A cold wind swept past, and unease welled up in He An's heart.
"We're family."
A trace of sorrow flickered in He Ping's voice as he said softly, "No matter where we are or when it is, we're still family."
"You're keeping this from me and your sister-in-law. Do you think Eldest Brother can't help you, or do you not consider me and your sister-in-law family?"
"No!"
He An quickly waved his hands. Seeing his elder brother like this weighed heavily on his heart, too.
A moment later.
He sighed. "Eldest Brother, since you want to know, I won't hide it from you."
He An reached into his shirt and took out the Jade Bottle he had yet to put away, along with a hundred-tael banknote.
In an instant.
He Ping held his breath.
"This is... a Medicinal Pill!"
"That's right. It really is a Medicinal Pill." He An carefully explained how he had come by it.
Hearing this, He Ping felt a pang of heartache.
Though He An hadn't said so, he knew.
When He An had killed Zhang Yongda, he must have sustained serious injuries.
After all, he himself was a Muscle Condensing Realm Martial Artist. He knew full well how vast the gap between their realms was.
"He An, you... are you all right?"
He Ping's voice caught in his throat.
If he hadn't been too weak to protect his family,
his younger brother He An wouldn't have taken such a risk, forcing a Bone Forging Realm cultivator to kill a Muscle Condensing Realm expert.
Seeing this, He An hurriedly said, "Don't worry, Eldest Brother. My injuries aren't serious."
"To be honest, I have the Yi Jin Jing to thank. I'd cultivated it to Great Accomplishment, so I dared to trade wounds for Zhang Yongda's life. Otherwise, even with a sneak attack, I might not have been his match."
Only when he heard that the Yi Jin Jing had reached Great Accomplishment did He Ping finally relax, believing that He An truly hadn't been badly hurt.
He didn't know much about the Yi Jin Jing, but anyone who could cultivate it to Great Accomplishment—
He An's physique couldn't be much weaker than his own now.
Then He Ping stared intently at the Jade Bottle on the table.
"I never thought it would really be a Blood-Connecting Pill."
"Eldest Brother, you know about this pill?"
"I do. More than just know about it." He Ping could barely contain his excitement.
"For Martial Artists who haven't Entered the Ranks, the Blood-Connecting Pill is arguably the most valuable Medicinal Pill."
"That's because it has one particular effect: it helps people Enter the Ranks."
"For Martial Artists hoping to Enter the Ranks, it can raise their chances of success by at least thirty percent."
"So even though it's only a Ninth Rank Medicinal Pill, in terms of its effects and value, it can rival even some Eighth Rank pills."
"What's more, when paired with precious Spirit Medicines in a medicinal bath, the Blood-Connecting Pill can temper the body and open up the meridians, greatly enhancing a Martial Artist's strength."
"It's just a pity that a Martial Artist can generally only use two Blood-Connecting Pills."
"One to break through, and one to temper the body."
"If they keep taking them after that, the effect will be less than a tenth as strong."
"I see!"
He An looked at the Jade Bottle and pondered. "With my Water Flows to a Channel destiny, I don't need a pill to break through. I only need to save one Blood-Connecting Pill to temper my body."
"That leaves two, just enough for Eldest Brother."
"Ever since he lost his arm, Eldest Brother has been downcast. With these two Blood-Connecting Pills, perhaps he can rekindle his hope of Entering the Ranks."
"Once his strength is sufficient, Regenerate Limbs might not be out of the question!"
With that thought, He An made up his mind.
"Eldest Brother, I've decided. I'll keep just one pill for my breakthrough, and give you the other two Blood-Connecting Pills to cultivate with."
In an instant.
He Ping froze in place.
"I don't want them!"
Coming to his senses, he immediately refused. "I'm a cripple now. Using a Blood-Connecting Pill would be a terrible waste, let alone using two."
"Keep all the Blood-Connecting Pills for yourself. Once you're strong enough, I'll just enjoy the benefits by following in your footsteps."
"At the very least, you could use two and give the extra Blood-Connecting Pill to Brother Wang Zheng. That'd be far better than giving it to a cripple like me."
A trace of dejection flickered in He Ping's eyes.
He had practiced martial arts ever since childhood and faced countless hardships, yet every time, he'd gritted his teeth and persevered.
All for the sake of Entering the Ranks and becoming a ranked Martial Artist.
But now, he was crippled.
A cripple!!!
"No!"
A voice interrupted his thoughts.
"Eldest Brother, you have to take these two Blood-Connecting Pills."
