Chapter 38 Home? (1)
-x-X-x-
Amidst the wind and snow, Xu Qing returned to the courtyard. However, before he could even enter, he already heard the joyous laughter of Captain Lei from outside.
Following that were the sounds of dogs barking. Pushing aside the gate, Xu Qing saw more than ten wild dogs in the courtyard.
They all lay there and stared coldly at Xu Qing. However, Xu Qing swept his gaze past them without any ferocity. It was just a simple look, but the fur of those wild dogs stood, and they retreated slowly.
A soft cry of surprise echoed from Captain Lei's room.
As the gate opened, Cross and Luan Tooth walked out. They looked from Xu Qing to the tens of dogs, and then Cross cracked a small smile.
"Kid, the dogs are saying that there's a really strong baleful air coming from you." Luan Tooth squatted down and softly caressed the head of a wild dog by her side, smiling as she told him this.
Xu Qing didn't say anything but looked at Captain Lei who had walked out of the room.
Captain Lei was wearing a thick leather coat and carrying a tobacco pipe in his hand. When he stepped out, he pointed toward Luan Tooth and spoke exasperatedly.
"Luan Tooth, this girl, thinks I'm injured and worries about my safety at the campsite. So, she insisted on sending these dogs to guard the house and protect the yard."
It was a simple sentence, but Xu Qing understood the meaning behind it.
Captain Lei didn't tell them about the incident involving Xu Qing, just like Xu Qing didn't mention the singing voice. He let Captain Lei make his own decision, and Captain Lei also left the right to divulge that incident to Xu Qing.
Xu Qing nodded. He then retrieved the leather bag with the white pills and passed it to Captain Lei.
Captain Lei took it and swept a glance. He then laughed and didn't stand on ceremony.
"Alright, I do need these things but don't buy them anymore in the future. I have a lot of them saved up. I even have enough to sell." With that, he looked at Cross.
"Cross, the kid is back too. Whatever it is, you can talk about it now."
Cross stopped smiling and his expression turned solemn as he slowly spoke.
"I came here today for two matters."
"The first is about Captain Lei's medicine. Luan Tooth and I have purchased them, and it is about a month's worth of medication. Afterward, we'll purchase again when you're done with it." With that, he took down a leather bag by his waist and placed it to the side.
"Then, the second thing. Due to the elimination of the Bloodshadow Team, even though other scavengers also participated in the harvesting of seven-leaf grass, none of them harvested as many as ours.
"Luan Tooth and I handed it over to the camp leader yesterday and received the reward. However… As per the camp leader's habitual deductions, he didn't give us three clear dust pills. There was only one." As Cross said this, he looked at Luan Tooth.
Luan Tooth took out four leather bags and placed them to the side. She retrieved a wooden box after that. In front of everyone, she opened it and revealed a green alchemy pill, the size of a pigeon's egg.
The medicinal fragrance spread out. It was evident that this was much better than the white pill.
"Barbaric Ghost didn't have any relatives, so I took the liberty to distribute his share among us. These four leather bags contain our respective portion of spirit coins, and about this clear dust pill…"
At that, Cross looked at Captain Lei and awaited his allocation.
"Let's give it to the kid," Captain Lei said quietly. At that moment, some of the imposing manners he had as the leader of the Thunder Team returned.
Cross nodded. Luan Tooth was stunned for a moment then fell into deep thoughts. When they asked Captain Lei about what had happened in the jungle earlier, he didn't reveal it. However, with this allocation, the answer was obvious.
"About Barbaric Ghost… It was right to distribute his share. We are his relatives."
Captain Lei sighed softly and picked up his share. Cross and Luan Tooth then picked up their respective portions as well. Xu Qing didn't make a noise and similarly picked up the leather bag.
Regarding the clear dust pill that Luan Tooth passed over, Xu Qing took a look at Captain Lei after taking it. There was a sternness in Captain Lei's eyes that made Xu Qing understand the meaning behind it. Hence, he quietly kept it.
The four conversed for a while, mainly between Cross and the other two persons. As usual, Xu Qing was reticent and listened quietly from the side.
Yet, regardless of Cross or Luan Tooth, none of them neglected Xu Qing's existence. They would occasionally ask for his opinion.
Just like that, as the time passed, noon came quickly. Following the temporary halt of the wind and snow, Cross and Luan Tooth chose to leave. Before they left, Cross whispered to Xu Qing.
"Kid, Luan Tooth and I have accepted a mission and will need to head out for a trip. During this time… the leader is in your care." As he said this, he took out a dagger and passed it to Xu Qing.
"Your dagger is full of rust. Use this instead, it's very sharp."
Luan Tooth passed him a whistle as well.
"Kid, although you are strong in combat, you'll still need eyes and helpers, right? This whistle can easily control the wild dogs on the campsite. If there's a need, you can blow it. They are very smart and will know what to do."
After a round of urging from the two of them, they cupped their fists with the other hand and took their leave.
Looking at their silhouettes, Xu Qing kept the whistle and stuffed the dagger Cross gave into his boots. However, he didn't throw away the original dagger he had.
Thereafter, he raised his head and stared at their figures until Cross and Luan Tooth disappeared from his vision. Xu Qing then turned his head and looked at Captain Lei's room.
It was only after some time did he decide to walk through the wild dogs and into the residence.
He then closed his eyes and sat cross-legged in meditation.
The wind was strong outside and it made a whimpering noise. As it blew across the earth, the snow on the ground was mixed with the snow falling from mid-air. It then entered through all the gaps in the entrance of the tents and houses, alarming the people inside.
It also reached the body of Captain Lei who was resting in the house. For someone who was long used to it, he didn't mind the cold wind.
However, in his mind, the image of Xu Qing curling up in the cold surfaced. As such, he turned his head in the direction of Xu Qing's room, and after a moment of silence, he took his leather hat and left the residence.
-x-X-x-
Time flew by and it was three days in a blink of an eye.
In those three days, it was like the blizzard was using up its last remaining power and scattered its leftover chill, causing snow to fall ceaselessly. The snow on the ground hadn't had time to melt before it accumulated a thick layer.
Even though the weather was bad, for scavengers, survival was more important than the cold.
As such, there were gradually more people at the campsite; some continued to seek treatment for their illnesses, while the others headed toward the forbidden zone.
At the same time, as the Bloodshadow Team didn't return for a long time, it slowly led to discussions among the scavengers. It wasn't known where the rumors came from, but they said that the Bloodshadow Team had completely perished in the forbidden zone.
Not many believed this at the start. After all, the members of the Bloodshadow Team couldn't be underestimated.
Especially the Bloodshadow Captain, who was one of the strongest among the scavengers on the campsite. A person like that had visited the forbidden zone countless times, so the possibility of the entire team being wiped out was slim.
However, two more days went by and there was still no sign of anyone from the Bloodshadow Team. This made the scavengers from the campsite believe in the rumors one after another.
In addition, they recalled the day when Captain Lei returned in his unconscious state.
And they also made the connection with Barbaric Ghost's disappearance. Everything seemed to have been answered.
No matter if it was true or false, without Bloodshadow, the Thunder Team was now the strongest on the campsite.
Hence, when Xu Qing headed out these days, what he saw most was the respectful gazes from the scavengers all around.
He knew that what these people respected was the Thunder Team and not him personally. But he didn't mind it. Nowadays, he was puzzled about Captain Lei who always left early in the morning but returned late at night. He didn't know what the latter was busy with.
However, Xu Qing understood that everyone was independent and so he didn't see a need to disturb him. Besides, there were a lot of things he had to do as well. For most of the time, Xu Qing stayed alone in the residence and cultivated quietly.
With his diligence, his cultivation base improved slowly, and his strength and speed steadily increased.
Regarding his shadow, Xu Qing looked into it many times as well.
However, it seemed like the shadow still didn't have any changes apart from absorbing the anomalous substances. Everything was just like before, and it also caused the mutation point on Xu Qing's arm to vanish completely.
The purity in his body caused Xu Qing to feel that his cultivation progress was evidently much faster than before.
In the afternoon two days later, Xu Qing sat cross-legged and meditated. He prepared to first stabilize his cultivation from the past few days before attempting a breakthrough to the fourth level of Mountains and Seas Art. But at this moment, he frowned slightly and opened his eyes.
