13: Chapter 13: 50,000 Jin of Fine Rice to Save Lives! This Poisonous Milk Was Drinked by the Richest Man's Entire Family on Their Knees!

[You lower your eyes.]

[Your right hand rests on the iron-skinned dagger at your waist.]

[The leader sneers, and his long blade slashes directly toward your shoulder.]

[The blade tears through the air.]

[You do not retreat.]

[The spiritual energy of the Qi Refining Stage 3 perfection erupts instantly, surging into your legs.]

[You press against the blade and charge forward.]

[The iron-skinned dagger strikes upward.]

[The long blade flies out of his hand and smashes against the courtyard wall.]

[The back of the dagger strikes heavily against the leader's wrist.]

[The sound of bones cracking rings out.]

[The leader screams and retreats.]

[The other two hurriedly draw their swords.]

[You push off with your feet and instantly flash between them.]

[Two hand-chops strike precisely at the napes of their necks.]

[The two fall limply to the ground.]

[Three Qi Refining Stage 1 cultivators, all taken down.]

[The leader kneels on the ground, kowtowing incessantly.]

["Senior, spare my life!"]

[You fiddle with the iron-skinned dagger in your hand.]

["Who sent you?"]

[The leader stammers out the details.]

[They are the personal guards of Master Qian, the richest man in Yunjin City, a hundred miles away.]

[Master Qian has contracted a strange illness, his body covered in abscesses, and the doctors in the city are helpless.]

[Hearing that a miraculous doctor has appeared in Panlong Town, they were sent to invite you.]

["Is this the attitude you use to invite someone?"]

[The leader slaps himself twice, his cheeks swelling up.]

["I beg you, Senior, have mercy and save my Master!"]

[You glance at the refugees outside the courtyard, starving to the point of being skin and bones.]

["Fine. The consultation fee is very expensive."]

["As long as you can cure the Master, the Qian family is willing to spend everything we have!"]

["I want food. Fifty thousand catties of refined rice and one hundred thousand catties of coarse grain. Not a single tael less."]

In the real world, Shen Ji leans against the mud wall of the woodshed, rubbing his sore neck.

These three guards are fat sheep delivered to his doorstep.

There are too many refugees in Panlong Town; relying solely on himself to dig herbs in the mountains to trade for food is simply not enough to save them.

The Qian family is the richest; even a single hair plucked from them is thicker than the waists of these refugees.

He opens the interface, and the simulation continues.

[Age 58, 9th month. You arrive at the Qian family residence in Yunjin City with the three guards.]

[The Qian estate covers a vast area, its vermilion gates exuding luxury.]

[You wear a suit of patched coarse linen clothes, carrying a broken bamboo basket, and walk through the main gate.]

[A steward wearing a silk robe walks toward you, looking you up and down.]

["You three pieces of trash! You went out for a day and only brought back this beggar? The Master's life is precious; how dare you bring such a person into the estate?"]

[You walk past the guards and go up to the steward.]

[You raise your hand and place two fingers on the steward's pulse.]

[The steward is furious and is about to shake off your hand.]

["Night sweats, heat in the palms, soles, and chest, and a sharp pain when pressing the right side of your lower back. Your kidney essence is exhausted; if you continue to take those potent, harsh medicines, you won't live for another three months."]

[The fat on the steward's face twitches violently.]

[He has indeed been suffering from night sweats and unbearable lower back pain recently.]

[To serve his newly wedded concubine, he has secretly taken many folk remedies.]

[Not even his wife knows about this.]

[The steward bows and leads the way.]

["Miraculous Doctor, please come inside! I was blinded by greed just now!"]

[You arrive at Master Qian's bedroom.]

[The room is filled with a pungent smell of herbs and rot.]

[Master Qian lies on the bed, breathing more out than in, his body covered in festering abscesses.]

[This is poison from a low-level demonic beast, the Poison Mist Toad.]

[To a mortal doctor, it is an incurable disease.]

[To a cultivator like you, who possesses Basic Medical Knowledge and spiritual energy, it is not difficult to cure.]

[You take a few silver needles out of your bamboo basket.]

[Infusing the tips with spiritual energy, you insert them into Master Qian's vital acupuncture points.]

[After half an incense stick of time, Master Qian sits up abruptly and vomits a large mouthful of black blood.]

[His previously ashen face regains a hint of color, and his breathing stabilizes.]

[The First Madam rushes to the bedside.]

["The Master is awake!"]

[You remove the silver needles and wash your hands in a copper basin nearby.]

["Only ten percent of the toxins have been cleared. To eradicate it completely, it will take four days."]

[The First Madam turns around.]

["The Qian family will never forget the grace of the Miraculous Doctor for saving his life! Whatever consultation fee you require, just name it!"]

[You dry your hands.]

["Food. Fifty thousand catties of refined rice and one hundred thousand catties of coarse grain."]

["Before sunset today, the first batch of grain must be transported to Panlong Town and distributed to the refugees there."]

["I will only remove the toxins once I see the grain. Otherwise, you may seek someone else."]

[The First Madam immediately turns and shouts.]

["Steward! Go to the granary and mobilize the transport fleet! Hire every horse-drawn carriage you can find in the city!"]

In the real world, Shen Ji grins.

