Chapter 63

In the investigation section of the main volume 63 of the Ten Directions Martial Saint, it is written: "Our Guan family is not short of money or people. At first, that Cheng family didn’t know the details and came to me to help you with an introduction, almost getting driven away. But when I saw your situation, Brother Wei, I immediately felt that you were no ordinary person. Do you know why?"

Guan Ye didn’t wait for Wei He to answer and started speaking in her usual rapid-fire manner.

"Brother Wei, although your talent is poor, your character is extremely strong. Even if you don’t practice martial arts, with your insight and character, you will eventually rise to prominence.

"To be honest, even if you practice martial arts to the highest level, what can you do? Can you resist the toxic water and toxic nets? You would still die if you were hit.

"Our Guan family’s toxic water team can take down ordinary people in one hit, and even someone like you, a secondary qi-blood expert, in one hit.

"Even when surrounding and killing a tertiary qi-blood expert, although that person was strong, how could they compare to a toxic water cylinder? It’s still one hit.

"Even after a lifetime of practicing martial arts, you still dare not touch the toxic nets and toxic fires. What’s the point in the end?

"Listen to my advice. Now that your talent has reached its limit and you can no longer continue practicing martial arts, instead of spending so much time and energy, it’s better to leave early and make plans.

"With your perseverance and insight, if you were to enter the business world, you would surely shine and rise quickly. Why take the arduous path of martial arts?

"Do you know, in this world, money and grain are the fundamentals."

"Thank you, Brother Guan, but... I have always been fond of the martial path. I have no interest in other things. Moreover, I am very satisfied with my current life and don’t want to change careers rashly."

Wei He bowed in gratitude.

Guan Ye spoke sincerely, and he was slightly moved, but in this world, he always believed that true strength comes from within, and everything else is external.

Moreover, he was very curious about the Guan family’s toxic water team, which could take down tertiary qi-blood experts, and must be extraordinary.

At this moment, Guan Ye treated him sincerely, so he complimented her a bit.

From previous interactions, he knew that Guan Ye liked this kind of flattery.

Sure enough, Guan Ye’s eyes curved into a smile.

"Ah, you just won’t listen to advice. Well, well, I knew you would be like this, so as soon as I heard that Brother Wei’s qi-blood accumulation was slow, I specially brought a great qi-blood supplement."

She lifted the lid, and a burst of steam immediately rose, with a fragrant aroma.

"This is the essence of a wild beast, far stronger than the meat from the inner city’s meat fields. You should eat it carefully, in small bites, and it’s best to finish it here before you leave."

Wei He was intrigued. Wild? Meat fields? These two terms seemed to be opposites, and he had never heard of them before.

He wanted to ask, but Guan Ye started talking non-stop, describing how she was emulating Cheng Shaojiu by casting a wide net and befriending many heroes.

Among them were many outstanding individuals, and there would be opportunities for Wei He to meet them.

Wei He listened throughout, only speaking a few words.

Soon, the porcelain pot was ready and placed in front of Wei He. Others were also led into the pavilion one by one.

Guan Ye stood up and introduced each person to Wei He, saying they were all her recent acquaintances.

The newcomers were a mix of men and women, dressed differently, some fawning, some indifferent, and some cold.

Some were martial artists like Wei He, some knew nothing about martial arts and were just ordinary people, and some had a bandit-like air, their eyes darting around the serving girls instead of looking at Guan Ye.

Gathering this motley group, Wei He scanned them and found few worth his attention.

Soon, the servants brought out the feast, and various dishes and rice were served.

Everyone ate heartily, enjoying the food and the juices.

After the meal, Guan Ye had the servants escort everyone out.

Wei He also ate the great qi-blood supplement, which was full of various meats and herbs. The taste was good, but he didn’t feel any immediate effect on his qi-blood.

Seeing Guan Ye looking tired, he took the initiative to thank her and take his leave.

Guan Ye also had someone escort Wei He back, while she directed the servants to clean up and then prepared to leave.

She yawned and stretched, completely lacking in ladylike grace, and was about to go back to wash and rest.

"Sister! Why did you stop me from entering?"

Suddenly, a handsome young man with a tall, slender figure walked into the pavilion, his face cold.

The young man wore a silver belt, held a black folding fan, and had a black jade at his waist, walking with ease.

"This is my territory. I let in whoever I want. Why are you here for no reason?" Guan Ye waved her hand impatiently.

"Mother is worried that you will be deceived by the wrong people, so she sent me to remind and watch over you," the young man frowned.

"What do you mean by the wrong people? The people I befriend, like Brother Chen, Brother Wei, and Brother Zhang, are all extraordinary heroes. What do you know?!" Guan Ye retorted.

"Those people just now? They can be called extraordinary heroes?" The young man’s tone rose.

"Never mind, do as you please. I came to remind you that we need to prepare to leave soon. The situation is becoming clearer, and you need to prepare quickly. The family will send people to help..."

"I don’t need it," Guan Ye said coldly. "I have my own toxic water team to protect me. I don’t need the family to worry."

