Chapter 93: Tricky

Returning to Room One, Cheng Feng set the Small Black Bottle aside for the moment and flipped through the three books in his arms.

One was the Ghost Doctor Book, one was the Needle Yama Art, and one was the Chaotic Void Steps.

They were, respectively, a medical book, a method for acupuncture, and a footwork manual.

Cheng Feng felt a headache coming on; how long would he have to train to master all of these!

Plus, the Gale Blade he had obtained from the skeleton at the bottom of the river hadn't even formed into a skill yet!

To have a mountain of treasure but be unable to use it.

Cheng Feng felt like crying but had no tears.

However, it was fortunate that these things were all foundations.

As long as they could be formed into skills, Cheng Feng would absolutely not give up.

After all, as long as it appeared on the Panmian, Cheng Feng had the confidence to max it out.

Confidence, that thing, was just that simple, plain, and unadorned.

But these things made Cheng Feng even more wary of Nie Yuan, the Alchemist.

Knowing medical skills, knowing acupuncture, and knowing footwork—this was simply an unkillable cockroach.

Cheng Feng had never come into contact with medical skills, but how hard would it be to kill an Alchemist who had achieved such attainments?

And there were also unfathomable, ghostly means like Soul Shock.

To this day, Cheng Feng still didn't know how he had fallen for it.

The medical book was also obscure and difficult to understand; he could only study it diligently.

He gathered all three books and placed them in Room One.

Now, Room One had basically become Cheng Feng's secret base.

The women were all resting at home, so Room One was left vacant and idle like this.

Fearing that these three books might have tracking methods, Cheng Feng wrapped them in waterproof oilcloth, soaked them in some treasured liquor, and then dug a hole under the second-to-last brick in the corner against the wall inside the side room to bury them.

After finishing this, the heart Cheng Feng had been holding in his throat finally settled down.

These benefits could be considered the reward he deserved.

But Nie Yuan's strength left Cheng Feng feeling lacking in confidence.

Langu's unfathomable nature also left Cheng Feng in a dilemma.

Just from these few books, Cheng Feng felt he had profited greatly.

The foundation that Nie Yuan had exposed also far exceeded Cheng Feng's expectations.

But the promise made to Langu still had to be kept; otherwise, he feared that if he just left quietly, Langu would come looking for him directly.

The disadvantage of insufficient strength was exposed.

However, Cheng Feng did not intend to ruin his relationship with Langu either, as he had already obtained the items.

He would just give the Bone-Eroding Powder to Langu.

While hesitating, the agreed-upon time arrived.

Cheng Feng washed himself with cold water to make himself look less exhausted.

Even though Cheng Feng could come and go as he pleased in the Hutou Gang, Langu's unpredictable stance made him feel a bit apprehensive.

If she and Nie Yuan were rivals, yet Langu helped Nie Yuan make medicine, then Langu was hiding her intentions too deeply.

If they were not rivals, then Langu's words had revealed a sense of targeting him.

Cheng Feng dared not think too much; fortunately, having the Eight Hundred outside could act as a check, which made certain ideas in Cheng Feng's mind more certain.

Now that his own strength was insufficient, he could only make up for it with influence.

His overt influence was not enough, but in the shadows, the strength of the Eight Hundred was still respectable; hadn't he seen Nie Hu become the gang leader without even reaching the Blood Refining Realm?

Hutou Gang, Langu's pharmacy.

At the first light of dawn, Cheng Feng was already waiting here.

Cheng Feng dared not walk around randomly, so he could only wait in the front hall of the pharmacy.

The front hall was filled with herbs that Langu had laid out to dry.

Some were fragrant, some were pungent, and the mixed scent was truly not very pleasant.

But when one is under someone else's roof, one has to bow one's head.

Cheng Feng could only endure it.

After about an hour, Langu arrived at the front hall, draped in a black robe.

She looked as if she hadn't woken up yet.

