The sun gradually set in the west, easing the daytime stuffiness. The last rays of sunlight fell upon the herb garden, and the fragrant scents of the spirit plants diffused everywhere, each type unique, incredibly diverse.
Qin Yu diligently tied the iron wire of the fence securely. Only after making sure it couldn't come loose did he stand upright and cough for a spell, his pale cheeks gradually flushing red. The afternoon sun shone through the wisps of hair on his youthful face, the other half hidden in shadow. His figure was thin, his features not overly handsome. A few drops of sweat beaded on his face, and he seemed to be feeling very unwell.
There was a reason for this. More than half a year ago, a wild boar charged into the herb garden, causing havoc. The herb garden manager, out of soft-heartedness, helped Qin Yu avoid the fate of being beaten to death. The injuries from that near-fatal beating were not treated in time, and even though the young fellow Tu Dou took care of him, he still contracted a wind-cold, leaving behind lingering effects to this day: incessant coughing fits. Normally, his complexion was always pale, and he was often called a tuberculosis ghost.
At such times, Qin Yu would just smile and move away, his expression clearly showing he didn't care. He was an orphan by birth; if he could endure, he would endure, never actively seeking trouble. Now, after tidying everything up, Qin Yu looked down at the blue stone slab beneath his feet.
Blue stone was the most famous item of the Dongyue Sect, incredibly hard and of excellent quality. It was favored by many cultivation sects, who wished to purchase it to rebuild their own mountain gates. It was considered the pillar product of the Dongyue Sect, having earned the sect a considerable amount of spirit stones. Of course, cultivation items like these spirit stones never reached the hands of outer disciples like Qin Yu. Most of them would go into the pockets of the Sect Master and the elders, with only a small portion distributed to the true disciples.
He had been in the Dongyue Sect for seven years; even if he took out all his savings, he probably couldn't afford a single paving slab of blue stone like this. He quickly suppressed the bitter feeling that had just risen in his heart. He knew his aptitude was ordinary, so he always had to be a bit calculating.
"It's time!"
Qin Yu put away the shovel and carefully wiped it clean. Because the paths in the herb garden were paved with blue stone, pollen and fallen petals, carried by the wind, often got caught between the cracks in the stones, making them very difficult to clean. Therefore, this shovel had a small, rice-grain-sized pointed tip. It was imbued with a bit of the essence of a magic tool, so its sharpness was several times greater than normal.
Tu Dou often joked that this was practically the only valuable thing Qin Yu possessed, and could even be considered a ninth-grade magic tool. However, this item was the property of the Dongyue Sect; he could only use it, not own it.
"This kid's mouth is really foul!" Qin Yu cursed softly, the corner of his mouth curving into a smile.
Suddenly, a burst of laughter drifted from afar. Even though they tried to appear carefree, it couldn't hide the underlying arrogance.
Qin Yu startled, quickly moved to the side, then bowed his head and cupped his hands in greeting.
"Third Senior Brother possesses heaven-defying aptitude! In just twenty-seven days, he broke through seven layers of Qi Refinement and entered Foundation Establishment. This is an unprecedented record since our Dongyue Sect was founded!"
"It's not just in the Dongyue Sect! Looking across the hundred thousand li around the southern region of this nation, there's no one who can compare to our Senior Brother Wei Wei!"
“Senior Brother Wei Yu, this junior sister has a few difficult problems in her cultivation. I wonder if Senior Brother is free tonight?”
“Junior Sister Zhang, what kind of person do you take Senior Brother Wei Yu to be? His daily cultivation schedule is already meticulously arranged. If you wish to consult with Senior Brother, you must make an appointment at least three days in advance.”
Everyone chimed in, the most boisterous laughter coming from that Third Senior Brother. On his left and right were several young women, smiling shyly like orchids. As they walked, they would inadvertently brush against his body, their eyes full of adoration, making the person in the middle feel as if he were floating on clouds.
Qin Yu’s eyes flickered with a hint of unease.
Third Senior Brother Wei Yu, whose origins were unknown, boasted that his ancestors were imperial instructors, their cultivation reaching the Golden Core stage. Ever since he was determined to possess cultivation talent, his clansmen had changed his name, hoping that one day he would restore the family’s prestige and achieve a legacy like that of his ancestors.
