Chapter 21: Assassination

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

"The Zhou Family will obey the instructions of the young master!"

Zhou Wen Wu readily promised after hearing the Fang Yuan gave his words.

"My method of treating the illness is more peculiar. When I am treating the illness, no one is to watch it. Furthermore, it will take quite a while and cannot be interrupted. If not, Old Zhou's life would be in danger!"

Fang Yuan said in a serious tone.

"Why is that so... Can no one watch the procedure? Not even me? "

Fang Yuan furrowed his eyebrows.

"No! I have already prepared a room to treat Old Zhou. The rest of you can wait outside!"

Fang Yuan grimaced.

Zhou Wen Wu flushed as he realized that his opponent knew what he had in mind.

They were afraid of the possibility that Fang Yuan would not keep his word and would disappear without a trace.

"All of you will wait outside the room. If you dare destroy the grass and the trees in my valley..."

Fang Yuan's words were laced with menace.

"I would not let off anyone who would destroy your house and foliage!"

Zhou Wen Wu exclaimed while thumping his chest.

"That's good. Now come in!"

Fang Yuan brought everyone to a stone room within the valley.

The stone room was carved out from a large boulder, with not a single window. Even the door was made from a rock around the size of a millstone.

Fang Yuan did not understand the reason when he saw his master building the stone room. Now, he knew that Master Wen Xin made use of the room to cultivate his inner power.

The cultivation of inner power was not as simple as the cultivation of outer power. It was critical that the person was not disturbed by the outer world during the cultivation of inner power.

The room was built in accordance with Master Wen Xin's plan. Only the person inside could open the door once it was sealed. If anyone on the outside wanted to enter, they would have to expend a great amount of energy to open the door.

"Your father will recover within a maximum of 3 days!"

Before the stone door close, Fang Yuan gave his words to the Zhou siblings before looking at Lin Yuan Wai.

"Virtuous nephew, rest assured that the servants will make their way out of the valley. Only the three of us will remain here!"

Lin Yuan Wai gave his words even though he disagreed with Fang Yuan's view.

"Very well!"

With a resounding crash, the stone door sealed shut.

"I am really not sure if you are lucky or unlucky!"

Fang Yuan lit the oil lamp in the dark. He looked at the half-dead Old Zhou, who was carried into the room and grimaced.

The Drunk Lover Poison was extremely potent. Few antidotes would be able to cure it except for one.

Fang Yuan once heard Master Wen Xin lamented that he would be able to save the person affected by Drunk Lover Poison if he had possessed Yama's Order.

The Poisonous Dragon Grass was extremely rare and difficult to find. However, Fang Yuan happened to have the antidote with him. It was obvious that he possessed more luck than Master Wen Xin.

'Who was the one that administered this poison? At this point in time, I do not have the energy or time to care...'

Fang Yuan took out a pill that was as dark as ink and fed it to Old Zhou.

"Pant pant..."

After taking the pill, Old Zhou, who was previously grasping for air and appearing to be on the brink of death, started to breathe normally and entered a deep sleep.

It would take more than a day to expel the poison from his body.

'Now, all we can do is to wait... Given the power of Yama's Order, it would be sufficient to put him to sleep for 3 full days.'

Fang Yuan exclaimed before making his way to a corner within the stone room. He dug out a layer of ground before finding a rope. He gave the rope a firm tug.

Crack!

A slab of stone was lifted from the ground, revealing an entrance of a tunnel.

"Ah Master, your design sure is handy!"

Fang Yuan muttered and entered the tunnel. Not long after, he exited from the back of the valley.

Master Wen Xin had created many secret tunnels with the intention of using those tunnels to escape. One of those tunnels happened to be in the stone room where he trained!

Master Wen Xin was considered lucky as he managed to live to a ripe old age before passing away. Now, Fang Yuan was able to benefit from the hard work of Master Wen Xin as he made use of the tunnel to escape.

"Phew phew!"

Fang Yuan looked into the valley and whistled.

Whoosh!

In that instance, a white streak appeared before him. It was the Flower Fox Ferret.

"Listen up, Flower Fox Ferret, go and guard the spiritual tea. If you are discovered, kill the person regardless of who he is..."

The Vermillion Jade Rice had been properly stowed away. Fang Yuan's only concern was his Questioning Heart Tea Tree.

"Remember!"

He gently caressed the Flower Fox Ferret's fur, his face grim: "If you are no match for the enemy, destroy the spiritual plant and save yourself!"

That was the worst case scenario.

The garden was very well-concealed. The Zhou Siblings were concerned with the life of their father and the possibility of a betrayal was very small.

However, it was best to be prepared in any circumstances.

After giving the instructions to the Flower Fox Ferret, Fang Yuan took a deep breath and started running.

He painstakingly arranged all these to create evidence that he was not around in order to commit a murder!

'Song Zhigao!'

Fang Yuan moved so quickly in the tall mountains and old trees that he appeared to be a shadow. He gave off a deadly aura.

Since ancient times, a dog that bites would not bark. Fang Yuan had never met Song Zhigao. However, he had already formed an impression of him. After all, having an impression was the foundation of his pursuit!

Fang Yuan's benefits were threatened and he has had enough!

However, Song Zhigao was a member of the Spirit Returning Sect. In order to kill him, Fang Yuan must not be cast as a suspect. If not, his position in Qinghe County would be threatened.

As such, while Fang Yuan knew that it was a trap, he decided to play along and use the saving of Old Zhou to create a perfect alibi to prove that he was not present at the scene. By doing so, he would be able to target Song Zhigao without a problem!

...

Qingye City.

Fang Yuan wore a bamboo hat pulled low which left his face in the shade. He was here to kill someone and as such, should not be out in the open and expose his face or leave behind traces of evidence.

'Old Tian is just as vile, using his power to oppress and help out the villain...'

Fang Yuan arrived in front of the medicine hall while pondering over the matter.

Indistinct wailing could be heard from the backyard of the medicine hall. The wailing sent a shiver down Fang Yuan's spine. He was certain that something was wrong.

"What happened here?"

Fang Yuan asked a random passerby which he pulled from the street.

The passerby struggled for a while before realizing that his opponent's grasp was firm like steel. His face turned pale: "The shopkeeper, Old Tian, passed away due to an illness yesterday..."

'That was fast!'

Fang Yuan was speechless after hearing the news. He let go of the passerby who hurriedly scampered away.

If Old Tian was alive, he would have to be punished regardless if he was forced or not to carry out the task.

However, it appeared that Song Zhigao was faster and more vicious.

He had murdered Old Tian after making use of him to remove an incriminating piece of clue.

After all, Old Zhou was a deacon of the Spirit Returning Sect. Old Tian harmed a member of the sect. Once discovered, not even Elder Song would be able to save him.

As such it was necessary for Old Tian to die, the faster the better.

Fang Yuan was silent. In his mind, he saw the shrewd face of Old Tian.

'Old Tian was too smart for his own good. I wonder if he had any regrets before he passed away, whether he had walked away when he was forced to do so...'

Fang Yuan let out a sigh. He turned and walked away into a street without entering the medicine hall.

...

Song Manor.

'By this time, the Zhou Family should have already reached the valley, am I right?'

Song Zhigao smiled. He occasionally took a sip of the clear tea while he pondered.

'Old Tian is dead, now no one would know the deal that I had with him!'

'Even if he did not die, he would be severely punished!'

Song Zhigao looked around his manor, his grin widened unconsciously.

He was extremely proud of his plan which managed to kill two birds with one stone. He was sure that the magnate would be pleased as well!

Once he gained the favour of the magnate, his success would be imminent.

"Spread the word to serve the magnate wholeheartedly. If he is neglected, all of you shall pay dearly!"

Song Zhigao ordered his servant with a strict expression.

"Don't worry, Master!"

The servant, who had been with him for many years, smiled: "We will make sure that everything is taken care of!"

"That is good! That is good!"

Just then, Song Zhigao felt a sudden and intense palpitation. He felt nervous as if a great danger was approaching.

"Strange...why would I suddenly suffer from palpitations?"

He was uneasy and paced around the garden. He thought, 'Could it be because of Old Tian? I have silenced all those involved. For the Zhou family side, given their strong headed temper, would they spare the charlatan if anything were to happen to Old Zhou?'

"Why do I still feel so uneasy?"

As Song Zhigao was muttering to himself, a shadow sprang from the garden and pounced on him like a cheetah.

"Who is that?"

Song Zhigao stumbled backwards and let out a shriek. He used the Five Elements Palm of the Spirit Returning Sect continuously to protect himself fully.

He was a martial artist who had surpassed the 3rd Gate and could be considered to be proficient in it.

"Assassin?"

Song Zhigao thought to himself, 'If I am able to survive for a short while, I would be safe!'

However, the man in the bamboo hat did not give him time to react. The man's arms reached out, instantly turning black as steel. With a great force, he struck the arms of Song Zhigao!

Chapter 22: Kill

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

"Black Sand Palm?"

Song Zhigao naturally recognized this widely-known technique.

Honestly speaking, the technique was a stupid one. It needed an extended period of training for the bones to be able to withstand the strength the technique produced. He was being cultivated by the Spirit Returning Sect and this technique was nothing to him.

However, Song Zhigao could not believe how great the power was when the technique was executed by someone else.

When both got into contact with each other, a deafening sound of bones fracturing was heard. Song Zhigao experienced immense pain on both of his arms and screamed. His body flew and his blood splashed everywhere when his body was in mid-air.

"Your….your power….you are a freak!"

He landed on the ground. He screamed as he looked at his broken arms. He looked at Fang Yuan as if Fang Yuan was a beast.

'My power now is nearly twice as much as a normal human being! This is not only record-breaking, this allows my foundations to be far greater than any normal martial artist with the help of the Vermillion Jade Rice!'

Fang Yuan looked at this scene and understood why he was able to perform that well.

When experts duelled, any small differences can affect the result. Song Zhigao was at [Martial Artist (3rd Gate)]. The quality of his body was not as great as Fang Yuan's. Also, it had been a long time since he was in a battle as he was used to being a comprador. Plus, he was a coward. Hence, it was inevitable that he lost.

"Who are you exactly?"

Song Zhigao landed on the ground, rolled his eyes and was in shock. "Don't kill me. I can give you lots of treasures and even the martial arts manual…."

"You talk too much!"

Deep inside, Fang Yuan knew never to argue too much with an enemy. He went straight up and broke Song Zhigao's skull.

"Bang!"

Song Zhigao's body laid down on the ground.

"Aahh!"

"Murder!"

The duel happened so fast that when the servants started to react, Fang Yuan had already killed Song Zhigao.

"I'm not a murderer!"

With a hat and towel to conceal his identity, he wouldn't have the thought of killing any witnesses, which involved hitting the ones that screamed the loudest till they fainted.

This was one of the ideas that he got from the dream world.

Everyone would want to claim some trophies after defeating the boss.

Only this time, Fang Yuan had a miscalculation.

"You thief! You still dare to be angry after killing someone!"

"Crack!"

The door frame broke into pieces and flew right at Fang Yuan like raindrops!

Among the flying wooden pieces, a person zoomed past. He pointed out his fingers from his right hand and poked at Fang Yuan's eyebrows.

"Whoosh!"

The sword essence gave a whooshing sound as it swept through the air

"An expert!"

Fang Yuan returned a hit with his palm and duelled with the person in mid-air. He fell backwards and stared at the person.

"You're at the 3rd Gate?"

The person was wearing a jade-green coloured robe, with a golden waistband and a jade hanging by the side. He was young and had a chic outfit. He looked at Fang Yuan with disdain and said, "You have got the guts to kill my comprador from the Spirit Returning Sect, how dare you!"

Fang Yuan looked at the red print on his palm and was stunned for a moment.

From his training of the Black Sand Palm, he had nearly achieved the highest level in terms of his skill. He should be immune to normal fist attacks, but not sword attacks.

However, his palm had an immense pain this time.

"I didn't expect Song Zhigao to have men around, and one who is at the 4th or 5th Gate!"

Fang Yuan had underestimated the power of his opponent and his opponent was definitely a powerful one. It seemed that his opponent was well trained for a long time and had a very strong body quality. Previously, he could defeat the Old Master with random moves but would have lost if he duelled with his current opponent.

"Afraid to say something?"

At that moment, his opponent approached him calmly. "It is okay if you do not want to speak now. I will still take you down and torture you till you speak with the ten different levels of tortures of the Spirit Returning Sect. I'm not really sure which level you can endure ….. Those who kill my men will have to pay the price!"

"Your men?"

Fang Yuan asked in a hoarse voice, "You are Song Yujie?"

"Oh? You recognize me?"

Song Yujie became curious.

"Hoooo….."

Fang Yuan didn't answer his question but let out a long breath.

If he had met other experts, he would have ran away by now.

But what about Song Yujie?

To be honest, Song Zhigao was just a sidekick of Song Yujie. Song Yujie was really the man in charge!

"Well, I am quite lucky today!"

Fang Yuan laid both his palms flat. Previously, his palms were in good condition like a white jade. Now, his palms were bruised.

"You should feel proud for being able to train the Black Sand Palm to such state, but your external power is too weak. How can you even match yourself with my divine power of the Spirit Returning Sect?"

Song Yujie mocked him, lifted up his right fingers and aimed it right at him like a sword. "Have a taste of my Spirit Returning sword skills!"

"Sword essence!"

Fang Yuan's eyes focused on his fingers.

This was a power generated from a high-level inner power and superior sword skills. Song Yujie was definitely talented to be able to achieve this.

At that point, there was no way of falling back. Fang Yuan did not expect himself to be able to escape from this expert at [Martial Artist (4th Gate)] or [Martial Artist (5th Gate)]. He gave a fierce look and suddenly pounced like a crazy man, "Boundless Black Sand!"

"Bang!"

The power from the palm was easily destroyed by the energy from the sword skills and Song Yujie could only feel a slight force from Fang Yuan.

Song Yujie looked down and saw a small black print on his back of his hand. He then looked at Fang Yuan, who had an extra wound on his chest, and his expression changed. "You dare to hurt me?"

"Not only…..haha…..I will not only hurt you but kill you as well!"

Fang Yuan laughed even though he was coughing out blood.

When duelling with a person that had twice as much as a normal person's body quality, the healing power he brought about was shocking. At least he knew that his external injuries did not look too serious.

"Why are you not admitting that you are in the wrong!"

Song Yujie went forward with his trembling right hand. A spiritual snake-like light appeared and he was able to twist his fingers to become like a twisted sword!

After being hurt a little by Fang Yuan, he decided to get serious.

"Looks like you have not exerted your full power. I am lucky this time….haha…."

Fang Yuan felt very fortunate.

He knew that even though he was benefiting a lot from the spiritual plants, he was still inferior as compared to the real talents from other sects.

If Song Yujie had used his twisted fingers and attacked Fang Yuan just now, he would have been dead since he did not train his sword skills.

"Lucky me…."

Song Yujie frowned.

No matter what, he felt that the mysterious Fang Yuan had no chance in making another comeback.

However, just when he was about to prepare to attacked Fang Yuan's limbs and interrogate him, he felt something strange.

"My right hand….is numb…."

He focused on the black print which was on his back of his hand, and said, "You poisoned me?! How brutal!"

"Now we are dealing with life and death. There is no such thing as one being too brutal to another!"

Fang Yuan slowly moved forward and saw Song Yujie's face turning blue-black in colour. Song Yujie quickly took some antidote. "You don't need to do that. I have tested this poison and it is able to poison a martial arts expert at the 3rd Gate to death easily…."

Song Yujie fell onto the ground as soon as Fang Yuan commented. He was horrified to see his palm starting to rot.

He had been poisoned by the mutated Pearl Tail Snake's poison.

After attaining [Black Sand Palm (Grade 3)], poison could be added along with normal attacks. Fang Yuan was naturally impolite and decided to add the Pearl Tail Snake's poison to his Black Sand Palm since he had Yama's backing.

The result was shocking and extraordinary as Song Yujie, who did not take any precautions, was defeated.

"Black Sand Palm….added with poison? Are you a disciple of Kou Feng?"

Song Yujie screamed loudly, "Aahh….you are dead. My father from the Spirit Returning Sect will find you!"

"You are about to die and you still don't want to admit defeat?"

Fang Yuan then moved forward and eased his pain by killing Song Yujie's skull with his palm.

"The addition of poison to Black Sand Palm seems like a special technique. So only the creator Kou Feng and his disciples would know about this technique?"

Song Yujie gave his last message and it surprised Fang Yuan a little.

When he first practised the Black Sand Palm, the message hinted at the possibility of encapsulating poison within the palm, and after much progress, it became a skill of his own.

"Is this the side effect of the system? Whenever I develop my skills to the limit, hidden abilities will always be discovered?

There was little evidence to prove his hypothesis right now and so he could only guess.

"But right now, I should really start leaving this place!"

He observed his surroundings.

Due to his murder of the two, the Song Manor was now in chaos. There was crying and screaming from the backyard and many of the servants escaped through the main door.

'There is too much movement and this will definitely attract others!'

Fang Yuan abandoned the idea of going to the backyard to steal valuables. Instead, he searched the bodies of Song Zhigao and Song Yujie and found a few things of value. Without taking another look, he escaped by jumping over a wall.

Before leaving, he burnt Song Zhigao's manor and watched it being destroyed in the fire.

This was not only to vent his anger but also to create more chaos. Hence, others would be distracted by the fire and Fang Yuan would then be able to escape.

After all, how could the local authorities disregard the fire and let it spread to other parts of the city?

Black smoke filled the lighted sky.

He grew in the mountains since young and could traverse any forest easily.

"This is so enjoyable!"

He reached a creek after escaping for a period of time. Fang Yuan heartily drank the spring water and burnt his jacket and his hat.

A poem from the dream world appeared in his mind at that moment.

'5,000 soldiers were sent in secretly, under the orders of a commander. They were instructed to engage in close quarter battles, and kill like there was no tomorrow.'

"Unfortunately, even though the killing of the thieves become quite high profile, the process was still enjoyable!"

Chapter 23: Continuation

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

The spring water gurgled gleefully.

Fang Yuan sat by the stream and cleaned up his wounds. He reflected on the mission, checking if he had left behind any incriminating flaws.

'Killing Song Zhigao was akin to maiming the executive arms of the Song family. Who would've known that Song Yujie was at the scene too? He had to die too!'

Fang Yuan did not regret killing Song Yujie one bit.

In fact, given that he was skilled enough, Fang Yuan had no qualms about eliminating Elder Song Zhong if he was there as well.

The enmity ran deep now. Fang Yuan had to uproot all his potential foes.

'Having terminated Song Zhigao, there isn't anyone left who might trouble me for now...it's just that…'

Creases lined Fang Yuan's forehead.

He was aware that even though killing Song Zhigao was not a big issue, but Song Yujie had died as well. This would definitely incur the wrath of Song Zhong and even the whole Spirit Returning Sect.

Once the sect found out, they would not rest until Fang Yuan was dead.

After doing some careful thinking, Fang Yuan was sure that he had not left behind any loopholes.

After all, he had so many potential alibis in the valley. Besides, no one in the outside world knew how he looked like.

As for the Black Sand Palm technique being recognised as his speciality? Well, there were hundreds of the technique's proponents in Qinghe County.

Moreover, his acquisition of the martial arts manual was a very recent development. Not even Minister Lin himself would believe that Fang Yuan's skills could improve by leaps and bounds in so short a time, such that he could overpower Song Yujie!

'As of now, as long as nothing goes wrong in the Valley, I'll be safe…'

Fang Yuan applied some ointment on his chest before putting his shirt back on. He moved about and was relieved to find out that although his wounds still hurt, they did not affect his range of motion.

'Of course, I haven't seen enough of the world yet. I cannot be complacent…'

Fang Yuan gave himself a silent warning.

In this world, the pugilists were considered to be a special group of people by mortals. However, there were other fabled beings including spiritual knights, magical knights, pill masters, or even gods and monsters. These were tales, but there could be some truth to the stories.

Maybe all he needed was just a few unimaginable scenarios to inspire him so that he could discover the secrets.

"Of course...Song Zhong isn't that influential, although he has a large following in the Spirit Returning Sect. There is time left! I have to level up as soon as possible."

Currently, he was but a novice in the martial arts, all alone in the world. He could be picked on by anyone.

But what if he was the Wu Zong or even an immortal spiritual knight foretold by the legends? If that was the case, Song Zhong wouldn't dare to exact revenge for Song Yujie and Song Zhigao.

In conclusion, everything boiled down to power!

Fang Yuan was not powerful enough at this point in time though, which made a personal talisman all the more important.

Fang Yuan peeked at the sun, then sped along the mountain roads towards the back end of the Valley.

"Keke!"

A white figure zipped past and simultaneously appeared as the Flower Fox Ferret. The ferret bowed its head to let Fang Yuan rub it, then frantically waved its paws in a bid to communicate with Fang Yuan.

"Oh, they've taken no action at all?"

Fang Yuan heaved a sigh of relief when he understood the ferret's message.

If the Zhou and Lin families decided to make mischief and pry open the secrets of the Valley, or gained forced entry into the Valley and discovered that Fang Yuan was missing, then he would have been on the run with the Flower Fox Ferret by now.

It wasn't like he couldn't grow the spiritual plants elsewhere again. But he only had one life.

Anyway, everything was going according to Fang Yuan's plan.

"Mm, It's been hard on you!"

After he sent the Flower Fox Ferret away, Fang Yuan delved into a secret passageway which led him into a stone chamber.

Old Zhou was a very important person as well. If he did not make it, it would make life very difficult for Fang Yuan.

With a sinking heart, Fang Yuan lit up the oil lamp, which illuminated a body lying on a stone platform. Its face was bluish-black and had toxic boils oozing with pus.

On the first look, it seemed obvious that Old Zhou had died from acute poisoning.

But Fang Yuan heaved a sigh of relief.

"It is done!"

He knew that although Old Zhou looked terrible, he had barely escaped with his life.

If the Drunk Lover Poison had seeped into the bones, no symptoms would surface on the body. Then as time passed, the poison would be fully absorbed and become fatal.

Old Zhou's deformed appearance meant that the poison was being forced out from his body.

"But from the look of this, Old Zhou was heavily poisoned. This amount of poison could only have been administered over a period of time!"

Fang Yuan shook his head after making the observation and gave Old Zhou a dosage of Yama's Order. He then made an incision on Old Zhou's arm and performed acupuncture so as to drain out the infected blood.

After around half an hour, Old Zhou's breathing became less laboured and the boils on his face had been cleared. His complexion regained some pinkness in colour. The worst was over.

"Whew…"

Fang Yuan wiped the sweat from his brow and exhaled.

If he did not need the Zhou family to become his alibi, he would not have spent so much energy at one go on reviving Old Zhou.

Poisonous Dragon Grass was a key ingredient for the versatile antidote, Yama's Order, and it was a rare find. Thus, Fang Yuan's stocks of Yama's Order were already low to begin with. Fang Yuan also needed to keep some of this medicine on standby because of his exposure to a variety of poisons while honing his Black Sand Palm Technique.

"You lucky old man…"

Fang Yuan grumbled under his breath as he pressed a switch mechanism, which activated a set of stone doors.

"Click, Clack"

The clanking movement of gears pulled the heavy stone doors open and rays of sunlight streamed into Fang Yuan's eyes.

"Young master! How is it going?!"

Outside, the Zhou siblings and Minister Lin were pacing about anxiously.

"It was a success!"

Fang Yuan stepped aside to let Zhou Wenwu enter and carry out Old Zhou, whose recovery was nothing short of a miracle.

"He has already pulled through the most crucial stage. As long as you feed him tonics regularly and allow him to rest well, Old Master Zhou will be able to recuperate fully."

The Drunk Lover Poison worked the same way as bone-gnawing maggots and fed on the tonics that were brewed for Old Zhou.

The Zhou family exhausted many resources in their quest to find rare and coveted herbs for the nourishment of Old Master Zhou. However, they had no idea that this, in fact, hastened his demise.

Fang Yuan also knew that an enemy had infiltrated the Zhou family.

But he did not reveal this to the Zhou family because after all, they were not well acquainted.

"Would young master be compassionate and allow our Old Master to stay on here for a few days?"

Zhou Wenwu was reassured by Old Zhou's condition and gave a deep bow to Fang Yuan.

"Alright, but he will have to stay outside the valley. I like peace and quiet and I do not want to be disturbed."

Fang Yuan rubbed his chin and gave a curt nod of approval.

Since had already done the Zhou family a favour, he might as well help them all the way. If they went back the Zhou manor in this state and were attacked, he would be greatly affected.

"Haha, it seems like our young master's healing skills are nearly on par with Master Wenxin's!"

Minister Lin seemed outwardly excited as he said this, but carried a tinge of regret in his heart.

"Yeah, let's call it a day. I'm tired and I will not be sending you all off!"

Fang Yuan flapped his sleeves, showing every sign of impatience.

Usually, such behaviour would be criticised as arrogance. But Fang Yuan had distinguished himself by reviving a man who was nearly dead and had won the respect of this crowd. They looked upon him with awe and immediately retreated from the valley.

After all, only Fang Yuan could make sure that Old Zhou recovered properly. Also, there was no saying if Fang Yuan's healing skills could come in handy in the future. Hence, they could not afford to offend him.

Fang Yuan was relieved when this bunch of troublesome people left.

With such a big number of alibis, Elder Song Zhong had no reason to suspect Fang Yuan of killing Song Yujie. Even if he previously did, these people would convince him otherwise.

…...

Qingye City.

In front of a pile of ruins.

"Yujie?"

Elder Song Zhong only begot Song Yujie when he was past fifty. All the more he cherished his only son.

When he heard the news, he dropped all matters concerning the Spirit Returning Sect and rode to Qingye City in a hurry. He was stunned when he arrived at Song Zhigao's ruined manor.

"Elder Song, we have brought the workers of the manor before you. All of them are accounted for!"

Sect disciples bowed to him and rounded up a group of frightened-looking servants.

That fateful day, although Fang Yuan had killed the Songs and set fire to the manor, he had not massacred the innocent. Having been spared, many of the servants had looted the manor and planned to flee the city.

However, Song Zhong had managed to recapture all of them, which clearly indicated the extent of his influence.

"Tell me everything that transpired that day! Now!"

Song Zhong maintained his composed demeanour, his eyelids half shut, tone mellow. But those who knew better could see that it was the calm before the storm.

"Master Song, please spare us!"

Some of the maids and manservants had begun to cry in fear.

"A man with a bamboo hat charged in and killed Song Zhigao together with Young Master Song. We had nothing to do with it!"

"Yujie…is dead?!"

Song Zhong murmured under his breath. He could not believe his ears. He waved his hands and let a blast of energy radiate outwards.

"Pfft, Pfft"

The force ripped holes into the servant who was talking, and blood gushed out like waterfalls.

"Since Yujie has passed away, why are you still alive?"

Song Zhong muttered, then called over a disciple named Song San.

"Song San, you have followed me since you were a young age. You know very well my way of doing things. I don't care how you interrogate these servants. I want everything there is to know about the man with the bamboo hat!"

"Yes Master!"

Song San behaved most solemnly, but he was in fact overjoyed.

Song Yujie was Song Zhong's rightful heir and had always taken precedence over the other disciples. Until now. Now that Song Yujie was dead, it was Song San's time to shine.

If he could inherit Song Zhong's mantle and estate, he would finally be able to fly high!

'Whoever the murderer is, wherever you are, I have to thank you…since you've already helped me once, help me out one more time. Let me cut off your head to guarantee my bright future!'

Song San cackled with mirth in his heart and yet was able to keep up his sombre and mournful display. He clenched his fists to bring it up a notch.

"We must take revenge for Yujie!"

"Hmph!"

Song Zhong sent Song San away with a wave of his hand, his eyes gleaming with disdain. Song Zhong had seen enough of the world to know the true intentions of these disciples, but he had to bear with them for now. He still needed to make use of them.

The most pressing issue at hand was to exact revenge for Yujie!

"I taught Yujie myself. He had already broken through the 4th Gate in his martial arts training. He was also well versed in the Spirit Returning Swordsplay and Heart Manual. Hardly anyone in the world of martial arts would have been a match for him. How could he have died? How?!"

Song Zhong stared forlornly at the ruins.

"Could it have been my nemeses? Did they deliberate draw Yujie into a trap?"

He would never have expected that Song Yujie's death would be a total coincidence. Song Zhong's thoughts were already running further away from the truth, and he began to plot against his old enemies.

Chapter 24: Inner Power

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

At night, it was quiet in the secluded valley.

The Zhou Family was now extremely obedient to Fang Yuan. Even when Fang Yuan chased them out of the valley, they took it lightly and went on to build grass huts outside of the valley.

Little did they know that Fang Yuan had planned all these to get himself out of trouble.

Wouldn't it be trouble if they found out that Fang Yuan ate Vermillion Jade Rice, and drank Questioning Heart Tea for every meal?

After having his fill, Fang Yuan sat on a bamboo chair and examined his wound.

"Good... You are beginning to heal..."

He had an amazing physical quality to begin with. After a full meal of Vermillion Jade Rice, the healing accelerated.

There was increased blood flow to his wound and it felt less painful.

"A speedy recovery would be best, otherwise others might find out!"

With his current level of [Medicine] together with his herbs, it would have already been a quick recovery, but it was another happy surprise realising the Vermillion Jade Rice's hidden ability.

Thinking about his accomplishments, Fang Yuan smiled to himself.

Although he did not have time to loot the entire mansion, the rewards from Song Yujie and Song Zhigao were enough.

Other than money, Fang Yuan looted a Spirit Returning Heart Manual from Song Yujie!

This was obviously a high-level Spirit Returning Sect manual, which Fang Yuan took as his own. He memorised the entire manual, before destroying it completely.

"Spirit Returning Sect has no morals!"

He recited the Spirit Returning Heart Manual in his mind, his face looking stern.

This was because in the manual, there were lapses in the crucial parts. Obviously, these lapses were meant to be covered and explained by the master in order for the disciple to be able to understand. It was a form of insurance for these higher-level martial arts.

If Song Yujie had any doubts about the Heart Manual, he could look for Song Zhong.

But for himself? Even if he managed to save Old Zhou, could he expect him to betray Spirit Returning Sect and share this big secret with him?

'Hu... It seems that if I don't join them, even if I try hard enough, I won't be able to learn the full thing...'

Fang Yuan shook his head and took a look at his stats:

"Name: Fang Yuan

Essence: 1.8

Spirit: 1.6

Magic:1.5

Age: 18

Cultivation: [Martial Artist (3rd Gate)]

Techniques: [Black Sand Palm (Grade 3)]

Skills: [Medicine (Level 1)], [Botany (Level 3)]"

At this point in time, behind [Medicine], the (Level 1) began jumping, and a short while later became (Level 2), with its description changing,

"[Medicine (Level 2)] - You are already a skilled doctor and can treat the majority of illnesses. You could achieve a greater effect with the help of normal mountain herbs."

"Normal mountain herbs, this means that spiritual medicine would not have any effect on my progress..."

Fang Yuan shook his head and felt that he was a little too greedy.

Of course, it was a pleasant surprise for him to attain a higher level in [Medicine].

His real joy was being able to fill his experience bar in Black Sand Palm after killing Song Yujie, as though he was able to break through the next gate anytime.

'In the 12 Golden Gates, the first 8 are Initial, Rest, Life, Restriction, View, Pain, Shock and Death... it would be an accomplishment itself being able to break through from the 3 Prosperous Gates to the next 2 Peaceful Gates, and an eye-opener for those who practice the most basic martial arts.'

Fang Yuan looked as this palm, enlightened.

Martial artists who broke through the 3rd Gate were already uncommon, but those who broke through the 4th and 5th Gates were the elites, especially to younger martial artists.

Even Song Yujie himself, who was like Song Zhong in his younger days, could only break through the 4th Gate.

"From the 4th Gate onwards, even if the experience bar is full, something more has to be done to break through the next gate?"

Fang Yuan looked at this fully-filled experience bar, and without hesitation, "Advance my Black Sand Palm to the next grade!"

"Ding!"

A loud sound followed, as he noticed the '3' behind [Black Sand Palm (Grade 3)] jump, and transformed to '4'!

[Black Sand Palm (Grade 4)]!

"Mmm!"

Fang Yuan clenched his teeth and noticed his palm turned pitch-black. Veins were distinct like worms, as though they were crawling up his arm.

A gush of hot air originated from his palms and travelled up his arm, breaking through many barriers before settling down at his chest.

This heat energy was different from anything he felt before, as his abdomen felt stronger and stronger.

"Is this... inner power!?"

Fang Yuan became really excited.

"[Black Sand Palm (Grade 4)], the skill initially strengthened the external parts of my body, but it's now starting to have an effect inside the body?!"

Inner power was the essence of power for martial artists and was a foundation for high-level martial arts techniques. The sword essence that came from Song Yujie was an example of the use of inner power.

Fang Yuan's strength diminished when it encountered the sword essence. If not for the poisonous effect brought about by the Black Sand Palm, Fang Yuan would have died under Song Yujie's hands.

"Sadly, the inner power when cultivated through the Black Sand Palm is rudimentary and cannot compare with the Spirit Returning Sect's Heart Manual... The highest I can go will be the 5th Gate..."

Fang Yuan knew that he was just one step away from attaining the highest standard of Black Sand Palm as harnessed by its creator, Kou Feng.

He looked at the description,

"[Black Sand Palm (Grade 4)] - External martial arts, and if mastered, one's palm would become as strong as steel, and able to break gold and jade. There are a total of 5 grades, and now currently at Grade 4. Comes with stronger poison abilities and strengthened inner power!"

'With more inner power, I can break through more gates!'

Fang Yuan took a deep breath, controlled the energy within his abdomen, and prepared for the breakthrough of the 4th Gate, Restriction Gate.

"Crack!"

A sound was heard, and immediately he felt an even larger amount of energy within his abdomen. The inner power within him flowed freely.

'Breaking through gates is one thing, and crossing realms is another!'

Fang Yuan thought to himself silently.

He was truly a martial artist at the 4th Gate now. If he continued to practise the Rough Breathing Technique, he would be able to train that to Grade 4 too, just that he would be unable to break through another Restriction Gate and reap its benefits one more time.

Furthermore, to break through the 5th Gate, he would have to see which technique of his would break through the 5th Gate first, and it did not depend on the how many techniques he had. Within the martial artists, there was an unspoken rule of how one should not try to master everything.

'A martial artist at the 4th Gate must train their inner power. Without any Heart Manual, the Eagle Claw Skill can only break through the first 3 gates... But if the Heart Manual compliments it, there would be tremendous improvements and even the potential to break through the 3 Perilous Gates!'

Fang Yuan considered to himself seriously.

The potential of the Black Sand Palm was the same as the Rough Breathing Technique and only had the potential to break through the 5th Gate.

