Secret Medicine and Scheming

Morning.

Firecrackers boomed outside, while Lin Zheyu's fists struck the wooden post in his yard with heavy thuds.

After practicing his fist techniques for several hours, his understanding of Fist Momentum had deepened a little further.

He walked along the streets.

Everywhere, people were worshipping Gods, with crackling firecrackers erupting on all sides.

There were as many Gods in Great Wei as hairs on an ox. On Little New Year, people were either worshipping Gods or preparing to worship them.

Every household burned paper money and offered incense devoutly, praying that the coming year would bring better days and that the chaos of war would subside.

There were scarcely any smiles on the adults' faces, only misery and worry.

Business was poor. Bandits ran rampant outside the city, and crops could not be planted—they would only be seized by the bandits.

Even Lin Zheyu himself was having a hard time. His income had shrunk again and again.

From roughly two thousand copper coins a day during his peak, it had dwindled to just over a thousand in total now, even counting the monthly wages paid by the Flying Rainbow Gang.

It had nearly been cut in half.

Unlike the harsh lives of ordinary people, the great families still lived in fine clothes and rich food, amid song and dancing.

The clear, melodious singing of courtesans rose alongside the accompaniment of instruments.

Within Songning Garden of the Xing Family, song and dance flourished, untouched by the ravages of war.

The dancers wore exceedingly revealing outfits: a layer of pink gauze with nothing beneath, half-hidden and half-revealed, irresistibly drawing the eye.

Today was Little New Year. The younger generation of the Xing Family had gathered in Songning Garden to watch dances, listen to music, chat, and make merry, with not a trace of economic decline in sight.

The brothers Xing Jinglong and Xing Penghai were there as well. Besides them, there were young masters and misses from the Xing Family's collateral branches and families related by marriage.

"Wonderful, absolutely wonderful!"

The young master seated opposite Xing Jinglong lightly clapped his hands in praise.

The dancers invited today had graceful figures and dazzling, ethereal movements. They were truly a feast for the eyes.

"Brother, if you like them, have the servants arrange a few for you later. Wouldn't it be delightful to keep them overnight?" Xing Jinglong said with a smile.

"Leave one for me too. I'd like a taste as well, hehe."

Xing Jinglong and Xing Jing An were actual brothers, thirteen years apart. Xing Penghai, meanwhile, was the son of Xing Jinglong's third uncle—his cousin.

Though the two were brothers, they looked vastly different.

Xing Jing An appeared refined and well-proportioned, with a handsome air about him. Xing Jinglong was tall, fat, and heavily built, looking somewhat lecherous and vicious.

"It won't be our turn. Those dancers have all caught someone's eye already. How could we possibly get to choose?" Xing Jing An said with a shrug and a smile.

"That's true. Every year, the direct line chooses first before it's our turn." Xing Jinglong said regretfully.

"There are plenty of pretty girls. Once the banquet is over, let's head to Hundred Flowers Pavilion for some fun. I booked a large private room," Xing Penghai said with a grin.

"Brother Hai, how are things progressing on your end?"

Xing Jing An asked. Xing Penghai was several years older than him and was his cousin.

"Those bandits are all sharp as needles; they're not easy to persuade. And Lion Valley is filled with dangers. With the natural terrain to help them, they can hide easily and are hard to find."

"After all this time, I've only subdued one small group of fewer than fifty people. Their leader is fairly capable, at the peak of the Viscera Refining Realm."

Xing Penghai spoke carelessly, his eyes fixed on the dancing girls.

"The same goes for me. Every family is on guard now, so it's hard to turn them against their own," Xing Jing An said.

"First Uncle and the others are acting so openly. Aren't they afraid the City Lord will notice? City Lord's strength is utterly terrifying. If he finds out, then..."

Xing Jinglong said worriedly.

"What's there to fear? City Lord does not involve himself in affairs. As long as we don't make too much of a disturbance or disrupt Songyi City's order, it'll be fine."

"Besides, we're merely incorporating bandits from outside the city into the City Guard. It both suppresses the bandit problem and strengthens Songyi City. We're doing a great deed."

Xing Penghai chuckled, utterly unconcerned.

He turned toward Xing Jinglong and asked, "Has that kid I told you to watch shown any recent movement?"

"His comprehension talent is quite good. If we can subdue and control him, then use Secret Medicine to cultivate him and unleash his potential, we can produce a Qi and Blood Realm Expert within half a year."

The Xing Family possessed an ancestral Secret Medicine formula that could draw out a talented martial artist's future potential, causing their strength to surge rapidly in a short time.

