36: Chapter 36 Why does my philtrum feel itchy?

Qian Shuying looked at Lu Cheng and, after a moment of thought, said,

"If you are in trouble, you can join our Qian Family... In Rong City, no one would dare to touch you."

Lu Cheng frowned slightly. It was indeed a good thing for the eldest daughter of the Qian Family to extend an olive branch to him. Commercial organizations like the Qian Family would periodically buy up large numbers of desperate fighters to strengthen the family's armed forces.

But... once he joined the Qian Family, it meant he would be restricted by others... Lu Cheng felt he hadn't reached that point yet... so he said,

"It's not that troublesome. The school is leading a team to the Wasteland Zone tomorrow... I'm just afraid that something might happen."

Qian Shuying glanced at Lu Cheng. She knew that Lu Cheng's talent was Seeking Good Fortune and Avoiding Bad Luck. It seemed this talent had given him a very serious warning.

"Hmm... The Qianbao Chamber of Commerce does have some decent items. About how many Dragon Coins do you have now? I can use that as a reference."

"Around 250,000."

Lu Cheng said truthfully. He had won 120,000 from betting two days ago, the school had awarded him 100,000, and Qian Shuying had just given him 20,000... After deducting some miscellaneous expenses, it was about that amount.

Qian Shuying stared at Lu Cheng for a moment, then, after thinking, said,

"If it's 250,000, I recommend you buy a reusable combat puppet. Its combat power is equivalent to the peak of the Source Gathering Realm... Even if you encounter a powerhouse in the Meridian Opening Realm, it can block them for a moment. The self-detonation of its energy core can pose a significant threat to a Meridian Opening Realm martial artist."

She paused and added,

"If the problem you encounter is a threat from the Hua Hai Realm or higher... there is likely nothing on the market in Rong City that can save your life."

Upon hearing the three words "Hua Hai Realm," Lu Cheng was instantly relieved.

The Body Refining Realm, Source Gathering Realm, and Meridian Opening Realm—although there were large gaps between these levels, they still belonged to the lower three ranks.

They were still within a range where one could at least try to struggle.

But once one reached the Hua Hai Realm, it was another world entirely.

At that level, the Source Power in one's body transforms from threads into streams, and from streams into a sea. One can maintain high-intensity combat for a long time and even form protective Source Qi.

Against such a person, let alone him, who was currently only in the Blood and Flesh Realm, even a martial artist at the peak of the Meridian Opening Realm would die if they encountered one.

Thinking of this, Lu Cheng couldn't help but ask,

"Are there no items... that can teleport you instantly?"

Qian Shuying rolled her eyes at him.

"Do you think spatial items are like cabbages?"

"Even in our Qian Family, only a few elders carry them when exploring secret realms. Even I don't have one."

Lu Cheng's mouth twitched.

In normal novels, aren't those teleportation talismans things you pull out and tear in a crisis, and then whoosh, you're gone?

Why was it that when it came to him, spatial items had suddenly become high-end strategic supplies?

This wasn't scientific.

Oh, wait, this wasn't a scientific world to begin with, so never mind.

"Does the Qianbao Chamber of Commerce sell them?"

Lu Cheng asked while taking out his phone and casually opening the Qianbao Chamber of Commerce app.

The page loaded very quickly.

After all, it was a major chamber of commerce's software; the interface was quite well-made, with clear categories and a wide variety of goods, ranging from medicinal pills, armor, and exotic beast materials to martial arts auxiliary equipment and disposable combat items—it had almost everything.

Lu Cheng searched directly for "combat puppet."

Then he fell silent.

The most prominent one on the page was priced at... 1,000,000?!

And the note was written very clearly.

[Source Gathering Realm Tier 3 combat puppet, limited supply.]

Lu Cheng stared at that number for two seconds, then looked up at Qian Shuying.

"You just said I could buy one for 250,000?"

Qian Shuying nodded.

"I'm selling it to you personally."

As she spoke, she took a metal item about a palm long and as thick as an arm out of her pocket.

