Ling Ziqi hesitated for a long time before finally stating: “This matter is of great importance. It’s the secret which my Ling Clan has passed down over countless years. Originally, if the Ling Clan was able to thrive to a certain degree, this secret would’ve been revealed to the light of day. No one expected that after so many years, not only was my Ling Clan unable to rise up again, it was instead brought to the brink of extinction due to all kinds of reasons. If I don’t speak out about it, I’m afraid the secret will follow me and my sister to the grave. It’s lucky that we’ve encountered our benefactor. Telling our benefactor this secret is much better than letting those despicable and shameless bandits know...”
Amid these brief words, many secrets were revealed.
He had spoken so much, and while his heart was still unreconciled, there were also some feelings of having a burden begrudgingly lifted from his shoulders.
Gongyi Tianheng smiled: “It seems that the matter of the Ling Clan still has many secrets. Since you two have placed your trust in me, I won’t disappoint you.”
Ling Ziqi heard Tianheng’s assurance. Although there weren’t any vows or anything like that, the confidence in his tone made Ling Ziqi trust him even more.
Hence, after Ling Ziqi placatingly patted the back of Ling Ziwei’s hand, he began to slowly narrate the Ling Clan’s secrets: “Actually, the true cause of the Ling Clan’s extermination isn’t merely my younger sister’s good looks. It was also due to someone the Ling Clan had once adopted. However, this traitorous white-eyed wolf bit the hands that fed it — That damnable Ling Tianen!”
At that time, Ling Tianen was no more than a beggar who pitifully begged on the streets. When Ling Ziwei was young, she was very kindhearted. One day in town, she saw him nearly starving to death in the cold. She gave him some warm soup, which let him survive. Later on, by chance, Ling Ziwei saw the little beggar for the second time and discovered that he had fallen ill. Hence, she implored the bodyguard accompanying her to give him medical aid, saving his life again.
After several meetings, the Ling Clan felt this was a kind of destiny, and decided to adopt him. At first, it was planned to raise him as Ling Ziwei’s bodyguard, but after discovering that the little beggar’s bone structure was exceptionally good, they were happy to raise him as an adopted son of the Ling Clan. They also gave him the name Ling Tianen.
The Ling Clan Head originally felt that they were brought together by fate, and that it was the grace of the heavens for the little beggar to come to their household. However, the Ling Clan, which considered Ling Tianen as one of their own, didn’t know that Ling Tianen himself believed that the enormous favor of the Ling Clan was nothing but a sham. Otherwise, if he was considered one of them, why wasn’t he given the “Zi” character like Ling Ziqi and Ling Ziwei in the family hierarchy?
Thus, from the beginning, Ling Tianen’s way of thinking was abnormal.
As Ling Tianen grew older, his strength became very powerful, and he entered Xiantian at a young age. Moreover, he treated Ling Ziwei very well, he was extremely respectful towards the Ling Clan’s seniors, and he was friendly towards his peers. Gradually, there was no one who didn’t like him. Yet on the contrary, Ling Ziwei, who was the closest to Ling Tianen at the time, became a little estranged from him. But overall, she was just not that intimate. She didn’t loathe him.
Ling Tianen slowly received the Clan Head’s trust. It could even be said that, although Ling Ziwei didn’t seem to adore Ling Tianen, he intended to let the two younger generations foster feelings for one another and for them to get married.
According to reason, this Ling Tianen shouldn’t have sold out the Ling Clan — Even if he misunderstood the Ling Clan’s attempt in securing his favor, he shouldn’t have committed such an utterly heartless act. Even in terms of benefits, it shouldn’t have happened.
Tianheng listened up to this point and raised an eyebrow.
If everything was as Ling Ziqi had said, then Ling Tianen was too greedy and impetuous.
However, there was never a shortage of such people.
Sure enough, Ling Ziqi restrained his anger. After calming down, he took out a treasured sword.
This treasured sword seemed to have a cold and threatening light. One didn’t know what materials were used to forge it, and the feelings it gave a person were exceedingly extraordinary. If a martial artist used this treasured sword to confront an enemy, they could probably wield the sharpness of this spirit weapon to cut through the opponent’s weapons. At that time, they’d naturally attain victory.
