Looking at the three translucent option boxes floating before him, Gu Chengming didn't feel surprised; instead, he just found it a bit hard to keep a straight face.
The scope of this Wisdom Eye effect was simply too broad.
It was fine when facing cultivation methods, but facing Jiang Lu with these three options presented before him, there was a sense of absurdity no matter how he looked at it.
Gu Chengming steadied his mind and carefully scrutinized the three options.
Option one: refuse the kindness and maintain distance.
Option two: accept the pills; that would surely be a key node for deepening bonds and starting subsequent plotlines.
But in reality, this meant owing a huge favor, and he would surely be caught up in more karma in the future.
As for option three, it was just three words.
—Give me cash.
It wasn't much different from his previous analysis; they were responses to an event from different perspectives.
But the options themselves didn't seem to just be about the positivity of the relationship between the triggerer and himself, but also about his own "positivity."
For instance, this third option clearly wouldn't improve his relationship with Jiang Lu; instead, it would cause this Junior Brother Jiang to feel ill will.
And the second option was clearly an option to take the relationship a step further and trigger subsequent events.
Fine, no more analyzing.
Gu Chengming decisively chose option one.
He pointed at the bottles and jars left by Elder Ren on the table and said in a relaxed tone:
"This injury of mine is no big deal. Besides, look, it's not like I'm unprepared. I haven't even finished using these healing medicines sent by Elder Ren. Your merits weren't easy to come by; you should keep them for your own cultivation and strive for a good rank in the examination."
Hearing this, Jiang Lu looked in the direction Gu Chengming was pointing. When he clearly saw the patterns on those pill bottles, he couldn't help but gasp.
Those were internal supply pills from Rejuvenation Hall; ordinary disciples couldn't exchange for them even if they had merits.
"Since they were bestowed by Elder Ren, then I won't do anything unnecessary." Although Jiang Lu was a bit simple and honest, he wasn't ignorant of the ways of the world.
Seeing that Gu Chengming indeed didn't lack pills and was firm in his attitude, he no longer insisted.
He stood up and gave Gu Chengming a solemn bow:
"In that case, I won't disturb Senior Brother's quiet recuperation. Once Senior Brother has recovered, I will pay a visit again."
"Alright, take care."
After seeing Jiang Lu off, the small courtyard returned to silence.
Gu Chengming looked at the closed door and was about to breathe a sigh of relief when a wave of dizziness surged up.
He subconsciously pressed his temples, his brow furrowed.
—Is this a side effect of using 'Wisdom Eye'?
Gu Chengming slumped onto the bed and rested with his eyes closed for a good while before that dizziness slightly receded.
He began to re-examine this newly acquired passive skill.
After the practical operation and analysis just now, Gu Chengming finally understood the operating logic of this thing.
Although this 【Wisdom Eye】 was nominally a passive, it was actually more like a high-energy-consuming program running in the background.
It was constantly analyzing the micro-expressions, tones, and subtext of the people around him and parsing the optimal solution for him. Even if Gu Chengming had no subjective intention to activate it, as long as an "interactable object" appeared within the skill's judgment range, it would automatically start running, consuming Gu Chengming's mental energy.
Gu Chengming studied it for a long time but couldn't find a way to turn off this state.
This was bad; now he really had to be careful about capturing people just by talking to them.
And Qingxin Art was quite gloating about this.
【Qingxin Art can't help but snicker seeing your pathetic state.】
【This Wisdom Eye involves the application of the soul level. You are currently only at the first realm cultivation, and your soul has not yet condensed, so you will naturally find it taxing.】
【It changed its tone: However, this isn't entirely a bad thing. This kind of mental overdraft is actually a different kind of cultivation.】
【Once you get used to this intensity of soul operation, you will naturally be able to control it at will.】
Listening to these words, Gu Chengming's gloom dissipated quite a bit, thinking to himself that he should have less contact with people for the next two days.
Since he had made up his mind not to go out, the next thing to do was naturally to recuperate well at home.
Elder Ren's warning was indeed correct; it was currently a bit too forced for him to practice martial arts. At the very least, it was very difficult to cultivate a method like Hundred Bones Resonating.
Of course, Hundred Bones Resonating also expressed understanding.
Body cultivation was out, and spiritual energy circulation had to be handled with extreme caution.
Feeling bored, Gu Chengming's gaze fell on the wooden sword placed at the head of the bed.
That was the standard-issue wooden sword he received when he entered the sect; it was ordinary, and there were even a few scratches on the blade.
"Since I can't use spiritual energy or do strenuous exercise..." Gu Chengming's heart stirred, and he reached out to grasp the hilt.
"Practicing the most basic sword moves shouldn't be a problem, right?"
As an introductory sword technique, 《Huiyuan Sword Manual》 didn't emphasize spiritual energy outbursts; it was more about the polishing of the sword moves themselves and the comprehension of "intent."
Back then, when his constitution was only two points, he could rely on this sword technique to enter the sect. Now, it was naturally even less of an issue.