[Over the next four days, you stay at the Qian estate, performing acupuncture once a day.]

[On the evening of the first day, the refugees in Panlong Town have white rice to eat.]

[On the fourth day, the toxins in Master Qian's body are completely cleared.]

[Master Qian gets out of bed himself and brings his whole family to the main hall to serve you tea.]

["Miraculous Doctor Shen has saved countless lives. From now on, the Qian family will cover all the food rations for Panlong Town!"]

[You take a sip of tea and set the teacup down.]

[You shoulder your broken bamboo basket, decline the Qian family's carriage, and walk back to Panlong Town alone.]

[Age 58, 10th month. You return to Panlong Town.]

[At the town entrance, a sea of people is kneeling on the ground.]

[The refugees and townspeople kowtow in unison when they see you appear.]

[The blind old man is supported by the Little Girl.]

["Great Philanthropist Shen! You are the benefactor of our entire town!"]

[You walk over and help the old man up.]

["Everyone get up. Live your lives well."]

[Age 59, 2nd month. Your birthday.]

[This morning, you return from gathering herbs in the mountains.]

[Ding—Drawing annual trait.]

[The light screen flickers. Green.]

[Obtained green trait: Diligence Overcomes Mediocrity (Green).]

[Effect Description: Putting in double the effort will surely yield a fraction of the harvest. Ignores any talent barriers.]

In reality, Shen Ji stares at this line of green text, his fingers tapping on his knees.

Over this past year in Panlong Town, he has studied mortal medical principles day and night to save the refugees.

He has tried herb combinations over and over again.

Using the clumsiest of methods, he has forcibly squeezed out the full value of his Basic Medical Knowledge.

The system's trait drawing is indeed highly bound to the behavioral trajectory in his simulations.

Shen Ji's current goal is clear.

Survive until age sixty.

[Age 59, 6th month. The peaceful days in Panlong Town have come to an end.]

[Several mortal kingdoms in the Southern Region have completely torn off their pretenses, with millions of troops slaughtering each other at the border.]

[The flames of war are less than three hundred miles away from Panlong Town.]

[You must leave.]

[Panlong Town has no defenses.]

[If you continue to stay here, the Unremarkable trait cannot suppress this large-scale military disaster.]

[You distribute the remaining herbs and broken silver to the townspeople.]

[The Little Girl tugs at your sleeve, refusing to let go.]

["Grandpa Shen, will you come back?"]

[You pat her head.]

["Go north. Do not stay in the town."]

[You shoulder your pack and turn to leave Panlong Town.]

[Age 59, 7th month. You head north all the way, entering the Central Plains territory.]

[You arrive at the Luo River Ferry.]

[This is the largest waterway hub in the Central Plains, crowded with merchants and many cultivators.]

[You stay at an inn near the ferry for a few days, inquiring about news everywhere.]

[Using ten Low-Grade Spirit Stones, you pry a piece of information from the innkeeper.]

[Fifty miles to the northwest of the ferry, there is a Medicine King Valley.]

[The bottom of the valley is shrouded in toxic miasma all year round.]

[It is said that a wandering Taoist lives inside, who is proficient in the art of alchemy and can dissolve the pill toxins within high-level cultivators.]

[The pill toxins in your body have accumulated for a long time, and your meridians are prematurely aging, which is your biggest hidden danger at the moment.]

[You decide to try your luck.]

[Age 59, 8th month. You buy a large bag of dry rations and enter the Medicine King Valley.]

[The valley is filled with toxic miasma; a single breath would kill an ordinary person.]

[You equip both Basic Medical Knowledge and Diligence Overcomes Mediocrity.]

[You gather detoxifying herbs along the way, chewing as you walk.]

[Relying on your medical knowledge, you forcibly carve a path through the toxic miasma.]

[Age 59, 10th month. You search the valley floor for three whole months.]

[No Taoist. No alchemy furnace. Only poisonous insects and the bones of wild beasts everywhere.]

[The dry rations you brought have long since been eaten.]

[You have completely begun living the life of a savage.]

[When thirsty, you drink dew from the crevices of rocks; when hungry, you catch poisonous snakes and roast them to eat.]

[The Smooth Digestion trait plays a huge role.]

[No matter how poisonous the snake meat is, once eaten, it can be quickly digested and excreted.]

[You run wildly on the valley floor every day, brandishing the iron-skinned dagger to slash at the wild beasts that pounce on you.]

[The Diligence Overcomes Mediocrity trait makes your muscle memory stronger and stronger through repeated life-and-death struggles.]

[Age 60, January 1st.]

[You sit on the corpse of a giant demonic tiger, covered in blood, your clothes shredded into rags.]

[You clutch a piece of half-cooked tiger meat in your hand, chewing it in large bites.]

[Ding—]

[The crisp sound of the system notification explodes in your mind.]

Since the system prompted the triggering of the hidden task at age fifty-six. Four years have finally passed!

In the real world. The rooster in the woodshed crows again. Shen Ji stands up abruptly, his head nearly hitting the rafters.

He stares intently at the void interface in front of him.

That row of text, covered in golden light for four whole years, now begins to tremble violently.

The golden radiance radiates outward, illuminating the entire woodshed.

[Age sixty has been reached.]

[Hidden condition triggered successfully.]

[Golden trait, unsealing—]