Could What He Said Have Been True?

At the hour of the Rabbit, Jiang Feng stepped into the front courtyard right on time.

Everyone else in the courtyard had already arrived. They stood around in twos and threes, chatting and laughing.

Fan Qingyang spotted Jiang Feng at a glance and immediately raised his voice in mockery:

"Jiang Feng, you really are 'punctual,' making all of us wait for you alone. Anyone who didn't know better might think you were the leader of this outing."

The others immediately joined in the heckling.

"Exactly, exactly. Joining the Alchemy Hall really does make a difference. Look at that airs he's putting on—he's almost a big shot now."

"Hahaha, he just changed locations to be a servant. Surely no one really thinks entering the Alchemy Hall means he can become an Alchemist?"

"I heard Alchemist Song is brutal when he scolds people. Jiang Feng, why don't you imitate him for us? Let us hear how you get scolded every day, so everyone can have a laugh too..."

These few were usually close to Fan Qingyang and had received no small amount of benefits from him.

Now that Fan Qingyang had spoken, they naturally spared no effort in backing him up.

Faced with everyone's ridicule and laughter, Jiang Feng's expression did not change in the slightest. Without saying a word, he walked to the back of the group and quietly adjusted his breathing, entering the cultivation state of the Exquisite Breathing Method.

The surrounding uproarious laughter sounded in his ears like a swarm of buzzing flies.

This reaction caught Fan Qingyang somewhat off guard. The Jiang Feng from before had not been like this.

However, his expression soon returned to normal.

He had wanted to provoke Jiang Feng's anger, preferably making him clash with someone else so that he could openly and legitimately teach him a lesson.

He remembered that slap from a few days ago perfectly well. He had put the entire debt on Jiang Feng's head, and no matter what, he had to get even.

Jiang Feng might not have taken the bait now, but once they left the Medicine Hall, wouldn't dealing with him be as easy as turning one's hand over?

He waved at the others, and the small courtyard instantly fell silent.

"Alright, enough talking. It's getting late. Set off quickly and try to reach the Black Wind Mountain outpost before nightfall."

Before long, the group left the Medicine Hall and stepped onto the streets of Black Water Town.

The sky was still dim, but the roadside vendors had long since begun bustling about. The smells and warmth of daily life gradually spread through the slightly chilly morning breeze.

The group found a wonton stall by the road, planning to make do with breakfast first. They would soon be leaving town, and they could not keep going on empty stomachs.

In their group of ten, the other nine naturally crowded together, chatting and laughing, leaving Jiang Feng alone off to the side.

Jiang Feng did not mind. It was nice to have some peace and quiet.

He sat down by himself and immediately ordered three bowls of steaming meat wontons, then lowered his head and began wolfing them down.

Without medicinal pills to assist him, eating more was the most direct way to replenish his qi and blood, though it was simply less efficient.

As Jiang Feng ate, he opened his personal panel.

[Name: Jiang Feng]

[Realm: Blood-Moving Realm Level Six (90/100)]

[Profession: Alchemist Level One (11/100)]

[Techniques:

Iron Stake Technique (Mastery 43/300)

Exquisite Breathing Method (Beginner 50/100)]

[Skills:

Herb Identification Art (Mastery 129/300)

Bedchamber Arts (Beginner 5/100)

Blood-Qi Pill (Minor Mastery 10/100)]

Although Jiang Feng had been absorbed in alchemy lately, he had not slackened in his personal cultivation.

With the Mastery-level Iron Stake Technique as his foundation, Jiang Feng's cultivation speed had risen by another great deal.

Most importantly, the Mastery-level Iron Stake Technique seemingly no longer required him to rigidly maintain its stiff stance. He could even keep his body in a state of cultivation while moving normally.

It was just that it consumed quite a lot of qi and blood and demanded intense concentration, making it somewhat difficult to endure.

"Only the final ten experience points remain before I break through to Blood-Moving Realm Level Seven. After tonight's settlement, it should be about enough."

Blood-Moving Realm Level Seven—he had truly yearned for it for a long time.

As long as he broke through successfully, his life would undergo earth-shaking changes.

Jiang Feng encouraged himself, then lowered his head and continued eating.

After a while, two elderly men dressed in coarse hemp clothing sat at his table, sharing it with him.

The dark-faced old man with a long beard called out to the stall owner, "Shopkeeper, two bowls of wontons! Make it quick—we have urgent business later."

"Coming right up! Please wait a moment!"

While waiting for their wontons, the two casually began chatting.

"Hey, did you hear? Someone else died in Black Water Town."

The slightly hunched man beside him nodded and lowered his voice.

"I heard. It seems it was the family that ran the tailor shop on the west side of town. Overnight, all five members of the family died cleanly. Their deaths were horribly tragic—their bodies were torn apart into scattered pieces, and all five of their heads vanished without a trace."

The bearded old man stroked his grizzled beard, his face full of worry.

"It's been so long, yet that evil thing still hasn't been eliminated. I really don't know what those people in the government offices are being paid for.

"Tell me... if that evil thing wanders over to the eastern side of town tomorrow night, then we, we..."

He stopped halfway through. In the end, all his countless words became a heavy sigh.

The hunched man did not respond either. Yet his already stooped back seemed to sink a little lower.

Just then, their wontons were served. The two stopped talking and lowered their heads, wolfing down the food.

They had not deliberately avoided letting others hear them. Sitting beside them, Jiang Feng heard every word clearly.

On his first day in this world, he had learned that demons, monsters, and evil things existed here, but he had never seen one with his own eyes.

Now, curiosity truly stirred in his heart. What exactly was this evil thing?

Before long, after the group had filled their stomachs, they continued on their journey.

Meanwhile, within Benevolent Heart Medicine Hall, Xie Shu stared at the attendant who had come to deliver a message, looking somewhat dazed.

"What did you just say? Say it again?"

Assuming Xie Shu had not heard clearly, the attendant bent even lower and raised his voice.

"Alchemist Song of the Alchemy Hall heard that Jiang Feng was going out and specifically sent this servant to deliver a message. He means for you to send someone else and keep Jiang Feng here."

After confirming that he had not misheard, the confusion on Xie Shu's face not only did not fade, but deepened further.

He and Song Huai were old acquaintances. They had known each other since working together in the Wu Family years ago, yet in all these years, he had never seen Song Huai specially send someone to deliver a message over a mere apprentice.

Could everything Jiang Feng had said before have been true? Was he really that important to Song Huai?

The thought flashed through his mind for only an instant before he shook it away. He merely assumed that Song Huai's recent alchemy assignments were too heavy and that he urgently needed more hands.

After pondering for a moment, Xie Shu instructed the attendant, "Go back and report to Alchemist Song that Jiang Feng has already departed. I'll immediately arrange another guard to go over and replace him."