Medicinal Garden

"Hello, sorry to trouble you, but I'm here to take up a post!"

"Do you have a letter of recommendation?"

Duan Xuan took out the recommendation letter from Broken Mountain Martial Arts Hall. The gatekeeper of Benevolent Harmony Hall picked it up and looked it over. "Someone from Broken Mountain Martial Arts Hall?

Please wait a moment. I'll go report this."

Benevolent Harmony Hall had originally stood in a prime golden district of the inner city.

Back then, it had ridden the sale of medicinal pills and gathered other businesses under its banner, enjoying boundless prestige for a time. It had crushed Golden Jade Hall and other merchants so thoroughly they could barely raise their heads.

Until twenty years ago, when Benevolent Harmony Hall's old master of the Transformed Force realm died of illness.

Several experts within the hall suffered retaliation from rivals, ambushed and killed in the wilderness. From then on, Benevolent Harmony Hall began its decline.

By today, it had lost its storefronts and seven or eight tenths of its business. Once a top-tier power—

It had now fallen so low it was practically a stray by the roadside. Forced out of the inner city, it chose a crowded and favorable spot in the outer city to make a fresh start.

Unfortunately, Benevolent Harmony Hall's business had only grown bleaker over the past two years.

It could not even preserve its dignity in the outer city, having been driven into some out-of-the-way corner.

Duan Xuan looked at the old sign bearing the words Benevolent Harmony Hall and could not help sighing. "Fortunes turn like a wheel; the ways of the world are impossible to predict!"

What sort of storefront did Benevolent Harmony Hall have now?

Just a tiny, cramped room.

It was no different from the most ordinary pawnshop on the street.

Only Benevolent Harmony Hall's peeling plaque, covered in mottled traces of age—

Could prove just how glorious the hall had once been.

Before long, a young man leaning on a cane came out with the gatekeeper supporting him.

When the man saw that the visitor was a very thin, not particularly tall young man—

The smile on his face vanished at once. "I thought we might recruit disciples from Sword Mountain Martial Arts Hall like Lin Hu and Liu Mingze..."

Duan Xuan's mouth twitched. Nine hundred copper coins, and they wanted to recruit disciples with Grade A talent like Lin Hu's group? That was pure wishful thinking.

He suddenly understood why Benevolent Harmony Hall had become such a mess.

So the family stewards were all gamblers—trying to turn a bicycle into a motorcycle with a tiny stake!

"My name is Duan Xuan."

"I'm Ren Yun of Benevolent Harmony Hall. Just call me Brother Ren!" Ren Yun waved a hand, motioning for Duan Xuan to follow him inside. "Let me emphasize this once more.

The stipend for a post at Benevolent Harmony Hall is nine hundred copper coins and one jin of meat. And the place you'll be stationed isn't here.

It's on a mountain peak in the stretch of mountains formerly under Wolf Town's jurisdiction. Do you know that place?"

Duan Xuan nodded.

"There's nothing else to explain. You are to report at the beginning of the hour of the Snake each day and finish at the end of the hour of the Monkey.

Follow the gatekeeper to collect your clothes. Just like your martial arts hall, we only provide lunch. You'll need to supply everything else yourself." As Ren Yun spoke, he sat down in a chair.

Only then did Duan Xuan get a clear look at him. He was a middle-aged man who did not care much for grooming, his face etched with the weariness of life.

Heavy dark circles ringed his eyes, and sorrow never seemed to leave his brow.

His clothes were only slightly better than those of an ordinary household.

No one knew what had happened to his right leg, but it seemed unable to exert strength. He limped when he walked.

He needed the especially plain wooden cane in his hand to support himself.

Duan Xuan cupped his fists and took his leave.

"Oh, right. I should remind you: once you get there, stay within the area marked out by Benevolent Harmony Hall.

Don't wander around outside. The vicinity isn't peaceful.

Recently, two newly recruited men at the Bright Force realm met with misfortune. You'd best be mentally prepared."

Duan Xuan did not turn back after hearing this.

After all, by Duan Xuan's nature, wherever there was danger, there would be no him.

And wherever he was, his own safety had to be guaranteed.

Yet upon hearing this news, Duan Xuan knew these were exactly the people he had been looking for.

The remnants of Wolf Stronghold!

