Probing

Donghu City. The long street paved with bluestone was bustling with people, and carriages clattered noisily.

At the street corner, a three-story pavilion stood out. The words "Wu Dan Fang" in gilded lettering shone brightly in the sunlight.

This was Donghu City's premier establishment for pills and herbal medicine, and behind it was the Lu Family, which controlled the Clear Heart Lotus resources.

A rich, complex aroma of medicinal herbs wafted from the open doorway, drawing the attention of passersby.

Yun Hu, with sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes, his dark hair tied up high, a long sword on his back and a small bundle at his chest, strode into the establishment with the speed of the wind.

This was his third visit.

The interior of the establishment was spacious, with rows of black wooden medicine cabinets lining the walls, each labeled with various medicinal ingredients.

Several shop assistants in uniform were busy serving customers, the crisp sound of abacus beads clacking mingling with low-voiced negotiations.

Yun Hu headed directly for the counter in the inner hall.

A slightly plump, shrewd-looking middle-aged manager was poring over accounts.

"Manager," Yun Hu's voice was calm as he gently placed a bundle on the counter.

The manager looked up, a habitual scrutiny flashing in his eyes. Upon recognizing Yun Hu, his expression softened slightly.

He reached out and untied the bundle, revealing ten small jade bottles.

The manager opened one bottle and poured out two thumb-sized pills of a verdant green hue, releasing a clear, crisp medicinal fragrance.

"Same as always, all Qi Nourishing Pills," Yun Hu stated concisely. "The quality is as before."

"Good, excellent pills!" The manager's face broke into a smile, and he praised them repeatedly.

These pills had surprisingly good effects, and martial artists in the establishment clamored to buy them, yielding profits so substantial they made his heart burn.

"Still want to buy some herbs like before?" the manager asked.

Yun Hu nodded slightly and handed over a list filled with the names of medicinal ingredients.

"Fetch the herbs according to the list."

The manager took the list, his attitude becoming even more respectful. He personally called out to the shop assistants to gather the ingredients.

Before long, a large bag of herbs was prepared.

After deducting the cost of the herbs, more than half of the money from the previous sale of pills remained.

The pill business was truly a lucrative one.

As the name suggested, the Qi Nourishing Pill was used to help martial artists increase their true qi.

Its efficacy was purer and its effect superior to ordinary True Essence Pills.

After Yun He entered the peak of the Xiantian realm, in addition to diligent practice, she had devoted a significant amount of her attention to the family's copy of the Compendium of Materia Medica.

These Qi Nourishing Pills were the result of her repeated adjustments based on medicinal principles.

Although the medicinal ingredients used were not top-tier or rare, they were cheap, abundant, and easy to obtain.

With two sales, the Yun Family had already profited handsomely from these pills.

Choosing to sell pills at the Lu Family's Wu Dan Fang and then purchase the required herbs from there was Yun Long's deliberate arrangement.

The Lu Family was far more patient than Yun Long had imagined; two consecutive probes had yielded no reaction.

Yun Long guessed that the Lu Family either feared the Yun Family was a lure, or they were unwilling to cause trouble at this crucial juncture.

Yun Hu stepped out of the Wu Dan Fang, the long sword on his back swaying slightly with his steps. The small bundle at his chest contained the newly purchased herbs.

His figure was tall and straight, his eyebrows like swords and his eyes bright. His dark hair was tied high with a simple cloth band. As he walked through the streets of Donghu City, many passing women turned their heads frequently, and some bolder ones whispered secretly, their cheeks flushing.

Under the rule of the Great Xia Dynasty, the central area of every city had a martial arts arena for martial artists to spar and gain fame.

The arena at Wanfang Lake was currently roaring with noise.

A burly man, bare-chested, his bronze skin glistening in the sunlight, held a cleaver in his hand and stood triumphantly in the center of the arena.

On a wooden plaque beside the arena, the challenge requirement was written in ink: under twenty years old.

Yun Hu glanced at it briefly and then looked away.

A martial artist at the peak of the Body Tempering Realm, who had not yet condensed true qi, was no different from an ordinary strong man in his eyes. He felt no inclination to fight.

