'Perseverance and Hard Work 3.0.'
'Name: Shen Ling.'
'Age: 17.'
'Cultivation Method: Longevity Technique [rank 9 low-grade cultivation method, not yet learned, proficiency 0/100.]'
'Status: Poisoned.'
Seeing the notification, Shen Ling felt slightly less panicked.
Then, he sat in a cross-legged position and began to try cultivating the obscure Longevity Technique. He circulated his Qi, following the rules of the cultivation method, and made little leeway. This could more or less be considered a small success.
After some time had passed, a line of words appeared in his mind's eye: 'You have completed one successful circulation of the Longevity Technique. Proficiency gained +1.'
The time for one circulation equaled up to about five minutes of cultivation, and five minutes of cultivation helped him level up by one point in proficiency.
This meant that he needed to cultivate for more than eight hours to gain a hundred points of proficiency.
This was not too bad.
Then…
Without any further dilly-dallying, he got straight down to business and started cultivating.
With great anticipation in his heart, Shen Ling sat in his cross-legged position and continued cultivating.
After eight hours of cultivating, Shen Ling slowly opened his eyes.
These were the results to his cultivation:
'Cultivation Technique: Longevity Technique [rank 9 low-grade cultivation technique, level one, proficiency 0/1000].'
As if he were having an epiphany, information surged into Shen Ling's mind, giving him a better understanding of this technique. Suddenly it became a lot clearer to him.
One who used this technique would see a limited improvement in the body. Nevertheless, the longer this technique was used, the more it could help increase one's lifespan.
However, there were several exceptions to this rule that included accidents or unnatural deaths. This only suited a portion of people who were destined to die of natural causes.
What Shen Ling valued the most out of all this was the improvement of his physical health through the cultivation of Longevity Technique.
So that he could buy himself more time on this earth.
"I'm so hungry."
That was the first thing Shen Ling said when he opened his eyes.
Xiao Huan, who had been by Shen Ling's side this entire time, right away brought in a tray of food and placed it in front of Shen Ling.
Xiao Huan spoon-fed Shen Ling the food.
After he finished the meal, Shen Ling was only thirty percent full.
"It's not enough. I need more food."
After finishing every bite of his food, Shen Ling was still not full. His gnawing hunger made it impossible to concentrate.
Xiao Huan bowed her head and said, "I'll instruct the kitchen to prepare more food for you."
Shen Ling ate like this for two straight hours.
As he ate, his body showed satisfying signs of recovering. During this time, apparently, more flesh could be visibly seen on his skinny arms.
Most importantly, Shen Ling had recovered enough strength to walk around.
His limbs were growing stronger by the minute.
Xiao Huan was in pleasant surprise when she saw that Shen Ling was well enough to walk around, and she cried, "Elder Young Master, are you feeling better already?"
"I'm fine right now."
Shen Ling turned his attention to the words "Poisoned" in his settings, feeling very somber about his serious status.
Although he would live a little longer with the help of the Longevity Technique, if he didn't do something to detoxify the poison, all of this would be an illusion and he would die miserably all the same!
Xiao Huan smiled and said, "I'll head out and tell Master to come and visit you now."
"There's no need."
Shen Ling waved his hands around and put on some clothes by himself. "I'll go and see him myself."
In the Shen family's hall —
Master Shen was sitting in his chair with a worried expression on his face. His wife and child were sitting next to him. Situated a little further away were his distant relatives in the family.
Everyone was gathered there in the hall.
"Ahem."
Master Shen coughed and looked quite crestfallen.
In the past few years, his physical health had taken a turn for the worse. But he never expected that right after he became seriously ill, Shen Ling would also fall seriously ill.
What was to happen to the Shen family?
Master Shen turned to look at the five-year-old child sitting next to Madam Shen.
With Shen Ling seriously ill and at death's door, all he had left was his five-year-old younger son, who was still too little and vulnerable to shoulder the heavy responsibility of managing a family.
Was the prestigious name of the Shen family of Qi Hua City going to fade from everyone's memory just like that?
Old Master Shen felt a little down about this.
