Chapter 206

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He Tianshu ultimately couldn’t resist Zhang Xiaohua’s request and brought him along with a group of his disciples to the Medicine Hall.

As soon as they entered Piaomiao Manor, everyone felt a distinct change in the atmosphere.

It was hard to pinpoint exactly what it was, but it was clear that things were different from before.

For starters, the guards stationed under the archway seemed far more diligent. They questioned Zhang Xiaohua thoroughly. If it weren’t for one of the guards, who had been present at the square outside the Assembly Hall and witnessed Zhang Xiaohua’s impressive display of strength, recognizing him vividly, the token from Huanxi Villa alone might not have been enough to grant him entry.

Inside the manor, there were noticeably more disciples hurrying along the roads. The last time Zhang Xiaohua had visited, it was rare to see disciples of the Piaomiao Sect gathered in groups of three or four, speaking in hushed tones. But today was different—along the way, he encountered numerous small groups whispering under trees and in corners, their expressions furtive and peculiar.

Had they all crouched down with small sticks in hand, Zhang Xiaohua might have been able to guess what they were doing. But with just the low murmuring, even though his hearing was now exceptionally sharp, he couldn’t make out what they were saying.

Zhang Xiaohua could only look at He Tianshu and the others in puzzlement.

Unexpectedly, He Tianshu and his companions were equally bewildered, like monks who couldn’t fathom what was going on. When they returned to the sect yesterday, everything seemed perfectly normal. How could things have changed so drastically in just a dozen or so hours?

Could something major have happened within the sect?

The same thought simultaneously flashed through He Tianshu and his group’s minds.

What kind of major event could it be? The Monk Changgeng from Daling Temple had just departed with his young monk companions, bearing the light of friendship from the Piaomiao Sect. There was no way they would immediately turn hostile. Could it be…?

But what could it be? No one knew, and Zhang Xiaohua was even more in the dark.

The Medicine Hall was some distance from the archway and not within the usual activity area of the Medicine Hall disciples. As a result, even as they approached the hall, Zhang Xiaohua saw no familiar faces, nor did he overhear any sensitive information to piece things together.

When the Medicine Hall’s grand entrance came into view, Zhang Xiaohua couldn’t help but feel a shadow cross his heart. Having already been “lovingly” interrogated by the guards at the archway, he couldn’t help but suspect that the Medicine Hall, with its stricter security, would scrutinize him even more thoroughly.

Sure enough, although the guard at the entrance had met Zhang Xiaohua before, he still conducted a thorough inspection of him, adhering strictly to protocol. The meticulous behavior made Zhang Xiaohua chuckle to himself. He nearly wanted to say: “Brother, give it a rest. Didn’t we just see each other a few days ago?”

But when Zhang Xiaohua produced the token given by Hall Master Bai, the guard hesitated and said: “Little brother, it’s not that I don’t recognize you, nor that I’m intentionally making things difficult. Just this morning, Hall Master Bai issued a directive—without his written permit, no one, not even those affiliated with the Medicine Hall, is allowed to enter casually.”

“Ugh~” Zhang Xiaohua was left speechless. Since when did the Medicine Hall start operating based on written permits?

Although Sect Master Ou had agreed to give him a token allowing him unrestricted access to the Medicine Hall, the “imperial sword of authority” hadn’t yet been delivered. Without concrete proof, Zhang Xiaohua had no recourse but to glance sideways at He Tianshu. Seeing Zhang Xiaohua’s “resentful” gaze, He Tianshu sighed helplessly. Leaning closer to the guard, he asked quietly: “Brother guard, could you tell us what’s happened in the sect recently to warrant such strict security? Zhang Xiaohua has entered and exited the Medicine Hall numerous times before. Could you grant us a small convenience this time?”

The guard wore an expression of helplessness and said: “Captain He, do you think I want to do this? I’ve heard that this young brother has brought honor back to our Piaomiao Sect. If it were within my power, I would certainly accommodate him. But Hall Master Bai just issued this directive this morning, and I wouldn’t dare disobey it.”

Hearing this, Zhang Xiaohua didn’t want to make things difficult for the guard. After all, his goal was merely to take advantage of the Medicine Hall’s resources of herbs to gather and draw more Yuan Qi into his body. Since this path was blocked, Zhang Xiaohua was already preparing to give up. He was about to hand the token back to He Tianshu when the sound of hurried footsteps echoed from inside. A group of people emerged, led by an old man with a ruddy complexion and skin as delicate as a baby’s. Following him were several other elderly men. Seeing this, He Tianshu and the others immediately stood at attention and respectfully saluted, saying: “Greetings to the Hall Master and the Elders.”

Zhang Xiaohua quickly followed suit, cupping his hands in greeting, not daring to be disrespectful.

Hall Master Bai seemed to be in a rush and only gave a slight wave of his hand as if intending to head straight for the main gate. However, when his gaze swept over Zhang Xiaohua, he paused. He had seen Zhang Xiaohua during the final match of the Martial Arts Competition and had also witnessed Sect Master Ou’s favorable attitude toward him. Moreover, the news that Zhang Xiaohu had been chosen by Ou Peng to learn the [Piaomiao Divine Technique] had just reached his ears. Such a young man, even if his martial arts weren’t extraordinary and even if he wasn’t a disciple of the Piaomiao Sect, was someone Hall Master Bai had no intention of offending.

Thus, he halted briefly and asked: “He Tianshu, is there something you need?”

He Tianshu quickly put on a smile and said: “Hall Master, we reported to the elders yesterday that the herbs planted in Huanxi Villa were on the verge of withering completely.”

