Druid Fairy

Chapter 185 Heavenly Mystery Valley

The banquet hall of the Wang family mansion.

As Li Mengjin and the others left, the commotion seemed to be strangled by an invisible hand, leaving only a deathly silence.

Those young talents who chose to stay were sitting upright, not daring to even breathe loudly.

They secretly glanced at the expression on the face of the person in the main seat, their hearts filled with unease.

Wang Tianba showed no anger whatsoever; he even picked up his wine glass and took a leisurely sip.

But Wang Fu, the old steward who had served him for decades, knew that this matter would not be so easily resolved.

“Master,” Wang Fu bowed as he saw the young talents off and asked in a low voice, “that Li Jin… should this old servant send someone to ‘deal with’ him? This boy is unruly and has offended you in public. If he is not punished, he may tarnish your reputation.”

"Punishment?" Upon hearing this, Wang Tianba chuckled. He put down his wine glass and tapped the table lightly with his fingers, making a soft "tap-tap" sound.

"Wang Fu, you've been with me for so many years, how come your vision is still so short-sighted?"

He looked up, his eyes sparkling with the excitement of seeing a wild eagle.

“In this world, I, Wang Tianba, can have as many obedient dogs as I want. But a fine steed that can travel a thousand miles a day and charge into battle is something that can only be found by chance.”

"Those men who were scrambling to serve me as their dogs just now, seemingly loyal, are in reality nothing more than a bunch of opportunistic scoundrels who would betray their principles for personal gain, utterly useless. And this Li Jin..."

"He is like a piece of uncut jade, of excellent quality, but unfortunately, his edges are too sharp and too prickly."

He stood up, walked to the window, looked at the moon obscured by dark clouds, and his voice became cold and eerie.

"What I enjoy most is polishing these self-proclaimed exceptional rough gems, bit by bit, grinding away their laughable arrogance and their unnecessary sharp edges, letting them know that in this world, talent alone is useless. Talent can only become true power when it is in the hands of those in power!"

“If a peerless sword does not obey its master, what is the point of its existence? Naturally, it should be broken first and then reforged until it becomes the shape the master desires most.”

What Wang Tianba admired was not only Li Mengjin's talent in swordsmanship, but also his unyielding pride.

Conquering such a genius brings him far more satisfaction than commanding a group of sycophantic mediocrities.

"Pass down the order," Wang Tianba's voice was devoid of any emotion, "The questions for the final round of the assessment will be changed. I want to see just how tough his so-called 'Sword of Will' really is in the face of a true desperate situation!"

"Yes!" Wang Fu's heart skipped a beat; that boy named Li Jin was probably in big trouble.

“And another thing,” Wang Tianba added, “give each of those fools who agreed a ‘Three Corpse Brain God Pill.’ Tell them it’s a ‘Heart Protection Pill’ to prevent the secret from being leaked and to protect their safety. If they dare to disobey, say they have ulterior motives and kill them on the spot.”

"This is an open conspiracy, and they have no choice but to accept it. What I want is absolute loyalty."

Wang Tianba stood with his hands behind his back, a sinister smirk on his face.

This Songling Prefecture is the territory of the Wang family.

If you're a dragon, you'd better coil up for me!

If you're a tiger, you'd better lie down!

How dare a greenhorn talk about integrity in front of him?

In his view, Li Mengjin, such an outstanding talent, should be used by him, and serving the Wang family like a beast of burden was his only destiny.

…………

Outside the Wang family mansion, the long street was deserted.

Li Mengjin carried his sword and walked slowly, the cold moonlight casting a long shadow of him.

Behind me, a series of hurried footsteps came, accompanied by heavy breathing.

"Brother Li... Brother Li! Wait for me! Why are you walking so fast!"

Han Youwei's obese body, like a rolling ball of flesh, scrambled up to catch up and grabbed Li Mengjin's arm, his face filled with heartfelt admiration.

"My dear brother! You looked absolutely stunning today! You know what? When you stood up and refused Wang Tianba, the aura you exuded was... wow, it was even scarier than when my dad beat me up! No, it was even cooler than when my dad beat me up!"

Li Mengjin frowned, trying to pull his arm back, but found that the fat man's grip was surprisingly strong, like an iron hoop.

"What's up?" he asked succinctly.

"Something's wrong! Of course something's wrong! Something really important!" Han Youwei said solemnly. He let go of her hand, took two steps back, and then, with a "thump," was about to kneel down.

Li Mengjin reacted quickly and lifted him up.

