The cold rain drenched him instantly, but Chen Yue paid it no mind, sprinting along the muddy road toward the county town. Behind him, the ruined temple receded further and further into the rainy night, eventually vanishing into the darkness.
The rain gradually subsided, and by the time it stopped completely, Chen Yue had already run several miles. He panted heavily, soaked to the bone. The two roosters in the chicken cage were also dripping wet, letting out low clucking sounds.
Chen Yue glanced back the way he came. The worst hadn’t happened—no foul things were in pursuit.
Just as Chen Yue was about to breathe a sigh of relief, his heart suddenly lurched.
A searing pain erupted from his chest, as if a branding iron were pressed over his heart. Chen Yue staggered, barely managing to stay on his feet, and tore open his soaked clothes with trembling hands.
Right in the center of his chest, a black spot the size of his little finger had appeared.
The spot had irregular edges and was as dark as an ink stain, exceptionally jarring against his skin. A sinister, cold aura emanated from it, spreading through his veins and making Chen Yue shudder.
He remembered the final words of the Medicine-Gathering Ghost in the ruined temple.
"Your death will be more wretched than mine!"
Chen Yue’s face went pale. He gritted his teeth, picked up the chicken cage, and started running again. Finally, he saw the outline of the county town.
The city gates were long closed, but just outside stood a simple shack, a resting spot built by passing merchants. Chen Yue dashed into the shack. It was deserted, save for a pile of dry straw in the corner.
Chen Yue built a fire and stripped off his wet clothes to dry them, but his eyes remained glued to the black spot on his chest.
In the flickering firelight, the black spot seemed to grow deeper, and he could faintly make out something writhing within it. That sinister chill ebbed and flowed, like a living creature crawling beneath his skin.
Chen Yue didn’t dare fall asleep. He gripped his wood chopper, staring at the leaping flames as his spirits sank in spite of himself.
Chen Yue didn’t know how to deal with this black spot. He didn’t know if he would even survive the night.
Time trickled by. At the stroke of midnight, the flames suddenly danced.
A ripple spread across Chen Yue’s vision. Within the flames, a line of distorted text materialized. The script didn’t belong to any font of this era, yet he could somehow understand it:
[Daily Settlement: Killed one Chong Ghost, Source Point +1]
The text lasted for three breaths’ time, then dissipated into the flames as if it had never been there.
Chen Yue froze, his heart hammering.
’What is this?’
A sharp pain suddenly shot from the black spot on his chest. Chen Yue grunted, clutching the area. The sinister chill grew more distinct, as if something were trying to burrow its way out from within the mark.
He pulled his clothes open and examined it carefully by the firelight. The black spot seemed a tiny bit larger than before.
The growth was minuscule, almost imperceptible, but Chen Yue was certain it was spreading.
Chen Yue leaned against the wall as exhaustion washed over him like a tide. He forced himself to stay awake, staring at the dancing flames ahead and recalling the line of text he had seen within them.
’Panel? Source Point?’
Chen Yue held his breath, gathering all his focus.
The air before him rippled like the surface of water, and a translucent, rectangular panel slowly materialized.
[Name: Chen Yue]
[Skill: Recognize Medicinal Herbs (Entry Level 33/100)]
[Source Point: 1]
Chen Yue’s heart skipped a beat, then began to pound furiously. He stared at the panel, nearly forgetting the sharp pain in his chest and the damp chill wracking his body.
As Chen Yue focused on the panel, information about its functions flowed into his mind, as if it were knowledge he had always possessed.
A moment later, Chen Yue slowly let out a long breath.
The panel’s primary function was to evaluate his actions at midnight each day, amplifying the effects and feeding them back to him.
The sweat he shed, the training he underwent, the achievements he earned—all would be amplified at the time of settlement. The harder he worked during the day, the greater the rewards at night.
’’Heaven rewards the diligent, huh...’’ Chen Yue muttered to himself.
The Source Point was one such form of reward, and the most precious.
It could be applied directly to his skills, allowing him to forcibly break through bottlenecks and advance to the next stage. For example, he could use this single Source Point to instantly upgrade Recognize Medicinal Herbs from Entry Level to Minor Success!
But Source Points weren’t easy to come by, nor were they awarded simply for killing ghosts.
They were more like a recognition and reward for breakthrough achievements. Slaying a supernatural entity for the first time, as he had today, was a major event capable of altering the trajectory of his fate—hence the reward of one precious point.