He An's expression was solemn. "You're my elder brother, Ru'er's father, and Sister-in-law's husband. Our family's been targeted, and from now on, there'll be no shortage of attacks from the shadows and in the open."
"It's fine when I'm home, but what if I'm away? What if your strength isn't enough?"
He Ping had no answer.
He An continued, "Only when you're strong enough to deal with some of those attacks can I stop worrying that something will happen at home."
"With one of us holding the fort inside and the other outside, anyone who wants to lay a hand on Sister-in-law or Ru'er will have to think twice."
"So you have to take the two pills."
A moment later.
He Ping replied softly, "I can accept the pills, but I only need one. You keep the other two."
He An shook his head.
"Eldest Brother, you've forgotten. I cultivate the Yi Jin Jing. The Blood-Connecting Pill's body-tempering effect won't do much for me."
"You'd be better off saving that pill. Whether it's for tempering your body or opening up your meridians, both are crucial for you."
"You've lost your right arm. You need the second pill more than I do."
He Ping felt a dull ache in his heart.
Who wouldn't need a Blood-Connecting Pill? He An was only making excuses to reassure him and get him to accept the pills.
Looking at He An's hopeful gaze and recalling all he'd said, He Ping's resolve finally wavered.
He reached out, patted He An on the shoulder, and smiled. "He An, you've grown up. You don't need your elder brother to protect you anymore."
"Our parents would be happy to know."
Outside the city.
Inside a ramshackle hut in the mountains.
A cry of anguish from deep within suddenly rang out.
The Salvation Cult remnant—the middle-aged man who had escaped—stood miserably inside the hut.
Several bloody gashes marred his body. Sun Wangxian and the others hadn't killed him, but they hadn't let him off lightly, either.
That much was plain to see.
"The pills! My pills!"
He gritted his teeth, his eyes bloodshot. "Town Martial Division, Meng Family—whoever swallowed my pills, I'll make you spit them back out."
With that, he limped out of the hut.
Standing outside, the middle-aged man fixed his gaze on Fangcheng.
"Since I don't know who took my pills, none of you will get away."
"Touch what's mine..."
"Then you're dead!"
Meanwhile.
At the Meng Family.
After changing his clothes, Meng Chenghao had shed every trace of his earlier disheveled state.
"Father, everything's taken care of."
"There was a bit of trouble along the way. I don't know why the Town Martial Division suddenly showed up, but in the end, I still persuaded that man to leave Fangcheng."
Meng Chenghao looked pleased with himself.
Little did he know that Meng Hai's face had turned ominously dark.
"Idiot!"
He suddenly shouted, "Who told you everything was taken care of?"
"Do you know that if your identity is exposed, the whole Meng Family will be finished? Those two old bastards will never pass up a chance to smear our family."
The sudden shout startled Meng Chenghao. He protested aggrievedly, "My identity wasn't exposed. Those people never caught me."
"Damn it, you still dare talk back!"
Meng Hai said, exasperated, "Your identity wasn't exposed, but what about the others?"
"As far as I know, the Town Martial Division didn't come away empty-handed this time. They captured one person alive. If that person talks and tells them everything our Meng Family has done—"
"What do you think will happen to our family?"
Meng Chenghao was stunned.
He hurriedly tried to explain. "Father, I didn't know. I didn't know anyone had been captured alive. I thought..."
Meng Hai snorted.
"You thought what? That they were all dead? That the Town Martial Division were a bunch of fools who'd let you escape and done nothing else?"
Meng Chenghao lowered his head.
Seeing this, Meng Hai said in disappointment, "Hao'er, I've always had high hopes for you, but you've disappointed me badly. I gave you so many chances, and you failed to seize every one."
"Since that's the case, you don't need to concern yourself with what remains."
"Just focus on cultivating. Once your strength is good enough, you can work for the Meng Family again."
"Your Eldest Brother should be back from the Earth Water Sect in a few days. He said a sect elder took a liking to him, and he's already reached the Blood Circulation Realm."
"He's not far from Entering the Ranks, either."
"With him to help, I'm sure things will be much easier for me. At the very least, I won't have to deal with everything myself like I do now."
As he walked out of the room, Meng Chenghao's eyes turned cold. He murmured, "Eldest Brother, you've been away so long. Why come back now? Are you still coveting the position of Meng Family Patriarch?"
"As long as I'm here, don't even think about it. The position of Meng Family Patriarch has to be mine."
"And mine alone!"
Before you continue