Poison Dragon Grass

Several burly men, holding clubs and looking hostile, surrounded Fang Yuan.

Facing superior numbers, any ordinary person would have been beaten and sent scrambling for cover.

Fang Yuan hadn't started practicing martial arts yet, so he was naturally an ordinary person too. However, he looked at these wicked servants and a mocking smile played on his lips.

"He dares to laugh at a time like this? Cripple him!"

"Beat him!"

The Zhou Family's pampered servants were accustomed to bullying and acted with extreme arrogance, shouting their commands.

Whoosh!

A white light flashed, as swift as a fleeting shadow, darting around the scene a few times.

"Ah!"

Immediately, several screams rang out.

By the time Zhou Wenxin came to her senses, she found her subordinates lying on the ground, clutching their right arms as blood poured out.

"What... what kind of magical contraption is this?"

Her face turned ashen. Seeing Fang Yuan approach, she stumbled backward in fear, "Don't... don't come any closer!"

"Miss Zhou! The previous transaction was between me and Uncle Lin, and the medicinal herbs were confirmed by him. Who told you they were fake?"

Fang Yuan stepped forward, his eyes cold. If not for his guardian Spiritual Beast, the Flower Fox Ferret, his fate today would likely have been grim.

"Waaah!"

Zhou Wenxin retreated repeatedly, suddenly tripping and falling to the ground. She burst into tears, "Wuwu... you're bullying me!"

"What the heck!"

Seeing this, Fang Yuan was speechless.

These people were the ones who came barging in as unwelcome guests, so why did he feel like he was bullying a young girl?

"Speak quickly, or do you want to end up like them!"

Fang Yuan threatened coldly, kicking a nearby unfortunate servant.

Amidst the screams, Zhou Wenxin's crying suddenly stopped. "It... it was Song Zhigao who said it!"

"Who is Song Zhigao?"

"An outer sect buyer for the Gui Ling Sect!"

Under Fang Yuan's interrogation, Zhou Wenxin, the proud and willful girl, had her facade stripped away, and she spilled everything.

According to her, after the last transaction and obtaining the Red Ginseng, she and her brother were overjoyed and immediately gave it to Old Master Zhou.

Old Master Zhou did indeed show signs of improvement. However, the good times didn't last. After his injuries were temporarily stabilized, they worsened again, reaching a point where medicine was almost useless.

Of course, the Zhou family's second son and Lin Benchu knew that Fang Yuan's Red Ginseng was not to blame. But Zhou Wenxin had a tendency to lash out, so how could she tolerate this?

Coupled with the instigation of Song Zhigao, a familiar acquaintance of the Zhou family, the situation escalated to this point.

"Song Zhigao? In charge of outer sect procurement?"

Fang Yuan stroked his chin, feeling like he was grasping at a thread.

"I've never met this person, nor have I heard his name from others. We have no prior grievances. If he's causing trouble, it's most likely about Lei Yue's marriage engagement last time. It's really troublesome..."

Heaven knows, with his indifferent nature, if he had known there would be such trouble after agreeing to the engagement, he would never have consented under any circumstances.

"I've told you everything you wanted to know. Can you let me go..."

Finally, Zhou Wenxin said with teary eyes. Her arrogant demeanor was gone, replaced by a pitiable look.

However, a pampered young lady from a wealthy family might be beautiful, but after trekking through the mountains for a long time and then rolling around in the mud, what would she look like?

Fang Yuan, for one, felt his appetite was far from good enough for that.

"You can go! Take your dogs with you!"

Fang Yuan thought to himself that this girl had made such a big scene coming here; who knew how many people had seen it? Could he really kill them and dispose of the bodies? He said coldly.

"Hurry, go!"

Seeing this, Zhou Wenxin immediately helped her lackeys up and they fled, as if pursued by some monstrous beast.

In their minds, Fang Yuan, who had easily taken down so many strong men with some unknown method, was no different from a demon dwelling in the deep mountains who used evil magic.

"Chirp chirp?"

After they had all left, the Flower Fox Ferret appeared, circling Fang Yuan as if demanding a reward.

"Well done! The key is your speed... it's gotten faster again!"

This was the first time Fang Yuan had seen the Flower Fox Ferret go all out since the plantation. Before, the Flower Fox Ferret was so fast it was just a faint shadow.

But now, perhaps due to the nourishment of the spiritual tea, its speed had reached a new level, like lightning. The servants, even as they fell, didn't know what had attacked them.

Fang Yuan felt that if he were in their shoes, the situation wouldn't be any better.

"Fortunately, Flower Fox Ferret, you weren't so ferocious back then, or I wouldn't be alive..."

He stroked the Flower Fox Ferret's head and said with lingering fear.

The Flower Fox Ferret, now accustomed to it, squinted its eyes contentedly and raised its little paws, as if boasting, 'There's no one I can't handle, just hand them over to me!'

This proud and tsundere demeanor immediately made Fang Yuan chuckle.

"Although the Flower Fox Ferret is powerful, according to the secret manual, even a Martial Dao expert who has only passed the first trial will become sharp-eared and sharp-eyed, with greatly increased reaction times, far surpassing ordinary people... Perhaps they can still see the Flower Fox Ferret's movements!"

In the secluded valley, Fang Yuan looked at the Black Sand Palm secret manual, silent.

