Chapter 15: Have You Perhaps Misunderstood Something?

"Brother Xiang Nan, your room is all tidied up," came Xu Jia's penetrating voice from inside the house.

"Alright! I'll be right there!" Xiang Nan replied, lingering a moment over the two small holes he'd made in the earth. "But it's wrong to destroy flowers and plants," he muttered, hastily jamming the two saplings back into the ground and patting the soil flat.

After a long day, Xiang Nan was exhausted. While washing up, the system's notifications echoed in his mind.

[Ding! Patient treated, Merit Points +3]
[Ding! …]

It seemed Zhang Chen had been promoting the herbal plasters in the army. Splendid! Xiang Nan hummed a tune as he collapsed onto his bed, feeling utterly content. Before long, he was fast asleep.

The next morning, he awoke refreshed and invigorated. His first instinct was to check the system.

[Merit Points: 109]

Zhang Chen was truly reliable! Without hesitation, Xiang Nan initiated a lottery draw.

[Obtained: Herbal Plaster x1]

Eh!!! He continued. After five rounds, all yielding herbal plasters, finally—

[Obtained: Rebirth Pill x1]

Hmm? Rebirth Pill? The name alone promised wonders. He examined the fine print:

Note: Beautifies the complexion, refines the body.

A treasure indeed!

"Extract!"

A small, bean-sized candy appeared in his hand, resembling an ordinary chocolate-coated malt ball. He popped it into his mouth; it tasted faintly sweet. In less than three seconds, it dissolved completely.

The moment the Rebirth Pill entered his body, Xiang Nan was overwhelmed by a burning heat. Stripping off his clothes, he grumbled, "Hope I don't spontaneously combust!"

No sooner had he spoken than black, sticky muck began oozing from his pores, swiftly covering his body like toothpaste squeezed out in one go. Panic surged.

"This is disgusting! Am I turning into a lump of sludge?"

Just then, footsteps sounded outside.

"Brother Xiang Nan, it's time to get up!" Xu Jia's clear, pleasant voice called.

"Wait… Don't—don't come in!" Xiang Nan shouted, but immediately heard the door handle turning.

Curiosity killed the cat, and Xu Jia couldn't hold back. Xiang Nan was even more flustered—if Xu Jia saw him like this, she'd surely think he was some sort of monster. He dashed into the bathroom, grabbed the showerhead, and frantically rinsed himself off for five or six minutes until all the black muck was gone. The burning energy gradually faded.

He could feel himself growing stronger—every skill had increased by twenty points! The Rebirth Pill lived up to its reputation. That black sludge, though, had been terrifying.

The next moment, Xiang Nan stood before the mirror, utterly stunned.

"This… I'm unbelievably handsome!"

His features were sculpted to perfection, flawless skin, a tall and evenly proportioned physique, muscles defined. Even his height had increased significantly. The face was still his own, the person unchanged, but every aspect had been optimized.

His hands trembled with excitement as he admired his solid muscles and perfect form in the mirror, caressing his newfound strength.

Just as he was appreciating a crucial area, the bathroom door outside was rattling—Xu Jia had already lost her patience.

"If you don't come out soon, I'm coming in!" she threatened. But even before the words finished, she barged in.

There, frozen in place, was Xiang Nan—snow-white from head to toe, hands still trembling from excitement…

"Ah!" Xu Jia's mouth fell open. She glanced at the wastebasket filled with tissues… and instantly seemed to understand.

Her delicate face flushed scarlet. She spun around, slammed the door shut with a loud "bang."

"Breakfast… It's ready. Come down when you're done! And… take care of yourself."

Xiang Nan: ???

What? Take care of what? I only took a shower! Jia, come back, let's clear this up.

Did you misunderstand something? I can explain! I really didn't do anything strange…

He heard her hurried footsteps thumping down the stairs.

…

Xiang Nan ate breakfast alone. Even by afternoon, Xu Jia was nowhere to be seen.

Alas! He'd have to find another chance to explain.

Now that the feeling of fullness in his brow had completely disappeared, Xiang Nan resumed refining spirit pearls.

Only two days remained. If he wanted to claim victory at the Eagle Alliance competition, he had to strengthen himself as quickly as possible.

Another spirit pearl refined, Xiang Nan felt his body surge with power once more. The sensation in his brow wasn't as intense as yesterday, but he dared not refine more.

…

Night fell.

Neon lights flashed everywhere; traffic streamed endlessly.

Beneath a pedestrian bridge, Xiang Nan sat upright on a small stool, launching his street vendor venture.

Spread before him on a cloth were three items: herbal plasters, bone-setting liniment, and healing white powder.

However, it was his first time vending; he had no experience and didn't know how to hawk his wares. There weren't many people under the bridge to begin with.

Eventually, two young ladies passed by, whispering as they eyed Xiang Nan.

"Hey, did you see? That street vendor—he's so handsome!"

"What's wrong? Are you smitten?"

"Too bad he's just a street vendor; otherwise, I'd definitely ask for his WeChat!"

"He's so young—maybe he's a rich kid out here to experience life."

Xiang Nan's face darkened. Rich kid, my foot! These girls had vivid imaginations.

Behind them, a tall, handsome guy followed, looking displeased. "A street vendor, handsome? He's not as good-looking as me, Zheng Hao."

One of the girls rolled her eyes. "Such a show-off! Come on, let's go check it out."

Zheng Hao smirked. "Sure, let's have a look—and collect the stall fee while we're at it!"

The three approached Xiang Nan's stall.

"Hey, handsome, what are you selling?" asked one of the girls.

Finally, someone showed interest. Xiang Nan eagerly introduced his wares.

"This is our family's traditional herbal plaster. It dispels cold, relieves pain, promotes blood circulation, and works wonders with just one application."

"We also have premium bone-setting liniment and healing white powder—instant results, or your money back!"

Zheng Hao stepped forward. "Hey! Selling fake medicine, huh? This area is under my control. Did you pay the stall fee?"

The girl rolled her eyes at him. "Zheng Hao, must you be so annoying?"

Xiang Nan smirked, looked up, and said, "What did you say?"

Zheng Hao snorted. "Don't know the rules, huh? This place is mine. Hurry up and pay the fee."

Xiang Nan frowned. "I wasn't talking about that. I meant your earlier comment."

Zheng Hao's mouth twitched. "What, you selling fake medicine… ah!"

Before he could finish, Xiang Nan suddenly swung and punched him in the side. A series of cracks sounded—his waistbone broke!

Clutching his waist, Zheng Hao grimaced in agony. "Damn it! My waistbone!"

The two girls were startled out of their wits.

"Hey, handsome, why did you suddenly hit him…"

Xiang Nan snorted, picked up a plaster from his stall.

"He said I sell fake medicine, so I'll prove to him whether it's fake or not."