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During the summer vacation of 2000, Zhang Huaiyi sat on the cliff opposite Aolai Peak, listening quietly as the fox finished telling its story. He nodded with some relief and smiled, "So, Yingzi is still alive?"
"With two full hands, I'll outlive you."
Later, when the fox wandered to the Great Snow Mountain, it would occasionally look through the prayers in the incense and learn that Duanmu Ying and Wang Zizhong had left Henan and gone to Shaanxi to open a traditional Chinese medicine clinic.
During this time, the couple never asked the fox for anything more; their prayers before the incense sticks were always for peace and safety.
This is probably the most basic and simple wish of ordinary people.
"Brother Chen must have put in a lot of effort for what happened to Yingzi afterward, right?" Zhang Huaiyi asked.
Given Big Ear Thief's personality, it's simply unimaginable how Yingzi, who possesses "Dual Skills," could live openly and honestly in the sunlight.
“I can’t do much. The positive changes in the future are due to the benevolence of the two doctors. Yingzi was able to get out of the shadows, mostly because of Wang Zizhong’s meticulous care and love.”
Of course, in 1958, foreign scholars directly confirmed the semi-conservative DNA replication mechanism in E. coli through nitrogen isotope labeling combined with cesium chloride density gradient centrifugation experiments.
Yingzi did not miss this scientific advancement; with the addition of medical knowledge, her "double-handed" technique has taken another step forward.
Chen Ruoan only learned later that Zheng Zibu had made a wish through the "Tongtianlu" to end the chaos caused by the Jia Shen year.
Considering the unreliability of the "Tongtianlu" (a magical talisman) which is based on cause and effect, the fox even wondered if certain objective entities connected to the "Tongtianlu" might be trying to achieve their wishes by forming a lineage with the "Eight Extraordinary Skills."
It was incredibly violent, incredibly simple and straightforward.
Yingzi, who should have died in sorrow at the Lü family, did indeed escape her tragic fate. Later, she and her husband ran a traditional Chinese medicine clinic, dedicating themselves to saving lives. She had twins, a boy and a girl, and later her children grew up, formed their own families, and now they have a large family.
Chen Ruoan pondered, if Zheng Zibu's prayer to the "Tongtianlu" existed, then Yingzi's prayer to the fox back then also existed. Thinking about it this way, it seemed there was only one explanation—
The fox is on the "Tongtianlu" (a type of divination tablet).
In other words, the fox may have gained the right to collide with some objective entities behind the "Tongtianlu".
Is that really the case?
This is the fox's guess, somewhat unreliable, but as Sherlock Holmes said:
After eliminating all the impossibilities, whatever remains, however unbelievable, must be the truth.
Chen Ruoan was deep in thought, but Zhang Huaiyi felt a longing in his heart: "What Yingzi is doing is no different from how cultivators perfect their state of mind through worldly trials. Is that how I should understand it?"
"That's natural."
Just like college students enjoy engaging in volunteer activities, some do it for social practice points, while others enjoy the atmosphere of helping others. The latter's emotional and psychological satisfaction is no different from a cultivator's practice of refining the mind.
"Now that you mention it, I'm a little envious," Zhang Huaiyi sighed.
"Would you like to come with me to see an old friend?" the fox asked.
"I couldn't be happier. Does Senior Brother Chen want me to use Yingzi's later experiences as a reference to find a way to attract good fortune for myself?" Zhang Huaiyi pulled up the brim of his hat, slightly revealing his true face, and his mood improved considerably.
"No, that's not it," Chen Ruoan denied. "Thinking back to the past makes it easy to recall your stubbornness back then, and it makes me a little angry."
So you, this rat hiding in the sewer, should be exposed to the scorching sun to admire the happiness of others, and then scream and turn to dust amidst regret and envy.
Having only been in the world for a little over three months, the fox has already been tainted by vulgar and dark thoughts.
Despite his ulterior motives, Chen Ruoan still hoped that Zhang Huaiyi would gain something else and find a new path to cultivate relationships.
In the original novel, Zhang Huaiyi chose a way to stop the chaos caused by the "Eight Extraordinary Skills," which was remarkably consistent with the series of coincidences triggered by the "Tongtian Lu." That was, before the next Jia Shen year, he killed all the remnants of the Jia Shen year who coveted the "Eight Extraordinary Skills" and had vaguely guessed the truth about the valley.
See? The logic is dry and boring, but when it comes to someone with real power, who can resist resorting to violence?
Chapter 159 The "Dual-Handed" Skill with Nowhere to Go
Having seen countless scenes of clouds rolling by and vast landscapes stretching for miles, Chen Ruoan occasionally longed for a lower, more human perspective, to leisurely appreciate the scenery along his journey.
