Chapter 9

On the way, Qiu Zhen and others were chatting and laughing with Ye Shang, but they didn't pay much attention to Qin Hai and his group, which made Qin Hai and his group very unhappy. After all, they were also members of the Qin family, while Ye Shang was just a native.

Qin Zhen was another matter. When Qin Hai, Qin Shan, and others spoke to Qin Zhen, he only nodded or shook his head, unwilling to interact with them. However, he got along well with Ye Shang, even though they didn't talk much, they ate and lived together.

"Country bumpkin! Just a country bumpkin!" Ye Shang laughed. He really didn't want to deal with Qin Hai and his group. On the way, Ye Shang noticed that Qin Hai and his group were very arrogant and extravagant, and they wouldn't have much in common in the future, so he didn't bother to argue with them.

Ye Shang's words infuriated Qin Hai, though he didn't react violently, the disdain in his tone was obvious to everyone.

"You're asking for death!" Enraged, Qin Hai grabbed the long sword at his waist and walked toward Ye Shang.

Qiu Zhen's expression changed. He knew Qin Hai's status, and he didn't want to deal with him, looking down on him from the bottom of his heart. However, he couldn't just stand by and watch Qin Hai harm Ye Shang.

Just as he was about to speak, Qin Zhen stood beside Ye Shang, and at the same time, Ye Shang's hand grabbed the black iron spear on his back.

Qin Hai's cultivation was unknown, but if he insisted on provoking, Ye Shang was willing to fight, even if it meant losing. He could lose everything, but not his dignity and integrity.

Losing the fight, Ye Shang didn't mind; he could fight back in the future. If he didn't even dare to fight, it would be a disgrace, a disgrace that could never be washed away.

Qin Zhen standing beside Ye Shang made Qin Hai pause. Qin Zhen had no cultivation, and was even weaker than Ye Shang, but he had two guards. Although they were all from the Qin family, Qin Hai and Qin Zhen had completely different statuses in the Qin family. Guan Xiong and Li Song would only recognize Qin Zhen as their young master at this moment.

"Enough, what are you doing? Qin Hai, step back!" Qiu Zhen spoke up at the critical moment. The situation was different now; they were standing on the side of the main branch of the Qin family and wouldn't offend Qin Aoxuan.

"You wait! A country bumpkin will always be a country bumpkin." Qin Hai cursed and turned to leave.

Two cold rays of light flashed in Ye Shang's eyes as he watched Qin Hai's back without speaking. He didn't care about one insult, but he wouldn't tolerate repeated insults.

He tightened his grip on the black iron spear, then smiled and let go.

"Strength decides everything. Ye Shang, if you enter the Medicine Valley, you must work hard." Qiu Zhen patted Ye Shang's shoulder.

"Thank you, Captain Qiu. I will." Ye Shang nodded and smiled at Qin Zhen beside him.

Qiu Zhen left to arrange for the guards to scout the surroundings.

"Captain, that Qin Hai is a bit too much. Such a temper will get him into trouble in the Medicine Valley." The deputy captain, Qiu Yuan, said. Qiu Yuan was Qiu Zhen's cousin, but he became deputy captain through his own strength.

"His temperament is not good. Qiu Yuan, do you know the difference between a yellow snake and a dragon?" Qiu Zhen asked with a smile.

"A yellow snake jumps around, not knowing the vastness of the sky and the earth, daring to attack any target, so it can't achieve much and dies early. A dragon, before it matures, remains dormant. When it moves, it emerges from the depths, soaring to the heavens." Qiu Yuan replied.

"Dragons and snakes are different, and so are people!" Qiu Zhen sighed, his gaze falling on Ye Shang.

Qiu Yuan followed Qiu Zhen's gaze and looked at Ye Shang, who was standing quietly on the side. He understood Qiu Zhen's meaning but didn't expect Qiu Zhen to have such a high opinion of Ye Shang.

It took two and a half days for the group to reach Dan Ding City.

From a distance, the towering city walls looked like a giant dragon lying on the ground.

The setting sun cast a golden glow over the ancient city, enveloping it in a golden gauze and shrouding it in a mysterious aura.

This was Dan Ding City, the largest city within a hundred thousand miles.

Dan Ding City had a long history, whether it was a thousand years, three thousand years, or ten thousand years, no one knew.

Upon entering, Ye Shang found that the city walls were over a dozen zhang high, made entirely of dark granite. The city gate was about five to six zhang wide and seven to eight zhang high, with a city tower above it. There were guards both inside and outside the city gate.

Qiu Zhen presented a token, and the group smoothly entered Dan Ding City. After entering, Qiu Zhen had everyone get off the carriage and walk, to let the children see Dan Ding City.

"This city is much larger than our Chiyang City. It should be called the Heavenly City." A young man said.

"This is just a corner of Dongxuan Continent. The outside world is vast, and such cities are common." Qiu Zhen glanced at the young man and then at Ye Shang, who remained quiet, seemingly unaffected.

For the past two days, Ye Shang hadn't spoken much, focusing only on cultivation, even neglecting to hunt. Qiu Zhen knew that although Ye Shang didn't show it, the conflict with Qin Hai had a significant impact on him.

Qiu Zhen found an inn and arranged for everyone to stay there, then had Qiu Yuan buy three wind tigers. Although two wind tigers could pull the carriage, it was better to have three for speed and to reduce the burden on the wind tigers, as the steel carriage was very heavy.

After settling into the inn, Ye Shang began to cultivate. He wanted to improve his cultivation as much as possible before the Medicine Valley's disciple recruitment ceremony. Although advancing to the fourth level of Qi Condensation wasn't visible, a deeper cultivation would increase his chances of joining the sect.

In another room, Qin Hai and Qin Shan were talking.

"Brother Hai, don't worry. With his third-level Qi Condensation cultivation, the chances of him joining the Medicine Valley are very low. If he can't enter the Medicine Valley, you can deal with him easily." Qin Shan said with a smile.

"That's true. Even in our Chiyang City, the lowest cultivation among this batch is the sixth level of Qi Condensation. It's almost impossible for him to enter the Medicine Valley. I'll talk to Guard Song. If he can't join the Medicine Valley, we'll get rid of him." Qin Hai's voice was cold.

"I just don't understand why Brother Zhen is protecting him. He just ate a bit of wild game, is that a big deal?" Qin Shan voiced his concerns.

"Hmph, if he weren't Uncle San's son, he would be no different from Ye Shang." Qin Hai's tone was filled with resentment, as Qin Zhen was the heir to the Qin family, while he was not. As for whether Qin Zhen could enter the Medicine Valley, he never doubted it, because Qin Aoxuan's master was an elder of the Medicine Valley, and also Qin Zhen's grandmaster.

"Brother, it will be difficult for Ye Shang to enter the Medicine Valley. He has made rapid progress recently, but his starting point is too low." In another room, Qiu Yuan looked at Qiu Zhen.

"If not this year, then next year. I believe he won't give up. A true talent will eventually shine." Qiu Zhen smiled after taking a sip of wine.

After resting for a night, nine-headed wind tigers pulled three carriages and continued on their journey.

From Dan Ding City to the Medicine Valley at Dan Ding Mountain, there was still a thousand miles to go, but this area was no longer a wilderness. A well-paved road had been built long ago.

Many carriages were traveling on the road. The annual disciple recruitment ceremony of the Medicine Valley was the biggest event within a hundred thousand miles, so the large number of people was not surprising.