The stray dogs were barking outside and someone was knocking on the bamboo gate.
Xu Qing walked out of the residence and noted that Captain Lei wasn't back yet. He then looked to the other side of the bamboo gate and saw a scavenger with a look of hesitation on his face standing there.
Xu Qing had seen that person before. He was one of the seven or eight people he had rescued before he returned from the forbidden zone.
As the scavenger noticed the appearance of Xu Qing, he promptly clasped his hands.
"Brother Kid, it's me. I'm Bone Blade."
"What's the matter?" Xu Qing donned a poker face and asked flatly.
"This…" Bone Blade had some reservations, but after a quick thought, he still gritted his teeth and then continued.
"Brother Kid, I wish to use five white pills in exchange for your insurance." With that, he threw a leather bag toward Xu Qing.
Xu Qing didn't catch it and looked at Bone Blade suspiciously. Hence, the leather bag that the person threw landed on the ground. The stray dogs at the side went to take a look but didn't dare to approach it.
Sensing Xu Qing's suspicion, Bone Blade, who was outside the bamboo gate, hurriedly gave his account of what he meant. And after listening to what he had to say, Xu Qing began to understand the meaning of this so-called insurance.
According to Bone Blade, he wanted Xu Qing to head toward the forbidden zone's Venomous Dragon Swamp area if the former didn't return in three days and rescue him just like before.
"Brother Kid, I'm not worried about the mutated beasts in the forbidden zone; it's my fate to die in their mouths. What I'm worried most about is the labyrinth fog. I'm truly not willing to die to it."
Xu Qing had a strange look on his face, not expecting the other person to make such a request. Hence, he thought about it and asked.
"What if there is no fog in those three days, or if you make an early return?"
"You don't have to return the alchemy pills then. I'm just buying for peace of mind." Bone Blade bowed lowly to Xu Qing with a pleading look.
Xu Qing stayed silent as he regarded the leather pouch. With a hook of the tip of his foot, he picked it up and checked its contents.
There were five white pills in it. Although he did not need it, this was the campsite's currency. And so, after some thought, he figured that this request was feasible.
Hence, after pondering, Xu Qing nodded.
Seeing as Xu Qing agreed, Bone Blade let out a breath of relief. With gratitude, he cupped his fist and left.
Xu Qing took the leather bag and squinted his eyes. He was naturally vigilant, and it wasn't like he completely believed the person's words.
However, he didn't think that there was a huge possibility of it being a trap.
If the fog didn't rise, then he could choose not to go. And if the other person could accurately estimate the timing of the fog three days in advance, then with such an ability, there was no need for him to play tricks on others.
Even so, Xu Qing remained vigilant and planned to make a decision only when the time came.
Thus, he turned and returned to the residence and continued with his meditation. A night then passed.
The next morning, Xu Qing had just completed his cultivation when he raised his head and looked out of the room. He heard the dogs outside barking.
When he stepped out, he witnessed a strange scene. Captain Lei was currently packing up. He tied big bags and small parcels on the stray dogs' bodies one by one, causing them to stick out their tongues. Some of them were about to collapse on their stomachs from the weight.
"You're done cultivating? Let's go, I'm bringing you somewhere."
Captain Lei wiped his perspiration and smiled as he spoke. After that, he patted the stray dogs by the side and opened the bamboo gate. He then waved to Xu Qing.
Xu Qing was confused. He followed over with those stray dogs trailing behind. Just like that, the two people and a pack of dogs strode through the campsite.
From the center-ring region to the inner-ring region. There were a lot of shops here, and the houses were largely made of bricks. All of them looked very solidly built.
They walked until they reached a huge courtyard with four independent brick houses in it. Each one of them was much better than all the places Xu Qing had resided before. They were much sturdier and denser in comparison.
After he looked at this, Xu Qing turned toward Captain Lei.
"This will be our new home from now on," Captain Lei said with a smile.
"New home?" Xu Qing was stunned. The word, "home", gave him a familiar sense of unfamiliarity.
"I have been busy for half my life and saved a lot. Since my body is giving way now, I might as well move to a bigger house and enjoy life."
Captain Lei laughed and walked ahead. After that, he took the baggage from the dogs and began to get busy.
Xu Qing stood there and slowly began to enter only after a while. He looked at the bricks on the floor and at the houses in front of him as he fell into a trance. Even after Captain Lei called him to help out, he still hadn't gotten used to it.
After that, it was half a day of hustle and bustle. When the night arrived once more, the cold wind still gusted outside. The blizzard was still there, and while the whistling sounds of the gale filled the atmosphere, Xu Qing and Captain Lei sat beside a stove in the house. The warmth gushed toward them and filled the air in the whole room.
There were no cracks in the wall here, so the ice-cold wind couldn't enter at all. Xu Qing quickly realized this and felt his body was comfortably warm.
"Not cold anymore, right?" Captain Lei had a smile on his face.
"Mm. Not cold anymore." Xu Qing nodded. Under the light of the stove, there seemed to be a glimmer in Xu Qing's eyes when he looked over at Captain Lei.
He was indeed not cold anymore. In this warmth, Xu Qing even felt a fluttering in the depths of his heart.
After a long time, when Captain Lei returned to his room, Xu Qing was sitting near the stove on his own and muttered.
"Home?"
,m At that moment, in the house by the side, Captain Lei who returned to his room had the remnants of a smile on his face. However, his face soon turned somewhat red.
He covered his mouth and coughed a few times. After a while, he swallowed the fishy taste down his throat. With a soft sigh, he stood beside the window and lifted his head as he looked toward the forbidden zone. Memories surfaced in his gaze as he mumbled.
"I really want to... go there and take a look again."
-x-X-x-
That very night, Xu Qing had a dream.
This was the first time in over six years that he stayed in such a luxurious house and didn't feel the chill from outside. At the same time, it was also a rare night where he had dreams.
In the dream, this world wasn't a cruel one. The sky didn't have the fragmented face of the god, and his parents were also beside him. He even had an elder brother.
Also, he was living a worry-free life and going to school with a group of play companions. After school, he returned to his warm house and ate the piping hot dinner together with his loved ones, enjoying a beautiful sleep later at night.
However, all his loved ones in the dream had somewhat blurry appearances.
He really wanted to see them clearly, but there was always a layer of mist shrouding them. The dream lasted all the way until morning arrived. Xu Qing who was lying on his bed finally opened his eyes.
He stared at the ceiling and rested for a moment as though he was completely awakening from the dream before he silently stared at the surroundings…
Inside this grayish-black room constructed from bricks, not only were there a table, chairs, and a bed, but there was even a bathroom with lingering warmth on its floor. This warmth was something left behind by the heat of the stove last night.
On the floor, there was a mat weaved from straw, and there was an empty bookshelf at the side.
This place looked simple, but in Xu Qing's heart, it was already very luxurious.
Xu Qing took a deep breath and walked toward the bathroom. He then carefully stretched out his hands and placed them inside the water. As he watched his dirt-covered hands slowly reverting to their normal color from the water, he swiftly lifted them up.
He lowered his head and stared for a moment before wiping them on his body and getting them dirty again. After that, he glanced up and looked at his reflection in the mirror.
A large leather coat, a head full of messy raven-black hair, a dirt-covered little face, and that pair of clear eyes.
After some time, Xu Qing turned and gazed toward the windows. The clarity in his eyes was then replaced by indifference.
The wind and snow had stopped in the world outside the window, and sunlight streamed down. This was the final snow of winter, and the snow on the ground was slowly disappearing.
On the trees in the distance, as the remnants of snow melted, green buds could be seen. It was as though they were telling everyone that spring…had truly arrived.
Xu Qing walked out of his room and habitually cast a glance at Captain Lei's residence. As for the over ten wild dogs in the courtyard, they didn't even lift their heads. They merely swept their tails across the ground in greeting.
"What should I do?" Xu Qing silently mused as a hint of determination appeared in his gaze.
Hence, he pushed the courtyard gate open and walked out. His target was clear. It was none other than the tent where the doctor of the carriages was in.
During the early morning, there weren't many scavengers at the campsite.
