Chapter 93: Go Back

Chapter 93: The Return

"What's going on up ahead? Why is the line so long?" Ji Zichen wondered aloud. He had seen long queues elsewhere—like the drink shop with fifty-sixty people waiting, or the spiced delicacies stand with nearly a hundred in line.

But this was different. The entire street was packed with people, and police officers were maintaining order.

Ji Zichen knew that the police here were equivalent to the government runners in the Hui Dynasty.

Seeing this scene, he couldn’t help but frown. Was some official abusing their power, drumming up business for their own store?

No wonder there were so many people.

Even in times of prosperity, corrupt officials couldn’t be avoided.

Ji Zichen thought with a sigh.

The staff member only glanced over before recognizing it as a healing device sales point. Unaware of Ji Zichen’s thoughts, he answered truthfully.

The authorities had no intention of hiding the existence of the healing devices.

After all, Tianlan Star could now independently mass-produce them. If necessary, they could even be traded.

"Healing devices?" Ji Zichen was still pondering what they were when the staff silently handed him a tablet.

The tablet contained the live demonstration video of the healing devices in action.

His eyes widened in shock.

In the earlier video, the critically injured patient had been saved, but it was clear the rescue had been difficult. Otherwise, the family wouldn’t have been devastated when the patient was wheeled in for treatment. Their reaction suggested near-hopeless odds.

But now… was saving lives really this easy?

Ji Zichen gaped in disbelief at the screen, doubting his own eyes.

Especially when he saw a disfigured girl regain her original appearance, he even wondered if her previous state had been special effects makeup—not actual disfigurement.

Maybe they had just removed the disguise to reveal her true face. Surely the healing device couldn’t be that miraculous.

The broadcast was edited, omitting details about the medical capsule. But the healing device alone was shocking enough.

Suddenly, a commotion erupted from the queue.

Ji Zichen was jolted from his thoughts and saw a man rushing over, carrying both a child and a severed fingertip in his arms.

"My kid was playing pretend kitchen and used a real knife thinking it was a toy. He cut off part of his finger!"

"I was going to take him to the hospital, but it would take too long…" He had known they were selling healing devices downstairs and that they could heal such injuries.

He had thought there was no rush to buy one since the government assured plenty in stock. He planned to pick one up later when the lines got shorter. But now, with the accident, he couldn’t afford to waste time going farther.

Drenched in sweat, holding both the child and the severed fingertip, he panicked. "I heard if the finger’s left too long, it’ll lose viability!"

The father's voice was choked with urgency. The child, crying so hard his neck was red, looked about to faint from crying.

Someone who had just bought a healing device quickly placed it on the ground and began tearing open the packaging. "Hurry! Use mine first!"

Before he could finish opening it, a police officer had already taken out a healing device, carefully accepting both the child and the severed finger.

The healing device emitted a glow of white light, enveloping the severed finger and the child's injured hand.

In less time than it takes to drink tea, the white light dissipated, and the child's hand was good as new.

"It's alright now, it's alright!" The pain gone and soothed in someone’s embrace, the previously wailing child stopped crying in confusion. The police handed the child back to the parent, saying, "Don’t be so careless next time. Keep all the craft knives, fruit knives, and kitchen knives at home properly stored. Don’t let children get their hands on them."

The parent kept nodding while holding the child. After patiently listening to the police and thanking the passerby who had offered to help, they didn’t rush home. Instead, they carried the child to the end of the line and got in line.

They had realized that some things simply couldn’t be delayed.

Having witnessed this scene firsthand, Ji Zichen couldn’t keep pretending it was fake.

Even from a distance, a warrior’s senses were keen. He had clearly seen the child’s small hand missing a segment of the finger, the bloody wound, and now the perfectly intact hand.

There was no way this was a trick.

Once he realized this, Ji Zichen’s gaze toward the sales booth changed entirely.

This was a divine artifact!

Such a divine artifact, if placed in the Hui Dynasty, whoever obtained it would hoard it immediately—not even daring to tell close family or trusted aides. If word got out, it would unleash a bloody frenzy. People would come one after another to seize the treasure, bringing endless turmoil.

Wiping out whole clans to claim the treasure was routine. The martial world would remain in upheaval for years, until either the wielder of the artifact subdued all challengers or the artifact vanished without a trace, bringing the chaos to an end.

In the past, there was a renowned physician who painstakingly cultivated a Vermilion Fruit tree. Each fruit from that tree, when consumed, could increase one’s martial power by twenty years. The horrors it incited still left those who lived through it shuddering at the memory whenever they recalled it.

