"Guard Wang, you've been with the Qin Residence for nearly ten years now, are you really willing to leave?"
Qinchuan entered the inner courtyard to see an elder from the Qin Family holding onto a middle-aged guard as if trying to make him stay.
"Third Elder, the Qin Family is already finished. Even if I stay now, two months from now, after the New Year's celebration ends, the Zhao Family will take over the Qin Family completely, and I'll have to leave regardless..."
"Third Elder, please stop urging me to stay, let me go."
Guard Wang spoke with determination in his voice.
In his view, the Qin Family was finished. Whether he left now or in two months' time, the entire Qin Family would be taken over by the Zhao Family, and he had to plan ahead for his own future.
"But you…"
The Third Elder still wanted to persuade him, but Qinchuan came forward: "Enough, let him go."
"Family Head."
Upon hearing this, the Third Elder and Guard Wang turned to look and called out 'Family Head' to Qinchuan with a clasped hands gesture of respect.
Qinchuan noticed the Third Elder's eyes were filled with sorrow, yet he said nothing more and turned his attention to Guard Wang: "Guard Wang, during these ten years at the Qin Family, you have devotedly fulfilled your duties."
Guard Wang clasped his hands towards Qinchuan as a gesture of farewell, then left the Qin Residence without looking back.
The Third Elder looked ashen, seemingly aged in an instant, with even tears shimmering in his eyes at one point.
"Family Head, the foundation that our ancestors of the Qin Family worked so hard to establish, is it truly going to be destroyed just like this?"
The Third Elder said despondently.
Qinchuan glanced at the Third Elder, his tone calm: "Who said that the foundation of our Qin Family would be destroyed?"
Although his voice was mild, there was an indescribable authority and confidence in his words that when they reached the Third Elder's ears, they carried an inexplicable persuasive power, making the Third Elder involuntarily look up in astonishment.
"The foundation of the Qin Family will not only survive, but will grow even more prosperous!"
After that, he sized up the Third Elder with his eyes and suddenly asked, "Third Elder, I remember that you had reached the peak of the Third Layer of the Condensed Truth Realm three years ago, right?"
The Third Elder was startled, and the sudden change in topic from Qinchuan caught him off guard.
Then, with a somber expression and a wry smile, he said: "Yes, three years ago my cultivation level had already reached the peak of the Third Layer of the Condensed Truth Realm. However, three years have passed, and I'm still at the peak of the Third Layer of the Condensed Truth Realm, without any progress..."
"Two months from now is the New Year's celebration in Great Wilderness City. With your level of cultivation, Third Elder, you won't be able to suppress the elders of the Zhao Family."
Qinchuan said.
Upon hearing this, the Third Elder was stunned, then his face showed a complex expression. Suppress the elders of the Zhao Family?
He shook his head, sighing deeply. The Great Elder of the Zhao Family was highly skilled, at the peak of the Fourth Layer of the Condensed Truth Realm, and the cultivation techniques and martial skills he cultivated were exceedingly dominant. The Third Elder couldn't possibly be his match.
"If I'm not mistaken, you sustained a severe injury years ago, and ever since, whenever you cultivate, you feel unbearable pain in your lung vein."
"Moreover, three years ago, when you advanced to the peak of the Third Layer of the Condensed Truth Realm, this symptom suddenly worsened, and now it has become even more severe. Indeed, it is for this reason that your cultivation level has remained stagnant. Third Elder, am I not right?"
Qinchuan continued.
The Third Elder's entire body trembled at his words, looking at Qinchuan with disbelief: "How would the Family Head know about this?!"
He was indeed surprised, as he had never spoken of this matter to anyone.
Yet, Qinchuan had completely exposed his condition with his words.
Qinchuan shook his head: "Third Elder, when you were injured in the lung vein back then, and you didn't receive timely medical treatment, the delay was too long, leaving a hidden problem."
Hearing Qinchuan's words, the Third Elder was taken aback, his mouth agape, staring fixedly at Qinchuan, his eyes filled with shock: "Family… Family Head, I have never mentioned this to anyone, how could you possibly know with such clarity?"
With a faint smile, Qinchuan said: "What does it matter if I can see these things? Third Elder, go prepare these medicinal ingredients and also ready an alchemy furnace, send them to the East Courtyard."
Without further explanation, he quickly wrote down a list of medicinal ingredients, handed it to the Third Elder, and then turned toward the East Courtyard, leaving the Third Elder standing there in a daze, holding the list.
At this moment.
The Third Elder's mind was abuzz.
Qinchuan's words echoed on and on.
Countless questions filled his heart.
How on earth did Qinchuan know so clearly that he had suffered a serious injury to his lung vein and, because he had not been treated in time, had been left with a hidden ailment?
And then there was the list of medicinal ingredients and Qinchuan's instruction for him to prepare a Pill Furnace.
What did Qinchuan want with these ingredients and the Pill Furnace?
Watching Qinchuan's retreating figure, recalling the words he had just said, the Third Elder couldn't help but take a deep breath, his heart pounding furiously, feeling that the family head seemed somewhat extraordinary!
His gaze flickering, he hurriedly rushed to the family's storage building.
"Steward Fu, prepare for me immediately one... no, ten sets of the medicinal ingredients on this list, and another Pill Furnace!"
The Third Elder hastily said.
Steward Fu took the list of medicinal ingredients from the Third Elder with great surprise, "What does the Third Elder need these ingredients and elixirs for? Could it be that the Third Elder wishes to learn Alchemy?"
"These are for the family head; less talk, more action, prepare these items quickly. I need to deliver them to the east courtyard immediately!"
The Third Elder said.
"What? The family head wants to learn Alchemy?"
Upon hearing this, Steward Fu's eyes widened.
The Qin Family was currently in grave danger, and instead of seeking ways to weather the crisis, the family head is actually learning Alchemy at such a critical moment?
Is Alchemy so easy to learn?
It not only requires an extremely high talent for alchemy but also years of accumulated experience.
Now, with the great calamity facing the Qin Family, the family head actually set out to learn Alchemy?
At this moment, Steward Fu also felt that the Qin Family truly might be doomed.
He sighed deeply, hunched over, passed the list to a clerk, and ordered him to prepare the medicinal ingredients.
Then, he personally fetched an Alchemy Furnace.
The value of a Pill Furnace was immeasurable, and a high-quality one was a priceless treasure.
The Qin Family had never thought to cultivate an Alchemist, but they had not been successful. The Alchemy Furnace was a leftover from that time.
Before long, the medicinal ingredients listed were ready, and the Alchemy Furnace was delivered into the hands of the Third Elder.
The Third Elder, carrying these items, hurriedly left the storage building and rushed toward the east courtyard.
...
In a dense forest behind the Qin Residence.
A slender figure was practicing horse stance under a large tree, continuously throwing punches and striking the tree before him.
Wood chips fluttered down; on the trunk were numerous old marks, shallow Fist Seals stained with blood, some of which had already dried up.
On the surrounding trees, there were various marks from punches and kicks, seemingly all created by this slender figure.
"I can do this, I must! Even if my Dantian is wasted, I can still practice Body Refinement, I will become a Martial Artist again!"
"If I were strong enough, how would the Zhao Family dare to bully the Qin Family? In two months, it will be the Great Wilderness City's annual celebration. I must become stronger; the Qin Family's heritage cannot be taken by the Zhao Family!"
"Boom!"
The young man gritted his teeth; his fists were covered with thick calluses, yet they could not protect his hands, which bled from continuous blows against the tree's trunk, the blood and calluses breaking open.
But he seemed utterly oblivious, and with a loud roar, he delivered an even deeper Fist Seal into the tree before him.