Chapter 3

The sun had already passed its zenith and was beginning to show a downward trend.

Zhong Wen, led by the little girl, returned to his room. In the corner of the western yard, smoke rose, indicating that Wang's wife was preparing dinner.

The ingredients for the Floating Flower Palace were all grown by farmers at the foot of the mountain, completely natural and pollution-free, with a very good taste. However, Zhong Wen, looking at the distant smoke, felt no appetite at all.

Because, in this world, there was no salt.

People used a juice squeezed from a plant called "Jiangxiang grass" to season their dishes.

Although the food seasoned with this juice was fragrant, it was very light in flavor. The slight hint of saltiness was almost imperceptible unless one paid close attention.

The first time Zhong Wen tasted it, he could still enjoy the "natural taste of the food."

After two days, however, Zhong Wen, who considered himself a gourmet in his previous life, felt a sense of despair at the sight of Wang's wife's dishes.

It was clear that this "gourmet" was not very genuine.

If he were by the sea, he would have made some coarse salt to satisfy his craving, but the Floating Flower Palace was built on a mountain, and he could not think of any good way to do so.

"Li QiQi, come out and fight me!"

Zhong Wen quickly looked out, and a slender figure appeared at the gate of the courtyard.

The one who entered was a girl about the same age as Li QiQi, dressed in a bright green outfit with a red cloak. She was very beautiful, with slightly furrowed eyebrows and a dignified expression.

"A defeated opponent, why come to seek humiliation again?"

Hearing the challenge, Li QiQi's figure quickly appeared in the courtyard.

"Last time my sword technique was not yet proficient, but now I have made some progress. Let's see your 'Light Splitting Sword Technique' again!" The green-clad girl's voice was clear and cheerful.

"Since you have come to me, I will fulfill your wish and grant you a defeat!"

The two girls, one with a long sword and the other with a willow leaf knife, clashed with a series of "clinks" and "clangs."

Although Zhong Wen found their dialogue somewhat childish, he was still very interested in the battle of cultivators.

Who doesn't have a martial arts dream?

Li QiQi's sword technique was light and swift, her long sword often creating two sword shadows, which was probably the origin of the "Light Splitting Sword Technique."

The green-clad girl's willow leaf knife guarded the center, steady and solid, occasionally slashing out to force Li QiQi back two meters.

Every movement they made produced a whistling sound, and a single stomp could send them soaring three to four meters high. Their strength and speed left Zhong Wen in awe.

However, in Lu Li's eyes, their techniques were not particularly advanced.

Having studied the entire "One Yang Finger" manual, Zhong Wen found that both Li QiQi's sword technique and the green-clad girl's knife technique were rather ordinary.

The hundreds of pages of the "One Yang Finger" not only contained the method of exerting force for this spiritual technique but also detailed various moves and combat skills. He felt that any example in the book was far more sophisticated than the techniques of the two girls before him.

Of course, Zhong Wen had not yet cultivated any spiritual energy techniques. Despite having a wealth of knowledge in his head, he could only perform empty movements, at best a mouth-strong king.

Even so, watching two beautiful girls fight was still a very enjoyable experience.

As the fight continued, Li QiQi gradually gained the upper hand, and the green-clad girl was forced back, looking somewhat exhausted.

Suddenly, the green-clad girl stumbled, and Li QiQi seized the opportunity. Her wrist flicked, and her long sword transformed into three sword lights. By the time the green-clad girl regained her balance, Li QiQi's sword was already an inch from her throat.

"You lose." Li QiQi coolly said, holding her sword.

"Have you advanced?" The green-clad girl was breathing heavily, her chest rising and falling, her eyes filled with reluctance.

"Yes, I opened the eighth human wheel last month." Li QiQi tried to act nonchalant but couldn't hide her pride.

"No wonder your spiritual energy lasts longer." The green-clad girl looked enlightened. "I lost today, but I'll come back to challenge you again once I break through the eighth human wheel."

With that, she turned to leave.