If he wished to break through the Pain Gate, he would need to find a higher-tier martial art to practice.

'I would never dare to practise this incomplete Spirit Returning Heart Manual. I wonder, in the end, would the stats window show me that the skill is completed, or would it try and predict the way ahead for the Black Sand Palm...'

Fang Yuan touched his chin, smiled and realised he became greedy.

He dismissed his inner power, and his palms appeared normal again, as though he was a normal young man. No one would able to associate him with being a murderer.

"Did my stats increase?"

After a while, as the heat energy from his inner power dissipated, Fang Yuan took a look at his stats board and realised the following changes:

"Name: Fang Yuan

Essence: 2.2

Spirit: 2.0

Magic: 1.5

Age: 18

Cultivation: [Martial Artist (4th Gate)]

Techniques: [Black Sand Palm (Grade 3)]

Skills: [Medicine (Level 2)], [Botany (Level 3)]"

'The bigger the danger, the better the chance to improve oneself. The higher the cultivation level, the harder it is to advance, especially when it comes to the 3 Perilous Gates. If one fails, he might lose control of himself and even lead to death, but the rewards are worth the risk!'

Fang Yuan was extremely satisfied at seeing the increment for his Essence and Spirit.

At this moment, the sun rose and the sun rays peered through his window.

"Unknowingly, the night has passed!"

Fang Yuan took a deep breath and stood up, shook his legs a little, but then realised that his legs were never numb to begin with, but rather, full of energy. As for the wound on his chest, it was almost healed and a scab was already forming.

At this rate of healing, a complete recovery would be done in no time and there might not even be any scar.

"This is indeed good news!"

He laughed, walked out of the door and intended to boil some water and brew tea.

When he reached the entrance of the valley, he saw Minister Lin and the Zhou siblings supporting another man, all waiting at the entrance.

"Zhou Tong wishes to thank young master for saving my life!"

Old Zhou did not seem too old and looked quite healthy. When he saw Fang Yuan, he shook off Zhou Wenxin's hand and prepared to pay his respects to Fang Yuan.

"You have only just recovered, you should spend more time resting!"

Fang Yuan casually replied.

"Mmm, I would like to have a word with young master, if you will!"

Zhou Tong turned around, looked at the Zhou siblings with a serious look, and thanked Minister Lin, "I am eternally grateful for Brother Lin's help!"

"Haha, Brother Zhou, you're too courteous!"

Minister Lin was aware and could tell straight away that Old Zhou wanted to have a private talk with Fang Yuan, and said, "I have other things to see to, I'll take my leave first!"

With him, he brought along the Zhou Siblings and left the entrance of the valley.

"Old Zhou, please speak your mind!"

Fang Yuan brewed a pot of tea and sat down quietly.

"This tea..."

Old Zhou lifted his teacup, took a sip and his expression changed, "Not bad!"

Since Old Zhou was an outsider, Fang Yuan did not brew the spiritual tea, but these tea leaves were still grown and hand-picked by him, and with the complement of the Meditative Tea Ceremony, it still managed to surprise Zhou Tong.

'He must be a talented person, to be able to brew tea of such standards. I should get straight to the point...'

After one cup of tea, Old Zhou suddenly exclaimed, "Ah! There is misfortune within the family!"

It seems that he was still unaware of his predicament.

Chapter 25: Gift

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

"Sir, you must be joking ..."

Fang Yuan shook his head: "There will always be people who are unsatisfied when it comes to dividing benefits in such a big family!"

"The words of the master are indeed wise!"

Zhou Tong was surprised that Fang Yuan was very experienced and could clearly see the ways of the world. He was wise beyond his age.

"I am afraid that this is not the reason you find me for?"

Fang Yuan blew the steam off the teacup. He looked at Zhou Tong and grimaced.

"I would not hide the truth from you!"

Zhou Tong appeared to have nothing to hide: "I am preparing to return to Qingye City today."

"Oh? Why is that so?

While Fang Yuan did have his suspicion, he did not let on what he thought.

"I received the news this morning that something big happened in Qingye City... Elder Song's beloved son, Song Yujie, as well as a servant, were murdered in the city. That vicious person even set the house on fire!"

"Sss…."

Fang Yuan pretended to be surprised: "Who would be so vicious?"

"I am not sure as well. Elder Song is going crazy with the loss of his only son. The whole city is in a state of unrest..."

Zhou Tong shook his head. Fang Yuan's acting was too good and Zhou Tong did not have any reason to suspect him. Little did Zhou Tong know that the vicious murder was just sitting opposite him.

Fang Yuan could tell that Zhou Tong was secretly rejoicing. Zhou Tong and Song Zhong were from different factions in the sect and Zhou Tong was happy over Song Zhong's misfortune.

"If that is the case, I will not disturb you any further!"

Fang Yuan smiled as he lifted up the teacup.

"It's okay!"

Zhou Tong was embarrassed. He had been dismissed but he continued to stay. It was indeed awkward.

He had no choice as he had a favour to ask of Fang Yuan.

Zhou Tong took a look around before he kneeled down and kowtowed: "I will always be grateful to you for saving my life. However, I have a favour to ask you and hope that you would not decline"

"Since you are so bold to ask for a favour, there is no need to explain further!"

Fang Yuan took a sip of tea, almost as if to aggravate Zhou Tong and drive him to his grave.

Zhou Tong could see that while Fang Yuan was highly skilled and could work wonders, he was extremely apathetic.

However, Zhou Tong had no choice but to ask for his help.

Song Zhong had become totally crazy after the loss of his son!

Zhou Tong was afraid that if he was alone, he might be hurt or even killed!

Song Zhong and he were of the same sect, they belonged to conflicting factions. While they never had a fallout, he was afraid that Song Zhong would be irrational and hurt him.

Fang Yuan's reaction, while overboard, was within Zhou Tong's expectation. After all, he was not related to Zhou Tong and even saved his life. There was no reason for him to continue helping Zhou Tong.

Zhou Tong took a deep breath and revealed his trump card: "I heard that you are interested in martial arts? You previously traded Red Mountain Ginseng for 3 martial arts manuals? Would it not be better for me to be here to help you with the manuals?"

"Hmmmmm?"

Fang Yuan's interest was piqued after hearing that from Zhou Tong. He helped Zhou Tong up with his left hand and said: "We can talk after you stand up!"

"Oh?"

Zhou Tong could not help but felt astonished as he felt a surge of power which caused him to stand in spite of himself.

"This..."

Zhou Tong was a highly-skilled martial artist who had surpassed the level of [Martial Artist (5th Gate)]. He was a deacon of the Spirit Returning Sect. In order to reach that position, he possessed a high level of martial arts skills. His skills were hardly affected despite him being unwell.

In spite of this, Zhou Tong was unable to resist when Fang Yuan single-handedly forced him to stand. It was clear that Fang Yuan was highly skilled as well.

"I am definitely interested in some high-level martial arts that are able to enhance and improve myself!"

Fang Yuan answered without hesitation.

Furthermore, in order to overcome the Pain Gate in the future, he must possess a higher level of martial arts.

"However, I will have to politely decline if you want to give me the manuals of the Spirit returning Sect. Not everyone will dare to cross the Spirit Returning Sect and be hunted by them incessantly!"

Fang Yuan smiled.

"How is that possible? I will not do something that will hurt others and myself even if I have more courage!"

Zhou Tong drew out a manual: "It was by chance that I come across Iron Skin when I was young and I never came to regret it. This technique can be combined with the Eagle Claw Technique to become the Eagle Claw Iron Skin Technique. Yu Qiuleng is very proficient in the Cold Iron Eagle and is famous within the inner circle..."

"Oh, I see!"

Fang Yuan nodded his head. He remembered the martial artist that accompanied Lin Yuanwai during the withdrawal of the marriage. He now realised that the martial artist surpassed Zhou Tong in every aspect, be it rank or skills.

The Eagle Claw Technique was more well-known than the Black Sand Palm Technique with more divergence of practices.

For example, using the Iron Skin's defence as the focus in the Eagle Claw Iron Skin Technique or using the offensive ability of the skill, could greatly enhance the Eagle Claw Technique and even techniques such as the Fiery Claw, and the Icy Eagle Claw. Even the original creator would be confused with the countless variation of the practices.

'The Eagle Claw Iron Skin Technique was like the Rough Breathing Technique which focused on defence. With the offensive capabilities of the Eagle Claw, the technique was all-rounded.'

Fang Yuan was satisfied.

While the Eagle Claw Iron Skin Technique appeared to be commonplace, only those who had undergone many trials were qualified to train within the sects.

Fang Yuan hesitated for a while. He made no attempt to take the manual and instead, glanced at Zhou Tong: "Those who present gifts have things to request, what is your request?"

Zhou Tong was momentarily embarrassed. He said, "I owe you a big favour, and will willingly climb a mountain of blades or cross a sea of flames without batting an eyelid. The manual is nothing compared it. It is just that the world is cruel and deceitful and as such, I can only be shameless and make a request..."

He asked heavily, "What do you think of my youngest daughter, Wenxin?"

"Hmm..."

Fang Yuan rolled his eyes as he thought that Zhou Tong was offering his daughter as a way to entice him.

"Very energetic..."

He was speechless for a while before he came to a revelation.

"That's good!"

Zhou Tong relaxed his tone, "Truth to be told, my youngest daughter is very stubborn and I am unable to discipline her. Why not you accept my youngest daughter as a disciple?"

"No way!"

Fang Yuan immediately shook his head, "How is that possible? To be the master of your beloved daughter? It would be better to find someone else."

He did not want to put up with a troublemaker. At the same time, he admired Zhou Tong's cheek to make such a request. He was indeed unparalleled.

Furthermore, Wenxin might just be older than him.

"Will you not consider it?"

Zhou Tong was slightly disappointed.

Having Fang Yuan as the master of his child was his brainchild after a long night of thinking.

This was a plan with many benefits. Firstly, he would be able to entice such a mysterious and "abled" person. Secondly, his daughter would be protected. Furthermore, regardless of Fang Yuan's martial art ability or other skills, as long as he was able to learn medicine from Fang Yuan, he would be very much settled in his pursuit.

No matter how much he planned and calculated, he was unable to calculate that his daughter and Fang Yuan had crossed path before.

"I never had any thoughts of having a disciple before. I think it is better for you to take back the gift!"

Fang Yuan pushed the manual away from him.

Even though she would look pretty after dressing up and she had no choice but to follow his orders as she was the disciple, he did not want the lady to cause trouble by his side.

"Sigh, my daughter is indeed unfortunate! However, please keep this manual. If not, I would really be shameless... …"

Zhou Tong let out a long sigh.

"In any case, thank you very much..."

Fang Yuan was interested in the manual. Furthermore, he had saved the life of Zhou Tong. It was only right that he received the gift. As such, under Zhou Tong's insistence, he accepted the manual.

However, never could he had imagined that Zhou Tong had little morals!

Zhou Tong smiled and looked at the surroundings after Fang Yuan accepted the manual, "You live alone in the deep mountain with no one around. Let me present you a servant to take care of you!"

"That will not be necessary?"

Fang Yuan rejected. He had too many secrets which might be leaked out quickly should there be another person in the deep valley with him.

He should protect the secrets that need to be kept while he still had the power to guard those secrets.

"It is settled!"

Zhou Tong waved his hand and said, "This is all according to your uncle's wishes. Don't worry, I have disciplined the servant. It is okay to scold or even hit her!"

He immediately stood up and walked out of the valet as if he was afraid that Fang Yuan would reject his arrangement.

Fang Yuan realised that there was a large group of people waiting outside. They appeared to be ready to move anytime.

"I will now take my leave!"

Zhou Tong saluted respectfully. Majority of the Zhou Family followed Zhou Tong and left.

"Sigh…. Virtuous nephew..."

Lin Benchu was the last to leave. He looked at Fang Yuan with regret and said, "Other than Leiyue, I have a few daughters… what a shame…"

"What happened?"

Fang Yuan was confused. He soon realized that a delicate figure was left behind after most of the people had left.

"Miss Zhou?"

He looked over and saw Zhou Wenxin with red puffy eyes as if she had just cried. She appeared to be full of grievance.

"What's wrong?"

Zhou Wenxin looked as if she was ready to cry. She curtsied, "I…. I have met you before!"

"What!"

Fang Yuan was shocked as he realized Zhou Tong's plan. He understood the reason behind why Lin Yuanwai gave him such as look before leaving.

Zhou Tong did not manage to entice Fang Yuan to make Wenxin his disciple. As such, he forced Wenxin onto Fang Yuan by giving her to Fang Yuan as a servant.

"What the!"

Looking at Wenxin who was full of grief, Fang Yuan struggled as he did not know what to do.

Chapter 26: The 4 Heavenly Gates

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

"Father….."

Outside the valley, Zhou Wenwu looked back in the direction of the secluded valley and said, "Let my sister becomes a slave to someone else? If this piece of news spread, what will the Zhou family's reputation become?"

"You are over worried. If both of us don't reveal anything, no one will know that it is Wenxin!"

Zhou Tong shook his head and said, "Your sister is too stubborn. It is time for her to look for someone to improve her character. Since I'm still alive now, it is still okay. When I'm dead, she will likely bring trouble for the Zhou family!"

"But….."

Zhou Wenwu disapproved. "I still feel that this is inappropriate. Sister's reputation….hold on a second. Father, you want to…."

"Haha, the young Master is not that kind of person. Even if so, what is there to lose out on if I have a son-in-law?"

Zhou Tong stroked his moustache and said, "Even though your sister is stubborn, her character is actually good in nature. We should let them get together first. Even if their relationship doesn't work out in the end, at least your sister is able to benefit from learning a few techniques from the Master!"

"Father, looks like you have much confidence in this Master!"

Even though Zhou Wenwu stayed silent, he knew that Zhou Tong had already made a decision and would not change it no matter what.

Also, the mindset here was different. Marrying off one's daughter or sister to a capable man meant that others would not look down on you.

"Not to mention….."

Zhou Tong heaved a long sigh, "Qingye City's situation is unpredictable. I am finding an alternative path for the Zhou family. Wenwu, don't follow me back to the city. Just head straight to Lieyang County and find your aunt. Stay there for a period of time and enjoy yourself!"

"The situation is in such a bad state now?

Zhou Wenwu was surprised and this would mean that Zhou Tong would be on his own and away from the family. Zhou Wenwu angrily said, "Father, when Song Yujie died, you still haven't recovered from your injuries. The whole family was in the mountains. How will Song Zhong dare to accuse you?"

"In the past, he would not dare to. However, it is hard to say now…."

Zhou Tong shook his head.

A desperate person was the scariest. Song Zhong lost his child when he was old and since then, he had lived alone. It was hard to say what his mind had become.

Plus, he was also an elder. Zhou Tong, on the other hand, was just an Outer Sect Deacon and both of them were enemies of the same Sect.

If the other party lost his loved one and felt like committing suicide, he would also bring others along and die together!

Zhou Tong's face was gloomy and suspected that the poison case was likely to have originated from the Song family.

Of course, Zhou Wenwu wouldn't need to know about this suspicion.

"Alright, Father will with all of us. We have nothing to be afraid of since we did nothing wrong!"

Zhou Wenwu shuddered as Song Zhong, who broke through two Gates, was a [Martial Artist (7th Gate)] expert!

If Song Zhong became crazy and started killing everyone in Qingye City, no one could stop him as the city was not part of the Spirit Returning Sect.

"Leave?"

Zhou Tong listened and gave a sorrowful smile. "You should leave with your sister first. I, being the father, shouldn't!"

This was just a prediction of the worst case scenario. It was totally unnecessary for now.

If the Zhou family migrated elsewhere, what would the rest of the Qingye City think?

If the Zhou family retreated and escaped to elsewhere when there was trouble, they would not have to think about living in the Qingye City ever again.

Nowadays, families here were like beasts as they had territories they controlled. Qingye City was the territory of the Zhou family. If this territory was abandoned, others would come and claim it.

Hence, the worse the situation became, the more Zhou Tong couldn't leave.

"Don't worry, Song Zhong and I are of the same Sect. With Lin family around, he will not dare to do anything funny!"

Even though Zhou Tong was worried, he still comforted Zhou Wenwu.

Even he himself also felt this way. If not, based on his cunning character, he would definitely not go back and die.

...….

"Your father sent you here to become my servant?"

At that moment, Fang Yuan stared at Zhou Wenxin and remained silent.

"Certainly…..certainly not…."

Zhou Wenxin immediately teared after hearing what Fang Yuan said.

Seeing that Fang Yuan stepped forward, she became even more terrified and retreated further with her hands clutching her shoulders. "What….what do you want? Don't come near me!"

"Why do you make me look like the bad guy?"

Fang Yuan stroked his chin and said, "I'm not interested in you. Even if I wanted to be mean, isn't it normal for me to have a servant?"

"Boohoo!"

After what he said, Zhou Wenxin couldn't endure any longer and cried out loud. "You are bullying me again….you are a bad guy…."

"Excuse me, you are being self-affectionate!"

Fang Yuan frowned and said, "I am preparing to send you out of the mountains today actually!"

"What?"

Zhou Wenxin stopped crying and lifted her head. Her teary eyes were staring right at Fang Yuan's.

She thought that she would be suffering since she landed onto a thief's hands. She didn't expect that Fang Yuan was not interested in her and was preparing to send her off!

At that moment, she felt humiliated instead of being fearful.

Previously, she thought that being a servant was humiliating. She didn't expect that being rejected to be someone's servant was even more humiliating!

"You are not willing to leave?"

Fang Yuan became a little interested and said, "Or would you prefer me to torture you?"

"I…..I….."

Zhou Wenxin bit her teeth tightly and couldn't wait to bite that cocky lad.

However, she recalled her father's advice on the situation of Qingye City and his scolding. She took a breath and said, "I will not leave!"

"What?"

Fang Yuan felt something strange about her sudden change in attitude. "Is your father leaving you? Looks like your family is seriously affected by the death of Song Yujie!"

"You can stay in this piece of wildland for as long as you want but I warn you first, do not enter the secluded valley or your life will be at risk!"

Fang Yuan gave a warning and decided to go back and ponder further.

Anyway, the Flower Fox Ferret would not be gentle towards anyone. If this lady indeed decided to explore the secluded valley, the Flower Fox Ferret will definitely not spare her life.

By that time, she would have become a fertilizer for the plants.

"No entry to the valley?"

Miss Zhou looked at her surroundings and heard noises made by the beasts from far. She shuddered and said, "Fine, I will not enter the valley!"

"Very well!"

Fang Yuan then left, leaving Zhou Wenxin behind.

With the camping resources her family gave, she definitely would survive out in the wild. Hence, Fang Yuan naturally wouldn't show any concern about her.

With regards to the news about her being a servant, which idiot would believe? Who would want to get into trouble?

...….

"She still hasn't left?"

Soon, the sun began to set and the sky gradually became dark.

Fang Yuan was reading a manual about the Eagle Claw Iron Skin Technique and gesturing subconsciously. He met the Flower Fox Ferret and asked about Miss Zhou.

The Flower Fox Ferret shook its head like a human.

"Hmm….looks like there is big trouble brewing in Qingye City…."

Fang Yuan got up and exhaled out a long breath. He looked in the direction of Qingye City and murmured something.

The reason why Zhou Tong was thick-skinned enough to make his daughter stay put was so that his daughter could be protected and he could pull connections with Fang Yuan.

Fang Yuan made a decision after understanding the whole situation.

If he was satisfied with the gift, he would accommodate the lady for a few days before sending her back to the city. If he was not satisfied, he would send her back right away. He followed his inclinations and what could Zhou Tong do about it?

"This 'Eagle Claw Iron Skin Technique'...".

After some serious considerations, Fang Yuan started to think carefully about the techniques that he had.

He was not only a young 4th Gate Martial Artist, he also had the Spirit Returning Heart Manual with him even though he was missing a few essential ones. After all, this manual was from the Spirit Returning Sect. The differentiation between the knowledge of martial arts and Gates mentioned in it should not be fake.

With such confidence, he looked at the Eagle Claw Iron Skin Technique once more and concluded that it was impossible for Zhou Tong to trick him.

"So far I have yet to attain [Black Sand Palm (Grade 5)] and [Rough Breathing Technique (Grade 5)]. I need to find other techniques to learn but the Eagle Claw Iron Skin Technique is different!"

Fang Yuan's eyes glittered. "It can combine with the Eagle Claw Technique to become the Eagle Claw Iron Skin Technique. This will enable me to train to the peak of the 12 Golden Gates!"

With this benefit alone, Fang Yuan would gladly accept Zhou Tong's request for his daughter to seek protection here.

After all, this was very important with regards to strengthening himself.

The gift was timely. Even though he had saved Zhou Tong's life, it was still a huge gift that was not proportionate compared to what Fang Yuan had done for him.

"The 12 Golden Gates. The 4 Heavenly Gates come after the first 8 Gates. The 4 Gates are namely Yin, Yang, Heaven and Earth. In the end, one will break through the Heaven Gate and become Wu Zong!"

"The Spirit Returning Heart Manual mentions briefly about this while the Eagle Claw Iron Skin Technique doesn't. It clearly shows that Eagle Claw Iron Skin Technique is inferior as it does not mention anything related to Wu Zong!"

"But to me, having the Eagle Claw Iron Skin Technique is sufficient. Of course, I cannot give up Black Sand Palm. I should quickly train it to 5th Grade and then I will focus fully on attaining the Eagle Claw Iron Skin Technique!"

Fang Yuan was determined to do that.

If it was other martial artists who wanted to convert their techniques, they would have to take a long time.

For Fang Yuan, he was very familiar with the conversion and was able to get it with just a few practices.

After a night of training, he was satisfied by his improvement in the conversion. "If I am given another year to train, Song family, Spirit Returning Sect and others will have to step aside for me!"

"Keke!"

The Flower Fox Ferret suddenly came gesturing to Fang Yuan with its claws.

"Oh? Did something bad happened to Miss Zhou?"

Fang Yuan thought for a while and grabbed a handkerchief to wipe his sweat. He then reached the camping site, which was outside the valley.

He saw Zhou Wenxin curled up at a corner with her hands holding two flintstones, trying to light up a fire.

"Puff!"

Seeing her current state, Fang Yuan couldn't help but thought that Zhou Tong was funny.

It was already whimsical for Zhou Tong to send his daughter here to become a servant and even more amazing that she could take care of herself on her own.

Chapter 27: Destroying the Sect

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

Seeing the state of Zhou Wenxin, Fang Yuan frowned, turned around, returned to the valley and continued to drink his tea.

With an unreasonable attitude like hers, she deserved to be put through hardship. The best would be for her to not be able to take it any longer and leave on her own accord.

What was there to pity about?

Fang Yuan would never feel sorry for her.

Within the valley, Fang Yuan chopped wood, started a fire, cooked some porridge and made tea. The aroma filled the air and even to the entrance of the valley. Zhou Wenxin sniffed the aroma and her stomach was growling.

She unknowingly walked to the entrance of the valley, but froze there, afraid to take another step.

Zhou Wenxin was unreasonable but not stupid. She knew that if she did not heed Fang Yuan's warning to not enter the valley, no one, even her father, would be able to save her.

Furthermore, she could remember when her bodyguards were attacked by the white flash when she came to confront Fang Yuan the previous time. How would she dare to disobey?

She could not ignore the aroma coming out from the valley and continued eating her dry rations.

In the valley.

Fang Yuan and the Flower Fox Ferret each held a small bowl and ate the Vermillion Jade Rice Porridge, and had no intention of helping Zhou Wenxin.

The spiritual rice was so valuable to the extent that Fang Yuan made porridge with it. Regardless human or ferret, both value the spiritual rice a lot and have no intention of sharing it.

"Even my Pearl Jade Crystal Rice is also no ordinary rice, and eating it would bring many benefits to the body..."

Fang Yuan thought for a while, and sighed, "The spiritual tea is almost used up, and the Vermillion Jade Rice too... It has become painful for me to drink normal tea every morning, and if I run out of spiritual rice too, how can I survive?"

"Keke!"

The Flower Fox Ferret raised its little paws, as though it had the same sentiments.

"At the end of the day, the solution lies with the spiritual fertilizer!"

Fang Yuan looked at the Flower Fox Ferret, "When I asked you to bring me there previously, you were unwilling, and see what happened? I am now a martial artist of [Cultivation Level (Grade 4)], and I believe my abilities should be able to bring us there safely?"

"Keke?!"

The Flower Fox Ferret licked the last grain of porridge from its bowl before it was willing to put the bowl down, and went to an empty spot.

"Oh? You want to spar with me?"

Fang Yuan became energetic and knew that the Flower Fox Ferret was unsure of how good he had become. They needed to spar to confirm.

"Come on!"

Since killing Song Yujie, Fang Yuan realised that combat experience was far more valuable than the usual practice, and therefore was enthusiastic in taking on the Flower Fox Ferret.

"Don't take it easy on me!"

Fang Yuan took a deep breath, and both his palms became pitch-black, with his veins protruding out like worms. Both of his forearms became far thicker than before.

'This is usually how my Inner Power circulates within me, and now it has even affected my physical form?'

The parts that were strengthened by the Black Sand Palm were the palms, forearms, chest, abdomen. As for his back, legs and head, the changes were minor.

He had no choice. The Black Sand Palm was a low-tier technique which did not focus on defence. Being able to strengthen his arms was good enough.

"Ssss!"

As for the Flower Fox Ferret, he felt a little scared, after seeing the transformation Fang Yuan went through.

Whoosh!

Using his paws, the Flower Fox Ferret pounced towards Fang Yuan in a white flash like a lightning.

"Chi! Chi!"

Its talons were sharp and quick, like a knife.

"Good, don't take it easy!"

Fang Yuan struck his palm out.

He only fought with the Flower Fox Ferret once, which was their first encounter under the moonlight. The Flower Fox Ferret was not as smart then, and Fang Yuan did not know martial arts back then.

Now, both of them have their own improvements, which made Fang Yuan excited and eager to find out the Flower Fox Ferret's true standard.

"Boundless Black Sand!"

His right palm became black and had a whiff of fragrance; it was mildly hypnotizing.

"Hissss!"

The Flower Fox Ferret did not dare to go head-on with Fang Yuan. It curled into a shape of a letter 'Z' and ingeniously avoided Fang Yuan's palm before curling behind Fang Yuan, attacking him from the back.

"Reverse Palm!"

Fang Yuan turned around and immediately struck out another palm, and the Flower Fox Ferret avoided it easily. However, there were fresh claw marks on Fang Yuan's arm now.

"Hmm? Aggressive in attack, but weak in defence!"

Seeing the Flower Fox Ferret, Fang Yuan came to a conclusion.

He focused on his arms and channelled energy to it. The small wound was nothing to him, as the muscles contracted and stopped the bleeding.

"Good! One more time!"

Fang Yuan became increasingly excited as the battle ensued. He heaved, with both palms striking out, bringing with it a strong gust of wind and poison, which led the Flower Fox Ferret to retreat, and it did not dare to advance a single step.

'Mmm... The Flower Fox Ferrer's true ability is on par with a martial artist at the 7th Gate, and if not for me mastering my outer skills, I would lose... But my defence is too weak and any martial artist in the 4th Gate would be able to break through. I can only use speed to make up for my lack of defence…...'

After a long fight, Fang Yuan was breathless, and raised his hand, "Let's stop here!"

He needed to use all his energy and force the Flower Fox Ferret to retreat, and that took a lot of his Inner Power.

If he continued to use his Inner Power, he would have lost to the Flower Fox Ferret.

'If I was a martial artist of [Cultivation Level (Grade 5)], I would be able to hold on for a while more. Especially if I am able to break through Pain Gate, concentrate my Inner Power, then I would be able to last much longer, and from there should be able to win the Flower Fox Ferret...'

Fang Yuan clenched his fist and felt happy for his progress.

He was even happier when he realised that his experience bar was filled up by a large portion for 'Black Sand Palm', and smiled. "Very good, Flower Fox Ferret, next time we shall do this a few times each day!"

"Hissss..."

On the other end, a tired Flower Fox Ferret stuck out his tongue, because it was extremely tired for it to remain focused and go against such a strong palm.

"Keke!"

Fang Yuan's progress shocked the Flower Fox Ferret, as he made a sign with his paws.

"Can we do it now?"

Fang Yuan understood him and was ecstatic.

Could he finally reveal where all the spiritual fertilizer was hidden?

Once he had the endless supply of spiritual fertilizer, the production of spiritual tea and spiritual rice would not be a problem anymore, and his progress would be much faster!

...

Qinghe County, Kou Village.

The village was considered wealthy within the county, and the majority of the people here have the surname 'Kou', and of course, was the origin of a Palm Technique Master, the creator of Black Sand Palm, Kou Feng!

But right now, in the entire Kou Village, there were corpses everywhere.

A large fire rose to a few feet high and burnt down the entire village garden. In the village, members of the Spirit Returning Sect gave no considerations and killed anyone on sight.

As compared to the entire Qinghe county, the resistance within the Kou Village was small.

"Elder Song's orders are not to leave a single soul within the Kou Village!"

"Kill!"

...

Within the mess, from a random house, a black shadow lept out, with both palms pitch-black full of energy. Those members of the Spirit Returning Sect who came close to him held their throats, became pale and fell to the ground.

"Song Zhong, you bully!"

The black shadow was an old person with white hair, "The rules of the Martial World states that it is of no fault of the others, and even there is a reason, you only look for me, how dare you do this?"

"Rules of the Martial World?"

The cunning Song Zhong responded.

He floated extremely quickly towards the old man, like a ghost.

"Black Sand Palm!"

The old man concentrated on his life's training, struck out both palms, harnessing the most poisonous palms.

People only know Black Sand Palm for its aggressiveness, and many did not know that the strongest form of Black Sand Palm is by combining it with poison. This move of his revealed that he trained directly under the Kou Family. The old man broke through the Pain Gate and was a martial artist of [Cultivation Level (Grade 6)]. He was naturally at the peak of Black Sand Palm.

"Bank Sand Palm, release poison!"

Song Zhong remained calm, did not take him seriously and drew a circle with his right hand.

Kacha!

The old man was shocked as his right palm met his left palm. The intense energy and poison broke both his arms, as he spat out blood and toppled.

"For someone who is able to train the Black Sand Palm to break through the 6th Gate, you are already a talent. What a pity you won't be able to find out the greatness of what comes after the Pain Gate!"

Song Zhong continued, "When one encounters Pain Gate, he will feel pain! When one reaches Shock Gate, he will hurt his mental state! Death Gate is the worst, if one cannot break through it, he will die! The 3 Perilous Gates, are increasingly harder to break through, and I have already broken through the Shock Gate. My Inner Power, when focused, can be as hard as metal. How will your weak poison even stand any chance against me? Now that I've counter-attacked, your life is on the line!"

"Elder Song…...I have indeed offended you in the past, but I don't think I deserve this!"

The old man imagined death and was filled with sorrow.

"It doesn't matter if you have offended me because I am willing to reason with you, but now that Yujie is dead, why should I care..."

Song Zhong calmly told him, but the old man became increasingly afraid, "Are you suspecting that it's me? No, that's impossible!"

"It doesn't matter if it is you, all of you disciples of the Kou Family will all die!"

Song Zhong pointed his finger at the old man's forehead.

Such a person who was able to break through 6 Gates, and train the Black Sand Palm to such a level, was all but a corpse lying on the floor.

Song Zhong didn't feel much happier after the death of the old man, but felt suspicious, "If what those servants said was true, and Yujie died under the poisonous Black Sand Palm, and yet not by this old man, then how would the other disciples be of any match against Yujie? Did I miss out anything?"

Chapter 28: 5th Gate

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

Time flowed like water and passed with the ease of a cloth on a weaving machine.

In the blink of an eye, another 10 odd days passed.

"This is the last bit of Vermillion Jade Rice!"

Fang Yuan tilted his head backwards and poured the Vermillion Jade porridge into his open mouth. He immediately felt a warm surge of energy circulate his body.

He looked at his stats window.

"Mm…Black Sand Palm (Grade 4), Proficiency points at 99% already?"

Although the Flower Fox Ferret had confirmed that he had the strength to advance towards lands with spiritual fertiliser, Fang Yuan wanted a more solid guarantee for himself.

Several days of hard work had allowed Fang Yuan to hone his Black Sand Palm technique to a new peak. Even the Eagle Claw Cloth Technique had started to become easier for him. Fang Yuan had broken past [Martial Artist (4th Gate)], which gave him the strong foundations necessary to make his execution of the technique a force to reckon with.

"The Eagle Claw Iron Skin Technique provides protection that is more balanced compared to the Black Sand Palm Technique. Danger lurks in the spiritual land. Being well-versed in one more defence technique wouldn't hurt!"

Fang Yuan mumbled to himself, then suddenly adopted a fighting stance.

"Flower Fox Ferret!"

"Hiss!"

The Flower Fox Ferret appeared in a flash of white.

In the face of Fang Yuan's friendly invitation to battle, the ferret looked rather frightened.

After all, from the past few days of training, Fang Yuan's "madness" had intimidated it. Coming into contact with the toxic wind stirred up by the Black Sand Palm technique was not a pleasant experience.

"Haha...when the next Spiritual Rice crop is ready for harvesting, I'll let you eat to your heart's content. How does this sound?"

Fang Yuan knew that the ferret was extremely keen on spiritual rice.

"Hiss!"

At the mention of spiritual rice, the ferret was immediately convinced and jumped at Fang Yuan.

"Excellent!"

Fang Yuan stood his ground confidently without a hint of fear. His hands erupted into a flurry of fists. They looked like black windmills that gave off a dark and menacing wind.

"Huff puff!"

After a while, the Flower Fox Ferret jumped out of the fighting ring and looked alarmed at the figure inside.

"So...it seems like Black Sand Palm (Grade 5) brings me back to the basics!"

He noticed that his hands, which had bulging veins previously, were back to their original states. Even his arms, where the muscles were flexed before, had become lean again.

Still, Fang Yuan could feel internal energy coursing powerfully through his vessels.

Although it seemed like Fang Yuan was back to normal, the potential amount of damage he was capable of dealing had increased by a few times!

He checked out his stats window and noticed that the description of his Black Sand Palm technique had been updated.

Black Sand Palm(5th Grade)-It is an external technique that has already reached its peak. This causes the user's hands to regain its original look and make them tougher than steel. It is able to shatter gold and break jade, enhanced with poison, and strengthens inner power.

"Inner power?!"

Fang Yuan could indeed feel a more intense inner power flushing his hands, spreading to his arms, chest and even his lower abdomen. It was as if he had become a small oven and was nurturing something within him.

"Inner power woven into a rope-like form to become inner force! This is the essence of the 6th Gate, the Pain Gate…...if one failed to break through the Gate, his whole body would be gravely wounded and he might even die!"

