I Am Immortal in Great Yu

Chapter 45: Chapter 22: New Medicine

The summer sun spilled over the treetops, casting a scattered pattern of light and shadow before the window. Fine motes of dust danced in the air.

Beneath the azure sky, cicadas droned on, their calls mingling with the chirring of unknown insects.

It was an afternoon that made one drowsy.

CLANG! CLATTER!

In the kitchen, Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family was cleaning the pots and pans.

Fang Ling played cat’s cradle by herself, yawning from time to time.

Fang Rui read a medical book.

The small house was filled with the rhythms of life, and time itself seemed to stretch on endlessly.

”Ling’Er, time for your afternoon nap!”

”Okay!”

After washing the dishes and tidying the house, Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family took a reluctant Fang Ling back to their room for a nap.

Now, only Fang Rui remained in the outer hall, reading a medical book behind the counter.

Suddenly...

”Gag!”

Fang Rui patted his chest, forcing down the bile that had risen in his throat.

This is what happens when you eat too much coarse grain with no oil: an anxious flutter in your chest, a bloated stomach, and a sour taste rising from your gut.

He had slowly grown accustomed to it these days, but getting used to something didn’t mean he had to like it. It was uncomfortable, and he always felt off, like his whole body was out of sorts.

’In times like these, my family is already doing much better than most... After all, a diet with no oil is still far better than an empty stomach.’

’But... this can’t go on!’

A glint appeared in Fang Rui’s eyes. ’No oil and no nutrients will eventually wear down the body. The little we’re saving now might cost us ten times as much in the future to fix, and even that might not be enough.’

’My sister is still growing. Mother may have stopped growing, but if this continues, malnutrition could easily shorten her life.’

’As for me, I can endure it, but I’m practicing martial arts. This diet is bound to affect my performance.’

It wasn’t that Fang Rui wanted to feast on rich meats and live in luxury; he just wanted to ensure they all got proper nutrition.

’It’s time to improve our situation, to raise our quality of life.’

’And I’ve saved up just about enough Tribulation Points over the past few days.’

As Fang Rui thought this, he glanced toward the door.

The street outside was deserted. The few passersby that appeared hurried on their way.

In times like these, Caozhi Hall obviously wasn’t doing much business. Or rather, he no longer cared about the meager profits it brought in.

Keeping the hall open was merely for appearances, a facade for the outside world.

Fang Rui got up and closed the main doors of Caozhi Hall. He then returned to his seat behind the counter, closed his eyes, and focused his consciousness on the point of light in the upper-left corner of his vision.

Panel:

Name: Fang Rui

Tribulation: 92

Cultivation Technique: Nourishing Body Skill (Minor Achievement)

Realm: Seventh Grade (Bone Forging)

Skills: Fang’s Medical Skill (Skilled) (+), Beast Taming Technique (Uninitiated) (+), Feng Shui Skill (Uninitiated) (+)

Divine Techniques: Immortality (Gray)

...

’92 Tribulation Points. I can finally upgrade Fang’s Medical Skill. Have I saved 8 points by studying so diligently these past few days?’

’Upgrade Fang’s Medical Skill!’

Fang Rui focused his mind and ’pressed’ the plus sign next to Fang’s Medical Skill.

As the Tribulation Points on his panel rapidly depleted, a familiar, cool stream of energy appeared in his mind.

This time, perhaps because he was upgrading a Skill and not a Cultivation Technique, the cool energy didn’t course through his body. Instead, it lingered, swirling within his mind.

Fang Rui felt his thoughts seem to stretch and accelerate. He subconsciously recalled the contents of Fang’s Medical Skill, words and sentences flashing before his mind’s eye as countless insights blossomed within him.

Concepts he had struggled with before now became crystal clear, as if his mind had been unblocked;

Theories he thought he had understood were revealed to have deeper meanings he had never fully grasped, now laid bare before him;

Even the medical principles his father, Fang Baicao, had confirmed he understood were now seen from new angles, giving birth to even deeper comprehension and a host of new insights;

...

After ten or twenty breaths, he finally emerged from that state of sudden enlightenment.

A sharp glint flashed in Fang Rui’s eyes. ’No wonder Dad told me that I had to read *Fang’s Medical Skill* over and over again, that I’d learn something new each time.’

’He wasn’t wrong!’

He glanced at the panel. His Tribulation Points were back to zero, and in the Skills section, Fang’s Medical Skill had changed to ’Mastery.’ He nodded in satisfaction and closed the panel.

’*Fang’s Medical Skill* at the Mastery Level... It took my father decades of painstaking effort to reach about this same level.’

In reality, the Mastery Level of a skill was the absolute limit an ordinary person could reach through hard work alone!

With Mastery in Fang’s Medical Skill, he was now among the most outstanding physicians in all of Changshan County Town. Even the resident physicians for the great families were generally only at this level.

The next Level, Minor Achievement, required not only some innate talent but also the guidance of a renowned teacher.

Reaching Minor Achievement in Fang’s Medical Skill would be enough to make a name for oneself in the region.

Beyond that was Great Success, which was no longer a matter of mere talent. It required supreme aptitude and comprehension, as well as a dose of serendipity.

One who achieved Great Success in Fang’s Medical Skill could be called a celebrated physician of their generation.

Perfection in a Skill meant surpassing its founder and all the ancestors who had added to and refined it over the generations. It meant all of its subtleties could be employed with effortless ease.

Once Fang’s Medical Skill reached that stage, a true master of one would be a master of all. They could be called a Taishan Grandmaster, in no way inferior even to an Imperial Physician.

’Of course, that level of Medical Skill is still a distant goal for me... but my Mastery Level in Fang’s Medical Skill is more than enough to start researching new medicinal formulas.’

Unlike in the past, when he would rack his brains to no avail, this time, as he began to ponder, flashes of Spiritual Light frequently burst in his mind, bringing forth a rush of new ideas.