The next day.
Li Xinge brought Li Wuyou back to the family.
When the clansmen saw a little girl following beside the family head, they were all somewhat astonished.
After returning to the clan, the First Elder hurried over as soon as he received the news.
Li Xinge was surprised. It was rare to see the First Elder so overjoyed.
He smiled and said, "First Elder, you seem awfully happy. Is there some good news?"
"Good news? Great news! It's wonderful news for the entire Li Family."
The First Elder's face crinkled with delight.
Li Xinge grew interested. The First Elder did not keep him in suspense and went straight to the point. "Family head, the Third Elder gained a great-grandson last night. I tested his talent, and it's seventh-grade!"
"Seventh-grade talent?"
Li Xinge raised an eyebrow. Recalling the system's previous reward, a smile spread across his face.
"That really is good news. From now on, this child must be a priority for the Li Family's cultivation."
Li Xinge gave his instructions.
"First the Li Family gained a family head, and now we have such an outstanding junior. This is a sign that our Li Family is about to flourish!"
The First Elder was grinning from ear to ear. Naturally, Li Xinge did not dampen his enthusiasm and merely smiled faintly.
Then, the First Elder seemed to remember something.
He asked curiously, "I heard that the family head brought back a little girl?"
Li Xinge nodded, his expression turning solemn. "Yes. I gave her the name Li Wuyou. She is extraordinary and extremely important to the Li Family. From now on, her status within the clan is equal to that of a direct descendant of the Li Family. If anything goes wrong, heads will roll!"
The First Elder could not help sucking in a sharp breath. He had never seen the family head value anyone so highly. Without the slightest hesitation, he said, "Please rest assured, family head. The clan will never let Wuyou suffer any injustice."
Li Xinge smiled in satisfaction. Then, he suddenly remembered something.
He said, "First Elder, I have something I need the clan to handle."
"Please give your instructions, family head."
"Secretly gather a group of orphans who are young and have clean backgrounds. I have a great use for them."
"Understood. I'll handle it at once."
The First Elder spoke solemnly.
As for the reason, the First Elder did not ask. He trusted Li Xinge unconditionally.
After the First Elder left, Li Xinge took a scroll of cultivation technique from his sleeve. It was the Blood Demon True Technique.
The Qinghe Mountain Range lay east of Baihe County and stretched across several counties.
The mountain range was massive and broad, like the backbone of this vast land.
Dense forests blanketed the mountains, their lush ancient trees towering tall and straight.
Deep in the forest.
A group of about six or seven people was moving slowly between the trees.
They were herb gatherers, mountain wanderers who made their living collecting medicinal herbs in the mountains.
Suddenly, the group stopped.
The lead herb gatherer's eyes were as sharp as torches as he stared at a patch of weeds. The others stopped as well.
The lead herb gatherer slowly approached the weeds and carefully parted them.
His face lit up with delight. "Cylindrical shape, branched at the base, brownish yellow, seven leaves—it's Seven-Leaf Grass!"
Hearing this, the others crowded around and chattered over the Seven-Leaf Grass. "Brother Jin, you've got sharp eyes. It really is Seven-Leaf Grass."
"This is a top-grade medicinal herb for Body Tempering. Its effects are excellent."
"We've struck it rich! Just this one stalk of Seven-Leaf Grass is worth at least ten gold."
"Exactly. With this stalk of Seven-Leaf Grass, this trip wasn't wasted."
Brother Jin shook his head and licked his dry lips. "You're satisfied with one stalk of Seven-Leaf Grass? This is only the beginning. If we go farther in, there might be something even better."
As he spoke, he carefully dug out the Seven-Leaf Grass with an iron shovel and placed it in the basket on his back.
"Brother Jin, we've already come a long way. If we go any farther, I'm afraid it'll be dangerous."
A young herb gatherer wearing a bamboo hat spoke with worry written across his face.
The others hesitated as well.