As Xu Qing moved closer to the fleet of carriages, all the guards there swept their gazes over to him, and Xu Qing could faintly hear the sounds of studying drifting from the tent the doctor was in.
,m He hesitated for a while before he quietly stood outside the tent, waiting in silence.
The guards around the convoy all looked at him with scrutiny. After observing for some time, half of them retracted their gazes, but a few were still observing him closely.
Xu Qing wasn't bothered by these. This was because he could hear the sounds of studying drifting out from within. As he listened, he gradually fell into a daze. He also discovered that there wasn't only the sound of people studying inside the tent; the teacher inside was testing his students too.
"Goldturn grass, also known as the three-leaf pearl or the coldscatter grass. It is the white water sedge that belongs to the cyperaceae-class of plants and would only be birthed after many years. It grows in forests under the hillsides and in spacious wet areas. They can be found in Lingyou, the southern part of Nanhuang, and the two continents of Guangling. Its effects consist of soothing the lungs and stopping coughs, mild detoxification, dispersion of bruises, and curing venomous snake bites or injuries from a fall. It can be matched with…"
The young girl's voice that was originally filled with confidence started to have some hesitation as she continued speaking.
"Match with what?" In the tent, Grandmaster Bai's imposing voice was filled with strictness.
"It can be matched with the rhino-fire flower to be concocted in the medicine. Borrowing yang to transform yin, it can become a drop of poison-avoidance liquid, which is one of the basic ingredients for the Great Transformation Pill." The young girl seemed to be a little afraid. Her speed of speaking increased by quite a lot, and she even heaved a sigh of relief after she finished speaking.
Xu Qing stood outside the tent and grew increasingly serious as he listened to these.
"Whiteback root, also known as…eh. It belongs to the Euphorbiaceae-class, the root of a plant named 'turn-in-the-wind'. Its taste is slightly bitter. It can be found in…and the effects are treating something of the five inner organs…" That youth began to hesitate as he spoke and at the end, he directly stopped. Evidently, he had forgotten it.
Inside the tent, the youth who sat together with the young girl now had a look of nervousness on his face. He was very anxious, but he simply couldn't recall. Hence, he glanced pleadingly at the young girl.
The young girl beside him clearly knew the answer, but she didn't remind him no matter what. In the end, the youth could only have a depressed look on his face.
And in front of them was Grandmaster Bai. At this moment, he turned his head and glanced outside the tent. The guard there immediately looked over and immediately asked with his eyes if Grandmaster Bai had any requests.
Grandmaster Bai thought about it before slightly shaking his head. After that, he coldly snorted at the stammering youth.
"Tonight, you shall copy the Grasswood Scripture ten times!"
This time around, the youth really wanted to cry, but he didn't dare to make any rebuttal. Hence, he could only hang his head depressedly and silently wailed.
After Grandmaster Bai finished testing his two disciples, he calmly continued and spoke about the lesson today. His voice was slightly louder than before and also much clearer.
The youth didn't notice this, but the young girl was meticulous by nature. Hence, she felt a little puzzled and blinked her eyes while casting a glance at the tent entrance. As she looked over, she could see a small and skinny figure standing near the tent under the reflection of the sun.
Xu Qing, who was outside the tent, listened even more seriously. Every word and sentence spoken by Grandmaster Bai was deeply remembered by him as he was afraid he might forget even the slightest bit. To him, knowledge was something extremely valuable that he thirsted for.
Just like this, time slowly passed. Today, the duration of Grandmaster Bai's lesson also exceeded the norm by almost twice. Only after the sun was high up in the sky and there was a long line of scavengers waiting for treatment queuing up did Grandmaster Bai end his lesson. A hoarse-sounding voice then rang out.
"The youth outside, you can enter."
Xu Qing quivered and was awakened from his state of learning, which he didn't want to end. He then took a deep breath and carefully pushed the tent's flap open guiltily. After he entered, he stood silently at the side, feeling somewhat ill at ease.
Originally, he wouldn't be like this, but he had come here to make an inquiry today and he had even eavesdropped for such a long time outside. In the slums, such behavior would easily inspire disgust from others.
As though Grandmaster Bai could see the youth's nervousness, he slowed his pace of speaking and calmly spoke.
"What's the matter?"
As his voice rang out, the young girl at the side surveyed Xu Qing with curiosity.
She had some recollection of this kid. She remembered that several days ago, this kid had carried an old man here for medical treatment.
"I greet Grandmaster Bai." Xu Qing lowered his head and imitated what Captain Lei did, dipping into a deep bow toward Grandmaster Bai.
After that, he hesitated for a while before saying that he wanted to inquire about the heavenfate flower.
After he spoke, he took out five white pills from his pouch and placed them before Grandmaster Bai.
The usual fee was a single white pill, but Xu Qing felt one white pill was insufficient given that he had listened to a lesson from the other party. In fact, even five white pills were not enough.
He then took out another 10 spirit coins and placed them together with the white pills.
Only after doing this did his heart settle down.
Grandmaster Bai cast a deep glance at Xu Qing before turning to the young girl at the side as he slowly spoke.
"Yu Ting, you will answer his question."
The girl sat up straight and had a solemn look on her face as she confidently spoke.
"The heavenfate flower, also known as the life-extension blaze and the divine spirit grass. It is a mutated variant of the divine-class plant, compound wood. According to records, there are a total of 73 variants, but only the first variant can be used in medicine. It grows in any area within a forbidden zone, but there are no rules to dictate where it might be found. It is extremely rare.
"Its effects consist of allowing broken limbs to regenerate, even capable of reigniting one's lifeforce. Other than soul injuries, it can cure everything." As she spoke, the young girl swiftly took out a book from the side. After flipping a few pages through it, she revealed the picture on the page.
"Its appearance looks like this."
What was seen in the picture was an ordinary stalk of herb that didn't seem to have any marvelous aspects about it. Only the jagged edges at the side of the grass were a little obvious. At the same time, there was a strange symbol formed by a silk thread in the middle.
Xu Qing looked at it attentively. After memorizing it, he bowed deeply at both Grandmaster Bai and the young girl. He then turned and prepared to leave.
Before he left, he heard the calm voice of Grandmaster Bai behind him.
"This herb can only be acquired by luck and not actively sought after. There are always powerful mutated beasts around it. You should know your limits."
Upon hearing this, Xu Qing bowed again. After he left the tent, he rapidly sped through the campsite.
After he used his greatest speed to return to his residence, he immediately took out a piece of bamboo from his leather pouch and used a bamboo stick to engrave everything the young girl had spoken about the heavenfate flower as well as the picture down.
After some contemplation, he also recorded the content of the lesson he had heard today.
Finally, he glanced at the bamboo piece that was densely filled with countless tiny words as he felt very satisfied in his heart. He then kept it well carefully like it was a precious treasure.
"How good would it be if I could continue to listen," Xu Qing muttered in a low voice. He started to think of ways to listen to the lessons. After some time, he refocused and started to cultivate.
During that night, after Captain Lei returned, he told Captain Lei that he wished to make a trip to the forbidden zone. When Captain Lei heard this, he wanted to stop Xu Qing but hesitated.
Eventually, Captain Lei still nodded and told Xu Qing about his experiences.
Just like how the elderly at home would be worried about their own descendants venturing out, Captain Lei's stories were extremely detailed.
He only finished telling Xu Qing about his experiences when dawn almost arrived. After Xu Qing remembered them, Captain Lei gave him another leather sack that contained the various types of medical powder Luan Tooth left behind.
After understanding their specific uses, when morning came, Xu Qing bid farewell and left the campsite. He traveled rapidly through the wilderness and arrived outside the forbidden zone not long later.
The instant he stepped into the boundary, the warmth of the sunlight outside seemed to be isolated, and a sinister chill drilled into his body. Xu Qing's eyes narrowed with vigilance as he 'transformed' into a fleeting shadow as he sped into the jungle.
His figure vanished completely after a few breaths of time.
This was his second time entering the jungle in the forbidden zone. Xu Qing's familiarity with this place was already different from the past.
But the more it was so, the more cautious he became. As he leaped forward, he also paid attention to the flowers and herbs in the surroundings. Very soon, he arrived at the location where the silt was found back then. He copied Luan Tooth's previous actions and smeared the silt onto his body before he continued to advance.