"Oh, you're here. Did you get the item? If not, there's nothing I can do. I advise you to give up the idea of revenge! Wouldn't it be better to live your life peacefully?"

Cheng Feng cupped his hands and said, "I sensed the item using the Small White Bottle you gave me, young lady. As for whether it is the Bone-Eroding Powder, please appraise it."

Cheng Feng put on a small act, offering the Small White Bottle and the Small Black Bottle with both hands.

Because they were close, the Small White Bottle was still emitting a faint green light.

Langu glanced at the Small White Bottle in Cheng Feng's hand, a flash of imperceptible surprise crossing her eyes. She slowly reached out, took the bottle, shook it gently a few times, and then brought it to her nose to sniff. Her brows furrowed slightly, then smoothed out, and a satisfied smile appeared on her face.

"Not bad, this is indeed the Bone-Eroding Powder." Langu's voice carried a hint of appreciation. "You do have some ability to have found it so quickly."

Cheng Feng felt a surge of joy inside, but he maintained a calm expression on his face. He bowed and said, "Thank you for the compliment, young lady. If not for your guidance, how could I have been so successful?"

Langu shook her head slightly and said indifferently, "This is your own ability; I only gave you a direction. What do you plan to do next?"

Cheng Feng dared not speak of the bloody scene he had encountered in the cave.

He could only ask, "Does the young lady have any suggestions?"

Langu said, "At the Blood Refining Realm, you are enough to sweep through this small gang, but Nie Yuan, as an Alchemist, is enough to deal with ten of you. This is essentially a dead end that cannot be avoided."

Cheng Feng was unwilling to accept this: "Young lady, may I ask, is Nie Yuan an Alchemist?"

Langu saw through Cheng Feng's inner unwillingness and helplessness at a glance, yet she showed not the slightest bit of surprise or mockery. On the contrary, she appeared very composed and magnanimous.

"The profession of Alchemist actually originated from the ancient Martial Artist community," Langu said softly, as if recounting a story from long ago. "Since ancient times, there have been disagreements regarding the definition of righteous and evil. However, Alchemists have a particular fondness for those heterodox paths, such as medicinal herbs, poisons, and so on. They believe that beyond the distinction of righteous and evil, there is a unique path that belongs to Martial Artists themselves. Simply put, these Alchemists are a group of people who have mastered methods to enhance their power through evil forces. Of course, the path pursued by each Alchemist and the sect they belong to may be completely different. For the sake of their ambitions and the pursuit of strength, these people in the past mostly ignored worldly rituals and laws, and were labeled as a group of demons and heretics; nowadays, Alchemists have basically gone into hiding."

Langu's words were like a breeze, blowing away the fog in Cheng Feng's heart. He began to understand that there was such a mysterious and special group of people in this world—Alchemists. They turned their backs on traditional concepts of righteous and evil and embarked on a path known to few. This path might be full of dangers, but it could also hold endless possibilities.

Cheng Feng could not help but fall into deep thought; this sounded just like a mad scientist, ignoring rituals and laws but having a goal.

Thinking of Wang Tieshan's words regarding Alchemists, his master was clearly speaking from the perspective of the Righteous Path, colored by the views of the Righteous Path.

After all, Alchemists did indeed have a disgraceful, cruel, and bloody side.

It was only after being wiped out by a large number of Righteous Path Martial Artists that they managed to survive.

If the Alchemists had been powerful enough at the time to slaughter all the orthodox Martial Artists, then who was righteous and who was evil would truly be hard to say!

Cheng Feng deeply agreed with the saying that history is written by the victors.

Thinking of the medical book in his hand, Cheng Feng's heart stirred: "So, is Nie Yuan an Alchemist of the medicinal herb or poison faction?"

Langu said coldly: "He is not only an Alchemist of the poison faction, Proficient in pharmacology, but also a Martial Artist at the Blood Refining Late Stage with exceptional speed. His flying needle technique can both save lives and take them. So, what are you prepared to use to take your revenge?"