Answer to the Beggar Under the Mulberry

Lu Ze took the pill, held it beneath his nose, and sniffed. He nodded slightly, a measure of approval showing in his eyes.

"Not bad." He nodded. "Make more pills like these in the future. The Myriad Medicine Pavilion can put them up for sale.

"If the Myriad Medicine Pavilion is going to expand, gathering herbs alone won't be enough."

Lu Ze leaned against the back of his chair, gazing through the window at the distant outline of the Magical Beast Mountain Range.

"The pill business is where the real enormous profits lie."

Xiao Yi Xian nodded vigorously, then turned and ran back to the medicine storeroom to bury herself in research again.

Watching her cheerful retreating figure, the corners of Lu Ze's mouth softened a little.

He opened the panel to check his current information.

[Current Deduction Points: 75]

[Current realm: Four-Star Dou Zhe]

After half a month of quiet recuperation and progress in cultivation, not only had his Dou Qi fully recovered, but he had also broken through the barrier and advanced to Four-Star Dou Zhe.

Then he checked Jia Lie's Yellow Tier Cultivation Technique again. What cultivation technique could it be deduced into?

But when Lu Ze looked up, his gaze abruptly froze.

There, prominently displayed on the panel, were six large characters.

"Answer to the Beggar Under the Mulberry," Deduction Points: 80

Lu Ze's pupils contracted! Wasn't "Answer to the Beggar Under the Mulberry" the seventh-grade immortal art from the Xuanjian Immortal Clan?

It was a supreme immortal art from another world!

An immortal had bestowed it upon a wandering beggar, who had relied on this immortal art to cultivate all the way to the Purple Mansion Realm despite his mediocre aptitude, towering over an entire age.

It contained sixteen methods of extending life and five divine abilities: Don't Observe Me, Earth Shaman, Drinking the Blood of the People, Answering the Emperor, and Huaiyin Ghost!

On the Dou Qi Continent, methods of extending life might not be particularly useful.

But those five great divine abilities!

How could the Flame Mantra possibly compare to their might?!

He could not help freezing, an explosion roaring through his mind, before he burst into wild laughter.

"One chance encounter brought an immortal art; only then did I believe true immortals walked this mortal world!"

"Hahahahaha!!"

"Then the most urgent task is to raise my Deduction Points to eighty and obtain this supreme immortal art, 'Answer to the Beggar Under the Mulberry,' as soon as possible."

Night deepened, and the lamps in the Myriad Medicine Pavilion went out one by one.

A few drunken shouts and the furious barking of stray dogs drifted through the streets of Qingshan Town. Everything seemed peaceful and tranquil.

Yet at the Wolf Head Mercenary Group's compound in the north of town, the lamps burned all night.

Mu Li sat in the seat of honor in the hall, holding a fragment of the Emerald Water Mirror found on Tie Shan's corpse.

His face was livid, and he said nothing.

Even the air in the hall seemed to thicken under the Dou Qi leaking from him.

"It's been half a month. Mu She and Tie Shan have both disappeared, yet a new owner has suddenly appeared at the Myriad Medicine Pavilion."

Mu Li slammed the fragment onto the table, his voice as hoarse as a tiger's roar.

"Have you found out where that man came from?"

"Yes, Commander."

Undercurrents... were quietly stirring.

At the outskirts of the Magical Beast Mountain Range, early in the morning.

The morning mist had yet to disperse. The Myriad Medicine Pavilion's herb-gathering team had grown considerably since last month, increasing from seven or eight people to fifteen.

At the head of the group, Lu Ze walked with an unhurried stride, dressed in a fitted blue outfit.

Suddenly, a peak first-order Green-Scaled Python shot out of the bushes, its venomous fangs driving straight toward a young worker's throat.

The worker's face turned white with fright.

He could not even raise the woodcutting knife in his hand. Lu Ze did not turn his head.

He flicked his right hand, and a cold gleam flashed.

Clang!

The Emerald Water Sword slid half an inch out of its sheath. A faint white streak passed silently through the air, and the Green-Scaled Python stopped dead.

The next instant, its head slid off and dropped into the dirt.

"Thank you, boss."

The worker swallowed. As he looked at Lu Ze's back, the awe in his eyes had turned into fervent worship.

