#93 - Chapter 93: Tricky
Back in Room 1, I set aside the Little Black Bottle for the moment and started flipping through the three books in my arms.
One was a Ghost Doctor's Manual, one was the Needle of Yama Technique, and one was the Chaotic Void Steps.
They were, respectively, a medical book, a book on acupuncture, and a book on footwork.
Cheng Feng felt a headache coming on. How long would he have to practice these!
Plus, he hadn't even formed a skill from the Gale Blade he got from the skeleton's hand at the bottom of the river yet!
It was like having a mountain of treasure but being unable to use it.
Cheng Feng almost burst into tears.
But fortunately, these things were all foundation.
As long as he could form skills, Cheng Feng would never give up.
After all, as long as it appeared on the panel, Cheng Feng was confident he could max it out.
Confidence was just that simple, plain, and unadorned.
But these things made Cheng Feng even more wary of the alchemist Nie Yuan.
He understood medicine, knew acupuncture, and even knew footwork. He was practically an unkillable cockroach.
Cheng Feng had never been exposed to medicine, but how hard would it be to kill an alchemist with such attainments?
And then there were the unpredictable methods like Soul Shock.
To this day, Cheng Feng still didn't know how he got hit.
The medical book was also obscure and difficult to understand, so he could only study it diligently.
He gathered all three books together in Room 1.
Now, Room 1 had basically become Cheng Feng's secret base.
The women were all resting at home, so Room 1 was left empty and idle.
Afraid that all three books had tracking methods, Cheng Feng wrapped them in waterproof tarpaulin, soaked them in his treasured liquor, and then dug a hole under the second-to-last brick in the corner of the side room and buried them.
After doing all this, Cheng Feng's hanging heart finally settled down.
These benefits could be considered his deserved reward.
But Nie Yuan's strength made Cheng Feng feel insecure.
Aunt Lan's inscrutability also left Cheng Feng in a dilemma.
Just these few books alone made Cheng Feng feel like he'd made a huge profit.
The foundation Nie Yuan revealed also far exceeded Cheng Feng's expectations.
But he still had to do what he promised Aunt Lan, or she might come knocking on his door if he left without a word.
The disadvantage of insufficient strength was exposed.
However, Cheng Feng didn't plan to ruin his relationship with Aunt Lan, since he already had the things in hand.
He would just give the Bone-Corroding Powder to Aunt Lan.
While hesitating, the appointed time arrived.
Cheng Feng washed his face with cold water to make himself look less tired.
Even though Cheng Feng could come and go freely in the Tiger Head Gang, Aunt Lan's unpredictable stance made him a little apprehensive.
If she and Nie Yuan were enemies, but Aunt Lan helped Nie Yuan make medicine, then Aunt Lan was enduring too deeply.
If they weren't enemies, Aunt Lan's words revealed a sense of targeting him.
Cheng Feng didn't dare to think too much. Fortunately, Eight Hundred was outside to restrain things, which made certain thoughts in Cheng Feng's heart more certain.
Now that his own strength was insufficient, he could only make up for it with power.
The superficial power relationship wasn't enough, but in the dark, Eight Hundred's strength was still presentable. Didn't Nie Hu become the gang leader without even reaching Blood Refinement?
Tiger Head Gang, Aunt Lan's pharmacy.
It was still dark when Cheng Feng arrived to wait.
Cheng Feng didn't dare to wander around, so he could only wait in the front hall of the pharmacy.
The front hall was full of herbs that Aunt Lan had dried.
Some were fragrant, some were pungent, and the mixed smell was really unpleasant.
But when you're under someone else's roof, you have to bow your head.
Cheng Feng could only endure it.
About an hour later, Aunt Lan arrived at the front hall wearing a black robe.
She looked like she hadn't woken up yet.
"Oh, you've come. Did you get the thing? If not, I can't help you. I advise you to give up the idea of revenge! Wouldn't it be nice to live a stable life?"
Cheng Feng clasped his fist and said, "I sensed the thing with the Little White Bottle you gave me. As for whether it's Bone-Corroding Powder, please appraise it, Miss."
Cheng Feng put on a bit of an act, offering the Little White Bottle and the Little Black Bottle with both hands.
Because it was close, the Little White Bottle was still emitting a faint green light.
Aunt Lan glanced at the Little White Bottle in Cheng Feng's hand, a hint of imperceptible surprise flashing in her eyes. She slowly reached out, took the bottle, gently shook it a few times, and then brought it close to her nose to smell it. Her brows furrowed slightly, then relaxed, and a satisfied smile appeared on her face.
"Not bad, this is indeed Bone-Corroding Powder," Aunt Lan said, her voice carrying a hint of praise. "You do have some ability, finding it so quickly."
Cheng Feng was secretly delighted, but he kept his face calm and cupped his fist. "Thank you for the praise, Miss. If not for your guidance, how could I have been so successful?"
Aunt Lan shook her head lightly and said faintly, "This is your own ability. I only gave you a direction. What do you plan to do next?"
Cheng Feng didn't dare to talk about the bloody scene he encountered in the cave.
He could only ask, "Does the lady have any suggestions?"
Aunt Lan said, "At the Blood Refinement realm, you are enough to sweep through this small gang, but Nie Yuan, an alchemist, is enough to deal with ten of you. This is equivalent to a dead end, unavoidable."
Cheng Feng was unwilling: "Miss, can I venture to ask, is Nie Yuan an alchemist?"
Aunt Lan saw through Cheng Feng's inner unwillingness and helplessness at a glance, but she did not show any surprise or ridicule. On the contrary, she seemed very calm and generous.
"The profession of alchemist actually originated from the ancient group of martial artists." Aunt Lan said softly, as if telling a long-ago story, "Since ancient times, people have disagreed on the definition of good and evil. However, alchemists are particularly fond of those unorthodox methods, such as herbs, poisons, and so on. They believe that in addition to the distinction between good and evil, there is also a unique path belonging to martial artists themselves. Simply put, these alchemists are a group of people who have mastered the methods of enhancing evil power. Of course, each alchemist's pursuit of the path and the sect to which they belong may be different. For the sake of their ambitions and the pursuit of strength, these people mostly ignored the etiquette in the world, and would be added to a group of evil demons, and now the alchemists have basically hidden themselves."
Aunt Lan's words were like a breeze, dispelling 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 deviated from the traditional concept of good and evil and embarked on a little-known path. This road may be full of dangers, but it may also contain endless possibilities.
Cheng Feng couldn't help but fall into contemplation. It sounded like crazy scientists who ignored etiquette but had goals.
Thinking of Wang Tieshan's words about alchemists, Master clearly spoke from the perspective of the righteous path, with righteous overtones.
After all, alchemists did have an unsavory, cruel, and bloody side.
After being wiped out by a large number of righteous martial artists, they survived.
If the alchemists were strong at the time and killed all the orthodox martial artists, then who was righteous and who was evil was really unclear!
Cheng Feng agreed with the saying that history is written by the victors.
Thinking of the medical book in his hand, Cheng Feng's heart moved: "So Nie Yuan is an alchemist of the herb or poison faction?"
Aunt Lan said coldly, "He is not only a poison-based alchemist, proficient in pharmacology, but also a Blood Refinement late-stage martial artist, with outstanding speed and a flying needle technique that can save lives and take lives. So, what are you going to use to take revenge?"
