Comprehending Myriad Techniques as Woodcutter

When Xie Yuan and the two others emerged from the forest onto the main road, a carriage from Situ Qin’s family came to pick them up. They rode all the way into the city, saving them a great deal of walking.

The carriage traveled along the main road through the city for quite some time, allowing Xie Yuan to take in the full splendor of Yunzhou Prefecture. Eventually, it turned into a lane lined with high walls and gleaming tiled roofs.

Though it was called a lane, that was only because the courtyard walls on either side were so tall and imposing. In truth, the lane itself was wide enough for two large carriages to pass side-by-side.

Despite being spacious and long, the lane housed only a few residences, all of which belonged to prominent and wealthy families.

Stone lions guarded the gates and auspicious beasts perched atop the walls. Indeed, every home was magnificent, every household extraordinary.

The carriage turned through a large gate on the left. In this prestigious lane, the grand residence that took up nearly half its length was Situ Qin’s home.

This mansion was nearly the same size as the Longteng Escort Agency, which took up half a street. However, this was Wuyi Lane in Yunzhou Prefecture, where the price of land was a world apart from that in the small Yunzhao County.

Seeing the massive residence, Xie Yuan’s expression remained perfectly calm.

’For someone who has a Flying Dragon List expert as a personal bodyguard, this level of wealth isn’t surprising. In comparison, it’s nothing.’

However, he still asked,

"Miss Qin, are your father and mother at home? Should I pay my respects?"

Situ Qin simply shook her head.

"I live here alone."

Xie Yuan glanced at the endless stream of servants and maids bowing and greeting them along the way—more people than all the Darts Masters at the Longteng Escort Agency combined—and nodded, his face impassive.

’So, this is the Situ family of Yunzhou.’

After winding through a series of interlocking corridors, Xie Yuan was finally led to an exceptionally spacious guest room.

He had just settled in when a doctor, white-haired but hale and hearty, arrived.

The doctor examined his injuries, stroking his white goatee as he spoke.

"Young sir, your neck was injured by Grandmaster Force. Fortunately, the Flying General administered first aid, which has greatly eased the condition, so it won’t be difficult to treat. I will prescribe a few medicines. If you apply them externally and take them internally as directed, you should be about seventy to eighty percent recovered in a few days."

Xie Yuan’s spirits lifted at his words. He had been nearly choked to death by a Grandmaster like Lu the Third; he’d thought his neck injury would take at least ten days, if not half a month, to heal. ’But this old doctor says it’ll be better in just a few days?’

With a respectful expression, he cupped his hands and said in a hoarse voice,

"Thank you, Doctor. May I have the honor of knowing your name?"

"Heh heh, no need for such pleasantries, young sir. I am Zheng Qingyang."

The old doctor was quite amiable.

His introduction was brief, not because he had little to say, but because he carried himself with an air of quiet pride, as if his name alone was all the introduction needed.

And indeed, though Xie Yuan had never been to Yunzhou Prefecture before, he had heard of him.

Mr. Qingyang, the most renowned physician in all of Yunzhou!

Anyone who practiced martial arts held physicians in high esteem, and this was especially true for those in the Escort Agency business.

Their lives were spent on the edge of a blade; they never knew when they might need saving.

The name of this Mr. Qingyang was renowned even among the Darts Masters of the Longteng Escort Agency back in Yunzhao County. Aside from his personal fame, there was another reason: the Longteng Escort Agency’s own treasured Pharmacist, a man of exceptional skill, had studied under one of Mr. Qingyang’s grand-disciples.

It wasn’t just his medical skills that were superb. He was said to be aloof and principled, treating only the most difficult and unusual cases. No matter how wealthy or powerful the person requesting his services, he would not be swayed.

But seeing Hu Qingyang’s amiable and approachable manner now, Xie Yuan wondered, ’Are the rumors wrong, or is there another reason...’

A look of reverence appeared on Xie Yuan’s face.

"So it is Mr. Qingyang! I am truly fortunate to be treated by your miraculous hands."

"Think nothing of it. Rest for now, young sir. I’ll go write up a prescription."

Hu Qingyang chuckled, gave a slight bow to the side, and left the room with Li Tai.

Now, only Situ Qin and her maidservant remained in the room with the bedridden Xie Yuan.

Situ Qin smiled faintly.

"With Mr. Qingyang’s miraculous skill, you should be out of danger. Even better, you won’t even have a scar."

Xie Yuan pursed his lips.

"A scar isn’t important."

"No, no, no. For you, it’s very important."

Situ Qin looked at Xie Yuan, her eyes curving into crescents as she smiled.

Xie Yuan felt his brow darken. He inexplicably felt like some pretty boy living off a woman’s charity.

Situ Qin looked at Xie Yuan again with a happy smile and waved her hand.

"Never mind. You shouldn’t talk too much. Just get some rest."

Once Situ Qin and her maidservant had left, Xie Yuan was alone in the spacious and elegantly furnished room.

Xie Yuan lay on the bed and closed his eyes.

’I was saved. Pure luck.’

’If Situ Qin and Li Tai hadn’t chanced upon the axe I dropped on the main road and followed the trail in time, I’d probably be dead by now.’

’But I can’t rely on luck every time, can I?’

’It’s true that I was powerless against a Grandmaster so far beyond my own level, so it wasn’t my fault I couldn’t resist... But enemies don’t always conveniently show up at your own power level. This isn’t a game where you just grind mobs.’

’The only way to reduce the chances of this happening again is to keep training.’

Xie Yuan clenched his fists and let out a long breath.

[Chopping Wood: (7465/10000)]

[Golden Bell Shield · 2nd Layer: (207/1000)]

[Body-Nourishing Art · 3rd Layer: (1630/3000)]

[Eight Trigrams Mountain-Shaking Fist · Adept: (116/1000)]

[Moon-Cutting Axe · Adept: (45/1000)]

[Rushing Wolf Saber Skill · Perfected]

[Celestial Concealment Skill · Novice: (1/1000)]

[Black Celestial Book: (???/???)]

Xie Yuan glanced at the display before him and fell into thought.

’That Miss Yun clearly activated the Black Celestial Book’s sigil on my arm, but the book itself is still just a bunch of question marks? Still, I had some kind of epiphany back then, which is how I perfected my Rushing Wolf Saber Skill and even gained this new Celestial Concealment Skill.’

’Thinking back on it, all those different weapons were swirling around me. I subconsciously touched the saber at my waist, and that’s when I grasped the saber skill. If I had touched a different weapon, would I have learned a different technique? Or... maybe the epiphany drew from the cultivation techniques I’ve already learned and know well... Hmm, that seems more likely.’