Chapter 542: Medicinal Decoction (2200 Added)

"That's it, Ming Jin can not only be applied to the arms, but also to the legs, increasing explosive power!"

Aaron's eyes lit up as he watched from the side: "After Entering Strength, it really is an all-around enhancement!"

"Mas... Senior Sister, spare me!"

Huang Dacheng arrived in the arena, his legs already starting to go weak.

This made Li Qinglan instinctively feel some dislike.

She was a martial artist, and she liked tough guys like Junior Brother Fang Yu who would just start trading blows without a word once they got on the field!

She looked down quite a bit on the soft, spineless personality of someone like Huang Dacheng.

With a flick of her thought, she had already dashed in front of Huang Dacheng, easily parried his substandard palm technique, used both hands at once to grab his entire body, lifted him high above her head, and then threw him out.

As for Huang Dacheng and Liang Wu, after each drank a bowl of "Qinglong Life-Snatching Decoction," they practiced twice as hard, but in the end, they were still just a little bit off and remained unable to sense their Qi and Blood.

"This Medicinal Sandbag is used for training palm strength; it really is very effective!"

Ge Lao sat back in his recliner and said huffily.

Inside Huichun Hall, various medicinal herbs were neatly arranged, and behind the counter were busy Apprentices.

Ge Lao stood up slowly to go to the pharmacy in the back to fetch medicine.

"Shorten your life?"

"You!" This time it was Liang Wu: "You can drink five bowls."

"This ship of friendship, it capsizes just like that..."

Aaron's expression did not change, and he struck with his palm again, this time switching to the back of his hand.

Alas... no money!

"Life is rarely satisfactory, six or seven times out of ten..."

"And if you want cheap ones, you can only use the Evil Path, cutting into your own Essence Qi to stimulate Qi and Blood... It's cheap, yes, but without external supplementation, you can only demand it from yourself; it is a way of overdrawing... it shortens your life!"

Aaron thanked him sincerely.

"A Senior Brother came by just now and said it was something sent to the three of you by Senior Sister Li from the Inner Courtyard."

"Then you can only choose the second option... If you want your injuries to heal quickly, you must use harsh medicine, using tiger-wolf medicine to cut into your foundation and force out Qi and Blood... it shortens your life!"

Actually, he was even more tempted; after all, as for this thing called lifespan, he wasn't exactly lacking in it anyway.

"Sigh... you blockheads, truly, rotten wood cannot be carved!"

"As for you?" He finally looked at Aaron: "Three bowls at most. You must know that once this bowl goes down, a few years of your life will be gone... Sigh, let me advise you all one last time, what is so good about practicing martial arts? It shortens your life!"

"You kid... let me take your pulse first."

He wore a yellow-grey robe, his eyes half-closed, a yellow wooden hairpin stuck in his hair bun, and a goatee on his chin; his appearance was refined and archaic.

"I know a little." Aaron was sparing with his words.

"As expected!"

But it was very chaotic, and he couldn't distinguish it.

"May I ask Ge Lao, how often do those wealthy children drink Great Tonic Soup?"

"Good brother, that is exactly what I wanted to say."

In the room, only Ma Zhu was there; besides that, there were three white cloth sandbags placed side by side on the kang.

Ge Lao stroked his black-and-white goatee: "But Great Tonic Soup contains ginseng, cinnamon, Baishu, the flesh and blood of exotic beasts, and other things that greatly nourish Qi and Blood. It emphasizes 'supplementation,' and a single dose is worth a thousand gold—it is not cheap!"

Ge Lao pointed at Huang Dacheng: "Physically robust, he can drink six bowls!"

The Apprentice saw it was an acquaintance and called out: "Master... there's a regular customer, grabbing 'Qinglong Life-Snatching Decoction'!"

Bang bang!

"Either every three or five days, or every six or seven days, depending on the family's circumstances... However, that proud daughter of heaven, 'Cao Hongyan,' is said to eat medicinal meals at every meal!"