Time flowed by and an entire day soon passed.
When he arrived here this time around, Xu Qing didn't encounter the fog. And although there were powerful mutated beasts, due to Xu Qing's cautiousness, he managed to avoid them all.
On his way, he also paid close attention to the flowers and herbs around him as he searched for the heavenfate flower.
At this moment, he encountered the place where they had met the black-scaled wolf previously. He surveyed the surroundings, and he could still see traces of their previous arrangements. It was just that the majority of the wolf corpses on the ground then had now transformed into rotting bones.
He attentively observed the rotting corpses and discovered that there were no signs of them being bitten, but they had rotted naturally. Xu Qing then heaved a sigh of relief.
This indicated that most probably, no mutated beasts had come here.
Hence, he found a nearby area in the surroundings and decided to spend the night there before continuing after the sky turned bright.
Very soon, night descended and the jungle fell into darkness. Xu Qing was now hiding inside a tree crack and staring in the direction of the Seven-leaf Grass Canyon. Further down that direction was the group of temples.
This time around, other than wanting to find the heavenfate flower in the forbidden zone, he had another thought. He also wanted to help the little girl find a stone that could remove scars.
"Let's go and take a look," Xu Qing mumbled.
-x-X-x-
Xu Qing wasn't unfamiliar with the dark night of the forbidden zone.
Regardless of whether it was the ruins of the city or this jungle.
He lived in the former for over ten days and he has also experienced several nights in the latter.
At that moment, he, who was hiding in the cracks of a giant tree, had his eyes half-squinted. While he was taking a nap, he silently cultivated the spirit energy in the forbidden zone that was mixed with dense anomalous substances.
After the spirit energy entered his body, it was separated by the Mountains and Seas Art. The pure part nourished his entire body while the anomalous substances fused into his shadow.
Xu Qing was already used to such changes.
He even had a faint feeling that he cultivated in this forbidden zone because of his shadow, or it might be because this place was dangerous and so he was constantly on high alert.
Under his high concentration, his cultivation speed also increased greatly.
He wasn't far from the fourth level of the Mountains and Seas Art.
"It feels like sharpening a knife…" Xu Qing mumbled.
He didn't understand any great logic but he remembered that the blacksmith in the slums had once told people that a good saber needed a better whetstone to completely reveal its edge.
At that moment, the dangerous forbidden zone seemed to have become Xu Qing's whetstone.
During this day of tempering cultivation, Xu Qing silently opened his eyes after a long time.
He lifted his head and stared at the darkness of the night outside through the crack in the tree. At night in the forbidden zone, the roars of mutated beasts rose and fell from afar, echoing through the jungle like the low-pitched cries of gods and demons.
The cold intent was from the myriad of lifeforms that invaded this place also entered the cracks between the trees where Xu Qing was hiding and permeated his body.
It was freezing.
This scene made him feel as though he had returned to the ruined city. Slowly, a hint of loneliness permeated his body.
However, Xu Qing was already very familiar with loneliness. After a long time, he closed his eyes again and continued cultivating.
Just like that, time passed.
Because the resting place he found was very correct, the night was considered safe. Only in the middle of the night did Xu Qing, who was cultivating, hear footsteps from the outside world.
It was very messy, as though many people were moving forward in a line.
Xu Qing's expression turned serious as he narrowed his eyes and looked at the outside world. However, it was pitch-black outside the crack in the tree. There was nothing there.
However, Xu Qing's heart suddenly sank. This was because the moment the sound of footsteps rang out, the roars of the mutated beasts in the nearby jungle instantly disappeared. This caused Xu Qing's vigilance to rise abruptly.
He recalled the singing footsteps he had encountered previously. However, the feeling it gave him now was somewhat different.
"It's not like the footsteps that sang that day. Also, there was no singing voice."
Xu Qing quickly analyzed and didn't act rashly. He forced himself to calm down and held his breath as he stared at the dark night outside.
Gradually, the sound of footsteps became clearer, as though a group of people was lining up and gradually approaching.
At the same time, waves of coldness that exceeded the possible scope of it, as if it could freeze one's body, also invaded fiercely at this instant.
Xu Qing wasn't unfamiliar with this coldness. Regardless of whether it was the singing voice back then or the strange existences that appeared at night in the ruins of the city, they all emitted this kind of temperature.
However, the degree of coldness was different. Back then, the singing voice could freeze his soul but the cold now only made him feel unwell. It didn't cause him to lose his mobility.
"It's an existence similar to the bizarre existences in the ruins!" After Xu Qing made his judgment, he clutched the iron stick tightly and took a deep breath to control the fluctuations in his heart. He then forcefully closed his eyes, not wanting to open them.
Don't look, don't touch, don't see.
After Xu Qing closed his eyes, the sound of footsteps suddenly grew hurried, getting closer and closer. It was as though countless people were circling around the tree he was on.
Xu Qing's heart trembled. He tried his best to control his impulse to open his eyes and see what the other party was like.
After a long time… when the sun rose in the sky, the chaotic footsteps finally stopped lingering and slowly moved away.
The sky was bright.
Xu Qing didn't open his eyes immediately. He waited for a moment before he slowly opened his eyes. He then saw that there was a thick layer of ice at the entrance of the tree he was in, and his entire person was sealed within it.
Through the layer of ice, the sunlight cascaded onto Xu Qing's body. He let out a breath and pressed his left hand on the ice. With a violent push, cracking sounds rang out as the ice layer shattered and fell to the ground.
Xu Qing slowly emerged. He first observed his surroundings and saw that the wolf corpses still there yesterday had all disappeared. Also, there were… a large number of footprints on the ground.
They were human footprints.
There were so many of them that it looked like hundreds of people had passed by.
Xu Qing had never heard of hundreds of people entering the forbidden zone simultaneously.
Especially since… these footprints were really footprints and not shoe prints.
Xu Qing fell silent and retracted his gaze after a long time. He could sense the strangeness of the forbidden zone even more deeply now. At this moment, he took advantage of the fact that the danger in the forbidden zone was lesser at dawn compared to the night. Xu Qing didn't give up on exploring and left in a flash.
A few hours later, Xu Qing finally reached the furthest place they had gone previously, the small canyon where the Thunder Team plucked the seven-leaf grass.
The interior of the canyon was the same as when they had left. The sunlight streamed down from the top of the vine tree and landed on the ground. The fragrance of flowers filled the air, isolating them from the dangers of the outside world. It was like a paradise.
At that place, Xu Qing heaved a sigh of relief. He then lifted his head and looked at the other end of the canyon where the cluster of temples was located.
After staring for a moment, Xu Qing retracted his gaze and rested for a while. His body then sped off, heading straight for the cluster of temples.
The jungle outside the canyon was even lusher and there was less sunlight there.
-x-X-x-
It was unknown if it was because this group of ancient temples still emitted the glory and authority of their era but there were very few dangers when he got close after exiting the canyon.
The lush jungle seemed to be much gentler in terms of aura.
In fact, the jungle closest to the cluster of temples wasn't much different from the trees Xu Qing saw in the outside world. It was no longer malevolent or pitch-black.
There was also some seven-leaf grass here that was picked up by Xu Qing.
Everything here made Xu Qing feel a little surprised but his vigilance didn't decrease. He cautiously approached.
Two hours later, when dusk was about to arrive, he walked out of the jungle and arrived in front of the cluster of temples.
There were very few trees here and the sunlight shone down on a large area, causing Xu Qing to feel a little dazed.
What reflected into his eyes were huge domed buildings that were hundreds of feet tall.
Even though it had collapsed, even though it was dilapidated, and even though it was covered in moss, the temple, which was piled up neatly with rocks that were much larger than his body, still felt vast.
Walking inside and stepping on the broken bricks on the ground, Xu Qing felt as though he had arrived in a country of giants.
Broken walls could be seen everywhere and each of them exuded an ancient feeling of age, as though they were telling Xu Qing about their experiences.
Further ahead was a collapsed statue.
The lower half of the statue was gone, turning into countless pieces that were hard to piece together. Its head was still intact but its appearance was already blurry.
