Twenty years ago, the Northern Barbarians launched a massive invasion. Bypassing Yuntai Pass and Qixia Mountain, they breached the Northwest Celestial Platform Pass, and hundreds of thousands of cavalry poured into Danyang Commandery.
That year, the Chen Family Village lost over a thousand clan members, including eight Martial Artists. Because of his youth, Chen Xuan was assigned by the then-Clan Leader to lead hundreds of the elderly, weak, women, and children to hide deep in the mountains.
The following year, the weak Chen Family Village suffered another invasion by the Barbarian Race, as the relatives of the many Barbarians who had died there naturally sought revenge. Chen Xuan was severely injured while protecting his people.
As time passed and no new Martial Artists emerged in the Chen Family Village, he gave up all hope of healing the injuries to his Dantian. He never expected a sudden glimmer of hope to appear—now nearing sixty years old, he actually had a chance at recovery.
As Clan Leader Chen Xuan’s thoughts raced, Chen Changsheng finished his noodles. Seeing the Clan Leader’s expression gradually calm down, he smiled and spoke.
"Clan Leader! I suggest that when your injuries are fully healed, you use the medicinal power of the Red Blood Ginseng to push for the Late Stage True Qi Realm!"
Clan Leader Chen Xuan nodded slightly, a beaming smile on his face. "Yes. Actually, I felt capable of breaking through the bottleneck to the Late Stage True Qi Realm over a decade ago. It was only the wound on my Dantian that prevented my True Qi from reaching a state of overflow."
The others were also overcome with joy. In just a little over two months, the Chen Family Village had undergone earth-shattering changes. If the Clan Leader recovered from his injuries and broke through to the Late Stage True Qi Realm, the Chen Family Village would possess a powerful lineup: one Postnatal Realm expert, one in the Late Stage True Qi Realm, and one in the Early Stage True Qi Realm. In one fell swoop, they would become the strongest force in the northern part of Great Fog County.
When the Northern Barbarians invaded, they usually came in small cavalry units of three to four hundred men, led by at most one or two Martial Artists. Under these circumstances, an average small unit of cavalry wouldn’t stand a chance against the Chen Family Village.
Chen Fusheng seemed to have already considered this situation. He raised a hand to signal everyone to listen, waiting until the room quieted down before speaking slowly.
"Clan Leader, Chang Sheng, everyone! This year and the next will be the hardest. The Celestial Cyan Grass will mature the year after next. If Shuisheng, Chang Feng, and the other two can break through then, only then can our Chen Family Village rest easy!
"Therefore, I propose that after the autumn harvest, we train the village’s young and strong men like an army and equip them with Armor and Weapons. Otherwise, it will be very difficult to defend the medicine garden over the next two years."
The moment he said this, everyone voiced their agreement. Even Chen Changsheng couldn’t help but see Chen Fusheng in a new light. He had considered what Chen Fusheng mentioned, but he had been so busy with his own breakthrough lately that he hadn’t had the time to organize his thoughts.
"By uniting like-minded clan members, utilizing everyone’s strengths, and assigning each their respective duties, the path ahead will be much smoother!" The thought flashed through Chen Changsheng’s mind.
The Clan Leader nodded slightly, stroking his beard with a smile. "Indeed. Chang Sheng’s medicine garden is the hope for our Chen Family Village’s rise. The matter of the medicine garden must be kept a secret, but we must also have the capability to protect it."
Pausing for a moment, the Clan Leader continued, "Chang Sheng, this medicine garden is yours, and the seeds this time are also yours. The harvest naturally belongs to you.
"However, I hope this batch of Celestial Cyan Grass can all be used for the clan. The cost will be put on a tab based on the market price for now.
"Starting next year, the clan will provide the seeds, the manpower to tend to them, and the guards to protect them. The profits will be split eighty-twenty, with you taking eighty percent! You will have priority in using the Spiritual Medicine, and the rest will be used for the clan!"
This approach aligned perfectly with Chen Changsheng’s own thoughts. However, he still needed to set aside a private plot for himself to continuously grow Spiritual Medicine using his Spiritual Fertilizer to facilitate his own breakthroughs.
Adjusting his plans slightly, Chen Changsheng nodded and replied, "Clan Leader, we’ll arrange it just as you said. But I want to fence off the six medicine gardens near my backyard separately. I need to grow some Spiritual Medicine for my own Cultivation!"
Overjoyed, the Clan Leader looked at the others and said in a deep voice, "You all know how much money Chang Sheng has. He’s basically drained his savings now. You cannot take the Red Blood Ginseng and Celestial Cyan Grass he promised this time for free. Read the latest chapters at novelping dot com.
"You may be poor now, but once you become Martial Artists, you can form a team to hunt large wild beasts deep in Yuntai Mountain. You must pay Chang Sheng in silver!"
