Return to the City: The Strongest King
Chapter 507 - 508: Trial Recruitment

Chapter 507: Chapter 508: Trial Recruitment

Song Xiaodong returned to his room, where Lin Su’er was already lying in bed, covered with a thin blanket.

"Haven’t fallen asleep yet?" Song Xiaodong asked with a smile.

"I was waiting for you," Lin Su’er said sweetly, her cheeks blushing.

Song Xiaodong also got into bed and said, "Since you’ve waited for so long, it’d be remiss of me not to satisfy you, wouldn’t it?"

Lin Su’er’s face turned even redder, but her beautiful big eyes still met Song Xiaodong’s, and she said with a pursed smile, "Su’er missed Big Brother Song."

What else could stir a man more? Just the word "miss" was enough. Naturally, Song Xiaodong wanted to dote on Lin Su’er, his little girl.

More than half an hour later, Lin Su’er was soft and drained of strength, as Song Xiaodong had just taken her to the peak four times.

"Brother Dongzi, you are so good to me," Lin Su’er said, cuddling up beside Song Xiaodong, her face wearing a coquettish and content smile.

Song Xiaodong caressed Lin Su’er’s tender little cheek and said, "How could I not give my all, even unto death, when my Little Su’er is so adorable?"

"Brother Dongzi, I’m so tired, I want to sleep," Lin Su’er said, her eyes barely staying open.

"Then sleep," he replied. "Brother Dongzi got plenty of sleep this afternoon, and I’m not sleepy yet. I want to read something."

"Then, I’m off to sleep," Lin Su’er said, and hugging Song Xiaodong, she quickly fell asleep.

Song Xiaodong picked up the booklet Elder Fang had given him and started to read it carefully.

It was a martial arts secret manual. In it, written in tiny characters, were several martial arts moves that were quite similar to the ones Song Xiaodong practiced—so similar that there was a sense of shared essence. Song Xiaodong didn’t know whether he would achieve anything after practicing them, but he figured he might as well give them a try.

What excited Song Xiaodong the most, however, were the medicinal methods recorded at the back. They were like the pill recipes from current fantasy novels. These, though, were not as mysterious as those described in the novels; they were simply medicinal recipes that strengthened vitality. They were more like the elixirs mentioned in martial arts novels, which could enhance one’s martial power.

There was even a recipe for the Nine Revolutions Mysterious Divine Pill, which was said to strengthen the True Qi within one’s body and increase their martial power significantly.

Song Xiaodong was skilled in medical practices and knew a great deal about the properties of medicines. From what he saw in the recipes, they indeed had the effect of enhancing the human body. However, some ingredients with toxic properties seemed to be harmful rather than beneficial.

Upon careful contemplation, Song Xiaodong increasingly felt that the pill recipe could actually work. This was because the toxic ingredients would have their poisonous effects greatly reduced by the neutralization of the other herbs, leaving behind only their beneficial components.

And those originally potent ingredients, once their toxicity was neutralized, would shed some unnecessary medicinal properties, leaving only some special effects behind.

The more Song Xiaodong read, the more he found the pill recipe to be extraordinary, and he increasingly believed these medicines could really enhance one’s physique and martial power. He was now eager to acquire these ingredients to make and try the pill himself.

But when he calmed down, Song Xiaodong’s expression darkened. The herbs required in the recipe were indeed enough to drive one crazy.

Thousand-Year Polygonum Multiflorum, Thousand-Year Ginseng, Thousand-Year Ganoderma; these rare herbs all needed to be thousand-year-old specimens. Polygonum multiflorum, ginseng, and Lingzhi could be easily found in herb shops, but where could one find those that were truly a thousand years old?

Nowadays, even wild Polygonum multiflorum, ginseng, and Lingzhi were hard to come by, let alone those that were a thousand years old.

Compared to these things, the poisonous stuff was actually easier to get one’s hands on, like cobra venom, toad venom and so on; it was all readily available.

Even if this Pill Recipe was effective, finding all these ingredients would still be a challenging task.

But regardless of whether it worked or not, Song Xiaodong was determined to give it a try. He planned to obtain some common ginseng, polygonum multiflorum, and Lingzhi first, to see what effect he could achieve with them.

All night long, Song Xiaodong’s mind was preoccupied with these thoughts; he didn’t fall asleep at all. As dawn broke around five in the morning, he carefully got out of bed, taking care not to wake Lin Su’er, and went down to the courtyard.

Elder Fang was also awake, and he was somewhat surprised as he asked, "You’re up so early?

Stretching his back and rotating his arms, Song Xiaodong said, "Heh, I didn’t sleep at all last night. The things Elder Fang gave me were simply too fascinating."

Elder Fang was immediately delighted and said, "If that’s the case, then I did the right thing in giving them to you. Nowadays, it’s rare to find someone interested in this kind of stuff."

Song Xiaodong immediately responded, "They really are treasures. For me, they are indeed priceless."

"Haha, very good!" Elder Fang couldn’t help but laugh joyously before suddenly proposing, "Little Song, how about we get moving a bit?"

Song Xiaodong was surprised and asked, "Moving? You don’t mean to spar with me, do you?"

"Yes, spar! My condition hasn’t been good for many years, and given my status, it’s been years since anyone has sparred with me. It’s not often I meet someone who truly understands our ancient Kung Fu, so of course, I want to test my skills against you."

After hesitating for a moment, Song Xiaodong agreed, "Alright, but I hope Elder Fang will be merciful."

Elder Fang chided with a laugh, "You brat, I know your strength. With my modest skills, I’m certainly no match for you. Just let me enjoy the challenge."

With a hearty laugh, Song Xiaodong replied, "Then how could I not comply?" He was also curious to see the level of Kung Fu Elder Fang had learned.

The two warmed up, and with a light shout from Elder Fang, he launched an attack on Song Xiaodong.

Song Xiaodong had initially underestimated his opponent, but as soon as Elder Fang made his move, Song Xiaodong became earnest. Although Elder Fang’s physical strength had waned due to his age, there was a unique force in his movements that lost none of its vigor and matched that of a strong, young man.

Moreover, Elder Fang’s every move contained layers of lethal intent beneath its simplicity, a Kung Fu that one could not afford to underestimate.

This made Song Xiaodong take the fight more seriously. Move by move, with methodical precision, he unravelled Elder Fang’s techniques. After a few minutes, Song Xiaodong began to counterattack to test Elder Fang’s defense.

Elder Fang’s defence was so tight it could be said to be impenetrable, exceedingly strict. And within that defense, there was always the potential for a counterstrike, forbidding any trace of carelessness.

About ten minutes into the match, Elder Fang stepped back, panting slightly as he said, "Enough, enough, I can’t go on; at my age, I just can’t catch my breath if I keep this up."

While Song Xiaodong appeared calm and steady, his face was filled with admiration as he said, "Elder Fang, I truly respect you. If you were younger, I’m not sure I could have bested you."

Elder Fang laughed heartily and asked, "What do you think? Not bad, the Kung Fu of my sect, right?"

"It’s more than not bad; it’s exceptional," Song Xiaodong couldn’t help but praise repeatedly. He felt even more confident about the things Elder Fang had given him.