Night Raid on Leopard Garden, Seizing the Spirit Herbs

Midnight had passed. The night was like thick black ink, draping the Lin Family estate in silence. Only a few stubborn strands of moonlight pierced the clouds, casting bleak, blurred patches of light upon the eaves and ground, adding several shades of gloom and mystery.

A black shadow, like a phantom melded into the night itself, slipped soundlessly along the shadows beneath Leopard Garden's outer wall.

Lin Chen pushed his breath-concealing technique to its limit, his entire body seeming to merge with the darkness. His formidable Body Tempering Realm Fifth Layer Mid-stage cultivation had brought his control over his own Aura to an entirely new level. Even in the stillness of the deep night, he barely stirred a whisper of wind or left behind the slightest trace.

He returned to the secluded corner of the wall he had scouted the previous night. He silently took out the rope and grappling hook he had carefully prepared during the day, woven from tough vines. Raising his head, he glanced at the wall, over ten feet high and embedded with sharp iron spikes along its top. His gaze was calm, without the slightest hesitation.

With a flick of his wrist, the crude grappling hook flew upward soundlessly with its rope as though it had come alive, accurately catching in the gap between two iron spikes atop the wall. Lin Chen gave it a gentle tug. Once he had confirmed it was secure, he took a deep breath and lightly kicked off the wall. His body climbed upward without a sound like an agile ape, borrowing the rope's strength.

His movements were light and nimble, making not the faintest sound. As he neared the top of the wall, he became even more cautious, avoiding the iron spikes glinting with cold light while carefully listening to every movement on both sides of the wall.

After confirming that it was safe, he flipped over the wall and landed softly as a feather in the shadows within the courtyard.

The instant he landed, a richer fragrance of grass and wood, mixed with a faint medicinal scent, drifted into his nose, along with a trace of barely perceptible extravagance. Leopard Garden's interior was even more refined and luxurious than what he had glimpsed from beyond the wall. Jagged rockeries, trickling streams—though the water had fallen silent in the deep night—and pavilions and towers arranged in pleasing order all clearly showed meticulous design and care.

Lin Chen had no mind to admire any of it. At once, his gaze fell upon the small herb garden deep within the courtyard that he had scouted the night before!

That was the foremost target of his visit—the Crimson Sun Grass!

He confirmed the direction once more, then, like the most vigilant leopard, bent low and swiftly slipped soundlessly toward the herb garden, using the shadows of rockeries, flowers, trees, and corridor pillars as cover.

The guards within Leopard Garden were indeed tighter than those outside. Aside from the hidden sentries on the walls, several teams of guards patrolled the courtyard along fixed routes. However, perhaps because it was late at night, or perhaps because Lin Bao was injured and had shut himself away, the guards were clearly somewhat lax. Most merely followed their routines without inspecting the corners too closely.

This gave Lin Chen a perfect opportunity.

Relying on strength far beyond those guards and his sharp perception, he always found a hiding spot before the patrols drew close, perfectly evading their sight. Several narrowly avoided encounters only filled him with greater confidence in his own strength and stealth techniques.

Soon, the small herb garden exuding a faint medicinal fragrance appeared before his eyes.

The herb garden was not large, only about half a mu in size, and surrounded by a low jade fence. More than a dozen varieties of strange flowers and exotic herbs grew within. Lin Chen did not recognize most of them, but without exception, they all gave off faint spiritual energy fluctuations. They were clearly precious spirit medicines.

At the very center of the herb garden, several spirit herbs roughly half a foot tall swayed gently beneath the faint moonlight. Their entire bodies were crimson, their leaves like burning flames, radiating scorching heat—it was precisely the Crimson Sun Grass!

Lin Chen counted them roughly. No more, no less—exactly five stalks! Judging by their color and the energy fluctuations they emitted, they had clearly grown for many years and were brimming with Medicinal Power!

Lin Chen's breathing quickened involuntarily, and an irrepressible fiery gleam flashed in his eyes!

Five mature stalks of Crimson Sun Grass! This was absolutely an immense fortune! If he refined and absorbed them all, his cultivation would surely rise greatly once again! It might even be possible for him to charge directly into the Body Tempering Realm Sixth Layer!

