Chapter 330

At the entrance of Jiuli Village, the atmosphere was lively.

Villagers who heard the news of Lu Qing and his companions returning all rushed out from the village.

"It's really Ah Qing and the others who are back!"

"It's been months, Ah Qing seems to have changed a bit."

"Xiao Yan has changed too, she's grown up a little."

"What kind of horses are those two? Why do they have horns on their heads?"

"Who is that young lady? She's so beautiful."

"In the ten surrounding miles, we’ve never seen such a beautiful lady before!"

The villagers chatted incessantly, some examining the changes in Lu Qing and his group, while others were curious about the two Dragonblood Horses. Many were particularly surprised by Hu Zezhi's appearance. Amid the discussions, Lu Qing approached Grandpa Zhang.

"Grandpa Zhang, I'm back."

"As long as you're back safe, that's all that matters."

Grandpa Zhang's eyes were slightly wet, his body trembling with emotion.

"Did you encounter any danger on this trip?"

"No, everything was peaceful. With Master watching over us and us not causing trouble, how could there be any danger?" Lu Qing smiled.

The old doctor standing nearby: …

However, Grandpa Zhang took it seriously, quickly bowing and saluting the old doctor:

"Thank you, Doctor, for looking after Ah Qing and Xiao Yan on this trip. Otherwise, with Ah Qing's youthful impulsiveness, who knows what trouble he might have caused."

The old doctor was slightly stunned but soon smiled, "You're exaggerating, Old Zhang. Along the way, it was Ah Qing and Xiao Yan who took care of me. This old man didn’t do much at all."

"That’s just what a disciple should do."

"Grandpa Zhang, let’s head into the village first."

Seeing that Grandpa Zhang was about to express more gratitude, Lu Qing quickly interrupted.

"Right, I’m getting forgetful. You must be tired after traveling for so long. Let’s go rest in the village first."

Grandpa Zhang smacked his head in realization.

"I’ll go and take down the red strings."

Lu Qing walked to the faith tree and gently untied the three red strings he had tied there before departing. After months of wind and rain, the red strings had faded, but Lu Qing still solemnly pressed them under a stone slab.

The villagers smiled as they watched.

Returning home, Lu Qing found the weeds in the courtyard cleared, and the house spotless, as if it hadn’t been unoccupied for months. It was even cleaner than when he and Xiao Yan had left. Lu Qing knew that Grandpa Zhang and the others must have been coming by to clean daily, ensuring the house remained free of dust.

"Ah Qing, since you’ve just returned, you probably haven't had time to prepare any food. I’ll have your Uncle Zhang bring some over later," Grandpa Zhang said as he looked around.

Just as Lu Qing was about to respond, a sudden commotion came from outside.

A voice called out, "Young Master Lu, I bring some things on behalf of Master Ma."

"Xiao Tian, is that you?"

Lu Qing stepped outside and saw that it was indeed Xiao Tian, whom he hadn’t seen in a long time. He was standing outside the courtyard with a few others, carrying loads on their shoulders.

"Brother Xiao Tian, did you come from the Grand Bazaar?"

"Yes, I received a message from Master Ma by carrier pigeon and learned that you had returned. Master Ma asked me to bring some essentials for you and Doctor Chen." Xiao Tian spoke respectfully.

"Master Ma is always so considerate. Bring everything inside."

Xiao Tian and his men carried the loads into the courtyard. Everything was well-prepared—rice, flour, meat, vegetables, fruits, and even daily washing supplies.

"Young Master Lu, see if there’s anything missing. I’ll have it sent over right away."

"No need, it all looks perfect. Thank you, Brother Xiao Tian."

Seeing nothing lacking, Lu Qing nodded in thanks.

"In that case, I won’t disturb you further, Young Master Lu."

Xiao Tian bowed respectfully and then left with his men.

Watching Xiao Tian leave, Lu Qing shook his head.

It seemed that Xiao Tian had become much more reserved since his return. Who knew what Master Ma had written to him?

