The early morning in Xingbian Town is relatively refreshing. As a ray of sunshine shines down, golden rays gradually begin to appear from the eastern mountain and cover the town. Shops open their doors early, and every street vendor struggles hard for survival. By the time the sun rises completely from the eastern mountain, tea shops and wine houses on the streets officially start their business.
However, today Xingbian Town seemed a bit different. People on the streets were whispering to each other, clearly something unusual had happened.
"Have you heard? Miss Zhao Feifeng from the Zhao family was killed outside the town!" a local was quietly discussing in a teahouse.
A rough-looking porter responded in shock, "Is this true? I thought it was just a rumor spread by some troublemaker."
"Shh… Keep it down. The Zhao family is going crazy right now. Don't let them hear you, or you'll be in trouble!"
…
Three months had passed since Chen Zijing entered the apothecary. At this moment, he was standing inside the shop, listening to nearby customers and martial artists whispering about a recent major event in the town. Although it had nothing to do with him, Chen Zijing was still shocked.
The Zhao family was his employer, and Miss Zhao Feifeng was said to have been murdered in a small forest at Erli Slope outside the town. No one knew who did it. Wang Kaifu had been summoned by the Zhao family for a meeting, and of course, Chen Zijing had no way of knowing what was discussed in detail.
Moreover, the number of strangers in town had gradually increased. After learning about his daughter's murder, Zhao Ba was extremely enraged! He had reinforced his personnel in the town and was strictly investigating everyone entering and leaving. It was said that he even wrote to his old patron, Yun Tianfeng from Lingyun City a hundred miles away, asking for assistance in investigating the matter.
Chen Zijing was also deeply shocked by Zhao Feifeng's death. He thought, "Who is so bold as to kill Zhao Feifeng? Since I also make a living from the Zhao family's business, it seems that the Zhao family will face storms in the future. I need to quickly improve my strength and foundation, and also work hard to learn more about pharmacology. Maybe it will come in handy someday!"
Chen Zijing had a strong sense of crisis. Although he was just a lowly servant, many matters had nothing to do with him. However, he preferred to take control of his own fate rather than drifting aimlessly in a storm.
As time went by, the town increasingly was shrouded in a tense atmosphere. For some reason, Zhao Ba also began to consolidate his power and the initial arrogance disappeared. Chen Zijing looked at Wang Kaifu's worried expression and felt a secret satisfaction.
Looking at the herbs in his hand, Chen Zijing thought, "The wind is tightening. Zhao Feifeng's death might just be an appetizer. Today is your turn, Wang Kaifu. I'm afraid the real clash has just begun. I just don't know which force has clashed with the Zhao family."
Chen Zijing could take one vacation per year from the shop, generally for five days. He used this opportunity to apply for leave because, in the past four months, he had quietly accumulated some cow bone powder at a low price from drug merchants.
Of course, the management of the apothecary was strict, but it was impossible to cover everything. If servants needed, they could secretly contact drug merchants to buy some herbs at a low price. The merchants wouldn't report such things, and Wang Kaifu wouldn't care about it because the quantity bought privately was negligible compared to the shop's revenue.
This was also a kind of implicit industry benefit. Imagine a butcher buying meat or a cloth seller buying cloth for themselves; it would certainly be much cheaper than what customers pay on the market.
Chen Zijing returned to his shabby house, rarely able to rest for a few days. He slept well for a day at home to recover his energy. After all, working as an underling was not light work; not treating people as beasts of burden was already quite merciful.
The next evening, he gathered with Zhang Qiao and the town's small beggars at a dilapidated temple outside the town.
Looking at his little companions, Chen Zijing was very happy and said with a smile, "Everyone has grown a lot compared to before. Wang Fu and Xiao Mao, you two have become assistants? Xiao Zhao, you've started working as a long-term laborer at the Cao landlord's house? How is the treatment?"
He was pleased to see that some other small beggars had also found work. It seemed that calling them beggars now was somewhat inaccurate. Moreover, these few people were all very healthy and strong. It seemed that his efforts in training them in martial arts had not been in vain.
"Brother Zijing, I've also started buying cow bone powder now, but it's still too expensive for me! Over such a long time, I've only used it twice, and the effect is really poor…" said Wang Fu, a former small beggar, talking about his training situation.
Chen Zijing, not keeping secrets about his own things, immediately said seriously, "Try to save more money. You can also try to make the medicine yourself since the preparation of cow bone powder is relatively simple. By the way, here's the formula for cow bone powder. I'll read it out for you to remember carefully. It will save you some coins in the future."
"Brother Zijing, how is your cultivation progressing now?"
"Come and see if my martial skills have improved compared to before."
After not being in touch for a while, everyone's relationship had surprisingly improved compared to when they were together every day. During this gathering, Zhang Qiao brought two jars of "Shaohuo Brew" produced in the town, and Chen Zijing brought some peanuts and dried meat. The group of kids chatted joyfully in the dilapidated temple. They had all matured a lot since finding their goals and work, but such opportunities to gather and chat might become rare in the future.
The kids who had lived in Xingbian Town for years were quite well-informed. One of them, formerly nicknamed "Egghead," now worked as a waiter in a tavern. He talked about Zhao Feifeng's death and the arrival of many strangers in town.
"Our boss said that these people are from a large northern faction. We don't know their exact purpose, but it must be something significant if it drew the attention of a major northern power." Chen Zijing's eyes flickered upon hearing Egghead's words. He then lowered his head and silently ate a piece of dried meat, deep in thought.
Another former small beggar, known as "Erhezi," added, "I've heard that Zhao Feifeng was killed because she had offended a young master from a big faction. She tried to get revenge but ended up in trouble, which led to her being killed recently."
