Shen Xiong had gone to great lengths to procure all the items Du Fei needed.
The moment he stepped out, he called his trusted subordinate, Sun Cheng, and instructed him to gather more than a dozen quick-witted men to purchase Du Fei's requested items.
As for himself, Shen Xiong found a nearby spot to wait for everyone to finish their shopping and bring the items over.
It was precisely because of this meticulous arrangement that Shen Xiong was able to acquire everything Du Fei needed in just over an hour.
However, Shen Xiong did not seek any credit from Du Fei for these minor tasks.
He understood perfectly that for a distinguished figure like Du Fei, his duty was merely to diligently complete the tasks assigned, and there was no need to elaborate on the process.
"You are truly thoughtful; I hadn't even considered buying daily necessities."
Du Fei looked at the pile of daily necessities before him and was quite impressed by Shen Xiong's attentiveness.
Receiving Du Fei's affirmation, Shen Xiong's face lit up, and even the wrinkles on his forehead seemed to soften.
Subsequently, Du Fei carefully reviewed all the items Shen Xiong had purchased, ensuring nothing was missing.
"Mr. Du, since everything has been acquired, I will not disturb your rest any further. If you need anything, please do not hesitate to call me. I am at your service anytime."
Although Shen Xiong desperately wished to further his connection with Du Fei, he managed to restrain himself.
He knew that at such a juncture, he had to prioritize wisely.
Even if Du Fei were to accept any requests he might make now and feel indebted, it would negate all the goodwill he had built so far.
By not overstepping his bounds and acting with discretion, Shen Xiong believed Du Fei would call upon him in the future when needed.
Through this sustained approach, Shen Xiong was confident he would eventually establish a genuine rapport with Du Fei.
"Very well, my current condition is not conducive to keeping you here. I will find an opportunity to express my gratitude another day."
Du Fei nodded.
His immediate priority was to heal his injuries, and everything else could wait.
As soon as Shen Xiong left, Du Fei immediately began searching for the items he urgently needed from the purchases.
Bai Ji, Yuan Hu, Mu Ming Zi...
Du Fei took out over a dozen types of traditional Chinese medicine and began to refine them according to the formula he had in mind.
...
Sunset gave way to sunrise.
After sleeping for nearly twenty hours, Du Fei finally woke up.
He slowly sat up and moved his injured left shoulder.
Fortunately, apart from a slight ache, it was almost entirely healed.
Yesterday, after refining the medicinal pills and tending to his injuries, Du Fei had immediately collapsed into a deep sleep.
In the past, Du Fei would wake up feeling refreshed and energetic after only three to four hours of sleep.
However, his recent struggle with the giant had left him not only exhausted but also severely wounded, which accounted for his exceptionally long slumber.
The nearly twenty hours of deep sleep had significantly helped his depleted mental state recover.
Combined with the reduced severity of his left shoulder injury, Du Fei began to address a more critical issue.
That was his damaged Dantian.
During his fight with the giant, in order to save himself, Du Fei had unhesitatingly forced his True Qi, which was on the verge of depletion, to propel the small milky-white sword.
This action had already injured his Dantian.
Following this, during his subsequent escape, Du Fei had driven his Dantian relentlessly.
Although he managed to escape the giant's grasp, this further aggravated the already wounded Dantian.
Upon waking, Du Fei had indeed attempted to gather True Qi, but he discovered that his Dantian was completely empty, rendering him incapable of doing so.
He sat cross-legged, with his palms facing upwards.
Du Fei, as was his usual practice when cultivating the Wan Xiang Jue, attempted to circulate the True Qi through his body.
To his dismay, he could not even condense True Qi within his body, let alone circulate it through a cycle.
This was a serious problem.
Du Fei's brow furrowed deeply.
This was, by far, the most challenging issue he had encountered since he began practicing the Wan Xiang Jue.
Du Fei tried numerous times, but each attempt ended in failure.
In the end, Du Fei's emotions began to turn restless.
Hoo.
Hoo.
Hoo.
Du Fei stopped trying and slowly adjusted his breathing rhythm, striving to calm his emotions.
Haste makes waste.
Everyone had heard this saying, but when faced with a personal predicament, few could truly remain calm and composed.
For Du Fei, after mastering the Wan Xiang Jue, his life had undergone a dramatic transformation.
With his exceptional medical skills and martial arts prowess, he had been unstoppable, easily resolving any problem he encountered.
However, after being tricked by that fellow Master Fei, his martial arts skills were completely ruined by the giant.
At this moment, Du Fei felt as if he had fallen from the heavens to the depths of the earth. This immense drop was difficult to accept all at once.
But there was no other way; the event had occurred, and Du Fei had no choice but to grit his teeth and accept the reality.
Since he could not change the situation for the time being, he could not simply give up on himself.
Du Fei stood up from the ground, intending to go out for a walk.
The two-story house that Shen Xiong had found for Du Fei also came with a small courtyard.
Du Fei walked to the iron gate of the courtyard and slowly pushed it open.
As he stepped out, the warm sunlight immediately bathed him.
Du Fei felt so comfortable that he almost closed his eyes.
He had no particular destination in mind; he simply wanted to go for a stroll, so he followed the pebble path outside the small courtyard, walking slowly forward.
On either side of the pebble path, fields had been cultivated.
At this moment, four or five middle-aged women were planting vegetables in the fields.
They chatted as they sowed their vegetables, and this scene immediately brought Du Fei's parents to mind.
Many years ago, before his father got into aquaculture, Du Fei's family made a living by farming.
His hardworking parents would leave before sunrise and return only after it was completely dark.
On one occasion, Du Fei and Du Yunyun pestered their father and mother to let them join them in the fields.
His mother was initially hesitant, saying they were too young to endure such hardship and should stay home. However, his father smiled and said that if they wanted to go, they could.
The siblings happily followed their parents to the fields.
As their mother had predicted, the siblings could not endure the hardships of farming.
Within ten minutes, their initial novelty wore off, and they quickly started feeling exhausted.
Du Yunyun was the first to go and rest, while Du Fei stubbornly persisted.
At this point, Du Fei's father approached him and told him that everything had its techniques, and the reason he and his sister were tired so quickly was that they hadn't mastered the art of farming.
Subsequently, his father demonstrated for Du Fei.
After his father's hands-on guidance, Du Fei's sharp mind allowed him to learn quickly.
Then, his father told Du Fei that no matter how great the difficulty, one should never give up easily.
Because as long as one did not give up, there was still hope, even if that hope was only one percent or one in a thousand.
But if one gave up, then all hope was lost.
Recalling his father's words, a spark reignited in Du Fei's eyes.