The object was dark silver, with fine patterns covering its surface. In its shrunken state, it looked like an exquisite humanoid model, complete with a head, limbs, and torso, though the proportions were slightly rough. A rice-grain-sized, deep blue crystal was embedded in its chest.

This thing was not some cheap knock-off from a store, but a genuine puppet comparable to the peak of the Source Gathering Realm.

Lu Cheng took it. It felt slightly heavy, cold, and hard, and he could vaguely feel a kind of energy structure compressed within it, ready to be unleashed.

"After activation, the puppet will automatically grow to two meters in size."

Qian Shuying looked at him, her tone slightly softer than usual.

"Although I don't know what you've encountered, however..."

"Come back alive."

Lu Cheng looked up and met her eyes.

The training room was silent for two seconds.

Qian Duoduo, who had originally wanted to chime in, looked at one and then the other. He inexplicably felt that if he spoke now, he would easily appear superfluous, so he very tactfully kept his mouth shut.

Qian Shuying didn't say anything more; she just waved her hand and turned to walk outside.

Her silhouette, wrapped in a black training suit, remained sharp, and her steps were as decisive as ever.

However, as Lu Cheng watched the direction she left in, he couldn't help but mutter to himself.

This guy...

I owe her a favor now.

Buying a Source Gathering Realm peak combat puppet for 250,000 wasn't just a discount; it was clearly a gift...

Qian Duoduo then came over and whispered,

"Brother Lu, my sister is just like that—her mouth is very stubborn, but she is actually a very good person..."

Lu Cheng put away the puppet and nodded...

He didn't stay any longer, and after simply saying goodbye to the people at the martial arts gym, he left.

It was already quite late at night.

The streetlights were lit one by one, and the wind outside the martial arts gym blew against him, carrying a chill peculiar to after-training.

Just then, his phone suddenly vibrated.

Lu Cheng looked down.

It was a message from Ma Dachun.

[Ma Dachun: Brother Lu! Emergency!]

Lu Cheng raised an eyebrow. This guy definitely wouldn't contact him late at night for no reason.

And judging by his tone, it was quite urgent.

He replied directly.

[Lu Cheng: Where are you? I'll be there soon.]

The reply came almost instantly.

The location was sent over.

It was a martial arts gym near his house.

Lu Cheng didn't delay; he changed direction and headed straight there.

Ten minutes later.

He pushed open the door to the martial arts gym's training area and saw Ma Dachun at a glance.

This guy was lying on a bench like a piece of nearly cooked salted fish, his face flushed, sweat dripping from his forehead. Two middle-aged men and a coach were surrounding him, and the expressions of all of them were quite complicated.

Lu Cheng walked over, full of confusion.

"What's going on with you?"

Ma Dachun looked up, his eyes full of grief and indignation.

"Brother Lu... I've been scammed..."

Next, in his intermittent, shame-filled account, Lu Cheng finally understood the ins and outs.

Simply put.

Because they were entering the Wasteland Zone tomorrow, a relative of Ma Dachun's had specially prepared a bottle of "high-quality blood-enhancing potion" for him.

They said it was very nourishing.

They said it was a good thing.

They said that after drinking it, his blood would surge, his body would heat up, and the cultivation effect would be extraordinary.

As a result, after this guy drank a mouthful, his blood did indeed surge, and his body did indeed heat up.

It was just that the place where it was hot was slightly wrong.

Later, when the coach at the martial arts gym saw it, his face turned green.

How was this any proper blood-enhancing potion?

This was freaking an aphrodisiac!

And it was the kind of potent medicine specially formulated for low-level martial artists; the medicinal effect was extremely strong, and if not careful, it could easily cause problems.

The most absurd thing was that this stuff really did have a certain effect of stimulating blood for Body Refining Realm martial artists, so strictly speaking, that relative wasn't completely lying.

They just didn't mention the side effects.

A senior nearby added very seriously,

"Actually, this thing is indeed good stuff; it's quite useful for improving strength."

"It's a waste to force the medicinal effect out like this."

Ma Dachun almost cried after hearing this.

