He didn't know how long he'd been asleep. When Zhao Yuan opened his eyes, he found a police jacket draped over him and a group of anxious-looking police officers surrounding him.
Seeing Zhao Yuan awake, the officer who had been with him during the drug bust immediately called out, "He's awake, he's awake! Xiaozhao is awake!" Then, he turned to Zhao Yuan and said, "When we rushed over, we found you passed out on the bench. You really gave us a scare. We had a doctor check you out, and they said it was nothing seriousāyou just fell asleep from extreme mental and physical exhaustion. We could finally breathe a sigh of relief."
"How long was I asleep?" Zhao Yuan asked, rubbing his throbbing temples.
"Almost an hour, I'd say," the officer replied.
Zhao Yuan grunted in acknowledgment, glanced at the operating room, and asked, "The surgery isn't over yet?"
"Not yet." The officer shook his head. "No doctors or nurses have come out, so we don't know the specifics of the situation either."
As the two spoke, the other officers gathered around, all looking at Zhao Yuan with gratitude.
The officers present had already heard from their colleagues how Zhao Yuan had helped capture the drug dealers, provided timely first aid to Lu Qing after she was shot, and brought her to the hospital. As a result, they held him in high regard and were incredibly grateful.
The chief of Lu Qing's station, a serious-faced, middle-aged officer in his forties named Xian Hong, strode up to Zhao Yuan. He gripped his hand tightly and said sincerely, "Xiaozhao, thank you. You saved one of our own. You're our great benefactor!"
The other officers also chimed in, thanking Zhao Yuan all at once.
Just then, the door to the operating room opened, and a doctor walked out.
The officers immediately swarmed him, Zhao Yuan included.
"Doctor, is the surgery over? How is Lu Qing?" Xian Hong asked anxiously.
The doctor pulled down his mask and answered, "The surgery was a great success. The patient's vital signs have stabilized, and she has regained consciousness. I can say for certain that she is out of danger."
"That's wonderful!"
The police gathered outside the operating room couldn't help but cheer. Xian Hong gripped the doctor's hand tightly, saying emotionally, "Thank you, Doctor, thank you!"
"Don't thank me." The doctor wouldn't take the credit, shaking his head. "If you're going to thank someone, thank the person who gave her first aid right away, removed the bullet, and slowed the blood loss. If it weren't for him, the patient's odds would have been grim. Oh, right, I heard he carried her here, running the whole way? It's unbelievable. Her wound wasn't affected by the jostling at all."
After this moment of reflection, the doctor asked, "Hey, by the way, do you know who that person is?"
The group of officers turned in unison to look at Zhao Yuan, the gratitude in their eyes even deeper than before.
"It was you?" The doctor looked at Zhao Yuan in disbelief. 'The person who gave Lu Qing first aid must have incredibly high medical skills,' he thought. 'Never mind removing the bulletāthe technique of using a Silver Needle to stop the bleeding was nothing short of miraculous, something I've never even heard of. I figured that even if he wasn't a renowned physician, he had to be a veteran with years of clinical experience. Who would've guessed it'd be such a young man?'
"It was me," Zhao Yuan admitted with a nod.
"Well, I'll be. A young hero indeed," the doctor said with a heartfelt thumbs-up.
After the doctor left, the group of officers surrounded Zhao Yuan again. This time, they didn't offer words of thanks. Instead, led by Xian Hong, they all raised their hands in a crisp police salute. In their hearts, Zhao Yuan, the man who had saved their comrade's life, was their benefactor. Their great benefactor!
Receiving the salute, Zhao Yuan was deeply moved. At the same time, he felt waves of Wish Power surging into his body.
This influx of Wish Power was more abundant and more potent than any he had ever received before. Faintly, Zhao Yuan heard a series of CRACKLING and POPPING sounds from within his body. He knew it was his sinews being unlocked and strengthened by the Wish Power. At the same time, he felt a power stirring restlessly within him. 'This is a sign that my Cultivation is about to break through!'
Lu Qing was soon wheeled out and taken to a ward for further treatment. Zhao Yuan went with the officers to her room to visit. Although she was awake, she was weak, but she still managed to express her gratitude to Zhao Yuan.
After telling Lu Qing to rest up and recover, Zhao Yuan took his leave.
"Xiaozhao, where are you headed? Let me give you a ride," Xian Hong said, catching up to him.
"There's no need, I can get back on my own," Zhao Yuan politely declined.
Xian Hong insisted, so Zhao Yuan eventually had to compromise, letting the chief drive him back to University City.
Getting out at the entrance to his apartment complex, Zhao Yuan said goodbye to Xian Hong.
"If you ever need help with anything, just give me a call," Xian Hong said, giving Zhao Yuan his phone number.
"Okay," Zhao Yuan said with a nod, accepting his kind offer.
Watching Xian Hong drive away, Zhao Yuan went straight to his rented room. He boiled water to prepare a bucket of Blood Circulation Soup, lit some Soul-Stabilizing Incense, and swallowed a Bone Refining Pill. Then, he jumped into the scalding hot soup and began cultivating the Four Saints Technique, pushing toward the Late Stage of Muscle Strengthening!
As his Cultivation progressed, Zhao Yuan heard a succession of sounds in his ears as his sinews opened one after another. The excruciating pain wracking his body nearly drove him mad, but he gritted his teeth, held on for dear life, and continued to cultivateācultivating without a moment's pause!
Finally, after completing one full cycle of the Four Saints Technique, Zhao Yuan climbed out of the wooden bucket feeling as if he had been reborn. He was brimming with inexhaustible strength!
He took a shower, washing away the medicinal soup and the impurities and toxins that had been expelled from his body. Then, Zhao Yuan stood before a mirror, examining his physique.
Although his body didn't look much different than before, Zhao Yuan could clearly feel that his strength, speed, and everything else were on a whole new level. The reason he looked unchanged was that entering the Late Stage of Muscle Strengthening had transformed his body from one that was sharp and conspicuous to one that was restrained and contained.
Zhao Yuan looked himself over from every angle, very pleased with the changes. He then summoned the Information Leaf, wanting to see if the Wish Power he'd received this time had unlocked anything new.
After a bit of searching, Zhao Yuan found something new under the Talismans section.
Exorcism TalismanāHas the effect of dispelling Evil Qi, warding off evil, and ensuring safety.
'This is a Talisman?'
After clearly seeing the method for creating the Exorcism Talisman, Zhao Yuan was stunned.
The previous Enchanting Talisman was made by writing directly on Yellow Paper with Cinnabar. This Exorcism Talisman, however, required first selecting Five Elements Coins, stringing them together in a specific order and manner, and then wrapping them in Yellow Paper inscribed with Runes! Both the required materials and the creation process were far more troublesome than for the Enchanting Talisman.
But there was one aspect where it was far superior to the Enchanting Talisman. The Exorcism Talisman was not a one-time-use item. As long as it was placed in a room or worn on one's person, it would continue to work indefinitely!