Of course, a spirit weapon with such a fine edge was something many people would want to obtain.
Even Gongyi Tianheng, who was several meters away from that spirit weapon, could also detect the cold intents hitting him in the face. It was to the point that a few strands of hair floating in front of him suddenly broke apart amid the cold light that burst forth from that treasured sword.
Tianheng couldn’t help looking at that treasured sword with an appreciative gaze: “Ling Tianen did all that in order to get this spirit weapon?”
This kind of treasured sword was capable of raising the combat power of a martial artist by several levels. It could probably be used even at the Immortal Realm. But if the treasured sword existed in the Ling Clan, it was only natural that it was used by the Clan Head. There was absolutely no way that it would’ve fallen into Ling Tianen’s hands — Even if he was a child of the Ling Clan’s bloodline, it would’ve also been impossible. After all, he was merely a younger generation.
Yet, while the treasured sword attracted Ling Tianen, if he cooperated with the bandits, the treasured sword wouldn’t have necessarily landed into his possession. Rather than this, it would’ve been better to have waited in the Ling Clan and married Ling Ziwei. After the Ling Clan Head became aged and senile, Ling Tianen would’ve naturally had the chance to get it. This was better than bargaining with a tiger for its pelt.
So, there should still be something else.
Tianheng recalled what Ling Ziqi previously mentioned, about the secret the Ling Clan would’ve revealed after reviving, and his heart couldn’t help stirring.
Ling Ziqi only nodded his head, then shook it: “The spirit weapon is actually nothing more than a pretense. The true secret is something within the spirit weapon.”
Tianheng inclined sideways, making a posture that prompted for more details.
Ling Ziqi continued to speak: “During ancient times, the Ling Clan was also a large clan. Back then, because of all kinds of fortuitous encounters, my ancestor obtained a treasured secret key capable of opening the Martial Road Secret Realm. So long as that thing is brandished, one can instantly open the Martial Road Secret Realm. According to the words passed down by my ancestor, that secret realm is actually the burial site of a Human King. It only permits martial artists below the Immortal Realm to enter. When it comes into being, it’ll certainly cause a great stir. And with eighteen entrances, seventeen of them will connect to fake graves. Only one connects to the true grave. The person with the secret key can take the earliest opportunity and directly enter the true grave by relying on the secret key’s reactions...”
Within the tomb of the Human King, there were countless treasures left behind by the Human King. No matter who knew about it, everyone would become covetous. And the most important thing was that there was still the Human King’s inheritance inside! Once someone obtained that inheritance, there was a greater than fifty percent chance that they could become the next generation’s Human King!
No one knew what kind of rank the Human King was, but anyone who dared to use this title must’ve had strength at the Atomic Realm or higher. Merely, among the scraps of information left behind by the Ling Clan ancestor, the people of the Ling Clan knew that once a Human King appeared, then the entire continent would fall under the rule of that Human King.
After all, a Human King was the king of humanity!
Information about the great tomb of the Human King was so important. But if the Ling Clan wasn’t strong enough, even if they obtained the Human King’s inheritance through all kinds of decisive opportunities, it would also be difficult to keep it. And if the Ling Clan revived, then a Ling Clan with the Human King’s inheritance could develop even faster, becoming a first class, or even higher, power on the Qingyun Continent!
What was even more important was that the person who obtained the inheritance was a talent nurtured by the Ling Clan. Otherwise, if an average person found the inheritance, it would be impossible to meet the inheritance’s requirements to receive it — After all, that was an inheritance left behind by a Human King. It wouldn’t allow any random person to inherit it. If it wasn’t a talented individual, it would be hard to pass the test. This would squander the opportunity of that ancestor, letting other people get a free advantage.
Only, after so many years, the Ling Clan either had talents without any influence, or it had influence, but the next generation was mediocre. They were always unable to reach a satisfactory level, causing them to delay the opening of the great tomb.
Just like this, the Ling Clan hid its strengths and bided its time until now.
In order to conceal everything, the Ling Clan ancestor hid the secret key within a spirit weapon. As a result, some people knew that the Ling Clan had a treasure that was passed down generation to generation, but they didn’t know that it wasn’t actually the treasured sword itself, but the priceless secret key of the great tomb!
