When Huang Tian returned to Qinghui Garden laden with his harvest, he discovered that the main thoroughfare outside the entrance was choked by nearly a hundred carriages. Several hundred men in brocade robes, accompanied by servants bearing gifts, were waiting to seek an audience with him.
The clamor was deafening. Huang Tian shook his head at the sight. Unwilling to entangle himself with such people, he slipped around to the side of Qinghui Garden, pushed off lightly with his toes, and landed noiselessly upon the bluestone paving of the front courtyard, strolling leisurely toward the main courtyard.
Along the way, he happened upon Aunt Qin, who was giving instructions to a pair of sturdy servants. Turning around and catching sight of Huang Tian, joy flashed across her face, and she hurried forward. "Young Master, this servant was just hoping to report something to you—"
Huang Tian paused. "What is it?"
Looking somewhat troubled, she said, "At noon today, Huang Manor sent over a lavish gift, claiming it was a congratulatory offering from Master Huang for your breakthrough to the middle three ranks. This servant truly had no idea whether we should accept it..."
In truth, Huang Xunjiu had spent the entire previous night tossing and turning without a wink of sleep, finally resolving to ease relations with his fourth son. He had originally intended to come in person, but in the end, he could not bring himself to swallow his pride, feeling it would cost him too much face. If he were turned away at the door, he would become an even greater laughingstock. Thus, he had sent an extravagant gift first to test Huang Tian's attitude.
If Huang Tian accepted the gift, he would seek an opportunity to pay a personal visit; even if he had to bow his head and offer an apology, he could begrudgingly stomach it. After all, given Huang Tian's current strength, potential, and standing, the moment he returned to the Huang family, they would instantly become a prominent, first-rate clan in the commandery city!
For such an immense benefit, bowing his head was not out of the question.
Yet if Huang Tian refused the gift, he would have to reconsider whether to show up in person.
Huang Tian shook his head. "Send all the gifts back. I haven't accepted congratulatory presents from any other prominent clan in the city, and I certainly won't accept anything from Huang Manor. There is no need to ask about such matters in the future; simply follow this precedent."
Aunt Qin nodded repeatedly. "This servant understands!"
"Very well, go attend to your duties."
Huang Tian waved his hand and continued to the main courtyard. After setting down the bow-and-arrow case, he opened the jade box containing the Spirit Jade Ganoderma and gently sliced off a thin sliver with a small knife.
He swallowed the translucent flesh of the ganoderma.
In an instant, he felt as though a miniature sun had risen in his lower abdomen, sending a warm yet irresistible heat spreading through every bone and limb.
The vitality within him surged like a stream awakened by a spring breeze, quickening its flow with a low, gurgling murmur.
Meanwhile, the true qi inside his body swelled and condensed at incredible speed, circulating through his meridians in a heavenly cycle.
The violent spiritual qi drawn into his body was assimilated by that soothing medicinal potency the moment it entered the meridians, blending gently into the rushing true qi without the slightest clash or discomfort.
His blood gently simmered, a faint rosy flush suffusing his skin as beads of perspiration dotted his temples. Yet it was no agonizing ordeal; rather, it felt as though he were soaking in a warm hot spring, every single cell joyfully breathing and undergoing metamorphosis.
'The Spirit Jade Ganoderma truly is gentle and clear in nature. Its medicinal power is vast yet soothing, quietly elevating my strength...'
Huang Tian assumed the Cloud Dragon Stance, channeling the thunderous resonance within him while quietly feeling the transformations taking place after consuming the Spirit Jade Ganoderma.
'Just swallowing a tiny sliver makes my cultivation speed roughly a third faster than when I temper my vitality and absorb spiritual qi using Blood Condensation Pills. In other words, if I assist my cultivation with the Spirit Jade Ganoderma every day, it will only take about a month to reach complete sixth rank and break through with ease!'
His eyes lit up. This was truly an extraordinary treasure!