In the past, everyone scoffed at such claims. This Third Senior Brother’s name certainly sounded imposing, but his character was unbearably petty. His words were arrogant, his heart narrow-minded, and he was always calculating gains and losses. He fundamentally lacked any of the imperial instructor’s prestige or earth-shattering power.
But starting two months ago, Third Senior Brother put on a divine performance, an astonishing transformation. In twenty-seven days, he broke through seven levels of Qi Refinement and directly ascended to Foundation Establishment. From then on, his breakthroughs became even more vigorous; it was said that just the other day, he had already reached the third level of Foundation Establishment.
Such heaven-defying cultivation speed, let alone in the Dongyue Sect, even among the major immortal sects that dominated their respective regions, he was still number one.
On the day Third Senior Brother successfully reached Foundation Establishment, the Sect Master's face was streaked with tears. He spent the entire night before the ancestral tablets, and the next day, he held a ceremony to formally accept Third Senior Brother as his disciple. By then, it was as if Third Senior Brother had “weathered the storm and welcomed prosperity,” becoming the Sect Master's true disciple, truly magnificent and awe-inspiring.
That day, nearly a thousand outer disciples of the Dongyue Sect looked on with envious admiration.
Now, Third Senior Brother had become the one expected to revitalize the sect in the future. His reputation overshadowed all other true disciples in the sect, his glory boundless.
“All you junior brothers and sisters, you praise me too much. This senior brother has only just embarked on the path of cultivation; I cannot afford to be arrogant. All of you junior brothers and sisters, please stop teasing me.” Wei Yu's face, full of feigned modesty, made the crowd burst into another round of chatter, with exclamations like, “Senior Brother is too humble!”, or “We are only speaking the truth!”, “Senior Brother's heart is like a steadfast rock, how could we possibly influence you?”
The group swept past. Third Senior Brother's gaze paused on Qin Yu for a moment, but then quickly retracted, his expression indifferent. The two sides were no longer on the same level; it was destined that they would not meet again in the future, so what if they had known each other before?
The sounds of laughter and chatter faded into the distance, faintly accompanied by the playful pouts of young women. It seemed Third Senior Brother had just teased a few young junior sisters and received some playful slaps from them.
Qin Yu calmly stood up straight, turning his head to watch the receding group. He slowly began to walk, the afternoon sun casting its light upon his slender back, like a solitary bamboo stalk.
Having finished his task, he did not return to his dwelling immediately but walked through a few paths, descended the mountain for a stretch, and then entered a secluded valley.
The trees here were dense, with almost no human footprints. Tần Vũ panted for a while, his eyes narrowed, and he quickly found the marked spot on the ground, where the mud was slightly indented.
He squatted down, carefully examining the footprint, which was missing a front hoof. A smile played on his lips. "Finally, I've found you!" A wild boar roamed this valley, the very one that had broken into the herb garden half a year ago, almost getting him beaten to death. Tần Vũ had been watching for a long time, only discovering its whereabouts a few days prior.
Without going further in, Tần Vũ limped towards a large tree. Seeing his trap still intact, he returned the way he came.
The spiritual energy around the sect was quite dense, making the wild boars much more agile and extremely sensitive to human scent. He didn't want to fail by a hair's breadth.
He was hunting that wild boar partly for revenge, but also for another reason.
Tần Vũ had heard others say that this wild boar was missing a piece from the tip of its left hoof, and having continuously stolen herbs from the garden for several years, its entire body was imbued with spiritual energy. What he was after was precisely this spiritual energy. If he could catch the boar and eat its flesh, it might just cure his old illness.
He returned straight to his dwelling, and as usual, he encountered a few groups of people and had to endure some teasing remarks.
Tần Vũ lowered his head, a bitter smile on his face. It wasn't until he reached his small courtyard that his expression returned to normal. He quickly washed his face, then slowly ate his meal, chewing and swallowing every tiny bit. He knew his body's condition all too well; it hadn't improved at all. His coughs and pains were growing more frequent, and in recent days, there had even been blood in his phlegm.
Fear gripped his heart. He forced himself to stop overthinking and tried to eat a little more.
After eating, he collected his bowl and chopsticks, then rested quietly, waiting for his mind to settle before beginning his cultivation.
In truth, outer disciples could also cultivate. Having joined a cultivation sect, the prerequisite was to possess cultivation aptitude; it was just that they were slightly less talented than others.