Though Ji Zichen hadn’t experienced it himself, he had heard the imperial advisors speak of it.

Yet here, these divine artifacts were being openly sold.

And the price was unbelievably cheap. Ji Zichen asked and learned it was only 9,999 yuan. Earlier, he had seen a drink by the roadside priced at 15 yuan. Did that mean such a miracle device could be bought for the price of 600-some drinks?

Even when he saw the long line of people queuing to buy it, Ji Zichen had suspected as much. After all, those in line must be able to afford it. With so many people lining up, so many able to purchase it, the price couldn’t be exorbitant.

But for it to be this inexpensive still took Ji Zichen by surprise.

The price aside, there were only a handful of people keeping the line orderly during the sale.

And these people didn’t even carry weapons!

Yet those who desired the divine artifact still lined up peacefully, without causing chaos or attempting to snatch it.

It wasn’t just because there were many artifacts preventing disorder. Back then, that Vermilion Fruit tree bore more than one fruit. And besides the Vermilion Fruit, people had battled ruthlessly over martial arts manuals too.

If the argument was that the fruits were limited and couldn’t be distributed to everyone, hence the bloodshed, what about the martial arts manuals? Those could have been shared openly for all to practice. Yet people still fought desperately over them.

Ji Zichen quietly added the healing device to his procurement list. Though he knew such a divine artifact was likely beyond the Hui Dynasty to replicate, let alone mass-produce, bringing back one or two actual devices would still be worthwhile. And even if they couldn’t make it now, that didn’t mean they never would.

With physical samples, given a few centuries of progress, future generations might succeed in recreating it. You had to hope.

Beyond the healing device, as Ji Zichen wandered further, his acquisition list grew longer. Over the next three days, after visiting other places, the list became astonishingly extensive.

Everything Ji Zichen was shown was available for trade.

Since they only knew when he would return but not whether he could take physical items back, the authorities not only prepared actual goods but also set up training for him.

Methods for cultivating hybrid rice. What high-quality overseas crop varieties existed, where they could be found, what they looked like, and how to locate them.

How to improve cotton cultivation, how to process duck and goose down to make warmer clothing...

How to obtain salt in large quantities, how to refine sugar...

How to castrate and raise piglets for better growth, more meat, and less gamey flavor.

How to cultivate fodder crops, and what kind of grass can make cattle and horses stronger.

Methods for making fertilizer, how to apply it, and the required quantities...

How to improve farming tools and looms.

Production methods for items like black powder, cement, glass, and more.

How to manage the Yellow River...

Over the course of two and a half months, in order to absorb as much knowledge as possible within the limited time, Ji Zichen pulled all-nighters for classes. Like a dry sponge, he rapidly soaked up information.

In addition to this, he had to find time to transcribe martial arts manuals and instruct others in martial arts.

Ji Zichen was buried in work.

He finally understood why, when they first met, the officials here had said there was no time for bureaucratic red tape.

There truly was no time. If not for his martial arts training, he wouldn’t have been able to handle such a grueling pace.

Sheng Qingquan was one of the first to learn martial arts. Two and a half months were enough for him and others to get their foot in the door.

After both sides agreed to cooperate, the authorities shelled out big to exchange for a contract from the system store.

Once the contract was signed, neither party could falsify anything.

Although Ji Zichen had no intention of cheating, the moment he signed his name, he felt an inexplicable magical binding settle upon him. He realized that if he failed to adhere to the pre-written terms of the contract, he would lose all his martial arts skills, have his meridians severed, lose his marbles, go on a rampage, and ultimately become a fool.

Though he wouldn’t die, for an emperor, this was a fate worse than death.

The most terrifying part wasn’t losing his martial arts and becoming disabled.

As for turning into a fool—no normal person could accept that, let alone an emperor. Not only would his pride forbid it, but how’s a fool supposed to run an empire? The consequences of a fool on the throne would be unimaginable.

But what the emperor feared most was the clause about going batshit-crazy and committing irrational acts.

A mad emperor was far more dangerous than a foolish one. A fool could at least be reduced to a figurehead, with power handed to ministers or a regent, or simply deposed in favor of a new emperor.

A madman, however, isn’t stupid—he wouldn’t stand idly by while others seized power. Yet he would be incapable of governing properly.

Such an emperor could run the whole country into the ground.

Especially for a ruler like him, with real power—once madness took hold, the once-thriving nation would soon go to hell in a handbasket.

No emperor who aspired to be wise could accept such a place in the history books!

A ruler who truly cared for his people and bore responsibility for the nation could never tolerate such an outcome.