Yet he did not rashly rush forward at once.

His gaze settled upon the seemingly level ground surrounding the herb garden.

The warning formation he had discovered during last night's reconnaissance!

Though it was merely the lowest-grade defensive measure, once triggered, it would undoubtedly alert all of Leopard Garden! At that point, forget seizing the Crimson Sun Grass—even whether he could retreat unscathed would be a question!

"I have to disable this formation first!" Lin Chen's eyes sharpened.

He slipped once more to the darkest spot at the edge of the herb garden, the nearest location to the formation's core, then slowly extended his palm and held it just above the ground.

His consciousness sank into his dantian, connecting with the Myriad Dao Furnace!

"Refine!"

This time, with the experience of the previous night, he was far more adept!

Invisible, minute refining power seeped silently into the earth like living tendrils, accurately locking onto the jade stones and metal pieces buried underground that served as the formation's nodes!

He did not try to completely refine those materials. That would cause too much commotion and consume too much mental energy. He merely needed to... destroy the energy connections between them! To make the entire formation temporarily "short-circuit"!

Sizzle... sizzle...

Extremely faint sounds of energy annihilation, nearly impossible to detect, rang out one after another!

Lin Chen could clearly "see" the threads of energy that had originally linked together to form the formation's circuits snapping one after another under the precise "cutting" of the furnace's power!

In merely a dozen breaths' time!

The hidden energy fluctuations that had been circulating around the entire herb garden abruptly stalled, then... vanished completely!

The formation was broken!

Lin Chen rejoiced inwardly, but he did not dare let down his guard in the slightest. He knew the damage was only temporary. If someone knowledgeable about formations came to inspect it, they could easily discover the problem. He had to end this quickly!

He immediately rose to his feet. His figure flashed like lightning, instantly clearing the low jade fence and charging straight toward the five stalks of Crimson Sun Grass at the center of the herb garden!

From up close, he could feel even more clearly the scorching yet pure yang energy emanating from the Crimson Sun Grass! It was as though he were holding a warm little sun!

Lin Chen had no time to appreciate it. He directly reached out and carefully pulled all five stalks from the soil intact, roots and all!

The moment he finished, he did not linger in the slightest. He immediately turned, preparing to retreat the way he had come!

However, just as he was about to leap over the fence—

"Who goes there?!"

A vigilant shout, tinged with sleepiness, suddenly came from the small tool shed beside the herb garden!

Immediately afterward, the door was flung open. A sleepy-eyed servant emerged, rubbing his eyes with one hand while carrying a hoe in the other!

He was clearly the servant assigned to guard this herb garden, and the faint disturbance Lin Chen had caused while pulling up the herbs had apparently awakened him!

The servant raised his head and happened to see a black shadow leaping out of the herb garden! He froze at first, then instantly understood what was happening, his face changing drastically!

"Not good! A thief! Someone's stealing the herbs—!!!"

"Courting death!" A cold gleam flashed through Lin Chen's eyes!

He had never expected there to be a servant on watch here! What a flaw in an otherwise perfect plan!

He absolutely could not let him cry out!

In the blink of an eye, Lin Chen's figure flickered like a ghost! He instantly appeared before the servant!

As the servant stared in sheer terror, Lin Chen held two fingers together like a blade, carrying a sharp gust of force as he struck with pinpoint precision at the back of the man's neck!

Thud!

A muffled impact rang out!

The servant did not even have time to scream before his eyes rolled back and he crumpled limply to the ground, unconscious.

Lin Chen did not spare him so much as a glance. He immediately checked the surroundings, and only after confirming that no one else had been alerted did he feel slightly relieved.

But he also knew that this was no place to linger! Although the servant had not managed to shout, the sounds of the door opening and his fall might still draw the attention of nearby patrol guards!

He had to leave at once!

He carefully tucked the five Crimson Sun Grass stalks, each glowing with an enticing sheen, into his robes. (Although storage bags were convenient, keeping living spirit herbs inside them could easily cause their medicinal potency to dissipate.) Then his figure turned into a streak of black smoke once more and sped back the way he had come!

Less than ten breaths after he left the herb garden—

"What was that sound just now?"