At this moment, the Flower Fox Ferret could be considered a Martial Dao expert who had passed a trial among humans.

What Zhou Wenxin brought last time were just a bunch of ordinary people. Even if they had learned some boxing and kicking for a few days, they only possessed brute strength and couldn't be considered true cultivators.

With the Zhou Family's influence, such martial artists wouldn't be lacking!

By the time Zhou Wenxin realized what was happening and invited the Zhou Family's protectors, Fang Yuan himself wouldn't have much confidence in dealing with them.

"My Red Ginseng is definitely fine. If Old Master Zhou only injured his vital energy, it wouldn't be like this!"

Fang Yuan was naturally confident in his own products.

"Then... his injury must involve something else!"

He admired Lin Benchu's courage for daring to jump into such muddy waters.

"It's one thing for you to jump in yourself, but you splashed me with mud too!"

Fang Yuan felt a pang of resentment.

"If this were like some novels from my past life, shouldn't I be proactively coming out of seclusion now, revealing my medical skills, curing Old Master Zhou, and confronting those behind-the-scenes manipulators..."

His thoughts wandered as he mused.

In reality, this was indeed a proactive way to resolve the issue, but Fang Yuan simply didn't want to do it.

As for the reason...

He had already come out of seclusion once this year, and he really didn't want to make a second trip. Moreover, curing illnesses and finding the masterminds was simply too troublesome.

Fang Yuan yawned lazily and decided to go back for a nap.

"Flower Fox Ferret, if I'm ever chased and have to flee for my life, I'll be counting on you!"

Half a day later, Fang Yuan, carrying a bamboo basket, trekked through the deep mountains. He looked at the incredibly agile Flower Fox Ferret and couldn't help but envy it.

The secluded valley had four exits leading into the deep mountains, so there was absolutely no danger of being surrounded. Especially since the Heart-Questioning Hermit, back in the day, had deliberately left several secret escape routes when building the dwelling, which only Fang Yuan knew about now.

Fang Yuan strongly suspected that his master might have committed some major offense outside before, making him a startled bird. Otherwise, why would he always be prepared to flee when alive and make such arrangements even after death? It seemed abnormal no matter how you looked at it.

However, thanks to his foresight, Fang Yuan slept very soundly every day now.

At this moment, watching the Flower Fox Ferret dart through the dense forest, Fang Yuan made a jest, tinged with regret.

If the white ferret were a bit bigger, perhaps he could ride it and roam the entire Qingling Mountain range as if on level ground. How exhilarating would that be?

Climbing mountains was a strenuous task, especially in the deep, old forests where vines were dense and there were absolutely no stone steps or paths. Instead, there were more ferocious beasts and poisonous insects.

Fang Yuan advanced, panting, as he used his machete to clear the thorny bushes blocking his way.

These past few days, through various threats and enticements, he had finally managed to get the Flower Fox Ferret to agree to lead him into the deep mountains to search for Spiritual Fertilizer.

However, he strongly suspected that the Flower Fox Ferret was simply playing dumb. Ever since entering the deep mountains, it had been running wild, darting here and there. It had encountered many rare medicinal herbs, but there was no sign of the Spiritual Fertilizer at all.

"Flower Fox Ferret, stop trying to quibble. Based on the amount you brought, there should still be plenty of that Spiritual Fertilizer!"

Fang Yuan looked at the sun and stopped moving forward. He found a large rock to sit on, ate his rice balls for lunch, and tossed one to the Flower Fox Ferret.

"Giggle! Giggle!"

The Flower Fox Ferret hugged the rice ball, nibbling it like a squirrel with a pine nut. After a few turns, it finished quickly and then gestured with its little paws.

Fang Yuan gestured back and forth with it like talking to a chicken for a long time, barely understanding its meaning: "I can't go there yet? I can only look for other good things nearby?"

He turned his head and looked at his haul in the bamboo basket, grudgingly agreeing to the statement: "Alright, but after we go to the next spot, we're going back! The rare medicinal herbs collected today must be properly sealed, otherwise, it would be a terrible waste!"

After drinking a mouthful of cool Spring Water, Fang Yuan perked up and continued on his way with the Flower Fox Ferret, arriving at a misty hollow.

"Hmm... Places like this are full of miasma and poisonous fog at most!"

As soon as Fang Yuan saw the somewhat colorful mist, he frowned and quickly smeared the medicinal powder prepared by the Heart-Questioning Hermit under his nose.

Every hunter and herb collector who ventured into the deep mountains needed this, but the one made by the Heart-Questioning Hermit was the most effective.

"Giggle!"

The Flower Fox Ferret took the lead, appearing somewhat anxious.

"Haha... What's the rush?"

Fang Yuan followed with a grin, pushed aside a clump of weeds, and then took a deep breath: "Poison Dragon Grass?!"

Beside a pool of water, amidst white, scattered rocks, a purple herb stood out conspicuously.

This was a precious medicinal ingredient mentioned by the Heart-Questioning Hermit. It grew in lands filled with deadly poison and possessed the miraculous effect of counteracting poison with poison. Many high-level antidote prescriptions required it.

"A good find!"

Fang Yuan's eyes lit up, but he didn't act rashly.

Such an ingredient was already akin to a semi-spiritual item, and there might be Fierce Beasts guarding it nearby!