"Grandpa Zhang, you see, I don’t lack any food now, so there’s no need to trouble you."

Lu Qing turned and smiled.

Grandpa Zhang, looking at the supplies, also smiled, "Ah Qing, you certainly have a lot of connections. You've just returned, and people are already bringing gifts."

That Xiao Tian steward, Grandpa Zhang had seen him several times over the past two years. Every now and then, he would personally deliver daily necessities to Lu Qing's home. But he hadn't expected his news to travel so quickly. Lu Qing had barely returned, and Xiao Tian had followed close behind.

"By the way, Grandpa Zhang, I haven’t prepared anything for today, so I can’t host everyone for a meal. Please let the others know that in a day or two, I’ll set up ten tables to properly celebrate with everyone."

"Sure, you’ve got guests today, I won’t disturb you any further. You go ahead and attend to your guests."

Grandpa Zhang didn’t insist, knowing that a bit of money meant little to Lu Qing.

After the villagers had left, Lu Qing turned to Hu Zezhi and his daughter, "The villagers care deeply for me and Xiao Yan, so they were a bit rowdy. I hope you weren't offended."

"Not at all, the people here are so pure-hearted. It’s a blessing for my daughter and me to find refuge here," Hu Laosan quickly replied.

"By the way, before we returned, I had already spoken to Senior Wei. Uncle Hu, you can temporarily stay at the Wei family’s courtyard. There are many empty rooms, and with caretakers, it won’t be an inconvenience."

"Thank you for your kindness, Young Master Lu," Hu Zezhi expressed his gratitude.

Lu Qing then led the father and daughter to the Wei family’s courtyard. After settling them in, he returned to the Halfway House, intending to help his master clean up. But upon arriving, he found that the place was already spotless. He wondered if it was the villagers or perhaps Wei Shanhai, who often came by to pick plum tea, who had arranged for someone to clean.

"Ah Qing, come over here."

The old doctor’s voice called from behind the house.

"What is it, Master?"

Lu Qing walked to the back and was about to ask when he suddenly froze.

Next to the old doctor was a small garden enclosed by a fence, radiating a lush vitality. It was the medicinal field they had cultivated before.

"This medicinal field…"

Lu Qing stepped closer, astonished by the flourishing medicinal herbs. Though only a few months had passed, these herbs looked as if they had been growing for ten years. The medicinal power was abundant, and they were already fully usable.

More importantly, Lu Qing could feel that the earth’s energy here was extremely rich, as if the energy from miles around was constantly gathering here. Beneath the surface, there was a hidden, vigorous life force.

"That thousand-year-old ginseng, it didn’t run away?"

Lu Qing quickly recognized the source of the life force and was taken aback. It was the thousand-year-old ginseng he had once captured. The old doctor had placed it in the medicinal field to help regulate the earth’s energy. The ginseng had developed intelligence, and when they left for Zhongzhou, Lu Qing had thought it would have escaped long ago. But surprisingly, it was still here, diligently managing and nurturing the medicinal field.

Sensing the movement outside, the life force beneath the ground began to stir. Slowly, a few leaves peeked out from the soil.

Seeing this, Lu Qing couldn’t help but laugh, "You’re quite bold. Aren’t you afraid of being caught again?"

With that, the leaves quickly shrank back underground. But moments later, the thousand-year-old ginseng seemed to realize something was wrong. It suddenly emerged from the ground and approached the old doctor. Half of its chubby body was exposed, and the leaves on its head waved excitedly, as if gesturing to complain about something.

"This little thing seems to have become more intelligent," Lu Qing remarked, surprised. Could it be influenced by the revival of spiritual energy?

"Alright, alright, I know I broke my promise. I’ll make it up to you now."

The old doctor apologized repeatedly and took out a jade bottle, dripping a drop of milky white liquid onto the ginseng.

The ginseng stiffened for a moment before slurping up the liquid. The leaves on its head quivered in apparent pleasure. In the next moment, it vanished underground to absorb the liquid, no longer concerned about the broken promise.

