Chapter 7

The herbal remedy was extremely effective, and after half a month, Qin Fengming’s grandfather was already able to get out of bed and walk slowly. The family, seeing this, was overjoyed, and life gradually returned to peace. www..com

Qin Fengming sometimes played in the mountains with his village friends, occasionally gathering firewood and picking wild fruits.

But when no one was around, Qin Fengming would take out the small gourd and secretly play with it. The gourd, apart from its dazzling surface, which was very eye-catching, had no other peculiarities. This left Qin Fengming extremely puzzled.

One afternoon, more than ten people on horseback suddenly appeared on the mountain path leading to Qin Village. These people were all strong young men, and the last horse was carrying some goods.

Qin Fengming, who was playing on the hillside, immediately stopped playing with his friends and looked at the newcomers with a puzzled expression.

Qin Village was in a remote area, and it was rare to see so many outsiders.

In a short while, the group of people came close to them. The man at the front jumped off his horse, carefully examined the children, and suddenly, upon seeing Qin Fengming, his face lit up with surprise.

"Little Third, Third Brother, don't you recognize me? I'm your elder brother, Qin Xiang."

"Elder Brother Qin Xiang?"

Hearing this, Qin Fengming was stunned. When his elder brother left, he was only seven or eight years old, and in his memory, his elder brother was thin, with somewhat dark skin and a bit shorter than his father.

But the person in front of him was tall and imposing, with a ruddy complexion.

After a careful look, Qin Fengming vaguely recognized his elder brother. He immediately jumped down the hill, ran a few steps, grabbed his elder brother’s hand, and shook it with a look of surprise.

Qin Xiang stroked Qin Fengming’s head, his face beaming with excitement: "Third Brother, how are Father and Mother, Grandfather, and Grandmother?"

"They are all well. Let’s go home quickly; Grandmother and Mother often talk about you."

Seeing his elder brother, although Qin Fengming was puzzled by his changed appearance, his smile did not diminish.

That day, Qin Hong did not go into the mountains but was at home organizing hunting tools. Upon hearing that his eldest son had returned, he was overjoyed and hurriedly went to the courtyard gate with the family.

"Parents, Grandfather, and Grandmother, your unfilial son, Qin Xiang, is here to pay respects."

Seeing his parents and grandparents from a distance, Qin Xiang quickly threw away the reins and ran forward, kneeling on the ground to greet them.

Qin Hong and his son, with tears in their eyes, helped Qin Xiang up and led him into the courtyard.

The more than ten young men who came with Qin Xiang were very disciplined. Following Qin Xiang’s instructions, they unloaded the items from the horses. It was then that everyone realized that the items on the horses were bolts of cloth, grain, wine, and meat.

While everyone was talking, the village chief, having heard the news, came to the Qin family with some elders.

Such a lively event prompted Qin Hong to instruct everyone to prepare a grand feast using the food and meat brought by Qin Xiang to entertain the villagers.

During the banquet, Qin Xiang narrated his military experiences over the past two years, which greatly surprised everyone.

It turned out that after joining the army, Qin Xiang was assigned to serve under an officer named Li Bingtang, who was a commander in Qijia City.

After two months of training, Li Bingtang, seeing that Qin Xiang was very smart, diligent, and hardworking, was pleased and promoted him to be his personal guard, personally guiding Qin Xiang in martial arts.

Six months ago, Li Bingtang was ordered to eliminate the bandits in Langtiao Gorge to the southeast of Qijia City. In the battle, Qin Xiang performed bravely, not only saving Li Bingtang from the bandit leader’s sword but also personally killing him.

This successful elimination of the bandits earned them commendation from higher-ups. Li Bingtang was promoted to the commander of Qijia City. Grateful for Qin Xiang’s life-saving act, he strongly recommended Qin Xiang to be promoted to a centurion and serve under him.

This time, when Li Bingtang went to Yingzhou City for an official duty, he brought Qin Xiang along. When they reached Tenglong Town, Li Bingtang, knowing that Qin Xiang was from the area, gave him a day off to visit his family.

Hearing about Qin Xiang’s military experiences, everyone present showed envy. A centurion was already an officer, and for a small village like Qin Village to produce a centurion brought great honor to everyone.

After the banquet, the village chief and others took their leave. Qin Xiang arranged accommodations for the soldiers who came with him and then had the opportunity to catch up with his family.

Although he detailed the family’s affairs, Qin Hong did not mention anything about the herbal medicine.

"Third Brother’s ability to turn danger into safety is a blessing for our family. Grandfather is getting old, so it’s best to avoid going into the mountains in the future. I receive a monthly salary of twenty taels of silver. After keeping what I need, I will send ten taels home every month. Use it carefully to ensure a comfortable life."

Qin Xiang stroked Grandfather’s injured leg, his eyes glistening with tears.

"Xiang, my health is fine, don’t worry about me. The family’s needs are manageable. You should keep your salary for yourself."

Grandfather, stroking his eldest grandson’s head, looked kind and gentle.

While everyone was chatting, Qin Xiang suddenly thought of something and said solemnly, "Father, Grandfather, I heard the commander mention that in six months, there will be a disciple selection event at Luoxia Valley for children aged eight to twelve. Little Brother is the right age. Do you think he should try?"

Qijia City is under the jurisdiction of Yingzhou County, and Luoxia Valley is one of the two major martial arts sects near Yingzhou County. The other is Wohu Mountain. In the eyes of ordinary people, these two sects are major martial arts sects.

However, this is not entirely true. These two sects are actually vassals of the cultivation sects, which have rules against appearing in the secular world. Therefore, they choose a martial arts sect to represent them and handle secular affairs.

Qin Hong had heard of Luoxia Valley; there was a Luoxia Valley-owned tavern in Tenglong Town that was very popular. However, he had never considered having his son join a martial arts sect. Uncertain, he sought his father’s advice.

"Luoxia Valley is a major sect near Yingzhou County. I heard that a child from Yuejia Village, which is thirty miles away, joined Luoxia Valley. In just a few years, Yuejia Village became the most famous village in Tenglong Town, which is closely related to Luoxia Valley."

"Father, can Little Third try?"

"Trying is fine, but it depends on whether Little Third wants to go." Grandfather thought for a moment and looked at Qin Fengming with affection.

Qin Fengming did not fully understand what his elder brother said, but he had always admired his second brother. Now, knowing that his elder brother had become a general, he was very eager to explore the world outside the mountains.

Seeing that Qin Fengming did not refuse, everyone began to discuss how to participate in the selection.

"The commander said that Luoxia Valley can recommend candidates from each city. The commander has a few slots, and I can ask him for one. It shouldn’t be difficult."

Hearing Qin Xiang’s words, everyone was very happy.

Qin Xiang stayed in Qin Village for only one night and then left with his men due to military duties.

Before leaving, he left fifty taels of silver, instructing his mother to use it to strengthen Qin Fengming’s health. He also said that the selection process would be arduous and that Qin Fengming should train hard. He would come to take him away in April.