"The scorching sun, life is so dull..."


    It was midday, the hottest time of the day, and Fang Xing sat with his legs crossed in a lounge chair inside a grass hut. From a distance, Wang Zhi and the others were busy in the medicinal field. Some herbs had to be dewormed during the peak of midday sun because that was when the flowers of the plants would naturally open, allowing the parasites inside the petals to be caught.


    Fang Xing, the boss of the third medicinal field, naturally didn’t have to do such menial labor. Ever since the night he stabbed Wang Zhi, Fang Xing had become the lord of the third medicinal field. Even his smelly socks were now washed and hung up neatly for him every day.


    Wang Zhi had thought of seeking revenge. The next day, he looked at Fang Xing with hostility.


    But Fang Xing only smiled and, once again, stabbed him in the thigh. From that moment on, Wang Zhi had completely surrendered.


    The strong fear the ruthless!


    Although Wang Zhi was considered the boss of the third medicinal field, he only bullied the younger disciples around him. He had never truly fought with anyone before. It should be noted that, although he was a disciple, he came from a family with three generations of good reputation, which was why he had been selected.


    Looking back three generations of his ancestors, not one of them was as ruthless as Fang Xing, and it wasn’t even a competition.


    As for the others, they had completely submitted that night. Little Freckle, for example, still trembled whenever he saw Fang Xing.


    After sitting idly for a while, Fang Xing grew bored and once again started flipping through the "青云锻气篇" (Qingyun Qi Refining Chapter). But after a while, he shook his head and closed it. It was useless. He had tried the cultivation method described in the book, but he couldn’t feel any of the so-called spiritual energy. After three tries, Fang Xing concluded that the book was nonsense.


    It wasn’t just him—the others in the third medicinal field couldn''t sense any spiritual energy either. Even Wang Zhi, who claimed to have sensed "qi," was only lying to boast. Fang Xing had already forced him to admit the truth.


    However, Fang Xing hadn’t discarded the book. After all, Wang Zhi and the others had said that, out of ten thousand disciples, there were always one or two who cultivated the spiritual energy described in the book and became outer disciples of Qingyun Mountain.


    Such people were rare, but the rumors had spread every year. It couldn’t all be a lie.


    "Maybe I’m just not cut out for cultivation..." Fang Xing sighed and shook his head, thinking to himself that the Daoist sects indeed valued aptitude. And it made sense—aptitude was important after all.


    Fang Xing, abandoning any further attempts at studying the Qingyun Qi Refining Chapter, took out the small purple-covered booklet from his bundle. This booklet had been given to him by his Ninth Uncle, and it was the same book that had brought about the destruction of Ghost Smoke Valley. That night, Xiao Jianming, riding an iron eagle, descended from the sky, wielding a cold and eerie flying sword, and wiped out the 300 fierce bandits of Ghost Smoke Valley without a trace.


    The only one who escaped was himself, the little bandit.


    Xiao Jianming had always thought the tenth bandit who escaped was just another strong man like the others. He probably never considered that it was a mere ten-year-old child...


    It was precisely because he was a child that, when the others had resolved to fight to the death, Ninth Uncle had given him this book to keep safe, then tossed him into a secret passage. Fang Xing had fled without hesitation, running as fast as he could. He knew full well that he wasn’t a match for the cold and ruthless man on the iron eagle, and even the eagle under his feet could kill him with a single claw...


    On the cover of the purple booklet were five ancient seal characters. Fang Xing, having studied ancient seal script with his Ninth Uncle, recognized the five words: Yin Yang Divine Demon Mirror.


    However, when he opened it, the pages were completely blank. He held it up to the sunlight, but nothing changed.


    He was certain this was not an empty book. Otherwise, Ghost Smoke Valley wouldn’t have suffered such a disaster.


    "Could it be that the characters were written with some kind of special ink, like the treasure maps my Second Uncle used to trick the fat sheep?" Fang Xing wondered, but then he felt that wasn’t quite right.


    Those kinds of inks had time limits, but this book clearly had an ancient aura, and such old marks couldn’t be faked.


    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    As he thought this, Fang Xing placed the book on top of the Qingyun Qi Refining Chapter that was spread across his lap. He sighed deeply, feeling that his journey was long and full of hardships. He had almost no hope of revenge. But just then, as he lowered his head, he suddenly froze in shock. He looked in amazement as a faint line of text appeared on the Yin Yang Divine Demon Mirror as though it was manifesting out of thin air.


    "Qingyun Qi Refining Chapter, Qi Condensation Stage cultivation method, refining essence into qi, can achieve divine powers..."


    "Are you kidding me..." Fang Xing abruptly straightened his back, staring dumbfounded at the few lines of text on the page.


    On the blank pages of the book, the description of the Qingyun Qi Refining Chapter materialized. Though not detailed, it consisted of just a few lines that briefly outlined the purpose and principles of the Qingyun Qi Refining Chapter, even pointing out some of its shortcomings in the cultivation method.


    Fang Xing stared blankly for a long while, then lifted the Yin Yang Divine Demon Mirror book. Sure enough, the text quickly vanished.