Hearing this, Hall Master Bai furrowed his brows instinctively. Sensing the Hall Master’s displeasure, He Tianshu hastily continued: “However, after last night’s wind and rain, Zhang Xiaohua discovered this morning that most of the herbs have surprisingly revived. That’s why we hurried back to report this, to spare the elders from making a wasted trip to Huanxi Villa.”

He Tianshu credited Zhang Xiaohua as the one who ensured the survival of the herbs, clearly intending to lend him some support. Naturally, he mentioned the elders at the end as a way to vent his frustrations over the long and fruitless wait he had endured.

Hall Master Bai, of course, caught the underlying tone and smiled: “No need for complaints. I know how hard you’ve been working at Huanxi Villa. I heard from the elders yesterday that the withering of the herbs wasn’t due to human error, and there’s no intention to hold you accountable. You must have noticed as well that strange occurrences haven’t been limited to Huanxi Villa. Unusual events have been happening not just in the Medicine Hall but across various parts of the sect. The elders simply don’t have the time to visit Huanxi Villa. For now, head back to your quarters and be cautious over the next few days. Temporarily refrain from returning to Huanxi Villa.”

Hearing this, He Tianshu quickly bowed and said: “This disciple wouldn’t dare disobey. I await the Hall Master’s instructions.”

He then hurriedly handed the token back to Hall Master Bai, saying: “Zhang Xiaohua still wishes to enter the Medicine Hall. What do you think?”

However, Hall Master Bai didn’t take the token and instead replied: “Let Zhang Xiaohua keep the token for now. Today’s situation is special, which is why I issued strict orders. But since you’re already at the entrance, it would be inappropriate to turn you away. Go in, but remember—don’t wander around. Stay where you’re supposed to.”

With that, he departed in a hurry.

Zhang Xiaohua glanced at the token in He Tianshu’s hand, briefly considering calling out to Hall Master Bai to say he no longer needed it. However, this would obviously embarrass the Hall Master, and with Zhang Xiaohua’s growing maturity, he knew better than to do such a thing. After all, the token wasn’t heavy—keeping it was no big deal.

Following He Tianshu and the others into the Medicine Hall, Zhang Xiaohua began to vaguely understand why Hall Master Bai had issued such strict orders barring entry to disciples from outside the Hall. The disciples of the Medicine Hall all wore grave expressions, as if some great calamity was looming.

He Tianshu quickly grabbed a familiar disciple to ask for details. After some probing, he finally learned that significant events had occurred at the Piaomiao Manor last night.

The thunderstorm from the previous night had been deafening, and given the proximity of Huanxi Villa to the Piaomiao Manor, it was almost as if the thunderclaps were directly over the Piaomiao Sect. The entire night, none of the sect disciples dared to practice their internal cultivation techniques. By morning, everything seemed normal—except the air felt especially fresh.

But on this pleasant morning, two inexplicable incidents occurred. First, the disciples of the Medicine Hall, while routinely inspecting the herb fields, discovered that the herbs had grown as though possessed. In just one night, they had grown to heights that normally took over ten days to reach. Even the weeds in the fields had grown abnormally tall. Such a phenomenon had to be reported to the elders of the Hall.

The second incident was even more unsettling. The Piaomiao Sect had five forbidden areas, three of which were within the domain of the Medicine Hall. Typically, disciples were not allowed to approach these restricted zones, but the herb fields near these areas always yielded better growth than other parts of the sect. Occasionally, some disciples would visit these fields to check on the herbs. Unfortunately, this time, the bizarre events attracted the curiosity of two disciples who had heard about the abnormal herb growth that morning. They naturally assumed the herbs near the forbidden area would be even more lush and decided to take a look. However, as soon as they reached the edge of the forbidden zone and before they could clearly see the herbs, one of the disciples vanished into thin air. The other, terrified to the point of collapse, barely managed to crawl away and report the incident to the Hall Master.

Before Hall Master Bai could issue a decree strictly forbidding disciples from approaching the forbidden areas, news arrived that two more disciples had vanished near the same zones.

What was most terrifying was that the disappearances weren’t limited to the Medicine Hall. One of the other two forbidden areas in the sect also claimed a disciple. Only the last forbidden area, being far from any location frequented by the Piaomiao Sect disciples, was spared from strange incidents.

These inexplicable vanishings left everyone at a loss, spreading unease and fear throughout the sect. Who could explain such bizarre phenomena? People grew increasingly anxious, fearing that the ominous fate might suddenly befall them as well.

Shortly after, however, an order came from the Assembly Hall. Ou Peng, the Sect Master, decreed that no one was to approach within twenty zhang (approximately sixty meters) of any forbidden area. He assured everyone that as long as they stayed beyond this boundary, they would be safe.

In truth, the sect rules of the Piaomiao Sect had long stipulated that disciples were strictly forbidden from approaching the forbidden land. However, no unusual occurrences had taken place there for centuries, and the rule was long forgotten. The incident of the missing disciples, along with the Sect Leader’s overly conspicuous command, served as a stark reminder to the disciples of the Piaomiao Sect: even in times of peace, hidden dangers still exist. Do not let prolonged peace make you forget the threats around you!

Upon hearing all this, He Tianshu and the others turned pale with shock. When they were young, they often played near the forbidden areas without a care in the world. Looking back now, they felt a chill of fear—how fortunate they were not to have been swallowed!

Zhang Xiaohua, on the other hand, was utterly perplexed. Last night’s strange phenomena—the deafening thunder and flashing lightning—were clearly his doing. Wasn’t it all just a result of him channeling a vast amount of Heaven and Earth Yuan Qi? How could this have caused the forbidden zones to start eating people?