"You're no longer in serious danger; here are a few healing elixirs, specifically formulated for internal injuries. Take them," Yang Fan stated, handing Lin Zhong several elixirs from his storage pouch.
"Thank you, my lord!" Lin Zhong exclaimed, filled with gratitude yet astonished. "Your healing methods are simply extraordinary; it's a miracle! A wound that would take a year or more to recover from has been healed in an instant by you."
Yang Fan casually seated himself beside Lin Zhong, placing his hand on Lin Zhong's meridians. After a brief moment of contemplation, he said, "I still lack the spells to heal internal injuries. These elixirs will merely accelerate your recovery. Begin absorbing their potency while I assist you with my energy."
Lin Zhong hesitated, feeling slightly embarrassed. "My lord, you have already treated most of my injuries. All I need now is some time to recuperate. There's no need for you to expend your energy. If that fat man Li or Hu Bansian come looking for trouble in the meantime, what shall we do?"
Yang Fan scoffed lightly. "I would welcome them to come. Once you have fully recovered, we can deal with them together."
An invisible yet fierce aura of lethal intent radiated from him, leaving Lin Zhong feeling apprehensive.
Following this, Lin Zhong sat cross-legged, channeling energy into his dantian to begin assimilating the elixirs' restorative powers. In truth, given Lin Zhong's previous injuries, an ordinary cultivator with some resources could have restored him within a month or two merely by taking some healing elixirs. Yet, as a loose cultivator, it was a stroke of luck that he had managed to cultivate to the Qi Refinement stage, as he had no access to decent elixirs.
Yang Fan had some resources at his disposal, a mixture of gifts from his master and the Yang family, as well as items he had collected during his recent travels.
Once the clinic was stabilized, Yang Fan planned to start refining pills. He possessed a significant stash of materials and herbs, including many rare ingredients, which allowed him to concoct some of the precious elixirs outlined in the "Pill Refining Compendium."
With his eyes closed, Yang Fan directed a stream of ethereal life mist from within him, which flowed gently into Lin Zhong's body, quickly reaching the site of his injuries to assist in the elixirs' effects. Simultaneously, this life mist nourished and healed Lin Zhong's wounds.
After about half an hour, Yang Fan exhaled lightly, retracting his hand and wiping the beads of sweat that had formed on his forehead.
Lin Zhong opened his eyes, a healthy flush returning to his complexion. He sprang to his feet, his eyes shining brightly with the spirit of battle. "My lord, with your aid, we have nothing to fear from that fat man Li and Hu Bansian!"
With his injuries healed, Lin Zhong was brimming with confidence.
"Calm down, calm down," Yang Fan replied, his demeanor unruffled as he stood nearby.
"My lord, do you mean…" Lin Zhong asked, puzzled, wondering if Yang Fan intended to endure more.
"I have a few magical artifacts for you. Take some time to refine them," Yang Fan said, producing three magical artifacts from his storage pouch: a small bell, a red sword, and a blue orb.
Lin Zhong's eyes lit up upon seeing the three artifacts. As a loose cultivator, he was fortunate to own one or two, yet upon closely examining their quality and grade, his gaze went wide in disbelief and delight. "My lord, these are all top-tier magical artifacts! Are you really giving them all to me?"
Lin Zhong could scarcely believe it. These were three top-tier artifacts, and even an ordinary Qi Refinement late-stage cultivator might not possess such high-grade items. Moreover, the artifacts Yang Fan provided were incredibly diverse. The small bell served as a defensive artifact with some offensive capabilities; the red sword was clearly a fire-based weapon with formidable striking power. As for the blue orb, Lin Zhong speculated it to be a supportive artifact but could not discern its specific function.
"Ha! If you wish to go to war, you must prepare your weapons. With the broken trinkets you have, how can you hope to contend against a rich cultivator like Fat Li?" Yang Fan said with a teasing smile.
"Thank you, my lord! I am incredibly grateful!" Lin Zhong exclaimed, overwhelmed with joy and inadvertently developing a deep sense of admiration and gratitude toward Yang Fan.
As a loose cultivator, Lin Zhong previously struggled with only a couple of subpar artifacts and didn't even possess a complete set of cultivation techniques. However, Yang Fan had provided him with everything he lacked: two sets of cultivation manuals that allowed him to harness years of effort to break through to the peak of the Qi Refinement early stage, just a step away from the middle stage.