"Did it come from Old Wang's side?"

Sure enough, a patrol squad had been alerted and was hurrying toward the herb garden.

Lin Chen's heart tightened, and his feet moved even faster! Like a bat in the night, he silently darted between pavilions and towers. After a few flashes, he arrived once more near Leopard Garden's outer wall.

He found the spot where he had left the rope, repeated the same trick, and climbed atop the wall like a nimble ape. Then he dropped down without a sound, completely leaving Leopard Garden's grounds!

Only after he had gone far from Leopard Garden and confirmed there were no pursuers behind him did Lin Chen finally let out a breath. Yet the excitement and exhilaration in his heart surged like a raging tide!

He had succeeded!

Five mature stalks of Crimson Sun Grass! They were his!

This nighttime infiltration of Leopard Garden had encountered a minor accident, but overall, it had gone more smoothly than he could have imagined!

However...

Lin Chen did not immediately return to his own small courtyard.

His gaze turned in another direction—toward the main bedroom pavilion where Lin Bao lived!

The Crimson Sun Grass was already in hand, so his primary objective had been completed. But leaving just like this seemed... a little too easy on that bastard Lin Bao, didn't it?

He still had not "taken stock" of the spirit stones and pills in Lin Bao's storage bag!

Besides, with Lin Bao's vindictive nature, once his injuries healed, he would definitely seek revenge on him like a madman! Better to strike while he was sick and take his life... ahem, take his wealth! He would completely cut off Lin Bao's chance to recover quickly!

Fortune was sought amid danger!

A flash of madness and greed passed through Lin Chen's eyes!

He had already infiltrated the place once. What harm was there in doing it again?

And the guards had just been drawn toward the herb garden. Perhaps the defenses around the pavilion would be even more lax now?

Once that thought arose, it could no longer be suppressed!

Lin Chen adjusted his breathing again and concealed his Aura. Like the most patient hunter, he silently crept toward the lit pavilion!

Sure enough, the area around the pavilion was even quieter than before. Perhaps it was because it was deep into the night, or perhaps because Lin Bao was healing and did not want to be disturbed. There was not even a single servant standing night watch.

Lin Chen carefully approached the pavilion and listened closely.

From within came Lin Bao's suppressed coughing, along with the fawning voice of that Skinny Monkey lackey attending to him.

"Brother Leopard, drink some more water to soothe your throat." "Get lost! You're annoying me! Cough, cough... Has that Crimson Sun Grass not been delivered yet? Tell Old Wang to move faster!" "It should be here soon, Brother Leopard. Please don't worry..."

Lin Chen sneered inwardly. It seemed they still did not know that the Crimson Sun Grass had changed owners.

He did not choose to enter through the front door. Instead, he circled around to the back of the pavilion and found a tightly shut window.

The window was wooden, with paper pasted over it.

Lin Chen summoned the Myriad Dao Furnace again!

This time, he controlled the furnace's power like the finest surgical blade, silently melting a tiny slit into the sturdy wooden window frame—just large enough for him to slip in a finger!

Then, he carefully lifted the window latch and gently pushed the window open a crack.

After confirming that both men were in the front hall and had not noticed the movement at the rear window, Lin Chen slipped inside through the window like a spirit cat, without making the slightest sound!

Upon entering the pavilion, a luxurious blend of sandalwood incense and medicinal smells rushed over him. The room was exquisitely furnished; the tables, chairs, and desks were all crafted from precious wood, while several paintings and calligraphy pieces that looked quite valuable hung on the walls.

Lin Chen's target was clear—Lin Bao's bedroom! Cultivation resources and valuables were usually kept in a bedroom or a secret chamber.

Holding his breath, he moved with light steps, passing through the outer hall like a ghost as he slipped toward the inner room.

The inner room's door was slightly ajar. There was no light inside, only complete darkness.

Lin Chen stopped at the doorway and listened carefully. There was not a single sound within.

He carefully pushed open the door and slipped inside.

The bedroom was furnished even more lavishly. A massive carved wooden bed took up most of the room, its bedding in disarray—Lin Bao had clearly been recuperating here earlier. In one corner stood a large rosewood wardrobe, along with a seemingly heavy nanmu chest.