Even so, it was still over 300 feet tall. One could imagine that before it collapsed, it was at least 2000 feet tall.
Standing in front of it, Xu Qing's existence was very insignificant.
At that moment, a gust of wind blew over. It was like the sound of a flute, desolate and echoing. At the same time, it seemed to isolate space and time, causing the former glory to only be left with the gazes of future generations.
Xu Qing quietly stared at the statue and fell silent for a long time.
He thought of the ruins of the city outside the slums. He wondered if the people of the future would be like him, entering the forbidden zone carefully and looking at that city as though it was history.
A long time later, Xu Qing retracted his gaze and searched the temple complex but he didn't find the special stone that Captain Lei mentioned.
When he arrived at the residence, he had already asked around. This special stone would emit a rainbow-colored glow.
It was as though it grew naturally and the timing of its appearance was irregular.
After failing to find anything, Xu Qing felt some regret. His body agilely leaped up and with a few undulations, he arrived at the top of a temple. He then stood there and gazed at his surroundings.
Behind him was the outer area of the forbidden zone's jungle. Although he couldn't see the end, he could still see part of it. Calculating the time, today was the fourth day mentioned by Bone Blade, who had bought insurance from him.
Yesterday, when Xu Qing was in the jungle, he didn't see any fog. Today, there was still no fog, so he didn't need to save them.
Hence, he turned his head and looked in another direction from the temple cluster. That place… was the depths of the forbidden zone's jungle.
After pondering for a while, Xu Qing lifted his head and noticed that it was getting late. He planned to explore a small area in the depths and rush back before the sky turned dark. He would rest here tonight and return tomorrow morning.
With this plan in mind, Xu Qing immediately moved. He jumped down from the temple and headed toward the depths.
The instant he stepped into the depths of the jungle, his nerves tensed up intensely and he became even more vigilant and cautious.
This was because he knew that the degree of danger here was much greater than the outer perimeter.
In reality, that was indeed the case. After an hour, Xu Qing's figure once again appeared within the range of the temple.
His expression was gloomy and there was still lingering fear in his eyes.
However, his leather pouch bulged as though it was filled to the brim.
Previously, he had only walked for less than a mile when he saw much aged seven-leaf grass. It seemed like it hadn't been picked for a long time. This surprised Xu Qing because those aged seven-leaf grass were very valuable.
However, when he was picking them, he felt that the density of the anomalous substances had doubled. If it wasn't for the fact that his shadow could absorb them, it would have been difficult for him or others to take a single step in.
Also, he saw the strange jellyfish he had seen in the forbidden zone from afar again…
There were over ten such jellyfish here but they were much smaller. However, the cold aura on their bodies was still very obvious.
Fortunately, most of these jellyfish were sleeping on trees. After Xu Qing saw them, he carefully avoided them.
However, as he moved forward, he had a very strong feeling. It was as though there were countless gazes in the depths of the jungle. They seemed to be corporeal and were filled with greed as they landed on him from an unknown location.
All of this caused Xu Qing to feel like needles were pricking his back.
This place was only the edge of the depths of this forbidden zone. The area inside was even larger and it was impossible to imagine how many terrifying existences there were.
Xu Qing didn't dare to continue forward and retreated safely.
It was only when he retreated to the temple's boundary that the feeling of the needles pricking his back dissipated.
It was as though this temple was a boundary that stopped the malice from the depths of the forbidden zone.
Xu Qing took a deep breath. Taking advantage of the fact that the sun was about to set, he found a temple that was barely intact and stepped into it.
He found a stone crevice and crawled in, preparing to spend the night there.
Captain Lei had said that this place could temporarily avoid danger.
He had also checked the interior of the temple. This place was very spacious and exuded a strong sense of the passage of time. Regardless of whether it was the knife-wielding stone statue enshrined on the main seat or the numerous human statues carved on the surrounding walls, they all became blurry in the quicksand of time.
At the same time, there weren't many traces of mutated beast feces in the temple.
If there were none of them, or if there were many of them, Xu Qing wouldn't have chosen the place.
This was because neither was normal. Only when there were only a few traces of their existence would it be relatively safe.
After all, although the temple was in the jungle, there were very few trees there. Therefore, it was reasonable for mutated beasts who were used to living in the jungle to not come here often.
Very soon, night arrived.
As the roars from the outside world rang out, Xu Qing silently cultivated.
Time flowed by and it was in line with his judgment. There were very few mutated beasts in the temple group at night. Although the roars could be heard, they were mostly coming from afar.
However, just like yesterday, when Xu Qing was cultivating in the middle of the night, the strange and chaotic sound of footsteps appeared once again!
This time, it appeared outside the temple.
"Again?"
Xu Qing frowned. He didn't know why the footsteps would appear at the location he was at twice. He felt a little uneasy. After some thought, he did what he did yesterday and didn't open his eyes.
However, this time, the footsteps didn't gradually fade away like yesterday. Instead, there were more and more footsteps.
As they continued to gather, waves of cold intent permeated the air. It was as though countless bizarre existences had gathered outside the temple and were about to invade it.
Xu Qing's heart sank as he gripped his iron stick tightly. His mind quickly constructed the environment of this temple as well as a way to deal with any dangers.
At that moment, the sounds of footsteps converging outside suddenly disappeared and it became incomparably quiet.
This silence didn't make Xu Qing heave a sigh of relief. On the contrary, it made him feel as though a storm was coming and all the hairs on his body stood on end. He could faintly sense that the strange aura that had gathered outside the temple seemed to be hesitating about entering.
At the next instant, amidst the silence, the bizarre entity outside ultimately chose to step into the temple. Xu Qing then heard the sound of footsteps on the stone bricks as they entered the temple.
Smack.
This sound was like a huge rock that fell into Xu Qing's mind, causing his heart to sink. However, at this moment, waves of murmurs suddenly echoed in the temple, containing incomparable holiness.
There were also strands of golden light that suddenly spread out from the walls of the temple, illuminating the entire temple and permeating the air around Xu Qing. This caused the world under his eyelids, which was originally pitch-black, to instantly shine with light.
Under this golden light, Xu Qing felt a piercing pain in his eyes. This was the first time he opened his eyes after encountering such a strange situation.
-x-X-x-
He saw a golden light!
It came from all the blurry human figures on the inner walls of the temple.
Each of them was a small source of light. At this moment, the light gathered, causing the entire temple to become incomparably bright. However, the largest source of light wasn't them.
It was the main statue enshrined in the temple, the stone statue that held the stone saber!
Under the golden light, Xu Qing's mind trembled. He also saw a black foggy figure standing at the entrance of the temple. He couldn't see its appearance clearly but he could see a blurry human figure that was distorted in the golden light.
Outside the temple behind him, there were hundreds of black fog figures that looked like blurry human figures. There were humans and beasts.
At that moment, all of them emitted an astonishing chill that gathered together, transforming into a monstrous chill that seemed to be connected to the black fog that had seeped into the temple.
This caused the only black shadow that entered the temple to slowly raise its head under the illumination of the golden light. It let out a roar that seemed to be able to shake souls and took another step forward.
This step seemed to have offended someone and touched a taboo!
On the instance he landed, Xu Qing was shocked to see that the saber-wielding stone statue that emitted boundless light seemed to come alive as it directly walked down from the ground.
With supreme dignity and an indescribable holiness, he was like a god that had descended to the mortal world. He strode forward and walked toward the black shadow amidst the rumbling sounds on the ground.
He raised his hand and struck down with his blade.
This strike was simple and unadorned. However, it seemed to contain a certain charm of the Great Dao, shocking the heavens and earth.
One's ears couldn't hear it but one's soul could sense the mournful voice emanating from the black shadow.
The fog instantly evaporated, revealing a rotting body in tattered clothes.
He could tell that it was an old man with empty eye sockets.
At the next moment, its body directly collapsed and evaporated like fog.
As for the black shadows outside, they were also affected, one after another. The black fog around their bodies became somewhat blurry, allowing Xu Qing to see a familiar face among those figures with the help of the golden light.
It was the Bloodshadow Team Captain!
At that moment, he was within the group of black shadows. His skinny face had no expression at all. As the golden light spread out, his entire body seemed to have been purified and dissipated.