His gaze swept over the notices posted on the other side of the arena, one of which was particularly conspicuous, the ink still fresh.

"The Mo Family is openly seeking live-in sons-in-law with Spiritual Roots. Anyone who is of clean family background, upright in character, under twenty-five years old, and possesses cultivation aptitude is welcome to visit the Mo Residence. If accepted as a son-in-law, the Mo Family will spare no effort in nurturing them, treating them as their own."

The Mo Family?

Yun Hu's heart stirred.

The jade slip given by Ning Yongrui mentioned that the Mo Family controlled the Earth's Core Ice Crystal and was one of the three major families of Wanfang Lake.

Now they were openly recruiting sons-in-law, and specifically mentioning the need for Spiritual Roots. Could it be that the Mo Family truly had no successors in the past two generations, and their cultivation inheritance was facing the predicament of extinction?

As he was pondering, a more boisterous commotion suddenly erupted from the direction of East Street, accompanied by the delicate cries of women and the jeers of men.

Yun Hu followed the sound with his gaze.

He saw that on the second floor of a nearby restaurant, the windows facing the street were wide open, and many people were leaning over the railings, peering down.

Downstairs was packed three layers deep with onlookers from the common folk.

In the center of the crowd, a young girl in a pink silk dress, around sixteen or seventeen years old, with a delicate and pretty face, was currently holding a bright red embroidered ball. A hint of anxiety and shyness colored her cheeks, and her watery eyes scanned the crowd below.

"It's been three days! Miss Cheng's embroidered ball still hasn't been thrown!"

"Exactly. This Magistrate Cheng is so impatient, insisting on this whole embroidered ball matchmaking thing."

"Shh! Keep your voice down. The Cheng family is quite influential in Donghu City..."

The fragmented discussions reached Yun Hu's ears.

The girl, Cheng Ningcui, scanned the men in the crowd, her brows furrowing tighter and tighter, as if none of them met her approval.

For three days, she had thrown the embroidered ball here daily, yet she still hadn't found a man who caught her eye.

Just as she was about to lose hope and give up, her peripheral vision caught sight of Yun Hu, who had just approached from the edge of the crowd.

In an instant, Cheng Ningcui's eyes lit up, like stars suddenly illuminated in the night sky.

It was him!

It was him!

His upright posture, his handsome face – everything made her heart flutter like a startled deer.

Cheng Ningcui's cheeks instantly flushed red. She could no longer maintain her composure. With a flick of her wrist, the embroidered ball, carrying her earnest hopes, flew in a cheerful arc, landing precisely, directly towards Yun Hu.

Her heart pounded, a mix of nervousness and excitement. Her beautiful eyes were fixed on Yun Hu, afraid he might miss it.

Yun Hu's gaze met Cheng Ningcui's in mid-air.

The girl was indeed stunningly beautiful, with bright eyes, white teeth, and skin as fair as snow. Her pink dress further accentuated her graceful figure.

But Yun Hu's mind was elsewhere entirely.

In his head, there was only the family's cultivation technique, only how to condense True Essence faster, how to break through to the Qi Refining Stage as soon as possible.

To him, this bright red embroidered ball was no different from an ordinary stone by the roadside.

He couldn't even be bothered to reach out and catch it, letting the embroidered ball arc past, about to miss.

Just as the embroidered ball was about to brush past the hem of his clothes and fall to the ground.

An unexpected change occurred!

From the front and back of the crowd, like a disturbed beehive, five figures suddenly burst forth.

These five were all dressed in tight-fitting clothes, their temples bulging, their eyes fierce, emanating powerful Xiantian realm True Essence fluctuations.

Each of them was a formidable expert at the mid-stage Xiantian realm or above!

The moment they appeared, they locked onto Yun Hu.

Without the slightest hesitation, the five attacked in unison. Palm winds, fist energy, and leg shadows intertwined into a tightly woven net of death, descending upon Yun Hu.

Their moves were extremely vicious, aiming directly for vital points!

The sharp gust of wind tore through the air, emitting a piercing whistle.

"Kid, get out of the way with the embroidered ball!"