Chapter 43: Gathering Medicinal Herbs in the Prefectural City!===GLOSSARY===

Liu Xuan stood with his hands bound in the courtyard.

When he saw Qin Shuo, his eyes narrowed instantly, and he exclaimed in shock: "Qin Shidi, you've broken through to Inner Strength Great Perfection?"

"Lucky breakthrough!"

Qin Shuo did not conceal it and told the truth.

"What a monster!"

Liu Xuan muttered under his breath, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly.

This Qin Shidi joined the martial hall less than three months ago, yet he has completed the path that took us two or three years to finish—truly a freak.

However, Liu Xuan felt no jealousy about this.

He knew his own situation well.

According to his master Wei Yuan, his foundation is too poor; in this lifetime, with good luck and diligence, he might perhaps reach the Meridian Opening stage.

If his luck is bad, Inner Strength Great Perfection is his limit.

So as early as a year ago, he abandoned the idea of further cultivating the Martial Path and turned to wholeheartedly serving the martial hall.

At this moment, seeing the youth slowly walking out of the study, he quickly composed himself and said:

"This morning, the Sky Wolf Gang came to discuss a business deal with our master. Our master summoned us, which should be related to this matter."

"A business related to the Sky Wolf Gang?" Qin Shuo asked curiously.

Nowadays, the Sky Wolf Gang in Black Water City is at the height of its power, its reputation growing daily.

Since the gang leader of the Sky Wolf Gang personally exerted effort and freely helped the Outer City resolve the Wolf Fur Strange Disease.

Nearly all the residents of the Outer City now regard that mysterious gang boss as a living Bodhisattva, a great benevolent one.

Some Wolf Fur Strange Disease patients, to express gratitude, even set up shrines to him in their homes, burning incense and kneeling in worship day and night, praying for him.

And such residents are not few in number.

Nowadays, the Sky Wolf Gang's influence and credibility in the Outer City surpass even that of the County Yamen.

If Qin Shuo were not aware that the Great Li Dynasty establishes its rule through martial prowess and governs the world through sects.

The so-called popular sentiment would not affect the dynasty's status or rule.

Otherwise, he would suspect that the Sky Wolf Gang intends to rise in rebellion, emulating Chen Sheng and Wu Guang, to overthrow Black Water City's rule and take its place.

"I heard they want us to help purchase a batch of medicinal herbs for refining Blood Boosting Pills!"

As a Personal Disciple, Liu Xuan has relatively reliable information and had already learned the full context of this Personal Disciple meeting.

"Refining Blood Boosting Pills?"

Qin Shuo's eyes narrowed.

He is not unfamiliar with the Blood Boosting Pill.

Back then, the Mang Mountain Martial Arts Hall dared to take advantage of Senior Brother Zhan Bai's severe injury, go to the Liuhe Martial Arts Hall to challenge and kick the hall, precisely because Yan Song and Luo Tong had taken the Blood Boosting Pill, their strength greatly increased, giving them the confidence to challenge the Liuhe Martial Arts Hall.

Nowadays, the Sky Wolf Gang seeking the Liuhe Martial Arts Hall to purchase medicinal herbs likely intends to mass-produce Blood Boosting Pills and then profit from them.

Qin Shuo followed Liu Xuan to the reception hall.

At this time, the hall was already filled with people.

Senior Brother Lin Feng, Senior Brother Zhan Bai, Senior Sister Song Yan, and Junior Brother Chen Shan were all present, only Zhang Xiong remained at home recuperating from injury.

Seeing the two arrive, Wei Yuan, seated in the place of honor, did not hesitate and spoke directly:

"Today I summoned everyone mainly to discuss the matter of the Sky Wolf Gang commissioning our martial hall to assist in purchasing medicinal herbs.

The medicinal herbs the Sky Wolf Gang is purchasing from us this time are worth three thousand taels of silver, a huge quantity.

And your Senior Brother Zhan Bai, during his last medicinal herb transport, was ambushed and injured by bandits from Erlong Mountain, unable to participate in this convoy escort.

Therefore, I called you here mainly to discuss the personnel selection for escorting the convoy, as well as the adjustment of upcoming positions in the martial hall."

As Wei Yuan's words fell, Senior Brother Zhan Bai stood up and said to everyone:

"For this medicinal herb procurement, the most important thing to note is the three new bandits from Erlong Mountain.

These three are brothers born of the same mother; the eldest, Yuan Gang, has Inner Strength Great Perfection, the second, Yuan Feng, and the third, Yuan Peng, both have Inner Strength Great Accomplishment.