Upon joining, outer disciples of the Đông Nhạc Sect received a cultivation manual that was only three pages long. Even though Tần Vũ was still hazy about the path of cultivation, he knew full well that this was a flawed item, its level so low it was frightening, barely even qualifying as a cultivation technique. But besides this, did Tần Vũ have any other choice? Thus, he never complained. For seven years, he had diligently cultivated every single day, never stopping once. Currently, he had barely managed to reach the second stage of Qi Refinement. As he activated the technique, he could feel a cold, breath-like current flowing through his body, bringing a slight sense of comfort.
A long while later, Tần Vũ opened his eyes, a flicker of frustration passing through their depths. He could tell that after each cultivation session, his chest would ache a little less, but the spiritual power of Qi Refinement Stage Two was still too weak, fundamentally unable to eradicate the hidden danger within his body.
Moreover, each time the spiritual power circulated through his chest, a small amount was depleted. Although not much, it still exceeded his replenishment rate. By now, his Stage Two cultivation was unstable, on the verge of falling back to Stage One. If he relied solely on the spiritual power of Qi Refinement Stage One, his illness would likely flare up immediately.
Therefore, he only dared to cultivate for one canh giờ each day.
Standing up, he stretched for a while, then pushed the door open and began to run slowly on the deserted path. This kind of exercise was no small challenge for Qin Yu's current body, but because it could help blood circulation, he still gritted his teeth and endured, persisting to the very end.
Pant!
Pant!
His ragged breaths sounded like the wheezing of an old bellows, and the youth's pale face gradually flushed red. After half an hour, Qin Yu stopped, his body swaying, his ears beginning to ring.
He tried to stand straight, closed his eyes, and regulated his breathing. Only when his heartbeat returned to normal did he turn and head back the way he came.
Running for half an hour, the return journey took even longer. Usually, by the time he got back to his dwelling, it was already pitch dark, and today was no exception.
Qin Yu dragged his weary body. Just as he was about to reach the end of the path, a look of surprise and doubt suddenly appeared on his face. When he was young, he had discovered that his five senses were far superior to ordinary people, with his sight and hearing especially developed. At this moment, amidst the night wind, there was another sound; listening carefully, he could tell it was coming from behind the slope. Not far past the slope was the valley where the wild boar often roamed. Could it be that the trap he had set had been triggered?
Joy surged within him, and Qin Yu's body, tired to the point of near exhaustion, found an unknown surge of strength. He turned and rushed up the hillside.
The spiritual energy at Dongyue Sect was quite dense, and weeds growing year after year also changed in quality accordingly. For example, these vines, normally fodder for the livestock of rural farmers, grew as tough as buffalo hide in this high mountain region.
Qin Yu pushed through countless dense vines, his legs aching, but his spirits were high, so he paid no mind.
He rushed straight up the hillside, tilting his head to listen for movement. Sure enough, there were sounds coming from the valley, and his eyes shone even brighter. But as he drew closer, a desperate scream suddenly echoed, and Qin Yu's steps immediately halted.
Wei Wei!
That sound was his, absolutely no mistake!
Why was he here?
Qin Yu knew he had probably been mistaken from the start. The scent of fresh blood assailed his nostrils, making him break out in a cold sweat. He quietly turned to leave. Suddenly, his heart clenched, and he immediately threw himself flat onto the ground without hesitation.
Whoosh…!
A sharp gust of wind tore at his already tattered outer garment, forcing his head tightly against the ground. Qin Yu's outer garment was already soaked with cold sweat. If he had been hit just now, he would surely have been decapitated.
"My junior brother, since you've already arrived, why be in such a hurry to leave?" Sect Master Shou Tu's face was pale, but he still wore a smile, his tone gentle, completely devoid of the fierce brutality he had shown just moments ago when delivering his killing blow.
Wei Wei lay on the ground, a wound stretching from his chest down to his abdomen, his fresh blood staining the earth. He was gasping for breath like a fish thrown onto the shore, completely devoid of the arrogance he had displayed earlier in the day. Seeing the newcomer's face clearly, his eyes suddenly lit up, and he shouted loudly: "Junior Brother Qin Yu, quickly help me! Han Dong has gone mad, he wants to kill me!"