At this point, Fang Yuan had already reached the deep end of martial arts cultivation. If he lost focus for even a moment, the consequences would be extremely dire.

"But now…"

Fang Yuan closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"Kacha!"

A literal feeling in his gut told him that he had broken through the Gate.

"Martial Artist (5th Gate), successfully challenged!"

Fang Yuan had only been training for two months, and he had already broken through 5 Gates. This was unprecedented. This was prodigious!

"I have my proficiency points to thank, not to mention the Vermillion Jade Rice and Questioning Heart Tea!"

Fang Yuan did not allow himself to become complacent and looked at his stats.

"Name: Fang Yuan

Essence: 2.7

Spirit: 2.5

Magic: 1.5

Age: 18

Cultivation: [Martial Arts (5th Gate)]

Skills: [Black Sand Palm (Grade 5)], [Eagle Claw Iron Skin Technique (Grade 3)]

Specialities: [Medicine (Level 2)], [Botany (Level 3)]

"Eagle Claw Iron Skin technique — Internal and External martial art technique. Whole and without flaws. When trained to Grade 12, by then the body will be impenetrable and resistant to hurt. Complemented by the inner strength of the Eagle Claw! Currently at Grade 3!"

"The later Gates of martial arts cultivation were becoming unnerving. The fifth Gate alone gave me an increase of 0.5 each in both Spirit and Essence. It's a pity that my Magic didn't increase…"

Now, Fang Yuan also realised that Magic was the hardest to level up among the three stats.

He could trigger a prodigious rate of improvement previously all because of the Questioning Heart Tea and the Meditative Tea Ceremony.

The path of the martial arts becomes increasingly difficult as one progress. It is very easy to suffer a rebound while breaking through the Pain Gate. Breaking through the Shock Gate is taxing on both the heart and the mind, and tests a martial artist's magical energy [1]!If the martial artist's magical energy is too weak, he will suffer a rebound and might become mentally unstable..."

With the Spirit Returning Heart Manual and the Eagle Claw Iron Skin Technique, Fang Yuan could approach the 12 Golden Gates with the utmost confidence.

Of course, in terms of danger, the Pain and Shock Gates paled in comparison to the Death Gate.

Failure to conquer the Pain and Shock Gates would result in serious damage to the body, but at least he would live.

The Death Gate, however, lived by its name. Failure would result in death.

Because of this, even Song Zhong and the old timer martial artists had to be very certain about their chances before attempting to break through!

"And Zhou Tong, who has already mastered all there is to master in the fifth Gate and with his Iron Skin technique at hand, did not dare to challenge the Pain Gate. With his timid character, he will never advance further!"

Fang Yuan shook his head in disdain.

Those with martial arts manuals in their possession, and yet did not dare to make use of them for practice, were the most foolish people in the world.

To be fair, Zhou Tong was the patriarch of the noble Zhou Family, and the family rose or fell together with him. He could not afford to compromise himself in any way.

But the price he had to pay was meekness in the face of more skilled opponents, who had no qualms about taking advantage of him.

"However, according to the masters from the books, and based on my own observations, these 3 Perilous Gates might be intimidating, but as long as the martial artist has an abundance of Spirit, Essence, and Magic, he'll be able to cope well!"

Because of this, Fang Yuan had every confidence in the spiritual fertilizer.

He had to stock up on tea and rice in order to push these three stats into new highs so that he could smash through the 3 Perilous Gates at one go.

"Alright, let's set off today!"

Fan Yuan lifted a bamboo basket onto his back and called out to the Flower Fox Ferret before heading out of the Valley.

When he arrived at the campsite of the Zhou Family, it was apparent that Zhou Weixin had disappeared.

'A servant of the Zhou Family came by with news that Song Zhong had not become totally mad the other day, which set Old Zhou's heart at ease. Furthermore, Miss Zhou finally went home grudgingly after her torturous is just as well. There is less trouble for me!'

Fang Yuan was dressed in green robes. He let out a sigh of relief.

After all, Song Zhong and Old Zhou were from the same Sect. Song Zhong had lost much and took revenge on his old enemies with a dogged determination. It was worthy to note that he held back from attacking Old Zhou.

He was but an elder of the Spirit Returning Sect and was not invincible.

"The marks that I left behind were definitely insignificant. As long as I do not reveal my skill, especially the Black Sand Palm, who would suspect me…?"

Fang Yuan was extremely self-assured.

The safer the Zhou Family was, the safer he was.

As long as time dragged on, and he kept improving, none of this would matter anymore.

"Ferret, it's your time to shine!"

Fang Yuan patted the ferret's head. Both of them then sped into the forest and disappeared.

Qingye City.

"Useless piece of trash!"

Song Zhong let out a roar. Song San immediately spat out blood and was thrown back several metres onto the ground.

"I wanted information on all the Black Sand Palm experts in the county. I gave you so much time, and yet you turned up with so little…"

Song Zhong began to walk forward slowly as he glanced at the bloodied Song San, his features regaining composure.

"Spare me, Master!"

Song San kowtowed repeatedly.

"The Black Sand Palm is widely practised with so many variations. Song San feels that…"

"Pow!"

Song San's speech had been cut short by a kick to his chest.

"Are you saying that Yujie made a mistake? That he had poor eyesight?"

"Song San did not mean that!"

Song San clutched his chest in pain. He did not dare to even make a sound.

"...Yujie naturally would not be in the wrong. It must be the servants who made mistakes in their anxiousness to leave. Maybe they heard wrong. Or perhaps...please give me more time Master!"

"Hmph, get lost!"

Following Song Zhong's bellow, Song San ran out of the hall wretchedly, his eyes dripping with malice the moment he was out of sight.

"Master!"

After Song San left, a female disciple walked in and greeted Song Zhong with a bow.

"I have followed your instructions and made preparations. Zhou Tong has lowered his guard and has summoned his former disciples…"

"Excellent!"

Song Zhong calmed down slightly after receiving the news, except that his enraged expression gave way to a sly one.

"Let's wait for his precious son to return, and we can deal with them all in one go!"

"But Master, the Zhou Family is one of our own. Additionally, it can be confirmed that during the period where Yujie left us, Zhou Tong was recuperating after being severely poisoned. He had nothing to do with Yujie's death…"

The female disciple looked at Song Zhong with uncertainty.

"...So?"

Song Zhong squinted at her.

"You think I have no idea? We played a part in his poisoning. And Zhou Tong has been in contact with the elders in his territory, telling them that I have been a tyrant….We have to kill this sheep in a display of power to show the rest that I'm not to be trifled with!"

The female disciple listened in silence and spoke after a long while.

"This is ruinous for the Sect."

"Hehe…"

Song Zhong cackled.

"I'll have nothing to do with the downfall of the Zhou Family. It would be the doing of roaming gangsters. As long as we do not leave behind any evidence, who would dare to take an Elder to task?"

"You are mad!"

The female disciple shivered. She could see that her master was becoming more extreme following the death of his beloved son.

"Yujie…"

Song Zhong became oblivious to his surroundings and muttered under his breath.

"All the people that you've ever disliked will not escape. And all those that you were fond of, Papa will deliver to you…"

As the sun began to set, shadows danced on Song Zhong's face like demons around a fire.

[1] The 'Magic' in Fang Yuan's stats window is an indicator of how much magical energy he has.

Chapter 29: Spiritual Land

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

A thick fog covered the vast green mountains.

In the forest, Fang Yuan and the Flower Fox Ferret were traversing at a speed which could not be seen by the naked eye.

He came to the forest to look for the spiritual fertilizer, which was essential for the development of his skills. Thus, he was rushing to find it.

They reached the Clear Spirit Mountain by noon.

"Come, let's eat!"

Fang Yuan looked at the sky and only saw a faint light from the scorching sun as they were covered by the surrounding trees.

The spiritual Vermillion Jade Rice had run out. Hence, he naturally had to make his rice balls with the Vermillion Jade Rice. This was rather tormenting for him as he was picky about his food.

Similarly, the Flower Fox Ferret was in disdain when it realised the rice balls were not made from the Vermillion Jade Rice. It dived into a nearby bush and dragged a chicken out not long after.

"You are indeed picky!"

Fang Yuan mocked the Flower Fox Ferret and then removed the intestines of the chicken. He went to a river to wash the blood off the chicken and seasoned it with some salt that he brought. He then wrapped the chicken with leaves and started roasting it over the fire.

Not long after, a freshly roasted chicken was made.

As he removed the wrapping leaves, he could smell a strong aroma.

"Oohh…..It melts in the mouth and is not greasy at all. It tastes so fresh…."

This dish also appeared in his dreams. Fang Yuan randomly made this dish on the spot and the Flower Fox Ferret really liked it. This made the Flower Fox Ferret tempted to get another chicken.

"Dreams do come true….."

Fang Yuan had realised that what he dreamt did come true in real life. His life in the dream world was very similar to his in real life.

"Or…...in the slang of the other world, this is a form of ''breakthrough', the only difference is that the current me is the combination of both memories/sides, with equal parts of both worlds…...

He became clear and understood the situation. "Currently, I am Fang Yuan!"

...….

"Let's go!"

Fang Yuan continued on with the Flower Fox Ferret after finishing their lunch.

The Clear Spirit Mountain was indeed deep. There were many rare birds and beasts, with leopards, tigers, wolves and jackals forming the majority. Not many old huntsmen and herb collectors dared to come this deep.

"Roar!"

A very loud roar was coming from the front. A giant tiger with a white forehead jumped out from the trees.

"There are indeed many beasts in this forest!"

Without blinking his eye, Fang Yuan attacked the tiger effortlessly with his right palm. "Black Sand Palm!"

[Black Sand Palm (5th Grade)] gave an ultimate effect from the power it produced. However, both arms and palms did not have any changes, except for a black circle which would appear on the palm when executed.

"Bang!"

Fang Yuan hit the tiger's skull with much force, causing it to roll onto the ground.

This giant tiger had a thick skin. It rolled on the ground and was able to get behind Fang Yuan. It then used its tail like an iron whip and whipped his back.

"Piak!"

Fang Yuan's clothing was torn into pieces.

"Hmm? This tiger is definitely not normal. Even though it is not a spiritual beast, it is not much different from the mutated Pearl Tail Snake previously….."

Fang Yuan was surprised that it was able to survive his Black Sand Palm even though he knew that its skull was the strongest part of the body.

What about the tail?

Fang Yuan had Iron Skin for defence and this tiger had gotten weaker. It was no match for him.

He touched his back and couldn't feel any pain. From the perspective of the Flower Fox Ferret, a fading red print could be seen on his back.

"Roar!"

The giant tiger realised that Fang Yuan was too powerful and decided to run away.

However, not long after it escaped, it became like a drunkard and fell onto the ground, with a dark coloured blood flowing out.

"The combination of the Pearl Tail Snake's poison and Black Sand Palm is a perfect one indeed!"

He then sighed. "Even though I executed the Black Sand Palm, it is actually the poison encapsulated in the Black Sand Palm that killed the tiger. Should I just call it Poison Sand Palm instead?"

"Unfortunately the tiger's bones….."

At that moment, the tiger was poisoned to death and its body was badly destroyed. Fang Yuan regretted a little after seeing the state of the tiger.

"Keke!"

The Flower Fox Ferret passed by proudly but was disdained by the corpse of the tiger.

To it, with the exception of the spiritual tea and spiritual rice, how could a piece of meat be called meat if it was not edible?

"However…..there is definitely something different in this mountain!"

Fang Yuan continued on with a serious look.

From the Flower Fox Ferret, to the Pearl Tail Snake and then the giant tiger. This showed one thing.

This Clear Spirit Mountain is definitely something!

Or maybe, it was due to the influence of something mysterious present here.

The place where the Flower Fox Ferret was bringing Fang Yuan to might be connected to that influence. There could be a chance for them to meet the owner!

"Keke!"

As they go in deeper into the mountain, the Flower Fox Ferret became even more excited. It was also alert and used its claws to gesture to Fang Yuan.

"We are almost reaching our destination?"

Fang Yuan bucked up and looked at the sky. The sun was setting and the place was going to be dark soon.

"We have a little bit of time left. Let's go and have a quick look!"

Fang Yuan bit his teeth and went into the bushes with the Flower Fox Ferret.

"Hooo"

The surroundings suddenly started to fog up, causing the visibility to be poor.

"This fog…..something is wrong!"

It was normal for the top of the mountain to be fogged up all year round but this white fog was way too strong.

If he were to go a few steps deeper, he would not be able to see his fingers. Fang Yuan felt a huge feeling of weariness. His eyelids became heavy and he started to close his eyes unconsciously. He then went into a deep sleep.

"Sleep…..sleep….."

He could hear a voice whispering into his ears and he became in a trance.

"Hold on a second….I shouldn't sleep. If I do sleep, everything will be over…."

Fang Yuan had the magical energy that was beyond a normal human being and it proved its effectiveness. However, it only allowed Fang Yuan to stay alert.

Even though he was aware of his surroundings, he was unable to move his limbs, which made it impossible for him to retreat.

"The hell with it, how does the Flower Fox Ferret make it through here previously if I am like that now?"

Fang Yuan was confused. He then heard noises made by the Flower Fox Ferret and it was getting further away from him.

"Sleep! Sleep….Once you sleep, everything will be alright…."

The weariness got even stronger. Fang Yuan closed and opened his eyes. He shook his head and bit his teeth, "Damn it…..There is something wrong with the fog!"

He forced himself to sit cross-legged and summon forth his inner power to counter the fog.

Normally, his power from his Dantian was able to defend against any threats. This time, it seemed that his power was useless when dealing with such great power from the fog.

"Go to sleep….go to sleep….."

The whisper beside his ear became blurred.

Fang Yuan shuddered and a scene appeared in front of his eyes.

A white-haired elder who was dressed in white was sitting beside the spring water and tasting tea. "My Meditative Tea Ceremony is based on the foundation of trust and respect, breaking away from fate, curbing evil intentions and simplifying matters. Only with these would you have a genuine outlook, peace, and be set on the path to pursue dao."

"A man of heart is a master of his own body and the lord of the gods. He sits still to achieve wisdom, and the slightest movement would bring upon his downfall. In the land of fantasy, the only truth is: Who would be able to comprehend the falsehood within the sweet promises? They dreamt big and underwent multiple events before they realised that there was more to life and that their hearts had changed. Who would have been aware that it was just a big dream..."

...….

"Master!"

A series of his memories appeared. Fang Yuan then realised he was not drowsy anymore. In fact, he was way more alert than before.

He now could confirm that Master Wenxin was not an ordinary person!

Master Wenxin didn't really pass down anything to him.

The Meditative Tea Ceremony was the only precious gift from him.

"Keke!"

"Keke!"

At that moment, when Fang Yuan looked at the white fog, it was no different from any other mountain fog. The Flower Fox Ferret beside him was getting impatient while waiting. It even dragged a very long banana leaf over and the leaf contained cool spring water.

"Are you alright?"

Fang Yuan suddenly understood what happened. "Does the mysterious magical power here target only humans? Or is it because the minds of the wild beasts are pure and that's why they are not affected?"

Obviously, the Flower Fox Ferret had been through here quite a few times already but it did not have the same experience as Fang Yuan. If not, it wouldn't have brought Fang Yuan to this place.

"It's been hard on you!"

After understanding this point, Fang Yuan didn't make things difficult for the Flower Fox Ferret and drank the spring water straight from the banana leaf.

"This water…."

The spring water was clear and sweet. The water cooled his body.

Fang Yuan only drank one sip and he felt way better than before.

"Good spring water!"

He started praising the water.

Fang Yuan had drank before many types of spring water but this spring water with such quality was rare.

"Nope, this is not normal spring water. It is definitely spiritual water!"

Fang Yuan's eyes glittered and asked the Flower Fox Ferret, "Where does this spring water come from?"

"Keke!"

The Flower Fox Ferret stood upright and pointed forward with its claws.

"There again!"

He gave a serious look.

He guessed that the place deep in this fog was probably the source of the mutations that were happening throughout the whole Clear Spirit Mountain. Things like the spiritual fertiliser, spiritual beasts and spiritual water were formed because of that place!

"It seems like I have to go and visit this place…."

Fang Yuan got up and looked determined. "Spiritual land?"

The spiritual land was formed by heaven's will and created by the gathering of earthly energy. It was filled with all kinds of spiritual plants and plenty of spiritual beasts. It is an excellent piece of fertile and sacred land, and a treasure trove!

Chapter 30: Spiritual Bird

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

"Spiritual land..."

Fang Yuan looked ahead, his eyes full of passion.

Even the lowest grade of spiritual land was a great piece of treasure, and of course, with the rewards came the danger as well.

These spiritual grasses and flowers must have many spiritual beasts lurking around. Take for instance the previous encounter with the Pearl Tail Snake which was guarding the Poisonous Dragon Grass, there had to be many dangerous animals around all these spiritual plants.

"No risk, no rewards, right?"

Fang Yuan clenched his teeth, and looked determined, "Flower Fox Ferret, show me the way!"

The Flower Fox Ferret frequented this route, and it was safe the previous few times it came from here. As long as Fang Yuan stayed wary of the dangerous fog, he should be fine.

"Keke!"

The Flower Fox Ferret was very clever and could lead the way in front, while Fang Yuan followed behind, focusing his inner power to his ears so that he could pick up any danger from the surroundings.

The dangerous fog no longer had the same effect as before, since Fang Yuan recalled his Master's teachings and utilised the Meditative Tea Ceremony.

After a short while, the mountain fog dissipated and the view ahead appeared.

"That is..."

Fang Yuan witnessed the view in front of him and was in awe.

Within his vision, he could see a small green peak covered in a circle of white fog, as though the sky had curtains covering. Once he was inside, the sky was blood red, and the view of the sunset was spectacular.

"Can the wall of fog even cover the entire mountain peak?"

Fang Yuan felt weird, and if not for the Flower Fox Ferret, who was guiding him all the way, he would have been mesmerised and gotten lost.

This place was much more inconspicuous as compared to the secluded valley.

"Hu..."

"Wait up!"

Fang Yuan took a deep breath and felt different.

"Even the air here smells fresher, and with it brings spirituality... A human being can extend his lifespan if he lives here, and if one practises martial arts here, he will experience amazing progress!"

His eyes glittered, "Based on this magical feeling, there is no doubt that this is a piece of spiritual land!"

Fang Yuan felt as though he had won the top prize.

But at this stage, he remained calm, followed the Flower Fox Ferret and ran towards the Green Peak.

Behind the Green Peak was a ridge of barren cliffs, with many black spots on it. As the sky darkened, it became increasingly hard to see.

The Flower Fox Ferret became alert, waved his paws and remained completely silent.

Fang Yuan took in a deep breath and followed it to the bottom of the cliff.

"Eh? This is..."

Under the cliff was a small lake. The lake water was green as jade, and surrounding the lake was white sand all around.

At the bottom of the cliff, the smell of the spiritual fertilizer filled the air, and he became speechless as he looked at the beach ahead.

"This 'beach'... It is all made up of spiritual fertilizer, so much... so much spiritual fertilizer!"

He mumbled to himself and was happy beyond words.

He already knew how the spiritual fertilizer looked like. It was made up of translucent droplets and was everywhere around the beach. A few obvious holes seemed to be dug up by some animal, and the droplets became increasingly transparent with increasing deepness into the beach and the layer on top was pure white.

"It seems that the more transparent the spiritual fertilizer, the more effective it is... I don't even know what formed this beach, I've struck gold!"

Fang Yuan's eyes glittered. He took out his bamboo basket, rolled up his sleeves and was prepared to collect the spiritual fertilizer.

"Squawk!"

At this moment, a fist-sized white bird with red eyes landed on a neighbouring tree and began to squeak in anger.

Its squawking disturbed a neighbouring large bird, which was about 10 times the size of it, like a large eagle. It flew straight at Fang Yuan.

"Hmm? Another type of spiritual bird, this place is indeed very conducive to spiritual things!"

Fang Yuan remained calm, his right hand forming into a claw-shape, and as quick as lightning, "Eagle Claw!"

"Whoosh!"

Amid a short squawk, large amounts of white feathers scattered around.

This large bird could be considered to be a mutant at best, half spiritual bird, but still not a real spiritual animal, so how could it be Fang Yuan's match?

With one swipe, Fang Yuan's Eagle Claw broke its neck.

"Ha ha... Flower Fox Ferret, we have an additional dish for dinner!"

Fang Yuan tossed the spiritual bird into the bamboo basket and smiled at the Flower Fox Ferret.

However, at this point in time, the Flower Fox Ferret jumped at Fang Yuan and pulled on his clothing as though it was running for its life.

"This..."

Seeing how it reacted, it was obvious that it could sense that something extremely dangerous was approaching. Its fur stood up straight.

Fang Yuan decided not to care about the spiritual fertilizer at this moment, picked up his bamboo basket and disappeared like the wind.

"Squawk!"

At his back, the small white bird's squawking increased in intensity.

"Squawk!"

"Squawk!"

...

All the surrounding birds in the vicinity began to squawk, one by one flapped their wings and flew down. It was the Red-eyed White birds from the previous encounter.

"Hisss..."

Fang Yuan was scared out of his wits, and channelled all his inner power to his legs, and ran for his life.

He had to run!

The Red-eyed White Birds covered the entire sky behind him!

With their numbers, even if they were half-spiritual birds, real spiritual beasts would still be no match for them!

The Flower Fox Ferret was also running for its life.

"I finally know why the Flower Fox Ferret didn't want me to come here!"

Fang Yuan ran and his thoughts ran faster, "With their numbers, a normal person could never outrun them and would be pecked to death!"

"To the fog!"

He was a decisive person and chose to run into the fog wall.

The birds chased from above, and even though Fang Yuan had a head start and had the assistance of the inner power, he would be outrun in no time, and the only hope he had was to hide in the dense forest or fog to lose the birds.

"Whoosh!"

The Flower Fox Ferret did not lie to Fang Yuan.

At his current speed, he disappeared into the fog as soon as the Red-eyed White Birds formed a large group and began to chase after them.

"Squawk!"

Having lost track of Fang Yuan, the murderer of their friend, the large group of birds could only circle around the mountain and squawk in sorrow... It could be heard around the entire spiritual land.

After venting their anger, the birds returned to their nest at the top of the cliff, and gradually quietened down.

"Phew..."

Fang Yuan heaved a sigh of relief and dared not to agitate the birds again. He slowly retreated out of the place.

Outside.

After experiencing the spiritual energy within the spiritual land, Fang Yuan felt that the outside world was unbearable, as though the heavens and earth were polluted.

The truth was that the environment of the entire Clear Spirit Mountain was pretty good, but he still felt this way as he compared it to the spiritual land.

"Spiritual land!"

Fang Yuan eyed on the land covered by the fog, and felt emotional, "This spiritual land is all mine!"

He had no reason not to feel this way!

A natural spiritual land was a huge treasure itself, who knew what other spiritual plants might be hidden on the Green Peak, and the spiritual fertilizer, all these were enough for Fang Yuan to drool over.

"And the spiritual birds... Such big birds, the king of these birds must be a spiritual beast, and may even be a grade higher than the Flower Fox Ferret!"

Fang Yuan's biggest wish was to own the entire Green Peak and take it as his own, then shift his spiritual tea and spiritual rice over here.

Nothing in the secluded valley could match up to this spiritual land!

"A pity... I am still not strong enough..."

Fang Yuan frowned, "With so many spiritual birds around, I'm afraid only Wu Zongs can put up a fight?"

Thinking to this point, he looked at his bamboo basket.

Other than a thin layer of spiritual fertilizer, there was a spoil of his battle!

"Ha ha... Flower Fox Ferret, didn't you complain that the beggar chicken is not enough? We can enjoy tonight!"

Fang Yuan carefully observed the spiritual bird in his hands.

It had feathers as white as snow, but its eyes were blood red. It also had talons that glittered like a precious metal, and to top it off, a sharp beak, like a tiny eagle.

After sparring with this spiritual bird, Fang Yuan knew that it was rather strong.

Although it might seem that it could not withstand a single move from Fang Yuan, after all, Fang Yuan was a martial artist at the 5th Gate, equivalent to a deacon from the outside world!

Looking at how fast the Red-eyed White Birds attacked if it was a normal person, a peck and a claw would have been able to dig out an eye!

"What type of mutant bird is this? Why have I not heard of it before? What is it called? Red-Eyed Falcon? White-feathered crow? Red-eyed White Bird?"

Fang Yuan felt like giving it a name and decided, "Mmm... Red-Eyed White Bird sounds best, Ha ha…...I am indeed talented in giving names..."

Unknowingly, the white ferret, who was also forced to adopt the name of Flower Fox Ferret, was speechless and rolled its eyes.

Of course, it only felt unjust for a short while.

The Flower Fox Ferret threw all pride away when he saw Fang Yuan cooked a meal of Beggar Bird Meat. He circled Fang Yuan like a dog trying to please its owner.

"This is creepy, you are a ferret, not a dog, so act like one and have some ferret pride!"

Fang Yuan didn't know to cry or laugh at the scene, tore the Beggar Bird into half and threw it towards the Flower Fox Ferret.

"Keke!"

Flower Fox Ferret pounced and munched on it, and let out a satisfying growl.

To it, what's a little dignity worth when there's good food?

"Mm? Is the taste that good?"

Seeing the Flower Fox Ferret, Fang Yuan took a bite off the bird, and his expression changed.

"This bird meat is more tender than a chicken; it's fragrant and nice too. Delicious! Delicious!"

He gobbled down the bird, rubbed his tummy with satisfaction and felt warmth rising within his body. His expression changed, "This nutrition level should be comparable to a meal of the Vermillion Jade Rice right? As expected from a spiritual bird!"

Chapter 31: Trouble

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

It was dawn.

There was fog surrounding the Green Peak and the spiritual land. Fang Yuan looked at the cliff with anticipation.

A white figure approached the beach, stretched out its claws and seemed as though it was rummaging through something.

"Squawk!"

Above the cliff, numerous Red-eyed White Birds were flapping their wings and pecking around, not aware of the situation on the beach.

In a short while, the white figure retreated and returned to the fog.

"Haha... Flower Fox Ferret, good job!"

The white figure was indeed the Flower Fox Ferret.

Fang Yuan was unwilling to return empty-handed, and so instructed the Flower Fox Ferret to steal some spiritual fertilizer, as what it did previously.

After all, the size, colour, and speed of the Flower Fox Ferret allowed it to escape even if it was spotted, and was the perfect candidate for the job.

And after having Fang Yuan as a buddy, it became much more efficient.

Fang Yuan retrieved the fully-filled cloth bag from the Flower Fox Ferret's neck and smiled, "Good, one more time, and we can settle the entire season's supply of Vermillion Jade Rice and spiritual tea!"

"Keke!"

The Flower Fox Ferret raised its paws, as though it was bargaining.

"All right, I'll keep your portion of the spiritual tea!"

Fang Yuan could not help but feel embarrassed, as he felt that the Flower Fox Ferret had become much wiser and knew how to bargain! It needs to be controlled!

"Go!"

With a flick of its tail, the Flower Fox Ferret went on its way to steal more spiritual fertilizer.

As long as Fang Yuan acceded to his request, nothing else matters.

"This spiritual land... What a pity I cannot own it yet, what a pity..."

Fang Yuan gazed at the Green Peak, in his eyes a tinge of regret.

He knew that although there might be treasures within this spiritual land, the Red-eye White Birds were the owners of this spiritual land and with their existence, he could never develop in the spiritual land.

Therefore, his short-term goal could only be to enter the mountains and to retrieve the spiritual fertilizer.

"The only issue with this spiritual fertilizer is..."

Fang Yuan looked up to the cliff and saw white spots falling down. His expression changed, "Oh sh*t…...The Flower Fox Ferret and I are actually collecting faeces!"

That's right!

The white beach beneath the cliff was the place where the flock of Red-eyed White Birds went to defecate.

Those incredible, effective spiritual plant fertilizers, were, in fact, bird's droppings!

It was a speechless discovery for Fang Yuan.

Regardless, such a job with so much potential had to go on.

"Anyway, bird's droppings are a natural fertilizer, and since these are the droppings of the half-spiritual, or maybe even spiritual birds, then it is only natural that their droppings have such wonderful effects..."

Fang Yuan was used to manual labour since young and therefore didn't mind. After clearing his thoughts, he started to account for his loot.

From the Flower Fox Ferret's many trips to and fro, and thanks to the distracted Red-eyed White Birds, Fang Yuan obtained a huge amount of 'spiritual fertilizer', enough for him to harvest and sow another batch of Vermillion Jade Rice, and pluck another batch of spiritual tea.

He also took the opportunity and captured a few lone Red-eyed White Birds and ate them for a few meals, as a form of revenge for previously making a fool out of them.

The truth was that Fang Yuan wanted to take advantage of the spiritual effect of the bird meat, and together with the Flower Fox Ferret, they hunted a few Red-eyed White Birds.

Slowly, the birds learnt their lesson and rarely loitered outside the cliff. If they did, they would do it in packs, and the king bird would patrol around the area, which forced Fang Yuan to stop hunting.

In fact, when Fang Yuan first saw the king bird, who was gigantic and had a wingspan over a few meters, he was shocked.

It was definitely a spiritual bird!

Even a few of the bird leaders had the spiritual level of the king bird!

After this observation, Fang Yuan gave up hope on trying to claim the Green Peak for his own.

"Keke!"

The Flower Fox Ferret rushed back with another cloth bag full of spiritual fertilizer, and their mission was a success.

This was normal, as the swarm of Red-eyed White Birds had the intellect of an average human and therefore would not pay too much attention to their own faeces.

"It's time to leave!"

Carrying a full basket of spiritual fertilizer, Fang Yuan walked out of the fog, looked back at it, and recalled a sentence from his dream world, "I will be back!"

At this moment, Fang Yuan was not alone.

...

"Red-eyed White Birds, wait and see. One day, I will transform this whole spiritual land into my spiritual farm..."

To a person who loved farming, seeing such a good piece of land go to waste was an unforgivable mistake.

Even though he went back with their baskets full, his grudge against the birds remained.

Fang Yuan brought home a grudge and even more harvest.

The journey back was much smoother than the journey to the spiritual land. When he could finally see the secluded valley, Fang Yuan had already imagined how it would be like to have a bountiful harvest of spiritual rice and tea.

But as he approached the entrance of the valley, his expression changed, "Someone's here!"

Around the valley was a mess, with blood stains everywhere. It was evident that someone came by.

"From the marks, the person did not stay for long!"

Fang Yuan felt the blood on the leaves, looked into the valley, placed his basket down and walked into the secluded valley.

"Come out!"

The Flower Fox Ferret sniffed the ground and pounced.

Fang Yuan stood at the entrance and calmly requested.

A moment passed but there was no movement.

Fang Yuan frowned and waved his hand. The Flower Fox Ferret jumped in and popped his head out as though it was surprised.

"Hmm?"

Fang Yuan stepped in and saw someone lying on the ground. He was pale, and there was blood on his chest. He felt very familiar.

"Zhou Wenwu from the Zhou Family? How did he end up in this state?"

He felt for Zhou Wenwu's pulse. "It's a serious injury, but even though he's passed out, his life is not in danger... Why would this small jerk have the guts to come to my place and give me more trouble?"

Fang Yuan became speechless and came to the entrance.

Previously, the Flower Fox Ferret warned him of a stranger nearby.

"Who is it?"

He walked out of the house and saw a man in black attire. He looked sinister and was around 30 to 40 years old.

"Eh? You noticed me?"

The middle-aged man was surprised, but sounded boastful, "I am Spirit Returning Sect's Elder Song's disciple, Song San, and I am under orders to kill the bastard from the Zhou Family, and if you do know..."

"Oh! That bastard is in the house, bring him away!"

Fang Yuan nodded his head calmly, and caught Song San by surprise, making him forget what he wanted to say.

This type of 'I-have-yet-to-threaten-you-but-you-have-already-cooperated' kind of feeling was a confusing one.

This person was not the average person!

Song Zhong was confused, and witnessed Zhou Wenwu being thrown out like rubbish, "I only have a simple doctor-patient relationship with this man, so take him away!"

The Zhou Family meant nothing to Fang Yuan.

He saved Old Zhou and had gotten the martial arts manual from him, and even protected Zhou Wenxin for a little while. That was already beyond what he would normally do.

It was illogical to defend Old Zhou's son and put his own life at risk.

"He's really Zhou Wenwu!"

Song San took a step forward, recognised him and seemed satisfied. He turned around, look at Fang Yuan and asked, "You're the doctor here?"

"I only know the basics of healing..."

Fang Yuan nodded his head.

"So you were the one that treated Old Zhou's poison?"

"Poison?!"

Fang Yuan grew suspicious.

He knew that Old Zhou had contracted the Drunk Lover Poison, and Old Zhou himself had realised too, but how would this man know?

Unless he was the one that poisoned Old Zhou!

"What poison? I'm not sure!"

Fang Yuan remained resolute on his stand.

'Know your limits, and know when to take a step back!'

Seeing Fang Yuan, Song San knew that if the other disciples were sent here instead, they would let him off and make friends with him.

There were not many people who dared to play along.

He was unlucky to have met Song San because he was reprimanded by his master not long ago.

Song San remained serious, and with a smirk, "Zhou Wenwu chose to look for you at his wits ends, so you must be Zhou Family's ally!"

Fang Yuan became much more serious.

"I do not want to stir trouble..."

Fang Yuan sighed, "Why do some people seem so eager to find death?"

"Whoosh!"

He became a black flash and rushed forward, his entire body pitch black, as though he was wearing a layer of iron clothing.

"Eagle Claw Iron Skin Technique?!"

Song San heard of this famous technique before and even saw Yu Qiuleng used it.

Seeing his opponents skill, it seemed like he was at [Martial Artist (3rd Gate)] or [Martial Artist (4th Gate)]. How would he be of any match to Fang Yuan of [Martial Artist (5th Gate)]?

"You deserve to die!"

Song San smirked, with his right hand clenched into a fist, focused his strength and prepared to strike.

But at this moment, Fang Yuan smiled, "You fool, you've been tricked!"

In mid-air, his technique changed, as his claws transformed to a palm, with a black circle in the middle. It struck down with extreme power, as though it was a large hammer smashing down.

[Black Sand Palm (Grade 5)]!

"You..."

Song San flustered and flew into mid-air, spitting out blood.

"It's you!"

He laid on the floor, with blood oozing from his lips, regretful.

It was as if that he realised at that moment, that this harmless young man was Song Yujie's murderer, but he could no longer bring this piece of news out.

Chapter 32: The County

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

"What have you guessed?"

Fang Yuan went up slowly with an apathetic face. His cold look caused Song San to feel the brink of death.

"Hold on a second…."

