Returning Laden with Spoils

The carriage sped along the main road, the wheels crushing the gravel and emitting a rhythmic rumbling sound.

Zhao the Coachman sat on the driver's bench, his hands gripping the reins firmly as the black horse galloped, moving significantly faster than it had on the way there.

He had been in a hurry coming, but he was in an even greater hurry returning.

His employers had spent several days in the Star Dou Forest; although they all appeared spirited, the old master had bandages wrapped around his arm, and the young master's clothes were stained with blood, clearly indicating they had endured a bitter battle.

He dared not ask too many questions, wanting only to return his employers to the manor as quickly as possible.

Inside the carriage, the five of them were squeezed together, more crowded than before, yet no one complained.

Qing Zhengyue leaned against the carriage wall, eyes closed to rest, the Wind Wood Dragon Wings on his back fully retracted and pressed against his shoulder blades, showing no signs of abnormality.

However, his aura was more restrained than before, like a sharp blade returned to its scabbard—hiding its edge, yet ready to be drawn at any moment.

Liu Yunlan sat beside her husband, head bowed, taking several small porcelain bottles from a cloth bag and checking them one by one to ensure the stoppers were tight before carefully putting them back.

Qing Hongyuan leaned against the opposite wall with his eyes closed, yet the corners of his mouth remained slightly upturned.

Fifth Spirit Ring, Azure Snake Dragon Wing, thirty-thousand-year Wind Wood Dragon, level fifty-six Spirit King.

Every time he thought of these numbers, the corners of his mouth lifted a little higher.

Shen Wanqing sat beside her husband, leaning against his shoulder with her eyes closed.

She had expended a great deal of energy over the past few days, but her spirit was excellent.

Qing Mufeng sat between his grandmother and his mother, lifting a corner of the carriage curtain to watch the fields and villages flying past outside.

The day had fully brightened, and sunlight spilled through the gaps in the curtains, casting mottled light and shadows upon everyone.

In the fields on either side of the road, farmers were working; upon seeing the speeding carriage, they looked up briefly before lowering their heads to continue their labor.

No one would pay any attention to this unremarkable carriage.

This was exactly what the Qing Clan wanted.

"Grandfather," Qing Mufeng said, dropping the curtain and turning to look at the old man.

"Hmm?"

"After we return, how should we arrange the matter of the Whale Glue?"

Qing Zhengyue opened his eyes and glanced at his grandson.

"Write down the usage instructions, and I will have someone purchase it in the coastal cities."

The old man's voice was low, yet every word was clear: "The hundred-year and thousand-year varieties are cheap and plentiful, so buy them in bulk. I will go for the ten-thousand-year variety myself and check the market while I'm at it."

"Let me go," Qing Hongyuan said, opening his eyes. "You are level seventy now; your target is too large, and you are easily spotted. I am just a level fifty-six Spirit King, unknown and unnoticed."

Qing Zhengyue thought for a moment and nodded.

"That works. Take Zhao the Coachman with you; he is familiar with the roads to the coast."

Qing Hongyuan nodded and said no more.

Liu Yunlan looked up at her son and added a word of caution: "Be careful, and don't stir up trouble."

"I know, Mother," Qing Hongyuan replied with a smile.

The carriage continued forward, its speed undiminished.

The interior of the carriage fell silent once more.

No one spoke, but all five were thinking of the same thing: a one-hundred-thousand-year spirit ring.

This was the greatest goal the Qing Clan had set in a century; before this, they wouldn't have even dared to dream of it.

But because the grandson (son) said it was possible, they believed him.

It was not a blind belief, but one based on evidence.

Whale Glue for body tempering, plant-type spirit rings, external spirit bones, and the Azure Dragon Method.

Every one of these was a path no predecessor had walked, but when combined, they all pointed in the same direction.

One hundred thousand years.

Qing Mufeng leaned against the carriage window, closed his eyes, and began to circulate the Azure Dragon Method.

Spirit power flowed through his meridians, all four paths fully open, moving significantly faster than before he had absorbed his third spirit ring.

His level thirty-four Spirit Master spirit power, bolstered by three spirit rings, had already gained some substance.

But it was still far from enough.

He opened his eyes and looked at the sky outside the window.

His target for the fourth spirit ring was ten thousand years.

Jumping from five thousand nine hundred to ten thousand years was a significant leap.