A long time later, in the darkness outside, the figures that hadn't dissipated slowly retreated and finally disappeared completely.
At the same time, the golden light in the temple gradually decreased. The imposing figure then turned around and returned to his original location with the light. As the light on his body completely dissipated, he seemed to have transformed back into a stone statue. He stood there and gazed in the direction of the gate, as though he was waiting and guarding it. He didn't move at all.
After a long time, everything returned to normal. Only Xu Qing, who had seen all of this through the crack in the rocks, was panting heavily. Disbelief could be seen in his eyes.
The Bloodshadow Team Captain who had clearly died in the singing fog and turned into dust still existed.
It was just an ordinary temple but at night, it emitted boundless golden light.
The motionless stone statue walked down like a god descending to the mortal world. That strike was incomparably profound.
At that moment, sunlight appeared outside. A new day had arrived.
It took a long time for Xu Qing to calm down. He then silently crawled out from the crevice.
He looked at the light outside and then at the human statues on the surrounding walls. Finally, his gaze landed on the stone statue with the saber.
He didn't know what kind of existence the other party was. Was he alive or had he passed away?
It was unknown how old this cluster of temples was or how glorious they were.
However, everything that happened last night shocked him greatly.
This was especially so for the imposing aura contained in that profound saber strike. It caused Xu Qing to be deeply shocked, as though it had been carved into his soul and was impossible to forget.
He couldn't imagine that in this forbidden zone that was filled with dangers, there was actually an area where darkness couldn't enter.
Captain Lei hadn't told him about this matter. Perhaps even Captain Lei didn't know about it.
The scene last night didn't appear very frequently. At the same time, no one could stay in the forbidden zone for a long time like him.
Therefore, even if others had seen it, the number of people that did was extremely few. What was more likely was how this matter was turned into an unproven legend.
Xu Qing fell silent. He then bowed deeply toward the stone statue and the surrounding people.
After some thought, he took out a piece of candle from his leather pouch and placed it in front of the stone statue. He then lit it and bowed again.
He turned and left the temple.
Even after he walked out of the cluster of temples, he still turned his head back to look at the temple's direction from time to time, as though he wanted to engrave this place in his heart. At the same time, the scene of the strike kept appearing in his mind.
This scene was incomparably clear in his mind, so much so that Xu Qing, who had left the range of the temples, raised his right hand when he was walking in the jungle. He instinctively wanted to imitate it.
Every time he copied the move, he felt it deeply.
If the cultivation of the Mountains and Seas Art was an imitation and visualization of the xiao diagram, then the current Xu Qing had replaced the xiao diagram with the image of the saber strike in his mind.
During this imitation, his cultivation unknowingly broke through and his Mountains and Seas Art advanced to the fourth level!
Perhaps it was because he had copied the saber strike but the increase this time not only increased his strength and speed by several folds, it also allowed him to make some mental breakthroughs.
This kind of breakthrough caused Xu Qing's thoughts to be even sharper. At the same time, when he lifted and lowered his right hand, there was a faint hint of the feeling of a falling blade from a god statue.
This made Xu Qing very surprised.
Gradually, two days passed. Maybe it was because he was in the periphery, or maybe it was because of the intimidation from the temple, he didn't encounter any strange footsteps on the way back.
-x-X-x-
As for the mutated beasts, Xu Qing encountered some of them.
However, the increase in his cultivation base allowed his ability to protect his life to increase. It could be considered successful if he was careful.
Although he didn't find the heavenfate flower and scar-repelling stone, his harvest of the seven-leaf grass wasn't small. If he went back and sold them, he could exchange them for quite a lot of spirit coins.
At this moment, when dusk was about to arrive, Xu Qing also saw the world outside the jungle. Just when he was about to walk out, his footsteps suddenly paused. He lowered his head and looked at a blade of grass beside him.
The appearance of this grass was somewhat similar to the heavenfate flower. However, even with his meager knowledge of plants and vegetation, he could tell that this wasn't the heavenfate flower after taking a closer look.
However, Xu Qing thought about it and looked around guiltily. After some hesitation, he still plucked it in the end and kept it in his leather pouch.
He sprinted all the way out of the jungle and returned to the campsite at night.
It wasn't late at night yet, so the campsite was still very lively. This was especially so for the areas with feathers on the tents. Amidst the lively atmosphere, one could hear bursts of unrestrained panting.
Xu Qing didn't pay attention to these. When he returned to his residence, he had just pushed open the courtyard gate when he saw Captain Lei walking out of the house.
Captain Lei only felt relieved when he noticed that although Xu Qing was in a sorry state, there was nothing wrong with him.
"What took you so long?"
"I went to the temple." Under the moonlight and the light from the house, Xu Qing saw the redness in Captain Lei's eyes and the fatigue on his face.
He hadn't had a good rest during this period of time. As for the reason… he had already realized it, so he felt some warmth in his heart.
"Temple?" Captain Lei was a little surprised. He didn't expect Xu Qing to have ran so far. At that moment, he called Xu Qing into the kitchen and rolled up his sleeves. As Xu Qing waited, he served the dishes that were already prepared.
The food was still warm and there were no signs of it being touched. Xu Qing started.
He was very clear that Captain Lei didn't know when he would be back. So, the fact that he was able to heat up the food right after he returned could only mean one thing.
The other party… had prepared food every day and was waiting for him.
Xu Qing silently stood up and went to get the bowls and chopsticks. There were three sets of chopsticks lined up. After that, he sat down and started eating.
It was very fragrant. There was a special taste that could only be experienced by the heart.
Captain Lei ate very little. Most of the time, he was either drinking or looking at Xu Qing with a smile on his face.
"Eat more. You're still growing. If you don't eat more, you might not become tall in the future."
This sentence made Xu Qing lower his head. After a while, he hummed in agreement and obediently ate more. After that, he told Captain Lei about what he had seen and heard in the temple.
Captain Lei was originally drinking mouthful after mouthful of wine but he was soon attracted by Xu Qing's tales. After Xu Qing finished speaking, he took a deep breath and slowly spoke.
"I've heard people talking about this before but that was a long time ago. Some people seemed to have seen a similar scene but like the singing voice, it eventually became a legend.
"Now that I think about it, it seemed to have happened not long after the singing voice appeared." Captain Lei muttered. He suddenly thought of something and sadness slowly appeared in his eyes as he reminisced.
Looking at Captain Lei, Xu Qing knew what he was thinking about. He suddenly felt a little guilty and felt that he shouldn't have said this. Hence, he fell silent.
After a while, Captain Lei regained his senses. He seemed to have seen the reason for Xu Qing's silence and smiled.
"You're too sensitive. I'm not as fragile as you think."
As Captain Lei spoke, he drank a large mouthful of wine and changed the topic. He then told Xu Qing about the interesting things that had happened at the campsite recently.
He chatted as he drank and Xu Qing listened as he ate.
They were like each other's… family.
Late at night, Captain Lei sat there and drank his wine. After Xu Qing cleaned the table, Captain Lei smiled and got up, returning to his room.
Xu Qing also returned to his room. After he entered, he saw that the bedding had been changed to a new one. Moreover, it had been rolled up earlier and was laid out properly. There was even a hint of a sun-dried smell on it.
Xu Qing lifted his head and looked at Captain Lei's room next door. After a long while, he walked over and wanted to sit on it. However, when he lowered his head and saw the dirt on his clothes and hands, he still rolled up the blanket and sat on the bed frame with his eyes closed as he cultivated.
Early in the morning, Xu Qing opened his eyes.
He was about to leave the room but after some thought, he went to the bathroom and endured the discomfort to wash his hands.
After making his hands clean and white, he took a deep breath and walked out of the room, heading straight for the tent the doctor was in.
He knew that he couldn't go too early, nor could he bear to go too late.
As for the former, Grandmaster Bai hadn't started lessons yet. As for the latter… he was worried that he wouldn't be able to hear the content at the start.
Just like that, with Xu Qing's calculations, when he arrived outside Grandmaster Bai's tent, the sound of an assessment rang out.
Xu Qing was very happy in his heart. He stood there silently and listened attentively.