"Do you want this blessing yourself?!"

Lu Cheng stood by, his expression becoming increasingly subtle.

"So you called me here to..."

Ma Dachun looked lifeless.

"The coach said that getting beaten up can accelerate the expulsion of the medicinal effect."

"But those who can fight are too heavy-handed; I can't take it."

"Brother Lu, you have good control. Come and beat me up hard to disperse the medicinal effect..."

Lu Cheng was silent.

A few seconds later, he couldn't help but cover his face.

What kind of mess is this?

During the day, he stood in the martial arts gym and got beaten up hard by Qian Shuying, and at night, he had to come and beat up Ma Dachun hard.

Was his cultivation routine for the day a bit weird?

But complaining aside, he still had to save him.

Lu Cheng loosened his wrists.

"Alright."

"Bear with it."

Next, a rhythmic thumping sound soon rang out in the training area.

Bang!

Slap!

Bang!

"Ow!"

"Brother Lu, lighter! Lighter!"

"This is already very light!"

"Holy sh*t, you call this light?!"

Several coaches and seniors nearby were watching, occasionally commenting.

"This force is not bad."

"Yeah, the control is quite steady."

"Hit the back two more times; the blood will disperse faster."

The more Lu Cheng hit, the more absurd he felt it was.

These people were talking so eloquently; anyone who didn't know better would think they were conducting some serious body-tempering course.

After tossing and turning for more than ten minutes, the evil fire in Ma Dachun's body was finally dispersed by more than half. The whole person seemed to have been hollowed out, lying limply on the ground, his eyes vacant and his lips pale.

Lu Cheng wiped his sweat.

"Alright, that's about it."

Ma Dachun weakly raised a hand.

"I swear..."

"I will definitely not use this thing in the future..."

"If I use it, I'm a person from Sakura Island..."

The relative who had sent the medicine was still not giving up.

"Actually, you'll be fine once you get used to it; this thing is really nourishing."

Ma Dachun turned his head sharply, his voice distorted.

"Shut up!!!"

Seeing this scene, Lu Cheng almost couldn't hold back his laughter.

After confirming that the person was fine, he couldn't be bothered to continue watching this family drama and left after saying goodbye.

It was just that what he didn't see was...

After he left, Ma Dachun lay on the bed in the lounge, resting for a long time, when he suddenly noticed something was wrong.

The originally chaotic blood in his body, after the medicinal effect was dispersed, didn't actually disappear completely; instead, a portion of it had been absorbed by his body.

He hurriedly measured it.

Then he was completely stunned.

Blood value... it had actually increased by three points!

Ma Dachun stared at the test result and fell into a long silence.

In the middle of the night.

He lay alone on the bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep.

On the bedside table, the remaining few bottles of medicine were glowing faintly in the moonlight.

Ma Dachun looked at them.

His eyes were complicated.

After a long while, he slowly sat up, touched his philtrum, and unconsciously used a strange, pseudo-Japanese accent.

"Why does it feel... like my philtrum is a little itchy?"

He swallowed his saliva and stared at the medicine bottle.

"One drum, two drums, three drums, four... sumimasen..."

"Five... watashi wa... I am going to make a decision that goes against my ancestors."

...

The next day, the assembly was on the playground.

As the morning light just fell, the students of the elite class had arrived one after another.

Lu Cheng walked into the queue with his bag on his back and saw Ma Dachun at a glance.

Then he was stunned for a moment.

This guy's eyes were as black as a panda's today, his originally fair and tender face was even paler now, and he even had a haggard look of being hollowed out, walking unsteadily.

Lu Cheng looked him up and down.

"Morning... what happened to you?"

Ma Dachun weakly raised his hand.

"Morning... morning..."

"Did you get food poisoning?"

"Suppo... suppose so..."

Lu Cheng raised an eyebrow; this guy actually wasn't speaking English.

It seemed he was indeed tired enough.

At the front of the playground, Instructor Qin Feng's voice rang out. Behind him stood several soldiers, all of whom were at the peak of the Source Gathering Realm!

"Students... good morning!"