Chapter 142 - 138: Bandit Cultivator Gang
The Spiritual Qi concentration in the herb garden was still abundant.
Although the Array was mostly shattered, the Spirit Vein itself was unaffected. The Spiritual Qi seeping up from underground was as dense as ever.
Spiritual Power started from his Dantian and traveled through his meridians, coursing through his entire body. The three layers—main, branch, and micro meridians—operated in sync. The Spiritual Power met almost no resistance as it flowed through each one.
In the final stage of returning to its origin, as the Spiritual Power gathered from the extremities and flowed back to his Dantian, it didn’t pause at the entrance as it used to. Instead, it slid right in.
The Spiritual Power circulated once on its own within his Dantian.
The Spiritual Power in the three layers of meridians accelerated almost simultaneously, and its circulation efficiency leaped to a new level in that instant.
[Cultivation Technique: Hundred Veins Returning to Origin Skill - Minor Achievement (0/1600)]
Minor Achievement.
The speed of a full circulation cycle was nearly thirty percent faster than when he was at the ’Proficient’ stage. There was now almost no difference in speed whether the Spiritual Power flowed through his main meridians or his micro meridians.
In the latter half of the night, it was Li Yuan’s turn for guard duty.
He walked out of the stone house and circled the perimeter of the herb garden. The night was pitch-black, and the light screen of the ruined Array flickered weakly in the distance. The direction of the mountain forest was quiet; there was nothing out of the ordinary.
Just before dawn, footsteps were heard from the direction of the pass.
A figure staggered in.
It was the Cultivator with the surname Feng.
His left arm hung at his side, its sleeve torn into strips, and a patch of his robe on his right shoulder was scorched. His face was ashen, his lips were chapped, and his steps were so unsteady he looked like he was walking on cotton.
But he was alive.
Old Zhao was the first to rush over and drape the man’s right arm over his own shoulders.
The Feng-surnamed Cultivator leaned on Old Zhao, gasping for breath for a good while before speaking in broken sentences. The attacker had fled, heading for the eastern slope. The two Late-stage Qi Refining cultivators had given chase for a bit, but when they couldn’t catch up, they went back to move the medicinal herbs. He had hidden in the mountains for most of the night before daring to return.
Steward Wang pressed a bottle of pills into his hand and had someone help him away to rest.
At noon the next day, more people arrived from the pass.
Four Cultivators. The leader was at the Qi Refining Seventh Level, with a square face and a Wang family steward’s Token hanging from his waist. Three Qi Refining Fifth Level Cultivators followed him, one of whom carried a storage bag.
Steward Wang went up and exchanged a few words with them.
The Wang family steward’s gaze swept over the damaged parts of the herb garden. He asked a few questions about the situation, then looked at Li Yuan.
"You have the Array Hub?"
Li Yuan took the grayish-white stone from his storage bag and handed it over.
The Wang family steward turned it over, examined the remaining Spirit Patterns on its base, and put it into his own storage bag.
"I’ll take it back for research."
Then, he lowered his voice slightly and said a few words to those present.
"We’ve identified the group that attacked the herb garden. A roving band of renegade cultivators from the outskirts of Yunyang Marketplace. Six people, led by two at Late-stage Qi Refining."
He paused.
"It’s embarrassing to admit, but this group of renegades was hired by an elder from our own family."
He said he was embarrassed, but the Wang family Cultivator’s face held a hint of schadenfreude.
"They were originally hired to handle some external family matters, but the renegade leader had a sudden change of heart."
The expression of the Zhou-surnamed cultivator changed slightly.
The Wang family steward continued.
"But there was a problem with the leader of this group. His Cultivation reached the Qi Refining Ninth Level, just touching the threshold of Foundation Establishment. People on the verge of Foundation Establishment think differently. He felt that working for the Wang family wouldn’t earn him enough resources for Foundation Establishment, so he decided to take a gamble for himself. Several of the rare herbs in the garden are materials for the Foundation Establishment Pill, and he had his eye on them."
Steward Wang stood by listening, his face showing no emotion.
After explaining the situation, the Wang family steward arranged for a few people to temporarily stay and help with the defense, then left with the Array Hub.
That afternoon, Li Yuan packed his things, said goodbye to Steward Wang, and left the herb garden to return to the Talisman Hall.
After walking for the better part of a day along the mountain path, the courtyard of the Talisman Hall appeared ahead.
He returned to his stone house residence and closed the door.
Li Yuan didn’t lay out any talisman paper, nor did he take out a talisman brush.
He sat cross-legged on his bed and began to circulate the Spirit-Introducing Skill.
The Qi Gathering Talisman was equipped in his gear slot. The condition for making it permanent was to complete one hundred circulation cycles within seventy-two hours. After his Hundred Veins Returning to Origin Skill reached Minor Achievement, the speed of his cycles had increased by nearly thirty percent, giving him much more leeway with time.