The others thoroughly agreed, clasping their hands in acknowledgment.
Chen Changsheng was indeed running out of silver. His plans to forge Weapons had been temporarily shelved, but he already had an idea in mind: once the weather warmed up, he would go diving in the sea to make some money.
With the official matters settled, everyone left in high spirits, suppressing their inner excitement.
Chen Shuisheng’s home wasn’t far from Chen Changsheng’s courtyard. From the hillside, Chen Changsheng watched his younger brother separate from the others before performing a Flying Sweep down the slope.
The two appeared in Chen Shuisheng’s courtyard almost simultaneously. "Shuisheng. Keep your voice down!" Chen Changsheng whispered.
With that, Chen Changsheng took out a twenty-year-old stalk of Celestial Cyan Grass and handed it over.
Chen Shuisheng’s eyes widened. He took the Celestial Cyan Grass with one hand and quickly covered his gaping mouth with the other, but a muffled sound still escaped.
"AHH!"
Chen Changsheng shook his head and looked toward the main hall.
Sure enough, Cuihua quickly walked out and immediately asked, "Shuisheng, what’s wrong?"
Then, by the light spilling from the house, she saw Chen Changsheng and the Celestial Cyan Grass in Chen Shuisheng’s hand. Pointing a trembling finger at the plant, she gasped in disbelief, "Celest—"
Reacting swiftly, Chen Changsheng flicked out a stream of True Qi that perfectly sealed her mouth. "Keep quiet," he whispered. "Shuisheng will attempt to break through tonight, and I’ll keep watch from above!
"After breaking through, Shuisheng must say that he experienced a sudden epiphany and broke through to the True Qi Realm in one go. Do not mention the Celestial Cyan Grass!"
With that, Chen Changsheng departed with a Flying Sweep.
Standing in the courtyard, Wang Cuihua wore a complex expression, her heart full of emotion. "Chang Sheng has really changed. How will we ever repay such a massive favor in the future?"
At 3:45 AM, a powerful fluctuation of aura flared from Chen Shuisheng’s home, but it suddenly became chaotic and rapidly plummeted.
"Alas, if I had given it to Er Sheng, there would have been absolutely no problem!" Chen Changsheng sighed inwardly. He flipped down into the courtyard and went back to his room to sleep.
After waking up, Chen Changsheng strolled leisurely to Chen Shuisheng’s house, finding that Clan Leader Chen Xuan and Chen Fusheng were already seated.
"Shuisheng, did you attempt to break through to become a Martial Artist last night?" Chen Changsheng asked, feigning ignorance.
Chen Shuisheng looked deathly pale and dispirited. Not even daring to meet Chen Changsheng’s eyes, he whispered, "I had an epiphany last night and gave it a try, but I failed!"
Looking at his younger brother’s cowardly demeanor, Chen Changsheng couldn’t help but scold him sternly. "So what if you failed? It’s not a big deal! Who in the village hasn’t failed a few times when attempting to reach the True Qi Realm?
"Pull yourself together! Just try again the year after next when the Celestial Cyan Grass matures!"
These words were not baseless. In the past, the Chen Family Village had no resources, so whenever someone felt the bottleneck of the True Qi Realm, they would attempt to break through. It was just that very few succeeded on their first try.
This opportunity to attempt a breakthrough was only possible because the Chen Family Village possessed an Inner Power Heart Method.
For ninety-nine percent of the other people in Great Fog County, who lacked an Inner Power Heart Method and had no money to study Martial Arts at a Commandery City Martial Arts Hall or a Sect, they wouldn’t even have the chance to make an attempt.
The path of the Martial Art is arduous! It is as difficult as ascending the Qing Tian!
Chen Shuisheng likely felt incredibly guilty because he believed he had wasted Chen Changsheng’s twenty-year-old Celestial Cyan Grass, a loss of nearly one thousand taels of silver!
The Clan Leader and Chen Fusheng took turns comforting him.
"Don’t worry about it, Shuisheng. Take care of your body, and when the Celestial Cyan Grass matures, you can try again!"
"Exactly, Shuisheng. It’s not like the rest of us haven’t failed before! I even failed once five years ago!"
Wang Cuihua was just about to speak to console her husband when she saw Chen Changsheng suddenly make a hushing gesture. She immediately shut her mouth.
Chen Changsheng slowly closed his eyes and channeled True Qi into his ears. The faint sound of two people moving through the air with a Flying Sweep could be heard.
He suddenly opened his eyes and said in a deep voice, "Clan Leader, two Martial Artists have entered the Chen Family Village. They didn’t take the main road along the river. Instead, they took the post road and used a Flying Sweep over Wind Fighting Ridge to get in!"
Clan Leader Chen Xuan abruptly stood up and said, "Chang Sheng, Fu Sheng, come with me!"