The strengthening from the Whale Glue would make this process more secure.

The resentment impact of a ten-thousand-year spirit ring was several times stronger than that of a thousand-year one.

Even though he was an Azure Dragon, he could not afford to be careless.

He withdrew his gaze, closed his eyes, and continued to circulate the Azure Dragon Method.

The carriage galloped along the main road for an entire day.

At dusk, the carriage drove into a familiar hilly region.

In the distance, the silhouette of the Qing Family Manor loomed in the twilight, with several wisps of smoke rising from the direction of the manor, curling and dissipating into the sunset glow.

Zhao the Coachman flicked the reins, and the black horse quickened its pace.

The carriage entered through the back gate of the manor and came to a steady stop in the center of the courtyard.

Zhao the Coachman jumped down from the carriage shaft and opened the door; Qing Zhengyue was the first to step out.

The old man took a deep breath of the air within the manor.

The familiar scent of vegetation, the familiar smell of soil, the familiar home.

Liu Yunlan was the second to step down. The old lady looked at the flowers and plants in the courtyard, then toward the direction of the kitchen in the distance, and murmured, "It is time to cook."

Qing Hongyuan jumped off the carriage, spread his arms, and stretched his somewhat stiff muscles and bones.

The Azure Snake Dragon Wing on his back sensed its master's intent and trembled slightly, but he suppressed it.

After Shen Wanqing stepped down, she turned and reached out to help her son descend.

Qing Mufeng jumped off the carriage, his feet hitting the bluestone slabs with a crisp sound.

He looked down at the familiar stone slabs beneath his feet, the corners of his mouth curling upward slightly.

After being away for several days, he had finally returned.

Qing Zhengyue turned around and looked at his family.

"Go into the main hall first; we have things to discuss."

Five figures crossed the courtyard and walked toward the main hall.

The lamps had already been lit in the main hall, the candlelight flickering in the twilight and casting the shadows of the five people onto the walls.

Qing Zhengyue sat in the main seat, Liu Yunlan sat by his side, and Qing Hongyuan and Shen Wanqing sat in the lower seats.

Qing Mufeng sat on a chair between his grandparents; that was his exclusive spot.

Every time there was a family meeting, he sat there.

Qing Zhengyue picked up his teacup, took a sip, and set it down.

"This trip has yielded great gains."

The old man's voice was not loud, but it was clear: "Feng'er has completed his third spirit ring, Hongyuan has completed his fifth spirit ring, I have broken through to level seventy, and we have also obtained an external spirit bone."

He took a folded piece of paper from his bosom, unfolded it, and placed it on the table.

It was the method for using Whale Glue that Qing Mufeng had written on the return journey, the handwriting neat and the logic clear.

"This is the method for using Whale Glue written by Feng'er," Qing Zhengyue said. "Hundred-year, thousand-year, ten-thousand-year—three stages. The dosage, method of administration, and supporting measures for each stage are all written clearly."

He looked at his son and daughter-in-law.

"Hongyuan, you will set off for the coastal cities tomorrow to purchase Whale Glue. Buy the hundred-year and thousand-year batches in bulk; for the ten-thousand-year grade, check the market first. If the price is right, buy it; if not, come back and we will discuss it further."

"Yes," Qing Hongyuan nodded.

"Wanqing, you should organize the family accounts over the next few days and see how much liquid capital we have. The volume of this purchase will not be small, so be prepared in advance."

"Yes, Father," Shen Wanqing replied.

Qing Zhengyue looked at his wife again.

"Yunlan, the consumption of Whale Glue requires a supporting medicinal bath. You should prepare the corresponding prescriptions according to the method Feng'er wrote."

Liu Yunlan nodded: "I will look at it tonight."

Finally, Qing Zhengyue looked at his grandson.

"Feng'er, you should rest well today. Starting tomorrow, follow the method you wrote and be the first to consume the Whale Glue."

"Understood," Qing Mufeng nodded.

Qing Zhengyue stood up, his gaze sweeping over everyone present.

"In its hundred-year history, the Qing Family has never been as prosperous as it is today. But this is only the beginning."

The old man's voice was calm, but every word carried weight: "A hundred-thousand-year spirit ring is not the end. The path of the Qing Family is still very long."

He paused.

"Rest well tonight. Tomorrow begins a new day."