Chapter Twenty: Qin Mingzhu

  The disciples of the Wu Tang, although mainly practicing martial arts and swordsmanship, do not have a set task to complete like the Outer Affairs Hall. However, in order to gain more and better resources, taking on family tasks is the top choice for new disciples.

  Qin Yun didn't go up and greet Qin Haiman. The little hometown affection between the two had disappeared before they moved out of the small house.

  He and other disciples of Wai On Tong arrived at the second floor of the Yokanlou.

  There are fewer people on the second floor because this is the task release point inside the Waishi Hall, and people from other halls cannot receive tasks here.

  "Take your ID cards and receive your respective tasks..." A tall and thin official from the Foreign Affairs Hall said, "This is your first task, do it well and carefully. If you feel difficult, you can form a team to complete it together."

  Under the deacon's subordinate steward, everyone received their own limited task.

  Qin Yun naturally received a copy as well. He opened the scroll tied with silk cord and found that it was a collection task - to collect five stalks of Biye grass from Manglong Mountain, three years or older. The basic reward is one bottle of lower-grade Cultivation Elixir, no upper limit!

  The tasks of the Outer Hall include gathering, excavation, hunting, escorting and even assassination. Gathering is undoubtedly one of the relatively simple and easy ones, also suitable for new disciples.

  Qin Yun's first task was to collect the Bileaf Grass, which is the main ingredient for making the Qi Cultivation Pill. The Qi Cultivation Pill can nourish and strengthen one's internal energy and expand the dantian. After taking the pill and practicing the True Qi Heart Method, the effect will be doubled.

  So among the ordinary young masters, Pei Qi Dan is very popular. A bottle of ten inferior Pei Qi Dans can sell for a high price of over 100 taels of silver. The Pei Qi Dans that flow out from Dan Yao Tang are basically all snapped up by the new young masters who rush to buy them.

  Qin Yun himself had a bottle of Pei Qi Dan, which was given to him by Qin Liehai, the master of the Punishment Hall, as compensation, but he had never taken one.

  Because he firmly remembered his grandfather Qin Yang's warning, the power gained from taking medicinal pellets was like a fortress built on sand, which, although quickly constructed, had an unstable foundation and was prone to collapse.

  At the bottom of the scroll, there are also drawings of papyrus and related explanations.

  Bileaf grass only grows in the rocky crevices between the rugged mountains of Manglong Mountain, with leaves as green as jade, making it a relatively precious medicinal material, and digging is not easy.

  The murmurs coming from the side can be heard that many people's tasks are exactly the same as Qin Yun, it is clear that Dan Yao Tang is in short supply of this medicine material, so they will put out so many identical tasks.

  "This mission has a time limit of seven days. Regardless of whether it is completed or not, you must return and hand over after seven days. If it is not completed, the next month's family ration will be deducted."

  The tall and thin steward warned: "The more blue leaf grass you collect, the higher the reward will be. However, you also need to pay attention to safety. The Dragon Mountain is not an ordinary place, don't enter it lightly."

  However, his warning seemed to have little effect on the arrogant young men. Those who received the same task were chatting and laughing, preparing to make a big deal in the mountains of Manglong. Many teams were formed on the spot.

  Qin Yun was still alone, and after receiving the small hoe for picking herbs and the medicine box, he left the second floor.

  Just as I walked out of the weekdays building, a faint voice suddenly came from beside me: "Qin Yun Gege..."

  "Huh? Qin Yun involuntarily turned his head towards the direction of the sound."

  All that could be seen was a girl in a white dress standing at the corner, one hand pinching her skirt, and her face full of anxious expression.

  "Qin Mingzhu..." Qin Yun was somewhat surprised and walked over to ask: "Do you have something to look for me?"

  Qin Mingzhu is Qin Haishan's cousin, and since that incident, Qin Haishan not only immediately drew a line with Qin Yun, but also did not allow Qin Mingzhu to come into contact with him.

  After that day, they never met again.

  "Qin Yunge, is the task you accepted from Wai Shi Tang today to collect Bileaf Grass?" Qin Mingzhu asked in a low voice.

  She looked at Qin Yun, her beautiful big eyes full of expectation.

  "Yes!" Qin Yun nodded.

  "Uh, uh..." She bit her lip and asked softly: "If you have a lot of the Biye grass you've collected, can you sell a few to me?"

  "Do you need Bileaf Grass?"

  If it weren't for Qin Yun's keen hearing, it would be really hard to hear Qin Mingzhu's words, and apparently the other party was quite shy about making this request.

  "Yes."

  Qin Yun's kindness slightly boosted Qin Mingzhu's courage.

  Qin Mingzhu originally joined Dan Yao Tang. She had some talent in martial arts and sword practice, but lacked the insight needed to refine dan medicine.

  Despite her hard work, after a month, she could only barely refine low-grade healing pellets, and the success rate was still quite low.

  According to Dan Yao Tang's requirements, if she can't refine the lower-grade Pei Qi Pill within a month, she won't even be able to keep her qualification as an outer disciple of Dan Yao Tang. At that time, she'll either have to go to the Zong Fu to become a miscellaneous servant girl or roll up her bedding and return home.

  The Dan Yao Tang family is full of talented children, and the limited resources of the family cannot be wasted on someone without talent. Therefore, Qin Mingzhu has been under tremendous pressure recently.

  But wanting to refine Dan medicine, apart from innate effort, also requires the support of a large amount of materials, and refining more will also make one skilled.

  The materials used for alchemy are allocated equally among all disciples. If one wants to practice more, they have to find their own way to get the materials.