"Miss Zheng, it's almost dark. It's too dangerous for a young lady to go down the mountain alone. Why don't you stay overnight?" Wang's wife called out, trying to persuade her.

"This..." The green-clad girl looked up at the setting sun, then glanced at Li QiQi, hesitating.

"Don't go back today. We can practice more in the evening." Li QiQi said.

The green-clad girl, being quite open-minded, nodded.

"Since we have a guest, let's eat in the hall. Call the third miss and Xiao Die. It's been a long time since we all ate together." Wang's wife, who enjoyed lively company, suggested.

"Wang's wife, don't forget Zhong Wen." Lin Xiaodie called out.

Wang's wife's expression froze, and she exchanged a glance with Li QiQi. For the past two days, Lin Xiaodie had been delivering Zhong Wen's meals, and this was the first time she had seen him in person. She had no particular opinion of Zhong Wen, but the Floating Flower Palace was traditionally a place for women, and suddenly inviting a man to dine with several girls made her hesitate.

Zhong Wen, with an old soul, immediately understood Wang's wife's dilemma. Just as he was about to decline, Li QiQi surprisingly nodded in agreement.

"Mr. Zhong, would you like to join us for dinner?" Wang's wife's attitude changed immediately.

Zhong Wen smiled and nodded, not feeling any resentment towards Wang's wife's attitude.

After all, they were not related, and the Floating Flower Palace had saved his life, providing him with food and shelter for the past two days. It was already a great kindness.

At this moment, the green-clad girl also noticed Zhong Wen, looking very surprised. She ran to Li QiQi's side and whispered, seemingly asking why there was a man in the Floating Flower Palace.

After a brief conversation, the green-clad girl's eyes also showed a hint of sympathy.

Ha, women, I don't need your pity!

Zhong Wen thought angrily, feeling very embarrassed.

Dinner was as light as usual, and Zhong Wen could only helplessly look at the beautiful girls and eat his food, relying on visual enjoyment to make up for the lack of taste.

At the dinner table, Li QiQi and the green-clad girl chatted happily. Even the usually cold and distant Yin Ning'er occasionally joined in, while Lin Xiaodie, like a little bird, couldn't stop talking.

It was clear that although the green-clad girl often challenged Li QiQi, they had a good relationship, almost like close friends.

As the only man, Zhong Wen could not join in the conversation and could only sit quietly, eating the difficult-to-swallow food and admiring the girls. He tried to gather information from their conversation to better understand this world.

The green-clad girl's name was Zheng Yueting, the daughter of the head of the Golden Saber Sect in Fufeng City.

Riding a unicorn horse from the village at the foot of the mountain, it would take about an hour to reach Fufeng City. In this world with limited transportation, the Golden Saber Sect was the closest cultivator sect to the Floating Flower Palace, and the two sides often interacted.

After an accidental sparring session, Zheng Yueting saw Li QiQi as a lifelong rival. Whenever she made progress in her cultivation, she would challenge Li QiQi. Over time, they gradually developed a friendship, speaking harsh words but considering each other as good friends.

"Mr. Zhong, are you not eating much because the food doesn't suit your taste?" Wang's wife, seeing that Zhong Wen was being ignored, kindly came over to talk to him.

"The food is very good, but I have just recovered from a serious injury, and my appetite has not fully returned." Zhong Wen said, somewhat insincerely. "By the way, Wang's wife, how far is the nearest sea from the Floating Flower Palace?"

"Mr. Zhong, this is a mountain." Wang's wife looked at him as if he were an idiot. "And Nanzhong Province is inland, at least a thousand miles from the sea."

Zhong Wen sullenly bit into a radish, finding it tasteless.

"Zhong Wen, is there really a Dragon Palace and a如意棒 (Ruyi staff) in the sea?" The little girl, hearing them discuss the sea, remembered a scene from "Journey to the West" and ran to Zhong Wen, pulling his clothes excitedly.

