Chapter 15 : Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Who Stole My Sword Seed

Cat meows?

I sank into thought. Others couldn’t hear Dark Cloud speaking—it wasn’t that Dark Cloud could speak human language, but that I could understand cat language!

I changed the subject: “Why’s Brother Liu up in the middle of the night?”

Liu Quxing eyed the open

Compendium of Medicine

on the counter, sighing: “You’re studying so hard. How can I sleep?”

I quietly closed the book: “…”

I wasn’t studying to become a physician but to hide my identity. Liu Quxing wouldn’t think that.

He leaned closer, whispering: “Today, my Liu family came to fetch Master for a house call and asked if he’s chosen a true disciple yet.”

“What did Master say?”

“He said he’ll decide soon,” Liu Quxing replied.

I picked at the lamp’s wick, brightening the light: “What’re you getting at, Brother?”

Liu Quxing adjusted his jacket, choosing his words: “Chen Ji, being a physician seems easy, but it’s still part of the official world. Surviving there isn’t simple—one misstep, and your whole family could be executed.”

I frowned: “What’s your point, Brother Liu?”

Liu Quxing was unusually earnest: “You and She Dakang aren’t suited for the official world. Your knowledge, your social skills, your connections—you’d have no future there. Since your family won’t pay your tuition, I’ll give you some money. Leave the clinic, start a small business, and never rely on them again. How’s that?”

I didn’t respond.

Liu Quxing pressed: “Chen Ji, since you joined, you’ve been slower than She Dakang at reading and can’t even take a pulse accurately. You don’t have the talent to inherit Master’s mantle. Give up.”

I smiled: “Brother Liu, you’ve thought this through for me. Can I think it over?”

“Fine,” Liu Quxing nodded. “Think carefully.”

He turned back to the courtyard.

I spotted a shadow darting after him and quickly grabbed Dark Cloud by the scruff: “What’re you doing?”

Dark Cloud flailed in midair: “He’s looking down on you!”

I laughed wryly: “You’re not exactly polite to me either.”

Dark Cloud: “That’s different!”

“Alright, I get him,” I sighed. “In this era, everyone’s fighting for a way out. When opportunity knocks, you grab it…”

Before I finished, my face paled. At the first quarter of the Chou hour, the icy current struck, like icy sand in my blood.

This time, it was fiercer than ever, as if it held a millennia-old grudge against the molten flow, inherently incompatible.

The ice seeped through my body, like an ice tree sprouting, branching endlessly. My breath came out as white frost.

In a single breath, it didn’t give me a chance to assume the Stone-Bearing Stance, freezing me like a statue.

What now?

I stiffly turned toward the medicine cabinet, wanting to grab ginseng, but my legs were numb, frozen in place!

Dark Cloud, seeing my frosty breath, froze: “What’s… wrong with you?”

I tried to ask Dark Cloud to find ginseng, but my lips were sealed shut. I could only watch my life fade…

No, there’s still a chance!

Dark Cloud, seeing my state, panicked, circling me frantically.

It wanted to save me but didn’t know how: “Say something! What do I do?”

Then, it noticed my fixed stare and followed my gaze to the medicine cabinet.

Dark Cloud leapt to the cabinet, clawing open drawers. It didn’t know what was inside, but since I was staring there, there had to be a reason!

The cabinet was packed with drawers. Not knowing which to choose, it yanked them all open, grabbing herbs to try.

Angelica root—no.

Tangerine peel—no.

Desert cistanche—no.

Dark Cloud failed repeatedly, nearly going mad.

Looking back, it saw my eyes losing their spark.

…

…

I seemed to return to that endless dark night.

Wind, rain, and the sound of oars cutting through water—someone carried me across a black sea of clouds in a small boat.

In this darkness, I heard voices, the shouts of battle from my childhood dreams!

They roared like an ancient battlefield, seas overturning, mountains collapsing, the sky splitting with dozens of cracks.

In the boundless void, a grand voice boomed like a bell, demanding:

“Who stole my divine path?”

“Who stole my sword seed?”

“Who stole my green mountain!”

I didn’t answer, nor knew how to.

Who was this? What were the divine path, sword seed, green mountain? I knew nothing.

After a long silence, the voice spoke again: “So be it. Your body can be used to return to the world!”