During this speech, Tianyang’s face was full of shock. Meanwhile, Tianheng’s gaze flickered slightly, and his heart beat vigorously for a while.
Even Tianheng would’ve never thought that the insignificant and tiny Ling Clan, which couldn’t compare to the Cangyun Empire’s Gongyi Clan, hid a secret that was so earth-shattering!
Ling Ziqi continued to talk.
The following matters were as expected. Ling Tianen didn’t know about the matter of the Human King’s great tomb, but after so many years in the Ling Clan, he vaguely knew that the Ling Clan had a hidden treasure. And the clues to that hidden treasure were concealed within the treasured sword that was passed down within the clan.
Ling Tianen wanted to obtain the treasured sword. He wanted to obtain Ling Ziwei. He also wanted to obtain the hidden treasure. He even wanted to grasp greater authority and higher martial strength... He was too greedy, so he colluded with that Mount An Bandit Gang. The so-called bandits fancied Ling Ziwei, but it was all an excuse. The true reason was that Ling Tianen had long colluded with the Mount An Bandit Gang to wipe out the Ling Clan and seize the most benefits!
Ling Ziqi furiously said: “That white-eyed wolf worked with those evil-doers, and suggested that he wanted to share the hidden treasure with them. At the same time, he also wanted to claim my younger sister and the treasured sword.”
Yes, Ling Tianen basically didn’t know that the so-called clues to the hidden treasure were within the spirit weapon. He only thought that he could find the clues when he obtained the treasured sword. He wanted to get Ling Ziwei, and didn’t have intentions of murdering her, which gave Ling Ziqi the chance to escape with her. It was also because Ling Ziwei was the woman Ling Tianen wanted to obtain that the lechers of the Mount An Bandit Gang didn’t personally pursue them. Instead, they only dispatched their subordinates.
All of the Ling Clan’s misfortunes were due to this white-eyed wolf!
The white-eyed wolf was saved several times by Ling Ziwei, so even though the real reason wasn’t brought about by Ling Ziwei’s beauty, she still felt very guilty. Because, if she hadn’t had a kind heart back then, her father wouldn’t have adopted Ling Tianen and the following tragedy of the clan’s extermination wouldn’t have occurred.
Although, no one in the Ling Clan blamed Ling Ziwei.
After everything was explained, Ling Ziwei, who covered herself so her features were merely pretty, already had reddened eyes with tears rolling down her face. Throughout her journey to escape, who could know the regrets in her heart?
Ling Ziwei sobbingly said: “At that time, as I got older, my good impression of Ling Tianen declined over the years. For some reason, I began to somewhat dislike and reject him. Now that I think about it, it should be that Ling Tianen’s personality had become malicious. The others in the Ling Clan weren’t as close to him as I was, so they didn’t detect what I sensed... If I had told my feelings to father then, perhaps he could’ve guarded against it sooner...”
Ling Ziqi heard this and frowned. He placed his hand onto Ling Ziwei’s dainty shoulder: “Little sister, don’t say such things. Back then, who could’ve known that Ling Tianen had wolfish ambitions and was vicious to such a degree? This isn’t your fault, and this also isn’t our Ling Clan’s fault. Ling Tianen has the heart of a wolf and the lungs of a dog. We just didn’t see his true colors.”
The brother and sister pair comforted each other for a time.
Ling Ziwei wiped away her tears, and Ling Ziqi also freed himself from his mournful state of mind.
Tianheng calmly waited a short period of time before opening his mouth: “What are your intentions now?”
Ling Ziqi and Ling Ziwei glanced at each other. Following which, Ling Ziqi offered the treasured sword with both hands: “My Ling Clan is willing to offer the treasured sword and secret key to this benefactor. We only hope that this benefactor can...”
Tianheng’s expression was unmoved: “There’s no harm in telling me what requests you two have.”
Ling Ziqi slowly said: “We siblings indeed have two requests. This benefactor can select one of them...” He resolved himself and spoke forthrightly, “First: If one wants to extract the secret key inside the treasured sword, they need a secret method. After wiping out that Mount An Bandit Gang and Ling Tianen, I’m willing to take out the secret key on behalf of this benefactor. Second: I ask that this benefactor will give us a recommendation to enter this benefactor’s subordinate organization. After we have learned a few things, we can accompany this benefactor to challenge that secret realm together. We don’t want the inheritance, but we’ll look for a few lost treasures in the secret realm so we can avenge our parents and clan members!”
