“Beep…
Beep…
Beep…”
“Beep…
Beep…
Beep…”
Yan Qingshan was jolted awake by the blaring of an alarm clock.
The moment he opened his eyes, he realized something was wrong.
Pain—excruciating, bone-deep pain racked his entire body.
It was worst at his left shoulder; even the slightest movement sent a wave of agonizing torment through him.
“Electronic AI ‘Dawn’, at your service.”
In a daze, a familiar yet somewhat alien electronic voice echoed in his mind.
Before Yan Qingshan could fully process it, he plummeted back into unconsciousness.
His mind became a chaotic battlefield where massive streams of information collided and intertwined.
“Dou Qi…
Northwestern Region…
Jia Ma Empire…
Magic Beast Mountain Range…
Qingshan Town…
Thousand Medicinal House…
Herb-collecting team…
Mercenary group…
Hiss—”
When Yan Qingshan woke up again, his head was still heavy.
He struggled to sit up, leaning his back against the wall.
The exertion made him grit his teeth and hiss in pain; his left shoulder was nearly unbearable.
Countless memory fragments surged through his mind, recalling a dangerous experience.
He subconsciously reached out to touch his left shoulder near his neck.
Although it was wrapped in bandages, he could still feel the gruesome and terrifying nature of the wound through the white gauze.
Opening his eyes, he surveyed his surroundings.
The unfamiliar environment, the strange place names, and the blend of new and old memories all told him one thing clearly: he had transmigrated.
He had arrived in a world that should have belonged to a novel—the Dou Qi Continent.
This was a world belonging to Dou Qi.
There was no flashy or beautiful magic here; there was only Dou Qi developed to its peak!
Yan Qingshan: a Physician apprentice at the Thousand Medicinal House in Qingshan Town, located in the Magic Beast Mountain Range of the Jia Ma Empire, Northwestern Region.
His cultivation was at the 5th Stage Dou Zhi Qi.
This was his current identity.
He wasn’t the descendant of some great clan, nor did he possess any extraordinary ancestral bloodline.
He was merely at the lowest level of the Dou Qi Continent—the child of a mercenary family.
Both his parents were dead, a standard “protagonist starting kit” for many novels, though he didn’t harbor any deep-seated blood feuds.
It could only be said that for the weak, life was never easy.
“Dawn, scan my physical condition!”
After shaking his heavy head, Yan Qingshan recalibrated his worldview and forced himself to accept the situation.
Although he didn’t know why the thing in his brain had followed him here, he immediately used his AI out of habit.
The electronic brain ‘Dawn’ was a cross-generational product of Earth.
In his past life, every person possessed one; it served as a high-tech substitute for an ID card, helping modern humans adapt to the fast-paced life.
It was a revolutionary invention that led human society into a new era of efficiency.
Recording, storing, analyzing…
by utilizing Dawn’s powerful computational abilities, humans could handle tasks of higher intensity and precision.
Using the human host as the center, Dawn could completely record everything perceived in the surroundings—including sound, images, smells, and even genetic-level data.
As a product of a new age, it wasn’t exactly a supercomputer; rather, it had no physical form.
It was more like a program or a stream of information.
Scientists had integrated a new ‘program’ into the human brain, adding the auxiliary AI ‘Dawn.’
Dawn was a century-defining invention.
At the time of its launch, it was called the “Dawn Project,” symbolizing hope for a new era.
It was even rumored to have a mysterious connection to the “God’s Forbidden Zone”—the realm of the soul.
Yan Qingshan originally thought such claims were just rumors, but now it seemed…
they weren’t just wild speculations.
“Cough, cough…”
Yan Qingshan leaned against the headboard, breathing heavily.
He needed a moment of silence to digest everything that had happened to him.
“Beep!
Beep!
Beep!”
The electronic tones echoed in his mind.
There was no sound in the room; this illusory sensation was difficult to endure.
This was an alert signal that occurred when Dawn’s soul-bound processing reached a certain load—a situation that rarely happened.
Dawn’s operating speed was approaching its limit, making his head feel hot and painful.
The massive flow of information made him experience the sensation of a “super-scholar” with an eidetic memory—a discomfort similar to hyperthymesia.
“Your limbs have minor damage.
The left shoulder is severely injured; the clavicle is fractured.
High-grade Blood-Replenishing Healing Tonic (Liquid) administered.
Estimated healing time: 172 hours.”
A 3D model appeared in his mind.
The cascading streams of data eventually formed a detailed report.
“Optimal healing solution under current conditions: Green Root Flower, Withered Bone Grass, Yellow Lotus Essence, Star Vine…”
“I really never expected to encounter something like this.
Transmigration!
However, my luck isn’t bad; I’m a Physician apprentice!”
Despite the lingering pain, Yan Qingshan felt much more relaxed after calming his mind.
Having an accelerated healing plan was the best thing for him.
A Physician apprentice at the Thousand Medicinal House in Qingshan Town might be insignificant to the great figures of the continent, but for him, it was an excellent status.
At least it was better than being an ordinary mercenary or a member of a minor clan.
Dawn’s operations were based on its database, and its database relied on knowledge to build a complete system.
His status as a Physician apprentice gave him a high degree of understanding regarding basic medicinal ingredients.
