Chapter 196 - 194: Recovery and Qualitative Change

Chapter 196: Chapter 194: Recovery and Qualitative Change

Inside the dark-green enamel stove, orange-red flames danced silently. A gleaming brass pipe extended from the top of the stove, disappearing into the wall, silently delivering a constant stream of heat to every corner of the room.

The room, fitted with a steam heater, was comfortably warm and perfectly quiet, save for the occasional release of steam that let out a long, sighing "HISS."

Fu Juemin was sunk into a large huanghuali wood reclining chair, wrapped in a heavy woolen blanket. His face was pale, giving him the appearance of someone who had yet to recover from a serious illness.

"Young Master."

A low voice sounded from beside him. Fu Juemin slowly turned his head and saw Big Cat standing quietly to the side.

Big Cat held a mahogany tray. On it was a bowl of dark, black medicinal soup and several pills the color of amber and Cinnabar.

Fu Juemin nodded slightly, and Big Cat silently bent down.

Fu Juemin picked up the medicine bowl and slowly drank it all. Then, he took all the pills as well. The entire process was slow and silent, with only the soft clink of the porcelain spoon occasionally tapping against the rim of the bowl.

The medicinal soup was a Qi Blood tonic brewed from mountain ginseng, poria, and red astragalus. The pills were also secret remedies designed to greatly replenish Qi Blood.

When Fu Juemin put down the empty bowl, Big Cat immediately handed him a warm cloth. As Fu Juemin took it, he pulled the heavy blanket around himself even tighter.

"Have you sent someone to investigate the Hukou area?"

Fu Juemin casually spoke as he gently wiped away the fine beads of sweat that had formed on his temples from the medicine’s potency.

"It was sealed off early this morning. The Security Command Headquarter has dispatched a large number of troops to guard it, and no one is allowed to pass through anymore..."

Big Cat answered, then paused. His Adam’s apple bobbed. "Young Master..."

He seemed to want to ask something but hesitated, swallowing the words on the tip of his tongue. He simply said calmly, "Please rest well, Young Master."

After speaking, he withdrew as silently as he had arrived.

Fu Juemin’s gaze narrowed slightly. ’Of course, I know what Big Cat wanted to ask.’ It was simply about where he had gone on the night of the "assassination attempt" a few days ago.

’The matter I ordered Big Cat to investigate, combined with the Jianghai Defense Command’s sudden move... Big Cat has probably figured it out already. He just isn’t saying it out loud.’

"Luo Zhengxiong..."

Fu Juemin gazed out the window at the gloomy sky, just in time to see a single snowflake drift slowly down and land on the windowpane.

’Who could have imagined it?’ Underneath the splendid commander’s uniform of Luo Zhengxiong—a top-tier figure among the elites of Shenghai Beach, its uncrowned king—was the form of a half-man, half-Demon Fiend.

The battle from that night three days ago was still vivid in Fu Juemin’s mind.

It wasn’t that it was particularly perilous; it was more a series of shocks that shattered his understanding of the world.

He had long known that Luo Zhengxiong was colluding with the Westerners, secretly conducting inhumane experiments. But he never imagined Luo Zhengxiong would be so mad as to use the research findings from the so-called "Demon Fiend modification" directly on himself!

’He commands a massive army, and now he schemes to gather the great power of Demon Fiends for himself...’

Coupled with the fact that Luo Zhengxiong had always called himself a "True Dragon," it was clear that his ambition was far greater than anyone imagined!

’And to think, everyone believed he and Mayor Wen Zhiqiu were evenly matched rivals, that their two factions were deadlocked, mutually wary, and unwilling to make a move.’

’In reality, it was all just a facade deliberately constructed by Luo Zhengxiong. If he were to throw all caution to the wind and drop the pretense, Shenghai Beach would probably be reshuffled overnight. The one Luo Zhengxiong truly fears is the Xin Republic Central government...’

