Xu Ke forced his trembling hands still. He controlled his numb, rigid body, settling into a cross-legged position before closing his eyes.

He began to circulate his Cultivation Technique.

Incredibly, despite the excruciating pain, Xu Ke forced himself into a meditative state!

The ultimate purpose of a medicinal bath was to increase one's strength. If he didn't cultivate now, he'd be wasting over thirty thousand.

In truth, no one in the Martial Artist world would ever use such potent herbs this way. They were cautious even when ingesting them, let alone immersing themselves in a full medicinal bath. It wasn't that they couldn't conceive of it, but that they couldn't withstand it.

Spending thirty thousand on medicinal herbs was easy. Successfully soaking in them was the real problem. Even someone like Song Zhong wouldn't be cultivating if he took a dip in this bath—just not passing out cold would be a testament to his fortitude.

Xu Ke's method of cultivation was both insane and unbelievable. If not for his naturally excellent constitution and the residual traces of his former training, Xu Ke would have already lost consciousness.

No pain, no gain.

Cultivating under these conditions, the True Qi within his body began to increase at a frenzied pace.

Half an hour later, Xu Ke was sprawled on the floor, barely breathing. Droplets of water from his body soaked the ground. Although his bravado was admirable and his willpower praiseworthy, he was still forced to retreat after half an hour.

He hadn't taken a medicinal bath like this in a long time. Furthermore, the backlash from the Oath of the Medical Path had scattered his True Qi, leaving his current physical strength at less than ten percent of its former peak. If it weren't for the Dragon Essence that had aided his recovery, he might not even have that ten percent. That was also how he had regained his cultivation. Death had freed him from the binds of the Oath of the Medical Path, and the remaining Dragon Essence had healed his wounds, saved his life, and even restored a sliver of his strength.

Under these conditions, Xu Ke couldn't absorb all the medicinal liquid's power in one go. He could only get out to rest for a while before going back in to absorb the remainder.

"Although this method is about fifty percent less effective than absorbing it all at once, there's no other choice," Xu Ke muttered, sprawled limply on the floor beside the basin.

…

「By evening.」

Xu Ke had just finished his second soak. He lay on the ground until 7:30 PM, when he finally managed to push himself up to clean the floor and take a shower to wash off the smell.

The scent of the medicinal herbs was just too strong.

After his shower, Xu Ke smiled at his reflection in the mirror.

Not bad. I have muscles where I should, abs where I should. If Wong Qifu were to take me out somewhere, my appearance would definitely be presentable.

Thinking this, Xu Ke smacked his forehead.

What the hell am I thinking?

Just then, the doorbell rang.

DING-DONG.

Xu Ke froze. "Who is it?"

"It's me."

A soft voice answered, somewhat cool and languid.

Wong Qifu!

Xu Ke's eyes widened.

Speak of the devil!

He rushed out of the bathroom, but his expression changed as he hastily pulled a shirt on. "Coming."

CLICK.

The door swung open.

It was Wong Qifu. Her beauty was as captivating as ever, her black dress lending her an air of nobility and elegance.

Behind her stood Wang Wu. Uncle Wu gave Xu Ke a nod and then quietly stepped back, clearly not intending to enter. The presence of Lin Qinghua also lingered in the shadows.

At that moment, steam billowed out from the bathroom.

"Sister Wang," Xu Ke raised a hand in an awkward greeting. "What brings you here so suddenly?"

His embarrassment stemmed from the fact that just a second ago, he had been imagining going out with her.

"Were you showering?" Wong Qifu asked, sizing him up.

"Yeah." Xu Ke nodded, stepping aside. "Please, come in."

As Wong Qifu walked past him, she remarked, "Your shirt is soaked. You should change. I can see everything."

Xu Ke looked down. Sure enough. He had forgotten to dry himself off, and now his shirt was drenched. This only compounded his awkwardness.

Just then, Wong Qifu added, "Nice body, though."

Xu Ke was speechless.

…

After making sure Wang Wu and Lin Qinghua weren't coming in, Xu Ke closed the door. He turned and walked into the living room, saying to Wong Qifu, "Sister Wang, have a seat. I'm going to the bathroom to change."

Wong Qifu was still leisurely admiring his room. Without turning her head, she said, "Why go to the bathroom? Are you shy about changing in front of me? I've already seen everything."

Xu Ke fell silent again.

He stubbornly turned and walked into the bathroom.

Wong Qifu couldn't help but chuckle.

…

Coming out of the bathroom in fresh clothes, Xu Ke felt a little nervous. He didn't know why Wong Qifu was here. Moreover, this was the first time a woman had ever set foot in his rented apartment. Back when he was with Siao Jia, she had disliked the poor environment of the urban village and never visited. So, Wong Qifu was, in fact, the first woman to ever enter his home.

"The smell of herbs is quite strong. What were you doing?" Wong Qifu asked when she saw him emerge. She was wearing a pair of black high heels that made the skin of her delicate ankles seem even fairer, their heels tapping crisply on the floor.

Xu Ke's rental was a single room, but it wasn't small, resembling the layout of a studio apartment. Besides the bathroom and bed, he also had a small living area, though it was situated right next to his large bed. The entire place was visible at a glance from the doorway, yet Wong Qifu strolled through it as if she were window shopping.

"I was taking a medicinal bath," Xu Ke admitted.

"Medicinal bath?"

"It's a way to improve my strength. You use…" Xu Ke started to explain, intending to give her a brief overview of the process.

But Wong Qifu seemed uninterested, as cultivation held no appeal for her. She cut him off. "Do you have money for the herbs?"

She seemed more concerned with his personal situation.

"I do," Xu Ke nodded.

"Aged herbs must be incredibly expensive," Wong Qifu commented nonchalantly, walking over to the herbs on his cabinet and touching them. She clearly knew a thing or two about them.

"I saw Li Jun off yesterday and found a sum of money," Xu Ke said with a smile.

"They came for you?" Wong Qifu's tone suddenly turned icy.

"Yeah, but they were completely wiped out. Not a single one escaped. The Ye Family even lost an Innate Great Perfection master," Xu Ke said, moving to her side.

At that, Wong Qifu spun around to face him. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Her tone was accusatory.

Xu Ke flinched. "I didn't think it was a big deal. They were just a bunch of weaklings."

Wong Qifu's stare sent a chill through his heart. She remained silent for a few seconds before speaking slowly, "Fine. But don't let there be a next time. From now on, you tell me if anything happens."

Seeing her relent, Xu Ke breathed a sigh of relief. "Okay."

He knew she was just worried about him.

Just then, Wong Qifu picked up a piece of paper lying nearby.

The Infidelity Agreement.

She glanced at it, quickly grasping its contents.

"An infidelity agreement?" Wong Qifu chuckled. "Isn't it disgusting to keep this?"

"Uh, I plan on keeping it. It might be useful later," Xu Ke said, rubbing his nose.

Siao Jia was dead. Since he and Siao Jia hadn't been married, her half of the apartment in Huating Community 403 had become part of her estate. If Chang Xiujuan tried to claim Siao Jia's share, he would need this paper to fight it in court.

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