"Green lotus flower dew, also known as green lotus dew. It's a flower bud from the water lily family's lotus. It's an aromatic water obtained by combining it with a special method of heating. It has the effect of flattening one's lungs and treating heat by coughing up blood…"
The voice of the young girl in the tent was as usual. Xu Qing slowly fell into a trance as he listened, unaware of the passage of time. Very soon, more than two hours passed. It was until the tent suddenly opened that Grandmaster Bai stood there and looked at him.
"What's the matter?" Grandmaster Bai's gaze wasn't sharp but it was dignified. Xu Qing was very nervous. He braced himself and took out the medicinal herbs he had plucked on his way back. He then lowered his head and spoke softly.
"Grandmaster Bai, I… I wanted to ask if this is a heavenfate flower."
As soon as he said this, Grandmaster Bai was stunned.
After his gaze swept over, there was a hint of strangeness in his gaze. He then looked at the youth's hands which were much cleaner than before. After a long while, Xu Qing grew increasingly nervous and he slowly spoke.
"This one isn't."
Xu Qing hurriedly bowed and left. On the way, he heaved a sigh of relief but he still felt some trepidation in his heart. Hence, he turned his head to look at the tent and discovered that Grandmaster Bai was also standing there.
Noticing the youth's gaze, Grandmaster Bai nodded.
When Xu Qing saw this scene, he stopped in his tracks and bowed deeply once more before leaving.
After watching Xu Qing's figure disappear into the distance, Grandmaster Bai turned and walked into the tent. At that moment, the guards, the young man and woman who were originally in the tent seemed to have been petrified and were motionless.
At the place where Grandmaster Bai sat earlier, a table had been placed there at some point in time. On top of it were some delicacies and fine wine. Beside him was an old man in purple robes and behind him was a gray-robed old servant.
Seeing Grandmaster Bai enter, the purple-robed old man laughed.
"Grandmaster Bai, how was it?"
"What do you mean how was it?"
Grandmaster Bai didn't seem surprised by the sudden appearance of the purple-robed old man. He wasn't worried about the motionless crowd either. He sat opposite the purple-robed old man and took a sip from the flask.
"I'm talking about that kid. I told you last time that I found a good seedling while waiting for you." The purple-robed old man said with a smile.
"A good seedling? It's one thing for this kid to come here to eavesdrop for the first time but this time, to eavesdrop, he casually found a medicinal herb and asked me if it was the heavenfate flower. If this continues, I reckon he'll use the excuse of asking about medicinal herbs to eavesdrop every day. If you didn't talk to me about him, I would have chased him away long ago."
Grandmaster Bai glared and snorted at the purple-robed old man.
The purple-robed old man laughed.
"You have a sharp tongue but a soft heart. With your bad temper, if you didn't sincerely think that he was a promising talent, it would be useless no matter who introduced him."
Grandmaster Bai let out a cold snort and didn't bother to defend himself.
"Are you planning to bring him back to the Seven Blood Eyes? Your place is filled with foul air. All you would do is waste a scholar's seedling!"
"How is it a waste? What's the use of being a scholar? Cultivation is the most important thing in this world!" The purple-robed old man raised his brows and replied.
"A scholar is useless? Why did you still come here to wait for a mortal like me? You kept inviting me to your Seven Blood Eyes." Grandmaster Bai said angrily.
"You're different…" The purple-robed old man smiled awkwardly.
"How am I different?!" Grandmaster Bai glared at the purple-robed old man with a bad temper.
The purple-robed old man helplessly slapped his forehead.
"Aiya, I just remembered that there's something I haven't done. Grandmaster Bai, I'll take my leave first. I'll come back to drink with you tomorrow."
With that, the purple-robed old man stood up and was about to leave. However, before he left, he turned back to look at Grandmaster Bai and spoke seriously.
"Grandmaster Bai, if you really think that that brat is a promising talent, then teach him some knowledge. Let him have a chance to become a scholar with cultivation in the Seven Blood Eyes."
With that, the purple-robed old man left with the old servant beside him. After he left, the stillness in the tent instantly departed. However, no one noticed the abnormality earlier.
The guard was still standing guard. The youth was still vexed and the girl was still smug.
Only Grandmaster Bai lifted his head and looked in the direction Xu Qing had left earlier, his gaze pensive.
-x-X-x-
At that moment, Xu Qing only heaved a long sigh of relief when he returned to his residence.
He felt that it wasn't too good for him to do that but his thirst for knowledge left him with no other choice.
He also understood that his little trick had probably been seen through.
"I have to repay you in the future."
The youth mumbled and remembered this matter in his heart. He didn't know how he could return the favor but that was what he thought in his heart. Maybe he would have this chance in the future.
Worried that he might forget, Xu Qing took out a bamboo slip from his leather pouch and used an iron stick to carve the words 'Grandmaster Bai' on it.
Upon closer inspection, other than Grandmaster Bai, there was also Captain Lei on the bamboo slip. There were also three other names on it.
Those three names were all people who had helped him in the slums. Even if it was just a little, he remembered them by heart.
Just like that, after carving the name, Xu Qing took out another bamboo slip and recalled the content he had heard during this lesson, recording it down bit by bit.
He even took out the bamboo slip from the previous lesson and silently memorized it. After confirming that he had memorized everything, his expression revealed satisfaction.
"There are already twenty-seven types of herbs that I understand."
Xu Qing was very happy. This feeling lasted for an entire day and he was also in a good mood when he cultivated.
Hence, he woke up very early the next day. After selling some seven-leaf grass, he bought a herb that was similar to the heavenfate flower and went to Grandmaster Bai's tent with great familiarity.
It was still the same spot as yesterday. He stood there and silently waited while paying attention to the lesson inside. When the lesson ended and Grandmaster Bai walked out to ask, Xu Qing nervously took out the medicinal herbs and asked.
Looking at the medicinal herbs, Grandmaster Bai coughed lightly. As he shook his head, he told Xu Qing about the medicinal herbs he had bought.
This allowed Xu Qing to gain additional understanding of another type of medicinal herb. This caused his satisfaction and gratitude to deepen. After he bowed and left, he turned his head in the distance and saw Grandmaster Bai standing at the same spot as yesterday, nodding his head in acknowledgment.
This scene was reflected in Xu Qing's eyes and it was also engraved in his mind.
Just like that, half a month passed.
Xu Qing would take all kinds of medicinal herbs almost every day and ask Grandmaster Bai after he finished listening to the lesson outside his tent.
He learnt more and more about herbs. He even heard a lot about the method to mix herbs.
This allowed Xu Qing to gain a lot. He had recorded dozens of bamboo slips.
As for Grandmaster Bai, he had never mentioned anything about Xu Qing stealing his skills. Every day, he would patiently answer his questions about the medicinal herbs.
In the end, not only were the guards used to the appearance of this kid in a leather coat every morning but even the youths in the tent had a deep impression of him.
He even came when it was raining heavily outside. Regardless of whether it was Grandmaster Bai or the young man and woman, they all thought that Xu Qing wouldn't come. However, Xu Qing walked over in the rain wearing a raincoat.
No matter the weather.
This left a deep impression on Grandmaster Bai and his two disciples.
Hence, one day, when it was time for class and Xu Qing didn't show up on time, which was a rare occurrence, the young man and woman would frequently glance outside.
They seemed to be surprised that the dirty little scavenger didn't come today.
It was only when Xu Qing's fatigued figure appeared in the tent that the youth and young girl retracted their gazes.
The reason why he was late was because other than attending Grandmaster Bai's lessons, Xu Qing would also enter the forbidden zone to search for heavenfate flowers and scar removal stones. At the same time, he was also tempering himself by hunting mutated beasts.
However, the search process wasn't very smooth.
He still hadn't found these two items and Xu Qing once again experienced the dangers of the forbidden zone.
Even though he was at the fourth level of the Mountains and Seas Art, he still possessed the keen judgment and observation of an old scavenger. If he was careful in the outer edges of the jungle, he might be able to survive or even hunt but he would still encounter danger occasionally.
That time, he was late because he had encountered a mutated beast that had walked out from the depths. He barely managed to escape death. After running for an entire night, he finally returned in the morning.
After he returned, he didn't rest but quietly listened to the lecture.
Other than that, during these few days, Xu Qing had another gain that wasn't too big or too small. That was the insurance that Bone Blade had mentioned.
