Looking at the note left by Ethan Brooks, John Miller stood there, holding a bag with fifty thousand yuan, so angry that he kicked the wall several times. That bastard—after all these years, he always took the lead and controlled everything, and even when leaving... even when leaving, he still managed to piss him off.

Chapter 3: Honest and Kind

Ever since Ethan Brooks's parents passed away, John Miller and his family had become like family to Ethan Brooks. However, he wasn't really worried, because over the years, he had secretly mixed some of the spiritual herbs and elixirs he obtained—just the most ordinary ones that they could handle—into their food and drinks for them to consume.

Maybe not as much as Ethan Brooks, but with what Ethan Brooks knew now, being free from all diseases and living to a hundred was absolutely no problem for them.

As for the medical knowledge he had gained from reading extensively, Ethan Brooks hadn't tried experimenting on them yet; he decided to save that for benefiting others.

Although Ethan Brooks possessed the unique ability to absorb heavenly tribulation, he didn't know if it was because of this that he couldn't cultivate, or even generate true qi. Just as Master Guhan lamented in the end: "Blessing or curse!"

Ethan Brooks himself couldn't say whether this was a blessing or a curse. That heavenly thunder, which could flatten mountains thousands of feet high, had struck him four times, yet Ethan Brooks felt no discomfort at all.

Even if you don't use the cultivation world's logic, according to the law of conservation of energy, this heavenly tribulation's thunder couldn't just disappear for no reason.

But then again, with cultivators, Mount Shu, and immortals all appearing, maybe it's best not to try to explain it scientifically.

After all the calculations, there's only one thing that makes sense: the human body is as much a mystery as the universe itself. With this in mind, Ethan Brooks began to study all kinds of knowledge diligently—countless medical theories, and the cultivation world's various explorations of the human body. Over the years, he became an expert in human physiology, and he enjoyed it immensely, constantly striving and working hard in this field, gradually developing a fondness for the medical profession.

No matter what, Ethan Brooks had experienced far more extraordinary things over the years than most people could ever imagine... far more. That's why, when he was in Qingqu Village facing so many wealthy people, he could remain calm. However, he himself had never traveled far, let alone been to a big city, so he appeared very simple and honest, and with his gentle and refined appearance, he looked just like a student from the mountains or countryside.

Because of this, as soon as he got off the train at Shanghai Station, a group of people surrounded him.

"Hey, young man, need a place to stay? Our hotel is nearby, cheap and fair—there's no second place like it."

"Buddy, need a ride? Just tell me where you want to go and I'll take you right away."

"Bro, need to transfer to a plane, train, or coach? We have plane tickets nationwide starting at 15% of the original price, and train and coach tickets to wherever you want to go."

...

Although he had never been to a big city or traveled much, these scenes were not unfamiliar to Ethan Brooks. He had seen plenty of posts online, and read many realistic accounts, even down to the exact words people used.

Don't be fooled by Ethan Brooks's honest and gentle appearance—if you were deceived by it, you'd be in for a world of trouble. The immortals in the celestial realm knew this better than anyone.

Ethan Brooks put on a look of grievance, pain, and confusion, pleading for help: "I... just got off the train, and when the crowd pushed, my bag was gone. All my money was in there. Has anyone seen my bag?"

With his honest look, natural acting talent, being alone with nothing on him, and his rustic accent, no one would ever suspect a thing.

Whoosh... As soon as the people surrounding him heard this, their smiles vanished instantly. Two of them even rolled their eyes at him, and they scattered even faster than they had gathered, moving on to look for other targets.

As for the others they surrounded, even if you insisted you didn't need anything, these people would still follow and pester you for a while—some would even follow you for quite a distance, truly embodying the spirit of relentless persistence.

Feeling relaxed, Ethan Brooks walked out of the station. Since he couldn't pursue the path of immortality or cultivate for now, he decided to experience a different kind of life. Even though he couldn't cultivate, with his physical condition and all the good stuff he had, living for a hundred or two hundred years wouldn't be a problem. With so much time, he was sure he'd find another way. He might as well experience life and do what he enjoyed.

Before coming, Ethan Brooks had already memorized the map of Shanghai from the internet, even the bus stops and routes. In every aspect, no matter how trivial, Ethan Brooks always did thorough preparation and research before doing anything, whenever possible.

He had never taken a city bus before. In the small town or nearby counties, he always used those cheap motorcycle taxis. Although not as good as regular taxis, they were basically the same in nature, so Ethan Brooks chose to take the bus, transferring three times to get to his cousin-in-law's house.

The first two transfers went smoothly, but he ran into some trouble on the last leg.

By the time he was making the final transfer, it was already rush hour, and the crowd was packed. Although Ethan Brooks looked gentle and refined, if he wanted to push his way in, no one could outdo him. But he chose to stand back and watch others squeeze in first, then followed behind. Just as he stepped forward, two people who had also been waiting suddenly squeezed in at the same time from both sides.