Now, with Yang Fan gifting him invaluable top-tier artifacts, how could Lin Zhong not feel profound gratitude and nervousness? Little did he know, Yang Fan was wealthy in resources and had several artifacts at his disposal, including a few spiritual instruments like the Qingfeng Sword and a mystical blue stone gifted by the hunchbacked elder before leaving Yihe Village.
"Rest at home for a few days and refine these artifacts. As for the clinic, you can leave that to me," Yang Fan said before bidding Lin Zhong farewell and swiftly making his way home.
Before reaching his residence, Yang Fan activated his omniscient mode and discovered that both his mother and sister were at home. Meanwhile, in the neighboring Tian Niu's house, Nangong Yu had not yet left and was diligently teaching his disciples martial arts.
The door to his home remained closed, and Yang Fan had no time to knock. He floated into the courtyard as light as a feather.
In a few strides, he entered the main room and caught sight of his sister, Yang Huixin, busy with household chores.
"Who is it…" Yang Huixin caught a glimpse of a figure from the corner of her eye, her heart leaping. But when she recognized the person's face, she exclaimed in surprise, her delicate features blooming like a pristine lotus.
"Brother!"
Yang Huixin gasped, her bright eyes shimmering with tears as she dropped the items she was holding and threw herself into Yang Fan's embrace.
Moments later, their mother, Yang Shi, emerged from a room. Upon seeing Yang Fan return, her face lit up with joy. "My son, you have finally come back! Huixin, you're no longer a child; don't cling to your brother like that…"
Yang Huixin's cheeks flushed crimson as her lively and gentle eyes glanced at her brother, then she hurried back to her own room.
Yang Fan watched her retreating figure thoughtfully, sensing that she had likely refrained from sharing with their mother the incidents involving Fat Li. Yet, she must have felt immense distress, and only upon his return did she show such an emotional response.
"Son, just after you left Wuliu Town that day, your younger brother rushed over in a panic. I'm unsure what he wanted to see you about," Yang Shi said.
"What? My brother came looking for me?"
Yang Fan paused in surprise. His brother had come to find him right after he had left. What could it be?
Rationally speaking, having become a mere waste, there should be little for him to discuss with the realm of cultivation. If his brother was searching for him, the only possibility would be…
A suspicion arose in Yang Fan's mind. If he were truly a waste, then the elixirs and artifacts he possessed would be of no use. His brother, Yang Lei, just happened to be in need of these items.
In truth, Yang Lei's aptitude was not much inferior to Yang Fan's; he had simply lacked dedication over the past decade, even becoming somewhat infatuated with women for a time.
"I don't know what Lei wants from you, but he stayed at home unusually for a day, then told us that if you returned, we should ask you to go to Yang Family Fortress to find him," Yang Shi explained.
"Oh, I understand now," Yang Fan replied, having gained some insight. After chatting with his mother for a while, he walked into his sister Huixin's room.
The room was simply decorated and faintly fragrant, just as Huixin preferred.
"Brother," Yang Huixin rose gracefully. After not seeing each other for over a month, Yang Fan noticed how stunningly beautiful his sister had become, her delicate brows resembling distant mountains, her eyes gentle as flowing water, exuding an inexplicable allure.
"What is it that you're keeping from brother and mother? I just visited Lin Zhong's house," Yang Fan said, observing the changes in her with calm demeanor, looking at the graceful figure standing before him.
"Brother, you know everything…" Yang Huixin's tears brimmed over as she threw herself into her brother's embrace, weeping quietly.
Yang Fan patiently waited for her to calm down before gently asking, "That fat man Li hasn't done anything to you, has he?"
"No…" Yang Huixin blushed. "Now that our third brother has become an important figure in the family's training program, he's not daring to touch me. But Lin Zhong has suffered so much for my sake…"
"By the way, after our brother left that day, he left behind a letter for you and a jade pendant," Yang Huixin said, carefully retrieving a wooden box from under the bed, taking out a letter and a jade pendant that shone with a crystalline hue.
Yang Fan accepted the items, breaking the seal of the envelope, and indeed recognized the handwriting as his brother's.
"Brother, by the time you read this letter, my life will have undergone a tremendous
turn. The disgrace you suffered at Yang Family Fortress, I promise one day to clear it for you…"
As Yang Fan read the contents of the letter, he noticed the increasingly bold and flamboyant handwriting, reminiscent of a dragon soaring through the skies.
However, as he progressed further, Yang Fan's expression shifted dramatically; he gently set down his sister and focused on the letter alone.
Moments later, his hands trembled slightly as he clenched them tightly, his face shifting through a storm of emotions…