Recently, Duan Xuan had not been going to Broken Mountain Martial Arts Hall as diligently as before, nor had he been going out as often.

The other disciples thought Duan Xuan could no longer keep up his act.

In truth, Duan Xuan had been searching for traces of Wolf Stronghold's people.

Wolf Stronghold was a blade hanging over his head. Killing Two-Scar had not brought him peace of mind.

Instead, his fear of retaliation had only grown heavier.

Since that was the case, he had to do something—such as killing them all to silence them...

"Brother Duan, this is Benevolent Harmony Hall's medicinal garden.

Young Master has been in a bad mood recently. If anything he said today offended you, please be magnanimous and forgive him!"

The old gatekeeper, Zhou Wei, cupped his fists. "It is dangerous outside, so do not leave the marked area.

Those remnants from Wolf Stronghold may be arrogant, but they do not yet have the nerve to step onto Benevolent Harmony Hall's territory.

Someone will bring Brother Duan's lunch in advance every day. Once your watch is over, you may leave on your own.

If those mountain bandits block your way, or if you encounter harsh weather, you may also stay in the medicinal garden."

"Thank you for the advice, Steward Zhou!"

After seeing Zhou Wei off, Duan Xuan walked into the medicinal garden. The courtyard was empty, with only him in it.

Before him stretched a vast field planted with all kinds of medicinal herbs, along with a small thatched hut.

The surrounding mountains were ones Duan Xuan had often visited for Hunting in the past. It was only that Wolf Stronghold had always occupied this area, so he had never gone near it.

But now Wolf Stronghold had been destroyed, and the Golden Leopard Gang was hunting their people everywhere.

Naturally, this great hunting ground, filled with all sorts of valuable prey, had been left vacant.

Duan Xuan was not in a hurry, however. He had not brought his Hunting equipment, so he would leave it at that for today.

He needed to disguise himself first and wait for Wolf Stronghold's people to appear.

Duan Xuan walked to the edge of the medicinal garden and looked at the herbs on the ground. Before he even touched them, he sensed a faint trace of qi and blood on them.

"Senior Brother Zhang Chen said that Benevolent Harmony Hall's main business was selling medicinal pills that boosted qi and blood.

Although Golden Jade Hall and other merchants had carved up its other businesses, it still retained the pill-selling trade.

These herbs must be the raw materials for refining medicinal pills!"

Duan Xuan instantly understood why Wolf Stronghold's people would risk everything to appear nearby.

For martial artists, injuries could be treated with external medicine, or by replenishing qi and blood to restore the body.

And now, they certainly would not dare swagger into the county town to buy medicinal pills.

That meant the raw materials for refining pills were what they truly needed.

"Ren Yun said that two Bright Force martial artists had already been killed while guarding the medicinal garden.

It seems Wolf Stronghold still has quite a few people nearby! Looks like I need to make some preparations."

That afternoon, Duan Xuan steadily practiced the Broken Mountain Stake Method three times, as well as the Broken Mountain Fist three times.

[Human effort is rewarded; Heaven makes up what is lacking]

[Trap: Mastery (55/300)]

[Hunting: Minor Mastery (49/100)]

[Broken Mountain Stake Method: Minor Mastery (12/1000)]

[Broken Mountain Fist: Beginner (172/300)]

"The Broken Mountain Stake Method is used to consolidate qi and blood and raise one's realm.

A technique like the Broken Mountain Fist is meant to make me stronger in battle against opponents of the same realm. It can even give me a chance against enemies with powerful qi and blood but poor techniques.

I need to practice the Broken Mountain Fist more these days and raise its proficiency to Minor Mastery as soon as possible!"

Now that Duan Xuan had broken through to Bright Force, he was practicing the Broken Mountain Stake Method and the first three forms of the first move of the Broken Mountain Fist faster and faster.

The rate at which the values increased was also growing, but the Broken Mountain Fist only had its first move.

He felt that it would still be difficult to deal with enemies who were likewise at the Bright Force realm.

"No, I need to go earlier tomorrow and have Master teach me some new moves."

As Duan Xuan pondered, two or three figures suddenly appeared furtively in the distant forest.

Standing on high ground, he spotted them at a glance.

The sky was darkening, the terrain below was low, and a thin mist had risen in the mountains. Clearly, those people had not noticed Duan Xuan.

They're here!