Chapter 016: Advancement to Divine Physician

The enemy force encountered was a unit sent by Han Sui to reinforce Bian Zhang.

Though they were called “reinforcements,” their actual task was the transport of grain and fodder.

Compared to the life-and-death struggle of the front lines, transporting supplies was the most comfortable and safest job, ideal for preserving one’s strength.

This was a calculated move by the sworn brothers Ma Teng and Han Sui.

They were willing to join the rebellion, but they refused to commit too deeply to the rebel cause.

Their plan was simple: 

If the rebel army was crushed, they would stab them in the back, absorb their remaining forces, and surrender to the Han court.

In the remote borderlands of Xiliang, the Han Dynasty wouldn’t waste its resources on a total extermination campaign against two local warlords.

As long as they offered a superficial apology and swore fealty, the court would likely let them keep their territory.

Had this occurred closer to the heartland, in regions like Hanzhong, it would have escalated into a fight to the death.

Those lands were fertile, the lifeblood of the empire, too vital to lose.

On the battlefield, a fierce general from the enemy ranks was wreaking havoc with a long spear.

Everywhere he rode, men and horses were overturned.

Such a valiant warrior was a rare sight even in the frontier lands of Xiliang.

The surrounding soldiers of the Dong army roared in unison and charged forward with reckless abandon.

As the general’s momentum began to wane, several soldiers immediately raised their swords to meet him, thrusting their spears forward.

In such a decisive moment, an ordinary general would have met his end.

Yet this general showed no sign of panic.

He swiftly pulled the reins, rearing his warhorse on its hind legs.

With a fierce kick from its front hooves, he sent a soldier flying.

Such horsemanship was truly first-rate for the time.

His spear danced up and down with blinding speed, one could barely discern the thrusts, only faint afterimages flickering through the air.

Puch!

The attacking soldiers were pierced through the forehead in an instant.

Small, neat holes appeared between their eyes, yet no blood sprayed out, a chillingly precise display of skill.

“Rebel dog, don’t be so arrogant! Take a blade from Hua Xiong!”

A burly man from the southwest roared as he charged.

His heavy blade clashed with the spear, sending a shower of sparks flying.

The sheer force of the collision was terrifying to behold.

It was a duel of titans. As they circled each other in a blur of strikes, the shockwaves radiating from them kicked up dust and stones.

Any soldier who wandered within three meters was instantly ground into mincemeat.

Long Tian only spared the duel a glance before continuing to cast [Vajra Protection].

He ignored the single-target [Life Healing] for now; it only provided 3 to 5 experience points per cast.

[Vajra Protection], however, had a massive range and affected dozens of people at once. It was his primary tool for farming XP.

He rode through the chaos, harvesting rebel lives and casting buffs while his energy recovered.

In his eyes, these blood-soaked heads rolling across the battlefield weren’t people, they were merits and experience points.

In this world, you either killed or were killed. 

Talking about morality on a battlefield was like an old man drinking poison to cure a headache.

Ding! Ding! Ding!

The repeated chimes of leveling up echoed in his mind.

Long Tian’s excitement grew as he swung his great sword, carving through the rebels like he was slicing vegetables.

Dong Zhuo had deployed his finest elites. Even if their individual quality didn’t match the enemy’s best, they had the numbers.

Whenever a troublesome rebel officer appeared, two or three Dong generals would swarm them, neutralizing their impact.

[Ding! Current Level: 15.]

[Class Advancement Triggered!]

[Ding! Advancement Successful.]

Name: Long Tian

Class: Divine Physician, Level 1

New Skills Learned: 

1. Silver Moon Frostbloom: Heals all allies within a 20-meter radius using the essence of the moon and the spirit of flowing water. 

Healing value is 2x Magic Attack. Costs 50 MP.

2. Diagnosis: Utilize profound medical expertise to treat the injured or ill, and gain the target’s favor.

3. Alchemy: Craft potent elixirs and pills using medicinal herbs. Recipes must be collected by yourself.

Starting Recipes: Marching Pill, Burning Knife Liquor.

<<<•>>>

Scanning the new skills, Long Tian’s heart skipped a beat.

This was incredible. 

AoE healing, a social “favor” mechanic, and a mysterious alchemy system? 

It felt like he was touching the very edge of supernatural science.

“KILL!” He roared, venting his excitement through slaughter. 

This system was his greatest secret; he would take it to the grave.

He began testing his new powers. 

The experience gain from the AoE [Silver Moon Frostbloom] was astronomical. 

He pushed himself to the limit, showing his most ferocious side to ensure he established sufficient military merit.

A six-thousand-strong force was swiftly scattered. 

The remaining soldiers fled for their lives, terrified of being caught by the pursuing imperial troops.

Dong Zhuo ordered his troops to pursue relentlessly, entrusting the battlefield cleanup to Long Tian and General Xu Rong while leading the chase himself.

Long Tian didn’t complain. He immediately headed to the field hospital to tend to the wounded, essentially performing diagnosis and treatment.

Using this technique for the first time, Long Tian could now see the condition of those he healed, though limited to illnesses.

Most were simple blade wounds, easy to fix with a bandage and a burst of [Life Healing] to accelerate tissue growth.

Others were more grim: compound fractures that required setting bones, and soldiers with crushed chests from being trampled by horses.

These were difficult to save and required long-term recovery.

Long Tian prioritized the light injuries first to get men back on their feet.

Fortunately, the military doctors here were plentiful, so he wasn’t overwhelmed for long.

While he worked, he observed his partner, Xu Rong.

Xu Rong was a man in his thirties, standing nearly 1.8 meters tall. He was quiet and reserved.

In the Xiliang army hierarchy, he was an outsider, often marginalized because he was from Liaodong rather than the local Xiliang provinces.

During the Eastern Han Dynasty, local warlords operated with intense regional bias.

People from different regions viewed each other with suspicion and huddled together with their fellow countrymen for safety.

Just look at Yuan Shao’s factions: the Yingchuan faction, the Hebei faction, and the neutral faction.

These groups couldn’t stand the sight of each other; getting along was practically impossible.

With only so many positions available, it was inevitable that with too many people, conflicts would arise.