He shouted. "You killed Song Yujie and Song Zhong will definitely not let you go. He is crazy and he wants everyone to die together with his son…. I can help you since I know that old man…."

He spoke halfway and was horrified after coughing out a mouthful of blood.

"I will settle that old man myself. You should be on your way now!"

Fang Yuan did not know anything else which could cure the Pearl Tail Snake's Poison other than the Yama's Order.

This martial artist should also be easily poisoned even though he was highly skilled like Fang Yuan.

Not long after, Song San became a corpse with a blue-black face.

"Unfortunately…. The poison is so effective that it killed Song San before I could get more information from him…. It seems like it is not worth to give him a pill of the spiritual medicine to let him survive a little longer…."

Fang Yuan felt a little regretful after watching Song San died. He waved and said, "Flower Fox Ferret, go and patrol the area. Kill anyone who dares to come close to this area!"

"Keke!"

A bright white light flashed past and the Flower Fox Ferret was back not long after from its patrol. Its paws were clean and it shook its head.

"No one? So Song San came here on his own?"

Fang Yuan had a suspicion and sighed after looking at Song San's body. "You are lucky!"

If Song San had given up, Fang Yuan would naturally send Zhou Wenwu out and end their relations. However, Song San had the intention to interfere on his own and got himself into trouble in the end. He was indeed unlucky.

Moreover, he was unconscious and did not know Fang Yuan's attitude and performance previously.

It would then be worth saving his life.

"Song Zhong must be really crazy to get the whole Zhou family killed. Luckily, I've saved Zhou Wenwu's life to allow him to find his sect for help. Any sects who know about his situation will definitely help him in any way!"

Once a faction consolidated its power, it would never allow its own men to kill each other. Otherwise, where would the cohesiveness among the men be?

If everyone from the Zhou family had been killed and there was no leader left, Song Zhong could find a few people as scapegoats and allow himself to be not traced as the murderer.

Now with Zhou Wenwu alive as the sole witness, Song Zhong would not be able to escape when others knew about this!

Hence, in Fang Yuan's eyes, Zhou Wenwu was worth saving as he was useful.

After all, Fang Yuan killed Song Yujie and he had to kill Song Zhong so that there would be no further threats.

...….

"Father….. Ah Fu…."

In his dream, he could faintly see Song Zhong struggling to stay alive.

Zhou Wenwu shouted and woke up from his dream feeling shocked.

He was previously injured in his chest but now he felt much better.

"Yes….Father fought against the enemies desperately so that my sister and I could escape through the secret pathway. Unfortunately, we were still being chased even though he was fighting the soldiers. In the end, we split….."

He began to regain consciousness and took a look at his surroundings. "Is this place….the secluded valley?"

"You have woken up?"

Fang Yuan served a bowl of medicine and showed concern for him.

"Thank you, Master, for saving my life!"

Zhou Wenwu wanted to get up to show his gratitude but was stopped by Fang Yuan. "You are still injured. You should just stay in bed and rest…. What happened to the Zhou family?"

"The Zhou family…."

Once he mentioned this, Zhou Wenwu's eyes became teary. "From today onwards, there will be no Zhou family in Qingye City!"

"How is this possible? Are Old Zhou and Miss Zhou alright?"

Fang Yuan sounded surprised and asked, "Who is the murderer?"

"Song Zhong is definitely the mastermind of the murder!"

Zhou Wenwu bit his teeth tightly and said, "Even though the murderer had concealed himself, I had seen him with my own eyes. I shouldn't be wrong!"

"Ssss…."

Fang Yuan inhaled and asked, "How could it be?"

"That Song Zhong is a crazy man!"

Zhou Wenwu started to get up and said, "My sister and I were separated. I'm not sure whether you have seen us. When the soldiers and Song San came chasing after me, I then knew it was difficult to defeat Song Zhong…."

"I didn't see them…."

Fang Yuan shook his head and said, "Master Zhou, you are a good man. This place is very secluded and Song San probably would have been gone back…."

"I think so too!"

Zhou Wenwu couldn't believe what had happened, but when he thought about how Fang Yuan dealt with the situation, he understood what Fang Yuan meant and answered him.

"What plans do you have, Master Zhou?"

Fang Yuan cut to the chase by asking him that question.

"I will return to the sect, of course, and look for the leader for help!"

Zhou Wenwu's eyes were red. He clenched his fist and said, "If I'm alive, he will have to be dead!"

He himself knew that he couldn't fight against Song Zhong on his own and he needed help from the sect.

Furthermore, Song Zhong was the one in the wrong and he was definitely going to be punished as long as they were able to expose him!

"With your current injuries, you shouldn't move about so much. Luckily Qinghe County is just nearby. I can only prescribe enough medicine for you to find your sect but not enough to for you to regain your martial arts skills!"

Fang Yuan nodded in agreement.

"Thank you, Master, for your help!"

Zhou Wenwu was grateful towards Fang Yuan but he felt sorrowful. He was supposed to rendezvous with Zhou Wenxin but they had not met up till now. She probably had been killed.

In that case, he would be the only one left in the Zhou family.

"After my revenge, I will do anything you want to repay your kindness!"

"That will be unnecessary…."

Fang Yuan swayed his arms and glanced at Zhou Wenwu, "How about I escort you to the county since you are still injured?"

"What?"

Zhou Wenwu was dazed upon hearing that.

He also had this idea originally but didn't dare to request for it since he had troubled Fang Yuan so much already. Since Fang Yuan offered to do it, it made it seemed like he was a good man in Zhou Wenwu's eyes!

Little did he know that in Fang Yuan's eyes, Zhou Wenwu was extremely important in making sure that Song Zhong would be dead. Hence, Fang Yuan had decided to make that offer so he could make sure Zhou Wenwu reach his sect safely.

Of course, Zhou Wenwu didn't know the truth. In his eyes, Fang Yuan was kind-hearted with incredible medical skills.

...….

"Qinghe County…."

On the road, a cart moved slowly. Fang Yuan wore his hat and pondered over his thoughts silently.

In this world, the presence of the local authority was rare. For Qingye City, the families there were the ones controlling and making the calls instead of the local authorities.

The county was similar in a sense that the Spirit Returning Sect was in total control of it. The local authorities present there had no say in anything.

Rather, a portion of the high-ranking officials in the county were members of the Spirit Returning Sect.

Therefore, Fang Yuan could guess the state of the royal sovereignty of this county, which was similar to the one he had in his dream.

That was why after his whole family was killed, Zhou Wenwu did not even consider to report to the local authorities. Instead, he went to his Sect for help.

The cart was moving smoothly at a steady pace, which was helpful to the injured person lying in it.

'The Flower Fox Ferret will stay behind to guard the secluded valley. I am sufficient for this trip to the county!'

'Of course, I should not reveal my Black Sand Palm whenever possible. My Eagle Claw Iron Skin technique needs to be stronger as soon as possible!"

Fang Yuan was eager to improve his technique and he glanced at his stats window.

"Name: Fang Yuan

Essence: 2.7

Spirit: 2.6

Magic: 1.5

Age: 18

Cultivation: [Martial Arts (5th Gate)]

Techniques: [Black Sand Palm (Grade 5)], [Eagle Claw Iron Skin Technique (Grade 4)]

Skills: [Medicine (Level 2)], [Botany (Level 3)]"

"Since I have the foundations for martial arts, I am able to improve my Eagle Claw Iron Skin Technique quickly.…."

Even when he was still searching for the spiritual fertiliser, he still continued to train. Moreover, he was benefitting from consuming the meat of the spiritual beast. The result was way better than when he consumed the Vermillion Jade Rice.

"My Spirit has increased by 0.1. My Iron Skin Technique has gained a new grade and it is not far from reaching the peak of the 5th Grade…."

Fang Yuan was satisfied with his progress.

When he killed Song Yujie previously, he had revealed his ability in the Black Sand Palm Technique. Hence, he would try as much as possible not to execute this technique.

On the other hand, the Eagle Claw Iron Skin Technique didn't have such a disadvantage and he could train it till he attained the 12 Golden Gates. By then he would naturally gain more attention from the others.

Fang Yuan focused on the Eagle Claw Iron Skin Technique and a few messages appeared in his mind.

"Eagle Claw Iron Skin Technique - A combination of inner and external techniques. When mastered, it would be similar to coating the entire body with iron, making it impenetrable by fire and water, as well as making the body difficult to wound. Currently at 4th Grade, this techniques strengthens the inner power of the Eagle Claw Technique!"

In the path of martial arts, before the Pain Gate is broken through, only inner power, and not inner force would be cultivated!

To Fang Yuan, this was the difference between the disorderly inner power and the rope-like inner force.

However, practising martial arts was also beneficial for one's inner power.

He had this feeling that since his power from his Dantian got stronger, he could feel a very strong energy inside it.

If he were to succeed in the conversion of his inner power, he would advance past the threshold for the standard of an expert in martial arts in Qinghe County!

"Master….Master Fang!"

Just when Fang Yuan was about to execute and train his Eagle Claw technique, a weak voice was heard from the inside of the cart.

"How are you feeling, Master Zhou?"

Fang Yuan opened the cart's curtains and saw Zhou Wenwu's pale face.

"I can still hold it!"

Zhou Wenwu coughed a couple of times, coughing out blood in the process. "That….that old man will not let me go easily. He will surely send his men to prevent us from reaching Qinghe County!"

"So what?"

Fang Yuan laughed and said, " We have nothing to worry about if Song Zhong doesn't personally stop us!"

He had easily defeated Song San, who was a disciple of Song Zhong. This clearly showed that his skills were comparable to the skills of Song Zhong's men.

Moreover, there were many ways to get to the county. He could purposely take a different road to make it harder for Song Zhong's men to locate them.

Regardless, they could still encounter trouble in the county.

Chapter 33: Decision

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

"Whoosh! Whoosh!"

A common white carrier pigeon descended into a big building.

This building occupied a considerable amount of space at the corner of Qinghe County. It was obvious that someone of high importance lived here.

The passers-by that walked past this building would either be envious or keep their heads down. No one dared to step out of line.

This was the place of the local tyrant in Qinghe County, the Head of the Spirit Returning Sect!

"Kuku!"

The pigeon flew into a quiet and secluded courtyard and was received by a hand that was white like a white jade.

"Master! Urgent report from Qingye City!"

The owner of the hand removed the message from the leg of the pigeon. His face changed as he looked at the pretty lady, whose face was partially covered by a veil, by his side.

This lady was around 30 to 40 years old. She appeared to be very graceful with eyes that shone bright like stars. It was easy to imagine that she was a beauty when she was younger.

This lady was the head of the Spirit Returning Sect and Qinghe County's only Wu Zong. Her name was Shi Yutong.

She was rumoured to have brought her disciple to visit a friend far away. At this moment, however, to everyone's astonishment, she was already in the building.

Shi Yutong took a look at the message. Her brows furrowed as she spoke in a grave tone, "Song Zhong's actions are overboard!"

She knew that Song Zhong had just lost his beloved son and it was inevitable that he would step out of line.

It would not be a problem if he killed off a few foes. However, he was overboard in killing a deacon of the sect over a suspicion.

"Master!"

A young maiden at the side of Shi Yutong said, "My father..."

"Don't worry. I have ordered my men to fetch Minister Lin from Qingye City. Soon, you will be able to meet him in the county!"

Shi Yutong smiled.

This maiden was the daughter of Minister Lin and was formally betrothed to Fang Yuan. Her name was Lin Leiyue.

Shi Yutong calmly analysed the factions within the sect, as if she wanted Lin Leiyue to quickly understand the situation, "With Song Zhong as such, Elder Yan's faction would not dare to raise the matter up. According to what I know, the Zhou Family is not totally annihilated.I just have to wait for them to bring up the matter before I uphold justice!"

"It is just that..."

Lin Leiyue appeared to be hesitant.

"Do you think that I am unreasonable?"

Shi Yutong laughed. She glanced at Leiyue as if she knew what she was thinking.

"Leiyue would not dare to think so!"

Lin Leiyue apologized with a bow.

"This is what I have to teach you today. Balance!"

Shi Yutong's tone grew serious, "As the Sect Head, it is important to understand and balance the power and authority of those beneath you! Previously, Elder Yan's faction has many who are untamed. We can use the current situation and kill two birds with one stone. We will use force to overcome force and help Elder Han. By doing so, I will act as a mediator and hold the power to decide their fate. This is of paramount importance. Do you understand what I am talking about?"

"What master is saying that we should not readily take sides and instead act as a mediator?"

Lin Leiyue blinked her eyes.

"Not bad!"

Shi Yutong nodded her head, "Silly girl, you are indeed witty. You need to understand that in a powerful organization, there will be fights between the factions. As the Head, you will need to achieve balance and equilibrium, forcing the factions to rely on us. By doing so, it will be easy to assume command of them..."

If Leiyue was just an ordinary disciple, Shi Yutong would not say such words to her. However, Shi Yutong was training Leiyue to become the next Sect Head and as such, kept nothing from her.

"Thank you master for your pointer!"

Lin Leiyue understood very clearly that, to her master, the Zhou Family was nothing. It would just be luck that brought them to the county. If they could not reach the county, it would just mean that they were unlucky.

Since Shi Yutong had already decided to act, Song Zhong would not come to a good end.

As the Wuzong of the Spirit Returning Sect, Shi Yutong naturally had the grandeur and the confidence.

"Hehe... It is funny that that Song Zhong's son, Song Yujie, still wanted to ask for your hand in marriage? That is crossing the line and being too greedy..."

Shi Yutong glanced at Lin Leiyue and poked fun at her, "Our Yue'Er is such an outstanding beauty, how many guys are going to fall in love with you in the future?"

"Master!"

Lin Leiyue flushed and stomped her foot, "Even you are making fun of me!"

"You always understand where your priorities lie. I am not worried about you!"

Shi Yutong said solemnly yet gently.

Lin Leiyue trained with her in a high-level inner technique which required pure had many suitors within and outside the sect. However, these people only did so to increase their social status. Both the master and disciple knew the reason behind so.

"The world is vast! What you saw previously was only the tip of an iceberg..."

Shi Yutong said solemnly, "Leiyue, you were born with opened meridians which, together with your Spiritual Moon Body, makes you best suited for my 'Bright Moon Formula'. You have the potential to greatly surpass me and eventually reached the true Cultivation World..."

"The true...Cultivation World!"

Lin Leiyue muttered. Her eyes were yearning.

Her master's friend, who was an alchemy master, whom they visited opened her eyes to the world.

The alchemy masters, which were rumoured to be even rarer than the spiritual knights and the magical knights, possessed a set of skills where they were able to use their alchemy flames within their bodies, combined with spiritual ingredients to form spiritual pills that were able to work all kinds of wonders.

These spiritual pills did not have harmful side-effects and its effects were miraculous, as such, each type of pills was highly sought after by martial artists who were willing to fight for them.

For example, the 'Frozen Moon Pill' that her master got for her, was compatible with her body and allowed her to improve her martial arts skills by leaps and bounds. It would also increase the chance of success for her in the future when she attempted to break through the 3 Perilous Gates!

Before she witnessed it with her own eyes, Lin Leiyue would never imagine such a thing actually existed!

It was only natural that the alchemy masters were powerful members of the society where they were well-received. No one dared to offend them given their skills.

For example, the alchemy master that she visited had a Wu Zong that acted as a bodyguard. If it was not for the friendship that the alchemy master had with Shi Yutong, the alchemy master would not have stepped in to help Lin Leiyue.

This alchemy master was only a small part of the higher-levelled cultivation world!

Lin Leiyue was overwhelmed by her emotions when she thought of these.

Even though she was a lady, she dreamt to reach the pinnacle.

"I will not disappoint my master!"

Lin Leiyue bowed with firm resolution.

"Haha...That's good!"

Shi Yutong helped her up with both hands, and said, "Now, you just have to train hard. With the aid of the pill, you would be able to swiftly overcome the Pain Gate and increase your inner power. After that, I will make you a the successor of the sect. No one will dare to say a thing!"

'Brother Fang...'

Lin Leiyue thought of the ordinary youth that lived in the secluded valley when she heard this.

At that time, her master cancelled the wedding without understanding the details, and Lin Leiyue was in no position to resist.

If she was given another chance, would she have challenged the decision now that she had made up her mind?

Lin Leiyue's heart was in a mess. This was the first time she was perplexed...

...

"We have reached Qinghe County!"

Not far away, a carriage pulled by an ox drew closer. Fang Yuan gazed out at the city wall and smiled.

This was the first time that he had come to a big city and as such, he was excited.

"Cough cough..."

Zhou Wenwu insisted on accompanying Fang Yuan despite his illness. His face was an unnatural shade of red. "Once we reach the territory of the sect, not even Song Zhong would be able to do a thing. However, he would certainly arrange for brutes to stop me at the city gate..."

There were many routes along the way. As long as they were willing to detour, it was easy to avoid being blocked unless Song Zhong was the head of the Spirit Returning Sect.

However, if he had guessed that Zhou Wenwu was making his way to Qinghe County, it would be easy to just wait for him there.

"Brother Fang, do you have any idea?"

Zhou Wenwu looked expectedly at Fang Yuan.

Fang Yuan would not let anyone call him 'Master' on the journey as it would bring attention to himself.

Furthermore, his age was similar to Zhou Wenwu and after a few small talks, the two became closer and used it as an opportunity to change the way they addressed each other.

"I do not have a plan. However, I have a stupid idea!"

Fang Yuan's lips curled into a smile, "We just choose a door and barge in. It is that simple!"

"I see..."

Zhou Wenwu would never imagine that Fang Yuan's idea was to use simple brute force to barge in.

"This problem was caused by Song Zhong himself. Unless his faction would make a grave error and send people to stop us?"

Fang Yuan spread his arms, "This county has four gates, and as long as we are not too unlucky, we have low chance of meeting him unless he can split his body..."

He would be able to deal with the road blockers single-handedly if they were Song Zhong's disciples.

"What if..."

Zhou Wenwu was hesitant. He did not want to jeopardise the revenge now that it was within his grasp.

"If we really clash with Song Zhong, we can only duel with him. The members of the Spirit Returning Sect would come if there was a big commotion right?"

Fang Yuan glanced at Zhou Wenwu.

If they did not even know how to make use of such a wonderful opportunity, Song Zhong would be able to exterminate Zhou Tong's faction.

"That's right! We shall do as you say!"

Zhou Wenwu gritted his teeth.

He had nothing to be afraid of if an outsider like Fang Yuan would dare to do such a thing.

Little did he know that Fang Yuan dared to do so due to the fact that he was highly skilled in martial arts.

In the event that they met Song Zhong, he just had to use Zhou Wenwu as a shield and escape.

Song Zhong had no idea that he was the killer and would not chase him like a mad dog.

Furthermore, if Zhou Wenwu was killed by Song Zhong in front of everybody, it would further condemn Song Zhong!

"It is best for an outsider not to meddle in a battle between factions…...If I take part in and did not handle the conflict well enough, I would likely be attacked by both sides or be used by them as a pawn!"

Having the experience from another world, Fang Yuan's heart was clear like a mirror, "Whatever the case, once this is done, I must quickly escape and leave this place as far as possible."

Chapter 35: Stalking

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

"Oh? So you are an expert in botany! Pardon my disrespectfulness!"

Old Qian look surprised and waved his hands. "Since both of us are professionals in botany, I will not be explaining further. We only sell two types of spiritual plants. One is the Vermillion Jade Rice and the other is the Emerald Grass. Which type do you want? How about the Vermillion Jade Rice? However, you cannot buy that in bulk as the stock is limited…."

In fact, the majority would choose the Vermillion Jade Rice when they came here to purchase the spiritual plants.

After all, even if the rice stalk was not fully grown, it could still be eaten directly to boost one's elemental energy.

Such trickery when doing business was how the Four Seas Court earn money.

However, Fang Yuan wasn't interested in the Vermillion Jade Rice as he had sufficient supply of it back at his place.

"What effect does the Emerald Grass have?"

He immediately asked.

"Hmm? You don't want the Vermillion Jade Rice?"

Old Qian was surprised and answered, "Both the Emerald Grass and the Vermillion Jade Rice are spiritual plants of the lowest grade. However, many herbivorous spiritual beasts enjoy eating these plants and would, in turn, improve the quality of the soil..."

In fact, many who came here to purchase often traded for the Vermillion Jade Rice in large scales. In fact, Old Qian would be able to earn quite an amount, even though the customers already knew the source of the products.

"Then I shall have some of the Emerald Grass!"

Even though he wasn't totally satisfied, Fang Yuan was not prepared to give up on the Emerald Grass.

He began to imagine the Flower Fox Ferret eating the Emerald Grass in his mind and started to laugh at himself.

"What? You want the Emerald Grass and not the spiritual rice?"

Qian Fusheng was surprised but did not reveal it. "Every Emerald Grass seed is worth 1 gold tael. If you want 50 seeds at one go, there will be a discount!"

"This price…."

Fang Yuan was overwhelmed by the price and for once, he felt like a poor man.

'The prices of the spiritual plants are controlled by the rich. I am not rich and the price is definitely too overwhelming for me….'

He sighed while footing the bill. 'Even though the Emerald Grass and the Vermillion Jade Rice are considered the lowest grade among other spiritual things, the purchase would still attract a lot of attention. Maybe I should be more discreet next time…."

Because of this, he refused to bring any spiritual things to trade with.

A few dozen gold taels were unable to create a deep impression on the prosperous Four Seas Courts. But what if it was 1000 or 10,000 gold taels?

There was no absolute fairness in this world. There were only prices which you can or cannot afford!

"Great, please keep the seeds of the Emerald Grass well!"

After the payment, Qian Fusheng quickly brought out a Red Sandalwood wooden box. The handicraft of the wooden box was delicate and there was a fragrance coming out from it, clearly showing that it was specially made.

"The seeds of the Emerald Grass do not go well with metals. Please remember not to bring the seeds close to any kind of metallic objects…."

Qian Fusheng reminded Fang Yuan and opened the wooden box. The box contained the green seeds of the Emerald Grass, which had a jade green colour.

"Very well!"

Fang Yuan kept the box safely. Before he left, he enquired, "Is there any other spiritual land in the whole of Qinghe County? I'm personally interested in the places where these spiritual things are grown. Maybe you would know where I can find them?"

"This…."

Qian Fusheng's face changed and immediately shook his head. "Spiritual land is naturally created and it depends on one's luck to find it. I do not know the mystery behind of the origin of the spiritual lands!"

"I see!"

Fang Yuan exited the building. "I shall take my leave!"

After seeing him leave, Qian Fusheng paced a few steps and felt uneasy. "Little San!"

"Yes, shopkeeper!"

Inside the room, a painted wall automatically moved back and revealed a pathway. A person then came out from it.

"Report this to the Sect!"

Qian Fusheng sighed.

"It was just a small purchase of the spiritual grass. Why is there a need to report?"

Little San was a little surprised by Qian Fusheng's order.

"Buying a few seeds of the Emerald Grass was nothing. However, that customer even asked about the whereabouts of spiritual lands, making him suspicious. Send a person now to follow him!"

"Shopkeeper, you are indeed vigilant!"

At that moment, another person came out from the secret pathway. He was dressed in green and was a lean young master. He wore a Feline Eye Emerald on his head and his skin was glowing.

He waved a foldable fan around. "It is so boring in the Sect as there is nothing big happening there. It is still more interesting outside. Even a small purchase like this could be so interesting."

"You are here, Master Qing!"

Qian Fusheng and Little San bowed and were humbled to see him.

"I will personally follow this guy. You both should continue whatever you are doing!"

Master Qing looked in the direction Fang Yuan went and gave a mischievous look.

"Yes, Master!"

Qian Fusheng and Little San looked at each other, both looking helpless.

...….

"Hmm?"

After exiting the Four Seas Court, Fang Yuan went past a few shops and frowned.

The combination of his two techniques in martial arts allowed his inner power to be very powerful for a [Martial Artist (5th Gate)]. Additionally, he had a higher than average magical energy and therefore he could sense someone stalking him.

"Someone is following me? Could it be that the person wants to pick up a fight just over a few seeds of the Emerald Grass? Impossible!"

He realised his guess was wrong and found out the reason why. "Looks like it was a taboo for me to find out the whereabouts of the spiritual land….. After all, only the Spirit Returning Sect has control over the only spiritual land in Qinghe County….."

Even though his plan was well thought-out, Fang Yuan had lived in the mountains for so long and was therefore careless in handling the situation.

"How can the Four Seas Court afford to send a [Martial Artist (4th or 5th Gate)] just to stalk me?"

Such a skilled martial artist was not the common type, which surprised Fang Yuan.

At that moment, he swiftly turned into a small alley and disappeared.

"Hmm?"

Not long after, Master Qing also reached the alley. "Did he realise that I was stalking him?"

Master Qing was not afraid and decided to go after Fang Yuan instead of retreating.

The alley was short and led to a dead end.

"Thief, watch my claw!"

"Whiz!"

His clothing was torn into pieces.

Fang Yuan was ready to attack anyone who had ill intentions against him.

"Haha….. What an idiot! Who would reveal their position when ambushing?"

Master Qing laughed and folded his fan. Without looking back, he struck his foot backwards. "Flying Swallow Piercing Strike!"

The normal fan was comparable to a sharp sword when in Master Qing's hands. The fan pierced towards the black shadow and rustled through the air.

"Chi!"

The fan easily struck into the black shadow, but it was at this moment where Master Qing felt something was wrong.

"Oh no!"

He subconsciously retreated and defended himself with his fan.

The first wrong step snowballed into subsequent errors.

Missing his first move caused him to be at a disadvantage!

"Chi!"

Suddenly, the opponent's intense Eagle Claw appeared right in front of him.

"Good!"

Master Qing was excited as he witnessed this Eagle Claw Technique. He retreated a few steps and distanced himself away from Fang Yuan. "Great Eagle Claw Technique! Compared to Yu Qiuleng's, yours is only slightly inferior. Who is your master?"

With such skilful martial arts, he must have been taught by someone well-known.

"You have only attained 4th Grade of Eagle Claw Iron Skin Technique? Looks like your skills are still shallow. I am a 5th Gate Martial Artist!

Master Qing proudly announced his skill.

"What an idiot!"

Fang Yuan looked into his eyes and felt sorry for him.

Such a person who would reveal his own cultivation level to his enemy was either extremely confident or a fool.

Unfortunately for Master Qing, he belonged to the latter!

"It would be slightly difficult to defeat a [Martial Artist (5th Gate)] executing the Black Sand Palm, but that is just a mere obstacle to me!"

Fang Yuan looked at the proficiency points of his Eagle Claw Iron Skin Technique and exclaimed. Executing the Eagle Claw Iron Skin Technique, his hands started striking out into space like a pair of claws.

"Hold on a second!"

Master Qing was anxiously trying to understand the situation. "This must be a misunderstanding!"

He only wanted to stalk and spy on Fang Yuan, so how did it become a fight to the death for both of them?

Also, he did not expect the person in front of him to be so hard to get along and violent.

'Luckily for me…..my inner power is far greater than his. He is using too much of his inner power to attack and will not last long. Once he has exhausted his strength, I will be able to…..'

Master Qing thought for a moment and was overwhelmed by Fang Yuan's quick and incessant claws, which suddenly increased by folds!

"[Eagle Claw Iron Skin Technique (Grade 5)]! How is that even possible?"

When martial artists fight, a slight difference between the skills of the two would have a great impact on the outcome. How would it be possible for one to strengthen his power out of a sudden?

Master Qing was shocked and the Eagle Claw Iron Skin Technique broke through his defences. His body flew up high into the air and knocked onto a wall.

"You….."

His became pale and he spat out a mouthful of blood. "You can't kill me…."

"Why?"

Fang Yuan went forward and hit away his crown, which revealed a long hair. "Just because you are a…..woman?"

"You found out?"

Master Qing screamed and her voice became crisp and high-pitched.

"Only the blind will not be able to see through such lousy make-up!"

Fang Yuan was speechless. "Who are you? Why are you stalking me? How are you related to the Four Seas Court?"

"Humph!"

He did not know why she could remain silent and unafraid after her real identity had been discovered.

"Oh?"

Fang Yuan popped his knuckles and snickered. "Lady, you better answer me now or else….don't think that I won't dare to hit a lady!"

She became afraid and started tearing after hearing Fang Yuan's threat.

Translator's Thoughts

JTJTY97 JTJTY97

Can't get enough of Carefree Path of Dreams? Visit carefreepathofdreams for early access to more chapters of your favourite boy dreaming his dreams!

Chapter 36: Robbery

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

'You are quite skilful in martial arts but you are mentally weak, like a flower in a greenhouse, a delicate lady...'

'You have ties with Four Seas Court, and the Court can get their hands on large quantities of spiritual plants, so you must be somebody...'

Fang Yuan was a smart person, and his chain of thoughts brought him to a conclusion. "Spirit Returning Sect?"

This lady was highly skilled and was on par with Song Yujie, and was therefore obvious that she was a skilled disciple of the Spirit Returning Sect.

If he killed her, he would likely get himself more enemies.

But of course, she only had the intention to stalk him, and therefore didn't deserve to die.

"What do you want! Don't come near me!"

Young Qing looked at Fang Yuan, feeling uneasy. She thought about the many stories of people being raped throughout the martial arts world and was scared out of her wits. "If you touch me... I will..."

"Don't you dare mention any backings that you might have, otherwise, I might just kill you!"

Fang Yuan stuck his index finger out and flicked the skin of this young master. At this moment, the young master held her breath and stopped crying.

"That's right, much better!"

He patted her cheeks.

'This lady's skin is perfect and smooth as silk, comparable to the fur of the Flower Fox Ferret…...Pui... What am I even thinking?'

Fang Yuan shook his head violently, and in a deep voice said, "After stalking me, are you prepared to compensate me?"

"Compensate…?"

The green master was lost.

This pervert shouldn't be thinking of doing any unruly actions, right? Why did he change so quickly?

After panicking for a while, she calmed down and tried to made sense of things. 'Could it be that I am not attractive enough... And that even this pervert don't even want me!?'

She looked at Fang Yuan and felt that his eyes could kill someone just by staring.

"What are you staring at? Unless you want your body to be searched?"

Fang Yuan judged Master Qing, and even though she was not as skilful in martial arts, her figure was not bad.

And by not having an Adam's apple at her throat, she gave away her gender.

"No! No!"

Master Qing was anxious and almost sustained an internal injury. "Whatever you want... I... I will give you!"

"I don't want any martial arts manual!"

He recalled the incomplete 'Spirit Returning Heart Manual' which he looted from Song Yujie and thus felt that way. He held onto the object which Master Qing surrendered.

He opened the shell-shaped box, saw its bright-red interior and became speechless.

"This is the best Purple Scent Token in the county, worth 10 pieces of taels!" Master Qing replied weakly.

"You rich people sure know how to play a fool!"

Fang Yuan felt a little speechless, and when he knew that the lady was rich, the thought of kidnapping her arose.

However, he was aware that her backing would not be any less influential compared to Song Yujie's.

This time although she lost, losing a little money would mean nothing, but letting her know about the dangers of the martial arts world would be the best lesson for her.

If he indeed took the martial arts manual, or even kidnapped and blackmailed this green master, it would escalate the situation. The county might even close its gates to do a county-wide search.

He knew that he could not deal with all those by himself.

"Keke…... Young Qing, you're quite rich eh?"

Fang Yuan would be satisfied even if he was able to get a small fortune.

"Qinghe Bank banknote, worth a 100 pieces of taels! And some loose change of 20 to 30 fragments of silver, and this jade bangle, and this hairpin, and this Emerald Feline Eye... Mmm, good deal, good deal!"

Fang Yuan was used to being thrifty. He took the Feline Eye Emerald from her and smiled sheepishly to himself.

In his eyes, Young Qing was his saviour.

With this lady selflessly giving away her treasures, it quickly covered the cost of the spiritual plant he bought and even earned a little more.

"You... You…...Boohoo..."

Tears welled up in Young Qing's eyes. The Golden Ticket was her hidden savings! She had just deposited it in the bank today but had to give up the ticket now.

She was lucky not to have tried threatening Fang Yuan.

"I know, you would definitely find someone to take revenge! As long as it's not a senior, I'll accept the challenge!"

Fang Yuan tilted his chin and appeared boastful. "Among our age group, I, Young Martial God Wu Ming, is not scared of anyone!"

"Young Martial God Wu Ming!"

Young Qing repeated these few words to herself, as though she wanted to remember them for life.

"Mmm, get lost, and remember that I live at the 'Ends of the World', and will welcome you anytime!"

Fang Yuan kept the items, turned around and left.

After acting, he ran for his life! how exciting!

Of course, his name was not Wu Ming, and as for living at the 'Ends of the World', it was the name of the largest motel he saw on his way here.

Poor Young Qing was being lied to, and unaware. "Young Martial God Wu Ming! Ends of the World! You remember this, I will get my seniors within the Sect to avenge for me!"

...

"An announcement from the Spirit Returning Sect: From investigations on the alleged Elder Song, he had killed the innocent and harmed fellow Sect members. It was long since a person became mad from mourning, and after discussion among the Elders, the unanimous decision is to expel him from the Sect and put him on the list of wanted criminals. Anyone who captures this thief will get a reward of one thousand taels, a martial artist manual, or a piece of Gui Yuan Order!"

Time flew by and a few days passed. A crowd formed at the gate of the county, reading the newly posted announcement from the Sect, all confused.

"Song Zhong, Elder Song? He's a martial artist of 7th Gate! How did he end up in this state?"

"I've heard that news that his son passed away, and that drove him crazy!"

"He's the one who created chaos and destroyed the Kou Village!"

"Hehe... Do you think the Sect would even bother if it was only a few outsiders who were killed?"

Within the discussion, a person claiming to have insider information laughed. "The only thing that will condemn him for life, is that he took the lives of a fellow sect member's family, the Zhou Family!"

"Zhou Family? Zhou Family from Qingye City? ..."

"That's right, I previously even saw the Zhou Family's young master stepping up to file the appeal!"

"And Song Zhong managed to escape?"

"This is their own internal affairs, otherwise why do you think they are recruiting help?"

"No matter what, here's our chance!"

...

As the word spread, many members of the martial arts world were enticed by the reward of capturing Song Zhong.

Taels and martial arts manual may not mean much, but the Gui Yuan Order was no small reward. Whoever held this order would gain the respect of anyone from the Spirit Returning Sect like an honoured guest, and could even exchange the order for a favour from the sect.

In theory, they would accede to any request that was possible!

"Song Zhong... Gui Yuan Order?"

Outside the city, in a farm shed, Fang Yuan stopped his training as soon as he heard the news.

The city was too dangerous, and hard to escape if he got into any trouble. He could only escape if he had extreme Lightness Skill, otherwise, he would without a doubt be captured. Therefore, he left the city and took shelter from a farmer.

