C9 This Cigarette Can Make People Become Immortals!

"You're back!" As he stepped out of the wooden cabin's bedroom, he was greeted by a beautiful redhead. Though he couldn't understand her words, the intent was clear enough.

It had been several days since his last return – no, several Earth days, to be precise. He still hadn't figured out the conversion rate. How many Earth days made up one day here?

"I'm back. And, uh, I brought you some clothes. Try them on, see if they fit." Bao Guo fumbled as he pulled out three sets of women's clothing from the recesses of his mind – all spring and summer wear, including two sets of underwear.

He wasn't about to teach Anna how to dress, so he just dropped them on the floor and bolted out the door.

"Whew~ The gravity here is something else. The air's incredibly fresh, but I'm always exhausted. I can't fathom how these kids manage to grow up, laughing and training from dawn till dusk, each one sprouting muscles before you know it."

As Bao Guo pondered, an idea struck him. If he trained with them, even without mastering any specific techniques, just getting used to this world's gravity would significantly enhance his strength, reflexes, and overall physical condition, far surpassing an average Earthling.

"Hey, this is a great opportunity. I've got to have a word with that big bald guy. I need to join their training. I might not have a chance to learn the language right now, but working out should be fine."

He found Krod, the big bald man, by the central bonfire in the square, deep in conversation with some villagers. As Bao Guo approached, they all performed an odd bow before eagerly turning their attention to his hands. Could their expectations be any more transparent? What treasures had he brought back this time?

Rolling his eyes, Bao Guo produced a stainless steel plate and placed a slightly charred piece of meat on it. He trimmed off the burnt edges to reveal the juicy, slightly bloody interior – perfectly charred on the outside, tender on the inside.

He sliced the meat methodically, seasoning it without concern for whether his audience understood. Placing the plate at the center, he addressed Krod, "I want to train with the kids – you know, the kind of exercises where you strike all sorts of odd poses and swing around big sticks, all while laughing. Teach me that."

Krod devoured the roasted meat prepared by Bao Guo with such gusto that it seemed he might swallow his fingers too. As he gestured towards himself and the children training on the field, his understanding was almost immediate. His response, though somewhat garbled, was clear enough: "It's all about toughening up the body. Sure, we're practicing the most rudimentary physical techniques, but that's okay. I'll take you under my wing. Though, with your slight frame, I'm not sure you can handle it."

And so, stripped down to just his boxer shorts, Bao Guo began his one-on-one training with the towering bald Krod.

"No, not like that. You need to do it this way."

"Ah, my waist, my waist!"

"Bend your arms a bit more, lower your head a bit—yes, that's it."

"No, no, no, my legs, my legs, they're killing me!"

Bao Guo's training was a nightmare. Under the tutelage of these brutes, he felt utterly broken.

An hour later, Bao Guo lay sprawled on the ground, motionless like a dead fish, having managed only three movements, none of them quite right.

"Chief, this young master's physique is pitiful. We're not going to break him, are we? We can't be held accountable for that," Allen remarked, his steel knife in hand, as he gave Bao Guo a look of disbelief and quietly addressed Krod.

"If it weren't for my personal instruction, you lot might have indeed trained him to death. Fetch Anna, have her help the young master clean up. And bring him something to eat. His body... well, it's got a long way to go."

Bao Guo's body ached all over, particularly at every joint, to the point of numbness—he couldn't even feel his groin. After getting drunk the last time, he had made sure to check that he was still a virgin; nothing had happened with Anna. Otherwise, he'd surely have some evidence of the encounter.

Now, as Anna carried him off like a small chicken and proceeded to clean him up, he felt no remorse. As long as nothing untoward had occurred, he wasn't worried about these natives finding an excuse to pummel him to death or roast him on a bonfire.

Over two hours passed before Bao Guo could stand with Anna's assistance. He shuffled a few steps, mustering the strength to eat some roasted meat. Oddly enough, while the pain in his body persisted, a warm sensation emerged, as if several streams of heat were coursing through him, bringing a measure of comfort. This warmth seemed to alleviate the pain in his joints significantly.

Unable to remain seated after eating, Bao Guo had Anna support him as they stepped out of the wooden hut. There, they encountered Krod and a few villagers crafting an unusual net, each with a cigarette dangling from their lips.

"Uh, is that a cigarette?" Bao Guo perked up. He had cigarettes in his pocket, but they were now trampled on the ground, casualties of someone's careless step. He decided to let them be.

"Are you smoking that? Did you grow it yourselves?" He asked Krod, using gestures and a mix of words. Krod responded by tossing him a large leaf and walking away.

"Uh, damn, is this some kind of native cigar? How do you even roll this?" Bao Guo held the not-yet-dry, dark green leaf, at a loss for words. He was clueless about rolling the earthy, green cigar-like object that emitted a peculiar odor and produced a thick smoke.

Anna chuckled, took the leaf from him, and began to work it with her hands. In no time, she fashioned a thick, dark green cigar as long as his palm.

"Can this actually be smoked? Wait, can it even be lit? It smells quite nice, though—reminiscent of Agarwood and sandalwood, with subtle hints of coffee and corn. Impressive."

With a snap, Bao Guo whipped out his lighter, intent on igniting the dark green cigar. The onlookers dropped their tasks and prostrated themselves before him. It seemed they were in awe of his ability to produce flames.

Bao Guo, unfazed by their reaction, tried to light the cigar. The lighter grew hot in his hand, but the stubborn cigar refused to catch. It briefly flared to life, only to be extinguished after a single puff.

Anna rose from the ground with a sense of resignation and hurried over to the bonfire. She fetched a half-burnt log for Bao Guo and held it up to his face, signaling for him to light his cigarette.

Bao Guo offered a sheepish grin. Lighting the cigarette proved to be a challenge, but he managed a tentative puff, careful not to inhale deeply. He drew the smoke into his mouth and gently exhaled, finding it surprisingly smooth and rich in flavor, with a distinctive herbal aroma.

Observing the others' blissful expressions, Bao Guo surmised that the smoke must have a unique effect when fully inhaled. Surely, a little experimentation wouldn't be lethal.

He took another small drag, this time allowing the smoke to fill his lungs.

"Huh, no sensation, no coughing, no discomfort. Maybe a bigger hit will do the trick."

He took a larger puff and instantly, the sensation hit him—not in his lungs, but in his brain.

It was as if his mind had been jolted awake; he felt invigorated and incredibly lucid. Thoughts raced, and his memory sharpened, dredging up a childhood memory of an embarrassing incident at Guibao's doorstep.

The sensation intensified, and Bao Guo felt as if he could mentally multiply four-digit numbers in moments—a feat he'd never been capable of, having never learned mental arithmetic like abacus.

To confirm his suspicion, Bao Guo pulled out his phone and calculated 4567 times 4567. The result in his head, 20857489, matched the calculator's display perfectly.

He groaned in amazement, "Hey, guys, this stuff is like a shortcut to enlightenment. Whatever I brought with me this time, I'll trade it all for more of this."