Chapter 164: The Medicine Cauldron Awakens

At the same time, a thousand li away, the capital city.

The secret chamber in the deepest part of the Qin family's ancestral residence.

The humming and vibration finally stopped.

The huge bronze medicine cauldron quieted down; the terrifyingly bright rune light on its body faded considerably, though not completely gone, it still flashed there, dim and bright, slowly circulating, revealing a vitality and dignity it never had before.

That heavy, breath‑suppressing force also ebbed, leaving only a thick heaviness around the secret chamber that made people instinctively want to stay away.

The few Qin family experts guarding outside the door finally felt the weight pressing on them, like a great mountain, shift aside.

One by one they collapsed on the ground, drenched as if pulled from water, gasping heavily, their faces still gripped by shock.

They stared at each other, none knowing what had just happened.

The medicine cauldron handed down from the ancestors—how many generations has it guarded? How did it suddenly cause such a commotion?

The Qin family's main hall.

Qin Yueyao heard the subordinate's stammering report; the gravity on her face did not lift.

She waved her hand, letting the aide whose calves were still cramping retreat.

One person stood in the empty main hall, gazing once more toward the depths of the ancestral residence.

Beneath that ice‑like calm, her thoughts raced.

"Yin and Yang united, the jade pendant returns to its place… the Shennong cauldron revives…"

She whispered these words, the earlier astonishment gone from her voice, leaving only the clarity after the fog is lifted.

"Zhang Jun… Lin Xue…"

"No mistake."

"The medicine cauldron's disturbance is definitely related to those two!"

"They not only found another hidden place of the Medicine Sect, but actually managed to combine the two legendary tokens spoken of in legend!"

"Such speed, such luck—it's like hitting the jackpot and ending up at one's grandmother's house!"

"What the Medicine Sect hides is far more complicated—and far more frightening—than anything the Qin family's ancestors have recorded or imagined!"

"\"Order! \" Qin Yueyao's voice rose, clear and cold yet carrying absolute authority, echoing through the main hall."

"Outside the door, several sharp figures flashed in at once, bowing to receive the command."

"\"Seal the news! Not a word about today's medicine cauldron incident may leak out! Anyone who gossips will be punished as a traitor to the clan! \"

"\"Yes! \" Hearts tightened, they replied in unison."

"\"Furthermore, \" Qin Yueyao paused, her voice gaining a sharp edge, \"deploy more personnel, mobilize every movable resource for me to use, and find out exactly what's happening with the medicine cauldron's anomaly! Focus… investigate Zhang Jun and Lin Xue! What they've been up to, who they've met, where they've gone—not a single sesame‑sized detail may be missed! \"

"\"Yes! \"

"\"Also, notify the industries and manpower outside to contract immediately and tighten defenses. The capital… a storm may be brewing. \" Qin Yueyao's voice sank.

She felt very uneasy.

The Shennong cauldron has awakened, the Yin Yang Jade Pendant has surfaced—this matter cannot possibly stay confined within the Medicine Sect; who knows how many eyes will turn toward it, the capital's waters are bound to grow turbid.

The Qin family, guardians of the Shennong cauldron, stand at the forefront of the storm and must summon twelve‑fold vigor.

……

The capital city—somewhere in a remote corner, an extremely well‑hidden stronghold.

The air was cold and hard, like a lump of lead.

A gaunt old man in a black robe, his face hidden in the shadow of a hood, faced an old‑style communicator crackling with snow‑filled static, and reported respectfully.

On the other end of the communicator there was no image, only a processed voice—sexless, ageless—yet it carried a sinister, evil vibe.

"\"Zhou Qian… defeated? Or forced to use Blood Escape? \" The voice was flat, devoid of emotion, yet the old man reporting broke into a cold sweat on his forehead."

"\"Yes… yes, Black Judge Sir. \" The old man's throat was dry. \"The soul fragment just sent back shattered; the last word was… Zhou Qian ran into Zhang Jun and Lin Xue. Those brats' power has surged eerily, and… they seem to have fused the Medicine Sect's two tokens into… what's called the Yin Yang Jade Pendant. \"

The communicator fell silent for a few seconds, as if pondering.

"\"Yin Yang Jade Pendant… heh, they actually found it and even fused it…\" The voice took on a teasing tone. \"The Medicine Sect… lying low for so many years, finally planning to rise again? \"

"\"Sir, Zhou Qian may have fled, but his foundation is utterly ruined—he can't stir up any waves. Should we…\" the black‑robed old man asked for instructions."

"\"Worthless—better off dead. \" The voice cut him off coldly. \"However, that Yin Yang Jade Pendant, together with whatever Medicine Sect power might emerge alongside it, … the Supreme… is interested. \"

Upon hearing the two words "the Supreme," the black‑robed old man shuddered violently, lowering his head even further.

"\"Convey the Supreme's decree, \" the voice in the communicator turned colder and harder. "\"Black Judge, go personally to the capital. \"

"\"Spare no expense—bring the Yin Yang Jade Pendant back to me! \"

"\"Also, find out whether Qin family's broken cauldron has recently gone berserk too, and see if it's related to this. \"

"\"Remember, the Supreme cares only for results; everything else is nonsense. \"

"\"Subordinate… obeying! \" the black‑robed old man replied respectfully, his voice dripping with absolute obedience."

The communicator's signal cut off, leaving the room once again in dead silence.

The black‑robed old man slowly lifted his head; his face beneath the hood was unseen, only a glint of cold light flickering.

"\"Zhang Jun… Lin Xue… Yin Yang Jade Pendant… Qin family's medicine cauldron…\""

He muttered these words low, the corner of his mouth curling into a smile devoid of warmth.

"Capital city… it's been ages since I last stretched my bones there."

The moment that will pressed down, Zhang Jun and Lin Xue felt their heads buzz, and the stone chamber before them seemed to shatter like glazed tile, scattering with a crash.

Zhang Jun found himself standing in blood‑mixed mud, corpses strewn everywhere, severed limbs and broken bodies littering the ground.

Old Wang Uncle from the village, Aunt Li next door, and a few half‑grown youths he recognized but couldn't name all lay in pools of blood, reaching out to him with desperate eyes.

"\"Kid Jun… save me…\""

"\"You've got the ability! Move quickly! Are you just going to watch us die? \""

Wails and screams pierced his ears like awls, setting his heart ablaze.

His inner pure yang energy churned, as if about to burst forth at any moment—a violent urge to blast every enemy before him into pieces surged straight to his head.

Yet he clearly sensed that this force was too violent; if it ever went fully out of control, he would probably be the first to burn to ash, and no one nearby would survive.

"Damn!" he cursed under his breath, his fists clenched until his knuckles turned white.

To save or not to save? What the hell kind of bullshit test is this!

On Lin Xue's side, she had sunk into a huge, endless, ragged tent.

The overpowering blend of medicinal herb smell, blood stench, and the foul odor of rotting flesh was enough to make anyone want to vomit.