[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-devouring-evil-exterminating-demons-across-all-h":3,"chapter-devouring-evil-exterminating-demons-across-all-h-devouring-evil-exterminating-demons-across-all-h-chapter-87":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Devouring Evil, Exterminating Demons Across All Heavens",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2267032,4426,"Chapter 87: Medicated Sand, Listening Blade","devouring-evil-exterminating-demons-across-all-h-chapter-87",87,"\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu checked into this tavern.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every morning, he spent an hour selecting visibly ill guests for treatment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In just five days, word spread that the tavern had a skilled physician.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the rest of the morning, he mostly searched for unperformed Dao Baishu, gathering news about this world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He paid them to strip away the theatrical parts and relay only the most reliable information they knew.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu listened and questioned, gradually grasping the differences between this world and his homeland’s history, as well as the current political landscape.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, the differences from his homeland.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Here, during the Sui-Tang period, Li Yuanba truly existed—a man of bronze skin and iron bones, with coiled sinews, impervious even to crossbow bolts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wielded an eight-hundred-pound hammer as if it were a feather, his arms possessing strength surpassing the Four Symbols.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This made the Li family’s uprising far smoother than in his homeland’s history.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only when Li Yuanba hurled his hammer at the sky from a cliff and was struck by lightning—sending the hammer crashing back onto his head—did the Tang army’s fortunes grow difficult.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before that, Li Shimin was so reckless he’d venture alone with just a few men to scout enemy camps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After that, Li Shimin was forced to demonstrate true generalship and responsibility.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even so, the chaos of the Sui-Tang transition lasted two years less than in his homeland.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But after that, no one as absurd as Li Yuanba appeared again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some events of the An Lushan Rebellion were largely the same.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In present-day Tang, after the famed Emperor Xuanzong, the throne passed to Emperor Suzong, then Emperor Daizong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The current emperor is Daizong’s eldest son.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the eldest, he secured the crown prince position and ascended smoothly—a rarity in Tang history.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After taking the throne, he followed his ministers’ advice and implemented the Two-Tax System, attempting to replace “tax per capita” with “tax based on assets.” It initially caused uproar in court and significant turmoil, but eventually succeeded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet regional military governors had established a hereditary tradition; many openly defied imperial orders, ignoring court directives on taxation and other matters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the emperor issued harsh decrees, some governors seized the opportunity to rebel under pretext.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, this emperor was shrewd, with capable ministers and generals like Wei Gao, and the Tang Imperial Secret Service, a vast network of spies spread across the land, providing intelligence that quelled the rebellions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, the Tang now shows signs of revival.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet after the Imperial Secret Service’s repeated victories, court scholars turned against it, condemning it bitterly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because the “Secret Service” was founded during Wu Zetian’s reign, when it functioned as the twin face of cruel officials, already tasked with monitoring officials and despised by them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After several rises and falls, it was abolished under Emperor Xuanzong, then revived during the An Lushan Rebellion, merged with the Liang Bu Ren, and expanded by recruiting martial artists.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It is said that the Nanzhao king Yixumou, after his defeat, not only broke ties with Tubo and sought Tang’s favor, but also insisted on relocating his capital here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He feared not only the Tang army, but also the Imperial Secret Service.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The current Military Governor of Jiannan Xichuan, General Wei Gao, is said to come from a scholarly family; though he commands all of Sichuan, he is remarkably refined and amiable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yixumou has exchanged letters with him and publicly stated that had the governor of Sichuan been a man like General Wei, clear-eyed and just, Nanzhao would never have rebelled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The close father-son bond between Tang and Nanzhao was ruined by those treacherous ministers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since he says this, his relocation of the capital cannot be due to fear of Wei Gao—it must be fear of something else.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After listening to all this, Chu Tianshu felt Nanzhao was currently stable; to fill his Qi reservoir, he’d need to stay alert and seek opportunities himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But there was no rush yet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These days, he spent mornings on these tasks and afternoons primarily on cultivation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Shaolin Heartfire Fist set had reached such depth it felt both utterly fierce and yet perfectly circular within the smallest space.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To practice this fist set, Chu Tianshu placed a large tub in his room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the tub held no water—only sand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nanzhao had no deserts, but it had sand mines.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When building city walls or the mansions of noble families, they mixed glutinous rice paste, slaked lime, and sand to fill gaps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some artisans crafting jade or bronze mirrors used sand in their multi-layer polishing processes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu bought half a tub of sand, then purchased several herbs, crushed them, and mixed them in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to the Shaolin Fist Manual, beginners needed far less sand and had to first heat the medicated sand in an iron pot until slightly warm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then they’d hang it in a sack and pour it slowly down the back of the neck, scrubbing the entire body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Chu Tianshu used a massive quantity of sand and herbs, and did not heat them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each day, he entered his room, stripped naked, and stood atop the tub.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huuu!