010 Entering the Mountains to Cultivate

"Lian Yunbi, you've finally returned. Quickly, take a look at your brother; his illness has flared up again." Lian Yunbi's mother sat by the bedside, wiping away tears incessantly.

On the bed, a thin, gaunt boy of about ten years old lay writhing. His entire body was flushed a deep, burning red, yet not a single bead of sweat appeared on his skin. It was as if a ball of fire were incinerating him from within. The boy bit his lips hard, refusing to let out a single sound.

"Sister, I'm in so much pain. Let me go, I need to scratch," the boy pleaded the moment he saw Lian Yunbi, unable to hold back any longer. His body was covered in festering wounds from previous scratching; his hands and feet were bound to the bed frame to prevent him from tearing at his own skin.

Lian Yunbi's tears gushed out instantly.

"Be a good boy, little brother. You can't scratch. Just endure it a little longer; it will pass soon," Lian Yunbi said, her voice choked with sobs. She could only watch, unable to touch him, for at this stage, helping him scratch would only make his condition worse.

"Sister, it hurts," the boy whimpered, his face twisted as if he were about to cry.

Lian Yunbi's mother sat nearby, already a tear-stained mess. "My poor, suffering child, why must you endure so much agony?"

"Mother, where is Father?"

"Your father has gone to Luowang Prefecture to seek a Cold-Clearing Pill, but he hasn't returned yet."

Luowang Prefecture was four or five days away from Mengyin City, even at a full gallop.

Lian Yunbi gritted her teeth. "We can't wait any longer. Mother, look after my brother. I'm going to find an Ice Cold Pangolin right now!"

Lian Yunbi knew that at this moment, only the blood of an Ice Cold Pangolin could alleviate her brother's symptoms.

With that, she turned and strode away.

"Yunbi, you cannot go into the mountains! It's too dangerous right now!" her mother shouted from behind, trying to stop her daughter, but Lian Yunbi had already rushed out, deaf to her pleas.

"Brother Zhang, I've successfully opened up the market. The reputation of the Detoxification and Marrow Cleansing Pill will soon be known to every household! Many people have already come to purchase them, but with only two hundred pills, it's certainly not enough."

Wang Pengyu looked at the two hundred pills in his hand, his expression conflicted. His heart, however, was racing with an excitement he could barely contain.

As long as the reputation of the Detoxification and Marrow Cleansing Pill spread, the name of the Wang Family Pharmacy would echo throughout all of Mengyin City.

"A mere fifty Detoxification and Marrow Cleansing Pills aren't enough to make it known to every household. These two hundred are just for you to use as publicity," Zhang He said with a faint smile. "Once these two hundred are sold, the name of the pill will be known to everyone. Rest assured, I am going back to find my teacher now to refine more. Once they are ready, I will bring them over immediately."

"Teacher?" A flash of 'as I expected' crossed Wang Pengyu's eyes. Zhang He truly did have a formidable teacher!

"Continue the promotion for these next few days. I'll be leaving now." Zhang He left the Five Poison Beads behind and departed from the Wang Family Pharmacy.

Inside the Zhao family mansion, Zhao Feng wore a gloomy expression.

"Based on your description of the encounter, that Zhang He is merely a paper tiger; he isn't truly that formidable. If he had actually cultivated internal energy and reached the seventh stage, he wouldn't have needed to dodge when you fought him."

A middle-aged man sat holding a teacup, analyzing the situation for Zhao Feng. His eyes glinted with shrewdness. This was Zhao Feng's father, Zhao Zhiben.

"It's evident that Zhang He has his limitations. He had to use a trade-off tactic, taking a punch from you just to create an opening to strike back."

"So, if I were to engage him in a proper, head-on fight, he wouldn't be my match at all?" A fierce light flashed in Zhao Feng's eyes. His ears were still ringing from the encounter.

"But he certainly won't just stand there and let you hit him," Zhao Zhiben shook his head. "However, I think this serves as a good warning for you. In your previous training, you always stopped at the surface, believing that brute force alone was enough to win a fight. You needed this lesson, didn't you?"

"So what! I must have my revenge. A lowly commoner actually dared to provoke me!" Zhao Feng's face was filled with cruelty.

Seeing this, his father actually praised him: "Good, that's the spirit—you shouldn't fear defeat. In a few days, the Great Yang Pill will be delivered; I requested it from your uncle. Once you consume it and cultivate the seed of internal energy, you'll have even more certainty."

"Really?" Zhao Feng's face lit up with surprise. "As long as I cultivate the internal energy seed, I can rank in the top three among the martial disciples! I'll definitely achieve a great result in the martial disciple assessment."

"Haha, rest assured. Once you achieve a good result in the assessment, your uncle will arrange a fine position for you," Zhao Zhiben laughed heartily. "By the way, you should spend more time with that girl from the Lian family. Once you succeed in the assessment, I'll have the face to go and propose a marriage for you."

"Really?" Zhao Feng's eyes brightened, but he immediately looked dejected. "That woman is truly impossible to get through to; I don't dare try again."

"You were beaten by her once, and now you have no courage? You must get closer to her. Winning over the Lian family would be of great benefit to our Zhao family's future development," Zhao Zhiben scolded. "Besides, marriage is a matter of parents' orders and matchmakers' words. Once her father gives the word, how could Lian Yunbi possibly object?"

Hearing this, it was clear that the boy who had been beaten to the ground by Lian Yunbi was none other than Zhao Feng!

Seeing his father's insistence, Zhao Feng had no choice but to nod. He wanted nothing more than to get closer to the 'Goddess Lian,' but she was a rose with thorns...

Meanwhile, at the Wang residence.

