"Well? What do you think of this kid I brought over?" Li Rushan said smugly.
"Not bad. Very good, in fact!" the bald old man exclaimed in admiration.
He stared at Jiang Che with a burning intensity, making Jiang Che’s skin crawl.
"Little Brother Jiang, this is the Lian Zhen Star, Elder Zhang Jinghuai! His medical skills are superb. What are you waiting for? Pay your respects!"
"This junior, Jiang Che, pays his respects to Elder Zhang!" Jiang Che said, bowing respectfully.
Zhang Jinghuai nodded and said,
"Kid, how would you like to help me with something? I’ll make it well worth your while!"
"What is it?" Jiang Che had a bad feeling.
"How about you test some medicines for me!" Zhang Jinghuai said, his face full of anticipation.
’An Innate Iron Body, with its extremely fast recovery, is the perfect constitution for testing medicine!’
’He had searched long and hard, but he’d never been able to find a suitable candidate.’
’Now that one had been delivered right to his doorstep, how could he not be thrilled?’
"Test medicines?!"
Jiang Che’s heart skipped a beat.
’Isn’t this just treating me like a guinea pig?’
’No way I’m doing that!’
’What if one of these medicines messes me up?’
"I think I’ll have to pass..."
Jiang Che quickly shook his head, refusing.
"Are you worried about your health? You can rest assured in my medical skills. I absolutely will not let anything happen to you! Besides, you have an Innate Iron Body. You’ll recover from any minor issues in no time! Of course, I won’t ask you to test medicines for free. Whatever you want, just say the word!" Zhang Jinghuai said, trying to coax him.
For a moment, Jiang Che was tempted.
’An Elder of the Seven Stars Gang must be very wealthy.’
’And he probably has a lot of things you can’t get on the outside.’
’Besides, I can still use my Transformation. If I really get poisoned, the Transformation should be able to cure it.’
"So, what can you offer me, senior?" Jiang Che asked tentatively.
"Silver, Exotic Beast Meat, Cultivation Technique Secret Manuals, Divine Weapons, all sorts of priceless Treasure Medicines... I have them all. Take your pick!" Zhang Jinghuai declared forcefully.
Jiang Che’s interest was piqued. ’That doesn’t sound half bad.’
But he was torn about what would be the most worthwhile choice.
Suddenly, he remembered the Saber Technique he had acquired: the *Prison-Suppressing Saber*.
’The only problem is, I don’t have a good saber.’
’An ordinary iron saber is practically useless against a Martial Artist at the Iron Skin Realm.’
’But if I had a Divine Weapon, once I used the panel to max out the *Prison-Suppressing Saber*, my offensive capabilities would be off the charts!’
’My Qinggong is already decent, and with the Divine Movement Talent, my speed can match that of an Iron Skin Realm master.’
’Defensively, with my multiple Iron Body Techniques and Rejuvenation, I’m already far beyond other Martial Artists at my level.’
’It’s just my offense that’s lacking. With only my fists, I’m not much of a threat.’
’If I can just patch up my offense, then I’ll have decent combat power even without using my Transformation!’
’Then maybe I won’t have to rely on my Transformation so much.’
’The Transformation is powerful, but it comes with its own risks.’
’The more I rely on it, the harder it might be to escape its influence.’
’Improving my own True strength is the only right path!’
"I want a Treasure Saber!"
Jiang Che declared, having made up his mind.
"A Treasure Saber?" Zhang Jinghuai hesitated. "I don’t actually have one on hand right now, but don’t you worry. I’ll have one forged for you. The smith is the best in all of Lin Yuan City, I guarantee you’ll be satisfied!"
Li Rushan was taken aback. "Old Zhang, you’re going to ask Old Ghost Situ to forge a saber for him? You think he’ll agree?"
The "Old Ghost Situ" he mentioned was another Elder of the Seven Stars Gang: the Po Jun Star, Situ Xuan.
He came from a long line of blacksmiths and his skills were masterful. If he claimed to be the second-best smith in Lin Yuan City, no one would dare claim to be the first.
However, the man had a peculiar personality. He rarely spoke to anyone, and the other six stars weren’t very familiar with him.
Zhang Jinghuai nodded. "He’s owed me a favor for years. This is the perfect time to have him repay it!"
"Little Brother Jiang, aren’t you going to thank Elder Zhang?" Li Rushan said to Jiang Che. "He’s going to ask the Po Jun Star, Elder Situ Xuan himself, to forge you a saber! That’s something even our Gang Leader can barely manage! You’re really getting a great deal here!"
Although Jiang Che didn’t know exactly how formidable this Situ Xuan was, he could tell from their tone that this was an incredibly rare opportunity, so he quickly offered his thanks.
Zhang Jinghuai waved his hand. "It’s no trouble. I said you could take your pick, and I’m a man of my word! However, it seems Situ Xuan has been in seclusion recently, researching something. I’ll take you to see him once he emerges."
"Alright. Then I’ll be troubling you, Elder Zhang!" Jiang Che said, cupping his fists.
Zhang Jinghuai continued, "If you don’t have other business, why not just stay here in my Tingzhu Garden? It would save you the commute and make testing the medicines more convenient."
Jiang Che shook his head. "I have a young sister at home. Besides, I’ve left a lot of things there. I’m afraid that won’t be possible."
Zhang Jinghuai nodded. "I see. Then I’ll have to trouble you with the daily commute."
Seeing this, Li Rushan suddenly suggested, "Why not have Old Wang pick you up and drop you off each day? The journey isn’t so bad with a carriage!"
"Oh, I couldn’t possibly impose," Jiang Che quickly refused.
"What’s there to be polite about? It’s settled! I’ve decided! Old Wang, you hear that? Remember to pick up Little Brother Jiang every day!" Li Rushan ordered boisterously.
The coachman, Old Wang, smiled and made a gesture at Jiang Che.
"See? Old Wang says he’d be happy to pick you up!" Li Rushan laughed.
"In that case, I thank you both for your kindness!" Jiang Che relented.
"Right, you haven’t met the Gang Leader yet, have you? I’ll take you now! We can also take the opportunity to report the matter of the Blood Spirit Sect Assassin. Hmph, those bastards are getting more and more audacious. Daring to assassinate me... they must have a death wish!" Li Rushan said angrily.
Zhang Jinghuai then removed the needles from Li Rushan’s body. Li Rushan stretched a bit, feeling much better.