"I don't know if there's a Dragon Palace, but someone told me that the sea is full of amazing creatures." Zhong Wen picked up the little girl and placed her on his lap, gently patting her head. "There are fierce 'Sea Kings' like sharks, with a keen sense of smell that can detect injured people and animals from several kilometers away. Their teeth are incredibly sharp, capable of biting through anything. There are also whales, which can grow up to ninety feet long, with eyes larger than Xiao Die, and they can spray water columns up to fifty feet high from their blowholes."

The little girl gasped, her imagination running wild.

"In the deep sea, there is a fish called the anglerfish, which has a glowing 'lantern' on its back. It usually hides in the darkness, luring small fish and shrimp with the light, then swallows them whole!" Zhong Wen, who loved the ocean, couldn't stop talking. "There are also beautiful corals, white, red, and black, densely growing in the blue sea, more beautiful than any painting in the world, like a fairyland."

"Wow, Zhong Wen, you know so much. I wish I could see the sea." The little girl blinked her eyes, looking at Zhong Wen with admiration, her heart filled with longing.

"Once I recover my memory, if your master agrees, I'll take you to see the sea." Zhong Wen smiled and patted the little girl's head again. Her hair was very soft, and he couldn't help but continue touching it.

At some point, Li QiQi, Yin Ning'er, and Zheng Yueting were all looking at Zhong Wen.

The cute little girl, sitting on the lap of a handsome young man, listening to his stories, with his magnetic voice narrating, seemed to have a magical charm.

The scene was very warm, and the content of the stories was both novel and interesting, making the girls listen intently.

Dinner had long finished, but everyone lingered for a while before finally dispersing.

Yin Ning'er dragged the reluctant Lin Xiaodie to do evening exercises, Li QiQi and Zheng Yueting went to the courtyard to practice, and Wang's wife went to clean up. Zhong Wen, with nothing to do, returned to his room to continue copying "The Primer."

After copying for over an hour, his neck felt sore, and he stood up to stretch, walking around the room.

With nothing to do, he suddenly remembered another miscellaneous book he had recorded earlier. At the time, his attention was on "One Yang Finger," and he hadn't had the chance to read it.

Now that he had some free time, he immersed his mind in the bookshelf in his head, found "The Records of Medicine Valley," and the words flew past his eyes. In a short while, the content of the book was firmly etched in his memory.

This reading surprised him.

"The Records of Medicine Valley" was actually a diary, and its author was the valley master of an ancient cultivation sect called "Medicine Valley."

According to the book, this sect focused on the study of spiritual herbs, medicine, poisons, and alchemy. Although their combat abilities were average, they had strong connections in the ancient cultivation world due to their many medical and alchemy experts.

After all, who wouldn't want to be on good terms with doctors?

According to the book, the valley master's medical skills were so advanced that he could bring the dead back to life and heal the most severe injuries, even challenging the Lord of the Underworld. Another deputy valley master's alchemy skills were so advanced that he could reach the realm of a half-saint by consuming elixirs.

Thus, Medicine Valley held a transcendent position in the ancient cultivation world.

Since it was a diary, Zhong Wen was not sure if there was any exaggeration, and he didn't particularly care.

What shocked him was that the diary mentioned the location of Medicine Valley.

If he understood correctly, Medicine Valley was actually in the valley of this Qingfeng Mountain!

Since discovering that the so-called "ancient divine script" was actually Chinese, Zhong Wen had believed that this world was somehow connected to his previous world.

From that moment, he had a strong desire to explore the "ancient era," a complex feeling and a quest for the origin of his soul.

Now, finding a clue to an ancient sect, he instantly felt a strong urge to investigate.

Opening the door, Li QiQi and Zheng Yueting had already finished their practice and gone to wash up.

The courtyard was quiet, with occasional insect chirps. The bright, soft moonlight seemed to cover the courtyard in a thin veil.

Taking a few steps outside, he looked around. Apart from his room, there was no other light in the entire courtyard.

People in this era did not have a rich nightlife and often went to bed before 9 PM.