"what are you doing?"

"We're sworn brothers!" Han Youwei said matter-of-factly. "Brother Li, from now on, you are my half-brother! I, Han Youwei, swear to heaven that I will share both good fortune and misfortune... ah, no! I mean, we will share both good fortune and misfortune! If I break this oath, may I... may I never be able to drink 'Immortal's Intoxication' again!"

This oath was truly the most vicious thing to Han Youwei.

Li Mengjin rubbed his temples, feeling a bit of a headache. He had lived two lives, and this was the first time he had ever seen someone so persistent and clingy.

“I’m younger than you,” he tried to reason with.

"So what?" Han Youwei's expression became even more matter-of-fact. "Among us cultivators, the most accomplished comes first! Although I am a few years older than you, in terms of cultivation, courage, and integrity, in what way can I compare to you, Brother Li? It is only natural and proper for me to call you brother!"

As he spoke, he pulled out two wine glasses and a pot of wine from somewhere, and without saying a word, shoved one of them into Li Mengjin's hand.

"Come on, Brother Li! Don't say anything more, drink this glass, and from now on you're my big brother! Anyone who dares to touch you will first have to ask if my fists... or my dad's money, will allow it!"

Looking into the fat man's clear eyes, Li Mengjin's initial coldness dissipated considerably.

He thought of his elder brother Li Yuanhu, who was far away on the frontier, and who also had the same generous and righteous nature.

Then, remembering that Han Youwei was the first to speak up and declare his side in front of Wang Batian, others followed suit.

In fact, without Han Youwei, it wouldn't be so easy to leave the palace today.

Whatever.

He took the wine glass, lightly clinked it with Han Youwei's, and drank it all in one gulp.

"Great! Big brother is so generous!" Han Youwei was overjoyed at the sight, and he also tilted his head back and drank the wine in his cup in one gulp. Then he leaned over with a fawning look on his face, "Big brother, then in the future... if anyone bullies me, you have to protect me!"

Li Mengjin glanced at him but didn't say anything, which was taken as tacit agreement. The two walked together, and Han Youwei now had an even more legitimate reason to follow behind Li Mengjin, chattering incessantly.

"Big brother, what do you think the next test will be like?"

"do not know."

"It's definitely not going to be all fighting and killing anymore. They've already fought two rounds; it's time to test their brains. My dad said that those who only know how to fight are brutes, but those who can use their brains are truly superior!" Han Youwei analyzed with a profound expression.

"Maybe," Li Mengjin replied casually.

The two rode in the Han family's extremely luxurious carriage towards the assessment location.

The interior of the carriage was practically a mobile mansion, with thick carpets made of demonic beast fur, a small incense burner in the corner burning incense worth a fortune, and the table laden with all sorts of spiritual fruits and pastries.

Indeed, there is a prevailing trend of indulging in extravagance.

Han Youwei lay sprawled on the soft couch, stuffing grapes into his mouth while talking incessantly.

"Brother, don't let my usual carefree attitude fool you. My biggest strength is that I have a lot of friends and connections! I've found out about the assessment these past few days!"

"Oh?" As expected of a local family, their information network is excellent.

Upon hearing this, Li Mengjin finally became interested and looked up at him.

Just then, a clear bell rang out from outside the carriage, accompanied by a strange noise from the wheels, as if a passing carriage had broken down on the road.

"What's going on?" Han Youwei lifted the carriage curtain.

A simple blue-canopied carriage was parked in the middle of the official road, its wheels wobbling precariously, clearly due to a broken axle. A young girl in a light blue dress stood beside the carriage, her brows furrowed.

The girl was about sixteen or seventeen years old, with a slender figure and beautiful features. In particular, her eyes were clear as autumn water, carrying a cool and aloof air that seemed untouched by worldly affairs.

Han Youwei's eyes widened instantly.

His plump face immediately lit up with the most charming smile, and he nimbly jumped off the carriage.

"Young lady, have you encountered some trouble? I am Han Youwei, from the Han family of Qinghe..."

When the young woman saw him, she nodded slightly and said softly, "I am Zhuge Qingcheng. I was on my way to Tianji Valley, but my carriage broke down here, which delayed my journey."

Her voice was like a clear mountain spring, crisp and melodious.

"Heavenly Mystery Valley? That's great! We're going there for our assessment too!"

Upon hearing this, Han Youwei was overjoyed. "If you don't mind, young lady, why don't you ride in the same carriage with us? That way, we can look after each other on the road! I'll have someone fix your carriage and take you to the entrance of the valley!"

