Chapter 16: The Mute Boatman

Half an hour later, as the water temperature turned cool, the two finally climbed out of the medicinal vat, reluctant to leave.

The routine remained the same: evening prayers and martial arts practice. Qin Sang had developed a habit; by the hour of Hai, he would return to his room and begin cultivating the *Nether Scripture*.

Upon completing a single cycle, Qin Sang suddenly halted his cultivation and opened his eyes, his face filled with shock.

Lately, he had grown accustomed to making minute improvements, but today was different. In just a single cycle, he had achieved progress equivalent to half a day of his previous efforts!

Feeling the "Qi" within his body, which had become noticeably stronger, Qin Sang hurriedly settled his mind back into a meditative state to begin the next cycle.

The second cycle also yielded significant improvement, though slightly less than the first. Qin Sang continued to control the flow of his technique; with each passing cycle, the rate of improvement diminished until, by the ninth cycle, it returned to his usual pace.

After the nine cycles, Qin Sang lay down. He should have slept for an hour to replenish his energy, but he was too excited to sleep.

The sudden leap in progress could only be explained by last night's medicinal bath. He hadn't expected that the formula passed down by the old Taoist would not only strengthen his foundation but also prove effective for the *Nether Scripture*.

As expected of an imperial physician.

Qin Sang felt secretly fortunate that his *Tiger-Subduing Long Fist* was truly being put to good use. It was lucky he had dragged Ming Yue into this as well; otherwise, the old Taoist might not have been willing to part with his secret formula for him alone.

Thinking of this, Qin Sang realized his memory seemed to have improved as well. He had memorized the formula flawlessly; in the future, even if he were away from the old Taoist, he could gather and concoct the herbs himself.

With the help of the medicinal baths, Qin Sang finally saw the glimmer of a breakthrough. Too excited to sleep, he waited until dawn, then rolled out of bed and rushed to the Green Goat Temple to stoke the fire and brew the medicine.

After the master and disciple finished washing up, they arrived at the main hall. Seeing Qin Sang so proactive for the first time, they couldn't help but exchange puzzled glances.

Daoist Jixin stroked his long beard and said with a smile, "Well? How was the efficacy of my formula?"

"You truly are a divine physician! A miracle drug!" Qin Sang gave a series of enthusiastic thumbs-ups.

Ming Yue leaned closer to Qin Sang, shifting uncomfortably. She whispered, "Senior Brother, how did you feel last night? I felt a constant, unbearable heat inside my body, along with some itching. I couldn't fall asleep until very late, and I don't feel any better."

Qin Sang figured Ming Yue was certainly affected by the medicinal potency, but since she didn't know the *Nether Scripture*, her efficiency in absorbing the energy was likely far inferior to his, causing it to manifest merely as restless heat.

Qin Sang made up a lie on the spot. "Oh, don't worry. You're just hitting puberty."

Ming Yue had even pressed him during the bath, asking what "puberty" was.

While soaking in the medicinal soup, Qin Sang recalled how the potency had gradually weakened during his cultivation last night. A thought struck him: *What would happen if I circulated the Nether Scripture while in the bath?*

Cultivating only required sitting in meditation to calm the mind. The medicinal soup was murky, making it impossible to see his posture from the outside. Acting on impulse, Qin Sang immediately sat cross-legged and began to circulate his technique.

Unexpectedly, before even completing a single cycle, Qin Sang felt a thread of pain shooting through his meridians. He was very familiar with this sensation and hurriedly stopped his cultivation.

Ming Yue was still resting with her eyes closed and did not notice his small movement.

Qin Sang looked down at the medicinal soup, his gaze narrowing slightly. The color of the liquid around him had become significantly lighter than the area around Ming Yue. Had the light in the Green Goat Temple not been so dim, the difference would have been obvious.

Qin Sang hurriedly stirred the soup to mix it up. Feeling the Qi within his body, he realized the progress was indeed massive, but the pain in his meridians was too distinct; at any moment, his channels might reach their breaking point.

It seemed that absorbing too much medicinal potency was not necessarily a good thing.

From then on, Qin Sang had to be patient, absorbing the energy for only short intervals at a time.

By the final bath on the seventh day, the medicinal potency in the soup had become very thin. Only then did Qin Sang dare to absorb it aggressively, refusing to stop until every last drop was consumed, leaving nothing to waste.

After the bath, Qin Sang and Ming Yue scraped out and discarded the remaining medicinal dregs. The once pitch-black soup had now become somewhat clear.

"Senior Brother, why hasn't Master returned yet?"

Holding a wooden ladle, Ming Yue stood at the temple entrance, gazing outward with concern.

Today was an auspicious day. A family at the ferry crossing was building a new house and had chosen today for the raising of the ridgepole. They had invited the old Taoist to perform a ritual for blessings and peace. The sky was nearly pitch black now; usually, by this time, the evening prayers would have already begun, yet the old Taoist had not returned.

Qin Sang frowned. "Stay here and guard the temple. I'll head down the mountain to meet the Daoist."

Since the old Taoist had ridden off with the donkey, Qin Sang grabbed a wooden staff and began his descent.

The forest was dense, and at the end of the mountain path, one could only see a dark void. As the night wind blew, the surrounding foliage rustled wildly, sounding as if countless ghostly shadows were clawing at the air.

However, Qin Sang wasn't particularly terrified. Although he only knew one rudimentary boxing style, his senses had sharpened and his limbs had become more agile and swift after practicing the *Nether Scripture*. Even if he encountered a wolf, he felt confident he could fight it off.

Ming Yue practiced martial arts with him, yet she wasn't even a match for a single exchange, which left him quite frustrated.

Before he could descend further, however, he spotted three dark figures. With his keen eyesight, Qin Sang recognized that the one in front was indeed Daoist Jixin.

"Daoist, why are you returning so late today?"

Qin Sang ran over to help lead the donkey, eyeing the stranger following behind the Daoist.

The man was very small and thin, carrying a large bundle on his back.

From a distance, Qin Sang had thought the old Taoist had brought back a young girl after a late-life spring, but upon closer inspection, he saw it was an elderly man.

He was only slightly taller than a dwarf, with a hunched back and a sallow, deeply wrinkled face. He looked to be in his fifties or sixties, yet his steps were light and steady even on the treacherous mountain path, following closely behind the old Taoist. He clearly looked like a poor man accustomed to long walks.

"This is Benefactor Wu," the old Taoist gestured toward the man. "Benefactor Wu cannot speak. He is a boatman at the first ferry crossing. He was originally from the North and has just fled here as a refugee, unable to find a place to stay. I have invited him to stay at the temple for a while. Since your room is empty, he will stay next to you."

He then said to the mute man, "This child is named Qin Sang. He is quite clever; if you encounter any difficulties in the future, ask him for help."

Qin Sang, being a man of many secrets, naturally didn't want someone living next door. However, the temple did not belong to him, and he had no right to interfere with the Daoist's decisions. He simply offered a greeting. "Old Wu, you can just call me Qin Sang... ah!"

Qin Sang lightly slapped his own mouth and gave a sheepish smile. "I speak without thinking sometimes. Please don't mind me."

Old Wu looked awkward, gesturing repeatedly with his hands and making "ah-ah" sounds. He was indeed mute.

There wasn't much to say to a mute man. The three of them walked back to the temple in silence. Old Wu joined them for dinner, after which Qin Sang led him to his room.

Upon returning to the Green Goat Temple, Qin Sang asked the old Taoist about this Old Wu. The old Taoist merely let out a soft sigh.

(End of Chapter)