder Li... he must know Martial Arts, right...?’

Chu Mu’s gaze flickered. He remembered that when he had returned from Qili Village, Elder Li had mentioned Qi Blood while treating him.

In other words, Elder Li definitely had a Qi and Blood Cultivation.

His apprentices were, strictly speaking, his disciples. It would be normal for his disciples to also practice Qi and Blood Cultivation...

But...

’Exceptional Medical Skill, and he knows Martial Arts...’

’How could a man like that be willing to while away his life in a tiny place like Nanshan Town?’

Chu Mu had asked around. Elder Li had put down roots in Nanshan Town more than twenty years ago...

Over twenty years ago, judging by Elder Li’s current age, he would have been in the prime of his life.

In the prime of his life, yet living an almost reclusive existence in this tiny town.

He was wealthy, yet he didn’t even have a wife, concubines, or a Maid...

’Perhaps everyone has their own choices.’

’But the strange disturbance from upstairs just now seemed to suggest it wasn’t that simple.’

Once suspicion took root, everything started to seem strange.

Now, Chu Mu found himself caught in this very cycle.

Nanshan Town was already chaotic enough. The last thing he wanted was for Mingxin Hall, his one hope for learning medicine, to be dragged into the mess as well.

TAP, TAP, TAP...

The sound of footsteps came from the stairwell as Elder Li descended with a leisurely air.

Chu Mu turned to look. Elder Li’s expression was as placid as a still well. Chu Mu’s gaze shifted past him to the stairs leading to the second floor, but he saw no one else.

"Learning Medical Skill requires practice. Brother Mu, if you’re free today, you can accompany me on my house calls."

Elder Li glanced at the busy apprentices before finally turning to Chu Mu.

"Alright."

Chu Mu stood up, his gaze seemingly drifting back to the stairs behind Elder Li. They were still empty.

"Master, I have it ready."

An apprentice stepped forward, carrying a medicine box, and spoke respectfully.

"Good. We have a lot to do today, so let’s head out early."

Elder Li nodded and walked toward the door.

Seeing this, Chu Mu followed close behind.

...