Reborn Medicine King

Jiang Fann explained, "I encountered a dark practitioner here before, right in that tomb. They could use bone magic and had a remarkable talent for alchemy."    

After speaking, Jiang Fann used his spiritual strength to reveal the array surrounding the stone tablet, which spread over a vast area. This array wasn't set up by the old holy beast from years ago but was arranged by a cultivator later on.    

Jiang Fann continued, "The lingering spirit befriended that dark practitioner. It sheltered them here, even gave them control over corpses, in exchange for help in its rebirth. This involved adding an array to the legacy, turning it into a trap, an opportunity for possession. This likely wasn't the old holy beast's original intention."    

The three guardian beasts clearly couldn't accept Jiang Fann's explanation. It was baffling that a dark practitioner could do so much right under their noses without them noticing.    

Even Jiang Fann, who was skilled in array techniques, didn't initially consider such a possibility. Before the guardian beasts returned, Jiang Fann had sensed the legacy of the stone tablet and found nothing unusual. Little did he know, the array had been set underground, almost impossible to detect until activated.    

With Xiaomo around, Jiang Fann wasn't worried about any lingering threats. After about four hours, Xiaomo extracted a mass of dark energy from the little creature and trapped it in her hand. She approached Jiang Fann and asked, "What should we do with this?"    

Jiang Fann knew what it was—traces of a corrupted spirit. "It's been tainted by dark forces. There's no need to keep it. We're doing the little guy a favor by getting rid of it."    

Without a hint of sympathy, Xiaomo obliterated the spirit in her palm with a simple attack, as if it were a trivial task. With the interference gone, the little creature continued to receive its inheritance. Jiang Fann then recalled Xiaomo and restored Fang Xiang's senses.    

At that moment, Fang Xiang was surrounded by three guardian beasts, clearly nervous, thinking he was encircled by experts. Fortunately, the beasts were focused on the fire qilin and didn't make a move.    

Fang Xiang edged away from them and approached the stone tablet, asking Jiang Fann, "Is it all taken care of?"    

Jiang Fann smiled, "It's all sorted. Otherwise, those three would have dealt with us by now."    

"So, should we get out of here quickly? Once they come to their senses, they'll likely try to reclaim the treasure. I don't want to give back what we've already secured."    

Jiang Fann nodded and then sent a message to the little guy who was receiving the legacy.    

"We're leaving now. Take care of yourself."    

"See you later."    

After saying goodbye, Jiang Fann planned to leave with Fang Xiang. The three guardian beasts didn't intend to stop them; they stayed behind to protect the Fire Qilin. Compared to the trouble they solved, the items Jiang Fann took were insignificant.    

As they left, both Jiang Fann and Fang Xiang were in high spirits.    

Fang Xiang turned to Jiang Fann and asked, "Do we need to redistribute the treasures this time? I wasted all my time on that stone tablet and didn't gain anything. It's such a pity."    

Jiang Fann shook his head, indicating it wasn't necessary. After all, he had explored more than one direction and gained quite a bit. He even gave Fang Xiang a vial of Qilin's true blood, which is a great boon for practitioners. If used wisely, it might lead to an epiphany in Fire Arts, making future training much easier.    

Fang Xiang gladly accepted, thinking that even if he couldn't use it, he could sell it at the Heaven Pavilion. Why not?    

Meanwhile, after Jiang Fann and Fang Xiang left, one of the guardian beasts spoke.    

"Luckily, we had that human's help this time, or we would've been in big trouble. I wonder if what he said is true."    

The lead guardian beast calmly replied, "We'll find out soon enough. You should personally visit the ancestor's tomb and check the situation. If what he said is true, there should be the remains of an evil practitioner inside the mountain."    

The beast thought it over and finally agreed to the proposal, then turned and left, leaving the two of them alone.    

...    

The Kingdom of Jian, the capital city.    

Just like any other day, the capital was bustling with activity. People from all over were moving through the streets, picking out what they needed. Three figures had been wandering the streets for days, searching for someone. They couldn't afford to relax until they found a lead.    

They hadn't had any luck in the past few days, but the man leading the group was convinced that the two young people they were looking for couldn't have just appeared out of nowhere. They carried sketches of the people they were searching for, showing them around to get more eyes on the lookout. Unfortunately, the whole day passed without any breakthroughs.    

Just when they thought they might have to leave empty-handed, a young man suddenly stopped them. "Are you looking for someone?"    

The leader nodded, "That's right. If you can provide useful information, you'll be well-rewarded."    

The young man pointed to the wanted poster and said, "I haven't seen anyone who looks exactly like the people on this poster, but I have seen two people dressed like them. One of them is nearly at the Mortal Separating Stage, and the other is only at the Dao Understanding Stage."    