Instead of riding the wind and clouds to Shaanxi, he chose the most ordinary train and traveled westward, swaying along the way.
In the year 2000, China's railways were under construction, and the journey from Tai'an to Xi'an took about twenty hours. The fox was no different from any other passenger, having prepared instant noodles, Qing Shi calcium milk biscuits, and small bread rolls for food, and also carrying a thermos filled with water.
The train was an old-fashioned, non-air-conditioned green train with the windows half-open for ventilation.
It was summer vacation, and the berths and aisles in the train carriages were packed full. Fortunately, the summer heat wasn't too oppressive or sweltering, so there wasn't a strong sour or sweaty smell.
Chen Ruoan sat quietly by the window, watching the scenery along the way pass by. Sometimes it was flat, fertile fields with scattered farmhouses, and sometimes it was green mountains and flowing streams. The human warmth and the tranquility of the mountains and fields were more poetic and gentle than what he saw when flying through the air.
After surviving the tribulation of lightning, due to the advancement of the Moon Worshiping Technique and the Profound Yin Life Protection Technique, the fox's time gradually slowed down. For the fox, the years gradually became a long river, and trying to kill time seemed to have become a kind of cultivation that long-lived species were destined to go through.
Compared to the decades spent sitting in the snowy mountains, this train journey of more than twenty hours is really not long.
During the rest stops along the way, the fox would close its eyes and concentrate, sinking into its sea of consciousness to explore the wishing tree.
Over the years, Chen Ruoan has never easily used precious slips to make wishes for anything within his own power. As a result, many unused precious slips remain idle amidst the golden spiritual light on the branches of the precious tree.
The two precious documents, one bearing the names "Prince Zhong" and the other "Duanmu Ying," have now merged into one, their original boundaries gone.
The dead will turn into spiritual light, and those who have formed a bond will merge together, but even so, there is not much space left in the tree.
Chen Ruoan stood under the tree where red ribbons fluttered and golden tablets swayed gently, reflecting on his cultivation since entering the world.
According to the process of a fox becoming an immortal, the tribulation of lightning is followed by the tribulation of love. However, the fox's tribulation of love is clearly brought forward, which does not conform to the relevant process recorded in ancient books.
Or is there something else waiting for me?
Thinking of this, Chen Ruoan couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat. If this was like the Pigsy in the 96 TVB version of "Journey to the West", and he was also given a thousand lifetimes of love tribulations, then the fox might as well just kill himself. Speaking of which, can the immortal who is in charge of love really be so idle as to write thousands of love stories for people?
Being a romance screenwriter is no easy task.
Alas, since ancient times, those who are deeply in love have only ended up with regret, and this regret will last forever.
As Chen Ruoan recited currently popular lines in his mind, he unknowingly arrived at the Xi'an train station exit.
The old pharmacy is nestled in the alley, its green tiles and wooden doors exuding a rustic charm.
As soon as Chen Ruoan and Zhang Huaiyi entered, the first thing that caught their eye was a whole wall of mahogany medicine cabinets, densely labeled with the names of herbs. A small copper scale hung beside the wooden counter, and neatly arranged Chinese medicinal herbs were stacked in glass boxes.
Two little girls with red hair were carefully tending to the medicinal herbs, one on each side.
"Sister, someone's here." Hu Qianqian nudged Hu Lanlan beside her.
"Just tell them to line up, don't bother me."
"But he's so handsome."
"If that's what you mean, then I don't want to sort the medicinal herbs anymore." Hu Lanlan turned around, holding the winnowing basket, and looked out the door.
Currently, China lacks sufficient cultural confidence, and the prevailing aesthetic trends are almost entirely copied from Japanese and Korean styles. For the first time, the sisters' visual senses were severely impacted by authentic Chinese style, leaving them deeply shocked.
Perhaps it was the young man outside the door whose extraordinary figure and refined demeanor, along with his natural Chinese charm, captivated them, making them stare in a daze, unable to look away for even a moment.
"Are the two young ladies apprentices at the academy?" Chen Ruoan asked.
Compared to her obedient and adorable younger sister, the older sister Hu Lanlan was much more outspoken. She patted her chest and said in a carefree manner, "We are the disciples of Master Zizhong, his last disciples!"
Wang Zizhong is now one of the nine great masters of medicine. Since his early years, he has been skilled in the art of saving lives. He can learn anything he is given the opportunity to learn, regardless of the direction of the field. He is also extremely talented and can learn anything quickly. People call him a "master of surgery". His internal medicine skills are equally impressive.
So the two sisters took over the mantle of their grandfather, specializing in internal medicine and surgery, and spent their summer vacation learning the trade at the pharmacy.
"Wow~ That's great!" Chen Ruoan clapped in support, the little girl's pride and smile almost overflowing from her dimples.
