Chapter Sixty-One: The Reason Behind It

“Patriarch, make the decision. Our preparations are essentially complete. Although the forces within the Valley of Ten Thousand Medicines have indeed grown stronger, with the power we now hold, we can handle them. Moreover, this is a perfect opportunity to eliminate those factions unwilling to submit to our family.” The speaker was a figure shrouded in a black cloak from head to toe, exuding an ominous chill. He addressed a middle-aged man whose physique was balanced and whose angular features spoke of maturity and steadiness forged by many storms. It was evident that he had been an extraordinarily handsome youth, and his demeanor betrayed the bearing of someone long accustomed to authority and possessed of extraordinary intellect.

“Elder Li, it’s not that I am unwilling,” the patriarch replied with deep concern. “That person has not only repeatedly sabotaged our plans, but dared to seriously injure my son and cripple his cultivation, rendering him unable to practice martial arts for life. How could I possibly let him go? Yet, Old Zhong’s connections within the Empire are vast, and now, within his valley, there are at least six innate masters, plus another whose strength is unknown. There are simply too many uncertainties. As for the others, though they are not top-tier forces, their composition is too complex. If we could wipe them all out in one stroke, it would be well enough, but if we fail, we would turn all the factions they represent into mortal enemies.”

He was not a man prone to indecision, but the matter was weighty enough to warrant great caution.

“I am well aware of all this,” the cloaked elder replied. “But if we proceed with our current strength, our chances of success are only thirty percent. Furthermore, the other powers, especially the royal family, have already grown wary of us. Any further attempts to bolster our strength or make additional preparations carry significant risks. However, if we could obtain the Valley’s elixirs—or even take his granddaughter hostage to acquire their alchemy techniques—our odds would rise by another twenty percent.” He paused as he saw the patriarch’s expression shift, then stopped speaking.

“According to the intelligence we’ve gathered, if Old Zhong’s son and daughter-in-law truly died due to his involvement, it means he is burdened with guilt toward his granddaughter, which gives us considerable hope. More importantly, if our suspicions are correct and that man has acquired and ingested the Jade Ginseng, can you still use his essence through secret arts to refine pills with effects possibly surpassing those made directly from the herb? If he has consumed it, his cultivation should have broken through—are you confident?”

The patriarch’s thoughts turned to another concern.

“Rest assured, Patriarch. It is highly probable that he obtained and consumed the Jade Ginseng; those two whom he released earliest have been found and dare not lie. According to information from the Mu family, he is an innate master, which explains why Protector Pang and his men died after encountering the Wandering Sect while pursuing the burrowing rat. Though they attempted to cover up the scene, traces of the Wandering Sect’s involvement remain. Yet, the Wandering Sect has not acquired the Jade Ginseng and has since been searching for the man, so our deductions are sound.” The black-clad elder continued after a brief pause, “As for using his body to refine pills, I am even more confident. Did you forget the elixir I gave you last time, which helped you break through to the late innate stage? As for his cultivation, even if he has advanced to the innate realm, he likely does not possess true cultivation techniques, much less spells. You know I can wield spells; dealing with him will not be a problem. Once our suspicions are confirmed, leave him to me; you can handle the rest.”

He spoke with growing confidence.

“You make a compelling argument, Elder Li. As you say, we are now riding a tiger and cannot dismount. With our current strength, it is indeed difficult to carry out the original plan. I did not expect the royal family and other powers to be so vigilant, nor did I anticipate their true strength. It seems there is no better option left. As for those pills…”

The patriarch, a true strategist, weighed his options and had nearly reached a decision.

“If all goes as expected, we can obtain three pills. I require only one to completely heal my old wounds, and my cultivation will triple. With another pill, you, Patriarch, could, with my guidance and a period of seclusion, break through to the innate realm and begin learning my secret arts. Should your son take the third, not only would his damaged meridians and dantian be restored, but his cultivation would reach the peak of the postnatal stage, and he could become an innate master at any time. Then, our original plan’s chances of success would rise above eighty percent. This may be our last opportunity; though failure would deal our family a severe blow, abandoning the plan altogether would be utterly ruinous.” Seeing the patriarch waver, the black-clad elder pressed his advantage.

“Very well. I will issue orders to the assembled forces, instructing them to make ready. In three days, we depart for the Valley of Ten Thousand Medicines.” Having made his decision, the patriarch received a few more words of encouragement from the elder, who then withdrew.

Once he was gone, the patriarch’s expression became clouded, and his mind raced with calculations. Though he could not fully trust this guest elder, the Tianfeng family now stood at the most critical and perilous juncture. He had no choice but to rely on him. This man was Feng Juechu, the current patriarch of the Tianfeng family, and the black-clad elder was a guest recruited decades earlier. Though Elder Li had never acted against the family and had contributed greatly to its development and Feng’s own cultivation, his mysterious and uncanny nature left Feng uneasy. Yet the temptation he offered was irresistible: if they succeeded, not only would the Tianfeng family reach unprecedented heights, but Feng himself would gain fortune beyond measure.

With the patriarch’s decision, a cascade of orders flowed forth, mobilizing nearly all of Tianfeng City. Branches and allied forces across the nation sprang into action. Outside the city, their main task was surveillance of the major powers and the factions within the Valley of Ten Thousand Medicines. Within Tianfeng City itself, the focus was on gathering the summoned personnel, implementing the plan, and assigning specific tasks. Even ordinary citizens sensed the oppressive atmosphere and the turbulence brewing before the storm; common folk and minor factions minimized their movements to avoid disaster, while spies of the major powers swiftly relayed news to their superiors.

Within the Valley of Ten Thousand Medicines, they too had learned of the Tianfeng family’s impending action. They did not summon reinforcements, for such top-tier families relied on their own elite and the duel between masters rather than sheer numbers. The ultimate strength and security of a family depended on its most powerful cultivators; without them, even vast wealth and influence would be swiftly devoured by rivals. Training and recruiting such masters was no overnight task.

Still, they were not unprepared. Upon learning the scale of the Tianfeng family’s operation, each faction sent word to their own people to be vigilant. They also invited a few trusted experts into the valley, increasing their numbers to nearly a hundred, though the number of innate masters remained unchanged. Finally, they discussed detailed countermeasures, mainly devised by Master Zhong, the other five innate masters, and Li Xingyu. Clearly, the Valley was fully prepared. Though the atmosphere was tense, the gathered experts were neither panicked nor fearful; not only had they made ready, but they were all veterans of countless battles.

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