"Master, you’re being quite generous, giving it a whole drop of Earth Vein Spirit Liquid," Lu Qing chuckled.

"Since it chose to stay and managed the medicinal field so well, it deserves some compensation."

When the medicinal field was first created, the old doctor had made a deal with the ginseng. In exchange for its daily help in regulating the earth’s energy, he would give it a drop of diluted Earth Vein Spirit Liquid every three days. When they left for Zhongzhou, the arrangement had to be paused. They had

thought the ginseng would leave, but it had stayed behind.

"Since it’s willing to stay, that’s great. I plan to spend some time studying formations. I want to see if I can use formations to gather both earth and spiritual energy, creating a true spirit herb garden," Lu Qing said seriously.

This idea had been in his mind for a while. With the world changing, the revival of spiritual energy had begun, and strange phenomena were starting to occur. In the future, rare spirit beasts and spirit herbs, once only found in ancient legends, would likely reappear. However, for Lu Qing, waiting for that to happen naturally was too slow. He wanted to see if he could use his knowledge to cultivate spirit herbs in advance and seize the opportunity.

"That’s a great idea. With the world undergoing such drastic changes, diseases might also evolve in unpredictable ways. If we can cultivate spirit herbs, we won’t be helpless when facing difficult illnesses in the future."

The old doctor was delighted. As a compassionate healer, he had long been worried about the current changes in the world. Lu Qing's plan was perfect for preparing for any future medical challenges.

"Also, Master, I plan to go into the mountains tomorrow to check on the situation there. Please take care of Xiao Yan and the others in the meantime."

"Go ahead, don’t worry about us. Stay safe." The old doctor said solemnly.

He understood his disciple’s concerns. Although their trip to Zhongzhou had been immensely rewarding, with each of them gaining great opportunities, they had also made many enemies along the way.

Xuankong Mountain, in particular, was now a sworn enemy. And though Sacred Mountain was known for its impartiality, humans were still driven by personal desires. The Third Holy Lord had lost to Lu Qing in front of so many powerful figures. Who could say for sure that he didn’t hold a grudge?

Then there was the mysterious demonic cultivator that Lu Qing had severely injured, as well as the potential remnants of the Qi family. All of these were potential threats.

Although they had rushed back at incredible speed, riding the Wind-Chasing Carriage, there were always traces left behind. Sooner or later, someone would come looking for them. It was best to remain cautious.

"I’ll be careful," Lu Qing nodded.

The next day, after paying respects at his parents’ graves with Xiao Yan, Lu Qing took her and Xiao Li to the Halfway House and then entered the Hundred Thousand Mountains alone.

As he walked, Lu Qing carefully observed the changes in the mountains. Under the combined influence of his spiritual perception and enhanced abilities, he discovered significant transformations.

First, the plants. The vegetation in the mountains was noticeably more lush, with an especially dense wood energy. Cultivators of wood-element true qi or spiritual energy would find their cultivation progress accelerated here.

Then there were the animals. The creatures in the mountains had also changed, particularly the venomous insects and snakes. Not only had they become more aggressive, but the toxicity in their bodies had increased dramatically. Ordinary people bitten by them would die instantly, and even Postnatal realm martial artists, if poisoned, wouldn’t survive long without timely treatment.

"It seems I’ll need to start working on the village’s defenses sooner than later."

Realizing the severity of the situation, Lu Qing felt a sense of urgency. While the venomous creatures posed no threat to him, they were extremely dangerous to the villagers. A single bite could be fatal.

As these thoughts occupied his mind, Lu Qing found himself in a familiar place.

"This place hasn’t changed much."

Looking at the gorge ahead, vibrant with blooming flowers, Lu Qing smiled.

Aside from checking the state of the mountains, his main goal in coming here was to see if there had been any changes at Yuhua Cave. Judging by the lack of significant alterations, things seemed to be as they were before.

After offering a brief tribute at Li Weitian’s grave, Lu Qing crossed the waterfall and entered the mountain’s depths.

Table of content