However, the formula imposed extremely high requirements on a martial artist's potential. It was only effective on geniuses with astonishing comprehension talent; ordinary people saw little effect from it.

Once used, whether it succeeded or not, the martial artist's lifespan would be drastically reduced to less than five years.

Thus, the Xing Family sought out talented people from outside, controlled them with medicine, and then used Secret Medicine to raise their strength, turning them into the family's enforcers.

This Secret Medicine was extraordinarily costly, and after using it, one only had five years left to live. Its value for money was poor.

Only in times of war would they use Secret Medicine to raise those talented martial artists' strength, using them to face the coming crisis.

"I've already had people watching him, but that fellow is slippery as an eel and rarely leaves home. In the city, there are too many eyes and ears, so it's not easy to act."

Xing Jinglong said, "The moment he leaves the city, people from the Unfixed Gang will report to me. Then I'll take men outside the city and bring him under control."

"Mm, there's no rushing this. It really is difficult to act in the city. One move would pull the whole body, provoking backlash from the other families."

Xing Jing An nodded, and their gazes returned to the dancers.

The dancers invited today really were each more beautiful than the last. Even they, who were accustomed to beauty, could not help wanting to look a few more times.

After passing through the streets, Lin Zheyu arrived at Bi Dan Teahouse.

Whenever he had nothing to do, Lin Zheyu liked to sit at a teahouse or Hundred Flowers Pavilion and cultivate his sensibilities.

Though the Flying Rainbow Gang did not have much to do, and many trivial matters could be handled by the underlings.

Lin Zheyu, Jia Yanyong, and the others could not simply wander about either. They needed to be ready at all times for emergencies that might arise.

As people from other cities flooded in, more troublemakers had appeared in Songyi City, but they had all been easily dealt with.

Since it was Little New Year, there were many people at the teahouse with their families in tow.

Jia Yanyong and the others were there as well, though only the three of them. They were huddled together, grinning in an exceptionally lecherous manner.

All three of them loved the stories of The Condor-Shooting Tale. Since Lin Zheyu also often drank tea here, the place had gradually become their base of operations.

From time to time, they would sit here drinking, gambling, and discussing gossip.

"It's Little New Year. Why aren't you lot home helping out? What are you doing here?"

Lin Zheyu walked over and sat down with them.

"Ah, staying home is boring. The wife and parents keep nagging about this and that. It's irritating," Jia Yanyong said impatiently.

The other two nodded in agreement.

These fellows were not the stay-at-home sort. They spent all day fooling around outside. Lin Zheyu felt it was not worth it for their wives, but he said nothing.

"Young Master Xu called you over yesterday. Was there some good news?" Xie Jiang asked curiously.

"We drank a little and met Young Master Chen and Young Master Ren," Lin Zheyu said.

"That's it?"

"That's it. What else did you expect?"

Lin Zheyu shot him a glance. He had no desire to tell this gossip-loving fellow that Xu Qin Yi wanted to introduce him to a girl.

If he said it, the entire Flying Rainbow Gang would probably know by tomorrow.

He took a sip of tea and changed the subject. "Do you know how strong the City Lord is?"

He had asked Gang Leader Xu before, but Gang Leader Xu had not answered.

Later, he had quietly asked around as well, but no one knew much about the City Lord.

The City Lord had always kept an extremely low profile. Many people in the city only knew the officials at the government office and did not even know Songyi City had a City Lord.

"The City Lord?"

"Why would you ask that?"

Jia Yanyong asked in confusion. To him, the City Lord had barely any presence at all.

"I don't know. I only know that the City Lord's surname is Chen, that he is called Chen Qingfeng, and that he was appointed from the Great Wei palace."

"He's been in Songyi City for more than ten years and has no real presence. A City Lord serves for twenty years. In a few more years, he'll be transferred away, and another official will be sent here," Xie Jiang said.

"You've been in Songyi City so long. Have you ever seen him Make a Move?" Lin Zheyu asked.

After returning that day, he had searched through the memories of the former owner of his body. His impression of the City Lord of Jiu Nan City was extremely vague.

The former owner had devoted himself wholeheartedly to studying. Most of his memories were filled with the countless Books of Sages and Philosophers.

"No."

Jia Yanyong and Xie Jiang both shook their heads.

"I do know a bit of gossip about the City Lord, but don't you dare tell anyone else."

Ning Hui cautiously looked around. Only after confirming that no one was eavesdropping did he continue in a low voice.

