Talent Gained Again

"I understand."

Qin Jiu fell silent for a moment.

Then he left the main hall and headed straight for the Hundred Beasts Garden.

Since the marriage alliance was already settled, he didn't dwell on it. With the Red Seal, he believed that as long as he cultivated martial arts, he would advance by leaps and bounds. The Qin Family might not necessarily be swallowed by the Han Family or other forces.

But his body had only just recovered.

He still needed to replenish the qi and blood he had lost earlier.

He wasn't in a rush to train.

After all, haste makes waste. If he forced himself to practice in his current state, problems might arise.

"A spirit beast that warms and nourishes qi and blood..."

"I remember there's still a Golden-Backed Python in the garden. Its flesh not only warms and nourishes qi and blood but also improves bone structure. But if such a spirit beast were sent to the Drunken Immortal Pavilion for sale, it could fetch at least a thousand taels of silver. Would eating it myself be too wasteful?"

Qin Jiu was conflicted.

Even though he had a formula for nurturing first-rank spirit beasts, a spirit beast with the effect of improving bone structure wasn't something that could be bred on a whim. Each one was extremely precious and highly sought after even in the inner city.

If it was just about replenishing qi and blood, he felt an ordinary spirit beast would suffice.

Lost in thought, Qin Jiu arrived at the Hundred Beasts Garden.

Inside the garden, unlike the earlier noise, every servant was silent, eerily quiet.

Even when they saw him, the young master, they only bowed without a word.

Qin Jiu was puzzled.

But his face quickly darkened.

He saw the servant he had questioned earlier, now with his head lowered, cleaning tools beside a stone trough. The man's right cheek was swollen high, and the corners of his mouth still bore traces of dried blood.

"Is Qin Xiong back?"

"Young... young master..."

The man, seeing Qin Jiu approach, was startled at first, then bowed nervously.

Seeing that he was reluctant to speak, Qin Jiu said, "Go fetch Elder Wang. Be quick about it."

"Yes."

The man nodded and quickly left the Hundred Beasts Garden.

At that moment, Qin Jiu turned to the others. "Qiu the Third, take two men and bring me the Golden-Backed Python from the garden."

But the servant's face showed hesitation.

He looked as if he wanted to speak but held back.

He stood there without moving.

"Little Jiu, what brings you to the Hundred Beasts Garden?"

Suddenly, a rough voice rang out.

Then a burly figure emerged from somewhere. He was seven feet tall, clad in black tight-fitting clothes, with arms that hung past his knees. His eyes held a piercing gleam, and the gust of wind from his walk pressed down like a weight.

Qin Jiu's expression remained calm.

He wasn't affected by the man's aura.

"Can this vast Hundred Beasts Garden no longer keep you, Uncle Xiong?"

"What do you mean by that?"

Qin Xiong, in the prime of his life, spoke in a voice that made ears ache. "Little Jiu, don't tell me you've been listening to the gossip of some servants. Don't let others drive a wedge between us uncle and nephew."

"Besides, the Hundred Beasts Garden is too dangerous. You shouldn't be here."

"The beasts in the garden don't understand human speech."

"What if a spirit beast charges at you..."

"Uncle Xiong."

Qin Jiu cut him off, speaking calmly. "I came here just to butcher a Golden-Backed Python to nourish myself. We can catch up later. Take those men and handle it now."

"The Golden-Backed Python?"

Qin Xiong's expression shifted, his brows furrowing tightly.

"Little Jiu, your frail body can't handle such a potent tonic..."

"I'll be the judge of that." Qin Jiu interrupted Qin Xiong again. "Just do as I say."

The latter, however, still maintained his patience and said, "Even so, the Golden-Backed Python is so rare that the late master couldn't bear to kill and eat it while he was alive. In my opinion, it's better to take some other spirit beast."

"Hey, Qiu the Third, go catch that Thorn Rat."

Qin Xiong said, turning his head to look at the attendant.

The man nodded in acknowledgment.

He was about to move.

Seeing this, Qin Jiu's face suddenly darkened: "I said, I want the Golden-Backed Python."

"Tsk, for replenishing qi and blood, any spirit beast will do."

Qin Xiong seemed not to notice his expression.

He said it casually.

And the attendant's figure didn't pause in the slightest.

"Since when did you, Qin Xiong, become the head of the Qin Family?"

Just then.

A feeble voice came from the doorway.

As the voice sounded.

An aged figure also walked in.

His hair was gray and white, his body hunched, his eyelids half-drooping as he ambled in slowly, with no aura leaking from him.

Yet the moment Qin Xiong saw him.

A flicker of fear couldn't help but flash across his face.

"Old steward, what brings you here?"

"You seem quite unwilling to see me at the Hundred Beasts Garden."

The old steward said as he walked: "Indeed, your word in this garden carries more weight than the head of the family's orders. My presence here must be an inconvenience to you."

"How about this."

"Why don't I kowtow to you and proclaim you the head of the Qin Family?"

"Elder Wang, why speak like that?"

Qin Xiong looked baffled.

The old steward, upon hearing this, stared at him with a cold expression.

"You've been frequenting the Drunken Immortal Pavilion these past few days, not even bothering to cover your tracks. Since you like it so much, from now on, you'll be stationed there to guard it."

"Wang Yue, what do you mean by this?!"

Qin Xiong was displeased.

But the old steward paid him no heed. Instead, he bowed to Qin Jiu and said, "What does the head of the family think?"

"Do as you say."

Qin Jiu nodded.

This Qin Xiong was a solid Third-Refining Martial Artist.

One of the few experts in the Qin Family.

If the Qin Family didn't still have someone who could keep him in check, he would never have allowed this man to live. But given the current state of the Qin Family, openly losing a martial arts expert for now wasn't an option. Keeping him around would still serve some purpose.

If the man still couldn't behave himself at the Drunken Immortal Pavilion.

Then the old steward would have to make a move.

As he was pondering this.

The old steward stepped toward Qiu the Third.

"Unable to tell who your true master is, lacking any sense of respect—you deserve punishment." As he spoke, he raised his palm and struck Qiu the Third's crown, driving his head straight down into his chest.

At this sight.

The other attendants all trembled.

Qin Xiong's face also turned extremely ugly.

But he said nothing.

He was indeed a Third-Refining Martial Artist.

Yet this old steward was the only top-tier expert in the Qin Mansion whose martial realm stood above the Third-Refining—how could anyone not be wary of him?

Just then.

The old steward looked at Qin Xiong again.

"What are you standing there for? Remember to take this corpse with you. Don't dirty the soil of the Hundred Beasts Garden."

"Qin Xiong takes his leave."

The latter, with a wooden expression, bowed to Qin Jiu.

Then, without a word, he left the Hundred Beasts Garden.

Qin Jiu watched his retreating figure, eyes narrowed to slits, but ultimately suppressed the impulse in his heart. Instead, he had the other workers bring over the Golden-Backed Python.

Then he took a sharp blade and made a clean cut.

The Red Seal immediately rumbled with vibration.

Code
[Golden-Backed Python (Tier 1)]

[Talent: Snake Waist Python Tendon (Blue)]

[Description: Reshapes form and alters bones, increases strength by a thousand jin. For every inch tendons lengthen, lifespan extends by ten years.]

[Talent Status: Carvable]

[Carving Condition: Ten taels of gold]