Within the Valley of the Medicine Masters were special prison cells.
When the elders and disciples of the Valley would make mistakes, they would all be detained in a cell to reflect on their actions behind locked doors and only be released after a certain period of time.
And now, within one of those very cells were two imprisoned men, who were not in fact from the Valley.
“Shi Yu, it is quickly coming to a year… When did you say that the Head of the Valley of the Medicine Masters was returning?”
Lu Yuanshan, the head of the Lu household, one of the elite grand families of the Chu royal city in the Western Chu Ridge of Yunyang, and who was rich as could be just a year ago, now sat like a common beggar in the corner of his cell, his hair completely disheveled.
After almost a year of eating, drinking and even dealing with one’s waste in the same cell, all without a shower, even the most glamorous person would become the drabbest type of person he once hated.
On the other side of the cell, there was also a man looking equally disheveled. This was a young man who had traveled many miles from the Chu royal city to the Valley of the Medicine Masters with Lu Yuanshan, the young master of another elite family of Chu royal city, Shi Yu.
Over a year ago, Shi Yu had come knocking on Lu Yuanshan’s door, and they had ridden together on a borrowed flying beast to reach the Valley.
Their original intention was to find the Head of the Valley to make a report and say that someone in the country of Yunyang now possessed the essence left behind by a Primal Core adept.
Shi Yu had thought to let the Valley Head take the matter into his own hands and kill the young man that he so hated.
Lu Yuanshan was hoping that once the Head of the Valley had come in possession of the same Primal Core essence that the young man had on him, he would grant the Lu family some token of appreciation.
However, what they didn’t think to consider was that when they arrived at the Valley of the Medicine Masters, the head elder of the Valley would say that their master had in fact been far gone from the Valley.
And when they spoke of their intentions to the Valley elder, in order to enlist her help in getting the message quickly across to the Valley head, they did not think that she would immediately order for them to be locked up in a cell.
And to be locked up for almost a year at that.
When they had been locked up, the Valley’s head elder said that they would be released when the Valley Head returned.
“I don’t know.”
Shi Yu sighed.
“Had I known what would happen, I would never have left with you,” Lu Yuanshan said in regret.
“Whatever you say now is of no use. We had better just patiently wait until the return of that Valley Head… When he returns, we will be free.”
Shi Yu’s eyes seemed to sparkle at the thought. “And if he does successfully take the Primal Core adept’s leftover essence from that Zhou Donghuang, we will have our dues paid to us!
“Now, my greatest wish is just to be able to leave this hellish place and get back to Yunyang, back to the Lu household… I no longer care about what the Valley Head would or wouldn’t like to give us in return for the favor,” Lu Yuanshan said.
As Lu Yuanshan said this, their cell door opened in an instant, and a voice could be heard saying, “Both of you, our Valley Head has returned… now, I will take you to wash up and for a change of clothes before we meet with our master.”
“The Head of the Valley has finally returned?”
It was then that Lu Yuanshan and Shi Yu both stood erect at the same time and dashed out of their cells like rockets.
Their day had finally arrived.
After the two had been cleaned up by the Valley’s disciple and changed into a fresh set of new robes, they seemed invigorated and no longer looked like drab beggars.
“Shi Yu… what would you say would be our prize if that Valley Head were to come into possession of that Primal Core adept’s essence? A first-grade martial art technique? Do you think it would be that?”
As they were led by the disciples of the Valley on the road to the main residence of Yaowang Valley, Lu Yuanshan couldn’t help but ask Shi Yu.
“Master Lu, didn’t you say that you didn’t care about what the Valley Head was to give us, just as long as you could leave that hellish place? Have you had a change of heart now?” Shi Yu asked mockingly.
“That was then, and this is now… If the Head of the Valley of Medicine Masters were to generously reward me, who would I be to refuse?”
Lu Yuanshan smiled, embarrassed.
At the same time, Lu Yuanshan could not help but frown. “However, there is one thing that I cannot get over… even if the Valley were to detain us so that we could personally deliver this news to the Valley Head, surely it was not necessary for them to lock us up in that kind of cell?”
“It feels like they are not treating us like guests and more like criminals!”
As he vented about this, Lu Yuanshan’s anger welled up within him.
“Perhaps they were worried that we were lying to them and feared that we would run away before their Valley Head’s return, that is why they imprisoned us,” Shi Yu conjectured. “Otherwise, why would they not just kill us immediately, instead of keeping us locked up?
“If they truly had the motive to harm us and did make a move to kill us, we would have no power whatsoever to fight back anyway.”
Lu Yuanshan nodded in agreement at Shi Yu’s conclusion.
“Then, while we are here, I must congratulate you in advance for being able to avenge your father’s death, my nephew.”
Lu Yuanshan laughed at Shi Yu as he said, “Once that Head of the Valley of Medicine Masters gets hold of the essence of the Primal Core adept from Zhou Donghuang’s hands, he would definitely not be able to let Zhou Donghuang live on!”