Spiritual Qi surged into his body. The Pure Spiritual Power expelled impurities, and the refined Spiritual Power condensed and sank into his Dantian.
One cycle, two cycles, three cycles.
As he was cultivating into the evening, there were two knocks on the stone house’s door.
"Li Yuan, it’s me."
It was Old Sun’s voice.
Li Yuan opened his eyes, stood up, and opened the door.
Old Sun was at the door, not wearing his apron. He was dressed in a set of worn, coarse, short clothes, looking as if he had come over specifically for this visit.
He glanced inside, confirmed Li Yuan was alone, and stepped in, taking a seat on the stool by the table.
"I heard you ran into trouble at the herb garden?"
"Yeah."
Li Yuan sat down on his bed and briefly recounted what had happened.
Six renegade cultivators, two at Late-stage Qi Refining, the Array broken, rare herbs uprooted and taken, and the Feng-surnamed cultivator almost didn’t make it back.
Old Sun listened, tapping his fingers on the tabletop.
When Li Yuan finished, Old Sun didn’t respond immediately. He tilted his head and thought for a moment.
"No wonder."
"No wonder about what?"
"No wonder the higher-ups are investigating Pill Refiners." Old Sun pulled his hand back from the table and leaned against the back of the chair.
He rubbed his chin.
"The Pill Hall was just asking about someone. Surname He, an Alchemy Master who works in Yunyang Marketplace."
Li Yuan looked at him.
Old Sun rested his elbows on the edge of the table and leaned in closer.
"This man can refine Foundation Establishment Pills."
He held up a finger.
"And he’s the type who’ll do it as long as you pay. He doesn’t pick his clients, doesn’t ask about your background. You show up with the materials and Spirit Stones, and as long as you have everything and the price is right, he’ll refine it for you. Doesn’t matter if you’re a Loose Cultivator, a family disciple, or whatever—he treats everyone the same."
Old Sun put his finger down.
"There are several Pill Refiners in Yunyang Marketplace who can refine Foundation Establishment Pills, but most of them are picky. Some only take regulars, some require background checks, and some only work for Sects and major families. Pill Master He is the only one who doesn’t care about any of that."
He slapped his thigh.
"I have a bit of history with him. Back when I was in Yunyang Marketplace, I was lucky enough to find an herb that could strengthen one’s Divine Soul. It was pretty effective. I took that herb to him and traded it for a few alchemy techniques. You could say I learned a trick or two."
"And then?"
"Then I couldn’t make a living in Yunyang Marketplace anymore." Old Sun spread his hands. "The place is crawling with Pill Refiners; the competition is too fierce. Business just got worse and worse."
He rubbed his fingers together.
"So I went off to a loose cultivator marketplace. Those places are small and don’t have many decent Pill Refiners, so I did pretty well for a while. But then I decided that being a Loose Cultivator wasn’t reliable. So I ran off again and came here, to our Qinghe Marketplace."
Old Sun paused here.
"What about Pill Master He?" Li Yuan asked.
"How would I know? But I’d guess he’s still in Yunyang Marketplace, hasn’t moved." Old Sun shook his head. "An Alchemy Master of his caliber has an established shop and clientele in Yunyang Marketplace. He wouldn’t be running around everywhere like me. Besides, Yunyang Marketplace is Primordial Yang Sect territory. It’s much safer than the outside, so there’s no reason for him to leave."
Li Yuan grunted in acknowledgment.
Old Sun pulled his hands back from the table’s edge and stood up.
"The higher-ups are looking into Pill Master He because they’re probably trying to figure out who those renegades will go to for alchemy after stealing the herbs."
He took two steps toward the door, then turned back to glance at Li Yuan.
"That renegade leader is close to Foundation Establishment. Now that he’s snatched the materials for a Foundation Establishment Pill, his next step is definitely to find someone to perform the alchemy. And around here, the only one who can refine a Foundation Establishment Pill and doesn’t care who the client is, is Pill Master He."
He dusted off his clothes.
"This doesn’t have much to do with us. I just thought I’d mention it."
"By the way, still want those Evil Essence Pills? I just got another batch."
"Yes. Bring them next time."
Old Sun grunted and pushed the door open to leave.
Li Yuan closed the door and sat back down on his bed.
He closed his eyes and circulated the Spirit-Introducing Skill.
Spiritual Qi surged into his body and sank into his Dantian.
The progress for making the Qi Gathering Talisman permanent was ticking along.
One cycle, two cycles.
Outside the window, the sky slowly darkened. The residential area of the Talisman Hall grew so quiet that only the occasional sound of passing footsteps could be heard.
Li Yuan’s eyes were closed, his breathing even. The Spiritual Power within him circulated, beginning again and again.