"Ha, everyone's here?"
As the atmosphere of the hall settled into an unusual depression, a calm voice sounded out of nowhere.
Everyone turned their gazes to look at the door and found Shen Ling with his hands behind his back, looking everyone up and down with a calm expression on his face.
"You're… okay?!"
Old Master Shen right away got up from his seat and made his way towards Shen Ling, inspecting him carefully.
"Of course."
Shen Ling smilingly reassured Old Master Shen.
After he said that, he cast a glance at Madam Shen, who was sitting not too far away. Shen Ling was sensitive enough to see a trace of surprise and doubt shoot across Madam Shen's face before she went back to her usual stoic expression.
Even though this expression faded from view in a flash, it was enough for Shen Ling, who had been watching her all this time, to confirm that his guess was right.
This was proof that the poisoning incident had something to do with Madam Shen for sure.
"Those doctors did a quack job!"
Seeing that Shen Ling had recovered, Master Shen was overjoyed. Every inch of his face was beaming with happiness, and he even playfully scolded those doctors.
During this time, he had spent a huge amount of money to hire doctors to help treat Shen Ling's illness, but none of them could find a cure.
He never expected to find Shen Ling, whose condition doctors all said was hopeless, to be standing here in front of him, miraculously recovered from his illness.
The Shen family was definitely blessed.
"That's not exactly true. They're not quack doctors."
Shen Ling gave him a slight smile and said word by word, "It's just that they can't pinpoint what's going on with me."
"Mmm, if you say so."
Master Shen was in great spirits and was willing to take Shen Ling's words for it.
With a smile on his face, Shen Ling then turned around and made his way to the current Madam Shen's side and squatted down in front of his half-brother.
"You're already all grown up."
Shen Ling patted his brother on the head, and this child, whose name was Shen Ping, stared back at him with a blank look in his eyes.
"What in the world do you think you're doing?!"
Seeing Shen Ling touch her son, Madam Shen hurried to pull Shen Ping to her side.
Shen Ling slowly got up, gave Madam Shen a meaningful look, smiled and said, "What, can't I show my brother a little affection?"
"Well…"
Madam Shen was momentarily too stunned to speak.
Shen Ling smiled down at her. It looked like Madam Shen was already starting to get nervous.
Looking at Madam Shen's face, Shen Ling whispered in her ear, "You poisoned me, didn't you?"
His words, which were only audible to the two of them, instantly made Madam Shen's face grow rigid.
She stared at the smiling face of Shen Ling and thought:
'I'll be damned!'
After Shen Ling said that, he turned on his heels and made his way towards the chair that he always sat in.
Old Master Shen, who was already back in his seat, also said slowly, "Yunshu, the two brothers should be closer. Don't stop them from growing closer."
"Right! Mmm."
Madam Shen nodded her head. Next, a forced smile appeared on her face.
'It can't be, can it? Shen Ling has recovered?'
Old Master Shen was in very good spirits and ordered the kitchen to prepare a feast. Everyone drank and ate merrily, but Madam Shen was the only one not in a good mood.
After several quick bites, Madam Shen left the hall to go back to her room.
Shen Ling blinked his eyes.
Then he smiled.
That night —
Madam Shen's maid could be seen secretly walking out the back door of the Shen family. She looked around warily, and then quickly made her way down the other direction.
Seconds later, Shen Ling appeared out of the darkness besides the back door.
He stared at the maid's back, and his eyes flickered with intelligence.
Here was his chance.
Some moments later, inside a small house down a dark alley in Qi Hua City.
"Are you saying that the Elder Young Master of the Shen family has recovered? But that's impossible! The poison I created has no antidote. The quack doctors in Qi Hua City couldn't even figure it out!"
"But it's true. He has recovered indeed. You promised that his death was guaranteed, but you failed to deliver the result, didn't you?"
"This can't be true! Did Madam say anything?"
"Madam said that Shen Ling already found out about the poison. Now, she plans to either kill Shen Ling and Master Shen, or…"
"Or what happens?"
Shen Ling spoke up right then.
