Wu De suddenly appeared from somewhere, looking at Lu Li with a puzzled expression, "Kid, why are you buying a bundle of half-dead Emerald Bamboo Grass?"
"I feel like it." Lu Li was somewhat surprised that Wu De recognized this thing but did not explain.
"Tch, suit yourself, I am just kindly reminding you." Wu De looked at Lu Li meaningfully. "Well then, found a pill furnace?"
"No." Lu Li said somewhat gloomily.
Seeing Lu Li like this, Wu De was actually somewhat happy instead. "You kid, do you really think pill furnaces are like cabbages? Keep looking, if there are not any this month, there is always next month... you will run into one in this lifetime."
"Screw you." Lu Li glared at Wu De impatiently. "Where do you live? I will come find you tomorrow afternoon, then we can go up the mountain together."
"What mountain, can you not speak properly!" Wu De huffed and puffed, annoyed.
"Go up the mountain to deal with Zhang Song, is that okay?"
"That is more like it." Wu De suddenly remembered something. "Kid, are you not staying with me?"
"No need, I have a brother living right here in Dihu Town, I will stay with him."
"Brother? Alright then, just come find me at Dihu Restaurant tomorrow."
After chatting briefly, Lu Li hurriedly left the gathering. By the time he returned to Bihuyuan, it was already late at night.
What surprised Lu Li was that the maid called Xiao He was actually still awake, sitting alone on the stone steps at the courtyard entrance, lost in thought.
Seeing Lu Li return, Xiao He's face immediately brightened with joy. She quickly stood up and ran over, "Young master, you are back."
Lu Li nodded. "What are you sitting here for?"
"I, I made dinner for you, young master. I thought you would be back soon, but I did not expect..."
"Tch, silly girl." Lu Li rubbed Xiao He's head. "If I am not around in the future, you do not need to prepare meals for me. Just eat them yourself, understand?"
"Yes, young master." Xiao He nodded. "Young master, the food has gone cold, should I warm it up for you?"
The Bihuyuan had houses on both sides of the front courtyard. Lu Li had not entered them before; presumably they were servants' quarters. Lu Li was not feeling hungry, so he shook his head and said, "I am not hungry. If you have not eaten yet, warm it up and eat it yourself."
"Well, alright."
Seeing Lu Li enter the inner courtyard, Xiao He smiled happily, then turned and hopped toward the house on the right side of the front courtyard.
Lu Li did not stop, heading straight back to the residence on the eastern side of the inner courtyard.
After closing the door, he eagerly entered the medicine garden. Looking at that bundle of sickly Emerald Bamboo Grass, Lu Li did not dare delay. He untied the rope and counted, finding a full one hundred thirty-four plants.
Then he started busying himself, planting them one by one.
After planting them, Lu Li did not leave either, but quietly watched these Emerald Bamboo Grass.
Before long, the wilted leaves began to slowly unfurl. Then, the stems and leaves started turning green, emitting a faint bamboo fragrance. Only at this moment did Lu Li breathe a sigh of relief.
This medicine garden was indeed miraculous.
This way, he now possessed one hundred fifty Emerald Bamboo Grass.
After confirming there were no problems, Lu Li entered the Time Hall again to practice his fist techniques and movement techniques.
Meanwhile.
Inside Youlong Village, Yue Qinglong and his group returned covered in dust. After searching continuously for several days, they had found nothing, and everyone's expressions looked quite grim.
Returning to the main hall, Yue Qinglong suddenly frowned, looking at the second-in-command Shao Yunfeng beside him, "Where is that kid Qin Shouren?"
Shao Yunfeng shook his head. "I do not know either. Have not seen him since we went up the mountain together that day."
Yue Qinglong's expression changed. "Could something have happened? Send people to look for him immediately! He is our Youlong Village's hope, you must find him for me!"
Shao Yunfeng nodded, quickly turned and left the main hall, rushing toward the area where ordinary disciples lived.
Zhang Dawu's eyes shifted, tentatively saying, "He... would not have run away, would he?"
Actually, he hoped Lu Li had run away too; that way, no one in Youlong Village could threaten his position.
"Run away?" Yue Qinglong snorted coldly. "Impossible! That kid looks extremely honest and sincere at first glance. He must have met with some accident or encountered trouble. Rest for a bit, then go look for him too. You must find him for me!"
"Yes." Zhang Dawu's eyes flickered, thinking this was good too. When I find him, I will secretly finish him off. How perfect!
After taking his leave, Zhang Dawu hurriedly rushed back to Dawuyuan.
"Yu'er!"
"Yu'er!"
The moment Zhang Dawu entered the gate, he could not wait to call out, rushing toward the backyard.
Just entering the backyard, Zhang Dawu saw the two guard corpses lying on the ground, his face instantly changing color, shouting at the top of his lungs, "Yu'er--"
Tap tap.
Suddenly, a gray-faced youth in a cloud-patterned robe slowly walked out from behind a stone mountain. His movements were mechanical and wooden, looking extremely eerie under the illumination of several long-burning lamps.
"Yu'er." Zhang Dawu trembled, frantically rushing forward to grab the youth's arms. "You... how did you become like this?"
But the youth showed no response at all. His eyes, already completely turned gray, had not a single trace of additional color.
"No, speak, speak! I am your father!!!"
Zhang Dawu shook Zhang Yu, a look of disbelief on his face.
"He will not speak again."
Just then, a hoarse and icy voice suddenly came from the pavilion on the right side of the courtyard.
Zhang Dawu was startled, only now discovering that a black-robed figure wearing a hooded cloak was sitting on the pavilion railing. From the voice, this person should be an elder.
"You, who are you!" Zhang Dawu stared at the black-robed elder. "Did, did you turn Yu'er into this?"
"Hehe." A chilling dry laugh seemed to come from deep in the throat, like someone pulling a bellows, making people's scalps crawl.
Then, without any additional movements from the black-robed figure, it was as if he teleported, suddenly standing right in front of Zhang Dawu.
"Ah!"
Zhang Dawu was so frightened he fell directly onto his rear. He lifted his head, staring at the skeletal, gaunt cheeks under the black hood, terrified as he scrambled backward, only making gasping sounds from his mouth.
He had never seen such a person before-a face completely devoid of flesh and blood, only a layer of old skin clinging to the facial bones.
"You seem... very afraid of me." The black-robed man's voice, seeming to come from the throat, sounded again.
"Se, senior... spare, spare my life." Zhang Dawu's legs would not obey him. He wanted to stand up and run away but found he could not muster any strength.
"What a waste."
The black-robed elder shook his head, raising his bony, chicken-claw-like hand upward. With a rustle, a scroll unfurled downward from his palm. "Tell me... who is this person?"
On the scroll, an ink-green-clad youth in warrior's clothing was staring fiercely at Zhang Dawu.
"This... this is?" Zhang Dawu's eyes widened. "This... this is Deputy Hall Master Qin!"
"Deputy Hall Master Qin? Explain clearly!"
"He, his name is Qin, Qin Shouren, he is the newly arrived deputy hall master..."