He did not use much money; just a few taels were enough to satisfy the family and convince them to let him stay.

He took a quick look at his stats window:

"Name: Fang Yuan

Essence: 2.7

Spirit: 2.6

Magic: 1.5

Age: 18

Cultivation: [Martial Artist (5th Gate)]

Technique: [Black Sand Palm (Level 5)], [Eagle Claw Iron Skin Technique (Level 5)]

Skill: [Medicine (Grade 2)], [Botany (Grade 3)]"

"I was all along a [Martial Artist (5th Gate)], and the progress of Eagle Claw Iron Skin Technique towards Grade 5 was quick. I have finally attained it..."

After grasping the basics, mastering other techniques would be simple, and even the standards to meet were lowered in the progress bar, so naturally, he would have a rapid progression.

He used this feature to extort Young Qing a few days ago.

After all, the Pain Gate was one of the 3 Perilous Gates, and if there was an accident, one would get injured with no hope of recovery. Therefore, Fang Yuan had no choice but to take it seriously.

"Initially, I thought that I could return home after the issue was settled, and focus on training. Who would've thought that the incompetent Spirit Returning Sect could not contain Song Zhong, and even had to recruit the help of the public to capture him?"

Fang Yuan did not understand.

Of course, he didn't know that the internal strife within Spirit Returning Sect has escalated out of control.

The Sect Head, Shi Yutong was not resolute, and the two clans under the leadership of the elders, Elder Yan and Elder Han, were in conflict, which resulted in such an outcome.

The Sect Head only wanted peace and have positive control over the entire situation, and as for Song Zhong, she did not care if he was dead or alive.

Of course, Fang Yuan didn't know so much, but he knew one thing!

He would only find peace if Song Zhong was killed!

Although he took steps to cover his traces, he still wasn't sure if someone could track him down. By then, if the martial artist in the 3 Perilous Gate ordered for his death, he could never escape from him.

"I need to take this opportunity to get rid of him, while the situation allows!"

Fang Yuan had decided, wore his clothing, ran out and soon disappeared.

...

It was a piece of cake to obtain information about Song Zhong.

The entire county was looking for him.

It was heard that this person killed with no regard to his own life, killed his way out of the Sect, and escaped to take refuge within the large green mountains.

This mountain was a part of the mountainous ridge of Clear Spirit Mountains, and after shutting down the major arterial routes within the mountain, patrolling was conducted. Many martial artists brought along their dry rations and followed, hoping that sooner or later, he would be captured.

"Oh! It's so crowded?"

Outside of the mountains, Fang Yuan looked up, and saw the sun burning down brilliantly, and looked around and the numerous martial artists around. He was speechless. "I shouldn't be too hasty. I just need to follow the crowd and witness Song Zhong's death!"

Although the large green mountain was an arterial peak, it was also rather large. The mountain was covered in grass and trees, and to find a highly skilled martial artist hiding within was no easy feat.

But Fang Yuan wasn't rushed. He slowly scanned the vicinity, at the same time made a few new martial artists friends and started sharing their experiences.

One day, at noontime, he was sleeping on a large piece of rock. Suddenly, he heard a delicate voice. "Senior, it's him!"

The delicate voice sounded familiar.

He turned his head to the source of the sound and was shocked.

Translator's Thoughts

JTJTY97 JTJTY97

Can't get enough of Carefree Path of Dreams? Visit carefreepathofdreams for early access to more chapters of your favourite boy dreaming his dream!

Chapter 37: Peeping

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

In the depths of the forest, shadows flickered, and a few human figures appeared.

The first to step forward was Young Qing, who had exhausted all her valuables in front of Fang Yuan. She wore a green dress and carried a sword at her waist. She looked even more stunning than she did the other day, but her piercing voice did much to mar her beauty.

There were other young men and women around her, and Fang Yuan recognised one of the ladies in a yellow dress.

It was more than just recognition. He was familiar with her, and they even had a marriage agreement previously!

"Sister Leiyue!"

Young Qing tugged Lin Leiyue's sleeves and said, "That's him…he's the evil person who robbed me! You have to avenge me!"

"How dare you steal from our Junior Qing!"

Lin Leiyue gazed at Fang Yuan, stunned. The people with her had already unsheathed their swords and were surrounding Fang Yuan menacingly.

This was because Young Qing had looked them up before, and they had searched the whole Qingye County and the Four Seas Court for this 'Young Martial God Wu Ming' to no avail. Of course they were angry.

"Wait!"

Lin Leiyue suddenly held up a hand, and slowly stepped forward. She was unsure and looked at Fang Yuan with hesitation.

"You are...Brother Fang?"

"Hehe…"

Fang Yuan rubbed his nose and said, "To think that you still remember me!"

He was also surprised to see that the young lass in his memory had gone through a complete makeover. She now had the airs of a big sister.

"Wait!"

Young Qing looked at Lin Leiyue, then at Fang Yuan. She was confused.

"Isn't Wu his surname? How did it become Fang?"

"Qing!"

Lin Leiyue wiped her brow embarrassedly and asked, "Are you really sure that it's this person?"

"That's right, I'll recognise him even if he was reduced to ashes. Big Sister, you know him?"

Young Qing's heart began to beat faster.

After all, it was against the rules of the martial world to tail Fang Yuan in the first place.

"Fang Yuan? Fang Yuan! I remember! Isn't he the person you were once betrothed to?"

One of the onlooking young disciples, most probably one of Lin Leiyue's many admirers, glared at Fang Yuan with a look that could kill.

"So it's him!"

Immediately, Fang Yuan became aware that all the males present hated on him more than ever. He was beleaguered by many pairs of flashing eyes that seemed to will him into burning up in flames.

"Crap, did I kill their fathers or steal their wives? Is this hatred even justified?"

Fang Yuan was speechless.

In truth, Lin Leiyue was one of the most beautiful women in the Spirit Returning Sect. Coupled with her talent and gentle demeanour, as well as her high status, she was adored by many. Thus, when the admirers found out that Fang Yuan had a former rightful claim to her, they all saw it as an intense rivalry.

"Ah haha!"

Fang Yuan felt slightly awkward dealing with Miss Qing. But this was not the case with Lin Leiyue.

After all, he had watched her grow up and they had no bad blood. Therefore, there was nothing to be guilty about.

"So it's you, Sister Leiyue. It seems like you are living well in the Spirit Returning Sect. This is a cause for celebration indeed!"

"I'm sorry for what happened before!"

Lin Leiyue had turned slightly red, and she bowed apologetically.

She was unsure about her feelings towards her former fiancé.

But after this outing, she had at least understood that the world was vast and that she did not want to limit her opportunities in any way.

"Qing, Brother Fang is a friend of mine. This whole thing must be a joke. Let us drop this matter, shall we?"

Leiyue gave Qing's hand a squeeze.

After all, it would hurt their reputation if word got out about how the Four Seas Court mistreated a visitor. It was widely rumoured that the Four Seas Court was working for the Spirit Returning Sect, and to have this matter escalate might confirm these rumours. Lin Leiyue did not want that.

"Fine!"

Qing felt like crying. Her secret savings were all gone.

"But...you have to return the hairpin to me! It...it was given to me for my birthday by my grandfather!"

In fact, Qing had made it all up. It was just the most expensive piece of jewellery out of the rest.

"Oh, I'm sorry!"

Fang Yuan laughed and took out the hairpin.

"If I had offended you, Miss Qing, I hope that you won't hold it against me!"

"This is more like it!"

Qing's eyes gleamed, and she grabbed the hairpin from Fang Yuan greedily. She then thought to herself regretfully, 'If I had known that this lad was going to be this obliging, I would've asked him for more jewellery pieces...boohoo…'

The more she thought about it, the more she cursed inwardly.

"Alright, alright!"

Lin Leiyue could not help but whisper into Qing's ear.

"Really?"

Whatever she had heard must have delighted her, for Qing immediately jumped up and nodded vigorously.

"Yes yes yes!"

She then turned to Fang Yuan and said, "Let bygones be bygones. I won't pursue the matter anymore. Brother Fang, you are welcome to rob me again. After all, someone's going to pay me back doubly...hoho!"

As the words left her, Qing immediately knew that she had made a mistake, and quickly covered her mouth.

"Who would have known that this lass would be so money-grubbing and miserly…"

The crowd had realised what was going on and did not know what to say to Qing.

"Brother Fang, are you here for the Song Zhong issue? If I remember correctly, you don't know martial arts…"

Lin Leiyue smiled demurely and changed the subject deftly as if nothing had happened.

"Ah I've been practising a little, and I want to see the bustling city for myself!"

Fang Yuan replied carelessly.

"Song Zhong is fierce and stubborn and is a highly skilled pugilist. He's still a great threat even though he might be injured. Please be careful!"

Lin Leiyue had no idea about Fang Yuan's background and warned him out of concern.

"Okay!"

Fang Yuan nodded and turned to leave.

"Stop!"

At this point, one of the onlooking young men stepped in front of Fang Yuan, blocking his passage.

"Have you not heard Sister Lin? This is not a place you can stay in for an extended period of time. Don't think that you can go on a rampage with your half-assed skills. Leave while you can!"

A bunch of young male disciples, regardless of their near-zero chances with Lin Leiyue, were worried that sparks would fly between Fang Yuan and Lin Leiyue. They all had the same goal in mind, to eliminate this competitor!

"Ah, Brother Zhao, that's where you are wrong!"

A male disciple with a freckled face laughed coldly and stepped forward.

"Since this Young Master Fang was able to bully our Sister Qing, it must mean that he is very highly-skilled. Although I am untalented, I challenge you to a fight. Do have mercy on me!"

"How can you leave me out of this?"

"Let me! Let me!"

The male disciples were worked up into a frenzy, eyes gleaming with bloodlust.

This was their best chance to prove themselves in front of Lin Leiyue!

"Qing, tell me honestly. What's your progress in the Qingluo Technique that Master taught you?"

As she observed the going-ons around her, Lin Leiyue pulled Young Qing towards her and whispered the question into her ear.

"Grade 5!"

Qing stuck out her tongue.

"Ssss…"

Lin Leiyue sucked in a breath of cold air.

Young Qing was a crazy lass. She was a lady and had the backing of powerful figures in the Sect. None of the male disciples dared to go all out when sparring with her. As a result, not many people were aware of Qing's true abilities.

But this Fang Yuan, hasn't he only been practising martial arts for a short while? How could he have defeated a martial artist of the 5th Gate?

Lin Leiyue observed Fang Yuan a while more and realised for the first time that this young lad from the valley was indeed mysterious. She had wanted to defuse the situation but was at a loss for words now.

"This…"

Fang Yuan quickly scanned his immediate surroundings and deduced that these were basically martial artists who were either at the 4th or 5th Gates in martial art cultivation. They were no match for him, especially after he had consumed so much spiritual food.

"This...is the effect of magical energy?"

Fang Yuan was suddenly enlightened. Magical energy led to alertness and willpower! If he had more magical energy than normal, he would be able to gauge the skill level of his opponents through detailed observations. He would also be able to conceal his own abilities. Of course, the prerequisite was that he could not be too far behind in martial arts cultivation than these adversaries.

Right now, after Fang Yuan had made some adjustments, none of his foes could tell that he was actually a master in his own right, having broken through the 5th Gate. On the other hand, their skills and abilities were all obvious to Fang Yuan.

"I can't gauge Lin Leiyue's abilities though. She has a clear and bright aura emanating from her body. That is not normal!"

Fang Yuan increased his alertness but displayed a cornered look outwardly.

"This...probably isn't a good idea! I'm a country bumpkin with no self-restraint. What if I hurt you all too badly?"

"What?!"

The crowd of male disciples were enraged by Fang Yuan's taunt, and the freckled disciple shouted, "If I am killed by you, it can only be said that I was unlucky. No one shall avenge me. Everyone here, be my witness!"

"Come on!"

Under the gaze of Lin Leiyue and a few female juniors, he was eager to show off and jumped right into the fray.

"The humble Sun Tieshu, looking forward to being schooled by you!"

'Idiot!'

At this, Fang Yuan silently rolled his eyes.

If the crowd had ganged up on Fang Yuan, he would have been on the losing end no matter how skilled he was.

But this bunch of jokers actually intended to take turns to fight him individually. They must be tired of living!

It was just as well that his Eagle Claw Iron Skin Technique required more practice to increase proficiency points. This battle was a good opportunity.

However, just as Fang Yuan prepared to fight, his body hairs suddenly stood on end.

This feeling reminded him of a chilling encounter back when he was four or five years old. He was taking a stroll in the forest then and was eyed by a wolf hiding in the shadows.

'Is this…an ambush?'

Fang Yuan glided back by several steps and glanced at Lin Leiyue. Then he was struck by a realisation!

"It's Song Zhong!"

"To think that he would be this headstrong. Even as he is wanted from all sides by his enemies, he chooses to retaliate instead of hiding!"

"Lin Leiyue is the direct disciple of the sect leader and has a very important status. She will be a good hostage!"

"But isn't there word out there that Song Zhong is gravely injured? Are the stories untrue?"

...

His mind whirring, Fang Yuan distanced himself from Lin Leiyue.

She was the epicentre of trouble and it was best to get away from her.

"Punk, you're running away?"

When Sun Tieshu saw that Fang Yuan was retreating, he paused.

"Trying to be funny huh? Are you going to be a piece of trash now?"

"Ah...yes, I'm physically weak. How can I ever hope to match you people? I have been a laughing stock! I'll take my leave!"

Fang Yuan spouted a load of nonsense and withdrew to the sidelines.

It was at this moment that everything changed!

Translator's Thoughts

JTJTY97 JTJTY97

Can't get enough of Carefree Path of Dreams? Visit carefreepathofdreams for early access to more chapters of your favourite boy dreaming his dreams!

Chapter 38: Intense Battle

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

"Whoosh!"

"Bang!"

A loud noise was heard. Numerous steel needles flew towards a group of Spirit Returning Sect disciples.

"Hidden weapons?"

Fang Yuan was confused. He was already prepared to jump forward and hide behind a giant rock to escape the incoming needles.

"Puff!"

However, the group of disciples were not so lucky.

There were piercing sounds everywhere and there was a bloody explosion in the forest. Many corpses were lying on the ground and the whole scene became very bloody.

After that wave of attack, Fang Yuan then popped half of his head out and saw Disciple Sun, who was mocking him previously, lying down in a pool of blood. His body became like a hornet's nest.

A long silhouette appeared and it seemed to be carrying something.

"That is Song Zhong!"

Lin Leiyue screamed and waved her sleeve. A hidden arrow was shot up into the sky and a high-pitched noise was heard. It then exploded into flames.

"Hehe...are you going to look for Elder Li?"

Song Zhong saw what happened and laughed. "There is no need for you to do anything! I have already brought him here!"

He tossed and the object he was carrying in his hand suddenly rolled towards Lin Leiyue.

"Master Li?!" [1]

Miss Qing screamed and almost fainted.

What Song Zhong was carrying was Master Li's head, with his eyes still open. Whose head could it be other than his?

"How is it possible?"

Seeing this scene, Lin Leiyue felt light headed.

"Haha….This Old Li's Scorching Sun Palm is quite powerful. Unfortunately, it is still inferior compared to mine!"

Song Zhong coughed out a mouthful of blood and was still very cocky. "Shi Yutong that slut, she thought that I was injured badly and sent you to finish me off. She also sent Elder Li to keep a lookout for you just in case….However, she didn't expect that I would have a chance to obtain the Resurrection Pill left by the divine healer. Thus, I had already recovered from my injuries. Haha…."

Lin Leiyue closed her mouth and felt hopeless.

Lin Leiyue had read about the Resurrection Pill in the sect's secret manuals before. It was named as such as the pill would be able to resurrect a dead person as long as he had a remaining breath. He would be able to recover within the night but would surely die after 7 days!

Within the 7 days, the martial artist's essence, spirit and magic would be at his peak.

Since Elder Li was ranked higher than Song Zhong in the sect and Song Zhong was definitely inferior to him, how could he be killed so easily?

Lin Leiyue broke out in cold sweat.

The situation had come to a point beyond salvation.

Even if the other elders from the sect saw the signal for help and rushed here to help them, they would probably not be able to stay alive till then.

After all, there was a huge difference between the inner power of a martial artist at 2 Peaceful Gates and that of another at 3 Perilous Gates. Even if the opponent was able to suppress his injuries and start a killing spree, he would still be counterattacked with serious injuries!

"Elder Song, we both have nothing against each other. Why are you doing this?"

Lin Leiyue asked calmly.

"Nothing against each other?"

Song Zhong laughed and said, "Shi Yutong that slut had kicked me out of the sect and had ordered me to be killed. I will not let you go today for what you have done to my son!"

As Fang Yuan heard his words, he kept his head low and was even more confused when Song Zhong looked at him.

Even though he knew that Song Zhong was unaware of the real murderer, but being an ex-fiancé of Lin Leiyue, Song Zhong would definitely not spare him and Lin Leiyue the 'adulterous couple'!

Luckily, Song Zhong was putting most of his attention on Lin Leiyue. Fang Yuan was convinced that Song Zhong would kill himself after killing the rest.

'This case was serious. If Song Zhong knew who was the real murderer, I would surely not be spared…."

Fang Yuan was speechless.

With his magical energy, Fang Yuan could feel that he was being watched even though Song Zhong had put most of his attention on Lin Leiyue.

"What do you want now?"

Lin Leiyue became nervous as Song Zhong kept going nearer to her.

How could one who had consumed the Resurrection Pill and was going to die 7 days later be keeping her hostage? Song Zhong had wanted her to die together with him.

Plus, he would also not spare Fang Yuan and the rest of the disciples.

"I'm going to die…. I have yet to explore the vast world…. I'm not ready to die!"

Lin Leiyue bit her teeth tightly and said, "Everyone, listen up. This person is out of control. We have to work together to defeat him! Elder Li is highly skilled and Song Zhong must have been injured while fighting against Elder Li!"

Lin Leiyue was speaking to the desperate survivors. After hearing what she said and seeing that Song Zhong has a burnt palm print on his chest and a bloody mouth, they seemed hopeful.

"Miss Lin, you have a good foresight…. Unfortunately, you have no idea what an injured 7th Gate martial artist can do!"

Song Zhong went forward.

He appeared relaxed but was still able to move swiftly to one of the male disciples. He casually grabbed the disciple's neck and strangled him to death. His lifeless corpse fell to the ground.

A [Martial Artist (7th Gate)] was indeed mighty.

"Frozen Moon Swordplay!"

At that moment, Lin Leiyue exclaimed as she struck towards Song Zhong in front of the rest who were in shock.

"Whoosh!"

Her shiny sword gave out a hint of cold energy as it was

"Great sword skills! Great inner power!"

Song Zhong focused and deflected the sword with his fingernail.

"Ding!"

With a distinct resonance from the sword fight, Lin Leiyue fell a few steps back and looked at Song Zhong who was pale and expressionless. She was delighted. "This person's skills have dropped tremendously and is weaker than a 7th Gate martial artist. Don't be fooled by him!"

"I should really kill this b*tch!"

Song Zhong's expression changed and leapt forward.

"Flying Swallow Piercing Strike!"

"Green Emerald Palm!"

"Frozen Frosty Moon!"

Under the encouragement of Lin Leiyue, the remaining disciples attacked together without holding back and managed to surround Song Zhong.

"You crazy clown, how dare you create trouble here?"

Song Zhong was surrounded and gave a ferocious look. "It is because I have exhausted my Bone Piercing Needles. If not, how are you able to survive till now?"

"Furthermore, you all have no idea how powerful a 3 Perilous Gate expert with inner force can be!"

Song Zhong looked at both of his hands and his shirt started moving on his own. "Demonic Wind Hand!"

He shouted and both of his palms produced a shockingly powerful force.

"Puff! Puff!"

Miss Qing and the rest changed their expressions and felt a great force going towards them. They were then thrown back and suffered internal injuries.

They were martial artists of the 4th or 5th Gate, and as such, possessed only inner power and not inner force.

After the Pain Gate was broken through, the inner power would be combined and after intense training, energy akin to indestructible metallic-like threads would form. That would truly be inner force!

The difference between inner power and inner force was huge.

This was why a [Martial Artist (6th Gate)] could become an Elder of a sect, which would allow one to have power and prestige.

Song Zhong was demonstrating his power and only the talented Lin Leiyue could survive with the help of a spiritual pill. The rest of the disciples were all defeated.

"Cough…."

After one move, Song Zhong's face became flushed and he was quite surprised that Lin Leiyue was still surviving. "You actually survived. You should feel proud of yourself even though you are going to die next!"

Lin Leiyue was holding her sword with her right hand and it trembled slightly. Despite that, she was still calm.

The spiritual pill inside her body was healing her previous injuries. If she could survive this fight, she would likely become an expert in martial arts!

With her talent, he needed to destroy her completely to deny her any chances of survival. Otherwise, she would be able to make an unexpected comeback.

"But….how am I still able to survive? Almost all the disciples are wiped out…."

Lin Leiyue had sealed up all her acupoints to recover from her internal injuries but it was still not an easy task.

"Even though Fang Yuan is a Martial Artist (5th Gate), he had missed golden opportunity to attack. Even if he does help now, what is the point?"

At that moment, she was filled with despair.

"B*tch, I will send you now to see my dead son….."

Song Zhong took in a deep breath and managed to suppress his injuries. He then took a few steps forward.

It seemed like the previous fight was not an easy one for him. Suddenly, he sensed a slight movement in his surroundings.

"Hmm….trying to escape?"

He turned his head, grabbed a stone and threw it at Fang Yuan

"Whiz!"

A high-pitched noise came from the flying rock as if it was an arrow being shot from a bow, and it hit a silhouette.

"Bang!"

The rock landed and a crater was formed. The silhouette managed to dodge the rock, and it happened to be Fang Yuan.

He touched his head and smiled. "You can continue old man. I promise I will not say anything out to anyone…."

Miss Qing, who was lying down and coughing out blood, heard what Fang Yuan said and became angry.

They were fighting for their lives here and this bast*rd was trying to escape? Hmph! He was definitely an assh*le. It made her furious to think that she actually thought that he was a good guy.

"I am not deaf. Are you this b*tch's fiancé?"

Song Zhong squinted his eyes and examined Fang Yuan. "Since you are, you shall not be spared as well!"

"What the f*ck? Crazy old man, please do tell me if you are tired of living!"

Fang Yuan was furious.

What was there to say to the person who was trying to kill him?

His expression became serious and his skin tone started to darken. Both of his hands formed the shape of the Eagle Claws and he leapt forward.

"Chirp!"

While he was executing the Eagle Claw Technique, it swept through the air and produced a sound like an eagle's cry.

Song Zhong closed his eyes and felt as if a flying overlord was flying swiftly towards him from the sky.

"Great Eagle Claw!"

At that moment, the rest were all in shock.

[1] Master Li and Elder Li are the same person.

Chapter 39: Murderer

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

"Die, old fool!"

Fang Yuan bellowed, and his back muscles moved like how a bird spread its wings.

A large power welled up in his back and travelled to his arms, wrists, palms and finally to the tips of his fingers.

"Pitter-patter!"

The joints in his body exploded with energy. The joints in his body acted as leverage. With each joint, the power increased manifold.

"Eagle Claw!"

Lin Leiyue was shocked when she witnessed the scene that unfolded in front of her.

She had seen the move executed by Yu Qiuleng, who was renowned for the Eagle Claw Technique. Other than the fact that Yu Qiuleng was more skilled than Fang Yuan, the young lad was comparable in terms of vitality and spirit.

"Is this still the old Brother Fang?"

Lin Leiyue was astonished and did not know what to think.

"He is so... so..."

Her jaw dropped and the image of a gentle and prim lady was gone.

She could only think of one thing, "If he had used his full power then, I would not have been alive!"

In truth, she had overestimated Fang Yuan.

Fang Yuan was not as skilled in the Eagle Claw Technique then as he was now If he had trained systematically, he would have made rapid progress in his martial arts skills.

It was apt to say that he was seen in a new light after not seeing him for a few days as his skills had greatly improved.

"Huhu!"

The claws were capable of ripping organs. The gust generated by the claws were sufficient to cut the skin even before the claws landed on target.

"Good lad!"

Song Zhong panted, his face red. He waved his hands in the air to form a sign, "Demonic Wind Hand!"

"Boom!"

The claw and the palm made contact and a loud sound was heard.

"Whoosh!"

The dust rose. Fang Yuan flew away and landed squarely on the ground, a trail of blood dripping from the corner of his mouth.

"Why are your inner power and your stamina so overbearing?"

Song Zhong stood his ground, his face puzzled. He let out a laugh. "It's a shame, no matter how unreasonable, that you will never be able to bridge the gap... cough cough..."

Purplish-black blood started to spurt out while he was talking.

"If you are a normal 6th Gate Martial Artist, I would naturally run away... but you are just an old dog. How long can your body last?"

Fang Yuan wriggled the joints in his palms which cracked with a crisp sound.

He had heard that the Resurrection Pill could only treat injuries once and keep the martial artist at his peak. It was effective in treating Elder Li's injuries even before he was attacked by Lin Leiyue and the others.

"Old...old dog?!"

Song Zhong was stumped. Even Lin Leiyue was shocked.

"You...you punk, you are dead meat!"

Song Zhong seethed with anger. He had never been humiliated like this before as he was a [Martial Artist (7th Gate)].

Even when he was banished from the sect, a small disagreement led to this bloodshed.

Yet, his punk dared to insult him in the face?

Lin Leiyue found it hard to believe and came to a misperception that the world had undergone a great change.

"Haha... Old dog, it is still unconfirmed who will live and who will die!"

Fang Yuan laughed and attacked, giving Song Zhong no opportunity to reply, "Watch my combo!"

Song Zhong was at his wit's end. However, he had a strong foundation in the martial arts. There was no one around that could match his inner power if he was given enough time to recover.

As such, the only strategy was to attack relentlessly!

Fang Yuan was confident in this aspect!

After all, he had almost twice as much Essence as a commoner, which meant that he had extraordinary endurance and recovery.

He was able to narrow the gap due to his inner power from the combination of Black Sand Palm (Grade 5) and the Eagle Claw Iron Skin Technique.

"Schhhh"

The gust generated from Eagle Claw cut the air.

"Impossible, how did you recover so fast?"

Song Zhong was astonished. He gritted his teeth and asked, "Are you trying to wear me out?"

His face, which was originally red, started to have blood droplets flowing out from the pores, "The soul must burn to unleash the blood demon!"

That was his secret move which allowed him to suppress his injury and boost his final strength. He had previously used it to kill Elder Li. The stress caused by using it a second time broke his body.

"Die! Demonic Wind Hand— Blood Palm!"

Song Zhong lunged forward. Fresh blood dripped from his right hand and formed a coat of red around his palm. His palm clashed with the Eagle Claw.

"Boom!"

There was another resounding noise as Fang Yuan flew backwards. His face changed and he vomited a large amount of fresh blood, "This feels good!"

His eyes were fervent and he stood back up, "Again!"

"This lad... is he crazy?!"

Song Zhong was afraid of this fighting style that Fang Yuan displayed. Fang Yuan was totally not concerned about his life.

"Whoosh!"

The sound created by those outside could be heard. Given by the sound produced, it was safe to say that there were highly-skilled fighters amongst them in the all-out pursuit of Song Zhong.

Song Zhong paled. He immediately turned and fled into the densely vegetated jungle.

Given the situation, there was no way he could murder the 'adulterous couple'. The only way was to hide and wait for the opportunity to arise.

He still had plenty of opportunities as long as it was within seven days. This was especially true for the youth in front of him. Fang Yuan was very difficult to handle and without resting, Song Zhong was uncertain of being able to beat him.

"Where are you going?"

Fang Yuan bellowed as he gave chase.

How could he let his opponent escape?

Even if he knew the properties of the Resurrection Pill, there was a possibility in this vast world that Song Zhong might encounter a miracle and survive. Fang Yuan would never be at ease unless he saw Song Zhong dead before his eyes.

When would there be a better opportunity?

His opponent's energy was depleted. It was a good opportunity to kill Song Zhong even for someone of his skill level.

There might not be another opportunity if he missed it.

"Whoosh!"

In the deep forest, the two of them ran. No one knew how far they had run.

"This old fool really has a lot of endurance. I wonder if it is the effect of the pill. "

Fang Yuan saw that the distance between the two of them was not narrowing. He looked around at the surroundings before he shouted, "Old dog, don't you want to know how your precious son died?"

"What?"

Upon hearing this, Song Zhong stopped running and turned around, his eyes fixed on Fang Yuan. "What do you know? Speak!"

There was still a distance between Song Zhong and the troops. Even if he was delayed, he would have sufficient time to escape. He was more concerned about the truth and made the decision to stop.

"Who killed that dog...Haha..."

Fang Yuan did not stop. He rushed forward, his hands forming the Eagle Claw and struck at Song Zhong. "Go and ask your son!"

"You brat!"

Song Zhong's expression turned cold. "Do you really think I cannot kill you?"

He raised his palms towards the sky. An unyielding power could be felt from his palms.

"Bang!"

The fist and the claw met. Song Zhong's expression changed. "No…you..."

He stumbled back and looked at his hands, only to see that there were holes in his palms with black blood flowing out.

"You used poison...no, this is the Black Sand Palm...It was you!"

His eyes were bloodshot. He leapt forward, only to crash onto the ground.

"I hate you! I hate you!"

Song Zhong roared as he looked at his palm. He glared at Fang Yuan with a look that could kill.

If he had known that the killer of his son was standing right before him, he would have used all means available to kill Fang Yuan, even if he had to sacrifice his life.

However, he had been plotted against and there was no way he could retaliate.

"You used the Resurrection Pill and used the secret arts many times. Your energy is depleted and you are crippled...After my Black Sand Palm, there is no way you would be able to survive. On this day next year, it will be your death anniversary!"

Fang Yuan's expression was cold. He took out a Yama's Order and consumed it.

Song Zhong was undoubtedly a master of the 3 Perilous Gates. He was struck by the Black Sand Palm and was injured but managed to counter his opponent's attack on his inner power. This caused a portion of the Pearl Tail Snake's poison to backflow, causing harm to Fang Yuan as well.

However, Fang Yuan had the Yama's Order which was able to act as an antidote to the poison.

Song Zhong was not so lucky.

"Please be on your way!"

Fang Yuan stepped forward and looked at Song Zhong who was already unable to speak. His expression turned cold. "Song Yujie repeatedly send people to cause trouble to me. Do you expect me to die and not retaliate?"

"As for you, you are yet another troublemaker. I cannot let you live for one more day!"

While the Resurrection Pill was able to work miracles, its effects could be nullified. There were a few fabled magical pills that could save Song Zhong's life.

Fang Yuan did not want to create more problems even if it was unlikely.

"Please be on your way. Remember not to trifle with me in your next life!"

Fang Yuan nodded his head, lifted his right hand and brought it down sharply.

"Boom!"

Blood spurted out.

...

Outside the forest, the sound of hurried footsteps could be head.

"Footprints, over there!"

"Song Zhong is just ahead. He is not going anywhere!"

A group of martial artists surrounded the area. At the front of the group was Lin Leiyue and two protectors of the Spirit Returning Sect.

"Leiyue, did that friend of yours chase after Song Zhong alone?"

A protector shook her head, "Oh dear, that old thief is highly skilled and cunning. Your friend might have already fallen into his hands."

"Fang Yuan... He would not!"

Miss Qing said from the side. Those who had seen Fang Yuan and Song Zhong clashed would have confidence in him as well.

"Hmmm... Song Zhong possessed a high level of inner force. A person with inner power would not be able to stand up to him. Even if he was avaricious, he would have died..."

Another person chipped in but stopped momentarily when Lin Leiyue looked at him..

"Hmmm? Someone is here!"

The people in front came to a stop when they saw a silhouette walking out of the dense forest.

"Brother Fang!"

Miss Qing was pleasantly surprised. "Where is that old traitor, Song Zhong?"

"Here!"

Fang Yuan raised his right hand and Song Zhong's severed head appeared. This caused the onlookers to be bewildered and uncertain.

"The old traitor had been served his just dessert?"

The two protectors could not believe their eyes.

Chapter 40: Secret News

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

Song Zhong, the previous elder of the Spirit Returning Sect, had been executed!

The news travelled far and wide within the entire Qinghe County, and of course, there was another not-so-credible rumour which said that if the one who gave the final strike was a young man, he must be highly skilled and therefore deserving of the rewards the Sect had promised.

Many martial artists did not believe that a young man could take down Song Zhong.

Who was Song Zhong? He was a renowned fearsome martial artist of the 7th Gate and an expert in inner force!

Even the eldest disciple of Spirit Returning Sect, Lin Leiyue could not hold a candle to Song Zhong. How skilful would the young man be to dare challenge the Spirit Returning Sect's top disciple?

This must be a rumour!

Song Zhong was likely to have been taken down by a skilled Spirit Returning Sect member.

Just by his cultivation level alone would allow him to wreck havoc in Qinghe County.

Only a few who knew the truth became a little worried after hearing the rumours.

...

"Fang Yuan, are you really leaving?"

He was at a small pavilion near the outskirts of Qinghe County.

Lin Leiyue appeared confused and looked at the young man on a horse. "Just by seeing your potential in martial arts cultivation alone, you can enter the Spirit Returning Sect and become a direct disciple..."

"My apologies, I have been used to exploring the wild, and cannot tolerate being confined... Sister Leiyue, I shall see you when we meet again!"

Fang Yuan rejected her offer, whipped the horse and galloped away. Not long after, he disappeared within the horizon.

The many people within the Sect, and the main troublemaker, Lin Leiyue, would bring many problems to Fang Yuan if he were to accept her offer.

Knowing this, why would he stay long in the county?

After trading for what he wanted, Fang Yuan left the country without hesitation.

However, as for Lin Leiyue, looking at his shadow disappearing in the horizon brought much disappointment as she felt conflicted.

"Are you feeling regretful?"

With a flash, Shi Yutong appeared within the pavilion like a ghost.

"He has his path to go, and I have mine. Since he made the decision, what more can we do?"

Lin Leiyue raised her head and stubbornly replied.

"Mmm... That's good!"

Shi Yutong noded her head with satisfaction and looked in the direction where Fang Yuan left. "But, this fiancé of yours has shocking potential and is not the average person!"

"He..."

Lin Leiyue became excited. "Master... Please enlighten me!"

"Keke..."

Shi Yutong snickered, and touched her nose. "Girl, you have become competitive... Don't worry, to me, you still have the greatest potential among your peers!"

"Then why was it that previously..."

Lin Leiyue was sceptical. Against Song Zhong, she could only withstand his fists and defend, but Fang Yuan could retaliate head-on and therefore everything felt illogical.