    He placed the book back down, and as it came into contact with the Qingyun Qi Refining Chapter, the text appeared once more.


    Fang Xing was filled with excitement. He quickly looked around and, after some thought, placed the half-eaten watermelon next to the book.


    No reaction...


    "Could it be too ordinary?"


    He rummaged around, and then suddenly remembered the smoke flask he had in his pocket. His Fourth Uncle had told him it was a treasure. The mist it released could overwhelm most people and even topple a cow.


    He placed the flask on the book, and after a moment, faint writing appeared:


    "Magic item, capable of storing mist, not a rankable item..."


    Just these ten simple words appeared, and after waiting a long while, no more text followed.


    "So it''s a magic item... this really is a good treasure. Fourth Uncle is definitely the most reliable of the nine uncles, even though he''s a bit... well..."


    Fang Xing muttered to himself, trying a few more items but finding no further responses from the book.


    "Fang Laoda, it''s scorching today. How about some wine to beat the heat?"


    From a distance, Wang Zhi came over, wiping his hands and calling out.


    After taking two knife wounds, Wang Zhi completely surrendered to Fang Xing, and their relationship gradually improved. As he put it, “You don’t know someone until you’ve fought them.” Even though he’d been stabbed twice, he had come to know a true hero—one who was only ten years old.


    Fang Xing, without showing any emotion, tucked the book away and jokingly scolded, “Damn you, all you think about is drinking. Have you finished your work yet?”


    “Almost. The others can finish up the rest. I’m off to buy some wine!” Wang Zhi replied, walking over and grabbing a piece of watermelon to eat, but he didn''t move from his spot.


    “You’re a poor bastard, how much silver do you even have?” Fang Xing scoffed, tossing a piece of silver at him. “And make sure to get some pig’s head meat too!”


    “Got it!” Wang Zhi grinned, pocketing the silver, tossing the watermelon aside, and sprinting down the mountain.


    Although the medicinal herb fields were the property of the Daoist sect, the ones in charge of managing them were all Daoist novices, essentially just commoners doing manual labor. Therefore, alcohol and meat weren’t forbidden. In fact, there was a small town located a few miles downhill, where a variety of goods could be purchased—although it was slightly more expensive than in regular markets. The main customers were the Daoist novices who managed the herb fields.


    Fang Xing wasn’t the type to be cruel for no reason. When it was time to give a little reward, he did so. For example, he often treated the others to drinks.


    The Daoist novices earned a modest wage of three or two silver coins a month. Before Fang Xing arrived, all the wages went to Wang Zhi. But after Fang Xing showed up, those wages became his. However, Fang Xing wasn’t one to hoard wealth. Though he took the money for himself, he used it to buy food and drinks for everyone to share, unlike Wang Zhi, who used to lock himself up and enjoy it all alone.


    To put it simply, he took this money just to assert his dominance.


    After Wang Zhi left, Fang Xing resumed contemplating the "Yin-Yang Divine Demon Mirror" book. The more he thought about it, the more curious it seemed. He speculated that this book likely possessed some kind of identification ability, though not everything could be identified. Based on his current experiments, it seemed to work only on things related to the Daoist sect or those with spiritual properties, like cultivation techniques and enchanted artifacts...


    "Ugh, useless... Am I supposed to become a treasure appraiser or something?"


    Fang Xing pondered for a while, feeling a bit disheartened. No matter how powerful this book was, it didn’t seem very useful to him.


    "Hehe, I’ve gathered a few more ''Bedroom Treasures''. If I sell them, it’ll be another little fortune…"


    At that moment, a cheerful voice echoed from a distance—it was Xiao Queban and Diaosi Gui returning.


    Xiao Queban was holding a few vibrant, purplish-green herbs, grinning proudly.


    These were companion plants in the spiritual herb field, called "Huajing Grass," also known as "Bedroom Treasure." It was considered a weed in the spiritual fields, and once found, it had to be removed, as it had little use for cultivators. However, it was quite valuable for those in the mortal realm. The herb had the ability to transform blood into essence, and consuming it would enhance physical strength—making a person feel as powerful as a dragon or tiger. This concept should be familiar, right?


    Because of its effects, people in the mortal world highly valued this herb, and the herbal disciples often sold it off when they harvested it.


    "Transform blood into essence... refine essence into energy..."


    Fang Xing didn’t pay much attention at first. He was only concerned with the herb because his fourth uncle liked it.


    But suddenly, something clicked. He shot upright, his eyes fixed on Xiao Queban.


    "Fang Laoda... I wasn’t slacking off..."


    Xiao Queban startled, almost slipping to the ground in fear.


    Diaosi Gui also jumped in shock, thinking they had done something to anger Fang Xing. He froze, not daring to move.


    "Give me that thing."


    Xiao Queban froze, trembling as he handed it over.


    Fang Xing snatched the "Huajing Grass" from Xiao Queban’s hand, hesitated for a moment, then suddenly popped it into his mouth, chewing it down in large bites.