He muttered to himself as he walked into the room.

He checked Liang Wu again: "Leg injury, needs a splint..."

Aaron had anticipated this long ago.

Accompanied by the constant striking, the medicinal fragrance of the Medicinal Sandbag grew increasingly rich, and every time he slapped it, it felt as if a trace of coolness surged into his palm.

"Are you even listening to me? We are all trash! There is no hope left!" Ma Zhu couldn't help but start to say in a fit of pique.

"How miserable!"

"Doctor, Doctor, this won't do, we are all Outer Courtyard Disciples, and now there is less than a month left."

"My original plan was to successfully join the Wuguan and hopefully gain the Master's favor; then I wouldn't have to fear the Smiling Tiger at all..."

Ge Lao stroked his beard: "Old man goes by the nickname 'Ge Changsheng,' most skilled at nourishing life. In my life, I have saved countless people and never harmed anyone. If you want to drink my 'Qinglong Life-Snatching Decoction,' let me take your pulse first."

"Cheaper ones, of course, exist."

"Oh."

"It is truly despairing..."

Ge Lao answered slowly.

"I didn't have enough fun today, but the Outer Courtyard Disciples can no longer make me feel threatened..." Li Qinglan stood with her hands behind her back: "I will have someone send your Medicinal Sandbags to the courtyard... Hmm, those who are injured go to the neighboring 'Huichun Hall' and find the resident 'Master Ge' to treat your wounds... I have already arranged it with him; the decoction fees are on me."

"Many thanks."

Aaron cupped his hands politely.

"However, after such repeated forging, the medicinal fragrance will be completely lost after ten days, and then it will start hurting my hands instead."

"If I want to make money, going out on Taize Lake is still the fastest..."

The Wuguan, of course, would not specifically tell the Apprentices about such things.

"Hmm."

Ge Lao shook his head and said, "You all practice martial arts, which is also about transforming Qi and Blood into strength... but the human body's Essence Qi is limited; over-exhausting Qi and Blood also shortens one's life... There isn't a single Martial Master who ends up well; once they pass forty or fifty, they are plagued by all sorts of illnesses. Even a Transforming Strength Master who has undergone Tendon Changing cannot escape this custom... It is difficult to die of old age!"

"No, I just wanted to ask, is there anything cheaper?" Aaron replied without blushing or panting.

"Mediocrity is not your fault, but wallowing in self-pity is wrong."

The poor have cheap lives!

Aaron did not look back and continued to punch the sandbag.

Bang! Bang!

Ma Zhu stared blankly at the wall, lost in thought, then suddenly spoke.

Aaron cupped his hands in a salute, supporting one person with each hand, and the three of them stumbled and staggered to 'Huichun Hall' next to the Qingshan Martial Arts Hall.

Perhaps Song Sanjin had good natural talent to begin with, and with the help of the medicinal soup, he could only sense his Qi and Blood by risking his life.

Ge Lao retorted disapprovingly: "You are born with deficiencies; practicing martial arts will yield half the result with twice the effort. It might take you a year to even slightly sense your Qi and Blood, and then how long for Entering Strength? Ten years, twenty years? How many twenty years are there in a life? Oh... even if you reach Great Success in External Strength in twenty years, you will be over forty by then, old and frail, with your Qi and Blood past its peak and beginning to decline rapidly, leaving you with no hope for Dark Energy... and you will be plagued by illnesses! Furthermore, it shortens your life!"

Ge Lao chuckled, clearly not intending to lower the price any further.

'If you let me drink it for free, I could drink you into bankruptcy!'

Yet in his heart, he thought: 'Practicing martial arts is truly miserable... Oh, wait, I still have countless twenty years... Then it's fine!'

Aaron picked up a Medicinal Sandbag, his nose catching the scent of some medicinal herbs.

At this moment, another person walked in.

Aaron narrowed his eyes slightly: "Ge Lao, I see those children of great families all scrambling to practice martial arts... and they also consume Great Tonic Soup."

