Chapter 57: Regrowing the Severed Arm

"Regrowing a severed limb."

These four words echoed through the hall, lingering long and refusing to fade.

Moshan’s face lit up with joy; the words seemed to hold a profound temptation. He spoke hurriedly, "You can truly regrow my arm?"

He had once resigned himself to the idea of being one-armed for the rest of his life, perhaps destined to be a lone-armed hero. He never imagined that there would still be hope today.

Regrowing a severed limb was akin to the work of a creator; in the previous century, people had exhausted their entire lives without ever achieving it.

But in this post-apocalyptic era, amidst the threat of beasts and the struggle for survival, nations had poured hundreds of billions into research, conducting countless human experiments until they finally succeeded in mapping the genetic chain.

The theory of genetic sequencing proposed that the human body is composed of individual genetic chains. The medicine they possessed could induce genetic mutation, infusing cells on the verge of decay with vitality and increasing their density.

If a normal person’s cellular density and utility rate were only two-fifths, or perhaps three-fifths, then a person who practiced martial arts, through long-term systematic training, would possess much greater cellular density. Through genetic mutation, their average cell utility could reach four-fifths, or even become fully vibrant.

That is why martial artists have stronger muscles, greater mental endurance, and live to be a hundred years old.

By injecting a specialized serum, specific genes could be mutated to accelerate blood flow, thereby regenerating skin, bone, and even the entire limb.

In this post-apocalyptic age, death was everywhere. Even for Wudang Mountain, such resources could not be easily procured; only rare treasures and secret manuals could possibly command them.

The hall fell silent. The price was indeed steep.

The Sect Leader cast a deep, lingering look at Elder Qian and, for the first time, closed his eyes in silence. Rare treasures were precious and once-in-a-century finds, and secret manuals were the foundation of the academy—both were hard to part with.

Suddenly, his eyes brightened. Perhaps by saving an extremely important figure, this could be achieved! Deep in the Kilimanjaro Desert, there was a research institute, and perhaps such a person could be found there.

Seeing the Sect Leader’s grim expression, Moshan guessed there was hope. Regrowing his arm meant he could eat with both hands and wield a sword with both hands. The mere thought made him incredibly excited, and his perspective on the token was completely refreshed.

Due to his long-term mental strain and excessive blood loss, his face grew even paler, and he collapsed to the floor in a daze.

***

"Elder Qian! Why are you protecting him so much?"

During the meeting to interrogate Moshan, Taiyue had repeatedly signaled to himself, watching him whenever he tried to speak. The words he wanted to say were blocked by the elder’s gaze. It wasn’t that he forgot, but that Elder Qian’s authority was too overwhelming.

Every time a student from the academy was injured, they would come to the Hall of Nourishing Heart for treatment or to buy medicinal pills. Every time, Elder Qian would fleece them, and the elders of the various peaks, knowing there was no point, would still pay the treatment fees without complaint, never bothering to file a formal protest.

Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!

It always left him feeling frazzled. That was why Taiyue got a headache whenever he saw Elder Qian, and why he dared not disrespect him too much.

Wudang Mountain consisted of nine palaces, each with its own famous unique techniques. The Yuxu Palace was renowned for its alchemy. Because alchemy was extremely difficult to master and the Yuxu Palace’s supply of medicinal herbs was abundant, failures were usually overlooked. However, as the supply of spiritual herbs began to dwindle, Elder Qian, the Master of Yuxu Palace, claimed that since herbs were scarce, he couldn't afford to shortchange his students, and thus the price of pills skyrocketed.

At the same time, he couldn't play favorites, because he needed the pills himself, too. It was only because Elder Qian was so domineering that he gave himself a twenty-percent discount! So, he let them argue amongst themselves; he didn't care!

But the cost of regrowing a severed limb was not just "average."

"He holds the token! How could he be from the Demon Clan?" Elder Qian replied calmly to the Sect Leader’s questioning.

"That old fellow Canghai came up the mountain a few days ago, you forgot? If he were his descendant, how could he not have brought him along?"

Taiyue paced anxiously around Elder Qian. "Maybe he and that old fellow Canghai fought to a mutual standstill, and he dropped it!"

"Do you think he would know the function of this token if he had dropped it?" Elder Qian retorted.

***

"I have also examined his body. His meridians are thicker than a normal person's, which means his true energy circulates faster, though he doesn't have much internal energy right now because he is practicing a third-rate technique!"

"The Wind-Cloud Breath?"

"Is it that Wind-Cloud Breath from the Lin family?" Taiyue asked in surprise.

"Yes! That unique type of true energy is not common!"

"So he also has a connection to the Lin family, and he even managed to get his hands on that manual! Since his background is clear, then let him join the academy!" Taiyue felt relieved and said.

"I want him to enter my Yuxu Palace!"

"No wonder you are so attentive to him! So you want him to be your disciple! Are you sure he can master alchemy? Judging by his words, he carries a great deal of hatred in his heart!"

Practicing alchemy required a great deal of time to settle one's mind, as well as an understanding of the principles of various herbs and learning how to cultivate them. How could a person burdened with hatred learn such complex and obscure knowledge?

"Since I am the one who heals him, how could he not choose my Yuxu Palace? Even if he is as stubborn as iron, I will make him learn alchemy! What does hatred matter? With great wealth, those enemies can be dealt with easily." Elder Qian snorted coldly, his body radiating a formidable aura.

"Since you say you can regrow his arm, what price are you going to pay to the military?" Taiyue asked with a curl of his lip. Since you want to make him your disciple, you don't need me to worry about the cost of regrowing his arm, right?

"General Tang Heng asked us to go rescue the nation's scientists! You send someone to save them; you are the Sect Leader! I am just a Hall Master! As for the personnel, just send that Qi Tian to redeem his crimes!"

As soon as Elder Qian finished speaking, he dusted off his robes and left.

Trying to make me take responsibility? They thought too highly of themselves!