After listening to Wang Fengjie's report, the two middle-aged men in the hall remained silent. Wang Fengjie felt the pressure as he looked at his uncle's stern, unsmiling face.

"You may go now," Wang Renjie, the younger brother of Wang Renxiong, said to Wang Fengjie.

"Yes, Father." Wang Fengjie let out a sigh of relief and retreated. He had said what he needed to say; the rest was up to the elders to decide.

"Big Brother, it's been so many years, and Sister-in-law has suffered so much out there..." Wang Renjie said, speaking slowly to persuade him. "It seems that A-He is not a good-for-nothing after all. Shouldn't we let bygones be bygones and bring them back?"

"Say no more. That woman dared to leave with nothing back then; it won't be so easy for her to return now!" Wang Renxiong said coldly.

"Big Brother, this is not the time for anger. The family tournament is coming up soon. If what A-Jie said is true, A-He could contribute to the family during the tournament..."

Wang Renjie pleaded earnestly.

"I said enough! I have matters to attend to; you may leave," Wang Renxiong frowned slightly and dismissed him.

Wang Renjie gave a bitter smile and had no choice but to leave. This was a golden opportunity to bring his sister-in-law back. He knew how much she had suffered over the years, and he was determined to help her.

He would go find the other uncles and elders of the family to persuade his brother! Wang Renjie did not give up; instead, he turned to seek help from the elders of the house.

Zhang He had no idea that many people were already keeping a close watch on him. He was currently trekking through the mountains with a basket strapped to his back. West Mountain was lush with dense foliage, vibrant and teeming with life at the height of the season.

After climbing a small hillside, Zhang He paused and looked back. Mengyin City was visible only as a vague outline in the distance, with mist swirling between the mountains, lending the scene a dreamlike quality.

He took a deep breath; the fresh mountain air made Zhang He feel instantly refreshed.

From here on, I can start looking for poisonous materials. Zhang He had come into the mountains to search for medicinal ingredients capable of tempering his body.

Zhang He took off his basket and pulled out a sharp machete he had bought at a blacksmith's shop before leaving the city. Next, he took out several medicinal pouches containing highly toxic concoctions, specifically prepared to ward off the fierce beasts of the mountains. He had crafted these himself in the city using ordinary, non-toxic herbs.

Zhang He was highly proficient in the art of toxicology; he could turn non-toxic substances into lethal poisons, and conversely, render highly toxic materials completely harmless.

Tucking the pouches into his belt, Zhang He finished his preparations and officially began his journey to hunt for poisonous materials.

He had stayed in the mountains for two consecutive days. When thirsty, Zhang He drank from mountain springs; when hungry, he ate wild fruit; at night, he slept in the trees. The two days had passed peacefully enough. Moreover, because he was well-versed in the properties of toxic materials, searching for them had not been particularly strenuous.

However, to Zhang He's disappointment, there were not many poisonous materials to be found here. In these two days, he had only managed to find five usable types.

Yet, even with just those five, Zhang He made full use of them.

Using his Rejuvenation True Qi, he slowly drew the highly toxic substances into his body. Then, by circulating his energy in reverse, he used those potent toxins to directly temper his physique.

In the span of two days, Zhang He's body had already reached the Skin Tempering Realm. Such an improvement was already quite remarkable, but Zhang He was not satisfied.

If I go any further, I'll be in the deep mountains. Going there alone is bound to be dangerous. Zhang He looked ahead. Further in lay the deep mountains, where there were surely more poisonous materials, but with his current cultivation, venturing in alone could be perilous.

However, Zhang He was even less willing to return empty-handed!

Fortune favors the bold! I can't find anything useful out here; only inside is there a possibility.

Gritting his teeth, Zhang He decided to continue deeper into the mountains. As long as he remained cautious and fled immediately upon encountering a powerful beast, he figured there wouldn't be any serious trouble.

The deep mountains were truly different from the outer regions. Not only was the terrain more treacherous, but the trees were so thick they blotted out the sun. A damp, decaying scent permeated the air, and the ground was covered in fallen leaves that hadn't yet fully rotted, feeling soft and spongy underfoot.

From the distance, the occasional howl of a beast made Zhang He tense up. He climbed up a slope, pulling himself along by the vines.

Suddenly, a cluster of familiar little yellow flowers appeared in his field of vision.

"Mad Heart Grass!"

Zhang He's eyes lit up. This stuff was an essential ingredient for refining the Berserk Potion! He hadn't expected to find it here! The Berserk Potion could stimulate the rapid circulation of True Qi, making it an incredibly useful tool, especially when engaged in combat! He immediately walked over, preparing to harvest it.

Suddenly, that cluster of Mad Heart Grass began to move.

A fox with yellow and black fur emerged from beneath the plants. Its eyes were blood-red, and it glared fiercely at Zhang He.

"Could this be the legendary Mad Heart Fox!" A chill ran through Zhang He. In his memory, the Mad Heart Fox was a terrifying demonic beast. Anyone bitten by it and infected with its demonic poison would lose their sanity, attack living creatures in a frenzy, and eventually die from total exhaustion!

Demonic poison... A sudden thought struck Zhang He.

The Mad Heart Fox opposite him lunged forward. Zhang He drew his machete and blocked, but the fox's speed was astonishing. With a zigzagging leap, it easily bypassed his guard and reached his feet. With a snarl, the Mad Heart Fox left deep tooth marks on Zhang He's leg.

After the bite, the Mad Heart Fox immediately dove back into the undergrowth and vanished.

Zhang He could already feel a burning pain in his leg; he knew it was bad—the Mad Heart Fox's demonic poison was beginning to take effect. He immediately scrambled to a relatively flat area to inspect his wound.

In a short amount of time, Zhang He felt a splitting headache and a parched throat, as if a ball of fire were raging within his body.