"What a small world for enemies. The Qin Family wants to pave their road with the bones of my family, but they'll have to ask this old ancestor for permission first!" Qin Feng flicked his sleeve, a cold sneer in his eyes. 'He was determined to seize this opportunity!'
Every seizure of an opportunity was a plunder of Qi Fortune. A successful plunder would undoubtedly make one's Qi Fortune flourish, just as Qin Fang had plundered it from the original Qin Feng.
Just as Qin Feng made up his mind, a divinely handsome young man was speaking with a dignified elder in the Qin Family's estate in Shanghe Town. He was suddenly struck by an extremely ominous feeling, as if something important was about to be stolen from him, and a sense of unease washed over him.
"Qin Fang, what's wrong?" the dignified elder asked, frowning with some displeasure as he looked at the distracted Qin Fang.
"Grandfather, I feel uneasy. It's as if something terrible is about to happen!" Qin Fang clutched his chest, his face contorted in pain.
This elder was none other than the current Patriarch of the Qin Family, Qin Qingshan.
Qin Qingshan's expression turned solemn. "Qin Fang, have you been cultivating too diligently lately? I know you're anxious after hearing about Yu Yao's breakthrough, but you must understand that haste makes waste. You are the prodigy of our Qin Family, a once-in-a-century genius, our future Revival Lord. You absolutely cannot destroy your own future over a moment of frustration."
With that, he smiled benevolently. "The future of the Qin Family rests on your shoulders. Once I arrange for that person's sudden death, you can marry Yu Yao without any worries. As soon as the two of you are joined in a marriage alliance, our Qin Family's hundred-year grand plan will be complete!"
Qin Fang forced a nod, but a trace of unease lingered in his eyes. He felt like something was wrong, like an unknown variable was about to emerge, but he couldn't put his finger on it. The feeling made him extremely agitated.
'I'll set that aside for now. First, I need to find the Profound Sun Ginseng and break this Demon Spell of the Three Yin Extreme Body that prevents me from cultivating. That hateful old bastard Qin Qingshan is too vicious, to think he would forcefully create such a crippling condition. Not even a Divine Medicine like the Mystic Turtle Divine Pill can break it. Fortunately, heaven always leaves a path open!'
Qin Feng snorted coldly, filled with frustration. It was a good thing his knowledge was vast and profound; otherwise, being reborn into such a useless body and missing out on the Golden Era, forced to powerlessly watch as the world changed, would have been a lifelong regret.
Qin Feng's dilapidated courtyard was on Qi Yang Mountain. This area was the private mountain property of the Xiahe Town branch of the Qin Family. A luxurious manor was situated here, where the family's younger generation would go to escape the summer heat each year.
The Clan Leader had originally bestowed this manor upon Qin Feng's family, but unfortunately, Qin Feng's luck ran out. After he turned twelve, he was driven out. The master of this place was now the Sixth Young Master, Qin Muyun.
Among the direct lineages of the Qin Family, Qin Muyun was ranked sixth. His talent was slightly above average, and he currently had a cultivation at the Martial Arts Second Layer Heaven.
As Qin Feng left Qi Yang Mountain, he was unfortunately spotted by a cook in Qin Muyun's service who was delivering food. Surprised, and hoping to curry favor with his master, the cook immediately reported the sighting to Qin Muyun.
"You're saying the Ninth Young Master went down the mountain alone? Wasn't he severely injured by the Fifth? He should be bedridden."
In the mountain villa, a young man was lounging lazily in a tiger-skin chair while several pretty servant girls fanned him with cattail-leaf fans. Before him, plates of dried fruits and cured meats were neatly arranged, painting a picture of absolute leisure. This was a fifteen or sixteen-year-old youth dressed in green, his face full of arrogance. His lips were thin, the mark of a callous man. He was none other than the Qin Family's Sixth Young Master, Qin Muyun.
This generation of the Qin Family was prolific, with over a dozen young masters. The Sixth Young Master, Qin Muyun, and the Fifth Young Master, Qin Muhai, both came from the third branch. Among all the young masters, their rankings were quite high, but compared to the Seventh Young Master, Qin Fang—hailed as the family's Revival Lord—all the others paled in comparison.
"Lao Jiu is being so secretive. Could he be hiding something?" Qin Muyun mused, a flicker of interest in his gloomy, triangular eyes. 'Rumor has it that Qin Zhan was just a Martial Artist with Ordinary Talent back in the day. But then, he advanced repeatedly in just a few short years, almost reaching the Condensing Vein Realm. The Clan Leader always suspected Qin Zhan was hiding some earth-shattering secret, which is why he went to great lengths to capture and relentlessly torture him. But that Qin Zhan was a tough one; he never broke, no matter the torment. Perhaps that secret is hidden in his son!'
'No, I have to follow him and see what tricks he's up to! What if he really does have a secret?' A fiery greed flashed in the depths of Qin Muyun's eyes.
...
Qin Feng descended Qi Yang Mountain and followed a ridge on the other side, heading toward the outer edges of the Barbaric Mountain Range. He carefully avoided any signs of human activity along the way. After all, his current situation was highly sensitive. If anyone discovered he had escaped the Qin Family's surveillance, it would likely spell trouble for him.
The landscape was one of green mountains and clear waters, with the Barbaric Mountain Range rising majestic and towering. Qin Feng had no intention of going deep into the range. Although the Spiritual Qi was dense within, and all sorts of Ancient and Spirit Medicines grew there, it was also a haven for Fierce Beasts. The deeper one went, the greater the chance of encountering them.
The Qi Yang Mountain Range was a small offshoot of the Barbaric Mountain Range. The deeper one ventured, the higher the elevation.