Bone Blade lived very well.
Ever since Xu Qing bought insurance from him last time, he would come and buy it every time he entered the forbidden zone. Since the fog never appeared again, Xu Qing didn't make a move either.
However, Bone Blade was still persistent. In fact, for some reason, more and more people came to buy insurance from him.
Out of caution, Xu Qing didn't bother with most of them. He only agreed for the people whom he had saved before.
This caused Xu Qing's income to increase. Coupled with the harvest he obtained from hunting in the forbidden zone, his days slowly got better.
Although Captain Lei couldn't continue with his mission, the rent money Xu Qing offered was extremely high. Even though Captain Lei didn't accept it, Xu Qing still insisted. In the end, Captain Lei could only accept it.
Captain Lei spent most of the money on food. This allowed Xu Qing to have hot food every time he returned from the forbidden zone.
Captain Lei even bought some clothes for Xu Qing.
These clothes were all very new and Xu Qing couldn't bear to wear them. Every piece of clothing was neatly folded and placed in a cabinet. He would occasionally take them out to take a look, feeling happy whenever he did so.
Mealtime every day was also the warmest moment for Xu Qing.
This was because not only did he eat well but Captain Lei also liked to talk about the trivial matters on the campsite at this time, just like how the elders at home would talk about their neighbors when they were old.
During this time, Cross and Luan Tooth also returned. They accompanied Captain Lei for a while before leaving again.
It could be said that this period of time was the time when Xu Qing felt the most satisfied in the past six years.
With hot meals, new clothes and Captain Lei's company, his cultivation base was also improving. His knowledge of plants and vegetation was also increasing.
Hence, other than feeling satisfied, he cherished everything he had now. Every day, he would attend lessons outside the tent and was exceptionally serious.
On this day, under the morning sun, Xu Qing, who was standing outside the tent, heard Grandmaster Bai's question to the youth.
"Chen Feiyuan, tell me about this medicinal herb, Night Corpse Leading Ox."
Chen Feiyuan was Grandmaster Bai's name for the youth. Xu Qing had learned about it during the past month or so and he also knew that the girl's name was Tingyu.
Hearing Grandmaster Bai's question, the youth didn't know how to answer. He stuttered for a while before stopping.
Xu Qing couldn't see the tent but he could imagine that after the tent was opened many times, he would see the other party's mournful face from the corner of his eyes.
"Ignorant and incompetent. Tingyu, you will answer." Grandmaster Bai's voice was very stern as he named the girl to answer.
However, this time around, the girl was not prepared enough.
"Night Corpse Leading Ox, also known as Poison Mountain Root Spot… Teacher, I, I forgot." After the girl said this, she fell silent.
The tent immediately fell silent. It was obvious that Grandmaster Bai was brewing with anger. At that moment, Grandmaster Bai's voice resounded with unconcealable anger.
"Kid, you answer."
Xu Qing, who was outside the tent, started and subconsciously spoke up.
"Night Corpse Leading Ox, also known as Poison Mountain Root Spotted Chrysanthemum. It is the root and stem of the vine of the chrysanthemum plant, the thin-veined Turtledove Chrysanthemum. It is a woody vine that grows in ravines with Yin energy, cold streams, or jungles. Its taste is astringent and slightly warm when it enters the mouth. It also has the feeling of rotting. It has the miraculous effect of reducing wind. However, it is excessively poisonous. It belongs in the typical extreme endpoint of yin and yang grass." Xu Qing stopped here.
"What are the symptoms of an overdose?" In the tent, Grandmaster Bai asked again while the two of them were feeling slightly unconvinced.
"The symptoms of poisoning are abdominal pain, dizziness and hallucinations. If we don't save a person in 15 minutes, he will die." Xu Qing, who was outside the tent, was nervous but he didn't stop at all and immediately answered.
"How to detoxify the poison."
"You can use the method of vomiting and stomach lavage, supplemented by egg white and red-thorn stamen to treat the illness when the sun is strong at noon. The treatment time cannot exceed an hour and it can last for three consecutive days."
Following Xu Qing's answer, although Grandmaster Bai, who was in the tent, was expressionless, the eyes of the young man and woman beside him widened in surprise.
"What are the Yin-Yang Dual Polarity Plants?" Grandmaster Bai asked again.
"The two extremes of Yin and Yang, so-called the combination of good and evil, yang is medicine, yin is poison." Xu Qing answered without hesitation. These were all the knowledge he had heard during this period of time and he had memorized them many times, so he was already very familiar with them.
"How will this plant perform?" Grandmaster Bai asked even faster.
"Using the Night Corpse Leading Ox as an example, when combined with the Inch Leaf, it can increase the yang effect by several times. It can also help soothe injury caused by anomalous substances to the soul. However, if it is combined with the Fleeceflower, the yin effect will increase greatly. The toxicity is so great that if an ordinary person accidentally eats it, they will die within thirty breaths of time.
"How do you deal with the Fleeceflowers?"
"What's the use of an inch root?" Grandmaster Bai asked faster and faster. The nervousness in Xu Qing's heart gradually lessened and he answered equally quickly.
Just like that, the old man and the young man questioned and answered each other across the tent. Time flowed by and the time it took for an incense stick to burn passed.
Grandmaster Bai asked a lot of questions and many of them were answers that could only be known after combining the content of the lecture that had been held many days ago. However, Xu Qing answered all of them fluently.
As for the young man and woman, their previous shock had turned into extreme shock. They stared blankly at the figure projected in the tent.
Finally, under the dumbfounded gazes of the young man and woman, Grandmaster Bai asked his last question.
"Three stalks of one-year-old night-corpse lead-ox, six stalks of three-year-old Past-cloud cluster, and nine stalks of ten-year-old random chosen sedge grass of the single-horn water centipede. What are the effects of the medicinal liquid concocted?"
As soon as this question was asked, the expressions of the youth and the young girl changed rapidly and their breathing became hurried. This was because what was involved was no longer simple herbs but mixing them.
This question was also the one that caused Xu Qing to remain silent for the longest time. He pondered for over thirty breaths before he took a deep breath and spoke in a low voice.
"It's hard for evil to suppress good. The yang is stronger than the yin for the yin is weaker. Coupled with the effects of cloud grass, it can allow for the detoxification effect of the sedge grass of the single-horn water centipede to reach an astonishing level." After Xu Qing finished speaking, his eyes widened as he vaguely realized something.
"This is 70% of the basic pill formula for the Great Transformation Pill among the detoxification pills. In addition to three other types of medicinal herbs, it can be refined after heating for 14 hours." Grandmaster Bai's voice rang out faintly from within the tent.
"After testing you so much, do you have anything you want to ask?"
Xu Qing's mind jolted and his breathing became hurried.
In the past month or so, he indeed had many questions that he didn't understand. However, he was only eavesdropping after all. Although Grandmaster Bai was kind and didn't stop him, it wasn't good for him to disturb the other party's lesson and he couldn't ask about it.
Upon hearing Grandmaster Bai's words, Xu Qing hurriedly organized his thoughts and asked.
"Grandmaster Bai, regardless of whether it's in terms of origin or effects, the flamethrower hemp and impotence spike have something in common. What's the difference between the two?"
"Why can't the Spirit Stopping Flower be picked during the day?"
"The sap of the Inch Leaf has the effect of warding off evil spirits. Why can't it be used together with the Life Eye Branch that is also warding off evil spirits?"
…
Xu Qing asked one question after another and Grandmaster Bai answered them one after another. Every answer was very detailed.
As for Xu Qing, it was as though he couldn't finish asking. It was only when the time passed far exceeded the duration of the lesson and the two youths looked at him as though they were looking at a monster that Xu Qing glanced at the sky with a hint of longing and had no choice but to end the questioning.
He felt that he had gained an indescribable harvest from this day. Most of the questions in his heart had been answered and he even felt like he had mastered them.
This made his thirst for knowledge even stronger. He was prepared to engrave everything when he returned.
Just as he was about to leave, Grandmaster Bai's tired voice rang out from within the tent.
"From now on, you don't have to stand outside or take those messy medicinal herbs. From tomorrow onwards, you can enter the tent to listen to the lesson."