Entering Three Refinements!

Upon hearing the final sentence.

Qin Jiu's pupils could not help but constrict slightly.

How does he know?

"How do I know?"

Li Yuan seemed to know what he was thinking, smiling as he spoke: "Although your surging internal energy is thick, it has never fused with your blood and qi. If I were standing this close to you and couldn't sense that, wouldn't I be a complete fool?"

"The heightened senses of Internal Strengthening are beyond your imagination."

"Of course, I wasn't entirely certain before, which is why I followed up with those probing words."

"Looking at your reaction now..."

"Regarding the major sect members Hall Master Li mentioned, could you elaborate?"

Qin Jiu did not continue to dwell on the previous question.

Instead, he asked about the doubt in his heart.

Beyond the arrival of major sect members, what he wanted to know more was the so-called calamity the other party had spoken of.

"With Ning'an withdrawing its troops behind the pass, the two most powerful sects within this prefecture naturally won't remain outside the pass alone. However, the area inside the pass is no paradise for sects either. To gain a foothold, they will inevitably clash with the established sects and families already there. If they rely solely on their own disciples, they might find their talent withered after a single contest."

"Therefore, you have found your purpose."

Qin Jiu fell silent upon hearing this.

Li Yuan did not stop speaking; he merely glanced at him before continuing: "Although it sounds cruel, if you continue to stay in this county town—or even Ning'an Prefecture—there is only death awaiting you."

"Under such circumstances."

"Even if you wanted to become a mere pawn for one of those major sects, not everyone has the qualifications."

"As for the calamity you asked about..."

Li Yuan shook his head as he spoke: "I can only say that the Demons are not the true calamity."

"Demons are not the calamity?"

Qin Jiu frowned, wanting to press for a clear answer.

But the other party was unwilling to say more.

Only a moment later.

He prepared to take his leave.

"The internal energy and true qi within Wang Yue have already dissipated. Once he rests for a few days, he will wake up on his own. You only need to feed him one of the pills I left behind every other day. Furthermore, Wang Yue exhausted his vital essence too severely during his battle; I fear he has less than five years of lifespan remaining."

"If he engages in intense combat again, he is very likely to die of old age on the spot."

"You need to make this point clear to him."

"Many thanks to Hall Master Li for this."

Qin Jiu cupped his hands toward him and said: "Once Elder Wang wakes up, I will have someone deliver the secret recipe to Four Seasons Pharmacy."

After seeing Li Yuan off.

He summoned Qin Xuanzhou.

"Uncle Wang has passed the threshold of death for now. Find some people to look after him, and once he wakes up, have someone notify me. Also, there may be some unfamiliar faces in the city over the next few days; keep a close watch, and if you spot any, report to me immediately."

"Unfamiliar faces?"

Qin Xuanzhou was startled.

But he quickly nodded.

Two days passed in the blink of an eye.

On this day.

The sky was covered by a thick layer of clouds.

Qin Jiu held his long saber, standing in the courtyard of the East Wing, letting the snowflakes drift onto his shoulders, remaining as still as a mountain.

Fine snow swirled.

As time passed, his hair and eyebrows gradually became coated in frost and snow.

At a certain moment.

"Boom!"

A powerful gust of wind whistled.

The snow on the ground was instantly swept upward.

"Qi Rushing to Shaoyang, Three Refinements complete!"

Qin Jiu opened his eyes and exhaled a breath of turbid air, which shot out like an arrow, traveling nearly ten feet before slowly dissipating.

His expression was neither happy nor sad.

Regarding Internal Energy Meridian Clearing, he felt no great fluctuation in his heart.

Because unlike ordinary people who need to carefully control their internal energy to clear the hundred meridians after the internal energy and blood qi merge and circulate, he possessed Withered Wood Meets Spring; even if his meridians were shattered, he could still repair them instantly.

Three Refinements Meridian Clearing.

Qin Jiu was confident that in the shortest possible time.

He would clear the hundred meridians with internal energy.

