Becoming a martial arts god starting from the mortician.

Shen Qi stood in the courtyard, stepping on the bluestone slabs, and struck a pose.

With the left foot forward and the right foot back, lower your center of gravity and twist your fist out from your waist.

The first move of the Tiger Subduing Fist.

According to Wang Laosan's memory, this set of boxing emphasizes sinking the shoulders and dropping the elbows, making the fist move in a straight line, using the waist and hips to lead the arms, and ensuring the power flows smoothly.

But when it came to Shen Qi, it was a completely different story.

His fists were powerful, much stronger than before. But when he stretched his arm halfway out, his shoulder started to ache, his waist and hips couldn't keep up, and he couldn't catch his breath.

I barely managed to throw the second punch before sweat beaded on my forehead.

When I pulled back my fist for the third time, my arm was shaking uncontrollably.

Shen Qi stopped, supporting his knees and catching his breath.

Sweat dripped onto the stone slab, spreading into a small dark stain.

This body is ultimately too depleted.

Having been a pharmacy for over a decade, my bones are brittle, my tendons are soft, and my internal organs are kept afloat by medicinal soups.

Although the lifeline has been restored, this physical body cannot be restored overnight.

"It can't be rushed."

Shen Qi composed himself and slowly straightened up.

What he has no shortage of is patience.

He went back into the house, filled a bowl with warm water, and walked to the old cabinet, opening the drawer.

There were only two packets of medicine left.

He picked up a bag, weighed it in his hand, and then put it back.

I need to go to Huichuntang.

After changing into a clean blue cloth shirt and putting the loose silver into his purse, Shen Qi pushed open the door and went out of the courtyard.

The sun had just risen, and the streets were already bustling with people.

The breakfast stalls set up their steamers, and plumes of steam rose into the air. The blacksmith's shop rang out with clanging and clattering. Widow Li's yellow dog lay on the doorstep, its ears drooping and its tail swishing listlessly.

Qingping Town is an old town located in a remote area.

Most of the people living here have been rooted here for generations, and the neighbors know each other very well.

If someone loses a chicken, or if someone's daughter-in-law argues with her mother-in-law, the whole town knows within half a day.

Everyone lived a simple and peaceful life, and they were all kind and friendly.

Only the occasional passing caravan or visitor would bring a new face to the town.

But very few people can integrate here, let alone stay for long.

……

Huichuntang is located at the east end of the town, with two courtyards, one in front and one behind, and a faded plaque hanging at the entrance.

The shop isn't big, but it's been open for over thirty years. People from the surrounding towns all come here for any ailment they have.

Shen Qi pushed open the door and entered, the smell of medicine hitting him immediately.

Behind the counter sat an old man in his fifties, with his gray hair tied in a bun and wearing a gray linen jacket, weighing medicinal herbs on a small scale.

It was indeed Doctor Li.

"Seventh Brother is here." Doctor Li greeted him without looking up from his work, "Please sit down."

Shen Qi sat down on the bench in front of the counter.

"But you've finished your medicine?"

"Two sets left."

"Hmm." Doctor Li poured the weighed herbs into an oil paper package, neatly folded it, and set it aside.

Only then did he raise his head to look at Shen Qi.

With just one glance, the old man's hand stopped.

His brows furrowed little by little.

"Reach out your hand."

Shen Qi calmly placed her right wrist on the pulse pillow.

Dr. Li placed three fingers on top of him, and his thumb habitually rubbed together.

The room fell silent.

Dr. Li frowned slightly, then relaxed.

It wrinkled again, then relaxed.

Repeatedly several times.

He took a deep breath and then took Shen Qi's pulse again with his left hand.

This time it will take even longer.

Finally, Dr. Li withdrew his finger, leaned back in his chair, picked up the teacup next to him, and took a big gulp.

"That's strange, really strange."

Shen Qi remained calm: "What's wrong, Uncle Li?"

"Your pulse is truly..." Doctor Li put down his teacup, unable to find the right words to describe it.

"When I prescribed this medicine for you, your body was sluggish and weak, with deficiency of both qi and blood, and weakness of both the spleen and kidneys. This medicine can only temporarily consolidate your vital energy and prevent it from being depleted too quickly. The root cause has not been addressed, so it will only prolong the illness for a while."

"But your pulse now..." Doctor Li glanced at him again, "deep but not weak, the radial pulse has roots, and although the kidney qi is not yet full, it has already shown signs of recovery."

He touched his goatee, looking puzzled.