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu exhaled a long breath, arms spread, palms rotating as he lightly pressed them between chest and abdomen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sand trembled slightly, and his entire body began sinking, soon reaching his waist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When his hands and torso touched the sand, his descent accelerated abruptly, like sinking into mud—plop—he plunged straight down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Until the sand reached his shoulders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu used Immortal Qi to displace the sand, aiding his descent, but with such minimal vibration it was barely visible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, except for his head, his whole body was buried in sand; the effects of his force became clearer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fine grains of sand kept trembling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu’s breath was fine, so sand did not enter his lungs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But each inhalation was long, silent, and sustained for over three minutes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After inhaling, he held his breath for nearly half a minute before exhaling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His body appeared motionless, yet within the sand, his muscles constantly swelled and contracted, his internal organs’ force and heartbeat perfectly synchronized with the muscle rhythms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shhh-chak! Shhh-chak!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sound of sand came in continuous waves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though it was sand, it behaved like tides—rising high, then receding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu’s force set every grain in motion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As they rubbed against each other, heat generated; pressed tightly together within the thick wooden tub, the heat could not escape.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sand’s temperature rose steadily, gradually exceeding body heat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was why Chu Tianshu did not use an iron pot to heat the sand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His cultivation had reached such a level that practicing the Shaolin Fist Manual meant skipping beginner stages entirely—he could begin at an advanced level.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fourteen hearts, fourteen furnaces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This fist set aimed to turn the body into fourteen furnaces—though referring only to Ming-era blacksmith’s forges, not modern steel furnaces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet to truly walk the right path and grasp its essence, one must achieve “flesh burning sand.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sand grew hotter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Air surged upward through the sand’s gaps, heated and expanded, causing faint bubbling at the surface.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This state was too hot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Other areas were manageable, but the lower yin region was still too weak to sustain such heat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu slowed his force frequency, waited a while, then resumed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He trained until nightfall, when a servant approached his door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Through the paper-covered door, the servant sensed the room’s heat, utterly unlike the outside temperature.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But after days of this, the servant had grown accustomed; he wiped his forehead with his shoulder towel and said, “Master, Cheng the Blind has returned.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A reply came from inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu had asked them to notify him whenever Cheng the Blind returned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moments later, Chu Tianshu emerged, face flushed, wearing a blue brocade robe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His hairstyle had changed—he’d adopted the local style, tying his hair into a topknot centered on his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he tied it poorly; strands constantly hung loose from his temples and nape.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he reached the main hall, he saw Cheng the Blind drinking as usual.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Same as always—two steamed fish, the rest is up to you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu smiled. “I’ll dine with Brother Cheng.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These days, he’d also been paying attention to the Blood Refining Art; his first thought was the headless swordsman.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since the swordsman was dead, perhaps he could buy his former martial art from his family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But after inquiring, Chu Tianshu learned the swordsman had once been a retainer of a high official, and had obtained the Blood Refining Art from him—it could never be transmitted outside, nor could any written record exist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the swordsman’s son knew only the “Strengthening Method,” a fist technique similar to opening meridians, and understood nothing of the Blood Refining Art.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, to obtain the Blood Refining Art, Chu Tianshu’s other target was Cheng the Blind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But unfortunately, his eyes were completely ruined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Chu Tianshu’s medical skill could not cure him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could only think of other ways—how to buy it, or how to trade for it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh! Why are you only halfway through your bottle today?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu sat across from him, poured himself a cup, drank two sips, then stopped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the perfect amount—sweet with a hint of spice, nothing bitter on the tongue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng the Blind was clearly off today—he hadn’t even finished his first bottle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He faced Chu Tianshu, as if he could see him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You keep treating me to dinner every day—I’m starting to worry you’ll slip me some sleeping powder one day and sell me off.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The blind man said casually, “So now when I drink, I sip slowly—better to taste if there’s any sleeping potion in it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu laughed, “You’ve seen these past few days—my medical skills make earning money easy. Why would I sell a friend as interesting as you? Are you really that valuable?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The blind man snorted, “Maybe I am.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu raised an eyebrow. “Oh? Did you suddenly discover some wealthy relative sent someone to invite you to inherit an estate?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re talking nonsense again.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The blind man shook his head, then suddenly grabbed his blade and thrust it horizontally forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu lifted his brow but didn’t move, watching the blade stop less than five inches from his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ting!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The blind man pressed his thumb, revealing a sliver of the blade’s edge from the scabbard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re just curious about the blade’s soul? Here, take a look.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This blade’s name is Ting Feng.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as he spoke, he let go of it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1752,"2026-06-19T20:45:51.976Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","f922487c6560a9f45ee2d06493c7bfedd64807f71267bba36eb22fb839d41206","devouring-evil-exterminating-demons-across-all-h-chapter-88","devouring-evil-exterminating-demons-across-all-h-chapter-86",155,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fdevouring-evil-exterminating-demons-across-all-h-cover.jpg"]