Mentioning these two requests wasn’t excessive.
The first request was directly asking someone to avenge them, and using the secret key as a thank-you gift. The second quest meant taking revenge on their own, but they also sought a recommendation. In the end, they’d all challenge the secret realm together, and split the spoils.
Both were worthwhile when considering Gongyi Tianheng.
The Ling Clan siblings also had no other way. Just relying on the strength of their current realms, hiding from their pursuers was hard. Don’t even mention relying on help from some organization — They had no social connections to large powers, and small powers had no way to protect them. Fortunately, they had encountered Tianheng. Ling Ziqi also had a good eye for people. Solely looking at Tianheng’s bearing and the achievements he acquired at this age, Ling Ziqi knew that Tianheng must’ve had significant backing, and they didn’t know how much higher his aptitudes were compared to their own. In addition, the other party had saved their lives, and didn’t have any inappropriate feelings for beautiful women. It could be seen that this wasn’t a wicked and evil person... Without any other choice, they could only bet on him.
Tianheng heard this, and his index finger tapped against the table. Apparently, he was in the middle of pondering something.
For a time, the room’s atmosphere had stagnated, and it seemed like the air couldn’t circulate. The Ling Clan siblings sat on pins and needles, but they didn’t dare move or take a breath... Their heartbeats were fast, and they were incredibly nervous.
Tianyang watched his family’s elder brother acting this way, and also didn’t show his feelings.
Although they had decided on choosing the first request, he wasn’t going to undermine his elder brother.
When negotiating, whoever showed their cards first would lose, and whoever revealed their mistakes would get the short end of the stick.
While he wasn’t as good as Tianheng, he was also well-versed in these methods.
A good while later, Tianheng smiled plainly: “Since it’s like this, I’ll wipe out that Mount An Bandit Gang.”
When these words were uttered, Ling Ziqi and Ling Ziwei couldn’t help trembling slightly.
Wiping out the Mount An Bandit Gang. This person spoke so lightly!
When all was said and done, what kind of a person was he?
After the rankings were settled, the Pill Battling Assembly’s main event had basically ended.
However, taking a trip here was rare. Could they have merely come here just to get onto the field?
Absolutely not.
As a result, numerous pharmacists wouldn’t leave for at least ten days to half a month after the Pill Battling Assembly. They themselves could still conduct some small gatherings for sparring, discussing theories, and exchanging medicinal herbs they didn’t have but the other party had. Or, old friends got together and gave pointers to the younger generations, and so on. In short, the place was still bustling with excitement.
Regarding Qingyun Sect, Xu Lingxiu took the initiative and led Li Yunquan to find Danyun City’s City Lord. His goal was very simple. He wanted to thoroughly investigate the affair of Qingyun Sect’s talents suffering an ambush again on their journey here. Moreover, he required that every organization, large and small, that came here and anyone with intentions of leaving early had to be investigated before they could depart.
This move could be described as quite overbearing. But firstly, Qingyun Sect’s position was extremely high and its influence was very powerful, and secondly, the affair’s nature was too vile. After the leaders of the small powers learned that Qingyun Sect’s disciples were attacked, they immediately lost any sense of security. Some people also recalled the matter from five years ago, and they felt that the attackers were deranged. Naturally, the majority was willing to cooperate.
Hence, things started getting busy.
Of course, all of this had nothing to do with Gu Zuo, Qiu Qian, Zhu Hong, and other such disciples.
As a result, Gu Zuo got some free time during this period.
To him, this was the time to go shopping.
Gu Zuo didn’t care about anything else as he carried the gold limited purchasing slip that he personally obtained, and went straight to the Myriad Medicine Tower.
There was no need to go to the small places first. He hurriedly walked towards the “big supermarket”!
— The Myriad Medicine Tower was comprised of five floors.
