Chapter 1: The Rebirth of the Sage of Medicine

"Wh-where am I..."

Zhang Yuan struggled up from the bed, his mind clouded and his head throbbing with pain.

Hadn’t he died? How did he suddenly appear here?

Just a moment ago, Zhang Yuan, revered as a Sage of Medicine, was at the critical juncture of breaking through to the Immortal Realm when a poisoned arrow shot from behind struck him. In the instant the arrow pierced his heart, he caught a glimpse of his attacker—a group of martial experts, coveting his elixirs, who seized the opportunity of his breakthrough to ambush him, shattering his hopes of attaining immortality.

Could it be he hadn’t died after all...

As the pain in his head gradually faded, Zhang Yuan glanced around, only to freeze in disbelief.

By the bedside sat a family portrait, framed and familiar. His parents, elder sister, and younger sister—all five of them together, each face radiant with joy. Yet that happiness, in the end, had dissolved like a mirage.

Staring at the photograph, Zhang Yuan could not stop his body from trembling.

“Isn’t this my old home?”

A flood of memories surged into his mind.

His father, gentle and unassertive, had no presence in the family, yet never uttered a harsh word to any of his children. His mother, strong-willed, bore countless hardships to keep their family safe, and passed away from exhaustion before Zhang Yuan could master the art of medicine. All these tragedies, Zhang Yuan realized, stemmed from his own recklessness.

Cherished by doting parents, loved by his elder sister, gently cared for by his younger sister—he was the only son of the Zhang family. Yet, acting without restraint or thought, he brought disaster upon them. This time, out of jealousy over a girl at school, he was set up and had both legs broken.

Zhang Yuan recalled everything in vivid detail.

Dong Qian, one of the top three beauties at Changshan No. 2 High School, was the best dressed and most admired by the boys—Zhang Yuan included. One day, seeing Dong Qian and Liu Shijue drinking milk tea outside the school, Zhang Yuan burned with jealousy and confronted them. Liu Shijue and his gang dragged him into an alley and broke his legs.

Looking back, it was all a deliberate trap.

His mother, Yang Yun, had gone to Liu Shijue’s house to seek justice, only to be insulted by Liu’s mother. Overcome with anger, Yang Yun collapsed at their door, and only the property manager called for an ambulance. Years of toil had worn her down; though she regained consciousness, she remained hospitalized.

His elder sister was forced to marry a scoundrel to pay for his medical bills, sacrificing her own happiness in exchange for the bride price to save his legs. His little sister vanished without a trace, never to be heard from again.

This single event marked the turning point that plunged the Zhang family into tragedy.

Thinking back, Zhang Yuan realized what a wretched fool he’d been.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, Zhang Yuan clenched his fists tightly.

“If Heaven has granted me a second chance, I will never let tragedy befall my family again!”

A steely resolve shone in his eyes.

He would have his revenge, but first, he had to resolve the crisis at home.

It was his mother’s grave illness that had inspired him to study medicine. Later, a senior from the Immortal Medical Sect recognized his potential, passing on the legacy that made Zhang Yuan a Sage of Medicine.

In his previous life, Zhang Yuan focused solely on perfecting his medical skills, neglecting martial practice, which led to his ambush and the loss of his breakthrough. After becoming a Sage, he had access to countless supreme techniques—any one of which would have fortified his body enough to survive a poisoned arrow.

With so many methods for cultivation and body forging in the Immortal Medical Sect, how could he have missed so much?

Reflecting on his past life, Zhang Yuan resolved that everything would now change.

How could a Sage of Medicine allow his own family to languish in a hospital?

No—he would change the fate of every family member. Never again would they suffer humiliation or hardship.

All those who had once wronged him and his kin, all those who had kicked them while they were down—he would make them pay.

His fists clenched tighter, his eyes glinting coldly.

But first, he had to heal his own injuries.

Zhang Yuan looked down at his broken legs, gritted his teeth, and raised his hands, striking down hard.

After his legs were shattered, the hospital doctors had set the bones and cast them in plaster. To Zhang Yuan, this method was unbearably crude.

If left this way, it would severely hinder his cultivation.

He had to reset his bones.

Without hesitation, Zhang Yuan shattered the plaster, breaking his legs anew.

Though his strength was gone, his medical expertise and knowledge of countless techniques remained.

He chose the Innate Immaculate Body method, the most suitable for himself—he needed to adjust his constitution before he could change his family’s fate.

The Innate Immaculate Body consisted of nine layers, refining flesh, bones, and blood to perfection—the first step toward immortality.

In his past life, his failure wasn’t only due to treachery; his own frail body was also to blame.

The first stage required the tempering of flesh, but before that, the bones had to be perfectly set.

Zhang Yuan silently activated the Innate Immaculate Body technique. His whole body quivered, veins writhing beneath the skin like tiny serpents. As his blood and energy gathered in his legs, he reached out, and with a subtle force, reset the bones.

Harnessing his qi, he rapidly mended the breaks.

The process was excruciating, sweat pouring down in torrents, but the results were extraordinary. Within half an hour, his legs were as good as new.

Moreover, his flesh became even more supple and resilient, thanks to the surging qi and the catalysis of the Innate Immaculate Body technique.

Standing for the first time, Zhang Yuan felt the solid weight of his legs. He strode into the bathroom, washing away the impurities extruded by the cultivation.

Just as he changed into clean clothes and prepared to leave, Zhang Shiyu entered.

“Brother, how are you standing up?”

“Hurry back to bed! Mom’s got me and Sis with her, you need to rest!”

Zhang Shiyu stared at him wide-eyed, her face pale with worry.

Looking at her thin figure and wan face, Zhang Yuan’s heart ached.

This frail girl had borne so much of the family’s burdens.

She had been sickly since childhood, the weakest of them all. Whenever their elder sister favored Zhang Yuan, Shiyu would vie for her attention too. Yet, whenever she had something delicious, she always saved a share for him.

The one who most deserved her family’s love had, because of her foolish brother, borne undue hardship and scorn. After their mother’s death, she disappeared without a trace.

Thinking back on everything, Zhang Yuan’s eyes reddened. He reached out and ruffled Shiyu’s hair.

“Shiyu, from now on, let your brother protect you.”

Shiyu jumped back, staring at him with suspicion.

“Brother, are you out of your mind? You’re acting really strange today.”

“Don’t worry so much. Mom has us, and Dad’s at the hospital. You don’t need to carry this burden alone. Stop saying such things!”

It was clear how terrible he’d been before—just a show of care was enough for his own sister to think something was wrong.

Zhang Yuan smiled bitterly. “Shiyu, I’m not joking, nor am I speaking nonsense.”

“Come, let’s go check on Mom at the hospital.”

“Your legs... are they really fine?”

At last, Shiyu noticed what was amiss. Covering her mouth, she pointed at his legs.

Zhang Yuan smiled faintly. “Don’t worry, I healed them myself.”

Shiyu’s delight immediately turned to suspicion.

“Brother, can you not say such things? How could your legs heal so fast? I went to the hospital with you, too. Don’t tell me you cured yourself—do you even believe that?”

Confronted with her doubts, Zhang Yuan realized a serious problem.

How would he explain to his family that he knew medicine?