Encounter at the Inn

After Meng Qingshan leveled up his [Herbal Knowledge] skill to level 4, he became extremely sensitive to the scent of medicinal herbs.

Although he had only learned about the forms and effects of various herbs from the Wuwei Herbal, he hadn't personally experienced them. However, this was precisely the power of the system panel.

Once a skill level was increased, the related knowledge and experience would be deeply imprinted in his memory as if he had personally gone through it.

This scent strongly resembled the aroma of 'Ephedra'!

Ephedra is a medicinal herb used to dispel wind and cold. If taken in excess, it can cause anxiety, palpitations, and uncontrollable excitement.

It now seemed that the incident of the large black horse going mad at the city gates, which appeared to be caused by the horse being startled, was actually orchestrated by someone.

Just then, Meng Qingshan heard a familiar voice from the inn's front courtyard: "Rumor has it that only a hundred jars of this White Jade Fat are sold each year, and it's hard to get every year. Brother Wang, if you hadn't generously given it up this time, Ning'er would probably not have been able to buy this jar of White Jade Fat no matter how much money she had!"

"Haha, although I've tasted this wine many times, you've traveled thousands of miles to buy it for your father. If I were to refuse, wouldn't that be too disappointing? Moreover, you've already bought this wine from me at more than double the market price, so there's no need to thank me again."

These voices clearly belonged to the red-clothed girl from earlier and Wang Ruozhi.

At that moment, the waiter suddenly said, "Guest, you still have some change from the silver you paid. Why not enjoy some delicious food in the inn, and then I'll take you to your lodging?"

Meng Qingshan shook his head and said, "Forget it. I have important matters to attend to these few days. I just wanted to find a place to temporarily stable this horse. If I'm not around these days, please help me look after it for a few days. Of course, when I return, I will give you some extra compensation."

To the waiter, Meng Qingshan was extremely generous, and with his current words, he was naturally overjoyed. He responded enthusiastically, "Guest, please rest assured, I will take good care of your horse. I'll feed it until it's strong and swift as lightning."

Meng Qingshan's lips curved upwards, and he smiled gently, "Thank you for your trouble, little brother."

With that, he took down the saddlebag hanging on the horse's back, secured the Brocade Cloud Saber to his waist, and turned to leave the side courtyard.

As soon as Meng Qingshan stepped out of the doorway, he bumped into a red-clothed girl. The woman had a graceful figure, was bright and moving, holding a wine jar in her hands, and a mischievous and charming smile on her face as she lightly brushed past him.

At the same time, walking alongside this red-clothed girl was Wang Ruozhi. Wang Ruozhi was currently holding a white fan with a jade handle, gently fanning himself as he walked, exuding an air of romantic elegance.

As the two passed by, Meng Qingshan's nose twitched. Amidst the girl's fresh scent, he detected a faint, almost imperceptible bitter fragrance. Meng Qingshan's gaze involuntarily turned towards the source of this Ephedra scent—Wang Ruozhi. The scent came from Wang Ruozhi.

His suspicions were now confirmed. The person behind the startling of the large black horse must be Wang Ruozhi. And then, the suave entrance, the hero saving the damsel—what inexperienced maiden wouldn't be moved?

"In this situation, should I stop the triggering of this main storyline?" A thought suddenly popped into Meng Qingshan's mind, but he quickly shook his head, dismissing the idea. Putting aside other matters for now, with his current strength, if he rashly confronted Wang Ruozhi, he would undoubtedly have no chance of winning and might even find himself in a desperate situation. Although he had a slight acquaintance with Sheng Wubing, this acquaintance was limited to Sheng Wubing himself, and it wasn't enough for him to disregard his own safety for someone connected to Sheng Wubing.

In the original main storyline of Wulin Qixia Zhuan, the death of Emperor Shengwu swept through the Nine Provinces like a storm. Heroes and valiant figures alike threw themselves into this struggle for power, plunging the land of Shenzhou into continuous warfare and conflict.

In this chaotic world, Yunzhou stood out. King Yun Chu had established the 'Seven Mysteries Sect' in Yunzhou in his early years to govern the martial arts world. His four renowned constables were famous throughout the land, striking fear into the hearts of martial artists. Coupled with King Yun Chu's control of Yunzhou's heavy troops, no faction among the sects and aristocratic families in Yunzhou dared to provoke them. Under King Yun Chu's governance, Yunzhou maintained a rare peace and tranquility compared to other prefectures.

However, the unpredictability of fate was always regrettable. After An Ning'er stole the 'Black Dragon Red Sun Pearl', King Yun Chu fell ill and passed away unfortunately. His son, King Yun Xiang, succeeded him with great ambition, intending to become the overlord of the Nine Provinces and conquer the world. He then dispatched a large army to attack neighboring Qingzhou. Qingzhou was the sphere of influence of the Jianghe Gang. It should be known that the leader of the Jianghe Gang, 'Quan Zhenjianghe', Fang Bingshu, was the Son of Destiny in version 2.0. The tens of thousands of troops sent by King Yun Xiang suffered successive defeats under the Jianghe Gang's offensive, retreating in disarray and suffering heavy losses.