Lin Chen's gaze immediately locked onto that nanmu chest!

Chests like this were usually used to store valuables!

He strode over and tried to open it.

A large brass lock hung from the chest.

Lin Chen sneered. This was no obstacle to him at all!

He activated the furnace again!

Hiss...

The seemingly sturdy inner mechanism of the brass lock was instantly melted and warped under the furnace's precise destructive power! With a soft click, the lock sprang open!

Lin Chen lifted the heavy lid!

In an instant, a dense surge of spiritual energy and glittering treasure light rushed into his face!

The chest was actually piled full of all kinds of treasures!

Besides even more Low-grade Spirit Stones—at least five or six hundred of them—there were several Mid-grade Spirit Stones radiating far stronger energy fluctuations! A few artifacts that looked to be of no low grade! There were even several ancient-looking books wrapped in brocade!

"This guy... he's filthy rich!" Lin Chen's eyes went wide!

Just how many good things had the Great Elder stuffed into the hands of this precious grandson of his?

Without the slightest courtesy, he immediately swept every Spirit Stone, artifact, and those books that appeared to be cultivation techniques and martial skills into his storage pouch!

As for the clothes, jewelry, and such, he could not be bothered with them.

Just as he had cleaned out the chest and was about to leave, his gaze was suddenly drawn to a small object in the corner, stored in a black brocade box.

The box was made of an unusual material, neither metal nor jade. It felt icy cold in his hand, and seemed to be inscribed with runes that isolated Aura.

Lin Chen's heart stirred, and he opened the brocade box curiously.

Inside lay a stone about the size of an infant's fist. It was pitch-black all over, yet its surface seemed to possess nine naturally formed apertures. It gave off an incredibly ancient, incredibly obscure, yet strangely profound ripple, as though it contained the ultimate truths of heaven and earth—a stone?!

The stone appeared utterly ordinary, like a stubborn rock by the roadside. Yet those nine natural apertures, and the unique charm it exuded, irresistibly drew in Lin Chen's mind!

What shocked him even more was this!

The moment he saw the stone!

The Myriad Dao Furnace within his Dantian Sea of Qi suddenly... began to tremble violently!

As if it had encountered something it desperately craved, something that thrilled it beyond measure!

An unprecedented, overwhelming urge to devour rose from the depths of the furnace!

"Th-this... what is this?!" Stormy waves crashed through Lin Chen's heart!

For the Myriad Dao Furnace to react so violently! This seemingly ordinary Mysterious Black Stone had to be an extraordinary supreme treasure!

Though he had no idea what it was, Lin Chen did not hesitate. He immediately closed the brocade box and tucked it into the most secure place against his chest!

Its value likely far surpassed all of tonight's other gains!

Just then!

From the outer hall of the loft came the panicked voice of that scrawny monkey-like lackey:

"B-Brother Leopard! Bad news! Old Wang... Old Wang has been knocked unconscious! The herb garden... the Crimson Sun Grass in the herb garden... it's all gone!!!"

Damn! They found out so quickly?!

Lin Chen's heart tightened! He knew he could not stay any longer!

He immediately shut the chest—though it was already empty—then flashed away, vaulting out through the rear window like a ghost once more!

Less than three breaths after he left!

"What?! The Crimson Sun Grass was stolen?! Who?! Who did it?! Cough, cough, cough..."

Lin Bao's furious roar, mixed with violent coughing and boundless rage, rang throughout Leopard Garden!

This was followed by chaotic footsteps, shouts, and the piercing sounds of alarms being triggered!

The entire Leopard Garden was thrown into complete turmoil!

Yet Lin Chen, the instigator behind it all, had already become a phantom melting into the night. After several flashes, he vanished into the vast darkness, racing toward his own rundown little courtyard.

With a heavy storage pouch, five precious stalks of Crimson Sun Grass, and the mysterious black stone that had stirred the furnace in his possession, Lin Chen's heart brimmed with unprecedented excitement and anticipation!

Tonight's harvest had been simply enormous!

Next, he would digest these "spoils of war" and send his strength through another frenzied transformation!

Lin Bao? Great Elder?

Just wait!

Even bigger "surprises" were still to come!