"Seventh Brother, I have been practicing medicine for over thirty years. In theory, this kind of deficiency syndrome caused by a weakened constitution should only get worse if left untreated. But in your case, it's the opposite."

"Autumn is here, and my appetite has improved a bit," Shen Qi said.

Dr. Li rolled his eyes, clearly not believing it.

But he had seen too many things that were hard to explain. Some people became stronger than before after a serious illness, while others inexplicably went from being at their peak to declining. There was no reason for this, nor was it necessary to ask for a reason.

"Whatever the reason, you can no longer take the previous prescription."

Dr. Li pulled out a yellowed medicine booklet from under the counter and flipped through a few pages.

"Yiyuan Decoction is a strong and potent tonifying medicine that is used to support vital energy. It is suitable for people with depleted qi and blood and weakened kidney fire. Now that your pulse strength has returned and your qi and blood are abundant, taking such a strong tonifying formula will not provide any benefit to the medicine. Instead, it will block the meridians and cause heat to accumulate and become toxic."

He picked up his brush, dipped it in ink, and wrote the names of several medicinal herbs on the paper.

"Let's try a gentler formula. Peiyuan Gubentang (培元固本汤) is mainly for mild tonification, supporting the body's resistance without leaving any pathogens, nourishing the foundation, clearing the meridians, and consolidating vital energy. One dose a day is enough."

After Dr. Li finished writing the prescription, he pushed it in front of Shen Qi.

"This prescription uses plenty of ingredients; one dose costs seven hundred coins."

Shen Qi glanced at the prescription.

Five qian of prepared Rehmannia root, three qian of Chinese yam, two qian of ginseng, two qian of Cornus officinalis, one qian of Schisandra chinensis, three qian of Ophiopogon japonicus, and one qian of prepared licorice root.

It's more expensive than the previous day's 600 coins, but he can afford it.

"Grab ten sets first." Shen Qi took out a purse from his pocket.

Doctor Li took the silver and turned to work in front of the medicine cabinet behind him. One by one, the small drawers were opened and closed, and the medicinal herbs rose and fell on the scale.

"Seventh Brother," Doctor Li said again, his back to him.

"Um?"

"Although your pulse has improved somewhat, your foundation has been weakened for a long time. It's not something that can be repaired in three to five months. Just take it slow and rest. Don't stay up late, and avoid cold water. Eat more warm and nourishing foods. As for your business..."

The old man sighed and said no more.

After all, Shen Qi was alone and an outsider. If he were to persuade someone to quit the business of mortuary burial, how would they survive without a livelihood?

"Understood, thank you Uncle Li."

Ten packets of medicine were wrapped in oiled paper and tied together with hemp rope. Shen Qi thanked them again, picked up the medicine packets, and left Huichuntang.

The sun had risen high in the sky, and the streets were becoming more crowded.

Shen Qi walked back the way he came.

He was still calculating in his mind that if he could truly strengthen his foundation, his body would recover faster, and the speed at which he assimilated the crimson life threads might be able to be increased...

Just then, chaos suddenly broke out at the street corner ahead.

A group of people surged in the same direction, their noisy chatter creating a chaotic mess.

Shen Qi paused, his brows furrowing.

Several constables in black robes squeezed out from the crowd, their broadswords clanging with each step, their expressions extremely agitated.

"Get out of the way! Get the hell out of my way!"

The head constable shouted at the top of his lungs.

The people on the street were pushed and shoved to both sides, and the murmurs only grew louder.

Someone's dead!

"I heard it's Zhao the Cripple from East Street..."

"Dying in his own room in broad daylight..."

Shen Qi's heart sank, and he subconsciously slowed his pace, blending into the crowd.

"My husband glanced at it as he passed by, and his legs went weak with fright. He said that face..."

The woman lowered her voice and whispered mysteriously into the ear of the person next to her.

Upon hearing this, the person next to him lost all color in their face and began to swallow hard.

After absorbing Wang Laosan's life essence, Shen Qi's hearing became superhuman. Even from several steps away, he could hear every word of whispered conversations.

"Speaking of that face... his eyes were practically popping out of their sockets, and his mouth was stretched so wide you could fit a fist in it."

"His entire face was contorted in pain, like it had been ripped out of its soul by a demon; it was terrifying!"

Shen Qi's fingers slowly tightened around the medicine packet.

Eyes bulging outwards. Mouth corner torn. Facial muscles contorted.

The way he died was exactly the same as Wang Laosan's!

But Zhao the Cripple was just an ordinary idle man born and raised in the town. He had never left the town. If there was anything unusual about him, it was that he was a little stronger than the average person. How could he have provoked such a vicious person?