The iron slips, copper slips, silver slips, and gold slips all corresponded to the first, second, third, and fourth floors. As for the fifth floor, even a pharmacist possessing a gold slip wouldn’t be able to casually go in. Because that place was a warehouse that stored spirit medicines. All year round, Atomic Realm powerhouses defended and protected it. They were in charge of the fifth floor’s security as well as the safety of the entire Myriad Medicine Tower.
Generally speaking, only if it was a pharmacist who made an enormous contribution to Danyun City would they be able to go to the fifth floor and select some spirit medicines as a reward. Perhaps it was a person elsewhere who paid a huge price for spirit medicine, or there was some other reason where spirit medicine had to be taken out. Only then would a Grand Elder, or some other venerable personage who belonged to Danyun City’s pharmacists, personally enter and take out the medicine.
Naturally, the highest Gu Zuo could reach was only the fourth floor.
However, as far as the current Gu Zuo was concerned, reaching the fourth floor was already enough. The spirit medicines one floor higher... In the end, what were spirit medicines?
Just when he thought this, that system which hadn’t moved in a very long time, suddenly stirred.
It unexpectedly issued a mission?
[Side Mission: Collect the required medicinal herbs for one hundred prescriptions.]
[Mission Item: <<Record of the World’s Ten Thousand Herbs>>]
[Completion Method: Unrestricted.]
[Completion Time: Within fifteen days.]
[Mission Reward: <<Details of Ten Thousand Medicines>>]
[Failure Penalty: Deduction of one hundred strands of medicinal qi.]
Gu Zuo was a little flabbergasted.
There was also a mission reward?
Okay, the mission reward was also a book...
[Things pertaining to spirit medicine are recorded within <<Details of Ten Thousand Medicines>>.]
Gu Zuo felt exasperated.
So to say, because he carelessly thought this question in his mind just now, the system heard it and casually released a mission?
Should it be said that the system was considerate or something else...
Speaking of which, he previously obtained a <<Human-Level Medicinal Ingredient Record>>. The written accounts inside were all the medicinal herbs needed to refine Human-Level medicinal pills. What were the differences between it and this <<Record of the World’s Ten Thousand Herbs>>?
With such thinking, Gu Zuo felt around his sleeve and simulated taking out his newly-obtained item book. He opened it and started to read.
This item book was really thick. Once he opened it and started reading, it directly recorded the following passage:
“There are thousands upon thousands of herbs in this world, all of which can be used in medicines. They are called medicinal herbs. There are endless species, and their medicinal effects can be known through intense research. They are divided into six ranks: Sky, earth, profound, golden, human, and nonconventional. Conventional herbs have differences in product grades, which are also divided between low, mid, high, and top grades...”
Gu Zuo: “...”
This familiar method of division was almost the same as that of medicinal pills!
So the difference between it and the Medicinal Ingredient Record was that this guy only recorded medicinal herbs, while the Medicinal Ingredient Record also included an animal’s eyeballs, heart, fur, horns, and so on.
In that case, what was inside the Details of Ten Thousand Medicines?
For a moment, a type of curiosity rose within Gu Zuo’s heart.
In any case, he was thinking that he needed to buy a huge amount of medicinal herbs this time. He knew so many pill prescriptions, so it was better that he picked carefully. He selected all those commonly-used prescriptions, matched them up, and bookmarked them. In the future, he could use them whenever he thought about them — One should know that it was hard to get such a good opportunity to purchase medicinal herbs without restraint. Even though the system required a hundred types of medicinal pills, he also couldn’t do things half-heartedly...
Once they were all collected, the rewarded item book would be in his hands. He would read the content written in that <<Details of Ten Thousand Medicines>> as soon as he got it.
Thinking such thoughts, Gu Zuo lifted his foot and started walking towards that Myriad Medicine Tower.
There were many pharmacists going in and out, and each one would show their tokens. At the entrance, the people guarding each side blocked Gu Zuo. Gu Zuo also didn’t say very much, and just flashed his gold slip.
The guards saw the gold slip, and their originally rigid faces showed traces of shock. Immediately following which, they took a step backwards, allowing Gu Zuo to enter.
Gu Zuo stepped across the threshold and passed through the large doors. He suddenly smelled a rich medicinal fragrance.
T/N: Thanks for the corrections, Charysa.
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