A Mortal's Journey to Immortality

Zhou Ping looked at the large character "家" (home) on the stone table, and a look of surprise and delight welled up in his eyes.

Although he and the Jin clan were still at peace, the clan's covert coercion made Zhou Ping feel somewhat frustrated.

He was just an ordinary small-town boy, and now he had the good fortune to become a formal disciple of the Green Bamboo Sect, which he was already very satisfied with.

Whether it was the Jin clan's scheme against Qing Yuangong or Jin Jingtian's arrangement for him to become a Jin clan son-in-law, it didn't really matter to him. As long as it didn't threaten his life, he was happy to accept it.

What made Zhou Ping rebellious was Jin Jingtian's subtle use of his family to coerce him, which made Zhou Ping feel a strong sense of crisis.

If it were merely a matter of becoming a son-in-law of the Jin family, the other party wouldn't need to resort to such tactics at all, because it's unnecessary.

Therefore, there must be some unknown conspiracy involved, forcing Jin Jingtian to resort to this method to ensure that nothing goes wrong.

This is also what Zhou Ping is most worried about now. If his family were to fall into dire straits because of his own actions, it would be something he absolutely could not tolerate.

Now that Ma Liuyun had made a promise to him in person, if he could protect his family in the event of any future changes, Zhou Ping was willing to make a promise for whatever Ma Liuyun wanted him to do.

"May I be so bold as to ask, how did you come to know of Zhou Ping's current predicament?"

Zhou Ping looked at the other person in surprise, feeling a bit shaken. He hadn't expected that the other person could pinpoint the crux of the matter so quickly.

Ma Liuyun, holding his beard, looked at Zhou Ping, who had a puzzled expression, and without keeping him in suspense,

"You should know the main responsibilities of the Flying Shadow Hall within the Green Bamboo Sect, right?"

"This disciple understands!"

"That's good... More than three years ago, on the very day you were about to enter the Jin Clan, the old man received a secret report from a disciple in the hall, saying that Jin Yuan had secretly sent his men to Qingyang Town to investigate the identity and background of an outer disciple named Zhou Ping."

"You should know that the identities of all the disciples of the Green Bamboo Sect have long been thoroughly investigated and recorded by my Flying Shadow Hall. Why would they go through all this trouble when they could have directly obtained your background information from the Flying Shadow Hall?"

Ma Liuyun paused slightly, a shrewd glint in his smiling eyes.

"The other party is confirming something; they're conducting preliminary research for something they've planned!"

"The old man naturally realized that this was a move he was preparing for your future, a move that would ultimately destroy you."

Zhou listened quietly as the other person finished speaking, his expression growing increasingly gloomy. He hadn't expected that Jin Jingtian had planned to use this to coerce him from the very beginning.

He knew very well that if he couldn't get his family out of their predicament, he would be firmly controlled by Jin Jingtian in the future.

Although it's unclear what other schemes the other party might have against him, judging from Jin Jingtian's methods, it certainly wouldn't be anything good.

"I wonder how this disciple can serve the elder?"

Since the other party offered such a sincere offer, Zhou Ping was willing to forge this good relationship.

"As I always say, the time is not right yet. Just focus on your cultivation. The higher your cultivation level, the more you will be of help to me in the future."

Ma Liuyun remained unwilling to elaborate on the matter, which only fueled Zhou Ping's growing curiosity.

What exactly is this "timing" he's referring to? Could it be related to me?

Since the other party was unwilling to elaborate, Zhou Ping didn't press the matter further. After a moment's thought, he voiced another question that had been on his mind.

"This disciple has another matter to ask the elder."

"Oh? Tell me about it."

Ma Liuyun put down his teacup, a hint of curiosity on his face.

"I wonder if you know of any medicine in the martial arts world that can affect the strength of the internal energy in the meridians."

Nowadays, Zhou Ping has to have his progress in cultivating the Qingyuan Gong checked by Jin Jingtian every day, making it impossible for him to cultivate quickly at will.

If this problem is not solved, it will be useless no matter how many medicinal herbs he cultivates.

"Medicines that affect the strength of internal energy?"

Upon hearing this, Ma Liuyun stroked his beard in surprise, then fell into deep thought.

Seeing that the other person's brows were furrowed, Zhou Ping sensibly sat down to the side and stopped talking, carefully pouring the other person a cup of tea.

After about half an incense stick's time, Ma Liuyun nodded slightly, as if he had thought of something.

"Young Zhou, your description of controlling the strength of true qi is a bit vague. You should know that strength and weakness are two completely different things."

"There are quite a few insidious and vicious drugs in the martial arts world, many of which can cause a person's true energy to dissipate, or even cause them to lose all their cultivation."

"There are very few medicines that can enhance true qi. These medicines are all regarded as sacred medicines by martial arts practitioners and are something that can only be encountered by chance."

Zhou Ping's eyes lit up after hearing this, and he hurriedly explained.

"I misspoke. I would like to know if any of the medicines you mentioned that cause the dissipation of vital energy are harmless to the human body and only temporarily weaken the vital energy."

Upon hearing this, Ma Liuyun's face showed a look of doubt. Looking at Zhou Ping, who had a serious expression, his tone suddenly became somewhat stern.

"What are you planning, kid? Of course I have these drugs, lots of them, but most of them are things only those womanizers in the martial arts world would use. What are you going to do with them?"

Seeing the other person's expression turn serious, Zhou Ping immediately realized that they had misunderstood him and hurriedly explained,

"Please don't worry, sir, I'm not what you think!"

"With your great supernatural powers, you should have a general idea of ​​my current situation in Jinyuan. My daily cultivation is supervised and inspected by Jin Jingtian, the patriarch of the Jin clan. There is not a single secret to it."

"If we can find this medicine, it will undoubtedly give me more control over my cultivation."

After hearing what he said, Ma Liuyun's expression softened, and the doubt in his eyes disappeared.

"Why don't you go to the Pharmacist's Hall? That's where the Qingzhu Sect has the most complete and abundant medicines."

"I was afraid of attracting the attention of those with ulterior motives, so I didn't dare to go to the Medicine Master Hall to look for him."

Zhou Ping honestly expressed his concerns.

Within the Green Bamboo Gate, there are spies planted by the Jin Clan everywhere for easier control. If one is not careful, one's actions may attract Jin Jingtian's attention, and he dares not take any risks.

"Indeed, such a young age and such character truly astounds this old man!"

Ma Liuyun stroked Zhou Ping's beard with a smile, his face full of admiration. Zhou Ping's temperament was indeed somewhat to his liking, but it was a pity that he could not bring him into the Flying Shadow Hall.

"Young Zhou, I'm not bragging, but the kind of medicine you're looking for might not be as good elsewhere in the Green Bamboo Sect as the Pharmacist Hall, but my Flying Shadow Hall definitely has a better selection!"

"When it comes to poisoning, if Fei Ying Tang claims to be second, no one dares to call themselves first!"