Ten days later.

Aaron felt somewhat helpless, rubbing his forehead as he walked out of the medicine hall.

"Let me do it..."

"Foolish!"

Slap!

"Ah!"

Aaron went over to take a look and discovered at least two broken ribs, unable to help but click his tongue in secret.

He looked at Huang Dacheng and the other one; if they had been hesitant before, now that they saw a living example—with Song Sanjin there—they would likely sell everything they owned just to drink a bowl of 'Qinglong Life-Snatching Decoction'!

'But in reality, one bowl of 'Qinglong Life-Snatching Decoction' is only equivalent to a bowl of Great Tonic Soup for a wealthy child... If one's aptitude is truly poor, one or two bowls might not even have much of an effect.'

"However, this one tael of silver is truly too expensive; can you give a discount?"

Ge Lao's last sentence contained a hidden warning, but Aaron had never had such an intention to begin with.

He checked the pulses of Huang Dacheng and Liang Wu again, then nodded: "You..."

Aaron replied very calmly and continued to hone his palm strength.

"I understand, injuries from falls and strikes, put it on the tab!"

Ma Zhu did not have a sudden enlightenment; instead, he became even angrier, simply collapsing onto the bed, pulling the quilt over his head and face, feeling thoroughly depressed...

Even if it shortens one's life, as long as one can make rapid progress in martial arts, there are plenty of people who will be tempted!

"Hehe... young people, you are still too green. When you reach my age, you will know that lifespan and youth are the most precious things."

'What a pity... I didn't expect my aptitude for martial arts to be truly poor... Even after two months have passed, I might not be able to grasp my Qi and Blood!'

"You... are here too!"

"I believe that persistence will surely bring a response." Aaron's expression remained unchanged.

Song Sanjin's face gradually turned red, his voice rising: "What's wrong with drinking medicine? My family found out about this news by spending money to inquire; why should I tell you?"

Liang Wu's eye sockets turned red.

Song Sanjin wore an awkward smile on his face.

On the other hand, Huang Dacheng and Liang Wu next to him listened with envy: "Ge Lao... that cheap medicinal soup..."

Thinking about it, it makes sense; if it could be reverse-engineered so easily, how would the Qingshan Martial Arts Hall make money?

Aaron discarded the sandbag that had no medicinal effect and glanced at the Attribute Panel:

【Martial Arts: Flowing Sand Palm (Entry)】

"Many thanks, Senior Sister!"

The three of them looked at the visitor, but suddenly froze: "Sanjin?"

Huang Dacheng and Liang Wu were both injured and might not even be literate.

Huang Dacheng said anxiously, secretly regretting that he shouldn't have taken this private job.

This prescription was precious, and many herbs were Secretly prepared by Ge Lao, so only he himself would dispense and Decoction the medicine... simply put, it was to prevent leaks!

Or rather, there isn't one now.

After all, anyone who could open a medicine hall next to the Qingshan Martial Arts Hall until now must have a background stronger than his!

At this time, he twitched his nose: "Are there patients?"

Ge Lao grabbed Aaron's wrist, checked it carefully, and shook his head: "You suffered too much in your childhood, your development was insufficient, and you lived in a cold and damp place for a long time, leading to a deficiency in both Qi and Blood. Even if you made up for it slightly later, you missed the best opportunity... and martial arts practice values Qi and Blood above all. You are like a thin, small infant; how can you compete in strength with a grown man? If your talent is insufficient, practicing for another two months will be of no use..."

Aaron thought for a moment and asked one last question.

"Fifty years of life, how can there be anyone who lives forever? Good... this sentence has flavor." Ge Lao looked slightly surprised: "However, selling medicine in a medicine hall is a business... 'Qinglong Life-Snatching Decoction' costs one tael of silver per bowl! It is Decocted upon purchase and served hot; the medicinal effect is best... As for the prescription, that is my life's work, so you don't need to think about it."

A scent of herbs rushed toward him.