Although the Profound Sun Ginseng was only an ordinary Spirit Medicine, it had specific requirements for its growing environment. First, it needed high altitude. Second, it needed ample sunlight, but not direct exposure. Generally, it was a Spirit Medicine that grew on sun-facing mountainsides, most often on cliffs and precipices. Some could also be found in forests.
They usually bloomed with small, bright red flowers!
Naturally, the older the plant, the greater its medicinal potency. A hundred-year-old specimen was already considered a very precious Spirit Medicine. A thousand-year-old one would be simply extraordinary.
In the End of Dharma Era, Qin Feng had lived for over a thousand years, yet in all that time, he had only ever seen a thousand-year-old Profound Sun Ginseng once. For that single stalk, he had killed more than a dozen reclusive old masters from various sects and exterminated four or five powerful sects with thousand-year legacies just to get his hands on it.
What Qin Feng needed was a Profound Sun Ginseng with at least one hundred years of medicinal potency. Only that could guarantee the protection of his heart's meridians and ensure nothing went wrong.
Walking through the gloomy mountain forest, he saw the sky above was thick with dark clouds, as if a great storm was about to break. Qin Feng's eyes scanned the dim woods, searching for his target. Soon, he found a Profound Sun Ginseng under an ancient tree entwined with thorny vines. He carefully dug away the soil, but to his disappointment, this stalk was only five or six years old and did not meet his requirements.
'The footprints here are a mess, both human and beast. It seems Medicine Gatherers come here often. All the aged herbs have been picked clean. I'll have to cross a few more mountains! But these bugs are so annoying, they just won't leave me alone!'
Qin Feng casually crushed a few blood-sucking mosquitoes that had landed on him. SQUISH. The engorged insects burst, leaving a spray of blood on his palm. He stood up, turned around, and glanced meaningfully at a certain spot behind him with a knowing smile before continuing on his way.
Not long after he left, a gloomy-looking young man stepped out from behind an ancient tree. His face was a mask of shock and uncertainty as he muttered to himself, "Did he discover I was following him?"
'Impossible. Lao Jiu's cultivation is crippled; he's not even at the Martial Dao First Layer. How could he possibly detect me, a master of the Martial Arts Second Layer Heaven? And so what if he did discover me!' Contemptuously dismissing the thought, he quietly continued to tail Qin Feng.
But he soon discovered that Qin Feng had started walking in circles through the forest, digging around here and there. And whether intentionally or not, he kept heading into areas thick with thorns and mosquitoes. Before long, Qin Muyun was covered in bites from the mountain insects.
The mountain mosquitoes were the most venomous. Even someone like Qin Muyun, who had cultivated to the Martial Arts Second Layer Heaven, couldn't avoid their assault. Only by cultivating to the Martial Arts Fourth Layer and condensing one's Inner Breath could one kill these poisonous insects.
Just as Qin Muyun was growing impatient, his face darkened. Qin Feng had somehow vanished without a trace.
He had been given the slip by Qin Feng! In the forest, Qin Muyun's face turned livid. The fury in his eyes was so tangible it seemed ready to erupt.
"Qin Feng, you bastard! How dare you play me! I won't let you get away with this!"
'Trying to play a game of cat and mouse with this old ancestor? You're far too inexperienced. If I wasn't so sure I could take your life, why would I have bothered with such a childish trick!'
Having easily shaken off Qin Muyun, a triumphant glint appeared in the old demon's eyes. Cunning and experienced, he had long since noticed someone tailing him. He had simply pretended not to know, playing along to make his pursuer suffer before using the terrain to lose him completely.
With no one following him, Qin Feng crossed several large mountains and finally found his target on a sheer cliff: a Profound Sun Ginseng that looked almost identical to ordinary mountain ginseng, weighing just a little more. In hand, there was no significant difference. However, to someone as deeply versed in the way of medicinal herbs as Qin Feng, a single glance was enough to identify it as a hundred-year-old Profound Sun Ginseng. A Spiritual Serpent stood guard beside it, but this was no obstacle for Qin Feng.
Although he couldn't defeat the crimson Spiritual Serpent, whose body was as thick as a man's arm, he had smeared himself with an herb that snakes and insects found utterly repulsive. He easily drove the serpent away and claimed his prize.
Having successfully collected the herb, Qin Feng was in a good mood. He immediately headed down the other side of the mountain, preparing to carry out his plan to obtain a woman's Yuan Yin.
Following the mountain range downward, he came to a massive waterfall. From a distance, the ROARING sound was like a thousand thunderclaps, deafening to the ears. Water cascaded down the mountain like a Jade Dragon from the Nine Heavens, forming a deep pool at the bottom. The clear water then flowed out along a river valley, its current surging powerfully.
Qin Feng followed a small mountain path down the side of the waterfall. He rested for a moment by the edge of the pool and was about to stand and head back up the mountain when his sharp eyes caught sight of a strange white object in the deep water.
As the object drifted closer with the current, he saw that it was a woman in a white dress, unconscious, her elegant hair in disarray. She was floating in the pool, her face indistinct, but her situation was clearly precarious. Qin Feng hesitated for only a moment before diving into the water. Amid a great SPLASH, he swiftly pulled the woman to shore.
'What a beautiful woman...' As he turned her over, her body was soft to the touch. Where his hands touched her slender waist, he felt an astonishing resilience that made his heart stir. He looked up at her face, and a flash of stunned admiration crossed his eyes. In his previous life, he had lived for a thousand years and seen countless beauties. An ordinary peerless beauty wouldn't have even made him blink.
But this unconscious woman before him... even a giant like him, with his unshakable state of mind, couldn't help but feel a sense of wonder. A ripple disturbed the calm of his heart, which had been like thousand-year-old deadwood.