"That was because that young man had a good foundation... Leiyue, you should have known. There are people who are able to harness and use their martial arts the moment they begin to learn it, and can even become Martial Artist (4th or 5th Gate)! Fang Yuan is as such, either he has a great natural talent, or that he had consumed some spiritual food or treasure, and based on your description, Song Zhong was at the brink of death and had used up most of his inner force, and fight after fight, he could be exhausted to death and I wouldn't be surprised..."

Shi Yutong explained.

She felt that it was a pity that the young man had such great potential. He had exceedingly high Essence, Spirit and Magic. If his magical energy was many folds more of the average human, he would be a well-known legendary spiritual knight.

But for this, even if he would be outstanding in his youth, his age would catch up.

After all, inner force was magical and cannot seem to be depleted when one was harnessing it.

No matter one's foundation, those who had the inner force befitting of the 3 Perilous Gates would undergo a drastic change in their bodies.

Those with better physical quality would experience slower progress when they reach this stage, albeit still having a small advantage over the others, but it would not be as obvious as before.

Shi Yutong looked at her disciple and commented, "Leiyue, don't be discouraged. You have gained through this experience. If you can break through the 6th Gate, you would be the first among the young people within Qinghe County!"

"Yes, Master!"

Lin Leiyue clenched her fist, looked in the direction with Fang Yuan left, and seemed as though she was not willing to admit defeat.

...

"Go!"

Fang Yuan sped off on his horse, and seeing the scenery beside him fly past, he felt free like a fish in the ocean, a bird in the sky, a tiger in the forest.

Qinghe County was complicated, like a giant trap.

He was still unfamiliar with the outside world, had little relations with the powerful people, and therefore might not be pulled into conflicts.

But that might not be the case if he decided to stay longer within the county, or even join the Spirit Returning Sect.

"At the end of the day, the treasures from the outside world cannot compare to the comfort of my home!"

Fang Yuan smiled to himself.

He had gained a lot from this trip to the county.

Defeating Song Zhong and collecting spiritual plants is one thing, and gaining from the Spirit Returning Sect's hidden library is another.

He was rewarded with the Elemental Returning Order for killing Song Zhong and used it to exchange for a visit to the hidden library.

If he requested for a martial arts manual, he knew he would die and the Elemental Returning Order would not be able to save him.

But if he requested to take a look at the normal books, that would be effortless to the Sect and he would not be denied entry.

Seeing his relationship with Lin Leiyue, Shi Yutong very quickly agreed after he requested for the visit. She allowed Fang Yuan to stay and browse through the books for 3 days.

The only regret Fang Yuan had was being unable to see for himself the real Wu Zong in the legends.

"Hmm... There are so many highly skilled sect members observing me, just not the great Wu Zong!"

Fang Yuan laughed and slowed the horse down.

The truth is that other then the system within his mind, if word of his martial arts spreads out, it would at most be taken as a small miracle.

Without looking at the explanations within the system, who would believe that he had the ability to cultivate spiritual plants, and even allow normal plants to evolve and have special traits?

Because of this, he was unafraid.

It still led him to feel uneasy with so many people spying on him.

"Heh... Spirit Returning Sect, what's so good about you?"

As he was quite a distance from Qinghe County, he slowed the horse down and slowly paced forward.

"But for a price to pay, it was worth it!"

He thought through in the perspective of the sect. After all, he was an outsider and precautions still had to be taken against him. Understanding their rationale was one thing, accepting it was another.

The risk of entering the hidden library was worth it.

Within the many books and literature artefacts, Fang Yuan found what he was looking for.

"I never knew... This world is so huge! Comparatively, a normal martial artist would never have the chance to know the truth... Even the spiritual knights only know the tip of the iceberg, what more about the mysterious alchemy masters and dream masters?"

This information was obtained from a biography of a martial artist, and it was like a treasure to him.

The author of the book was an elder in the sect long ago. He managed to break through every single Gate possible, and by exploring the outside world, he had the chance to exceed Wu Zong.

Although he did not succeed at the end, he passed on not long after returning to the Sect, he left behind lots of discussion and stories of his exploration, and it was an overload of information about the outside world.

Within his discussion, he mentioned the formation of spiritual lands.

"The spiritual land is formed by heaven's will and created by the gathering of earthly energy. It can only be encountered and cannot be created by man…...this sentence is both right and wrong!"

Fang Yuan read on. "It seems that the small spiritual land which the Spirit Returning Sect lives on formed naturally. The first Sect Master knew it was a piece of treasure and shifted the entire Sect to where it was now, using it as a foundation... But there is another type of spiritual land, linked to the cultivators!"

"Rumour has it that there was a highly skilled cultivator, and under certain conditions, like death, it may result in the birth of a new spiritual land."

"Even though this cultivator may not be Wu Zong, whatever recorded was just rumours. But then again, the entire world may have hidden mysteries. Since an alchemy master is able to gain the blessing of the heavens and earth and concoct spiritual pills, another cultivator would be able to create a spiritual land, fertile land…...it is not impossible!

"I just wonder, who was the source of the spiritual land at Green Peak..."

Fang Yuan looked up, staring at the peak of the Clear Spirit Mountain, and felt a sense of familiarity. "I'm home..."

Within the secluded valley.

"Keke! Keke!"

Fang Yuan stepped into the valley, and the Flower Fox Ferret pounced on him, nibbling at his robe, as though it was very excited.

"Eh, why are you so anxious?"

Fang Yuan was shocked as he saw the Flower Fox Ferret running towards the farm, as he sort of guessed what had happened.

"Could it be..."

He was filled with emotions as he rushed out.

Upon reaching the tea forest, a fragrance filled the air, making him feel more refreshed.

"Indeed..."

Fang Yuan was ecstatic, as he saw another tree with the Questioning Heart Tea leaves.

This spiritual plant had new leaves growing and the tea fragrance was intense.

"Keke!"

The Flower Fox Ferret pointed to the soil, and Fang Yuan noticed at the root of the Questioning Heart Tea that there were large amounts of spiritual fertilizer.

"It seems that the Flower Fox Ferret was hard at work while I was away..."

Fang Yuan was left speechless as he witnessed what was before him.

The Flower Fox Ferret was rather proud; it did not care about other normal plants, and only took care of the Questioning Heart Tea and Vermillion Jade Rice.

It could not hold back as it saw the leaves of the Questioning Heart Tea growing out.

"Without my Meditative Tea Ceremony, there would not be any Questioning Heart Tea that would increase your magical energy!"

Fang Yuan stroked the Flower Fox Ferret's head, "Don't worry, you will have your share!"

After reading through the books, he had a deeper understanding of the benefits of the Questioning Heart Tea.

There were different levels of spiritual plants. The lowest level included the Vermillion Jade Rice and the Emerald Grass, but these two could also increase one's Spirit and Essence.

As for spiritual plants which can increase magical energy? It was unheard of, and if people knew about it they would go crazy for it!

In order to be a spiritual knight or alchemy master, the most important factor is magical energy!

Chapter 41: Breakthrough

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

It was dawn.

Fang Yuan came to a newly reclaimed farmland. Vermillion Jade Rice was grown on that farm, and he planted the seeds of the Emerald Grass there as well.

"The Emerald Grass does not require a good environment to grow in. It is able to gather earthly energy and make the soil fertile. The Emerald Grass complements the Vermillion Jade Rice when planted next to them!"

Planting a spiritual plant was a complicated process. Fang Yuan was very focused on it and only took a short break half an hour later to wipe his sweat.

"Phew….The newly reclaimed farmland has already reached its maximum capacity. There is not much land left in the secluded valley to expand the farm. Furthermore, the expanded farm will be exposed!"

He was helpless. "I may have to move the spiritual plant to another place in the future!"

What place would that be? It would be the spiritual land in Green Peak.

As that place was very secluded, a Wu Zong would never be able to realise that a farm did exist in that location and would only be troubled by the presence of the Red-eyed White Birds.

Fang Yuan had decided to relocate the secrets of the secluded valley to the new location after he had solved the current problem.

After all, he was different from Master Wenxin.

He had been attracting a lot of attention lately and this would increase the chances of others spying on him.

"However, the amount of Vermillion Jade Rice I have now is sufficient enough for the Flower Fox Ferret and myself to consume for quite a long period of time!"

Fang Yuan touched the Flower Fox Ferret's head and smiled.

The Spirit Returning Sect Head Shi Yutong could not make decisions regarding the spiritual land by herself. There was still a need to accommodate the needs of every faction as well as the export of spiritual plants. Even if the main disciples were allocated with some spiritual plants, it was not a large amount.

Fang Yuan estimated that they could either eat the Vermillion Jade Rice once a week or treat it preciously like a spiritual pill and only consume it when he was ready to break gates. After all, they were not as luxurious as him!

In fact, the previous amount of his consumption of the Vermillion Jade Rice could be 10 times more than Lin Leiyue's!

The Spirit Returning Sect was not luxurious enough to allocate such a large amount of Vermillion Jade Rice to just one person.

Shi Yutong had no idea about Fang Yuan's diet and thought that he must have been lucky to consume some natural spiritual treasure.

Even spiritual pills were not natural. They were scarce and could not fulfil the requirement of a daily supply of staple like the spiritual rice could.

This was the reason why Fang Yuan's foundations in martial arts were so scarily strong, as his Essence, Spirit and Magic increased tremendously like a rocket.

"Other normal human beings would benefit lesser after breaking through another gate as compared to me….."

Fang Yuan realised that the quantitative numbers in his stats window could be way higher than any other martial artist who was of the same level as him.

"Of course, after breaking through the 6th Gate, my inner power will be fused and become inner force. Then, things will be different. Unless I can increase the supply of the Vermillion Jade Rice further and maintain my head start, the others will eventually catch up in future!"

This was a bad news as it meant that Fang Yuan's advantage would be diminished. However, as he looked at his farm, he smiled brightly.

It was not difficult to eat the Vermillion Jade Rice every day, was it?

He not only had the Vermillion Jade Rice but also had the spiritual tea. He could drink it whenever he wanted to.

"Essence, spirit and magic could be considered as the three most important factors to one's cultivation. Of the three, Essence possesses a physical form, Spirit is dependent on Essence and possesses a form too. Only Magic is formless!"

"A rise in magical energy will result in stark improvements in many other aspects!"

Through the previous trip and a few fights, Fang Yuan realised the effect of magical energy.

Although he could not convert it to combat power directly, he could sense the enemy's moves and eventually predict the outcome of the fight even before it began, making it extremely useful.

This was also why he valued the Questioning Heart Tea even more.

After a hard day's work, Fang Yuan went to clean himself and changed into a new set of clothes. Then, he started to make some tea.

With his past experiences, he felt more natural when making the tea as he was much more familiar with the process, and there was much improvement this time.

First of all, the water used was different.

According to an old saying, the most preferred type of water when making tea would be to use mountain spring water, followed by water from a river and the least preferred would be water from a well.

Previously, Fang Yuan used the spring water originated from the secluded valley when making tea. The water was pure and sweet, and therefore could be considered to be of high quality. However, even since he had been to the spiritual land in Green Peak, he found a water source of even higher quality.

The water used this time was the spiritual spring water which he had gotten on the way when he collected the spiritual fertiliser.

Since the water originated from a spiritual land, the quality of it would naturally be higher than other normal mountain spring water.

Good water would have to be matched with a good tea set for making good tea.

Fang Yuan was using Master Wenxin's precious tea set, which was also considered a good set.

The spiritual tea made was already extraordinary on its own, and now paired with Fang Yuan's meditative tea ceremony…..

The Flower Fox Ferret was staring at the spiritual tea as the last step of the ceremony was completed.

"Try it!"

Fang Yuan served the spiritual tea to the Flower Fox Ferret.

"Keke!"

The Flower Fox Ferret brought its paws together, crossed it knees and sat down to enjoy its tea. It carefully licked the tea with its small tongue and was contented.

Even though Fang Yuan had already known the effects of the spiritual tea, he was still surprised after seeing the Flower Fox Ferret's expression.

"Achieving a pure and sincere heart was the key to meditation, only then can one purify one's mind and live without worries or anger, beyond life and death…..."

He recited a few scriptures in his heart and his eyes glittered. This was the effect of spiritual tea clearing one's mind.

At that moment, he took another sip.

"Oooo…."

As the spiritual tea entered his stomach, a great sensation rushed in like waves in a storm.

Fang Yuan gazed; he did not know where he was.

A long time had passed and he finished the whole pot of tea unknowingly. Tears flowed down his cheeks.

"I had thought that it was bullshit when others said that a flower could represent the world and a blade of grass could represent the heavens. But now…. A cup of tea just changed my perspective on my life?"

Fang Yuan wiped his tears and remained silent for a while.

He felt as though he was reborn once more after drinking the spiritual tea.

It was easy to be reborn physically. However, how difficult would it be to be reborn mentally?

He could do it with the spiritual tea!

After a long while, he looked at his stats window:

"Name: Fang Yuan

Essence: 2.7

Spirit: 2.6

Magic: 2.0

Age: 18

Cultivation: [Martial Artist (5th Gate)]

Technique: [Black Sand Palm (Grade 5)], [Eagle Claw Iron Skin Technique (Grade 5)]

Skill: [Medicine (Level 2)], [Botany (Level 3)]"

"Ssss…."

Fang Yuan breathed in. "My magic has increased by 30%. Could it be due to the effect of the spiritual tea? No….or could it be due to my previous epiphany?"

Right after he consumed the spiritual tea from the meditative tea ceremony, he entered a strange but magical state, which made him felt as if he relived his whole life again.

Such a state was considered rare and precious. One such opportunity allowed his magic to increase by 0.5!

"I'm afraid that no other heavenly treasures can have the same benefits, right?"

Fang Yuan inhaled a long could feel the inner power bubbling vigorously in his lower abdomen. The inner power from the Grade 5 Eagle Claw Iron Skin Technique surged forth violently on its own and reached the bottleneck of the 6th Grade!

"Is this….what many martial artists have been wishing for….to attain a new grade naturally?"

Fang Yuan was surprised and immediately sat down. He ordered the Flower Fox Ferret to watch over him and then closed his eyes.

When a martial artist attempts to break through his current grade to attain new grade, it would most of the time be consciously using his inner power to break through, which was arduous.

However, there was another way to break through. One would be able to break through his current grade naturally if his inner power was strong enough. His inner power would automatically be adjusted to work in his new grade, allowing him to execute his techniques naturally.

The success rate was nearly 100%!

...….

At the same time, back in the Spirit Returning Sect.

"Sister Leiyue, please have some spiritual porridge!"

A female disciple carefully brought a wooden tray into the room. There was a bowl of Vermillion Jade Porridge on the tray.

She could not resist the aroma from the bowl of porridge.

"The Sect Head knows that you are about to break through to a new gate and she specially left a portion of hers for you! The portion is enough for 7 days and every meal will be spiritual rice."

The disciple swallowed her saliva and added. She was envious of Leiyue.

"Please help me to thank the Sect Head. You may leave now. I will be undergoing closed door cultivation. You will not have to come and attend to me other than when it's meal time from now onwards!"

Lin Leiyue stroked her hair.

Everyone in the sect had their own amount of spiritual rice and even Shi Yutong did not dare to change her portion.

However, since Shi Yutong knew that Lin Leiyue was about to break through the Gate, she gave her a portion of her spiritual rice as a form of support.

If Fang Yuan, nope, if the Flower Fox Ferret was here, it would not resist its temptations and would start consuming the spiritual porridge.

There was too much water, and too little spiritual rice when cooking the porridge. Of course, most importantly, the grain size of this spiritual rice was way smaller as compared to Fang Yuan's homegrown Vermillion Jade Rice grains.

However, in Lin Leiyue's opinion, isn't this how spiritual rice should be?

She could feel a warm sensation after consuming the spiritual porridge and her inner power started to surge.

"Let's start!"

Lin Leiyue closed all 4 doors and began the process of breaking through.

Every gate would become increasingly difficult! The 6th gate was the first of the 3 Perilous Gates. Once she had broken through those gates, her inner power would be fused into inner force!

Of course, if she failed, she would get injured badly.

This gate marked the difference between a real expert in martial arts and a normal martial artist. In the Spirit Returning Sect, a [Martial Artist (6th Gate)] would be capable enough to hold a senior position and repress anyone!

"I possess the Spiritual Moon Body and consumed the Frozen Moon Pill. I am quite confident since I fought against Song Zhong previously!"

Lin Leiyue clenched her fists and said, "With the help of the spiritual rice, I will be successful in breaking through!"

She crossed her knees and sat down. She regulated her vigorous inner power and began the process of breaking through.

"Bang!"

She sent her first wave of her inner power but was unable to break through the gate.

Lin Leiyue expected this to happen as breaking through the 3 Perilous Gates was not an easy task. She would consider herself to have failed only when she had exhausted her inner power.

Time passed quickly.

Lin Leiyue seemed to have forgotten how much time had passed.

In her body, her vigorous inner power was about to be exhausted and she was very close to breaking through the 6th gate.

There was only a straw left that could break the balance between the two.

"I cannot lose. I still want to see the outside world…..I want to surpass….Fang Yuan!"

While she was still conscious, a figure of a young man appeared in front of her. The figure was gigantic and shrouded her.

"Puff!"

She fiercely opened her eyes and spat a mouthful of blood.

She suffered a backlash after failing to break through the Pain Gate!

Chapter 42: Sixth Gate

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

"What's the matter? Leiyue?"

"Ping!"

The door broke, as Shi Yutong entered. It was obvious that she was observing outside all along.

"Didn't you say you had 70 to 80 percent chance of succeeding? Why did you fail?"

She held onto Lin Leiyue's right hand, transferring her Wu Zong elemental force. Lin Leiyue's skin became flushed. "Mas… Master?"

"Eh... You foolish girl!"

Shi Yutong heaved a sigh of relief. "Luckily you previously took the Frozen Moon Pill which protected your meridians from being damaged... You were too rash this time!"

"I'm sorry..."

Lin Leiyue winced, unable to tell the truth.

The only thing she was clear on, was that the young man's shadow would be her motivation to break through the next gate.

If she could not break through this mental barrier of hers, it would be increasingly difficult for her to improve. Even with the help of spiritual pills, the improvements would be minimal.

...

Within the secluded valley.

Fang Yuan opened his eyes and appeared joyful.

"The 6th Gate of Martial Arts, the Pain Gate, is finally broken through!"

He sighed for a moment, approached an old tree, focused his inner force on his palm, and struck towards the tree trunk.

Ka!

A distinct sound was heard, as though something broke.

When Fang Yuan took his palm away, a distinct palm shape appeared on the tree trunk. Not only that, in the middle of the palm print were many tiny holes, with wood shavings falling out of them.

"Inner power and inner force are two different things. If the former is likened to a cotton thread, the latter will be likened to a steel wire!"

Fang Yuan took in a deep breath and knew that it was his luck that he could kill Song Zhong.

"The difference between Pain Gate and the previous 5 Gates is too large!"

He clenched his fist and felt the inner force building up within him. He looked at his stats window, and observed a drastic change:

"Name: Fang Yuan

Essence: 3.3

Spirit: 3.2

Magic: 2.0

Age: 18

Cultivation: [Martial Artist (6th Gate)]

Technique: [Black Sand Palm (Grade 5)], [Eagle Claw Iron Skin Technique (Grade 6)]

Skill: [Medicine (Level 2)], [Botany (Level 3)]"

"Eagle Claw Iron Skin Technique- A combination of inner and external techniques, the technique, when mastered, would be similar to coating the entire body with iron, making it impenetrable by fire and water, as well as making the body difficult to wound. At the current 6th Grade, defence is enhanced! Eagle Claw's inner strength is enhanced!"

"[Eagle Claw Technique (Grade 6)] enhances Eagle Claw's inner strength! Strengthens defence!"

The inner strength within Fang Yuan was something he had experimented on before, but for an increase in defence capabilities?

He mulled for a moment and dispersed his inner strength to every part of his body beneath his skin.

"Shing!"

In a moment, his skin tightened and became metallic in colour. His inner strength circulated under his skin within him, like an armour.

"With this defence, I can go head-on against any normal swords or knives..."

Fang Yuan was impressed. "Such a shocking improvement in defence and attack! After breaking through the 6th Gate, I now have inner force, and am indeed very different from a normal martial artist!"

With his improvement, he began to think of dealing with the spiritual birds at Green Peak.

"With my skills, if those Red-eyed White Birds dare to fight me, regardless whether they are normal or spiritual they shouldn't pose any problem. As for the leader, the large eagle, there might still be a little trouble!"

Fang Yuan was longing for the spiritual land at Green Peak, in the depths of the Clear Spirit Mountain.

He could not stand how every time he had to scavenge the place for loot and deal with the numerous spiritual bird's attempt at stopping him.

"The spiritual land at the Green Peak is a good place to set up a campsite, and the earlier we leave for it the better!"

Only spiritual lands were best suited to grow spiritual plants.

As of now, Fang Yuan depended on his botany ability to cultivate spiritual plants, but the amount of effort he put in and the lack of a suitable plot of land was always a pity.

And it was not the safest place.

Therefore, it was a must to get rid of the Red-eyed White Birds and take over Green Peak spiritual land.

"At most, I shall fight with all my might against those white birds. I can kill some every day, and we shall see if they can breed faster than I can kill them!"

Fang Yuan revealed a sinister look on his face.

...

Within the mountains, it was confined, and unknowingly, ten days had passed.

The people of Qingye City began to return to their homes, after being chased away in fear of being killed by Song Zhong. It was as though everything began to revert back to the peace it had before.

As for Zhou Family, which was almost wiped out, they were beginning to be forgotten.

The influence that the Zhou Family once had was slowly being taken over by other families, and one of the main contenders was the Lin Family.

One fine day at Qingye City.

A young man entered the city, and nostalgia was written all over his face. "Qingye City is still as happening as before!"

It was Fang Yuan.

He spent his time cultivating more Vermilion Jade Rice, drank spiritual tea for every meal, and waited at the outskirts of the Green Peak spiritual land, waiting for his chance to deal with the Red-eyed White Birds.

[Eagle Claw Iron Skin Technique (Grade 6)] was impressive. He did not have to care when the Red-eyed White Birds flew and pecked at him, unless if they were pecking at the vital points on his body.

Using this special ability, he killed many Red-eyed White Birds and hid in the fog if he encountered the spiritual bird's nest. Every day he survived on bird's meat, spiritual tea and spiritual water. As for his martial arts and foundation, there were gradual improvements.

The flock of birds were observed to decrease in size as days go by.

Against a cunning Fang Yuan, the Red-eyed White Birds might even migrate to another place.

However, for now, Fang Yuan's focus slowly shifted to the Vermilion Jade Rice farm.

He faced a huge problem. He was running low on realgar powder, an important ingredient of the Still Fire Liquid...

Even though he stored up large quantities of it previously, the farm did consume a lot of Still Fire Liquid, and the expansion of his production would naturally lead to this outcome.

With this problem, no matter how unwilling Fang Yuan was, he had to leave to get more realgar powder, unless he wanted to witness the demise of his farm.

Secondly, he did not dare to push the flock of Red-eyed White Birds too much.

After his massacre, the remaining Red-eyed White Birds were especially fierce and cunning. When they encounter danger they would immediately squawk for help, and catch the attention of the flock and the bird king.

There was once when Fang Yuan failed to escape and was pecked by a furious bird flock. He sustained many wounds on his back and with much effort escaped alive.

After getting rid of the old, weak, sick and disabled birds, the remaining were tough fighters.

He did not want to push them too much, as those spiritual beasts had the wisdom of humans. If they were desperate, they might destroy the spiritual land, and it was an outcome Fang Yuan had to avoid at all costs.

"Shopkeeper! Give me 40 pounds of the best quality realgar powder! I want the best!"

It was the same shop as before, and Fang Yuan exclaimed the moment he entered the shop, as though he was an uncivilised and aggressive customer.

He earned quite a bit from his previous trip to the county, and a little money did not bother him.

"40 pounds?!"

The shopkeeper, who was originally smiling, appeared shocked. "This amount is too much, we only have 20 pounds here..."

"If that's the case, I'll have them all!"

Fang Yuan waved his hand proudly and was prepared to wipe out stock from the next shop.

"Yes of course..."

The shopkeeper looked down, chased his subordinates away and personally packed the realgar powder. Out of a sudden, he smiled and asked, "Eh? Have we met before, brother?"

He felt a sense of familiarity as he saw the young man.

"Yes! The previous time, I also bought realgar powder from this shop!"

Being a [Martial Artist (6th Gate)], Fang Yuan had little considerations and became more direct.

"Previous time, realgar powder! I remember it now, you were the one who sold the red ginseng, but the Zhou Family took it!"

The shopkeeper thanked Fang Yuan.

"That's right!"

Fang Yuan took the package over, and asked, "I've heard that something big happened in the county town, how's the Zhou Family doing?"

"Sigh..."

The shopkeeper shook his head. "What else? The servants were either killed or have run away, their shop taken over, and their residence has become a gathering place for beggars. What a pity, for Old Zhou's efforts to start the family business, and now it has all been completely destroyed..."

Fang Yuan remained speechless.

In the Zhou Family, Zhou Wenwu was still alive, and since Spirit Returning Sect was willing to punish Song Zhong, it seemed that there was a conclusion to the whole episode.

To regain the Zhou Family's reputation in Qingye City would not be easy. Even if Zhou Wenwu returned, he could only do so much, and could never hope for the Sect to help him, for the Sect was not a charity organisation.

"Who has the biggest clout in Qingye City now?"

Fang Yuan probed further.

"No doubt it would be the Lin Family, as Old Lin had a good daughter... Following, it would be Zhang Family, Guo Family, and all these are newly-built families..."

In reality, these two families were initially small families in Qingye City.

As their opportunity arrived, they rose to power and could be said to have leeched on Zhou Family's influence.

Those who win would rule, and those who lose would become beggars. Even though it was just a small city, it was like a bloodshed competition.

'Looking at things now, it would be extremely difficult for Zhou Wenwu to start all over again, but then again, none of this is my business...'

Fang Yuan shook his head, slowly walked out of the shop and disappeared into the crowd.

The shopkeeper looked at his silhouette, shocked.

...

"Master would like to purchase some realgar powder?"

"That's right!"

Fang Yuan explored the city, and as he was preparing to buy some provisions, several people appeared before him.

These few people wore uniforms and seemed to come from the same origin. All of them looked proud as they smiled, and the strongest among them appeared to be a [Martial Artist (3rd Gate)].

"I am Zhang Han, and my family has long heard of master's name, and want to make friends with you, master! This is a small gift, please accept it!"

Zhang Han waved his hands, and several servants carried a delicate box. Opening the box revealed top-quality realgar powder, and another box glittered, as it contained 2 rows of small silver ingots.

Chapter 43: Fawn

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

A silver flash.

Two neat rows of silver ingots were so heavy the servant carrying it felt numbness in his hands.

Fang Yuan ignored the ingots, as compared to gold and silver, he preferred the box of realgar powder.

"Zhang Han? You're from the Zhang Family?"

He looked at their leader and had a mischievous look in his eyes. "Do you recognise me?"

He knew that it was probably the shopkeeper who told the Zhang Family about him, and the Zhang Family's influence was indeed strong; they could prepare the silver ingots and realgar powder in such a short period of time and even locate Fang Yuan to present him these gifts.

The new families within Qingye City were indeed capable.

"I do... Master Fang with magical healing abilities that saved Master Zhou from the brink of death, you are indeed the God of Medicine!"

Zhang Han smiled.

The news which actually shocked them was how Fang Yuan defeated Song Zhong in the county.

Elder Song was the God of Killing in the eyes of those in Qingye City.

So what if the Zhou Family was the strongest family in the city? So what if Master Zhou was the deacon of Spirit Returning Sect? If Song Zhong wanted the family to perish then they shall go!

But even the unruly Song Zhong died in the hands of Fang Yuan, so who would dare to offend him? Whoever wanted to survive in Qingye City would have to suck up to him.

'Based on my master's predictions, this person is probably a skilled martial artist who can harness inner force, but he is so young...'

Zhang Han looked at Fang Yuan's face with admiration.

"I did not do anything to deserve this!"

Fang Yuan waved his hand to reject. "I cannot accept all these gifts!"

"Master is unsatisfied? Just tell us what you want, we will make it happen!"

Seeing Fang Yuan's rejection, Zhang Han became anxious. After all, he was tasked by his family to make friends with this highly skilled doctor.

"I'm serious!"

Fang Yuan replied in a serious tone.

Since living with Master Wenxin in the Secluded Valley, both of them had weird temperaments.

Whatever they wanted, they would get for themselves, or trade with others, but they never received offerings from others.

Based on Master Wenxin's explanation, it was hard to repay the favour if they accepted the gifts.

Thinking about it, only Old Tian, Minister Lin and a few other lucky ones had better relationships with the Secluded Valley and Fang Yuan only traded with them.

"Leave!"

Fang Yuan waved his hands.

"Master..."

Zhang Han bit his lips. In front of this young man, he felt pressured, and could not retaliate. He had no choice but to bring his servants back.

"If I accept rewards without doing deeds, I am no different from a thief!"

Fang Yuan looked at their silhouette and shook his head.

Unknowingly, he became the strongest influence within Qingye City.

After all, Old Zhou of the Zhou Family only broke through the 5th Gate and was a deacon of the Spirit Returning Sect, but that was all.

"Zhang Family, Guo Family were new families in the region, and they must have a few [Martial Artist (4th/5th Gate)]... Lin Family is even worse, as they only earned their reputation through Lin Leiyue in the Spirit Returning Sect..."

Fang Yuan thought for a while and became speechless.

A tiny Qingye City gave him a feeling that there were no true heroes, but many small contenders who fought for power.

"The world is huge, and Qingye City is too small. It's like the outskirts of the outskirts... Even the entire Qinghe County was just a small secluded place..."

Fang Yuan was resolute on his viewpoint.

'After I have trained hard enough, I must explore the world and see for myself the wonders around the world!'

'Of course, I'll have to take it step by step, and now, the most important is for me to break through the 3 Perilous Gates!'

The 7th Gate was the Shock Gate. After breaking through it, he would reach where Song Zhong once achieved.

Fang Yuan was extremely confident of himself.

"Shock Gate oh Shock Gate, harming the essence and manipulating the magic... This should be a test of a martial artists' magic level! With the help of the Questioning Heart Tea and the Meditative Tea Ceremony, I am unafraid of this perilous gate..."

"And as for the 8th Gate, the Death Gate, If I don't succeed, I will die. It is closely related to a martial artist's' Essence, Spirit and Magic points. My guess is that the higher one's stats are, the greater the possibility of breaking through!"

Fang Yuan was extremely clear about the first 8 Gates and had no other doubts.

"If I break through the Death Gate and enter the 4 Heavenly Gates, I can indeed have my own way around Qinghe County. As for the Spirit Returning Sect, even the elders will have to make way for me!"

In the 12 Golden Gates, the 4 Heavenly Gates would come after the first 8 Gates!

Martial artists with such a cultivation level were among the strongest in the region and had the ability to start their own small clan. Even within Spirit Returning Sect, they could start a clan and create trouble.

"Under my care, the Flower Fox Ferret should be on par with [Martial Artists (7th/8th Gate)], similar to that of the red-eyed white birds. As for the bird king, its ability should be comparable to the ability of a martial artist in the 4 Heavenly Gates..."

Thinking of those spiritual beasts, Fang Yuan became vexed.

Without getting rid of all the red-eyed white birds, how could he take over Green Peak spiritual land?

As for the spiritual fertilizer, its magical capabilities would only increase after a long time, and new produce would not have much use. After taking over the spiritual land, those new produce would be able to aid the spiritual plants in their growth.

However, he did not know if there could be an even greater danger than the red-eyed white birds, lurking within the spiritual land.

'But this makes things interesting... Right?'

Fang Yuan touched his chin and realised the change in his personality since he first took up martial arts.

It was as though he had a new passion, and thirst for more?

'It seems that martial arts can mould one's character and is more beneficial than it may seem. After killing Song Zhong, my thought processes have become smoother and clearer. It seems like even my personality has become more active?'

Fang Yuan thought about it as he walked around a few shops to get more realgar powder, as he managed to fill his entire bamboo basket with it. He finally reached the entrance of the city.

"Ah! Spare my life! Spare my life!"

A crowd formed at the entrance, and screams were heard, which piqued Fang Yuan's curiosity.

He became even more surprised as he went up.

"Isn't he the shopkeeper from the provision shop? Why is he here? And who are those around him..."

Fang Yuan saw a flash as he witnessed the scene before him.

In the scene, the plump shopkeeper was lying on the floor, his face swollen and not many of his teeth were left. One of his legs was fractured and he was pitiful.

Two servants were around him holding whips and staring at him. The occasional whipping made the shopkeeper let out a cry of pain.

These two servants wore the same attire as Zhang Han.

"It's a... pity..."

Fang Yuan witnessed the scene but did not feel good about it. Instead, he shook his head, turned around and prepared to leave.

He knew that his previous rejection on Zhang Han's offer led Zhang Han to capture the shopkeeper who betrayed him, just so he could whip him in front of a crowd, just to let off steam and to let Fang Yuan see it for himself.

This was the sad thing about being servants, because if the owner wanted them to hit, they had to obey, and for no good reason they could be killed if the owner wanted them to!

"Doctor Fang!"

At the outskirts of the city, Zhang Han was waiting for him. "Are you satisfied?"

"The shopkeeper, is he one of yours?"

Fang Yuan showed no expression and asked.

"No, he was leaning towards the Zhou Family, but now he wants to lean towards my Family, he's just like a wild grass!"

Zhang Han shook his head and seemed unhappy. "Since he offended the God of Medicine, the previous beating was deserving..."

"Forget about it, it was just a small matter!"

Fang Yuan knew that if he did show his intentions, then Zhang Han might just let the plump shopkeeper 'disappear'.

What good did he gain from doing all that?

At the same time, he looked at Zhang Han and felt sorry for him.

Zhang Han appeared happy, but he would be dealt with the same way the shopkeeper was dealt with.

The head of the Zhang Family did not see to things himself but tasked Zhang Han to do it. Weren't his intentions obvious enough? He would rather be safe than sorry!

If Zhang Han succeeded, it would be a celebration.

If he angered Fang Yuan, he would be the one getting the beating and be taken as the sacrificial lamb.

"I have duly noted the Zhang Family's good intentions!"

Fang Yuan waved his hands and walked away. "I am an uncultured person who lives in the mountains, and I am not willing to be entangled with the affairs of the city. Your family can be assured of that!"

Zhang Han bowed with respect and looked as Fang Yuan walked away.

When Fang Yuan first spoke, he was just nearby, but at his last word, his silhouette could no longer be seen. Such lightness skill and inner power were of a totally different level.

