Chapter Fifty-Four: Two Skills

"Then, I'd like to commission you to turn Wugou back. Is that possible?" Longtong asked expectantly.

"Of course. The commission fee is ten thousand taels."

"Agreed." Longtong answered without a moment's hesitation.

So, Yu Higashino acted decisively, turning and drawing his blade toward "Satori" in the distance.

A towering monster, some fifteen or twenty meters high, exerted an immense pressure. Even when facing Yu Higashino’s drawn blade, it let out a menacing roar as if to intimidate him.

But Yu Higashino was clearly unaffected. Calm and composed, he raised his sword and struck, sending a transparent slash toward "Satori."

This slash was even grander than the one that had split the mountain earlier, though its power seemed much diminished—almost negligible. It swept through "Satori," yet appeared not to cause any harm.

Yet, almost immediately, something black on "Satori" seemed to fracture and crumble.

At the same time, "Satori’s" massive form began to shrink, quickly reverting to Wugou’s original appearance, then collapsing to the ground.

"It’s done," Yu Higashino turned to Longtong.

Longtong stared for a moment, then quickly recovered and exclaimed, "Thank you, sir!" before rushing over to Wugou.

Yu Higashino glanced at the distant Blissful Casket. At that moment, the casket had closed its maw. The four elders from the Grass Ninja Village thrown inside by "Satori" were likely never to emerge again.

Near the casket lay Wuwei, blood pooling beneath him, barely clinging to life.

Yu Higashino casually cast several healing spells on him. These should allow Wuwei to draw a few more breaths.

Once his [Medical Arts] skill leveled up to lv4, Yu Higashino could easily revive him.

Having finished, Yu Higashino opened his skill panel.

[Medical Arts lv3: 2383/10000]

He would need to grind a while longer to level up.

Then, at the very bottom of the panel, a new skill had appeared.

[Binding Technique lv1: 0/100]

Yu Higashino examined the skill, an odd expression crossing his face.

At lv1, [Binding Technique] was no more effective than what any ordinary person could do—a simple rope binding, essentially.

Thus, Yu Higashino’s mind was suddenly filled with countless ways to tie someone up.

What use could this possibly have?

He scoffed at it.

Still, at higher levels, it might become quite handy—immobilizing someone, freezing time...

Wait, this seemed to be heading in a strange direction.

He decided not to dwell on it, closed the skill panel, and focused on casting healing spells on Karin’s mother.

To reassure Karin, Yu Higashino even extended his hand toward her mother as a necessary gesture for treatment.

And so, after about half an hour, his [Medical Arts] skill finally leveled up.

At lv3, [Medical Arts] could only heal external wounds, and even then, fatal injuries were difficult. But at lv4, the skill could heal the mind and soul, treat deadly injuries effectively, and even replenish a person’s vitality.

Moreover, lv4’s effects were far superior to lv3.

With the skill upgraded, Yu Higashino’s next healing spell enveloped Karin’s mother in a radiant golden light. Her haggard, pallid face gradually regained its glow, her brittle hair smoothed and shone, even her skin seemed rejuvenated.

Yu Higashino realized the skill could serve not only for healing but also for beautification.

"Mom!" Karin’s voice pulled Yu Higashino back from his thoughts.

"Karin, Mom thought... thought..." The woman on the operating table could move at last; she hugged Karin tightly and wept.

Yu Higashino looked away, then casually cast healing spells on Wuwei, still lying in his own blood, and on Wugou, kneeling beside him.

Golden light surged from both of them. In the midst of their emotional turmoil, the two were stunned, then looked toward Yu Higashino with eyes full of astonishment, gratitude, and a mix of other emotions.

Yu Higashino did not meet their gaze. Instead, he glanced at the Blissful Casket once more. How should this be dealt with?

[Should I take it back for research?]

Yu Higashino tried to use the [Transformation] skill; the casket was too large to carry conveniently.

Even at lv4, the [Transformation] skill struggled with the casket—not that it couldn’t transform it, but the energy cost was high and the transformation wouldn’t last long.

No matter; he could just reset the [Transformation] effect every so often.

From a distance, under the astonished gazes of those present, Yu Higashino shrank the Blissful Casket to the size of a palm, then drew it over with a wave of sword energy.

"From now on, this belongs to me. No objections?" Yu Higashino asked Wuwei.

"Sir, this is not something we can keep. Please handle it as you see fit," Wuwei replied.

Yu Higashino shrank the casket further and slipped it into his pocket.

Jiaodu, watching from the side, narrowed his eyes:

[As expected, I guessed right—sir’s true aim was the Blissful Casket! He said he had no purpose before; clearly, he just didn’t trust me enough. That won’t do. If he doesn’t trust me, he’ll never teach me that money-making technique. Looks like I’ll have to work harder!]

At that moment, Karin’s mother spoke up.

"Thank you! Thank you, sir. If not for you... thank you, sir!" She thanked him over and over.

Yu Higashino interrupted, "There’s no need—it was just a commission."

"Big brother," Karin added from the side, "I know what you did is worth far more than a single candy. I’m not stupid... But right now, I don’t have anything valuable to offer. Still, I promise I’ll repay you someday."

"No need," Yu Higashino replied softly. Then he glanced at the skill panel; just now, a new skill had appeared.

And it was an exceptionally special one.

[Longevity: 0/infinity]

This skill had no levels, and its effect was extraordinary: live a day, gain ten proficiency points, and each point extends Yu Higashino’s life by one day. In other words, from this moment onward, he would live forever.

It was so sudden that Yu Higashino hardly felt it.

[Will having endless life bring happiness?] The philosophical question flashed through his mind.

He quickly stopped pondering. Happiness could be explored over time.

"All right, it’s over. Let’s head back first," Yu Higashino suggested.

With him leading, the group began their return to Grass Ninja Village.

Once there, Longtong and Wuwei, with Yu Higashino’s consent, went to find the Grass Shadow. After all, they were villagers of Grass Ninja, and some matters needed to be reported.

Karin and her mother did not return home but were brought by Yu Higashino to his temporary residence, since there were still commission matters to discuss.