Translator: Cinder Translations
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Song Wen couldn't inquire about Ji Yin's situation directly, but he could ask about the surrounding environment of the small building.
"Second Senior Brother, what is planted in the fields outside the small building?"
"Those are spiritual herbs planted by Master. It is said that with proper utilization, they can enhance the cultivation of us cultivators."
"When I arrived just now, I saw a cave at the foot of the mountain, with a stone door in front of it."
"That cave is no ordinary cave; it is Master's alchemy cave."
Zhang Cheng explained one by one to Song Wen, and he also reminded him earnestly.
"The medicinal fields outside, the alchemy cave, and even the second floor, these places are all off-limits to us. Without Master's permission, you must not trespass."
"Thank you for your guidance, Senior Brother."
To leave a good impression on his senior brother and possibly convey information to Ji Yin who might be listening upstairs, Song Wen did not ask further questions.
After seeing Zhang Cheng off, Song Wen immediately began to focus on cultivating.
Life in the small building was isolated from the outside world, and Ji Yin did not require Song Wen and the other two to do any chores. Time passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, three days had passed, marking the end of the first month.
On this morning, Song Wen got up and was preparing to go to the wing area to start the daily morning exercises.
However, Senior Brother Er Niu informed him.
"Third Junior Brother, Master asked me to tell you and Second Senior Brother that starting from today, there's no need to attend the morning exercises in the wing area anymore."
Upon hearing this, Song Wen narrowed his eyes and looked into the distance at the wing area.
The wing area, which was usually bustling with people, was now empty.
Er Niu noticed Song Wen's reaction and explained proactively.
"Master has dismissed them. They lack immortal fate and cannot complete the process of guiding qi into their bodies. Staying here has lost its meaning."
A chill ran through Song Wen's heart, a cold sensation that pierced through his entire being, causing him to shiver uncontrollably.
These young people were probably not just dismissed; they were most likely completely erased, forever disappearing from this world.
Song Wen forced a smile on his face.
"Thank you for letting me know, Senior Brother. Otherwise, I might have made a pointless trip."
Although Song Wen concealed it well, the thought of more than ten young people dying like this made him feel nauseous and fearful.
He couldn't stay in the small building for another moment. Right now, he wanted to stay as far away from Ji Yin as possible and seek a moment of peace in his heart.
"The morning air is nice. I'll walk in the courtyard."
"I'll accompany you. I've been cultivating these days, and I also find it a bit boring."
Er Niu said so, as he had spent most of his time on the second floor these days, and Song Wen had no idea what he and Ji Yin were doing.
Song Wen nodded, and the two walked towards the courtyard together.
As they walked, Song Wen inquired about Er Niu's family background.
Er Niu didn't suspect anything and quickly revealed his family situation.
Er Niu was born in a remote village, with five siblings in his family, making a total of seven mouths to feed. They relied on two mu of thin fields and hunting for a living, leading a very impoverished life.
As the eldest in the family, he had been following his parents to hunt in the mountains and work in the fields since he was eight years old.
Family poverty meant he originally had no opportunity to learn to read. However, the village private school teacher, seeing his family's hardship, took pity and allowed Er Niu to audit classes for free, thus giving Er Niu the chance to learn to read.
When the two were sufficiently far from the small building, Song Wen changed the subject and asked about cultivation.
"Senior Brother, you've been cultivating the longest among us three, so your cultivation should be the highest. How is your cultivation now?"
Er Niu hesitated briefly, but after a moment, he spoke up.
"I have reached the late stage of Qi Refining, First Layer."
Song Wen was instantly stunned, looking at Er Niu in disbelief.
He was sure that his talent was definitely stronger than Er Niu's, but currently, he was still some distance away from reaching the mid-stage of the First Layer. Yet Er Niu had already reached the late stage of the First Layer. This simply didn't make sense.
"How did you progress so quickly?"
Er Niu's expression became somewhat awkward. After looking around cautiously, he whispered.
"Master forbade me from telling you, but Master refined a pill called 'Blood Qi Pill.' After taking this pill, my cultivation improved rapidly by a large margin. I only took one, and I advanced from the early stage to the late stage of the First Layer."
"Blood Qi Pill?" Song Wen murmured almost inaudibly.
He instantly recalled Er Niu's abnormal condition three days ago. He asked softly.
"After taking the 'Blood Qi Pill,' did you experience any side effects?"
"The depletion of blood qi was severe. On the day I took it, I felt like I aged several decades in an instant."
Er Niu replied truthfully. After pausing for a moment, he continued.
"However, Master gave me a lot of tonic medicine these days, and now I feel that my body has recovered."
"Master's methods are really powerful, actually capable of rapidly advancing our cultivation. Master said that as long as I can reach the Second Layer of Qi Refining, he will appoint me as the hall master of the Tian Sha Gang, and I will receive a monthly salary of several hundred taels of silver, enough to improve my family's living conditions."
As Er Niu spoke, his face was full of respect for Ji Yin and longing for the future.
However, Song Wen felt a chill in his heart. He kept scrutinizing Er Niu.
Externally, there was indeed no sign of the illness from three days ago. But Song Wen was not a doctor and couldn't discern any internal problems in Er Niu.
However, because Song Wen had been wary of Ji Yin all along, he felt things were probably not so simple.
If the 'Blood Qi Pill' had no other side effects, why would Ji Yin generously provide it to others instead of using it himself?
A sudden thought flashed through Song Wen's mind. He instantly understood why Ji Yin went to such lengths to recruit disciples.
"Ji Yin is most likely using us as guinea pigs for testing medicines!"
"Perhaps all those disciples he previously recruited died from excessive testing of medicines, or their value was eliminated by Ji Yin!"
This could explain why Ji Yin constantly recruited disciples and why all his previous disciples disappeared without a trace, as well as the fear of the Tian Sha Gang members toward Ji Yin recruiting disciples.
A sense of crisis arose in Song Wen's heart. Er Niu started experimenting twenty days after successfully guiding qi into his body. Looking at it this way, Song Wen didn't have much time left.
He could only hope that Er Niu and Zhang Cheng ahead could hold on for a while longer, giving him a chance to escape.
After returning to the small building, Song Wen decided not to wait any longer. He had to take the initiative. He needed to figure out Ji Yin's daily schedule and prepare to escape.
After observing for these three days, Ji Yin spent almost all his time on the second floor. Song Wen had no idea what exactly he was doing.
Whether Ji Yin needed to sleep during the day and when he slept.
Song Wen stood at the staircase leading to the second floor, steadied his mind, and took a step forward.
(End of the Chapter)