Chapter 25: The Legacy of the Azure Emperor
Zhu Yanyi didn’t mind the situation. Although she had just reunited with her parents and felt a tinge of reluctance to part, there would be plenty of time in the future. For now, it was indeed inconvenient for her to return. Besides, her soul was already that of a woman in her fifties; she didn’t need to indulge in such childish sentimentalism. So, she obediently stayed at the Xie residence.
Zhu Yanyi slept with her maternal grandparents. She fell asleep quickly. Seeing her asleep, Xie Zhong and Qi Qiao'er also settled down for the night. What they didn’t know was that after they had fallen asleep, Zhu Yanyi took out a Slumber Flower, casting them into a deep, sweet dream. She then entered her spatial realm.
Since she had decided to study medicine, Zhu Yanyi naturally needed to study hard. With her academic foundation from her previous life, and having specifically familiarized herself with Traditional Chinese characters for her writing career back then, she could read them without difficulty. Thus, reading the books in the space posed no challenge for her.
Following the requirements within the space, Zhu Yanyi first performed three kowtows with nine prostrations before the portrait of the Azure Emperor. Then, she swore an oath: "Master, above. Your disciple, Zhu Yanyi, swears before your portrait that I will inherit all your medical knowledge today. In the future, I will surely benefit the masses and will absolutely not commit any act that violates heavenly principles. Otherwise, may I be struck by five thunders and never be reincarnated in this world." After finishing, she kowtowed again. At that moment, the portrait of the Azure Emperor suddenly emitted a beam of light that shot directly into Zhu Yanyi’s mind.
The instant the light entered her mind, Zhu Yanyi felt a momentary blankness, followed by a brief pain. Then, she discovered that her mind was instantly filled with countless pieces of knowledge about herbal medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine. Zhu Yanyi knew this was the Azure Emperor’s legacy, primarily focusing on difficult and complex cases. Of course, these were theoretical knowledge and the Azure Emperor’s experiences; what Zhu Yanyi could grasp for now was only the theory. To achieve mastery, she would still need practical experience.
As for the basic knowledge of other medical fields, Zhu Yanyi would need to study the medical books in the space on her own. This also made her understand why the space required her to formally take a master, kowtow, and swear an oath. Without sincerity and a kind heart, lacking even a little of either, she would not have received the Azure Emperor’s true legacy.
That night, Zhu Yanyi mainly focused on organizing the knowledge of the Azure Emperor’s legacy in her mind, so she didn’t look at the other books on the shelves. Once she had organized it sufficiently and confirmed that her mind was no longer a mess, she exited the space. Checking the time, it was already past 2:40 AM. She put away the Slumber Flower, closed her eyes, and went to sleep.
When she opened her eyes again, it was already past 6:00 AM. Zhu Yanyi looked around and saw that her maternal grandparents had already gotten up. She dressed herself, got out of bed, and walked out. Qi Qiao'er saw Zhu Yanyi come out and smiled, saying, "Ani, why don’t you sleep a little longer? It’s only just past six."
"I want to exercise early. I’ll go for a run on the drying ground in a bit." Zhu Yanyi decided to gradually change her behavior. She needed a strong physique. Although her body had already been transformed by the Spirit Spring, others didn’t know this. Therefore, she wanted to give the impression that she had gained a healthy body through exercise. More importantly, she knew that her maternal grandfather had a certain understanding of Tai Chi and the Five Animal Frolics. She was hoping to find an opportunity to have her teach her, which would also help conceal her future practice of martial arts from the space.
Zhu Yanyi knew that there was no spiritual energy in this world, so cultivating immortality was unrealistic. Moreover, she had no such aspirations; if she did, she would have long since cultivated to become a Ghost Immortal in the Underworld. However, martial arts were still worth learning. For a girl, they not only strengthened the body and promoted health but also provided self-protection.