"Why are you so stubborn? One toxic water team might not be enough. The family plans to send a toxic net team as well. The combination of toxic water and toxic nets will ensure absolute safety." The young man said solemnly.

The Guan family once used the toxic water and toxic net teams to kill a tertiary qi-blood expert, securing their position as a major merchant in Feiye City.

As a result, the Guan family’s reputation grew, and they began to place more emphasis on the craft of poison, recognizing that even the strongest martial arts were no match for corrosive toxic water, toxic smoke, and toxic powder.

Hearing her brother’s words, Guan Ye paused for a moment before asking, "What’s the latest time?"

"One month from now."

......

......

......

As soon as Wei He stepped out, he felt something was off.

His stomach felt warm, and the medicine was starting to take effect.

At first, he thought the supplement was just that, and the effect would pass soon, but... one hour passed, two hours passed...

By midnight, he still felt warm all over, and the effect of the wild beast meat far exceeded anything he had eaten before.

Whether it was the flower branch deer, the red earth fish, or any other meat, none compared to this.

After eating the pot, he couldn’t sleep well all night, feeling hot and restless, with boundless energy.

In the middle of the night, Wei He suddenly opened his eyes and got up.

Outside, it was quiet, with no insects or birds, only the faint sound of his sister Wei Ying’s breathing from the opposite room.

Wei He quietly pushed open the door, avoiding the clothes and boots on the clothesline, and walked to the center of the yard.

Sitting on a wicker chair would make a creaking sound, so he walked to the stone for practicing boxing, pressed his hand on it, and sat down easily.

He looked up at the sky.

The night sky was vast and clear, with no clouds.

The stars were like countless shining crystals, adorning the black velvet sky, exquisite, intricate, and beautiful.

The warm night breeze brought a hint of the mountain scent from Shaoyang Mountain and the bustling sounds of the inner city.

‘Tomorrow, I’ll go to Shaoyang Mountain again. I hope to find more clues. This time, I’ll remember to sprinkle the powder first, knock one out, and bring it back.’

Wei He thought to himself, lying on the big stone, thinking about things, and eventually fell asleep.

As the sky began to lighten, Wei He was woken by a small sound.

He suddenly opened his eyes and saw a rat scurrying past the corner of the wall.

In an instant, he threw a stone.

The stone hit the rat precisely, landing on the black mud in front of it.

The rat squeaked and ran away.

Wei He, expressionless, dug out a few more pebbles from the stone and threw them one by one.

The rat was blocked again and had to turn back and run.

Wei He threw again, and the rat ran again, repeating the process.

Ten minutes later.

Wei He let out a satisfied sigh, watching the rat convulse, its mouth foaming, and its legs twitching, unable to move.

He felt much better, his previously suppressed mood lifted.

"Xiaohe, why is there such a big chunk missing from the stone?" Wei Ying, who had just woken up, pointed at the big stone in the yard, looking puzzled.

"Nothing, I just thought it looked better this way, so I modified it a bit," Wei He turned and smiled.

The part he had dug out was the deep palm print left from testing the Wuling Palm.

He couldn’t leave any traces, so he removed it while he was at it.

After breakfast, Wei He checked the breakthrough pearl. The great supplement had indeed been extraordinary, increasing his progress by at least one-tenth overnight.

Amazed, he also became more interested in the wild beasts and meat fields that Guan Ye had mentioned.

But what was more important now was to explore Shaoyang Mountain again.

He carefully prepared his equipment and tools and quietly left.

Passing through the widest square in the outer city, he saw the Seven Families Alliance hanging signs, seemingly recruiting workers.

Next to it, a soup stand was giving out porridge, with a long, winding queue.

The square was densely packed with people.

Most had dull eyes, prominent cheekbones, and sunken eye sockets, with sallow, unhealthy skin.

Only a few looked relatively spirited, probably those whose families still had some income and some hope.

Wei He glanced a few times but didn’t stay long, quickly leaving.

Passing through the listless city guards, he accelerated toward Shaoyang Mountain, changing his outfit along the way.

During the day, he wore a gray-white mask, fully covered.

Wei He, familiar with the route, accelerated, following the usual path.

He quietly avoided a few patrolling ordinary disciples of the Shaoyang Sect.

His second-layer Flying Dragon Skill and the third-layer qi-blood enhancement made him much faster than before.

To non-experts, he was almost a blur, disappearing in an instant.

This second daytime infiltration, Wei He saw more clearly.

This time, he took a different route, not the previous bunker, but another path leading to the shady side of the mountain.

Long-term solo hunting, continuous experience, the third-layer qi-blood enhancement, and the second-layer Flying Dragon Skill had fundamentally changed his stealth.

Silent and extremely fast.

In no time, he had covered more distance than the last time.

However, his conspicuous clothes made him hesitant to venture into more open areas, so he had to use dry grass and tree trunks for cover.

Not long after, passing a bunker similar to the last one, Wei He crouched in a dry grass patch on a slope, gently parting the grass and peering down the mountain.