Medicine Garden Incident

After breaking through to Qi Refining Second Layer, Shen Hao's cultivation speed grew even faster.

The Spiritual Energy from the Companion Jade Pendant was purer than spirit stones, and it was inexhaustible. Each day when he cultivated, he only needed to inject a wisp of Spiritual Energy into the pendant to receive a steady stream of pure Spiritual Energy.

In just a few days, his cultivation had stabilized at Early Qi Refining Second Layer, only a step away from Mid Stage Qi Refining Second Layer.

That day, Shen Hao went to the Back Mountain Medicine Garden for his tasks as usual. As soon as he reached the garden entrance, he sensed something off. The garden was in disarray—many Spiritual Medicines had been uprooted and scattered on the ground, clearly the result of deliberate sabotage.

Steward Li stood in the center of the garden, his face ashen, trembling with rage. The surrounding Outer Sect Disciples all kept their heads down, not daring to speak.

Shen Hao's heart jolted. He quickly stepped forward and bowed. "Steward Li, what happened?"

Steward Li saw Shen Hao, took a deep breath to suppress his fury, and said, "Last night, a thief snuck into the garden and stole dozens of Qi Condensing Grass and Spirit Awakening Flowers, and damaged quite a few Spiritual Medicines besides."

Shen Hao's brow furrowed. Qi Condensing Grass and Spirit Awakening Flowers weren't rare Spiritual Medicines, but they were vital resources for Outer Sect Disciples' cultivation. Losing dozens of them was a significant blow to the garden.

"Steward, has the thief been identified?" Shen Hao asked.

Steward Li shook his head. "Simple Prohibition Arrays were set around the garden. The thief came prepared—not only did they break the arrays, but they left no clues behind."

He paused, then added, "The sect has ordered the Deacon Elders of the outer sect to thoroughly investigate this matter. Today's tasks are canceled for now. All of you, go back and cultivate. If you find any leads, report to me immediately."

"Disciple obeys," the group replied in unison.

Shen Hao and Zhang Shan left the garden, walking back toward their quarters. Both of them felt heavy-hearted.

"Senior Brother Shen, who do you think the thief is?" Zhang Shan couldn't help asking.

Shen Hao shook his head. "Hard to say. There are thousands of Outer Sect Disciples—a mixed bag, all kinds of people."

He paused, then added, "Still, this thief has some nerve, daring to steal the sect's Spiritual Medicines right on Ziyang Sect's turf. If they're caught, their fate will be grim."

Zhang Shan nodded. "No kidding. The sect's rules have always been strict. Stealing sect property—at best, they'll have their cultivation crippled and be expelled; at worst, they'll be executed outright."

They chatted for a while before parting ways to their own quarters.

Shen Hao sat at his desk, frowning slightly. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was off about this. Since the thief could break the garden's Prohibition Arrays, their cultivation was at least Qi Refining Third Layer or above. Among the Outer Sect Disciples, those at Qi Refining Third Layer or higher weren't many, but there were still quite a few. Figuring out who the thief was wouldn't be easy.

He thought it over for a while, then let it go. His cultivation was too low right now—this wasn't something he could meddle in. The only thing he could do was cultivate hard and raise his own strength.

Shen Hao took out the Companion Jade Pendant and injected a wisp of Spiritual Energy. Pure Spiritual Energy poured into his body without end. He sat cross-legged on his bed and began to cultivate.

After an unknown amount of time, he suddenly sensed a faint noise from outside the window. His heart stirred, and he quickly opened his eyes, looking out.

A Shadowy Figure, like a ghost, flashed across the open ground outside the window and ran toward the Back Mountain. The figure moved incredibly fast, vanishing into the night in the blink of an eye.

Shen Hao's brow tightened further. He had a strong feeling that this Shadowy Figure was closely tied to the garden theft.

After a moment's hesitation, he quietly followed. His cultivation had broken through to Qi Refining Second Layer, making him faster than before. He trailed carefully behind the Shadowy Figure, keeping his distance.

The Shadowy Figure ran all the way into the dense woods of the Back Mountain, finally stopping under a large tree. Shen Hao hid in a nearby patch of grass, holding his breath as he watched closely.

The Shadowy Figure pulled a cloth bundle from his chest and opened it, revealing dozens of Qi Condensing Grass and Spirit Awakening Flowers.

"So it's him!" Shen Hao's heart stirred.

Just then, the Shadowy Figure suddenly turned and looked directly toward the grass where Shen Hao was hiding.