Chen Yue’s gaze shifted away from Recognize Medicinal Herbs. He couldn’t waste this Source Point on that. How to use it to solve the problem of the black spot on his chest was the only question that mattered.
Even if he upgraded Recognize Medicinal Herbs to Great Success, it couldn’t save his life right now.
COUGH, COUGH COUGH...
A violent coughing fit shattered Chen Yue’s train of thought, followed by an uncontrollable trembling that wracked his body. Despite being by the fire, his body, soaked and tense all night, was finally starting to give out.
A chill seeped out from the marrow of his bones, joining the sinister cold in his chest in a pincer attack. He felt dizzy, his limbs aching and weak. What he needed most right now was to lie down, get a good night’s sleep, and sweat it out.
But he didn’t dare close his eyes.
The Medicine-Gathering Ghost’s final, shrill curse in the temple, the living, writhing black spot on his chest—both coiled around his nerves like venomous snakes. Chen Yue was afraid that if he closed his eyes, he would never wake up.
All Chen Yue could do was force himself to stay awake, adding wood to the fire and staring at the flames. He dug his fingernails into the flesh between his thumb and index finger, using the pain to fight off the crushing sleepiness and the encroaching chill.
Time crawled by in torment. The fire’s light was gradually diluted by the gray-white dawn seeping in from outside.
Finally, voices drifted in from outside, growing closer. The creak of carrying poles, the sound of coarse cloth shoes on wet flagstones, the rustic accents of farmers talking in low voices.
Day had broken.
Chen Yue struggled to his feet, his vision blacking out for a moment. He had to brace himself against the earthen wall to stay upright.
He felt his forehead. It was hot to the touch.
Chen Yue picked up the chicken cage from the corner, found a farmer to whom he quickly sold one of the roosters, then followed the stream of people into the county town.
He stumbled along familiar streets, through the growing bustle of the market. With every step, he felt the sinister chill of the black spot spread further through his veins.
Finally, he stopped before a storefront on the street.
The sign had gold characters on a black background. The two words, Huichun Hall, seemed somewhat dim in the morning light. The shop had yet to open and was silent.
Chen Yue didn’t use the front entrance. Instead, he went around to a narrow adjacent alley, pushed open an inconspicuous little door, and entered the pharmacy’s rear courtyard.
Several apprentices who had risen early were already busy. One was drawing water from the well. Another was squatting in a corner, using a large chopper to cut bundles of dried herbs into sections, the blade striking the wooden block with a monotonous CHOP, CHOP sound. Two others were hurriedly carrying bamboo platters for drying herbs.
The instant Chen Yue stepped into the courtyard, all movement stuttered to a halt, and every gaze snapped toward him.
There was no concern in their gazes, only undisguised assessment and mockery, along with a hint of interest, as if watching a spectacle unfold.
Chen Yue’s hair was disheveled and his face was white as a sheet. The chicken cage in his hand only made his sorry state more apparent.
"Well now, Chen Yue’s back?"
An apprentice who had been chopping herbs straightened up, cracking a grin that revealed yellowed teeth. "Look at the state of you. Just from fetching a chicken? Did you fall in a river on your way back?"
The apprentice drawing water nearby snorted with laughter. "Steward Tu wants a rooster brimming with Essence, Qi, and Spirit. This one of yours... doesn’t look too lively. You’re not trying to pass off a sick bird, are you?"
A low ripple of laughter spread through the courtyard.
Chen Yue acted as if he hadn’t heard, carrying the chicken cage and walking straight inside.
"Chen Yue!" a voice called out from his side, laced with concern.
Chen Yue turned to see Liu Jing jogging over from the dispensary. Liu Jing was a year younger than him, short, with a round face and bright eyes. He was one of the few people at the pharmacy who wouldn’t kick a man while he was down.
Liu Jing ran up to him. When he saw Chen Yue’s face, his own expression changed. "What’s wrong? You look awful! That rain yesterday..."
He didn’t get to finish his sentence.
Because the snickers and whispers in the courtyard had abruptly vanished.
Every apprentice, no matter what they had been saying or doing, instantly lowered their heads, their hands becoming incredibly focused and earnest, as if the earlier racket had never occurred.
Steward Tu strolled into the rear courtyard, his hands clasped behind his back.