With some contemplation, Aaron returned to his room.

Master Ge stood up and first looked at Huang Dacheng: "This young man has broken ribs? Hehe... Little girl Qinglan hits quite hard."

Aaron rolled his eyes in secret and said sternly: "Fifty years of life, how can there be anyone who lives forever?! To be able to live freely past forty is enough; a real man dies when he dies, I seek nothing else!"

The person who arrived was none other than Song Sanjin, who slept on the same large kang and had already begun to sense his Qi and Blood!

Aaron sighed, grabbed the account book to take a look, and discovered it was indeed recorded under Li Qinglan's name, only then did he sign and affix his seal.

"So that's how it is, many thanks for the guidance, Ge Lao."

After all, when opening one's doors to do business, the more fools who come to give money, the better.

"That is indeed rare." Ge Lao nodded and did not say much more, instead looking at Huang Dacheng and Liang Wu: "You two have two choices. The first is... it takes a hundred days to recover from broken bones and tendons; I will prescribe medicine, and you can go home to recuperate slowly."

He placed the sandbag on the table, channeled the Flowing Sand Palm, and struck down with one palm!

Slap!

The table shuddered, and a palm print was indented into the Medicinal Sandbag.

"What? You little slippery fellow also want to try a dose?" Ge Lao perked up.

"The rich pay with gold, the poor pay with their lives!"

Over these past days, some people had come to the courtyard, and some had left.

Ma Zhu turned his head, seemingly unable to hold back any longer: "This one Medicinal Sandbag won't last long... if you still can't sense Qi and Blood after two months, it means your talent for learning martial arts is insufficient, and you will find it hard to become an expert in the future... and in the entire Qingshan Martial Arts Hall, the only ones who can truly be called experts are Master and the Great Senior Brother!"

After Song Sanjin had a quarrel with Huang Dacheng and the others, he moved to another courtyard.

Aaron thought to himself; he saw that Huang Dacheng and Liang Wu were quite moved.

Huang Dacheng screamed in agony: "My chest hurts so much... my bones are broken, they're broken..."

"Good fellow... so you knew about this all along, you just wouldn't tell us!" Huang Dacheng said indignantly: "What good talent? It turns out it's all about drinking medicine!"

Ge Lao suddenly asked.

"You are literate?"

"But going back isn't impossible; fortunately, I was prepared!"

"What's even more tragic is, the poor have run out of lives to pay with... while the rich still have plenty of gold..."

"Is this Master Ge who sits in the hall? We three are Disciples of the Qingshan Martial Arts Hall, sent here under the orders of Senior Sister Li Qinglan..."

In the back of the hall, an old man was lying on a rattan rocking chair, with a teacup and teapot placed by his side.

It is said that he has already initially grasped his Qi and Blood; as long as he further refines the 'Flowing Sand Palm Technique' and comprehends the 'Quicksand Intent', he can attempt to refine his Qi and Blood into Bright Strength and become a Force-Entering Martial Artist!

Finally, he grabbed Aaron's arm: "Minor injury... it's nothing! Just sleep it off. Hmm... which one of you will sign and affix your seal?"

This Great Tonic prescription is much more profitable than ordinary treatment for falls and injuries.

"Hehe... for those wealthy young masters, a single dose of Great Tonic Soup costs over a hundred taels of silver... one dose of my medicinal soup is equivalent to consuming a bowl of Great Tonic Soup, and it doesn't damage the foundation of martial arts practice. You think about the effect..."

It is considered normal for one person with decent talent to appear in a courtyard; two or three would be monstrous.

After Liang Wu had a good cry, he had already accepted his fate; he had arrived a few days earlier than Aaron and was currently packing his bags.

As for Huang Dacheng, he still refused to give up and had drunk the soup once more; recently, he had been going around with red eyes trying to borrow money, preparing to pay for another two months of training, and had even begged Aaron.

Regarding this, Aaron expressed that he was unable to help.

(End of this chapter)