It was a pity that such spiritual herbs were always exceedingly rare, and some could not be bought for any price. Otherwise, cultivating by ingesting such miraculous items daily would allow one's progress to outstrip ordinary martial artists many times over!
'When I have time later, I should keep an eye out for whether any spiritual items that aid cultivation are being sold in the commandery city...'
With that thought drifting through his mind, he gradually immersed himself in his cultivation.
***
While Kunyun Commandery City was shaken by Huang Tian breaking through to the sixth rank in such a short span of time and capturing his assailants alive, peace was equally absent outside the city walls.
Within a brightly lit conference hall at the Feihong Sect's headquarters.
Sect Master Qian Shan wore a sullen expression, his tone harsh. "The plot to assassinate Huang Tian has failed. Not only did it fail, but he also broke through to the sixth rank. Word has it that both Wu and Liu were defeated and captured alive by him. I fear his strength is no less than that of the fourth rank."
A white-bearded elder furrowed his brow tightly. "Sect Master, is this information verified?"
Qian Shan replied, "Fang He sent this intelligence back via messenger hawk; there should be no mistake. At the very least, Huang Tian's breakthrough to the middle three ranks is an undeniable fact. As for his strength, even if it has not reached the fourth rank, he must be at the peak of the fifth rank."
Another one-eyed elder spoke up, "Then matters are troublesome. Not only did the ambush fail, but he grew stronger as well. Eliminating him in the future will be even more difficult."
The white-bearded elder picked up the thread. "Are we supposed to simply give up? Just stand by and watch him grow stronger by the day until he leads men to slaughter our sect? Remember, we made the first move to kill him. As long as he lives, he will surely retaliate!"
The one-eyed elder replied in displeasure, "I never said we should give up. I merely believe our next strike requires thorough preparations. We cannot act rashly like this time without even knowing his true strength, failing the assassination and alerting the enemy instead."
Qian Shan raised a hand to cut off their bickering. "His strength has now been revealed: either the peak of the fifth rank or newly entered into the fourth. If we strike again and wish to guarantee success, we must dispatch at least three fourth-rank elders—and even that might not be enough."
At these words, everyone fell silent.
In the entire Feihong Sect, counting Sect Master Qian Shan himself, there were only seven fourth-rank martial artists. Among the seven, two or three had fixed duties and could not be mobilized lightly. In other words, if they wished to ambush Huang Tian, they would have to dispatch every single elder they could muster—an idea entirely detached from reality!
The authorities kept a sharp eye on them, closely monitoring the movements of every elder. Under such scrutiny, how could several elders possibly slip into the commandery city together to commit murder?
Not to mention that if the ambush failed and they were captured or slain, the consequences would be unimaginable.
At this moment, the one-eyed elder suddenly spoke up. "Sect Master, if our sect is willing to part with a Precious Elephant Sacred Fetus Pill, I could convince Thousand Faces Old Ghost to take the job."
The Precious Elephant Sacred Fetus Pill—a precious pill capable of boosting a fourth-rank martial artist's chances of breaking through to Grandmaster!
As for Thousand Faces Old Ghost, he was a fourth-rank martial artist renowned across Qin Province, skilled in the arts of assassination, disguise, and escape. He had once successfully assassinated two peak fourth-rank martial artists back-to-back in a single night and made a clean escape even while pursued by a Grandmaster!
The white-bearded elder's eyes lit up. "If he makes a move, success is certain! It's just that a Precious Elephant Sacred Fetus Pill is somewhat too valuable..."
Qian Shan pondered for a long while before finally steeling his resolve. "When sacrifice is required, we must not hesitate. If expending a single Precious Elephant Sacred Fetus Pill can kill Huang Tian and eliminate this grave threat, it will be well worth it!
"Besides, of the five great sects in Kunyun Commandery, why should our Feihong Sect bear the burden alone? The other four sects will have to bleed as well. That way, our loss won't be so great after all."
Chapter 93