With this in mind, even if Ji Zichen had harbored any ill intentions before, he now wouldn’t risk cutting corners. He transcribed martial arts manuals with painstaking attention and taught with nitpicky precision.

*The contract’s constraints were mutual.*

This was precisely why Ji Zichen also trusted the authorities, making their collaboration work like clockwork.

On the *Kitchen God’s birthday*, Ji Zichen carried an oversized custom pack taller than himself, stuffed with critical texts and two sun-charging phones. When the phones ran out of power, all he had to do was place them face-down under the sun for a few hours to recharge.

The phone was preloaded with all kinds of reference materials. Carrying books wasn’t nearly as convenient as a tiny memory card. If not for the fear that the phone might not make it through, Ji Zichen wouldn’t have bothered carrying any books at all.

Aside from the bulging backpack on his back, he also wore several fanny packs around his waist.

In each hand, he carried a large bag, while his arms and legs were strapped with custom arm/leg holsters. A small bag even hung around his neck.

Inside them were all premium crop varieties—selected for their high yield, disease resistance, and ability to be saved for replanting.

In addition, there were some medicines like antibiotics. Ji Zichen had even deliberately set aside a small space for a med-scanner.

These were all life-saving items.

He hadn’t brought anything else, yet despite this, Ji Zichen looked like a packed mule. If not for his kung fu skills, such a heavy load would have crushed him long ago.

Unlike now, where Ji Zichen even had the energy to wheedle the clerks: "You really aren’t going to give me a blank contract?"

After signing the contract and seeing its magic in action, Ji Zichen had wanted to take one back with him. Used properly, it could be of great help.

Just like the med-scanner, it was straight-up magical gear.

After staying for two and a half months, if he hadn’t known this was another world, Ji Zichen might have even mistaken it for the Celestial Realm.

Yes, the Celestial Realm—not the Peach Blossom Spring he had initially imagined. The Peach Blossom Spring didn’t have so many wondrous things.

"Seeing as I’m going back today, and we’ve been tight all this time, won’t you give me a farewell gift?"

"I think the contract would be perfect. Especially fitting as a gift."

Ji Zichen kept badgering them. Since he only knew he was leaving today but not the exact time, he had already strapped up ready to go. Now, weighed down by the massive load, he looked like a sad overloaded packhorse.

If he had asked for anything else—anything but the med-scanner—he might have succeeded.

But of course, he insisted on the one thing they couldn’t give.

The staff firmly refused again. The contract was something Tianlanxing couldn’t produce on its own; even acquiring one required spending a significant amount of points in the system store. These points were blood-earned by fighters risking their lives in missions.

Especially since, if fighters died accidentally in missions, they needed points to revive. Every single point was precious and couldn’t be wasted.

So no matter how Ji Zichen pleaded, they wouldn’t budge an inch. No matter how well they got along, they still drew a clear line between insiders and outsiders.

"You really can’t give it to me? Could you at least ask your supervisor? Maybe they think differently."

"I’m about to leave—surely you don’t want me to go with regrets!"

"Fine, how about another med-scanner then? Having just one isn’t safe. If it breaks, I won’t have a backup. Like the phones, two would be better."

"That way, if one fails, at least there’s still another."

The med-scanner was also out of the question. Though it was sold cheaply, that was only because of government subsidies. Otherwise, its price would be unaffordable for most. Several of its key materials were extremely rare. Giving Ji Zichen even one had already been a stretch.

Just as Ji Zichen was about to continue his wheedling, the next moment, his figure vanished.

"He’s gone?" The staff finally breathed easy.

Not just because Ji Zichen had successfully returned, freeing their ears from his nonstop nagging, but also because where he’d been standing was now empty—save for the carpet.

This meant he had successfully taken all those items back with him.

Ji Zichen left, but the authorities were not idle. In addition to urging people to practice martial arts diligently, they launched a new wave of anti-crime and anti-corruption efforts.

Not only did they eliminate the group that had kidnapped Ji Zichen in the plot, but they also uncovered many other lawbreakers, gifting them silver handcuffs as a free favor.

Once society was purged of corruption again, the first batch of martial artists, while continuing their own training, also began teaching the second batch. After everyone made some progress, the authorities started preparing to publicly announce the existence of martial arts.

However, before that, Sheng Qingquan noticed the newly increased Qiankun Coin balance in his novel and eagerly anticipated the newest batch of merchandise gifts.

Yet, just then, something shot out of the novel.

Before he could get a good look at it, the thing zipped straight into his mouth.