Gu Chengming forced himself up. He didn't get out of bed but just sat cross-legged on the mattress, holding the wooden sword, and slowly assumed a starting stance.
A feeling like never before flowed through his entire body instantly along the hilt.
In the past, when he practiced the sword, the sword was the sword, and he was he.
No matter how skillfully he practiced, that sluggish sense of "controlling a dead object" always existed.
But now...
The moment his fingers touched the hilt, the wooden sword seemed to come alive, becoming a part of his body.
There was no need to deliberately adjust the angle, no need to think about the techniques of exerting force.
Where the mind went, the sword tip followed.
That feeling was like... this sword was breathing, responding to his every pulse.
【Huiyuan Sword Manual Affinity Bonus: Life and Death Bond】
Is it an improvement brought about by the change in the state of the Huiyuan Sword Manual?
The last time there was such a qualitative change was when the 《Huiyuan Sword Manual》 went from "Stranger" to "Friendly."
But at that time, he himself was very weak. Even if the sword technique became several times more powerful, it was only relative to himself.
Now the magnitude was different, and the improvement brought was obviously somewhat terrifying.
You should know that from one to three, it only increased by two points, but from one hundred to three hundred, it increased by a full two hundred points.
Gu Chengming was immersed in this profound feeling, unable to pull himself out.
He swung the sword again.
The wooden sword traced an obscure arc in the air. Even though there was no spiritual energy reinforcement, a faint tearing sound could be heard in the air.
He even developed an illusion that even if he were to face a second realm cultivator now, he could contend with them for a bit just by relying on these few basic sword moves.
This surge in power made him get a bit carried away, and he subconsciously wanted to try more complex sword move sequences.
He lowered his wrist, channeling force into the sword body, attempting to burst out this sword intent.
However, the moment he exerted force—
A light sound came, not from the wooden sword, but from his lower abdomen.
Immediately after, a tearing pain exploded from his Dantian, instantly sweeping through his entire body.
Gu Chengming let out a muffled groan, and the wooden sword in his hand fell to the ground with a "clatter."
Damn... I got carried away...
It seemed Elder Ren was really right; he truly needed to recuperate quietly.
Seeing this, Huiyuan Sword Manual was immediately distressed to death.
【Huiyuan Sword Manual says stop practicing. If you really want to practice that much, then leave it to it.】
【Although it can't help you repair your body, it can still handle things like practicing the sword for you!】
"?"
A question mark immediately popped up over Gu Chengming's head.
What did it mean by practicing itself?
He ended up not asking, because the text appearing before him cleared his confusion.
【Huiyuan Sword Manual: Automatically cultivating for you...】
【Current efficiency: 50% (Reduced due to injuries)】
"..."
Feeling the cycles automatically running within his body, Gu Chengming had only three words in his heart:
Holy crap, a cheat!
Was this the level of bond for a "Life and Death Bond"?
If those sword cultivators outside knew that he could practice the sword while lying in bed sleeping, they would probably be so jealous they'd suffer qi deviation on the spot.
Gu Chengming completely relaxed.
His body couldn't move, but his brain could still work.
Since the problem of practicing the sword was solved, it was time to handle another "debt."
He had previously promised Qingxin Art to write a DLC for the storybook, and Elder Yu's information fee also had to be offset with this.
Gu Chengming began to conceive the third part of the storybook's DLC. This content was mainly to fill in some of the blank spaces in the main plot.
In less than two hours, a voluminous DLC of several thousand words, encompassing the culmination of web novel plotlines, was completed.
Gu Chengming looked at this DLC and nodded with satisfaction.
【Qingxin Art says the plot this time is much better than the last one.】
【Although it's still quite perfunctory.】
【Qingxin Art Affinity +2】
Heh, increasing affinity while complaining; as expected, readers are all masochists.
Suppressing the urge to complain, he organized the written manuscript. Just as he was preparing to rest for a while before sending it to Elder Yu, he glanced at the sky outside, which had completely darkened, and then at his own immobile state.
"It seems I can only ask Junior Brother Jiang to make a trip tomorrow."
Just as he was thinking, a slight sound suddenly came from outside the door.
It wasn't a knocking sound, but rather the sound of something lightly landing on the ground.
Gu Chengming's heart tightened, and he subconsciously wanted to grasp his sword, only to find the wooden sword was still at the corner of the bed.
"Who is it?" he asked in a low voice.
There was no response from outside the door.
After a moment, a cold moonlight spilled in through the crack of the door, and under that crack, a neatly folded piece of letter paper was lightly supported by spiritual energy and slid into the room.
Gu Chengming was stunned for a moment. Using the little mental energy he had left, he pulled the letter into his hand.
Unfolding it, there was only a single line of elegant handwriting:
"I heard you were heavily injured, so I've left some healing pills at the door. Remember, don't overexert yourself next time."
There was no signature.
But thinking of those he knew, it could only be that Elder Yu.
Rate on N.U.
