Su Fan immediately jumped in.
Water at 65 degrees Celsius is very hot for normal people. Generally, water temperatures above normal human body temperature are noticeably hot, and temperatures above forty-two degrees Celsius feel scalding. Exceeding sixty degrees poses a risk of burns.
Therefore, the water temperature in most bathhouses is controlled below 45 degrees Celsius.
However, Su Fan was not a normal person. He was a martial artist, with much higher tolerance for cold and heat than ordinary people. So, after entering the water, Su Fan felt no discomfort.
Seeing that nothing unexpected happened, Su Fan immediately sat cross-legged and began to cultivate.
As he circulated his cultivation technique, Su Fan could feel the potent medicinal energy in the water drilling into his body through his pores.
"Su Yutong didn't say it would hurt!"
Su Fan frowned. His current sensation was like being pricked by thousands of needles, the medicinal energy in the water aggressively stimulating his skin and flesh.
The arrow was nocked and ready; Su Fan could not waste so many attribute pills. This was all money!
Su Fan gritted his teeth and persevered.
Time ticked by, minute by minute.
As dusk approached, Su Fan finally absorbed all the medicinal energy from the water.
"Hoo!"
Su Fan opened his eyes and exhaled a breath of turbid air.
The medicinal water beneath him had turned clear again, all its potency completely absorbed by Su Fan.
His cultivation realm had also reached the peak of the Yuheng Realm, on the verge of entering the Tian Realm!
However, Su Fan knew that the distance between the Tian Realm and the Yuheng Realm was like the difference between heaven and earth.
Su Fan's current feeling was like standing on the ground and looking up at the sky.
Although it was only one step away, for a martial artist, it was a vast chasm.
A realm that no one in China had crossed for hundreds of years was within sight, yet seemingly untouchable.
Su Fan also knew he couldn't rush. Breakthroughs required opportunity. When the opportunity arrived, perhaps a sneeze could bridge the gap, but without it, effort would be in vain.
This was because at this stage, it wasn't true qi that was lacking, but spiritual state.
Still, Su Fan wasn't anxious. Once he retrieved his set of equipment, he estimated he would be comparable to a Tian Realm martial artist, right?
Putting aside the matter of his cultivation realm for the moment, Su Fan ate some dinner and went straight to his bedroom to sleep.
Upon entering the tent, the soldiers were already preparing to break camp.
"Camp Commander Li, which stronghold is next?"
Su Fan found Li Changmin and asked him.
"My lord, I believe we should return and recuperate for a period. We cannot be too eager for quick success," Li Changmin said after a moment of thought.
"Oh? Why?" Su Fan did not argue, but instead asked Li Changmin why they needed to rest.
"You see, the next three strongholds we face are all connected. Although their strength is average, they belong to a single backer, and their positions form a pincer formation. Whichever one we attack, the other two can provide rapid support. Without a force of five hundred men, we cannot take them down," Li Changmin explained, showing Su Fan a map.
Su Fan wasn't very knowledgeable about military strategy. Hearing Li Changmin's reasoned explanation, he nodded slightly.
"You mentioned their backer? Who?" Su Fan asked Li Changmin, puzzled.
"King Kaoshan," Li Changmin said gravely.
"King Kaoshan? I'm the Pirate King!" Su Fan couldn't help but retort upon hearing the name.
"Ah?" Li Changmin looked at Su Fan with some confusion.
"Ahem, never mind. Tell me about this King Kaoshan," Su Fan said with an awkward cough.
Li Changmin began to explain to Su Fan.
King Kaoshan was not originally a bandit. He was the former city lord of Beiling City. Later, Beiling City was granted to Fang Shijie as his territory, and King Kaoshan was demoted to deputy city lord.
King Kaoshan, unwilling to accept this, led his subordinates away from Beiling City and became a bandit in the vicinity.
Relying on his previous connections, King Kaoshan quickly established a foothold and, in a short period, brought several surrounding strongholds under his control.
From then on, the name King Kaoshan spread throughout the strongholds around Beiling City.
All the bandits and mountain tribes in the vicinity of Beiling City looked up to King Kaoshan, making him the largest bandit force.
He commanded over a thousand men directly, not including the other strongholds under his command.
The rampant banditry around Beiling City was also related to King Kaoshan's powerful influence. No one could deal with King Kaoshan, which is why the surrounding bandits were so audacious.
Su Fan frowned slightly after hearing Li Changmin's explanation.
It seemed they really couldn't rush things when dealing with this King Kaoshan.
A large stronghold with a thousand men was indeed something they couldn't handle at their current strength.
"Alright then, let's head back," Su Fan nodded, agreeing to Li Changmin's suggestion.
Under Li Changmin's arrangements, the soldiers immediately broke camp and returned to the bandit suppression camp.
Bai Hong, in the City Lord's mansion, learned that Su Fan had returned from suppressing bandits. He immediately slipped out of the City Lord's mansion and stealthily headed towards the bandit suppression camp.
In the past few days, Fang Shijie had not paid him any attention and had even been wary of him, never bringing him to any important occasions.
Bai Hong knew he had completely lost Fang Shijie's trust.
He had thoroughly lost the bet with Su Fan.
However, it was absolutely impossible for him to turn and pledge allegiance to Su Fan based on this alone.
He was going there to make things clear with Su Fan.
He had lost, and he was willing to entrust his life to Su Fan, but he would never go against his former master. This was his bottom line as a person.
"Halt!" Bai Hong was stopped as soon as he reached the city gate.
"Where are you going?" Fang Shijie emerged from behind Bai Hong and asked.
Bai Hong's heart leaped.
"City Lord!" Bai Hong immediately bowed to Fang Shijie.
"I asked where you are going!" Fang Shijie asked again in a cold tone.
"Your subordinate is going to... the bandit suppression camp," Bai Hong hesitated for a moment before truthfully answering Fang Shijie.
"Heh!" Fang Shijie sneered at Bai Hong.
"Bai Hong, you've been with me for nearly ten years, haven't you? Is it less valuable than the little benefit that brat Su Fan gave you?" Fang Shijie was convinced that Bai Hong had been bribed by Su Fan. The fact that Bai Hong was rushing to the bandit suppression camp as soon as Su Fan returned to camp further solidified his suspicion.
"The City Lord has treated me well, and I would naturally not betray you. However, a wise bird chooses its tree to roost in. Rather than being underutilized by your side, it would be better to contribute elsewhere. I hope you will grant my request," Bai Hong said to Fang Shijie, neither servile nor overbearing.
"Well said, 'a wise bird chooses its tree to roost in'!" Fang Shijie laughed instead of getting angry.
"So, this is the reason you are betraying me?" Fang Shijie's smile suddenly vanished, and he looked at Bai Hong with murderous intent.
"Bai Hong is not betraying you, but merely upholding a promise. Wherever your subordinate goes, he will not be your enemy," Bai Hong maintained his unyielding demeanor.
"Heh, going to my sworn enemy's bandit suppression camp is not being my enemy?!" Fang Shijie instantly became enraged, no longer able to maintain his dignity as City Lord, and furiously berated Bai Hong with a contorted expression.
"However, I will give you this chance. For the sake of our years of friendship, if you can walk out of this city gate today, I will let you go," Fang Shijie said to Bai Hong with a cold expression, tilting his head back.
Fang Shijie waved his hand slightly, and dozens of guards immediately blocked the city gate, holding swords.