Chen Zijing's head snapped up at this, instantly recalling the young man in white he had seen months ago. He thought, it seems this big faction had already started making moves a few months ago. What could be so important to warrant such effort? Chen Zijing had a keen sense that something major was about to happen.
The group continued chatting until the moon rose, and then they bid each other farewell.
After parting ways, Chen Zijing walked along a path southeast from the dilapidated temple, which was a shortcut home. It led through a small mountain covered in dense woods, where hunters often ventured into the deep forest to hunt beasts.
The surroundings were quiet, but after walking for a while, a sudden commotion of shouting and cursing came from a small mountain nearby!
"Yun Tianfeng! Do you have a death wish? Dare to make a move on our Black Death Gang! Let me tell you, this is a shipment specifically requested by the 'Wanshen Sect,' one of the three major sects of the Yunguo! If you take it, even ten of your heads won't be enough to pay for it!"
"Hmph! Don't try to intimidate me with that. Since you're here, hand over the treasure obediently!"
…
Chen Zijing's heart skipped a beat upon hearing the shouting. He immediately stopped and stealthily approached the small mountain.
At the top of the mountain, a middle-aged man in black stood in mid-air. He was tall and thin, with exceptionally long arms, resembling a zombie. His face was lined with deep wrinkles, and he was shouting angrily. Behind him, a group of black-clad men had equally stern expressions, clearly skilled in combat and decisive in their actions.
"Hmph, Black Zombie Elder, I, Yun Tianfeng, certainly don't dare to oppose the Wanshen Sect, but a mere Black Death Gang, even if aligned with the Wanshen Sect, is still far from solving its own problems. They don't concern the affairs of our Zheng Kingdom! Besides, I'm just following orders. The item requested by the Zheng Kingdom's royal family is something I can't defy. Hand over the excavated items obediently!"
A burly man with a red face also stood in mid-air, confronting him. He was clearly unmoved, fiercely retorting while gripping his long sword tightly, ready to strike at any moment. It was apparent he had a deep desire for the Black Zombie Elder and was signaling his men to surround the opponent.
Chen Zijing hid behind a large tree at a distance, observing the situation. He thought, "It looks like that red-faced man must be Yun Tianfeng, the Lord of Lingyun City. I've heard he has mid-stage martial master cultivation, which explains why he can stand in mid-air. He's reputed as the top expert in the Lingyun City region, with his swordplay reaching a remarkable level, especially his lightning-style sword technique, which has rarely met a match in recent years."
As for the man known as Black Zombie Elder, Chen Zijing did not recognize him, but from the clash of their auras, it was clear that Black Zombie Elder was likely more formidable. Yun Tianfeng seemed to be very wary of him.
The conflict between the two sides was evidently irreconcilable. Soon, the battle erupted into chaos, with Yun Tianfeng living up to his reputation as the top expert of Lingyun City. His swordplay was formidable, emitting flashes of lightning with every swing, causing nearby trees to tremble. The other combatants dared not approach too closely.
However, even Yun Tianfeng could only manage to hold his own against Black Zombie Elder. Black Zombie Elder's black claws, as solid as iron, clashed with Yun Tianfeng's long sword, producing sparks. With a mere swipe, Black Zombie Elder could easily crush nearby rocks, showing a slight edge in the fight.
The sounds of their battle were tremendous, reverberating with booms and crashes. Chen Zijing, even at a distance, could feel his eardrums throbbing with pain.
"Martial masters are incredibly powerful! If only I could attain such strength in the future, that would be impressive!" Chen Zijing's eyes widened, watching the intense battle with a sense of excitement rather than fear.
The scene below was chaotic, with combatants fighting in the air and on the ground, filled with screams and fierce clashes. The intensity of the battle was overwhelming.
Fortunately for Yun Tianfeng, his advantage in numbers soon became evident. Despite Black Zombie Elder's initial upper hand, his subordinates were continuously besieged. Encumbered and seeing the situation worsening, Black Zombie Elder had no choice but to order a retreat.
Yun Tianfeng, as the Lord of Lingyun City, was not about to let them escape easily. With a cold laugh, he blew a whistle, and more experts suddenly appeared from all directions, launching a fierce counterattack.
In an instant, several of Black Zombie Elder's side fell. Yun Tianfeng's subordinates swiftly trapped the remaining enemies, putting them in a dire situation.
To make matters worse, as Black Zombie Elder was desperately trying to flee, a shadow suddenly emerged from the side and delivered a powerful strike to his back.
"Pff!" Black Zombie Elder spat out a mouthful of blood, stumbling forward several steps before being supported by one of his own men.
"Excellent job, Second Brother! You've made a significant contribution!" Yun Tianfeng shouted happily. The shadow was the Second Lord of Lingyun City, who had been lying in ambush, ready for a surprise attack. The successful strike was a major achievement.
However, they had underestimated Black Zombie Elder's ruthlessness. He gathered his strength, pushed away his supporters, and charged back into the fray with renewed vigor. His peak mid-stage martial master cultivation made him a formidable force, creating a breach in the enemy ranks and blocking Yun Tianfeng and the Second Lord. His subordinates seized the opportunity and began fleeing in all directions.
"Not a single one can escape! Block them all! They might have scattered the treasure!" Yun Tianfeng shouted anxiously.
In reality, Yun Tianfeng wanted to kill to cover up the incident. After all, the Wanshen Sect, one of the three major sects of the Yunguo, was beyond their capacity to confront. By eliminating witnesses, even if suspicions arose, the lack of evidence combined with Zheng Kingdom's protection would make it difficult for anyone to hold them accountable.