In the middle of the group, Xiao Yi Xian was handing out freshly refined Cold Poison Pills to several workers.

"Once we enter the edge of the Dark Forest, the miasma will grow thicker.

"Hold this pill in your mouth, and it'll last an hour."

Xiao Yi Xian's voice was clear and pleasant. Though her face was somewhat pale, confidence shone in her eyes.

"Thank you, Lady Xiao Yi Xian."

The workers accepted the pills with both hands, moved to tears with gratitude.

Ever since the Myriad Medicine Pavilion's mysterious new owner had arrived, not only had their herb-gathering routes become much safer, but the special medicines Lady Xiao Yi Xian refined had also given them an extra life in the mountains.

Lu Ze caught sight of this from the corner of his eye. He said nothing and continued forward.

Xiao Yi Xian's talent for refining medicine was even better than he had expected.

Over the past half month, the Cold Poison Pills had not only doubled the herb-gathering team's efficiency, but the Myriad Medicine Pavilion's reputation among Tianshan Town's lower-ranking mercenaries had also soared.

Toward evening, the herb-gathering team returned fully laden. Just as they reached Qingyao Town's ceremonial archway, Lu Ze stopped.

A hundred paces ahead, the Myriad Medicine Pavilion's heavy wooden doors stood open, with a ring of townspeople gathered outside to watch the commotion.

More than a dozen men in dark red mercenary uniforms stood boldly blocking the entrance, blades held across their bodies.

"Looks like our guests have arrived." Lu Ze set down his basket, dusted off his hands, and walked straight inside.

Inside the Myriad Medicine Pavilion's hall.

The shopkeeper, Lao Li, stood bent at the waist, his forehead covered in cold sweat as he pleaded desperately.

"Sir, this month's profits really haven't been tallied yet.

"Besides, the boss took the team into the mountains today. Could you give us another two days?"

"Another two days?!"

Seated in a grand armchair was a thin man with a goatee and a sinister gaze.

He was toying with two iron balls. At those words, he sneered and slammed them onto the table with a bang!

"Lao Li, do you think I'm here to beg? Deputy Commander Mu She and Captain Tie Shan disappeared near your Myriad Medicine Pavilion half a month ago.

"The commander is still furious. If I don't see five hundred gold coins in consolation money today,

"I'll chop up your Myriad Medicine Pavilion's signboard for firewood!"

Poison Wolf was the captain of the Langya Mercenary Group's third squad, a Four-Star Dou Zhe, and quite a ruthless figure on the outskirts of Qingshan Town.

He stood, his gaze passing over Lao Li and settling on Xiao Yi Xian behind the counter. A lecherous glint flashed in his eyes.

"If you can't scrape it together, let this little beauty have a few drinks with my brothers. We'll call that payment."

As he spoke, Poison Wolf reached out to grab Xiao Yi Xian's wrist.

"Y-you... what are you doing? Let go of me!"

Xiao Yi Xian's face went pale, and she instinctively backed away. The Dou Qi in her body was weak, and she did not dare meet him head-on.

A heavily callused hand clamped firmly around Poison Wolf's wrist.

Poison Wolf froze for a moment, then turned to look.

At some point, Lu Ze had appeared in the hall. He wore a fitted outfit stained with a little dirt, his expression calm yet carrying a heart-chilling coldness.

"Who the fuck are you? You dare stick your nose into my business?"

Poison Wolf yanked hard, but his hand would not budge. He immediately flew into a rage.

"The Myriad Medicine Pavilion's new owner."

Lu Ze's voice was quiet, yet it reached everyone's ears clearly.

"I believe I just heard you say you wanted to chop up my signboard."

"The new owner?" Poison Wolf looked Lu Ze up and down as though he had heard some joke, then pointed at him and burst out laughing.

"A bastard brat whose hair hasn't even grown in, and you dare play the big shot in Qingshan Town?

"Brothers, chop him up!"

The dozen or so mercenaries behind him drew their weapons with vicious grins and swarmed forward. Lao Li's legs went weak with fright, and he nearly collapsed to the floor.

"Boss, watch out!" Xiao Yi Xian nervously clenched the hem of her clothes.

Lu Ze sighed.