"Could it be... really... inner force!?"

He was shocked, as his hair stood on its ends. He finally knew why the He Family wanted to suck up to him as much as possible.

Previously, Song Zhong could massacre the entire Qingye City, imagine what could this master do?

The only difference Fang Yuan had with Song Zhong was age. In the future, he could continually improve and enter realms he never thought was possible.

Zhang Han knew he couldn't, but couldn't help it but became jealous of Fang Yuan.

"Alright, everyone is dismissed!"

Zhang Han came to the crowd, dispersed the observers, and ordered the two servants to stop. He supported a weak shopkeeper up.

"Master Han... Spare... Spare my life, I shall not dare to do it again..."

The shopkeeper continued to wail, and those who hear and witnessed the scene would feel sad for him.

"Mm... You were not wrong to be loyal to my family, the only wrong you did was to offend that master..."

Zhang Han walked up and gently patted the cheeks of the shopkeeper.

"Of course, The Zhang Family knows how to distinguish punishment from reward! Just now, it was punishment, and now these are the rewards!"

He whipped out a cheque and waved it in front of the shopkeeper.

"Here you go, you can do anything you like from now onwards, even if it's to seek me for revenge, please go ahead, do you understand?"

"I don't dare! I won't dare!"

The shopkeeper wailed, looked at the bank cheque and was too confused to say anything at that moment.

Chapter 44: The Stalker

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

"After the downfall of the Zhou Family, two families rose to power, the Zhang Family, and the Guo Family... I've heard of the Zhang Family before, and they used to have some popularity before. This time, they only brought out a small part of their savings... The actions of Zhang Han revealed how scheming the Zhang Family was... And as for the Guo Family, their influence had been growing, but it remained unclear as to how they did it."

Within the forest.

Fang Yuan was sprinting, and at the same time, his thoughts ran through his mind.

After breaking the 6th Gate, and with the birth of inner strength in his Eagle Claws, every aspect of him improved.

For instance, he could naturally concentrate his inner strength to his legs and ran faster than the average person. This was not lightness skill but was the simplest use of inner force.

With the help of his inner strength, Fang Yuan could traverse the forest as though there were nothing.

"Eh?"

As he approached the entrance to the valley, he realised a black figure kneeling down.

"Master Zhou, what's the matter?"

Fang Yuan went up to him and saw his shaggered look. It was a young man, and if it wasn't Zhou Wenwu, who else could it be?

"Doctor Fang? You... You are not in the valley?"

After seeing Fang Yuan, Zhou Wenwu's eyes lit up and gave him a kowtow. His forehead was bleeding profusely. "Thank you, master, for taking revenge on behalf of my family!"

The destruction of the Zhou Family was entirely due to Song Zhong.

Fang Yuan saved Zhou Wenwu's life before and even escorted him to Qinghe County to testify against Song Zhong. In the end, he even killed Song Zhong.

Fang Yuan earned his respects.

He frowned and left Zhou Wenwu alone. "Let's forget about what happened in the past, what plans do you have for the future?"

"I shall not hide my plans!"

Zhou Wenwu straightened his back and showed a stubborn look. "I am useless, but the sect has decided to pass on my father's role of a deacon to me!"

In actual fact, Zhou Wenwu's was much less skilful than Zhou Tong, but this was the Sect's way of compensating for his loss.

"I have decided to return to Qingye City!"

Zhou Wenwu clenched his fist. "I must rebuild my family's business here!"

"I see!"

Fang Yuan nodded his head, as this move of Zhou Wenwu was good.

The next step would be hard. How would it be possible to get Lin Family, Zhang Family and Guo Family to take a step back for the rise of Zhou Family?

Especially since these few families did gain from the downfall of Zhou Family, and they had their own plans up their sleeves.

Fang Yuan calculated that there wouldn't be much peace in Qingye City from now on.

"Then I shall wish Master Zhou all the best!"

"Ping!"

Zhou Wenwu gave another kowtow. "Master Fang is my benefactor, and also my family's benefactor! If you need a favour in the future, just inform me and I will see to it, regardless what it takes!"

Fang Yuan smiled. "It's alright, take care Master Zhou, I won't send you off, please return!"

He entered the valley, ignoring Zhou Wenwu.

Seeing Fang Yuan's silhouette disappear, Zhou Wenwu seemed disappointed and continued to kneel.

'Zhou Wenwu... He is indeed sincere!'

Fang Yuan returned to the pavilion, placed his goods, called the Flower Fox Ferret to check on Zhou Wenwu, and then continued to mind his own business.

Zhou Wenwu knew how powerful Fang Yuan was, and therefore did not dare to offend him.

Those words which Zhou Wenwu said actually meant that if one day the Zhou Family rose to power again, they would still be willing to obey Fang Yuan.

"Get help from other influential families? Zhou Family... It seems too big of a price to pay for them to start from scratch."

Fang Yuan shook his head.

He had the ability to help Zhou Family recover, but he felt that it was not worth the effort.

If he really needed the help of influential families, why would he need to look for the Zhou Family?

The Zhang Family seemed impressive, and he could become polite and ask them for help anytime.

"Mmm... After considering all the factors, I have to sacrifice too much, to gain too little. It doesn't make sense!"

Fang Yuan shook his head, continued to prepare his 'Still Fire Liquid', and took a stroll in his farm.

...

It was dusk.

A chill wind blew across the mountains, and the cold from the icy ground was biting.

Zhou Wenwu stubbornly continued to kneel on the ground, and his mind was lost as he stared at the flickering candle in the valley.

He was confident that by presenting even himself Fang Yuan would help him. However, Fang Yuan totally ignored his nonsense and closed the door on him, his mind set.

Fang Yuan wouldn't frown a bit even if he froze to death out here.

Being a son of the Zhou Family, Zhou Wenwu had the responsibility to carry on the family line, and if he really died kneeling out here, he would cease the family line.

The moon slowly rose higher and higher.

Zhou Wenwen took a long sigh as his entire body became stiff. After a long while, he finally stood up, gazed at the Secluded Valley for a long while, before taking his leave by limping towards the forest.

What he didn't know was that two men in black were observing him the whole while within the bushes nearby.

"Hey, he is just one person himself, how can he rebuild his family? Does he not know that the Zhou Family is history now?"

"Although the Zhou Family is destroyed, it only took a short span of a few weeks, and many relationships were established from the incident, especially how the Sect still acknowledged the family is one of their own, and that is the crucial part!"

The other person rebutted. "If they are not afraid of the Zhou Family's comeback, then why would master send us out to spy on him?"

"You're right about that too, but I'm wondering why can't we take things into our own hands and settle him once and for all in the forest!"

The first guy had a malicious look in his eyes.

"Are you crazy?"

The other man in black was shocked. "This person is now the deacon of Spirit Returning Sect. Even Song Zhong couldn't cover up the death of Zhou Tong, and he himself died in the end. Do you think you are more capable than Song Zhong? And you still want to kill another one?"

When he said this, the other guy remained speechless.

After half a day, he said, "We were lucky the owner of the valley did not promise to help him, otherwise, by his reputation and ability, our Guo Family will be in trouble."

"That's right... Zhang Family's actions were a joke. He is just an ordinary doctor with little martial arts, and they gave him so much respect, what a joke!"

"He was after all from a business family, and all they talk about is having peace and prosperity. But our family is different! We are based on our skilled martial arts! Every child at the age of 9 in our family will have to start picking up martial arts, and we have quite a number of Martial Artist in the 4th or 5th Gate. In addition... We still have Old Master!"

At the last few words, both of them softened, and they appeared respectful.

"As long as Old Master is around, our Guo Family will rise and become the number one family in Qingye City, or even number one in Jinjun County!"

"Hmph, if we were not that afraid of being at the top, our family could have ruled over Qingye City easily!"

The man in black announced proudly.

"There are many powerful people in the martial arts world, Take for example this secluded valley, once is was Master Wenxin, and now Doctor Fang Yuan with impeccable healing powers and unparalleled martial arts. If we treat him as our enemy, it would be a large obstacle for our family to progress!"

The other person sighed, and both men in black looked at each other, both wanting to find out how powerful he was. "Why not... Let's test him out first?"

Although it was just a thought, they unknowingly took a step forward.

"Both of us are going to ambush him, and since both of us are strong martial artists who have broken through the 2 Peaceful Gates, surely we can escape if we are no match for him..."

"Whoosh!"

Two shadows entered the valley and arrived at the pavilion.

'This legendary Secluded Valley looks normal...'

One of them appeared unsatisfied and mumbled under his breath.

The moment he spoke, a white flash appeared in front of them.

"Sssss!"

"Ahhh!"

A piercing scream was heard and echoed throughout the valley.

"What is this... creature!"

The other man in black retreated quickly, as he saw his companion fell to the floor with an arm detached, as blood spurted out.

"Hisss!"

In front of them was a white and large dog... white ferret?

"Mutated... Mutated beast?!"

The voice of the man in black trembled, as though he regretted his actions.

'The valley is indeed mysterious and scary, as they have a mutated beast to look after the living quarters?'

On the other hand, the Flower Fox Ferret was calmly stroking its own fur, and from time to time made some noise.

"Chiya!"

The door to the pavilion opened, and as Fang Yuan yawned he looked at both of the men in black. "More spies? I think my luck isn't too good these few days... I must warn those who might possibly do foolish things again, otherwise, it will be rather troublesome for me..."

"You are Fang Yuan!"

One of them said, "Why did you let the beast attack us?"

"Attack you? Haha..."

Fang Yuan laughed as though he had heard a good joke. "You two trespassed my valley, with ill intentions, and yet you dare accuse me? Both of you are indeed idi*ts!"

"Idi*ts?"

Both men in black looked at each other and did not quite seem to understand, but knew it should not be something good. Both of them stared fiercely at Fang Yuan.

They knew that the white ferret was extremely fast and they could never outrun it if they attempted to escape to the forest.

The only way out was to defeat its owner, Fang Yuan!

Even though they have heard of Fang Yuan's heroics, they have not personally seen it before and had a glimmer of hope in defeating him.

"To stay alive, it seems I have to personally fight my way out!"

Fang Yuan did not take them seriously. "Come, don't complain that I didn't give you the chance to strike first!"

"Kill!"

Both guys looked at each other as both of them, even the one with a broken arm, shouted and pounced upon him. His legs struck rapidly, so quick that there wasn't any shadow.

"Ferocious Tiger Palm!"

"Shadowless Legs!"

...

Palms and kicks flew in quick succession, but Fang Yuan did not dodge. He took in a deep breath, and his skin became a greenish-black.

"Ping! Ping!"

It was like raindrops hitting a banana leaf, continuous and distinct.

When everything was over, and both of them were exhausted, they were surprised to see Fang Yuan still standing. Fear was written all over their faces. "Eagle Claw Iron Skin Technique at Grade 6 - A professional! Who knew such a level could be attained?"

Chapter 45: Infiltrate

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

In the early morning, Fang Yuan put on rough clothing and tended to his garden leisurely.

No one would imagine that beneath this garden, there were 2 martial artist's bodies used as fertilizer!

"What about the Guo Family?"

Fang Yuan thought as he dug the ground.

The two men were not his match and were easily defeated. After another round of beating and using of drugs to threaten them, the two men spilt everything out.

The Guo Family was different from well-known Zhang Family. The Guo family was relatively unknown except for being a tyrant in a local village. They were able to bring down many from the Zhou Family due to their ruthlessness and their martial arts skills..."

Not even the Lin Family would provoke such a rabid family.

Fang Yuan was unhappy.

"Perhaps I should also discourage people from coming to me"

Fang Yuan thought.

He had been in the limelight previously. Now, everyone in the Qingye City knew about a Doctor Fang who could work miracles and was highly skilled in martial arts.

Fang Yuan wondered if he would still be able to tend to his field if people were to keep paying him visits to further their own agendas. He would also not be able to tend to his field if the Guo Family kept snooping around.

Fang Yuan took no notice of such a small family even if they had individuals that were highly skilled, as it was not an issue.

They did not cause much trouble when Zhou Tong was in charge which proved that they were nothing to be afraid of.

Of course, Fang Yuan felt that it was best to improve himself so as to have more confidence.

Fang Yuan blinked and the stats window appeared before his eyes:

"Name: Fang Yuan

Essence: 3.5

Spirit: 3.4

Magic: 2.2

Age: 18

Cultivation: [Martial Artist (6th Gate)]

Technique: [Black Sand Palm (Grade 5)], [Eagle Claw Iron Skin Technique (Grade 6)]

Skill: [Medicine (Level 2)], [Botany (Level 3)]"

...

"Ever since I obtained inner power, it has stimulated my spirit and essence to rise significantly. Could my solid foundation be the reason for the massive increase in their stats?"

Fang Yuan was vaguely suspicious. A normal 6th Gate Martial Artist would not be able to improve as much as him.

As for the increase in magic, it could be attributed solely to the effects of the Questioning Heart Tea.

Fang Yuan shared the tea with the Flower Fox Ferret once a day. While the effect of the tea was not as great as when he first drank the tea, he was satisfied with the constant increase in magic.

Overcoming the Shock Gate, the 7th Gate of the 12 Golden Gates, would test the magical energy of the martial artist.

At his current standard, he was 60% to 70% confident of overcoming the Shock Gate if he practised his Eagle Claw Iron Skin Technique enough!

Given such a success rate, it would shock many. Even Wu Zong Shi Yutong would be tongue-tied.

"Flower Fox Ferret, go and fetch the Still Fire Liquid!"

After much consideration, Fang Yuan fetched a few bamboo canteens.

The Flower Fox Ferret received the bamboo canteens and vanished in a puff of smoke. It was very different from the past.

"The Flower Fox Ferret's powers have been steadily increasing as well. It is hardly afraid of the realgar powder now..."

Fang Yuan was astonished after witnessing the sight.

A main component of the Still Fire Liquid was the realgar powder, which used to be the bane of the Flower Fox Ferret. After the Flower Fox Ferret was retrained, it no longer feared the realgar powder and just disliked the smell of it.

After realizing, Fang Yuan experimented multiple times and came to a conclusion that the weakness of the Flower Fox Ferret was slowly diminishing.

"That's right... the spiritual beast needs to grow and might eventually enter the realm of Wu Zong. How could such a big weakness remain?"

Fang Yuan rubbed his chin and guessed that it was either the effect of the spiritual rice and tea or the growth of the Flower Fox Ferret that resulted in the change.

There was not enough information to arrive at a definite conclusion.

"Keke!"

Not long after, the Flower Fox Ferret returned. It looked expectantly at Fang Yuan.

"You are getting more and more proficient... I know I know, you will get your spiritual tea today..."

Fang Yuan looked at the Flower Fox Ferret and the image of the Flower Fox Ferret passing away one day appeared in his mind. He could not help but feel sad at the thought.

"There is still one more thing!"

He stroked the back of the Flower Fox Ferret, his eyes cold, "I will be going out tonight. I need you to look after the house. Kill any intruders on sight!"

...

Qingye City.

It was a dark and windy night. The crescent moon was covered by a cloud and the horizon was grey and hazy.

"What a fitting night to kill a person!"

Fang Yuan raced off. His speed matched that of a speeding horse and in no time, he arrived at Qingye City.

The city gate was already closed. Fang Yuan could not help but laugh as he looked at the towering, mouldy city wall. He took out a long rope and a few nails and arrived at a corner of the city wall.

"Eagle Claw!"

Power surged into both his hands and he gained enormous strength. He gripped the stone wall and started to climb. Every now and then, he would hammer the nails into the cracks of the wall. These nails acted as footholds for him to climb up further.

When he was halfway up, Fang Yuan threw the rope up. The rope latched onto the stone.

"Woosh!"

With a hard pull, Fang Yuan landed lightly at the top of the city wall and vanished into the darkness without anyone noticing him.

"Sigh...At my current skill level, I still require the aid of tools. When I have mastered the Lightness Skill, this city wall would be nothing..."

Fang Yuan thought as he swiftly descended from the wall.

He was dressed in black attire and blended in with the darkness. As such, he went unnoticed by the drowsy soldiers guarding the gates.

"Guo Family...Guo Family..."

He knew where the Guo residence was as he had previously come to the city before. He stealthily made his way to the place.

Guo Residence.

The Guo family recently acquired their wealth and as such, their big house still preserved many characteristics that are similar to that found in villages. The house was heavily guarded by servants who were well-built. Even though it was the middle of the night, there were patrols with hounds patrolling the residence.

The Guo Family was first in Qingye City in terms of military might and martial arts skills.

Fang Yuan was unsure if it was the mannerism of the Guo Family or if the Guo Family had too many enemies to warrant such a level of security.

No matter how well-guarded the residence was, the walls of the residence were significantly lower than that of the city wall. Fang Yuan looked for an opening and leapt over the wall.

"Crack!"

Behind the wall was a garden. Fang Yuan landed on the grass which rustled.

He turned and swiftly ran towards the rocks.

"Woof Woof!"

Two well-built servants were patrolling the area with a large hound not far away.

The hound had silky black fur and bloodshot eyes. Its teeth were white and sharp. It stopped in its tracks, looked at the place where Fang Yuan landed and turned to look at the rocks.

"What's wrong, Blackie?"

One of the servants was curious. He released the leash and allowed the hound to move forward.

The hound ran towards the corner of the wall and sniffed the ground before it ran towards the rocks.

The two servants looked at each other, both on alert. One of them reached towards his waist while the other gripped the gong.

"Good beast!"

Fang Yuan saw the hound approaching from his hiding spot. He focused his inner strength in his eyes and glared at the black hound.

In the study of martial arts, there was a saying where those highly-skilled were able to make their enemies cower just by glaring at them without leaving a finger.

Given his current level, Fang Yuan was nowhere near the capabilities of those in the legend. However, his magical energy was higher than that of a normal person and he was up against a simple-minded beast. Hence, he was able to handle the hound.

"Wuwu..."

The black hound shivered as it felt terrified like a lone horse in the wilderness stalked by a predator.

It whimpered before turning around and scampered away from the rocks.

"What's wrong?"

The two servants were confused.

"Could it be that the hound is still hungry? Or that it is lusty? "

The other servant relaxed and joked.

"What lusty? Did you think that everyone is like you, always looking for prostitutes in the street...my Blackie is..."

The servant chided. He stroked the black hound's head and said, "Let's go, our shift is almost over. Let's return to our room, drink some wine and eat some meat..."

"I agree!"

The other servant nodded his head. Both of them walked off.

Fang Yuan waited for the sound of the footsteps to disappear before entering the inner area of the residence.

The courtyard was large and there were many buildings. The residence was built like a maze. Fang Yuan silently cursed himself for making a blunder as he did not gather sufficient information about the residence.

"Most residences are similar. Behind the living room would be the master bedroom..."

Fang Yuan scaled the wall and was elated when he saw a few lights.

Lighting up the lamps were costly. Only the owner could afford to light up the lamps to discuss matters.

As Fang Yuan edged closer, he realized that the security in that area was tighter and knew that he had arrived at the correct place.

An orange light lit up the surrounding. Two shadows could be seen from within the room.

"Father, I was incapable. The seventh and the eighteenth disciples have not returned!"

In the study room, the head of the Guo Family, Guo Jing was grovelling on the ground.

If an outsider were to see this scene, they would be shocked.

When did the hot-tempered and unreasonable head of the Guo Family become more docile and timid than a young rabbit?

"Hmmm?!"

Seated cross-legged on the mat was an old man with white hair and bright eyes. The old man turned his head in such an imposing manner that the room felt like it was struck by lightning. Guo Jing could not help but shrink away.

Chapter 46: Hiding

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

"What happened, tell me about it!"

Old Master Guo had a loud voice and was very much louder than the average person.

"Yes, Father!"

Guo Jing stood up and bowed. "The only child left of the Zhou Family, Zhou Wenwu, returned to the city. I was worried and therefore sent both my nephews to investigate and stalk him... At first, they relayed a message back to inform us that everything was normal, but when they entered the mountains and head towards the secluded valley, there was no further news."

"The mountains? Secluded valley?"

Old Master Guo looked down, and then said, "The doctor who could work miracles? Fang… Fang…"

"Fang Yuan!"

Guo Jing felt unjust. After all, he lost two martial artists, which was a big deal to the Guo Family, not to mention the kinship they once had.

"After the incident, our people observed Zhou Wenwu returning from the secluded valley, but could not obtain information regarding our 2 brothers, I'm afraid... They're in trouble!"

"Bast*rd"

Old Master Guo raged, and Guo Jing became confused, for he did not know if Old Master was angry at him, Fang Yuan, or his 2 useless grandsons.

"Did those two... ever get involved in any trouble?"

After calming down, Old Master Guo used a soothing voice, as he looked extremely serious.

"Never in their lives!"

Guo Jing shook his head. "This is a grave matter. In the entire household, only you and I know about this, not even the best second brother can know about it!"

"Good!"

Old Master Guo nodded his head but looked lost for the moment. "Since I was 18, I was tasked to infiltrate this place and stay hidden. That was 60 years ago, and finally came the long-awaited orders from the Master. It was the real Master's intention to make this family influential, so as to cover up the activities that we do, and it cannot be taken lightly! As long as we succeed this time, all our disciples will be able to come out of hiding and find the real Master..."

"I understand this!"

Guo Jing nodded his head as the eavesdropping Fang Yuan was shocked.

"After hearing what both of them said, it seems that where the Guo Family came from elsewhere where they were a big power, and are now secretly inserted into Qingye City? No wonder they could become such an influential family from nothing in such a short while, like a burning fire!"

"I am sure that they must have a similar plan in other counties... This was very well thought-out and a very well-kept secret, it is..."

At that moment, it was as though he saw a large and invisible net covering the entire Qinghe County.

The many disciples they had were like many tiny nodes, lying low but would all strike when the command was given.

With that thought, he immediately held his breath, consolidated his magical energy, and focused his attention in the room.

Their conversation was distinctly heard from outside.

"My Father!"

Guo Jing sounded as though he suspected something. "The sect's order for us was to lay low, wasn't it? Why the change?"

"This matter..."

Old Master Guo remained composed. "I've got some insider information. It seems that there was a traitor within the sect who stole an important treasure. He escaped in the direction of Clear Spirit Mountain and was highly likely to reach our vicinity. We could use this opportunity to come out, make use of all the manpower we have and cover up for the highly skilled martial artists that the sect had sent to deal with him. After all, Qinghe County is still within the control of the Spirit Returning Sect, and Shi Yutong's sect is not one to be trifled with..."

"The only problem is... It has been such a long time since the traitor escaped, and he might have already been long gone. The only reason why the sect is doing this is because they have not resigned to fate..."

At this point, Old Master Guo had disappointment written on his face.

On the contrary, Guo Jing looked happy.

Regardless, the Guo Family could take advantage of the situation and make its mark!

"Traitor... treasure..."

"Such a coincidence?"

Fang Yuan became increasingly shocked as he heard on. For a moment he thought of Han Shou, who died under his poisonous palms, and the hidden treasure map within his boots.

The lines on the treasure map were similar to that of a talisman, and it seemed that many details were missing. After trying hard to gather more information about the treasure map, he became confused himself and decided to give up and shoved it into a corner.

Now it seemed that this item was extremely precious, and the treasure of this strong influence opposing the Spirit Returning Sect! It seemed that they were willing to give up anything for this treasure.

'What a pity, what use would an incomplete map be?'

Fang Yuan shook his head and heard Old Master Guo. "Hmm, secluded valley... Who was Fang Yuan? How dare he touch my people, does he think I'm a weakling? Although we have a short history here, for us to exert our influence, we need to show others that we can fight."

"The news of our two martial artists failing their mission had spread, and as for Fang Yuan, he is already a highly skilled martial artist!"

Guo Jing sounded serious. "Father, although you have trained secretly and are a Martial Artist of the 6th Gate, that young man is younger than you..."

If his father was in his younger days, Guo Jing wouldn't worry for him.

But now, he was close to 80. Even though his inner strength was astounding, how could he match another martial artist of same cultivation level as himself?

"I know, but the people in the Guo Family are not cowards!"

Old Master Guo waved his hand. "Personally lead a troop to the secluded valley and gather information regarding Little Seven and Little Eighteen. If they are alright then escort them back and forget about the incident, but if they have died... Retreat immediately!"

"Retreat immediately!"

"That's right, I will personally inform the Sect Head to inform him on the suspicious areas of the secluded valley!"

Old Master Guo smirked. "Who asked for the secluded valley to be so deeply hidden within the mountains, so mysterious? Even if the traitor came from there I wouldn't be surprised..."

Guo Jing was surprised.

Although he knew that this was not true and even if the martial artists from the sect knew about this, they would rather kill all those suspicious than let anyone live.

"What a great plan, Father!"

He looked joyful.

Suddenly, he noticed his father frowning, as though he was anxious.

"Pa! Pa!"

At this moment, there was an applause heard from outside, as a man in black entered the room and walked in. "Good plan! Indeed a perfect plan!"

"A martial artist skilled in inner force!?"

Old Master Guo stood up looking angry and pulled Guo Jing behind. "Careful, Guo Jing, I will deal with this!"

He looked at the man in black and was under stress. "May I know who you are, and why did you trespass the Guo Manor?"

"Old Dog, you shall die!"

Fang Yuan did not want to speak a word to the old man. He struck out his right hand and his index finger pointed forward like a sword.

"Chi!"

His arm grew in size, and under his black outfit, his skin became black. Even the centre of his palm had a little black too.

Eagle Claw Iron Skin Technique, Grade 6! And there's Black Sand Palm too!

Fang Yuan mustered all that he could in one move!

He had to do it. After all, this was the heart of the Guo Family, and Old Master Guo's last sentence was heard loudly, as he did it on purpose to demonstrate his inner force. Footsteps were already heard rushing towards the room.

Even though a martial artist skilled in inner force could easily take out those using inner power, facing a large number of them all at once could still exhaust him out.

Fang Yuan eyes were deadly.

At the moment Old Master Guo outlined the devious plan, he knew that the entire Guo Family had to be destroyed!

"Eagle Claw?!"

Old Master Guo was stressed out. He punched both fists in the air, and mustered all the strength he could, like a giant. "Giant Spiritual Strength!"

"Ping!"

The fists and claws met, and Old Master Guo was forced a few steps back. He unknowingly imprinted his footprint into the ground, as his face reddened. He spat out a large mouthful of blood, but his injury could not compare to his shock. "[Martial Artist (6th Gate)]? How could you have such aggression?"

"Chi!"

Fang Yuan's black outfit was torn, which exposed his pitch-black skin. He quickly recovered from the injury he sustained due to his impressive physical condition and did not even take a step back after the first exchange of fists. He attacked once again like an eagle; his strength on his claws came from his abdomen to his arm, then to his palm, then to his fingertips. A popping sound was heard every time his inner force passed through.

"Die!"

"Eagle Claw Iron Skin Technique!? You are Fang..."

Old Master Guo was even more surprised, but he could not complete his sentence as he received another strike from his opponent.

"Hmph, Spiritual Giant Supporting the Heavens!"

He stretched out both palms and received Fang Yuan's claws that struck from above.

"Ping!"

The man in black could gain the upper hand against Old Master Guo, and from how he was shaking from withstanding Fang Yuan's strikes, he was obviously on the brink of losing!

'Faster! Even faster!'

He clenched his fists and was sweating profusely. He could only wait for reinforcements to arrive.

"You're not too bad, being able to withstand three claws from me!"

Fang Yuan exclaimed and struck another claw out.

"Mmm..."

Old Master Guo became pale and exerted all his strength to hold on to the claws. He felt relieved as he saw his servants arriving to help him.

In a blink of an eye, one claw broke free and went straight for his throat.

"Kacha!"

A distinct sound was heard as the servants entered the room, as they witnessed the scene unfolding right in front of their eyes.

The pillar of support for the Guo Family, the all-mighty Old Master Guo held his neck, fell to the ground and remained motionless.

"Thief!"

Guo Jing was angered. "I will kill you!"

"Then you shall die too!"

To remove weeds, you need to pluck them from the roots, and Fang Yuan understood this theory.

He rushed forward and struck out his claw at Guo Jing, who was attempting to hide among the crowd.

"I'll fight!"

Guo Jing swept his arms across. After all, he was an able [Martial Artist (5th Gate)].

Despite his attempts to summon forth his inner power, it crumbled upon clashing against Fang Yuan's inner strength.

"Kacha!"

Fang Yuan snapped his neck, not giving him any chances.

All the servants and even the descendants of the Guo Family took a few steps back, all afraid to make any eye contact with this man in black.

Fang Yuan let out a cold laughter, flipped over the manor's wall, and disappeared.

Chapter 47: The Aftermath

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

Back in the old mansion of Zhou Family.

Ever since the passing of Zhou Tong, the place became like ruins and many beggars came to gather here.

However, when Zhen Wenwu was back, he immediately took the place back under his control and operated it as a base camp.

Zhou Wenwu was wearing a mourning suit and gave his respect to a few tablets that were on the altar with incense. "Father…. don't you worry. I will revive the prestige of the Zhou Family…."

After the ceremony, he opened the door and felt sorrowful as he saw the dilapidated courtyard.

The courtyard looked much more deserted now.

'Minister Lin is an old fox. Even though I'm using the Spirit Returning Sect's name in my favour, he will likely not fall for it. He has stronger backers than me. How about targeting the Zhang and Guo Family? This will not be easy though….'

Zhou Wenwu gazed at the moon with a troubled look.

The Zhang Family did have a strong background and power which they accumulated over the years. Hence, it would not be wise to attack them.

On the other hand, the Guo Family was violent and unruly. One would need assistance to bring them under control.

"Fang Yuan was not willing to lend a helping hand, and a few relatives promised to aid us financially but the fund is still not in yet….ugh, and also my sister! No one knows whether she is dead or alive. This is indeed worrying me…."

Zhou Wenwu sighed and suddenly, his expression changed.

There was a loud and distinct noise coming from the Guo's mansion.

"Something bad happened….to the Guo Family?"

He climbed over the courtyard wall. Lights were shining everywhere and there were many screams and crying. He grew suspicious.

Even though he wanted to find out what was happening, he knew that since the Guo Family was being attacked, they would be on high alert. It was better for him not to bother them right now.

"Or maybe…. This is my chance to…."

Zhou Wenwu gave it a good thought and his eyes glittered. "I'm not sure how is Old Guo now…."

"He is dead!"

A voice was heard from behind, which frightened Zhou Wenwu.

"Are you…. Doctor Fang?"

This voice was very familiar and sounded youthful. Zhou Wenwu was dazed for a moment but was relieved after realising who was it.

However, his expression became serious when he saw Fang Yuan in his night combat outfit.

Fang Yuan was present in the city at this timing and coincidently, something bad happened to the Guo Family. Could it be….

"You don't have to guess. Old Guo and the homeowner Guo Jing are both dead…."

Fang Yuan spoke in a deep voice.

"Aaahh!"

Even though he had guessed that Fang Yuan was behind it, Zhou Wenwu was still surprised and immediately kowtowed to Fang Yuan. "Thank you for helping me. I will do anything you want me to do…."

Fang Yuan waved and said, "You don't need to thank me. I am helping you this time because I will need your help in the future!"

In fact, Fang Yuan ambushed the Guo Family to gather more information and to scare them.

However, he changed his plans as he became furious after hearing some secrets. Hence, he killed the father and the son of the Guo Family to get the most out of the operation.

He could say that he was invited by Zhou Wenwu to assist him in taking down the Guo Family. Who else could reveal the truth? Not only did he benefit without costing him anything, he even managed to reap gratitude from Zhou Wenwu.

Most importantly, he gained a new assistant in the city. Zhou Wenwu could help him out and save him a lot of trouble.

"Old Guo is a 6th Gate Martial artist and is indeed an expert in inner force. Guo Jing is a 5th Gate Martial artist... Both of them are the most highly skilled in the Guo Family. I have removed them for you. Do you know what to do next?"

Fang Yuan glanced at Zhou Wenwu and instructed him.

"Old Guo is a 6th Gate Martial Artist?!"

When Zhou Wenwu heard what Fang Yuan said, he sighed and was relieved that he did not rashly attack the Guo Family on his own. He then looked into Fang Yuan's eyes with respect.

Even an expert in inner force was defeated by him! How did Fang Yuan train his martial arts to such a state?

"Hmm, the rest of the Guo Family that are still alive are easy to deal with. If you can't even handle such loose ends…."

Fang Yuan said in a deep voice.

"If I fail to handle the loose ends, I would strip myself of my martial arts and I would not even think about reviving the Zhou Family anymore!"

Zhou Wenwu patted his chest and seemed confident. He then added, "What about the Zhang Family?"

"Hmm?"

Fang Yuan turned around and stared at Zhou Wenwu with a serious look.

"I'm thinking too much…."

Zhou Wenwu immediately broke out in cold sweat and started apologising after Fang Yuan stared at him.

"With the current situation of Zhou Family, removing Guo Family will be sufficient. Removing the Zhang Family will be too much!"

Fang Yuan said coldly.

Honestly speaking, the Zhang Family had more situational awareness and hence he had nothing against them.

Furthermore, with the current population of the Zhou Family, it was impossible for the Family to restore its power like before back in Qingye City.

The best outcome was to remove Guo Family for the Zhou Family to take over their assets and coexist with the Zhang and Lin families in a triangulated situation.

Zhou Wenwu should have known these principles but he was too focused on getting revenge and achieving his dream. Now, Fang Yuan reminded him of these principles, which made him admire Fang Yuan even more.

Fang Yuan was not only good in medicine and martial arts but understood the principles behind human relations as well. Was he born smart and talented?

Zhou Wenwu respected Fang Yuan and said, "Thank you for reminding me. I have understood your point."

"Very well, I have a few tasks for you to complete…."

Fang Yuan chuckled.

...….

The news of the Guo Family spread.

The Guo Family left the city the next day and relocated back to their original village. The family couldn't care less about those who plundered them at that time and were extracting their men from Qingye City. This was like a retreat from a losing party.

Looking at how sensible the Guo Family was in deciding to pull out from the city, Zhou Wenwu was satisfied with the number of valuable things that were left behind by the family as it was sufficient for his own needs. He felt that he could gain a foothold in Qingye City again.

This time, he was clear of the situation and secretly gathered enough men to wipe out the entire Guo Family completely.

The Zhou Family needed to be restored from scratch like the Guo Family, and hence one of the families in the city needed to be targeted in order for another family to take over. Guo Family was the best target in the whole of Qingye City.

The Guo Family also realised that without the two highly skilled martial artists in the Family, they were weakened.

During such times, the Lin and Zhang families were getting closer to the Zhou Family and had no intention of helping the Guo Family.

At the same time, everyone knew what the secluded valley was capable of and would, therefore, think twice before attacking the secluded valley….

Of course, Fang Yuan was not really interested in any of these affairs.

