Herb Gathering Completed, Cheng Yan's Surprise

The next day, while the sky was still barely light, a group from the Cheng Family had already assembled at the entrance to Jinshui Town.

"For this mission, everything will follow Brother Zhou's lead," Cheng Yu instructed the guards below.

"Brother Cheng, await good news," Zhou Qiming said, brimming with confidence in his own strength as he bid farewell to Cheng Yu and his son.

In the morning light, the convoy slowly departed under Zhou Qiming's lead. He and Cheng Yan rode at the front to clear the way, while the remaining skilled guards maintained their formation.

"I hope everything goes smoothly," Cheng Yu murmured before turning to head for the Iron Clothes Martial Arts School to train.

The journey was calm and uneventful. Zhou Qiming's perception had improved, and he remained vigilant throughout. The long saber in his hand also carried an oppressive air—one look was enough to tell it was not to be trifled with—so the guards all obeyed his commands.

With the Cheng Family's medicinal herb resources, he had originally expected to raise his Root Bone and martial arts to a higher level within three to five months.

But the Cheng Family's troubles had interrupted his plans. Without ginseng and Precious Medicine to restore his Root Bone Value, cultivation would take him several times longer. If he were accidentally dragged into some dangerous conflict, things would become troublesome. He had to solve the problem of transporting medicinal herbs!

By the time the convoy reached Luoxia Valley, two hours had passed.

"The herb gatherers, start picking immediately. You Skin Grinding cultivators, keep watch around the perimeter."

Zhou Qiming issued the order in a deep voice, leaving no room for doubt.

"Yes!"

The group was hungry and thirsty after the journey, but none dared complain. They hurriedly scattered and acted according to orders.

The Cheng Family's previous ginseng-gathering team had died without clear cause. Everyone knew this mission was dangerous, and they were all pressed for time, wanting only to return to town early and collect their reward.

Cheng Yan stood nearby with a cool expression, frowning. "He certainly knows how to put on a grand show."

Watching Zhou Qiming, who was clearly several years younger than her, issue orders, Cheng Yan felt somewhat unconvinced.

She had grown up in Luoshan County Town. What powerful figures had she not seen? Why should she listen to this brat's commands?

More than an hour later, the Cheng Family Herb Gathering Team had reaped a rich harvest. They picked over eighty ginseng roots from the cliffside, along with several baskets of other Body Tempering herbs, piling the carriages full to the brim.

Everyone was drenched in sweat, yet their faces glowed with the joy of a bountiful harvest. This journey had finally passed without danger, and they would receive quite a bit of reward money upon returning.

"Don't let your guard down. Return by the original route." Zhou Qiming swept his gaze around, counted the people and the harvest, and was very satisfied.

Places like Luoxia Valley were resource sites the Cheng Family had explored with human lives, marked on the Lineage map. Letting these herbs grow wild and die off would be an enormous loss.

The Cheng Family guards were overjoyed as they escorted the carriages back along the mountain road.

Cheng Yan was riding high on a wave of success. Smiling, she said, "Good thing we didn't listen to Brother Cheng Yu and suspend the medicine shop's business. What danger was there? The moment those thieves heard this Young Lady's name, they must have fled at the mere rumor of the wind."

Her Master was a famous Silver-Rank Blade Catcher in the County Town. Cheng Yan had also hoped to uphold justice and claim official reward silver like her Master. Unfortunately, her hopes had come to nothing this time—she had not even seen the shadow of a petty bandit.

"We truly relied on Young Lady Yan's mighty prestige this time!"

The underlings of the herb-gathering team hurriedly offered several flattering remarks, which Cheng Yan found exceedingly pleasing. Her gaze kept drifting toward Zhou Qiming.

"He didn't contribute a bit of effort, yet he gets one hundred taels of my Cheng Family's reward silver for nothing. No matter how great Brother Cheng Yu's family fortune is, it cannot withstand such squandering." Cheng Yan remained dissatisfied with the Lineage's arrangements, and this disdain extended to Zhou Qiming as well.

Roar—

Before the convoy had traveled even a mile, the wind howled fiercely, and a tiger's roar rolled forth on a stench-laden gale.

The servants' legs trembled violently, while even several skilled Skin Grinding cultivators broke out in cold sweat.

Cheng Yan's eyes lit up. She squeezed her legs and was about to spur her horse forward.