They all follow the path of external hard training, possessing immense strength and extremely high skin defense, suspected to have cultivated external martial arts like Iron Shirt and Golden Bell Shield.

Moreover, the three are extremely skilled in coordinated ambush attacks; no matter who leads the team, upon entering Erlong Mountain's territory, they must be vigilant against them."

After Zhan Bai finished speaking and sat down, the other Personal Disciples turned in unison to look at Qin Shuo, and even Wei Yuan looked toward him.

Qin Shuo felt somewhat stiffened by this sudden attention.

Then he heard Senior Brother Lin Feng laugh and say:

"Qin Shidi, among our Personal Disciples, only you have strength comparable to Yuan Gang's Inner Strength Great Perfection. For this trip to the prefectural city, it's surely none other than you."

"Senior Brother, your information is outdated!"

Liu Xuan beside him gave a mysterious smile: "Our Qin Shidi now is truly a genuine Inner Strength Great Perfection."

Upon these words, everyone in the hall changed color in unison.

Lin Feng even stared at Qin Shuo with a look of utter astonishment: "Shidi, you've broken through again?"

"Lucky breakthrough!"

Qin Shuo scratched his head somewhat embarrassedly.

So many people staring at him intently, as if looking at a monster—though his psychological endurance is strong, he also found it somewhat hard to bear.

"Monster! Truly a monster!"

"Shidi, how long since you broke through to Inner Strength Great Accomplishment? And now you've reached Inner Strength Consummation!"

Everyone's faces were filled with shock; even Zhan Bai, who has the highest talent and strongest strength, wore a look of astonishment, stunned by Qin Shuo's progress speed.

The hall fell into a brief silence.

Liu Xuan glanced at everyone with a face of schadenfreude, his mood extremely refreshed.

Earlier in the study, he too had been shocked in this way.

Now it was the others' turn to be shocked, while he instead watched the scene with amusement, finding it quite entertaining.

However, when his gaze fell upon his master Wei Yuan, he discovered the latter remained calm and composed, as if he had anticipated this all along.

"Master is master, his insight truly sharp!" Liu Xuan exclaimed inwardly.

In his view, Wei Yuan's current composure likely stemmed from having long seen through Qin Shuo's extraordinary talent, having already foreseen his lightning-fast progress.

Otherwise, ordinary martial artists—who isn't painstakingly tempering themselves for years before achieving Inner Strength Consummation?

Qin Shuo had studied martial arts for less than three months, yet reached a state that ordinary martial artists might not attain even after years of effort.

Such terrifying talent and cultivation speed—if one weren't astonished, that would be abnormal.

However, he did not know that.

Wei Yuan had already, during the previous encounter, personally witnessed Qin Shuo master the saber intent of the first form of the White Ape Tiangang Saber in just a single afternoon, at which point he had already become numb to Qin Shuo's talent.

Let alone Qin Shuo merely breaking through to Inner Strength Great Perfection now—even if he broke through to Pulse Passing, he would not be overly surprised.

A freak, after all!

If his progress were no different from that of ordinary people, could he still be called a freak?

Regardless of how exceptional Qin Shuo's talent may be, as long as he still calls Wei Yuan "Master," everything else is trivial.

"Since Old Eight, you have achieved Inner Strength Consummation, then for this medicinal herb gathering in the prefectural city, you shall lead the team—how does that sound?"

Wei Yuan looked at Qin Shuo, the smile and appreciation in his eyes utterly undisguised.

"I shall follow the Master's command!" Qin Shuo rose, clasped his fists, and spoke earnestly.

During this period, he and Qin Lan had received considerable care from the various senior brothers and sisters at the martial hall.

Now that the martial hall requires his effort, he naturally feels it his duty to contribute.

"Good! Then it is settled." Wei Yuan spoke with finality.

He then added: "Considering your youth and lack of jianghu experience,

this time I will have your Second Senior Brother and Fifth Senior Sister accompany you, to deal with the threat posed by those petty scoundrels on Erlong Mountain."

"Yes!"

Lin Feng and Song Yan also rose to receive the order.

Their strength is only surpassed by Third Senior Brother Zhan Bai, just one step away from entering Inner Strength Great Perfection.

Had it not been for Qin Shuo's astonishing progress—breaking through from Inner Strength Great Success to Inner Strength Great Perfection in merely half a month—

the leadership of this expedition would have fallen to them as the primary candidates.