After all, there were demon beasts in these mountains.
If they really encountered one, with their level of strength, they would be sure to face nine deaths out of ten.
Seeing this, Brother Jin said indifferently, "If you're afraid, you can turn back the way we came. You can still make it back if you leave now."
The herb gatherers exchanged glances, then shook their heads in unison. "We're willing to follow you, Brother Jin."
"Since you brothers trust me, I certainly won't treat you unfairly. Let's pick up the pace. I can guarantee that there are plenty more good things deep in the mountains."
"Yes."
The group quickened their pace.
Before long, they vanished into the dense forest.
No one knew how long they had walked. The blazing sun had drenched them all in sweat, and they were panting heavily.
The young herb gatherer clutched a gourd in one hand, tipped back his head, and stared desperately at the last drop of water inside as it dripped down.
"Brother Jin, if we don't find water soon, we're all going to die of thirst."
One of the herb gatherers complained.
Brother Jin wiped the sweat from his forehead and gazed into the distance. "There's a water source not far ahead. You can drink your fill when we get there."
Everyone's eyes lit up, and they immediately perked up.
A quarter of an hour later.
Looking at the rushing waterfall before them, the group let out cheers of delight.
Everyone plunged their faces into the pool and guzzled water noisily.
The young herb gatherer even leaped straight into the pool.
Before long, he surfaced.
"That hits the spot!"
The young herb gatherer laughed heartily.
Brother Jin stood on the bank and cursed with a smile. "Who knows how deep this pool is? Don't drown in there, you brat! Get out!"
"Don't worry, Brother Jin. I'm an excellent swimmer. People even gave me the nickname White Stripe in Waves!"
Everyone burst into laughter.
The young herb gatherer swam happily through the water like a slippery fish.
Suddenly, the corner of his eye caught a glimmer of light behind the waterfall.
Driven by curiosity, he passed through the waterfall. To his astonishment, there was a narrow passage behind it, just barely wide enough for one person to pass through.
After walking dozens of steps forward, his vision suddenly opened up.
It was a vast, enormous valley.
And right beneath his feet lay a patch of green medicinal herbs, giving off an enticing fragrance.
"Snake-Smelling Grass!"
The young herb gatherer cried out in delight.
Snake-Smelling Grass was not a particularly rare medicinal herb, but such a large patch was still worth a considerable sum.
Looking more closely, he saw that there were even more valuable medicinal herbs farther away.
He danced for joy.
Now, he could hardly wait to share the good news with everyone.
Outside the waterfall.
Brother Jin and the others were anxiously searching for the young herb gatherer, who had disappeared for quite some time.
"Brother Jin, we couldn't find the brat. He didn't really drown, did he?"
A burly man who had climbed out of the water spoke.
"I told you all this pool was deep and told him not to fool around. It's my fault too. If only I'd grabbed him just now."
Brother Jin's face was full of self-reproach.
"Brother Jin, he was the one who wouldn't listen. It has nothing to do with you."
"Brother Jin! Brother Jin! I found a great place!"
The young herb gatherer emerged from behind the waterfall, shouting excitedly.
"A Liang, where did you come from, you brat? You scared us half to death. We thought you'd drowned in the water."
One of the herb gatherers spoke crossly.
A Liang's face reddened, and he rubbed the back of his head. "I'm sorry, brothers. I got carried away playing around. But I have some good news to tell you!"
"What good news?"
Someone asked curiously.
"Behind the waterfall, I found an enormous valley. There are countless medicinal herbs inside! I was completely dumbfounded."
Hearing this, everyone turned to A Liang.
Breathing slightly faster, they asked, "Are you telling the truth?"
"Of course. Would I lie to you? Come with me!"
A Liang patted his chest, looking pleased with himself.
Brother Jin leaped into the water first.
The others followed close behind.
Before long, they had all entered the valley.
Looking at the sea of medicinal herbs before them, everyone was stunned.
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