With the assembly finished and the crowd dispersed, Liming Zi returned to the shared accommodation. Sun went elsewhere.
'To continue fulfilling my role as a Medical Expert...'
Sun reminisced on what Liming Zi told him just moments prior, so deeply that his gaze seemed distant and unfocused.
As he seemingly wandered around in a daze, Sun arrived at a warehouse in the Settlement.
People were shifting supplies around in this area, wooden crates and woven bags, most of which Sun recognised as the provisions brought by the Earth Overturning Centipede.
This was a distribution centre, temporarily set up to provide any supplies to both Cultivators and mortal Warriors of the Retaliatory Division.
Silver Extreme and Settlement Lord Feng Di Ji set this up, and with it, slips that represent their authority.
Sun held one in his hand; there were three circles on its surface, as well as a bunch of other engravings.
This was a slip given specifically to the Cultivators of the Retaliatory Division, silver in colour and framed with a lazuli blue border.
It represented Silver Extreme's status and the right to claim provisions from the distribution centre.
"Young man, you are the first to get here. You must be very impatient, no? Or perhaps, you were afraid of missing out on provisions?"
The middle-aged man working the distribution centre gave a quiet but hearty laugh.
"You shouldn't have to worry, we have enough provisions to give each person three portions."
"Ah... am I-, is this too early...?"
"No, no. It's fine. Come, show me your slip and receive your portion, impatient one."
Sun smiled sheepishly at the middle-aged man's tease and handed the silver and blue slip over.
The man left a mark on one of the three circles, handed the slip back, and retreated into the warehouse.
'To continue fulfilling my role as a Medical Expert...
'How could I continue fulfilling that role?'
The memories of Star Gazing Settlement—the screams, the begging, the terror—would always echo in his mind, like the knells of a funeral bell; a constant reminder of his failure.
'How could I continue that path?'
Even Heart Tethering Maiden's words rose within his mind, rippling the once hazy surface of the lake within his head.
His mind trembled with these discouraging thoughts, and Sun clenched his teeth.
Sun felt misery, but above all else, he felt a tinge of heat, annoyance at his failures.
He shook his head slowly, releasing the frown that absentmindedly formed on his brow.
'I can't go back, I just can't... I'm fully dedicated to the path of a Warrior...'
"Here you go, impatient one. Before you leave, I must tell you to take these in moderation, as advised on the paper."
That middle-aged man returned with a woven pouch, the soft clicking of glass could be heard within, a small piece of paper dangling off the string with tied the pouch shut.
"I hope they serve you well, young man."
Sun nodded before turning away, being waved off by the other middle-aged man.
The paper tied to the pouch only had a few words written on it.
"Blood-Circulating Pills. Only one is to be used every four hours.
"Blood-Coagulating Pills. Only one is to be used every two hours.
"Qi-Amplifying Pills. Only use three within a single night."
Within the woven pouch were three glass vials, each labelled with a small note.
The Blood-Circulating Pills were dull red in colour, the Blood-Coagulating were dark red, while the Qi-Amplifying Pills were a dull silvery colour.
There were ten pills in each, and they had a faint sensation that emanated through the glass.
'I've held medicinal pills before, but these seem entirely different...'
Sun had long since heard the prospects of pills, having used some during his time as a Medical Expert in Star Gazing Settlement.
They were a common tool for recovery and Cultivation.
'These Blood-Circulating pills should help with keeping me active, the other red pill will help with injuries, and the silver ones... those should replenish Qi?'
A hint of excitement and expectation flickered in Sun's eyes as he wandered while gazing at these pills.
...
"I was wondering where you went..."
The moment Sun stepped into the door of his shared accommodation, he found Liming Zi tracing her finger in the air, drawing with a pale light.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm drawing the Dao Art Image from the assembly, Faithful Steps, they called it. Where did you go?"
"I visited the distribution centre and retrieved the first of my provisions."
"Already...? Well, what did you get?"
Sun retrieved the glass vials and showed Liming Zi the three sets of pills he was given. Her face remained indifferent, but her internal thoughts were contemplative.
'That's very little for what we are facing... Perhaps they worry about excessive intake or stressful intake? Regardless of whether they're playing safe, it really does seem as though we are being tested on our personal abilities.'
Silencing her thoughts, Liming Zi let out a hum as she gestured for Sun to sit beside her.
"I trust you know not to use those excessively, and since we still have time, why don't you learn this with me?"
"Sure..." Sun obliged and sat beside Liming Zi; there were a few thoughts on his mind.
"I can't help but wonder about this Wind Shaven Mountain's soil... Moreso, I wonder what would happen if those intense winds start blowing during the tide."
"I had asked Wolf King Lan and Silver Extreme about it. They told me that this Settlement has a Dao Art set up to resist the winds. Not only that, but Silver Extreme was relying on that to aid in resisting the tides."
Liming Zi remarked, still drawing on the air with pale light.
"The winds are expected to appear at the end of this Epoch, so, roughly sixty nights from now."
"Then we are expected to resist the tides for sixty nights...?"
It was an astonishing number, surpassing what Sun expected of this situation.
"Can we even hold out for that long?"
"It should be fine. Should this Qing Mao Dao Settlement not have Union Settlement as its backer, it would undoubtedly be destroyed, but with this Retaliatory Division... we should be able to hold on for at least sixty nights."
Liming Zi reassured him and retrieved her finger from the air.
"For now, study this with me. It shouldn't be difficult to cultivate, and it seems to be connected to the soul."