Is Doctor Zizhong currently inside the residence?
“You’re looking for Master? That’s quite a coincidence. He just retired yesterday and came back to this pharmacy from the hospital,” Hu Lanlan said. “Are you Master’s friends? If you were patients, you certainly wouldn’t have come all the way here.”
“They’re friends,” Chen Ruoan replied. “Please lead the way.”
Two little girls led the way, guiding the fox and the big-eared thief towards the backyard.
Herbs were drying in the courtyard, and two elderly people were tending to the well.
"Master and Mistress, we have guests!" Hu Lanlan called out.
Wang Zizhong and Duanmu Ying both looked up at the figure walking through the curtain. Fifty years had become blurry and distant, yet some things, with just one glance, could unveil the old years buried deep in one's heart.
The two were perfectly in sync, and called out in unison, "Fox...Fox Fairy."
Chen Ruoan laughed and took off Zhang Huaiyi's hat from his head, jokingly saying, "And there's this big-eared thief too."
"Brother Huaiyi! You're safe and sound? That's wonderful!"
The two people, who were deeply connected with the "Eight Extraordinary Skills," were both surprised and grateful that each other was still alive.
"Yingzi, it's been a long time." Zhang Huaiyi pulled his hat back to slightly cover his face. The reunion with an old friend was bound to be mixed with a little bit of awkwardness amidst the joy. The big-eared thief needed to organize his words and think carefully about how to start the conversation.
"Gentlemen, let's talk inside." Wang Zizhong led the two into the inner room, poured them warm tea, and the wisps of tea fragrance slowly spread, filling the simple and cozy little house with the lingering scent of herbs.
The fox's days in the snowy mountains were dull and monotonous, with nothing much to say, so he listened quietly as the old couple rambled on about their current situation.
When Wang Zizhong retired, he signed a body donation agreement. The doctor, who dedicated his life to healing the sick and saving lives, wanted to do his last bit of effort for medicine after his death.
Yingzi also had this thought, but since "Dual-Handedness" had turned into innate skill, donating her body might cause trouble, so she had no choice but to give up.
Looking at the wrinkles on the faces of the couple opposite him, Chen Ruoan asked softly, "Yingzi, didn't you use any means to slow down your and Zizhong's aging?"
Duanmu Ying gently shook her head: "The Dual-Hand Technique is of great importance. Apart from saving lives, I really don't want to use it for anything else. Whenever I recall the past, I break out in a cold sweat. How could I dare to cause any more trouble and invite unnecessary disasters?"
Fortune and misfortune have no fixed gate; they are summoned by oneself. It's better to keep a low profile.
Yingzi continued, "Perhaps it is a blessing from heaven, my children have not shown any signs of awakening, and my grandchildren are also in stable condition. I am grateful for this situation, but I am also saddened by this strange skill. The 'Dual-Handed Technique' is clearly capable of great things, but now I do not know what to do with it."
Should a medical skill that saves lives be allowed to be lost?
“Sometimes I think, there’s nothing wrong with the technique itself, as long as it’s entrusted to someone you trust.” Duanmu Ying pinched a ball of Qi in each hand, and the red and blue clashed, turning into a pure white color.
Chapter 160 The Essence of Immortal and Divine Prayers
The shimmering white energy ball that Yingzi controls is a product of the combination of "Sexual Hand" and "Life Hand," and can be considered a higher-level application of the "Dual-Hand" technique.
The merged White Hand can deeply alter the most fundamental parts of human life, changing DNA from an informational perspective, modifying cells from a structural and functional perspective, and influencing biological macromolecules such as nucleic acids and proteins from a material composition perspective.
Zhang Huaiyi's eyes widened: "You've improved to this level?"
Yingzi smiled and said, "Yes, the 'Double-Hand Technique' can have unexpected and miraculous effects on genetic diseases, cancer, and some chronic diseases. This is also why I am conflicted. The 'Double-Hand Technique' can really solve diseases that modern medicine is helpless against."
A faint glowing aura floated before the fox. Yingzi's meaning was clear: her teachers and elders had long since passed away, and the only person she could rely on and trust was the fox spirit enshrined in her home.
"Fox Immortal, I have dealt with most of the relatives I developed in Lü Family Village in my early years, except for one whose soul repaired itself and has disappeared without a trace. The two children created in the Body Refinement Furnace have both grown up well, and one of them has awakened the 'Sex Hand'. As for his descendants, I don't know anything about them."
Chen Ruoan held the ball of qi in his hands, weighing it up and down: "Simply throwing trouble at us is a pretty smart move."
“Because Zizhong and I only have one elder we can rely on,” Yingzi said with a smile. “As the Fox Fairy said, I am unlucky and have a short life, and I am not fortunate enough to enjoy this, but you may have a more secure way to deal with it.”
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