Zhuge Qingcheng glanced at the sky, then at the carriage behind Han Youwei, which was clearly no ordinary vehicle. "Then...then I'll have to trouble you, young master."

"Not at all! Not at all! It is my great honor, Han Youwei, to travel with such a fairy-like lady!"

As soon as he got in the car, Han Youwei started talking non-stop in an attempt to show off his abilities.

"Miss Zhuge, let me tell you, you've come to the right place today!" He winked and said mysteriously to Zhuge Qingcheng and Li Mengjin, "This test seems mysterious, but in reality... hehe, I, Han, have already seen through its secrets!"

Upon hearing this, Zhuge Qingcheng indeed showed a hint of curiosity: "Oh? Young Master Han actually possesses such extraordinary abilities? Would you be so kind as to tell me about them?"

Being gazed at by the beautiful woman greatly satisfied Han Youwei's vanity.

He cleared his throat, lowered his voice, and said mysteriously, "I bought this information from a cook who retired from the Demon Suppression Division for a hefty sum! It's absolutely reliable! This final test isn't about martial arts or formations, but... identifying medicinal herbs!"

He proudly pulled out a lifelike drawing from his pocket and unfolded it in front of the two of them.

"Look! This is it! It's called 'Dragon Blood Ginseng,' a top-grade second-tier spiritual herb, extremely rare! It's said that in this assessment, this herb will be mixed among a thousand similar-looking medicinal herbs, and whoever can find it first will be the champion!"

Li Mengjin glanced at the blueprint, then at Han Youwei's confident expression, and felt that it was unreliable.

How could such important assessment content be so easily leaked by a cook?
Zhuge Qingcheng looked at the blueprints with great interest and asked softly, "I have also heard of this Dragon Blood Ginseng. It is said that its growth conditions are extremely demanding, and it can only grow in extremely yang places where dragon veins converge. Moreover, this thing has a very strong spiritual energy. Once it is removed from the soil, if it is not preserved by special methods, its spiritual energy will dissipate completely within half an hour. I wonder how the organizers will solve this problem for this assessment?"

"Uh..." Han Youwei was taken aback by the question. He had been so focused on buying information that he hadn't thought about so many details.

He scratched his head and forced an explanation: "Well... the organizers have a clever plan! Anyway, as long as we recognize what this thing looks like, we can be the first to rush up and find it! Let me tell you, my dad has one of these plants in his warehouse. I've seen it since I was a kid, I'd recognize it even if it were ashes!"

Li Mengjin closed his eyes to rest, too lazy to expose him.

Zhuge Qingcheng didn't ask any more questions, but a barely perceptible smile flashed in her bright eyes.

The carriage sped along, finally arriving at the final test location—Tianji Valley—on the morning of the third day.

This valley is nestled among mountains, with its entrance shrouded in mist. In the very center stands a huge stone tablet inscribed with the two characters "Heavenly Secrets," written in bold, powerful strokes, exuding a mysterious and profound aura.

Han Youwei jumped off the carriage with confidence, and with a graceful gesture, gestured for Zhuge Qingcheng to proceed. He lowered his voice and said, "Miss Zhuge, Brother Li, just watch my signals and I'll make sure you get through this easily!"

Just then, a middle-aged cultivator dressed in the official robes of the Demon Suppression Division walked out of the valley, followed by several guards with imposing auras.

He swept his gaze across the crowd and announced in a loud voice, "Gentlemen, welcome to Tianji Valley. I am Qian Tong, the Deputy Commander of the Demon Suppression Division and the Deputy Examiner for this final selection."

Everyone was solemn.

Qian Tong nodded and continued, "The rules for this level are very simple..."

Before he could finish speaking, Zhuge Qingcheng took a step forward.

She smiled slightly at everyone, serene and otherworldly.

Qian Tong bowed respectfully to her and said loudly, "Now, please welcome the chief examiner of this selection, Zhuge Qingcheng, Lady Zhuge, to explain the details of the examination."

Han Youwei's smile froze instantly.

His already small eyes widened to a bulge, his mouth gaped open wide enough to fit an egg, and he froze on the spot as if struck by lightning.

The examiner?!
He stared in disbelief at the smiling, elegant young woman.

This... this is outrageous! If Zhuge Qingcheng were the examiner, wouldn't her previous "cheating" behavior have been a self-inflicted wound?!

In an instant, Han Youwei felt like the sky had fallen!

(End of this chapter)