  Qin Mingyue had no one to rely on except for her elder brother Qin Haishan, and even he couldn't offer her much help.

  Now Peiqi Dan is in short supply, and even the Bileaf Grass used for refining medicine is extremely difficult to buy. Qin Mingzhu only sought help from Qin Yun out of desperation.

  She knew that Dan Yao Tang had submitted a request to the General Hall to collect Bileaf Grass, so she came here on purpose to wait.

  After listening to Qin Mingyue's words, Qin Yun couldn't help but furrow his brow.

  He didn't expect Qin Haishan, who appeared to be generous and open-minded, to be so heartless that he wouldn't even take care of his own cousin.

  It's a task that any newcomer in Wai Hall can accomplish. As a Wu Tang disciple, Qin Hai Shan should have no problem collecting a few stalks of Bileaf Grass.

  It's lucky he didn't consider him as a friend!

  It was probably Qin Yun's expression that caused Qin Mingzhu to misunderstand, thinking he didn't want to help. Her eyes reddening, she said in a low voice: "I've disturbed my brother, I'll go back first."

  Qin Yun was stunned for a moment before he came to his senses and quickly reached out to grab Qin Mingzhu, who was about to turn around and leave.

  "Since you call me brother, I'll do my best to help you. If I gather more Bilei grass than needed, I'll give it all to you!"

  "Really?" Qin Mingzhu was overjoyed and involuntarily grabbed Qin Yun's hand: "That's great!"

  Her small hands were as white and delicate as snow, soft to the touch and seemingly boneless. Even a young man like Qin Yun, who didn't understand romance, couldn't help but feel a strange sensation when his hand was grasped by hers.

  Especially when a young girl bursts into laughter, her pretty face blooms like a spring flower, and the fleeting beauty is unparalleled.

  However, Qin Mingzhu immediately realized the inappropriateness of her actions and hastily let go of his hand, blushing as she said: "Thank you, Qin Yun brother. I won't take your medicinal materials for nothing. I still have some money. If I can successfully refine the Pei Qi Dan, I'll give it all to you... Oh no, not all of it, half will belong to the Dan Medicine Hall..."

  The last few sentences she said were all mixed up, Qin Yun couldn't help but laugh and say: "Let's talk about this later, as long as you're not worried that talking to me will get you into trouble."

  Qin Yun was isolated among the new disciples, due to Qin Wenbing's dissatisfaction with him. Later, although Qin Lihai punished Qin Wenbing and gave Qin Yun some compensation, the inside story was not known to anyone.

  Qin Yun has a proud and arrogant air about him, and he also doesn't bother to explain or spread the word to others.

  "I'm not afraid!" Qin Mingzhu shook her head and said in a low voice: "Hai Shan brother he... I..."

  It's clear that she has an opinion about Qin Haiman's behavior, but after all, he is her only relative here and has taken care of her, so it's not good to speak ill of him in front of Qin Yun.

  "I understand." Qin Yun smiled and said: "You go back first and wait for my news, there are too many people here."

  Qin Mingzhu also noticed that many people around her were casting glances at the two of them, and she nodded obediently.

  After parting ways with the two of them, Qin Yun left the main hall and didn't return to the manor, but instead went to Xiao Gu Shan several miles outside.

  A small grove of trees in a remote corner of Xiaogushan, rarely visited by people due to its secluded location, and the tall trees blocking the outside view, making it Qin Yun's private sword practice area.

  Having cleared the meridians and acupoints of both hands, Qin Yun completed the first level of true energy circulation in the Small Heavenly Cycle. He couldn't wait to cultivate the more profound techniques of the Blazing Fire Sword Technique.

  The Blazing Sword Technique has twelve sword moves like the Basic Sword Technique, but it is much more complex and ingenious. In addition to the moves, the sword manual also includes the breathing exercises that accompany the sword moves.

  The twelve forms of swordsmanship had long been familiar to Qin Yun, but under the circumstance that his meridians were not yet opened up, the subtlety and power within them could not be brought into play.

  With both hands' meridians unblocked, Qin Yun was able to fully unleash the might of four moves.

  If he wants to integrate all twelve sword moves, he still needs to open up dozens of acupoints on his feet and other parts of his body.

  With his sword held in front of him, Qin Yun urged the true energy from his Dan Tian into the Qing Huo Sword. As a result of the resonance with the sword's mechanism, his right leg naturally took a step forward.

  At the moment when his boots trampled on the fallen leaves, Qin Yun's Qinglian sword suddenly swung out, and the scorching aura emanating from the sword transformed into waves of heat that surged in all directions.

  Sword light overlapped and enveloped Qin Yun's entire body, transforming into a long, crimson blade that shot forward in an instant.

  Pfft!

  The Qinghua sword pierced a large tree ten steps away, smoothly penetrating the trunk as thick as a bowl mouth, and protruding half a foot from the other side.

  The slightly trembling sword tip ejected an inch-long sword awn, stretching and shrinking uncertainly.

  "Open!"

  Qin Yun let out a loud cry, twisting his wrist and swinging his long sword. The powerful energy contained within the sword suddenly burst forth.

  Bang!

  The thick trunk of the tree burst into four or five pieces, and the upper half of the tree crashed down. The shattered bark and wood chips flew everywhere, some even burning in mid-air.

  Fierce Fire Sword Technique First Form - Flame Breaks Iron Wall!

  Qin Yun sheathed his long sword, feeling the true energy circulating between the meridians, the martial veins and the dantian. The fluttering tree leaves and fire points floating in the sky gently fell from above his head.

  At this moment, the joy in his heart is beyond description!