’He needs time. He feels it’s not the right moment for a formal break with the Xin Republic’s Government. Otherwise, the Xin Republic’s attention would immediately shift from Wen Zhiqiu to him, a ’rebel faction’ plotting treason...’

Fu Juemin mentally sorted through the current situation, his gaze growing cold.

Luo Zhengxiong was fiercely ambitious; he probably already saw Shenghai as "his territory."

Currently, the only force that could offer any real opposition was Mayor Wen Zhiqiu’s faction. If Luo Zhengxiong wanted to completely control Shenghai and turn it into an impenetrable fortress, it was only a matter of time before he made his move.

And as for the commotion he had caused three days ago... although he had his [Demon Body] active for almost the entire time and Luo Zhengxiong didn’t know his true identity, the Guardian Demon had been sent by him. There was no doubt that he belonged to Wen Zhiqiu’s faction...

Moreover, Luo Zhengxiong seemed to view him as another product of "Demon Fiend modification" and was extremely interested in his "technique" for perfectly fusing three Demon Souls... Both of these factors could accelerate Luo Zhengxiong’s plans.

’If Wen Zhiqiu falls, Aunt Ding will inevitably be implicated... Should I try to persuade Aunt Ding to leave now?’

Fu Juemin shook his head. Aunt Ding’s business, connections, and power—her entire life’s work—were all in Shenghai. No matter how much she doted on him, she would never abandon it all and leave just because of a few words from him.

Besides, it wasn’t in Aunt Ding’s nature to run from trouble. And once a person is caught in a whirlpool, how could it be so easy to pull themselves free?

’If only my strength was great enough to face the churning torrent head-on, to stand firm and unmoving, or even to push back against the current... all these problems would likely solve themselves.’

A glint in his eyes, Fu Juemin threw back the thick blanket and slowly stood up from the chair.

By now, the restorative effects of the medicinal soup had spread through his body. A pleasant warmth enveloped him, and he could feel some of his strength returning.

Three days ago, at the Jianghai Defense Command, he had allocated his points on the spot and attempted "Four Souls in One Body." The result was remarkable—a single palm strike had nearly killed the Demon Commander, Luo Zhengxiong, on the spot.

However, the cost was equally enormous.

At the time, his body’s Innate Primordial Qi was almost depleted. Although he had instantly raised his Dragon Elephant Skill to Great Success and massively boosted his Qi Blood, the drain from the "Four Souls in One Body" state was terrifying. A single blow had nearly "drained" him completely.

Even with Fu Juemin’s physique, having achieved Great Success in both his Pharmacist and Dragon Elephant skills, and with constant "medicinal supplements," he still hadn’t fully recovered after three days of rest.

’I do have some Attribute Points I can add now, though...’

Fu Juemin glanced at his character panel. Perhaps due to the nourishment of the past three days, his Blue Energy Slot, which had been nearly empty, was filled once again. Adding the 1 point he had saved from before, he now had 2 Attribute Points, enough to raise his [Life] once more.

Without hesitation, the blue "+" behind the Attributes column on his character panel flashed. [Life] instantly changed from 17 to 18.

The effect of adding points to [Life] while his body was in a depleted state was especially noticeable.

In an instant, Fu Juemin felt the "weakened" Qi Blood within him begin to surge like a rising tide.

His breathing and pulse gradually grew strong and steady. The "feeling of weakness" that had clung to him for the past three days melted away like snow under a hot sun...

A small, white vortex of qi formed once again in his Dantian, located in his lower abdomen, and a surging, scorching aura spread out from Fu Juemin’s body.

His pale complexion became ruddy, his weary spirit was restored, and his entire being returned to its "peak" state.

Suddenly, Fu Juemin noticed that the scene before him seemed to have "slowed" down.

He saw a tiny fiber, fallen from the blanket, drifting through the air in front of him. It moved with an extraordinary clarity and slowness, floating past his eyes inch by inch.

Fu Juemin’s expression shifted slightly. In an instant, his gaze fell upon the Attributes column of his character panel.

There, next to the [Attack] Attribute, the value displayed was a staggering—40!