"It is just that after the three refinements, one must use internal energy to nourish the internal organs. This process is destined to be impossible to assist with Withered Wood Meets Spring. I must find a talent related to nourishing the internal organs, otherwise, Internal Strengthening is destined to take a long time to complete."

Qin Jiu shook his head secretly.

Immediately, he shook the snowflakes from his brows.

He strode out of the East Wing.

"How is Elder Wang?"

He arrived at the side chamber of the Inner Mansion and asked a servant standing by the door.

The latter was shivering, head bowed, constantly blowing warm air into his hands. Upon hearing the question, he looked up, immediately straightened his body, and said, "Reporting to the Family Head, Steward Wang still shows no signs of waking up."

"Is that so."

Qin Jiu nodded slightly.

Just as he was about to turn and leave, he heard a fit of coughing coming from inside the room.

He paused, then walked straight into the room.

"Young Master..."

Inside the room.

Seeing him enter, Wang Yue struggled to sit up.

Qin Jiu hurried over and pressed him down, saying, "Your injury is severe, do not move around at this time."

"Many thanks, Young Master."

"If not for the Young Master's warning that day, this old servant would have died outside long ago."

Wang Yue's voice was weak.

Hearing this, Qin Jiu nodded and asked, "What happened to you all?"

"We followed the County Magistrate to track the Great Demon. After several days, we finally found some clues, but halfway through, several experts above the Internal Strengthening realm emerged and fought with the County Magistrate. The experts who came from the prefecture were originally dealing with the external enemies alongside the County Magistrate, but for some reason, one of them suddenly turned traitor and ambushed the County Magistrate."

"At the same time, the master of the Canghai Martial Arts Hall suddenly attacked me."

"Even though I had taken precautions beforehand."

"I was still caught in the aftermath of the battle between the County Magistrate and the others. I had no choice but to take a palm strike from the opponent head-on, then fled, holding onto a single breath to return and report the news. As for the County Magistrate and the others, their life or death is currently unknown. Only the Han Family head, Han Zheng, was unlucky; he was casually decapitated by a top expert who was pursuing the County Magistrate."

After Wang Yue finished saying this.

His breathing became somewhat rapid.

It was unclear whether it was due to lingering fear or the injuries within his body.

"Dead?"

Qin Jiu was stunned.

He never expected that the first news of death he would hear.

Would be Han Zheng of the Han Family.

He had previously thought about marrying into the family to form an alliance, and although it did not end happily, the latter had great courage and even gifted a Third-Order Spirit Beast that was about to break through its realm as an apology.

Now, hearing this news.

He only felt a complex and indescribable taste in his heart.

"How long have I been unconscious, old servant?"

At this moment.

Wang Yue asked.

Qin Jiu came back to his senses and said, "Since you returned to the Qin Family, you have been unconscious for a total of three days."

"Right."

"Is this strange celestial phenomenon outside related to the County Magistrate and the others?"

"Celestial phenomenon? What celestial phenomenon?"

Wang Yue was taken aback.

Only then did he notice that inside the room.

There were still some burning charcoal embers placed about.

Seeing this, Qin Jiu pondered and said, "Do not worry about this matter for now. Just rest quietly for a few days. If there is anything you need, call the servants outside to do it."

He gave a few instructions.

Then, he stepped out from the side chamber, intending to head toward the Hundred Beasts Garden.

But at this moment.

Qin Xuanzhou chased after him.

"Reporting to the Family Head, the matter you asked me to keep an eye on now has a lead. This morning, some unfamiliar faces entered the city; one of them is at the Internal Strengthening realm, while the others are at Three Refinements. They have all entered the Han Family residence in the Inner City."

"Furthermore, it seems Han Zheng is dead."

"It is said that his corpse has just been brought back by the men from the County Office."

"Oh?"

Qin Jiu's eyes flashed.

"Our Qin Mansion has always been on good terms with the Han Family. Arrange a carriage immediately; I wish to pay my formal respects at the Han residence."