Zhong Wen waited a bit longer, estimating that everyone in the Floating Flower Palace was asleep. He then took the glowing stone from the lamp, which Lin Xiaodie had told him was called a spirit crystal.

The spirit crystal dimmed quickly when removed from the lamp. Zhong Wen placed it on the table, gently closed the door, and tiptoed to the courtyard gate, quietly leaving the Floating Flower Palace.

The summer night on the mountain was very cool, with a gentle breeze occasionally blowing. After leaving the Floating Flower Palace for a distance, Zhong Wen no longer held back and started running.

In his previous life, he grew up in a rural area, and there was a large mountain behind his village. As a child, he often climbed the mountain, so he was familiar with moving in the mountains and could easily navigate by the moonlight, quickly heading towards the valley described in "The Records of Medicine Valley."

After half an hour, Zhong Wen began to feel tired. Although this body was young, it had just recovered from a serious injury and had not cultivated any spiritual energy, making it rather weak.

Just as he was about to stop to catch his breath, he heard a roar from ahead.

"There's a wild animal!" Zhong Wen's face changed.

He suddenly realized his oversight. In his previous life, the mountains he climbed had been "cleared" by the government, with few dangerous animals. He had forgotten that the mountains were the domain of wild animals.

The roar grew louder, and Zhong Wen made a quick decision. He climbed a tree over two meters high, curling up tightly and peering through the branches.

Soon, a white tiger over two meters long walked leisurely past the tree.

What a huge tiger!

Zhong Wen didn't dare to breathe, his hands sweating and his heart racing.

The giant white tiger didn't seem to notice the abnormality in the tree and continued on its way, disappearing from Zhong Wen's sight after a moment.

Zhong Wen felt weak in his limbs and stayed in the tree for a while before slowly climbing down. He touched his forehead, finding it drenched in sweat.

After regaining his composure, he continued towards the valley, moving more cautiously and slowly to avoid disturbing any wild animals.

After another half an hour, he finally reached the entrance to the valley described in the diary.

Looking around and confirming that no one was around, Zhong Wen approached a bare rock wall.

This rock wall looked no different from the surrounding area, and anyone would think it was a dead end. It was no wonder that the ancestors of the Floating Flower Palace, who had lived here for decades, had never noticed anything unusual.

Zhong Wen extended his hands and carefully felt the rock wall.

Suddenly, he pressed his right index finger on a low spot on the rock wall.

"Rumble!"

The rock wall rotated inward like an automatic door. Zhong Wen quickly followed the direction of the rotation and slipped inside, disappearing behind the rock wall. The rock wall then merged back into the surrounding rocks, as if nothing had happened...

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"Has it come to this?" Lin Zhiyun looked at the ledger, biting her lip, her eyebrows furrowed.

"I don't know what this 'Divine Medicine Hall' is, but it opened right across from us, selling herbs at half the price of our 'Qingfeng Pavilion.' At this rate, we'll have to close in two months." Qiao Erniang said helplessly.

"What is the quality of their herbs?"

"I had someone investigate. Although the quality is far inferior to the herbs from Qingfeng Mountain, it is still acceptable, and ordinary people may not be able to tell the difference."

"In that case, the prices of the 'Divine Medicine Hall' seem too low."

"You're right. Even if they raised their prices by two or three times, they could still operate, but they shamelessly started a price war." Qiao Erniang said angrily. "Palace Master Lin, they are probably targeting us. We need to take action early."

"They didn't steal or rob; they just sell at a lower price. We can't just attack them." Lin Zhiyun's frown deepened.

She was not good at business, and recent setbacks had left her feeling overwhelmed.

"Should we... lower our prices?" Qiao Erniang asked tentatively.

"Erniang, you decide. If we can't hold on, lower the prices a bit." Lin Zhiyun's tone was somewhat dejected. "As for the lack of funds, I'll think of a way."

Palace Master Lin had a good heart and treated her subordinates kindly, but in Qiao Erniang's