This knowledge was his most precious asset.
The solution Dawn provided was the best one analyzed based on his current conditions.
The Green Root Flower, Withered Bone Grass, and Yellow Lotus Essence were all available at the Thousand Medicinal House.
They weren’t precious herbs and would be easy for him to obtain.
“I have a healing plan; next is the medicinal ingredients.
Fortunately, this original body has the status of a Physician apprentice, which comes with a monthly quota for herbs.
That makes things convenient.”
Yan Qingshan struggled to sit up.
The tonic from the Thousand Medicinal House was effective; he should be able to walk with a crutch.
“This is…
Yellow Lotus Essence!”
Just as he was about to get up, Yan Qingshan noticed he was clutching something in his hand.
It was a pale yellow medicinal ingredient resembling a polygonatum.
Simultaneously, memories flashed through his mind.
“Hmm, something’s not right.
Could it be…?”
He had been feeling fortunate that the cost of healing would be low.
A piece of Yellow Lotus Essence was a low-level herb, but it could sell for a hundred gold coins—not a small value.
However, looking at this piece, Yan Qingshan instinctively felt something was off.
He carefully used his fingernail to scratch the surface of the Yellow Lotus Essence.
As a bit of the yellowish skin peeled away, it revealed a speck of crimson as bright as fresh blood.
“This is…
Blood Lotus Essence!!!”
Yan Qingshan stared at that nearly invisible crimson.
He quickly brought it to his nose to sniff it.
A strange, slightly bloody scent filled his nostrils.
Upon smelling it, he felt his spirit refresh, and a spark of excitement appeared in his eyes.
“Hahaha!
Blood Lotus Essence!
It really is Blood Lotus Essence!
Now I can recover from my injuries even sooner.”
Yan Qingshan couldn’t help but feel jubilant.
The plan Dawn provided was the “best under current conditions,” meaning it only considered materials he already had or could easily get.
Rare or precious items were filtered out.
Since he didn’t have Blood Lotus Essence before, the original plan didn’t account for it.
But now that it was in his hand and determined to be usable, a new, superior plan was automatically generated.
Blood Lotus Essence was an extremely rare high-grade medicinal ingredient.
It usually grew alongside Yellow Lotus Essence, but its numbers were incredibly scarce.
The two appeared almost identical, but their value and efficacy were worlds apart.
Yellow Lotus Essence was just an ordinary low-grade herb, while Blood Lotus Essence was a precious high-grade herb.
Because its appearance was so deceptive, it was rarely discovered and almost never seen on the market.
The Yellow Lotus Essence he originally intended to use would help replenish blood and speed up scabbing, but its effect was negligible compared to Blood Lotus Essence.
With this piece in hand, Yan Qingshan could heal rapidly without leaving any hidden internal injuries, and he wouldn’t need to wait over 170 hours.
“Brother Qingshan, why did you get up on your own?!”
As Yan Qingshan struggled to rise from the bed, a voice called out from behind him.
The girl’s voice sounded familiar.
He looked up to see an exquisite face that felt both familiar and slightly alien.
“Xiao Yixian!”
Yan Qingshan spoke tentatively.
The girl before him looked to be about eleven or twelve years old.
She wore a set of pale white robes.
While her appearance wasn’t Peerless, she was certainly a rare beauty.
Her calm, smiling face exuded a fresh and ethereal aura.
This unique temperament gave her a distinctive charm.
She was still young, and her figure hadn’t fully developed, but her beautiful silhouette was already beginning to show.
Especially her waist, tightly bound by a green silk ribbon—it was so slender it seemed one could wrap a single hand around it.
Her delicateness and fragility instinctively made one want to protect her.
This girl was an orphan adopted by Manager Yao of the Thousand Medicinal House.
She was also a Physician apprentice named Xiao Yixian.
It was a very pleasant name.
“Brother Qingshan, what are you planning to do?”
Seeing that Yan Qingshan seemed ready to go out, Xiao Yixian hurriedly came to his side.
She carefully extended her jade-like hands to support his arm to prevent him from falling.
Yan Qingshan quickly retracted his somewhat heated gaze.
While the beauties were nice, healing his injuries was more important right now.
“I was planning to go to the pharmacy hall.
Could I trouble you for a moment?”
“Manager Yao said that in your condition, you need to rest well.
It’s better to move around as little as possible.”
Xiao Yixian didn’t refuse, but as she supported him, she couldn’t help but advise him.
She had no ulterior motives; she was purely worried about his injuries.
The pharmacy hall of the Thousand Medicinal House wasn’t too far from Yan Qingshan’s quarters, but during this short walk, he felt as if they had walked for a long time.
The image of the young girl beside him was deeply imprinted in his mind.
“We’ve reached the pharmacy hall.
Brother Qingshan, here is a crutch for you.
I have other things to attend to!”
After bringing Yan Qingshan to the hall, she handed him a crutch from nearby.
She gave a sweet smile before turning to head back to the front hall to help.
Watching her receding figure, Yan Qingshan couldn’t help but smile.
Such an ethereal, lovely person—one truly couldn’t bear to see her harmed.
‘No wonder so many mercenaries liked her in the original story.’
(End of Chapter)