Crossing Over: The Strongest Mage

For the first few days, Yan Huo indulged Yang Lue's vanity by listening to him and watching him display his talents. However, just as Yang Lue was preparing to take Yan Huo out to enjoy the beautiful scenery of the city, he found that Yan Huo had been holed up in the study, not coming out. Yang Lue didn't want to force him, so he continued to show off his talents. But after just a few days, Yang Lue's skills no longer had the same effect in front of Yan Huo. Yan Huo could recite the ancient poems and scriptures Yang Lue was quoting, and not only that, he also pointed out many mistakes Yang Lue had made. Yang Lue was stunned.

"How have you become so scholarly in just a few days?" Yang Lue asked.

Yan Huo replied, "I learned it all from the books in this study."

"Learned it from books!? You can read, but how much can you possibly read or learn in just a few days?" Yang Lue questioned.

Yan Huo's response left Yang Lue embarrassed. "I've already read half of the books in this study."

Yan Huo was naturally intelligent and had photographic memory. Moreover, after cultivating and awakening his divine sense, his reading speed was ten times faster than before. He used to read ten books a day, but now he could easily read a hundred. After a few days, he had already read about half of the thousands of books in the study, which was perfectly normal. But Yang Lue couldn't believe it, so he decided to bet with Yan Huo. He had a set of "Medical History," which he decided would be the test.

"Medical History" was a famous medical work compiled by a court physician named Bian Feng and his colleagues. It took them ten years to complete, and the work contained 372 volumes, covering all aspects of medicine, including medical techniques, acupuncture, remedies, and herbs. It was a comprehensive collection of medical knowledge from various dynasties, combining both official and folk practices.

The "Medical History" was a rare treasure. Although copies of it were circulated among the people, the full version was almost unheard of. However, the Yang family had two complete sets. Yang Lue didn't care much about this book, as he had little interest in medicine. He had skimmed through it but never really studied it. To make it fair, Yang Lue had one of the sets of "Medical History" delivered from Luo City overnight for the competition.

As expected, the result of the bet was already clear. But as for the wager, only Yang Lue likely remembered what it was about. Yan Huo had long forgotten, as he was completely absorbed in the knowledge of "Medical History."

Yan Huo had only read the text, without truly understanding it. However, he had developed a particular interest in acupuncture, as he also used needles in his cultivation. Not only did Yan Huo read it, but he also studied and understood it. In twenty or so days, he had already read 231 volumes. If not for his meticulous study, he could have finished the entire book in just a few days, considering his speed of reading a hundred books a day.

In the back study, Yan Huo sat at a desk surrounded by books, neatly arranged in rows. He was reading the "Medical History."

"So the human body has so many meridians and acupoints, each of which has its own function and effects. A single needle can save a life or take it." After reading a section, Yan Huo paused and used his divine sense to examine his own body. "My meridians and acupoints don't differ from those shown in the book, except mine are much stronger. It seems that cultivators' bodies differ from ordinary people's, but I wonder what a cultivator's body would be like after becoming an immortal."

Just as Yan Huo continued reading, there was a voice from outside the study.

"Yan, may I come in?" Yang Lue called.

Since Yan Huo had arrived at the Yang family's residence, Yang Lue had already started calling him "Yan," a sign of their growing friendship.

"Ah, it's Brother Yang. Please come in." From a hundred steps away, Yan Huo sensed Yang Lue approaching the study. At that moment, he calmly stood up. As Yang Lue entered, he immediately greeted Yan Huo with a formal salute and humbly said, "Yan, your talents are extraordinary. I admit defeat. I misunderstood you earlier and even bet with you. Now that I think about it, I feel truly ashamed. I hope you won't hold it against me and will forgive me this once."

"Hehe! Brother Yang, you are too kind. I have yet to properly thank you for taking me in, and you've also been so considerate toward me. The bet was my fault, and as for 'forgiveness,' that's not something I deserve," Yan Huo replied modestly.

"Yan, you are too humble. With your intelligence and talents, the title of the top scholar will surely come easily to you! As for the bet, I willingly admit defeat," Yang Lue continued. By midday, Yan Huo had finished his morning meditation. Cultivating in the city was far less effective than in the mountains. After meditating all morning, he had made no progress.

"Perhaps it's better to read some books," Yan Huo thought to himself. He got out of bed and walked over to the desk to continue reading the *Medical History*. Hearing Yan Huo get up, the maid, Xiao Cui, who had been waiting outside, gently pushed open the door and entered with a washbasin.

Xiao Cui had originally been a maid in the manager's courtyard. She was about fifteen or sixteen years old, with a lovely appearance, which made her quite endearing. Yang Lue had specially asked her to serve Yan Huo. After Yan Huo washed his face, he asked, "Xiao Cui, has your master woken up yet?"

Xiao Cui smiled and replied, "Hehe! Yes, he's up. I thought Master would sleep in at least until the afternoon, but this morning, an important guest arrived, so Master had to get up to greet him."

"Oh? Who is the guest?" Yan Huo asked.

"It's the second young master of the Liu family," Xiao Cui answered.

"The Liu family? Which Liu family?" Yan Huo asked, surprised.

"The Liu family from the 'Fengyuan Escort Bureau,' of course!" Xiao Cui explained.

"You... your master has a good relationship with the Liu family?" Yan Huo asked, his tone growing tense at the mention of the Liu family.

"Not exactly. They have some dealings, but Master and the second young master of the Liu family are quite close. The second young master manages his family's branch in Luo City, and they often interacted when Master was in Luo City," Xiao Cui said.

"I see..." Yan Huo thought for a moment. "Xiao Cui, if your master calls for me later, tell him that I'm still feeling the effects of alcohol and not in the best shape, so I'm not fit to meet anyone."

"Hehe! Got it, Young Master Yan," Xiao Cui said with a giggle, remembering last night. "You're really something, Young Master. You managed to get Master drunk. I heard you drank fifteen jars of osmanthus wine last night. Is that true?"

"Something like that," Yan Huo said nonchalantly. He hadn't expected to drink so much on his first time. When he had his first sip, the scent of the osmanthus wine reminded him of the osmanthus cake his sister Xiuning used to make, and it was a flavor he hadn't tasted in years. So, he couldn't stop drinking once he started. One cup after another.

Yang Lue, seeing Yan Huo drinking so freely, felt a little competitive and started matching him cup for cup. In no time, the two of them had downed four or five jars of one jin (about half a liter) of wine each. Yang Lue was half-drunk, his face flushed, while Yan Huo showed no signs of stopping.

"My goodness! Is this really his first time drinking?" After several jars, Yang Lue looked at Yan Huo, who was still drinking without a care, his face unchanged, his heart pounding in disbelief. Yang Lue gritted his teeth and thought, "I've been raised in a wine pool and a meat forest, plus I have my inner strength to back me up. There's no way I'm going to lose to Yan in drinking!"

"Yan, take it easy! Have some snacks with that wine," Yang Lue said, trying to keep up.