BUZZ!
He suddenly felt as if he could control the circulation of his blood. At the same time, it seemed to contain some kind of energy, a power he could faintly sense and direct as it coursed through his body.
His limbs, torso, neck, head, hands, and feet.
Each was a focal point.
Chen Nuo's eyes snapped open.
[Qi Blood Technique (10/10)]
The Qi Blood Technique was at Perfection!
'So this is the feeling of Qi Blood? I can physically feel it inside me, but... what's it good for?'
Chen Nuo focused on circulating his Qi Blood. As it flowed through him, he just felt his spirits soar and his energy surge, making him a little restless.
Other than that, there was nothing.
The strength of an ox? No.
Great Agility? Also no.
Any extraordinary powers? Still no.
'Maybe this Qi Blood has some other use?'
Chen Nuo had a feeling the answer might lie in the Skin and Flesh Chapter.
'Now that the Qi Blood Technique is at Perfection, I should focus on the food supply and the Clan's affairs.'
According to his great-uncle, the preparations for the Clan Leader succession ceremony would only take ten to fifteen days. During this time, he was to familiarize himself with his duties and gather supporters.
Chen Nuo thought that made sense.
So he tidied up the guest room, swept the courtyard, and opened the main gate.
He returned to the courtyard by himself and focused on sensing his Qi Blood, constantly trying to make minute adjustments to the flow at each focal point, rather than just letting it circulate along its fixed path.
From time to time, Sister La would sit to the side, sorting wild vegetables and chatting with his mother.
The conversation drifted to the people Chen Nuo had saved yesterday.
"Sigh, those two unlucky kids still didn't make it."
"The two who were poisoned?" Chen Nuo suddenly asked.
"Yes."
His mother nodded and went back to sorting vegetables with Sister La.
Chen Nuo shook his head.
With only a Middle Level Medical Skill, he really couldn't save patients who were poisoned to the bone. Only the old Physicians who presided over major clinics could manage that, not an ordinary Physician like him.
Sigh.
'I lost two Life Points! Damn it!'
Chen Nuo calmed himself and refocused.
This didn't last long, as people soon arrived.
However, it wasn't Chen Yong.
It was a group of ten or twenty people, all of them the ones he had saved yesterday, along with their parents—elders in their thirties.
None of them came empty-handed; each carried something, despite these difficult times.
They were all smiling.
"Nuozi, Uncle is here today to thank you properly. Thank you for saving our boy."
"You must take these. They represent a bit of our Heart Intent. How can a Physician not accept such things?"
Chen Nuo tried to refuse. "Uncle, times are hard for everyone. It's not too late to give me something after the autumn harvest, when things are better."
"Ah, Nuozi, you're too kind, but we can't be ignorant of the rules. Every family has its troubles, but there's no reason to make someone work for free."
"..."
At their insistence, Chen Nuo accepted a symbolic portion.
"Alright, Nuozi. Uncle is ashamed to have taken advantage of you. We may not have much power, but we know how to repay a kindness. You are loyal and righteous, and I respect you for it. From now on, if you need anything, just say the word. If any of us dare to refuse, we're not human."
"And as for those kids, order them around as you please. It's what they owe you."
"Right, Lu Dan is correct. We all feel the same way."
"Yes, Nuozi is really someone..."
"Hey, Uncles, that's too much, really..." Chen Nuo hurriedly changed the subject.
"..."
Meanwhile, the families who had brought fewer items spoke with his mother—it was unclear about what—and then started helping chop firewood, plaster walls, and fetch water...
After the work was done, a few of the aunties started gossiping with his mother.
"Ah, my dear sister, you really raised your son right. He's so capable!"
"La Zi isn't young anymore, either. This... Hmm?"
"Well, my son has been like that since he was a child—loves to learn, has a knack for it... The two of them are indeed getting on in years, but it's up to them..."
"..."
The conversation was mostly household chatter: praising Chen Nuo, talking about him and La Zi getting married and having children... They were about to get to the old wives' tale about cravings predicting the baby's gender.
Hearing this, Chen Nuo quickly sidestepped and hurried over to the ten young men.
"Brother Nuo."
All ten of them greeted him.
Their eyes were filled with gratitude as they looked at Chen Nuo.
"Come on, let's go talk outside. And don't overdo it with the praise, alright?" Chen Nuo said with a smile, ushering them out.
The ten men obediently followed him out.
In this era, at least in a village and a small Clan like this, saving a life was the greatest favor one could bestow. This was especially true since Chen Nuo was so understanding, refusing their gifts during such hard times, thus adding kindness upon kindness.
These ten men were now naturally his.
If any one of them were to wrong him, the entire manor would shun him. Even their own parents might disown them and drive them out of the house. Such was the moral code in the villages and Clans of the time.
Moreover, now that everyone had visited today, the interactions between their families would naturally become more frequent, and their relationships would grow stronger.
This was how personal connections were forged in the countryside.
It started with blood ties, grew with frequent visits, was strengthened by mutual aid, and was then solidified.
...
"Take care on your way out."
Chen Nuo saw everyone off with a smile.
His mother and Sister La were also beaming, overjoyed. It wasn't for any other reason than the fact that it gave them so much face.
Watching their departing figures, Chen Nuo was lost in thought.
'A few of these ten young men are quite promising.'
'Perhaps I can give them important positions in the future.'
'As the prospective Clan Leader, these were things he had to consider. After all, the stronger the clansmen, the more Life Points they provided.'
'Besides, they would be his core team, his hands and feet for controlling Chen Manor and extending his power.'
'He naturally had to think about these things.'
'Starting from a point and expanding outwards... ten households already make up one-seventh or one-eighth of the Clan. With this, my claim should be seen as the will of the people.'
Now, as long as he could solve the food problem and ensure steady development, everything would turn out fine.
'I can also focus on peacefully adding points and getting stronger.'
'What a relief.'
'Such a relief.'
He glanced back at his happy mother and Sister La, a smile on his face, and returned to the courtyard.
...
The clansmen rallying to his side was good news.
Naturally, there was also bad news.
Chen Nuo looked at the partially grown oyster mushrooms, a thoughtful expression on his face.
He assessed their growth height.
Chen Nuo came to a conclusion.
The first-generation mushrooms—the ones on the black wood—were highly nutritious and medicinal, grew rapidly with a new crop every day, and were exceptionally precious.
The second-generation mushrooms could be grown from a single first-generation spore to cover an entire tree trunk. However, their growth rate showed diminishing returns. The first crop took one day, but the second crop, based on its current height, would need about seven days to mature. Following this trend, the growth speed of subsequent crops after the second would inevitably continue to decrease.
Furthermore, it was uncertain whether the second-generation mushrooms would even produce spores.
'They can alleviate the food crisis temporarily, but they aren't a fundamental solution.'