Yet before anyone could react, Zhou Qiming, seated on the horse at the very front, raised an arm. The saber wrapped in black cloth on his back came smashing down with savage force.

Boom!

The earth shook and the mountains trembled as the air exploded. The several-hundred-jin blade carried brutal, barbaric force as it crashed down upon a Tigris.

With a bang, in no more than a few breaths, the vicious tiger had not even displayed its divine might before that strike smashed its brains apart, killing it on the spot.

The guards' Adam's apples bobbed. It was as though they had witnessed something utterly unimaginable, and they stood there dumbfounded.

"Damn, too strong! Was that Captain Zhou's full strength?"

"Forget jackals, wolves, tigers, and leopards—even a Skin Grinding Martial Artist would die from that strike."

"What a freak. The captain looks so young. Who knows how he cultivated?"

The group exchanged glances, seeing shock and envy in one another's eyes. No one knew where Young Master Cheng Yu had found such an Expert. So young, yet possessed of Immense Strength, capable of taking on tigers and lions head-on!

For a time, Zhou Qiming's move filled the entire team with a sense of security. The scattered convoy settled down once more and continued onward.

The tiger's corpse was placed on a Cart. Dragging it back to town would fetch a considerable price. Tiger hides and tiger meat never lacked buyers, and naturally all the earnings belonged to Zhou Qiming. No one dared fight him for them.

"He does have some real skill. I wasn't his match at that age." Cheng Yan recovered from her shock, nodded in praise, and greatly changed her opinion of Zhou Qiming.

He looked like Tender Skin and Tender Flesh, yet he had real strength in his hands. Even at her Muscle Cultivation level, she had not clearly seen the movements behind that Blade Technique just now, its speed and power were so great.

"Damn it, where did this newly joined youth come from? How is he so strong? He may ruin things."

While Cheng Yan and the others remained unaware, a thin servant with triangular eyes ground his teeth and shot Zhou Qiming a vicious glare.

The servant furtively looked around. Taking advantage of Zhou Qiming's inattention, he pulled out a packet of medicinal powder from his robes and scattered it over the herbs on the horse carriages and ox carts.

His heart pounded wildly. Only after seeing that Zhou Qiming had not noticed did he finally relax completely.

The convoy traveled several more miles. They were just about to leave the Mountain Valley when everyone, exhausted from their fright, was about to call for a rest and some water.

Suddenly, seven or eight Old Wolves emerged from the bushes, baring their fangs as they prowled about with vicious light in their eyes.

"Why are they here again?" The Cheng Family guards immediately sensed something was wrong. It was broad daylight, and people normally traveled this mountain road. Where had so many wild beasts come from?

Fortunately, Zhou Qiming was holding down the fort, so these vicious beasts could not stir up much of a storm.

The Lead Wolf could no longer hold back. Opening its blood-filled maw, it lunged forward to kill.

Zhou Qiming also intended to temper his physique. This time, he simply did not use the Mountain-Weight Saber at all, sweeping out with a palm blade like the wind.

Crack—

How terrifying was the Woodcutting Saber Technique at the second level of Limit Breaking? Even Muscle Cultivation Martial Artists would suffer grievous wounds at a touch!

With miserable howls, those wolf pups followed in the tiger's footsteps the moment they met him, physically sent on their way by Zhou Qiming.

The remaining smaller wolf cubs in the distance were so frightened that they tucked their tails and fled. Zhou Qiming swiftly charged after them, finishing one with each punch of his Iron Stone Fist, clean and decisive.

"Too weak. This is no fun at all." Zhou Qiming sat steadily in the saddle and shook his head slightly.

At his current strength, his skin membrane was advancing toward the peak of Copper Skin, while his Muscle Cultivation possessed Thousand Jin Strength. Combined with the Limit-Breaking Woodcutting Saber Technique, he did not fear even a Martial Artist at Bone Forging Great Accomplishment in the slightest!

"Good thing we have Brother Zhou!" The others loaded the jackals onto the Cart as well, their faces filled with worship.

This youth looked far younger than them, yet he possessed such formidable martial strength. He was likely no weaker than Young Master Cheng Yu.

Cheng Yan's eyes flickered, and her scalp tingled. In an instant, she felt Zhou Qiming was more like a jackal or wolf than these vicious beasts. She had no idea how he cultivated. He was too much of a Prodigy.