“Many thanks, Master Lu.”
Shi Yu gave a slight smile, but could not hide the excitement in his eyes.
…
The Head of the Valley of Medicine Masters, Su Mo, lived in a secluded corner of the Valley.
Here, there was only one elegant yard.
In addition to the yard, which was planted with various flowers and plants of all sorts of colors and shapes, the area outside the yard was also lush and green with shady trees aplenty.
Now, in the only room in the courtyard, Su Mo was talking to a young man sitting on a couch and explaining in detail the things that had happened recently in the Valley.
“The two men were from the Chu royal city? Looking for you to report on some news, saying that I was in possession of the Primal Core adept’s essence?”
Zhou Donghuang’s lips were curled slightly in mockery, and his eyes were cold. “Now that is persistent… it looks like there are people who just won’t give up.”
Within the Chu royal city were plenty of people who resented and hated him, and he could never guess who these people could have been.
“Do you know who they are?” Su Mo asked.
“No, I don’t.”
Zhou Donghuang shook his head, and then the mocking smile on the corner of his lips grew wider. “But, aren’t you going to let someone bring them over? When they come, I should be able to recognize who they are.”
“You mentioned just now… that there were two things? What was the other piece of news?” Zhou Donghuang asked.
“The other thing was… not too long ago, a Primal Core adept had come to the Valley riding on a Primal Core demon,” Su Mo said gravely. “He killed one of the elders of our Valley.
“He came here for one purpose, to find someone… in his hands, were two portraits clearly depicting you and I, Master.
“At first, I had thought that one of the Valley elders had exposed me. However, because this man had mentioned that I was a Primal Core adept, some of the elders had used their wit to claim that he had the wrong person.
“And that person finally left our Valleys elders and disciples alone in a hurry, only because he concluded that the people on the portraits were just lookalikes of you and I and in fact, not the same people.
“Nonetheless, he could not believe that a Connate stage adept could reach the Primal Core stage in such a short period of one year.”
Su Mo said all this in one quick breath.
“A Primal Core adept? A Primal Core beast? Had both our portraits in his hands?”
As Su Mo finished his story, Zhou Donghuang’s brows furrowed, and his eyes flashed coldly. “It looks like he knew that you were from the Valley and had come to look into our backgrounds.
“However… even though he had left in a hurry, he would not necessarily have continued his search in the Sixteen Countries of the East Valley.
“If he had gone to the country of Yunyang’s Chu royal city… my identity would have been exposed.”
As he said this, Zhou Donghuang suddenly opened his eyes, and a light seemed to burn within them as if he finally understood everything!
“I must make a trip back.”
Even though Zhou Donghuang was not in the least bit worried that the Divine Light Sect would uncover his background or what they would do his family, he was still set on returning home.
Whatever the case, as long as he saw that his family was safe, he would then have peace.
Of course, so long as that Primal Core adept from the Divine Light Sect was not a fool, it would not be possible that he would take it out on his family before confirming his background.
“Master, the two men should be here soon… Let’s wait for them, and then I will accompany you on your return,” Su Mo suggested.
“After resolving the matter with the two men, I will return on my own. You should remain in the Valley and help me to prepare a quiet place to stay… When I come back here, there should be quite a few people coming back with me,” Zhou Donghuang said to Su Mo.
When he first left the country of Yunyang, he did not insist on bringing his mother, Lin Lan, and others to the Valley of the Medicine Masters, because he had limited abilities at that time. He was also worried that Su Mo, would plot something untoward behind his back and violate his trust.
Now that he had sufficient powers, and Su Mo had his utmost trust, it was time to bring the rest of his family with him.
As for what his mother, Lin Lan, had said earlier that she preferred to live in Qingshan Town—he was sure that it was nothing more than an excuse not to drag him down.
Man seeks his way up just as flowing water always seeks its way down. One should constantly strive to make progress.
If the conditions were right, how many would refuse to take a step up from his current status?
“Yes, Master.”
On the young man’s order, Su Mo was obliging.
At that moment, a bright voice came from outside the door. “Valley Head, the people you want to see are here.”
“Master, allow me to take a look first.”
Su Mo and headed outside and closed the door behind him.
“Valley Head!”
As Su Mo emerged into the yard, both Shi Yu and also Lu Yuanshan were quick to bow and show their respect; they dared not even breathe too loudly.
“I heard you were looking for me?” Su Mo asked as his gaze swept across the two men.
“Valley Head, our lord.”
Shi Yu took a step forward and respectfully said, “We have traveled far and wide from the Western Chu Ridge of Yunyang to the Valley of the Medicine Masters to tell you that within the Ridge, there is someone who is in possession of the essence left behind by a Primal Core adept.”
“Is that man Zhou Donghuang? A person from the inferior prefecture of Yunfeng?” Su Mo asked in return.
“It looks like the Head Elder has already told you about this, my lord.”
Shi Yu laughed.