His overly cautious manner instantly stirred the others' curiosity.

"Especially you, Xie Jiang. Swear first that you won't tell anyone, or you don't get to hear it." Ning Hui looked at Xie Jiang with utter distrust.

Xie Jiang looked at Ning Hui speechlessly, cursing under his breath.

Still, he very reluctantly made a vicious oath, because he was curious too!

"More than ten years ago, Songyi City had five greatest aristocratic families. But now, only three remain. Do you know why?"

Ning Hui said mysteriously.

"Wasn't it said that a sudden plague broke out and everyone in the two families died?" Jia Yanyong said.

He had been young then, but he had some memories of it. Many people had died at the time.

One night, without any warning, two of Songyi City's five great aristocratic families had silently perished before dawn, every last person dead.

Even some farming households near them, as well as many people in the city, had quietly died that same night.

Afterward, the authorities investigated and soon gave an explanation, saying that some virulent epidemic had erupted within the city.

"That was only the explanation given to the outside world."

"I heard that City Lord was the one who acted, wiping out those two families overnight!" Ning Hui said in a lowered voice.

"Fuck, really?" Jia Yanyong said in shock.

"Where did you hear that gossip? Why have I never heard of it?"

Xie Jiang asked with doubt and disbelief. "And what terrible crime did they commit to be silently wiped out, leaving not a single one alive?"

Jia Yanyong also voiced his doubt. "Those two families vanished overnight, silently, with every one of them dead."

"If the City Lord did it, just how terrifying would his strength have to be?"

Lin Zheyu had thought of the same question.

To silently wipe out the populations of two families, including Qi and Blood Realm martial artists, was unimaginable.

"I have evidence."

"Come closer. Don't let anyone else hear."

"A few years before it happened, my father was a steward at Bai Residence. He was later thrown out after committing an offense, but he knew Bai Residence extremely well."

"According to my father, Bai Residence may have been involved in treason!"

Ning Hui lowered his voice extremely, speaking as though it were all true.

"Fuck!"

Jia Yanyong could not help blurting it out, only for Ning Hui to cover his mouth, his eyes clearly saying, If you dare tell anyone, I'll beat the shit out of you.

"Really?" Xie Jiang was stunned as well.

"Really. Why would I lie to you?"

"You remember that great famine more than ten years ago, right?"

"During that famine, a nursery rhyme circulated through Songyi City. Something about the Yellow Heaven being dead, the Azure Heaven rising, and the year being something or other."

"Everyone who spread that nursery rhyme was arrested and beheaded."

"And by chance, my father discovered that the Bai Family was secretly worshipping another God, called the Azure Heaven Supreme Myriad Dao Ultimate Golden Tower Supreme Great Emperor."

"That is a divine title only the founding ancestor of an imperial dynasty can possess!"

Ning Hui whispered, "So I guessed they were secretly involved in treason, and after City Lord discovered it, he wiped them out overnight."

Xie Jiang: "..."

Jia Yanyong: "..."

Lin Zheyu: "..."

The gossip had left them somewhat shocked.

Seeing their stunned expressions, Ning Hui looked immensely pleased with himself.

"You didn't make up a story just to fool us, did you?"

Once Xie Jiang recovered, he was still somewhat unconvinced.

Even if those two aristocratic families truly had been involved in treason, the City Lord was still far too powerful.

What kind of strength would it take to silently wipe out two aristocratic families with Qi and Blood Realm Experts in a single night?

"It's true. Why would I lie to you about this?" Ning Hui said seriously.

"I've heard that title, Azure Heaven Supreme Myriad Dao Ultimate Golden Tower Supreme Great Emperor, before."

Lin Zheyu said, "Didn't I spend some time as a Refugee? Among the Refugees, I heard the title Azure Heaven Supreme Myriad Dao Ultimate Golden Tower Supreme Great Emperor."

"Many people simply called him the Azure Heaven Great Emperor. They molded clay idols of him for worship, praying merely to survive."

Among the Refugees, there were people who believed in every sort of strange God.

But the greatest number believed in the Azure Heaven Great Emperor, as if someone were deliberately spreading the faith in secret.

Lin Zheyu had not thought much of it at the time. When people faced despair, they always liked to believe in intangible Gods, praying for miracles to descend.

Back then, he had even secretly prayed to Jesus, Guanyin, Buddha, God, and other deities from his previous life.

But it was fucking useless.

If Ren Qingying of the Ren Family had not handed out porridge, and if he had not desperately fought for a bowl, he would probably have died long ago.