I had a premonition: when I was fully frozen, this unknown entity would use my body to revive!

Did Li Qingniao send me to this world to help this being awaken?

Was I going to die? I’d only just gotten a cat.

Lost in thought, I was on the brink.

But then, Dark Cloud raced back with the ginseng, missing tendrils, and held it to my mouth!

As it touched me, it sucked out most of the icy current like a whale, forming six translucent beads that fell onto the counter, rolling toward the edge.

There was hope!

Before I was fully frozen, I used my last strength to shift my gaze, hoping Dark Cloud would understand.

And in its desperation, Dark Cloud seized that slim chance.

It chased the rolling beads, swallowing them one by one.

A massive molten flow surged from Dark Cloud, entering my forehead, forcing the remaining icy current back to my dantian, cleansing my body and pulling me from the darkness!

Regaining consciousness and movement, I closed my eyes, sank into a stance, and assumed the Stone-Bearing Stance to resist the ice.

As I did, the molten flow surged, rising boldly!

It was like an army, once leaderless, now led by a general on an armored horse, wielding a royal banner!

I wondered why Old Man Yao’s casual Stone-Bearing Stance suited me so perfectly.

Wait!

After suppressing the icy current to my dantian, the molten flow was drawn to the Tianshu acupoint on my left, swirling like a vortex, consuming nearly all the molten flow!

Instantly, a blazing furnace ignited in the Tianshu acupoint. The icy current in my dantian shrank deeper, as if fearing the fire.

“With the Tianshu acupoint’s furnace, can I fully suppress the icy current? No—one acupoint isn’t enough.”

Of the twelve main meridians, the “dantian gate” has four acupoints: left and right Tianshu, left and right Daju. One Tianshu alone couldn’t seal the ice.

But the molten flow, after igniting the left Tianshu, was nearly spent…

As I thought, Dark Cloud gently tapped my fingertip with its fluffy paw.

Boom!

The molten flow from Dark Cloud surged into me, rushing to the right Tianshu, igniting a second furnace!

The two furnaces nourished my body, filling it with surging power. My fatigue vanished, my strength grew!

I recalled Old Man Yao’s words: Heaven has three treasures—sun, moon, stars; man has three treasures—essence, energy, spirit!

With essence full, one doesn’t crave lust; with energy full, one doesn’t crave food; with spirit full, one doesn’t crave sleep. This was the feeling of complete energy and spirit!

I opened my eyes, their spark blazing like fire.

So this was cultivation!

I smiled at Dark Cloud, gently petting its head: “Thank you.”

“It wasn’t much effort,” Dark Cloud said, head high, as if it were a small deed.

“Well, thanks anyway. Without you, I’d be dead… Dark Cloud, you’re the greatest cat in the world!”

“Pretty good, but just the start!” Dark Cloud’s head rose higher.

The oil-slag lamp on the counter had burned long, its light dimming. I stood in the main hall, my gaze like fire, taking in this new world.

But that fire was doused by cold water: the ginseng was gone!

I: “I’m done for!”

Dark Cloud, puzzled: “What’s done for?”

“I’m done for.”

I leapt up, grabbing the clinic’s ledger: “Let’s see how much that ginseng was worth… What? Thirty taels of silver?!”

“A bun’s two wen, a tank of water’s two wen. Roughly nine hundred wen to a tael of silver. A fifty-year ginseng costs thirty taels—is it made of gold?!”

Selling me wouldn’t cover it!

I already owed two hundred forty wen for tuition and three hundred twenty for the Zhou residence’s medicine. Now, thirty taels of silver piled onto my broke state!

“So poor. How am I this poor? If I can’t replace this ginseng, will Old Man Yao kill me?”

Dark Cloud listened to my muttering, silent for a while.

Finally, it struggled, as if making a heart-wrenching decision: “How about you take me to Tian Street to perform? I can do backflips!”

I looked at it with awe: “…That’s a big sacrifice.”

As we spoke, a knock came from outside.

Knock, knock, knock.

Knock, knock, knock.

The visitor knocked twice, unhurried, the heavy sound jarring in the midnight, like it struck my heart.

I signaled Dark Cloud to slip back to Prince Jing’s Mansion via the courtyard. I approached the door warily: “Who’s there?”

A light chuckle answered: “Yunyang.”

This time, I had no Master by my side.