Hearing this, the three of them perked up. Appearances can be disguised, but their levels can't be altered. "Can you use spiritual jade to sketch their likenesses and sell them to us?"    

The young man didn't hesitate and nodded immediately. He began crafting the spiritual jade right there, and soon, the images of two very different-looking individuals appeared on it. Once everything was set, he respectfully handed it over to the most skilled person present.    

Upon seeing the images on the jade, the skilled individual raised an eyebrow, clearly taken aback. "The manager of the Ninth Heaven Pavilion disguised himself as someone else? That's quite the breach of protocol. And who is that young man with him? He seems unfamiliar."    

"It doesn't matter who he is. Now that his identity is exposed, finding him will be much easier. If we can bring him back, it'll certainly appease the prince."    

"Talk about luck! We actually managed to find a needle in a haystack."    

The young man providing the information wasn't just anyone; he was the one sent by the old master at the market stall to follow Jiang Fann and his companion. That's how he knew their disguises. When approached for information about them, he had no reason to refuse, especially since he also wanted to find Jiang Fann and his companion again to report back to his master.    

He received a generous reward and returned to his master's stall, only to find his master heavily intoxicated, nearly sprawled on the ground, yet still holding his wine jug firmly, as if his life depended on it.    

"Master, I leaked some information about those two to three experts who are also looking for them. It seems like those two have stirred up trouble again."    

Upon hearing his apprentice's words, the old man regained some clarity. Leaning against the wall, he said directly, "Don't underestimate them. Those two young men aren't as simple as they seem, especially the one with the unknown background. Report back to me immediately if you hear anything."    

"Speaking of which, they've been missing for a while now. Who knows what they're up to."    

Dan's Gate.    

"When Zhu Yan and his group left that day, they must have run into some trouble along the way. By the time we arrived, they were already gone."    

Qian Qing asked, "Logically, they should have headed straight back to Fire Valley. Did you continue to track them?"    

The cultivator nodded and continued, "I went to the nearest town to the valley, hoping to catch them before they left and get some answers. But when I got there, I heard something."    

Qian Qing quickly inquired, "What did you hear?"    

"Zhu Yan did leave with two others using the teleportation array, but only one of them was from the Zhu family. The other two didn't have any Zhu family traits. The manager remembered Zhu Yan clearly because of his distinct appearance. The young cultivators with him were quite young, but their identities were unknown."    

"Alright, keep this to yourself. I'll find a chance to visit Fire Valley myself and get to the bottom of this."    

"Understood. I'll head back to rest now."    

After the cultivator left, Ye Wusheng couldn't help but speak up, "If that kid isn't from the Zhu family, where did he come from? Our array was set up by the best experts. If someone had disguised themselves to get in, we would have noticed. Could that kid's skills surpass even theirs?"    

Qian Qingdao: "I'm getting more and more intrigued by that young contestant. Not being from the Zhu family might actually be a good thing."    

...    

At this moment, Jiang Fann and his companion were unaware that many people outside were starting to investigate their identities. Even the most careful plans can have leaks. They arrived at a riverside spot to rest.    

Jiang Fann summoned the immortal gold given by Zhu Rong and directly asked Fang Xiang, "Since you saw it, how much do you want?"    

Fang Xiang shook his head, "I know this immortal gold suits you well, otherwise you wouldn't have gone through so much trouble to get it."    

"I don't practice Fire Arts, so you should keep it all. Next time we come across another type of immortal gold, just give me a piece."    

Since Fang Xiang had already said this, Jiang Fann didn't need to dwell on it and put it away.    

"Alright, I'm planning to look for some immortal gold. If we find any this time, I'll split it with you."    

After saying this, Jiang Fann took out the spiritual stone he had traded for some liquor from his Hundred Treasures Bag and played with it for a bit. Then he pulled out a map and let Fang Xiang plan the route, as Fang Xiang was more familiar with the Upper Nine Heavens. With the help of teleportation arrays, they could reach their destination in about ten days, assuming the old drunkard hadn't misled them.    

That afternoon, after a good rest, they set off again, following the route Fang Xiang had mapped out. As they passed near the Fiery Valley, Fang Xiang glanced in that direction from afar but decided not to show himself for now. After all, he had Zhu Yan's token and could visit anytime.    

To use the teleportation array, the two had to head to the nearby town. Once inside, Fang Xiang decided to visit the Nine Heavens Pavilion first. He wanted to send the treasures he recently acquired back to his mentor for handling. As a manager at the pavilion, he only needed to pay a small fee for this service.