Zhou Wenwu would handle the loose ends on his own.

Fang Yuan was already back home in the secluded valley. After taking a break, he went to the Green Peak with the Flower Fox Ferret.

"Chirp! Chirp!"

A flock of Red-eyed White Birds were flying past and a giant Red-eyed White King Bird was leading the flock.

Fang Yuan hid in the woods and was irritated by their presence.

"These birds are getting more vigilant than before and they are hard to deal with now!"

The presence of these birds was a huge obstacle to his success in claiming this spiritual land. These birds had been giving him huge problems lately.

Notwithstanding anything else, in one instance, when Fang Yuan went to get some spiritual spring water and spiritual fertiliser, he had to be cautious of the Red-eyed White Birds, in case they came out of their nests and attack him. Hence, the amount that he had gotten was not sufficient every time. Sometimes, the Flower Fox Ferret would be surrounded by these birds.

"I will not be able to enjoy collecting the spiritual fertiliser if I don't get rid of them soon….."

Fang Yuan looked at the beach that was beside the Eye's Tear Lake. "Anyway, the longer the spiritual fertiliser is accumulated, the better it is. Also, the storage size of this beach is quite big to store a large amount of the spiritual fertiliser. Maybe I should not get rid of the birds for now first…."

Fang Yuan estimated that the best spiritual fertiliser that could really help in the growth of the spiritual plants would need at least 10 years of accumulation in order to produce such an effect.

With the time, he could make full use of the spiritual land. Wouldn't he be able to grow any kinds of spiritual plants?

"It is just that…..the rest of the Red-eyed White Birds are not a problem but the Red-eyed White King Bird is hard to deal with….."

Of course, he was gaining little from his hunts recently.

At least the number of the Red-eyed White Birds was decreasing and there were fewer eyes to keep watch over the spiritual land. This gave Fang Yuan many opportunities to secretly enter the spiritual land to obtain the spiritual spring water and other precious spiritual plants.

"Whoosh!"

He went to the other side of the cliff and suddenly hid into a nearby bush.

"A normal Red-eyed White Bird will be dead once it sees me. Even a spiritual bird can only last a little longer….."

Fang Yuan reached the One-eyed Spring and filled his bamboo canteen with the spring water to the brim. "This time….maybe I should trek deeper in!"

In his heart, he already treated the whole Green Peak like his own land.

The spring water brought a cooling effect to the body. After Fang Yuan drank till his heart's content, he felt refreshed and continued to explore the inner parts of the secluded valley with the Flower Fox Ferret.

"Hmm, this spiritual land is definitely incredible….."

Even though he did not find any spiritual plants, there were many flowers blooming and the trees were bearing fruits at this unusual time. This scene filled Fang Yuan with emotions as he felt sorry for these plants.

"Wasted! Totally wasted!"

He looked at a piece of land which was fully grown with weed and felt distressed. "If this piece of land was used to grow spiritual plants, the food produced would be enough to last the both of us for an entire year. Damn those Red-eyed White Birds…."

He cursed softly.

After all, if he were to raise his voice, he might disturb the spiritual birds and they would come and surround the both of them. By then, they would be in big trouble.

"Logically speaking, this spiritual land in the mountain should have one or two types of spiritual plants growing…..Why are there none?"

As he went in deeper into the mountain, Fang Yuan frowned. He reached a big pit and squatted down. "The spiritual energy is stronger here as compared to the surroundings. Looks like there might be a spiritual object here before, just that it has been removed….."

He sighed and finally knew where the spiritual plants are.

If he was correct, it should be in the nest of the Red-eyed White King Bird!

As a spiritual beast, it would definitely hide the spiritual plants very well like how humans would hide their precious items.

"Hmm?"

At that moment, Fang Yuan's expression changed and hid behind a bush.

"Chirp!"

A black dot from the sky came nearer and nearer along with a deafening cry.

Chapter 48: Bamboo Fruit

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

"Is that….an eagle?!"

With the black dot getting closer, Fang Yuan realised that the one who made a loud cry was a giant eagle. Its black feathers reflected a metallic colour under the sunlight.

"Spiritual beast! Definitely a spiritual beast!"

This black giant eagle was fast. Just as Fang Yuan lifted up his head, it already flew past the Green Peak and up into the sky.

"This is strange….how have I not seen this eagle before?"

Fang Yuan saw that the flock of Red-eyed White Birds were disturbed and had a suspicion. "Is it because of coincidence or is it because spiritual beasts are coming from elsewhere?"

"Chirp!"

At that moment, the entire flock of the Red-eyed White Birds around the cliff were disturbed. Under the leadership of a few spiritual birds, they circled around in the air in a formation like an army troop.

"Whoosh!"

The giant eagle was not intimidated by the formation created but flew straight into the Red-eyed White Birds.

"Chirp! Chirp!"

Mournful bird chirpings could be heard and big white feathers came falling from the sky.

The claws of the giant eagle were as sharp as a steel hook and the spiritual birds were struggling to avoid the sharp edge of the claws. The giant eagle also used its beak to peck through the head of one of the Red-eyed White Bird, causing the bird to die instantly, its body falling straight down.

"Eagle Claw! This is the real Eagle Claw!"

As Fang Yuan observed the battle of the spiritual birds intently, he felt like he had gained a better understanding of the Eagle Claw Technique.

"Chirp! Chirp!"

Finally, right after the giant eagle started to kill all of the other Red-eyed White Birds, a very loud angry chirp was heard from the top of the cliff.

A white giant bird appeared; it was the Red-eyed White King Bird!

It flapped its wings and flew right up into the sky to fight against the giant eagle. The giant bird gained the upper hand very quickly.

"Keke!"

The giant eagle fluttered its wings and dodged away from the Red-eyed White King Bird. It then used its sharp claws and broke through the defence of one of the Red-eyed White Bird by ripping the bird's body. The giant eagle showed defiance towards the Red-eyed White King Bird and flew out of the formation like an arrow. A few of its black feathers fell as it escaped.

"Chirp! Chirp!"

Dead spiritual birds were a rare sight even though Fang Yuan had come here many times to steal spiritual objects.

Looking at the damage caused, the Red-eyed White King Bird gave a long chirp and lead the formation of Red-eyed White Birds to chase after the giant eagle.

"Eh?"

Fang Yuan gave a cold look and realised something was different.

"The black giant eagle slowed down its speed on purpose. It wanted to give an illusion that the Red-eyed White Birds could catch up….What a cunning beast…."

Seeing the Red-eyed White King Bird leading the rest of the Red-eyed White Birds out of the nest, Fang Yuan's eyes suddenly glittered. "A chance for me!"

"Chirp! Chirp!"

The birds flew further and further away. Soon, they disappeared.

Fang Yuan followed the pathway and kept climbing up. "There should be something of great value in the Red-eyed White King Bird's nest! Even if there isn't, I shall let those Red-eyed White Birds have a taste of a big loss!"

He could only kill a few of them previously due to the presence of the Red-eyed White King Bird and a few of others. However, what about now?

"Chirp! Chirp!"

He appeared and the Red-eyed White Birds suddenly realised there was an intruder. The birds let out mournful chirps.

"Get out!"

The Red-eyed White Birds that were guarding the nest were weaker. Fang Yuan executed his Eagle Claw Iron Skin Technique and almost got every bird killed. Even though his shirt had been ripped quite badly, the Red-eyed White Birds were incurring much more damage.

"It is considered normal for eggs to be present in a normal bird's nest…."

At that moment, Fang Yuan was not attracted by the eggs and went straight up to the peak. He then leapt onto a plateau.

"Puff!"

Both of his feet landed firmly on the plateau with his right hand shielding his body. He then checked his surroundings for any potential threats or movement.

The plateau was connected to the cliff and there was a giant hole inside. The hole was where the Red-eyed White Bird's nest lay.

Seeing that an intruder had reached their nest, the Red-eyed White Birds got even crazier and went to fight against the intruder with no regard for their lives.

"Get out of my way!"

Fang Yuan shouted angrily. He fought against the birds and retreated a few steps back, and then got in deeper into the hole.

"Chirp! Chirp!"

Suddenly, among all the Red-eyed White Birds, a small spiritual bird with glittering feathers charged past all the other birds and straight at Fang Yuan.

Fang Yuan couldn't dodge in time. Instead, he released more inner strength. His shoulders started to vibrate like there was a sudden surge of energy.

At that moment, blood splashed everywhere!

Even though he had used his inner strength to defend himself, his shoulder was injured with a deep cut by a claw.

"There is indeed a spiritual beast guarding this nest and it managed to injure me! Good! Very good!"

He squinted his eyes and at the next moment, he leapt forward like a leopard and went straight at that spiritual beast while ignoring the rest of the birds.

"You shall have a taste of my Black Sand Eagle Claw Palm!"

His palm became black in colour like ink. His fingers and nails gave a metallic colour and a strange odour.

With the help of the system's function and his own research, Fang Yuan managed to combine the Black Sand Palm and the Eagle Claw Technique to form a new technique called the Black Sand Eagle Claw Palm.

Now, Fang Yuan could finally unleash the true power of the [Black Sand Palm (Grade 5)] by accumulating poison on the Eagle Claw, turning them into a truly lethal form!

"Chirp!"

This mutated Red-eyed White Spiritual Bird had a very fast speed. Once Fang Yuan missed his shot, it would escape to a far place.

If the spiritual bird was slower by a bit and its wings were scratched by Fang Yuan's Eagle Claw, its feathers would drop.

"Hehe!"

After one move, Fang Yuan stopped chasing and started laughing.

"Chirp! Chirp!"

That spiritual bird did not fly far and suddenly, it gave a mournful chirp. It then fell from mid-air and was dead. A breeze blew its feathers up.

That was the effect of the mutated Pearl Tail Snake's Poison. Its effect was so strong that an expert in inner force who had been poisoned by this poison would still be in trouble.

"Chirp! Chirp!"

Seeing that the spiritual bird was dead, the rest of the Red-eyed White Birds retreated and didn't dare to go forward. The birds had no choice but to let Fang Yuan enter the nest.

"Oh!"

The hole was not too deep and there was light shining through a gap in between the rocks. Fang Yuan walked a few steps and became alert. He then started smelling and said, "This is strange!"

By right, there should be a fishy smell in the spiritual beast's nest.

However, he could only smell fresh air and even the air smelled clean. The spiritual energy here was surprisingly copious.

At the end of the hole, there was a giant green rock and it had slight depressions in the middle. There were a few tree branches and feathers, which formed the shape of the giant bird nest.

"So this is where the Red-eyed White King Bird's nest lies?"

Fang Yuan moved a few steps forward and was disappointed that there were no spiritual beast's eggs.

Ever since he had adopted the Flower Fox Ferret as a pet, he became interested in adopting other spiritual beasts. It was very rare to find a spiritual beast like the Flower Fox Ferret who was willing to communicate with humans.

Fang Yuan was hoping that he could adopt one of the Red-eyed White Bird as the birds were considered spiritual beasts and could fly.

"Birds would become close to the first thing it sees as it emerges from its egg. If I managed to get the spiritual beast's egg and take care of it from young, the young spiritual beast can be tamed….."

Fang Yuan was filled with regrets as this Red-eyed White King Bird had not laid any eggs.

He went forward a few steps and looked carefully at the bird's nest. He eyes were attracted by something green in colour.

Beside the nest, there was spring water gurgling and flowing down, which formed a small lake.

Near the edge of the lake, there were a few strange bamboos being grown.

The bamboos were jade-green and as though the bamboos were carved with top quality crystal jade. The bamboos gave out spiritual energy and the polluted air was absorbed.

"Looks like these bamboos cause the air in this cave to be so fresh….."

Fang Yuan went forward to check out the spiritual bamboo.

"Eh?"

This time, he saw something different. He found some bamboo flower buds that were about to bloom.

"This bamboo is flowering?"

Fang Yuan then recalled an old record which stated: 'It is the circle of life. The bamboo sprouts a shoot once every 60 years. The shoot will then flower, and the flower will bear fruit and wilt. The fruit will sprout again, completing the circle.'

"The blooming flower of the Jade Bamboo is bound to produce bamboo rice which is also called the bamboo fruit."

"The legends of old spoke that a Phoenix would refuse to perch on anything other than a phoenix tree, to eat anything other than Lian Shi and to drink anything other than the best spring water. This Lian Shi they spoke of referred to the bamboo fruit!"

"Previously, the spiritual land had very few spiritual objects. I was guessing someone must have taken the rest of the spiritual objects and looks like I was correct. This Red-eyed White King Bird took everything!"

The hole was filled with spiritual light, which clearly showed that there were many spiritual objects present here.

However, there were some spiritual objects which could not be moved easily as they would be destroyed if they were rashly relocated. Hence, Fang Yuan did not dare to collect any of the spiritual objects since he did not make any proper preparations.

The spiritual bamboos, on the other hand, were grown singly and grew very quickly. Hence, the spiritual bamboos did not have this problem and could be moved easily.

Fang Yuan came to the spiritual bamboo and started digging using his Eagle Claw Technique. He was digging faster as compared to using a shovel. Not long after, he managed to dig the whole spiritual bamboo out along with its roots. The rhizome of the bamboo was in a good condition.

"With this spiritual bamboo, my trip is made worthwhile!"

Fang Yuan carried the spiritual bamboo happily and went to look for other spiritual objects.

"Keke!"

Suddenly, the Flower Fox Ferret, which was keeping a lookout, ran in anxiously.

"Is that….the black giant eagle?"

Fang Yuan came to the entrance of the hole and saw the black giant eagle. Previously, it was circling around the other Red-eyed White Birds, but now, it was charging towards him.

"It drew the Red-eyed White King Bird out of its nest to distract the bird so that it could come back to the bird's nest?"

He looked happy and said, "Looks like you were also coming for the treasures in the Red-eyed White King Bird's nest but unfortunately for you, I was here earlier to get them….."

At that moment, there were many white birds chasing after the giant eagle. The Red-eyed White King Bird was leading the other birds but it was still slower than the giant eagle and both of them became more distant.

Fang Yuan understood what was going on. The giant eagle was making a distraction for the Red-eyed White King Bird by picking up a fight with it and it used its faster speed as an advantage to draw them further away from the nest. Finally, the giant eagle then flew back to its target which were the treasures Fang Yuan looted from the nest.

However, this giant eagle was working alone and therefore incurred a big loss as Fang Yuan managed to reach the nest first.

"My apologies….All these stuff are mine now and I cannot give it to you!"

With the giant eagle charging right at him, Fang Yuan laughed out loud and his right hand was shaped like a black claw. He then grabbed fiercely and shouted, "Eagle Claw Technique!"

"Bang!"

The giant eagle flew right out.

The Red-eyed White King Bird was not too far away and when it saw what was happening, it was enraged and gave a long and piercing scream. The tip of its feathers was tinged with blood. The beast then flew over and accelerated at an alarming speed.

"Enraged? Then I ain't interested in playing with you guys no more!"

Fang Yuan laughed. He carried the spiritual bamboo and escaped quickly from the peak.

Back at the entrance of the hole, the giant eagle was surrounded by the angry Red-eyed White King Bird and it gave a mournful scream…..

Chapter 49: Spiritual Bamboo

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

"Chirp"

In the spiritual lands of the Green Peak.

Fang Yuan held a bamboo stalk that was jade-green and ran like the wind. Behind him was an army of spiritual birds and the Red-eyed White King Bird.

The Red-eyed White King Bird, King of Birds, directed most of its hatred towards the Iron-tailed Black Eagle, but Fang Yuan, the 'thief', did not escape its wrath either. White birds screamed in the air and prepared to attack.

"Damn it, my clothes…"

In order to protect the spiritual plants, Fang Yuan had to channel the power of the Iron Skin Technique, which protected him from the aggressive clawing and pecking of the birds. His clothes were torn such that he was almost naked.

Of course, his clothes were not his main concern, for the Iron Skin Technique was not able to keep the birds from tearing gashes into his skin every time they lunged.

"Are you not going to act now, Flower Fox Ferret?"

As he charged down from the Peak, Fang Yuan manoeuvred his body and ran towards the fog.

"Keke!"

A bright light flashed.

A white figure flew past at the speed of lightning and had one of the spiritual birds by the neck. Following a loud snap, the bird's head tilted at an awkward angle. It was dead.

"Haha...well done!"

Grabbing this chance, Fang Yuan sped into the mist and sighed in relief.

"Keke...keke…"

The Flower Fox Ferret dropped the spiritual bird and frolicked beside the spiritual bamboo. It wagged its tail at Fang Yuan like a pug, as if it wanted his approval.

"Hehe...seems like you know the value of the spiritual bamboo too. In order to protect it, I have suffered many wounds...ouch…"

Fang Yuan inhaled a breath of cold air and used remnants of his clothing to bandage his wounds.

"It's fortunate that Master left me some anti-scarring ointment. Or else I'd be disfigured…"

He gritted his teeth as he tended to his injuries, all the while glaring at the carcass of the spiritual bird.

"Great...we'll have this bird for dinner…"

As Fang Yuan concealed himself in the thick fog and heard the shrieks of the giant birds from a distance, he counted his blessings.

"To think that the King of Red-eyed White Birds could be this ferocious. If the Black Eagle hadn't challenged it first, I probably wouldn't have escaped…"

"Black Eagle, rest in peace! I'll be leaving now!"

Grabbing the spiritual bamboo and the carcass of the spiritual bird, Fang Yuan disappeared quickly into the fog together with the Flower Fox Ferret.

…...

The secluded valley.

Ever since Fang Yuan had demonstrated his power, no one had dared to trespass the mountains. Zhou Wenwu was also helping to keep an eye on the land. Everything was peaceful.

Fang Yuan entered the valley and ran straight to the gardens. He checked that the defence mechanisms and traps were in place before setting his heart at ease.

Although the gardens were located in a more secluded part of the valley, the variety of plants to be found there, including the spiritual rice and tea, were very valuable. Fang Yuan did not want to take any chances.

"In the future, when I move all these plants to the Green Peak, the valley will become just a living space. That would be the best arrangement. For now, I just have to be more careful, set traps and tell the Flower Fox Ferret to be on guard…"

Fang Yuan then left for the tea garden and patrolled the vicinity. He was reassured when he saw that the Questioning Heart tea tree was untouched, and he began to think.

He used to lead a simple life. Now that he had revealed his background, it would definitely attract unwanted attention and consequently trouble. Nevertheless, he had made significant gains in martial arts and had a formidable amount of inner energy. It would be enough for him to defend himself.

As long as the miraculous properties of the Questioning Heart Tea remained unknown, there would be no problems.

"But if these problems can be avoided, they should be avoided…"

Fang Yuan had a solemn look on his face and his thoughts moved quickly. "The best form of defence is still the Flower Fox Ferret. Or perhaps a few fatal traps in the vicinity of the gardens will do the trick, with poison in the mix, a poison as potent as the Pearl Tail Snake's...of course, in the legends, the spiritual knights could set up powerful formations and borrow the strengths of heaven and earth. I don't think it's possible for me to do all that...let's leave it for now…"

Fang Yuan had to make some decisions in preparation for his relocation to the Green Peak. Defence mechanisms were necessary.

"The best formations are still the ones described in the legends. Most of the conditions aren't fulfilled though. I'll have to look at the next best alternatives…"

With the Questioning Heart tea leaves, complemented by the Meditative Tea Ceremony, Fang Yuan's magical energy had increased by leaps and bounds. He had met the requirements of becoming a spiritual knight, an alchemy master and the like.

Too bad these beings were mythological. Even if Fang Yuan had wanted to join their ranks, he could not.

"Eh?"

Fang Yuan was pleasantly surprised when he arrived at the Vermillion Jade Rice field.

In the field, shoots that bore a resemblance to red jade were growing strong with alarming momentum.

At the side, a row of emerald shoots had also emerged and were thriving.

"Emerald Grass! It really doesn't take a lot for this plant to prosper."

Fang Yuan squatted down and peered at the leaves of the Emerald Grass.

"Flower Fox Ferret, will you eat this?"

"Keke?!'

The Flower Fox Ferret looked conflicted and grabbed the spiritual bamboo at the side tightly with its claws.

It seemed like the Flower Fox Ferret preferred the bamboo to grass.

"Haha...you little clever thing!"

Fang Yuan gave a little smile.

"When the spiritual bamboos are grown, you'll have your share."

The bamboo was different from the other plants, for its growth was characterised by the branching out of its roots. If well taken care of, the bamboo plant would develop into a forest in a few years. It was one of the most valuable of the spiritual plants.

Otherwise, Fang Yuan would not be this excited to see the bamboo. He picked it without hesitation over the other treasures of the King of Red-eyed White Birds.

"Mm, here!"

Fang Yuan went around the garden and found a spot next to a hill of bluestone. He planted the spiritual bamboo there and then, and created a small irrigation ditch.

"Shhshhh"

The leaves of the spiritual bamboo were toyed with by the wind. Little white flowers on its stem were on the verge of blooming.

"Seems like the bamboo is likely to survive…"

Fang Yuan washed his hands, satisfied. He also looked towards his stats window.

"[Botany (Level 3)] - You are an expert among botanists and possess unimaginable powers. The plants that you grow have a small chance of evolving special traits!"

Fang Yuan had already seen this small chance for himself.

In the past, in all the gardens, only one tea tree had gone through a mutation. It was pathetic.

But it was that one tea tree that produced the Questioning Heart Tea, and together with the Meditative Tea Ceremony, produced an incredible effect on one's magical energy. To Fang Yuan, it seemed like everything in life was predestined.

Now, Fang Yuan had other plans.

This spiritual bamboo, spiritual rice and spiritual grace, could all be grown in bulk. Cultivated in large amounts, Fang Yuan could trigger more mutating yields as long as his luck was not too bad.

Mutations on the spiritual plants, what would the yields be like?

Fang Yuan looked forward to seeing the results.

"It's just that...levelling up my skills are way harder than levelling up my techniques! My Black Sand Palm and Eagle Claw techniques can improve so much with only a day's worth of practice. I always hit a bottleneck when it comes to my skills. It seems like I have to fulfil a specific condition before I can move on to the next level…"

Fang Yuan looked at his [Botany] and [Medicine] stats with some regret.

These two skills currently had 99.9% worth of proficiency points. All that was left to level up was that tiny bit, and it was taking a long time.

This situation reminded Fang Yuan of the previous bottleneck.

Without the help of spiritual plants, his [Botany] would not have reached level 3.

"Unless...if I want to level up in [Medicine], I have to keep on healing patients, or devise cures to difficult diseases. And [Botany], does it require the cultivation of a higher grade spiritual plant?"

These skills did not immediately translate into fighting power, but it would provide invaluable assistance in many other areas. Fang Yuan thought very highly of them.

"Alright, tea time!"

After Fang Yuan was done, he clapped his hands and brought the Flower Fox Ferret to his abode.

One cup of Meditative tea, to cleanse the soul. To forget material possessions and the self.

Fang Yuan felt a clear aura diffuse into his body. His magical energy had begun to increase slowly, and he entered a state of semi-consciousness.

…...

"Keke!"

After he had settled into reality again, Fang Yuan got to his feet, rejuvenated. He suddenly realised that the Flower Fox Ferret had ran to him anxiously.

"Hmm, something is wrong…"

From what Fang Yuan knew of the Flower Fox Ferret, it always stayed inebriated longer than Fang Yuan after a tea session. This was the first time it had gotten up earlier.

"Keke!"

Seeing that Fang Yuan was not really paying attention, the ferret became even more agitated and tugged on his pants, motioning for him to tag along.

"This...have you discovered something?"

Sensing that something was amiss, Fang Yuan followed the ferret out of the valley.

Having crossed a few rolling hills, Fang Yuan suddenly gave an exclamation. He knew what the Flower Fox Ferret had found.

Within his sight, was shrubbery that had been squashed by a gigantic and magnificent looking Black Eagle. There were huge gashes on its wings. The eagle had an electrifying look in its eyes and gave a defiant scream when it noticed Fang Yuan.

"The Black Eagle actually escaped…"

Fang Yuan was amazed and stepped forward tentatively.

"Chhhchhh"

The Black Eagle spread its wings and flapped mightily, only managing to raise a huge gust of wind before falling to the ground.

"This…what should we do? Kill it? Or ignore it?"

Fang Yuan gazed at the Black Eagle hesitantly.

But the Flower Fox Ferret jumped out hurriedly and clawed at the air.

"You want me to save it?"

Fang Yuan was not averse to saving the eagle. After all, he had ruined the plans of the eagle and had even dealt it a head injury. It would be appropriate if he made it up to the eagle.

"I could save it, but look at the state it is in...how do I do it?"

Fang Yuan stepped forward some more, and the eagle responded aggressively.

"Keke!"

Flower Fox Ferret cocked its head and ran to the side of the Black Eagle. It then began to twitter patiently, as if it was doing some explaining to the Eagle.

Following the ferret's actions, the Black Eagle lowered its head. It was calming down.

Fang Yuan watched this happen with some amusement. He was impressed.

"Holy cr*p...you're a ferret. When did you learn to speak to birds?"

Chapter 50: Healing

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

"Hey... Black Eagle, you should know that I'm here to save you. Regardless of what happened previously, we're even here alright..."

Although he knew that the black eagle could not understand human language, Fang Yuan was still relieved knowing that the Flower Fox Ferret could translate for him.

After saying a few words to the black eagle, he turned around and returned to the secluded valley. He came out with many bottles of medicine.

"Chirp….."

Seeing Fang Yuan approach it, the black eagle became increasingly anxious but was comforted by the Flower Fox Ferret.

'The eagle and ferret have so much chemistry...'

Witnessing this scene, Fang Yuan took a few steps forward and began to examine its injury.

"Hiss..."

Fang Yuan was shocked. "No wonder it's a spiritual beast. It's able to undergo self-healing, and the wounds have already begun to heal itself..."

This was good news for Fang Yuan, as it meant that he did not have to use too much of this precious ointment.

"Phew!"

Fang Yuan took out bandages and medicine, tried to make himself look harmless and approached the black eagle. He was extremely focused and concentrated his inner force on his Iron Skin Technique to protect himself.

Even with the assurance of the Flower Fox Ferret, it was still hard to tame the black eagle. Wouldn't it be risky if it suddenly took a bite at Fang Yuan while he was treating it?

"Chirp! Chirp!"

Although the black eagle looked anxious, it tried to restrain itself and did not move.

"This injury..."

Fang Yuan noticed that its wound had already stopped bleeding, but broken bones and feathers were visible. They were in a gruesome mess with broken twigs and other plant matter. This would greatly hinder its path to recovery and the eagle would no longer be able to fly.

"The most important is to clear the foreign objects from the wound and correct the bone. It's going to be extremely difficult for the eagle to do it on its own, but if I were to help it..."

Fang Yuan stroked the wings of the black eagle.

The black feathers felt metallic to the touch, and it was a weird feeling.

"I'm going to start now, try to tolerate the pain!"

Fang Yuan focused, grabbed a tree branch and plucked it.

"Whoosh!"

A bloody arrow flew towards Fang Yuan, and the black eagle uncontrollably attacked, as it prepared to peck at Fang Yuan.

"Keke!"

The Flower Fox Ferret continuously tried to calm it down, and it took a while before the black eagle begun to regain its composure.

"It seems... It's unappreciative of my efforts!"

Fang Yuan let out a long breath and extended 2 fingers out. Using his Eagle Claw Technique, he channelled his energy to his fingers, momentarily turning them akin to metal pliers. Then, He removed a piece of shattered bone using his fingers and threw it aside.

He felt enlightened after studying the wound inflicted by the Red-eyed White Birds on this strong black eagle, and he felt as though he gained a deeper understanding of the strength of the Red-eyed White King Bird.

'It seems... To defeat the king bird is no easy feat.'

As he thought to himself, his hands were quick and in no time, he cleared the wound and applied medication to it.

"Up next is to straighten the bones..."

Fang Yuan shook his head. "Even though you are a mutated species and your rate of healing is incredibly fast, you still need to give your feathers time to regrow, and so you won't be able to fly for the time being..."

In fact, this was the greatest worry for the black eagle.

Even though it was a mutated spiritual bird, it still needed to eat to survive, and especially in large amounts to quicken the recovery process.

"Don't you worry, since I saved you now, I will take care of you all the way till you have recovered!"

Fang Yuan comforted the black eagle as his hands felt its bones. He mustered all his strength and corrected the position of the bones!

"Kacha!"

A distinct sound was heard.

The black eagle winced, flung the Flower Fox Ferret away and tried to peck Fang Yuan.

"I knew it!"

Fang Yuan laughed and was already prepared for the black eagle's reaction. He took a step back, and suddenly punched towards its head.

"Peng!"

He landed a heavy fist on the forehead of the black eagle. Its eyes rolled, and it fainted on the spot.

"That's right... Finally, you're behaving!"

Fang Yuan wiped his hands. "I should have made you faint from the beginning!"

"Keke..."

The Flower Fox Ferret was watching at the side, full of pity for the black eagle.

"It's done!"

After dealing with the black eagle, Fang Yuan told the Flower Fox Ferret, "Up next, we shall set up a campsite here, and deliver food here once in a few days, and there should be no problem..."

However, his expression suddenly changed.

He noticed that the 'Skill' portion of his stats window had changed.

The digit '2' behind [Medicine (Level 2)] became blurred, jumped and transformed to '3'!

'[Medicine (Level 3)]? I have finally broken through!'

Fang Yuan was pleasantly surprised. 'Healing this spiritual beast was a blessing in disguise...'

He looked at the description for [Medicine (Level 3)]:

"[Medicine (Level 3)] - You are a professional within experts, a doctor who can make miracles. Will have a multiplied effect when dealing with complicated medical conditions! (Effect does not only apply to humans)"

"Does not only apply to humans..."

Fang Yuan looked at the black eagle, confused. "Could it be that I mastered veterinary without a master?"

At this moment, there were more changes to his stats window:

"Name: Fang Yuan

Essence: 3.5

Spirit: 3.4

Magic: 2.3

Age: 18

Cultivation: [Martial Artist (6th Gate)]

Technique: [Black Sand Palm (Grade 5)], [Eagle Claw Iron Skin Technique (Grade 6)]

Skill: [Medicine (Level 3)], [Botany (Level 3)]"

"Very well, it seems that skills would be harder to improve as compared to techniques, as there would be a special condition to be met before attaining a new level..."

Fang Yuan stroked his chin, deep in his own thoughts.

"The greater my skills, the higher the multiplier effect in the system... It seems that my title as the doctor who can make miracles happen would spread far and wide?"

The proficiency points for [Medicine (Level 3)] became zero and naturally required numerous hands-on practice before being able to fill it up.

Furthermore, to break through the bottleneck, he might have to heal certain rare and complicated medical conditions. All these would require him to set up a medicinal hall and do charity work.

"The idea of running this seems probable..."

Fang Yuan looked in the direction of Qingye City and zoned out...

...

Time passed and many days flew by in a blink of an eye.

The chaos in the Guo Family begun to settle down.

However, there were still rumours of a doctor who could work miracles living in the secluded valley. He was known to have a weird temper and one should never offend him.

Those who were curious and wanted to see the secluded valley for themselves were stopped by the Zhou Family outside the valley, which made the secluded valley even more mysterious.

It was dawn.

Fang Yuan walked out of his pavilion, sowed seeds, plucked weeds, fertilized his plants... After a round of chores, he proceeded to carry on with his intense martial arts training.

"The Eagle Claw Iron Skin Technique proficiency points have reached a maximum, and it's time to break through!"

After a session of training, Fang Yuan closed his eyes, concentrated his inner force, and spit out a bright white essence, like a sharp arrow ready to penetrate anything in its way.

"Hu... Out of the three Gates, Pain, Shock and Death, I can feel the Shock Gate now. Indeed, it's a test of one's magic points..."

His improvement in [Medicine] aided his progress in martial arts.

Fang Yuan understood that based on his magic points, he could undoubtedly break through the 7th Gate.

As for other martial artists, if they made any mistake while breaking the Gate, they would end up crazy and there would hardly be a cure for them.

"Keke!"

A white flash flashed by as the Flower Fox Ferret appeared in front of Fang Yuan, trying to explain something.

"Something has happened to the black eagle?"

Fang Yuan thought to himself. "By now, it should have recovered and be able to fly, right?

The Flower Fox Ferret appeared surprised as though Fang Yuan guessed correctly.

It was reasonable for the Flower Fox Ferret to feel unjust. After all, all the food that was provided to the black eagle while it was recuperating was caught and delivered personally by the Flower Fox Ferret.

Now that it had recovered, it was sad to see it go without saying goodbye.

"Being a proud animal, since it allowed us to help it while it was injured, it would definitely remember our help and will reciprocate in the future..."

Fang Yuan stroked the Flower Fox Ferret. "You've come at the right time, let's drink tea!"

"Keke!"

The Flower Fox Ferret became excited after hearing about the Questioning Heart Tea.

By living in the deep mountains and leading a carefree life, as well as understanding the different spiritual plants and spiritual objects, Fang Yuan felt at peace as his thoughts and his martial arts began to settle down.

In technical terms, it meant that his foundation was solid, and the previous rushed efforts did not leave any hidden dangers behind.

With this benefit, it would still be worth it even if his progress bar did not fill up.

After drinking tea, Fang Yuan left the flower Fox Ferret to look after the valley, while he carried a small medical box and walked out of the secluded valley.

In front of the valley, there was a flat land, and on the flat land were three straw pavilions. Next to the huts was a small pavilion.

Many people walked past but no one dared to take a break here.

In front, a plump minister was anxious. Even though the weather was rather cooling, he was sweating profusely like ants on a hot wok.

"Keke... Old Lin is an acquaintance of the doctor who lives in the secluded valley. Why not just enter the valley, I'm sure the doctor would not scold you..."

A few people were resting in the pavilion. The first was Zhou Wenwu. He had good relations with the Lin Family at first, but after the Song Zhong incident, the two families drifted apart, and now their conversation became sarcastic.

"Haha... How would I dare?"

Minister Lin laughed but was troubled. 'Young Master Fang improved tremendously, and there were rumours that not only his [Medicine] was good, his martial arts was even better. Even Song Zhong was no match for him, so why would he give me any face? Those who offend him would be in deep trouble, and if he refused to heal the person, I might even lose my life too, so this cannot be taken lightly!'

"Doctor Fang is here?"

Fang Yuan's silhouette began to appear, and this shocked everyone.

"Mmm, everyone, listen up. Is everyone clear on the rules? Three patients a day, and all will have to come up with payment to satisfy Doctor Fang first... If this cannot be done, please take your leave..."

After his speech, he did not care less about others and entered the hut.

Regardless how influential or powerful these masters or martial artists were, all of them appeared humble before the doctor who would save their lives, like obedient rabbits in a queue, and this included Minister Lin.