The Weak Will Be Beaten

Pill Cauldron City.

The streets teemed with people and noise, presenting a peaceful scene. Compared to the outside world, it seemed to exist in another realm, far removed from slaughter and conflict.

Under the Yao Clan's protection, the people of the Medicine World undoubtedly lived more comfortably and safely than those outside. Even those without cultivation talent did not need to worry about making a living, because the Medicine World was filled with dense Heaven and Earth Energy. Ordinary crops produced astonishing yields, more than enough to ensure that no one lacked food or drink.

Moreover, because of the Yao Clan's rules, no one dared to recklessly attack or injure others within the Medicine World, much less commit acts such as robbery and murder.

There were countless experts in the Medicine World. Every city had a Dou Zun level expert stationed there, capable of suppressing everything.

Therefore.

Ordinary people living in the Medicine World could live very comfortably, so long as they did not covet things that did not belong to them... Where there were rules, there were classes. The strong possessed more cultivation resources, while the weak could only accept the strong's distribution. Unless one possessed extraordinary talent and could break through this layer of rules, one could only choose to venture into the outside world and gamble with one's life, like the Mercenaries of Shennong City.

In this regard, the Yao Clan did not restrict anyone's freedom. Whether one wished to go out and take a chance or remain in the Medicine World to enjoy a peaceful life was entirely voluntary.

Overall.

Compared to the cultivation environment outside, which was akin to raising poisonous insects in a jar, the Yao Clan was quite good, and it treated talented people extremely well.

If the Soul Clan had not been watching them like tigers from the outside, Yao Yan might have continued cultivating diligently in the Medicine World. Unfortunately, it was all an illusion. The Medicine World's beauty was merely fleeting. The more peaceful it was now, the bloodier the future would be. In a world where the strong reigned supreme, one could not expect the mercy of others.

"All beauty comes from powerful strength..."

Yao Yan stood on the bustling street with Ling Er, looking at the familiar old shops and passersby as he murmured softly.

He wore a mask that concealed half his face.

A face that was too handsome easily attracted attention, and it also easily invited trouble.

He hated unnecessary trouble.

However, Yao Yan had clearly underestimated his own appeal. His face could be concealed, but his figure and temperament could not. Moreover, an exceptionally adorable Second Order Greenwood Fox was crouched on his shoulder. Such an appearance was rare even in Pill Cauldron City.

Besides, the people who had lived in Pill Cauldron City for years all knew one another. A "stranger" like Yao Yan could easily draw everyone's attention.

"Grandpa, is that a Second Order Greenwood Fox? Why is its fur bluish-green? It's different from what Teacher taught us."

A little girl tugged at her grandfather's sleeve and pointed at Yao Yan as she asked.

Hearing this, the old man looked toward Ling Er on Yao Yan's shoulder. After pondering for a moment, he said, "It should be a mutant. If a Second Order Greenwood Fox breeds with another magical beast, it may produce some unusual varieties."

"So cute! Grandpa, I want to raise one like that too."

"Then Grandpa will take you to the Spirit Beast Shop later to have a look."

"No, I want one exactly like that!"

"This... Hm? Where did that young man go?!"

The old man looked troubled. He then raised his head to look at Yao Yan, only to find that the spot was already empty. Startled, he instinctively looked around, but Yao Yan was nowhere to be seen on the entire street.

Yao Yan had naturally slipped away. He had even stuffed Ling Er into his clothes. He had not expected that even after keeping such a low profile, he would still attract so much attention. Ling Er was also a little too attractive to children and women, which gave him a headache. Leaving was the best option.

Fortunately, after leaving the bustling street, there were far fewer pedestrians around.

Yao Yan reached out and scratched Ling Er beneath her chin. Looking into her emerald-green eyes, he smiled and murmured, "I forgot that girls all like cute little things... and big things too."

Ling Er tilted her head, her large furry ears twitching slightly as she failed to understand what he meant.

Yao Yan did not explain. It was better for this innocent little thing to remain pure. He pressed Ling Er's head back into his clothes, then strode toward home. Before long, he arrived at the entrance to the small courtyard where he had once lived. The gate was not tightly shut, and through the narrow crack, he could clearly see everything inside.

It was still that simple courtyard. Everything inside seemed unchanged.

"Creak~"

Yao Yan stood silently where he was for a moment before reaching out to push open the gate and slowly walking inside. Everything before his eyes was deeply familiar, yet though it was right before him, it carried an indescribable sense of unfamiliarity. It seemed he had grown farther and farther away from that little courtyard of the past.

Nearly four years had passed, and he had changed a great deal, whether in mindset or in other ways.

"Ying ying~"

Ling Er poked her head out from Yao Yan's clothes, raised her head, and cried out at him with her pair of furry ears drooping.

"This used to be my home."

Yao Yan came back to himself and looked down at the little thing questioning him. He softly explained, then took Ling Er from his clothes and began cleaning the entire courtyard. He still needed to stay here for several days. According to Yao Nong, Yao Ding would return to visit his family at the end of this year. That would be his opportunity.

Yao Ding was twenty-four this year, a Seven Star Dou Wang, a Fifth-Rank Alchemist, and possessed a Rank 6 Bloodline. His talent was considered quite outstanding even among the Yao Clan's core members.

His parents were ordinary branch family members, no different from Yao Yan's parents in this life. However, because Yao Ding had been admitted into the Yao Clan's core, their status in Pill Cauldron City had risen considerably, and their residence had changed from a small courtyard into a luxurious manor.

And that was merely the most basic benefit. There were many more advantages.

It could be said that when one person attained the Dao, even the chickens and dogs ascended to heaven.

It all stemmed from that Purple-Gold Spirit King Ginseng!

According to Hun Xuzi, his father had gone to great lengths to obtain that Purple-Gold Spirit King Ginseng from the Shennong Mountain Range, even suffering severe injuries in the process. Later, Yao Ding's father had led people to seize it from him. In the end, he died from his injuries, while Yao Yan's mother had gone to reason with them over the matter. Yet no one upheld justice for her, and she ultimately died in sorrow and resentment.

There was an eighty to ninety percent chance that this was true.

Yao Yan believed that Hun Xuzi would not lie about something like this. As for whether Hun Xuzi had set something up behind the scenes, only he himself knew. However, Yao Yan did not harbor much resentment toward the Yao Clan over this matter.

The Yao Clan had the Yao Clan's rules. Within the Medicine World, the Yao Clan protected everyone's safety, even branch descendants without cultivation talent.

But those rules did not exist outside the Medicine World.

Since one chose to venture out, one naturally had to bear the risks involved. The Yao Clan could not possibly serve as everyone's nanny.

Yao Yan's family could not possibly be a Special Case either.

Besides, his father had been a pawn arranged by Hun Xuzi, a spy planted in the Yao Clan by the Soul Clan.

To become a Special Case, one first needed to possess enough value for the Yao Clan to make an exception. At the time, Yao Yan's family clearly did not have such value. What right did an ordinary branch descendant's family have to ask the Yao Clan to uphold justice for them? Furthermore, Yao Ding had already consumed the Purple-Gold Spirit King Ginseng. In terms of value, he was clearly worth more!

Having understood all the twists and turns involved, Yao Yan blamed no one and resented no one, including Hun Xuzi.

The weak would be beaten. That had been the truth since ancient times.

Likewise.

Yao Yan also hoped that when he moved against and wiped out Yao Ding's family, they would not hold any resentment in their hearts!