Mortal: The Path to Immortality

Months passed in the blink of an eye.

During his time alone in the Transmission Hall, Lu Nanzhu studied the subsequent cultivation techniques given to him by Han Li and made rapid progress. By the age of sixteen, he had already broken through to the seventh level of Qi Refining, and his basic techniques such as Fireball Technique and Object Manipulation Technique had become quite proficient.

"The further you progress in cultivation, the less effective the Jade Ring Pill becomes. Although I am working on selecting and cultivating herbs to make the Yellow Dragon Pill, I can only rely on the medicine that Senior Brother Han gave me earlier. I can't keep relying on others' charity for the rest of my longevity journey."

Lu Nanzhu muttered to himself, his hand gently stroking the yellowed book, "A Brief Introduction to Herbs." His primary goal now was the "Spirit-Generating Moss," which could serve as the mother plant for spiritual plants.

According to the book, the "spirit moss" thrives in the cold of spring and only grows its pale purple velvety crown on the edge of the pool in the last month or two of winter and early spring. What's worse, this moss is not considered a magical herb by the local farmers. On the contrary, because it tastes delicious and can fatten livestock, it is often harvested in large quantities to feed livestock.

"It's mid-spring now; if we don't go now, we might not even find a single root. Once we miss these few days, we'll have to wait another year. A step behind means a step behind forever!"

Lu Nanzhu made up his mind that he had to find an excuse to go to Jingzhou Prefecture in the next few days.

Having made up his mind, he began to keep an eye out for various foreign affairs missions to the prefectural city within the sect. These past few days, walking through the sect, Lu Nanzhu keenly sensed a somewhat oppressive atmosphere. Many halls were conducting intensive assessments of their disciples, mostly involving life-or-death combat techniques. The higher-ranking elders were also frequently deploying troops, giving the entire Seven Mysteries Sect a sense of impending doom.

In order to leave the mountain legitimately, he made a special trip to the logistics department, which was full of oxcarts transporting supplies.

"How have you been lately, my two senior brothers? I see so many oxcarts parked at the gate." Lu Nanzhu stepped into the warehouse and saw his two senior brothers, Zhang and Guo, sweating profusely while looking at the account books. He greeted them as usual.

When Senior Brother Zhang looked up and saw it was Lu Nanzhu, his previously furrowed brows instantly relaxed, and he quickly put down his pen to greet him: "Oh, Junior Brother Lu! What brings you, the big shot, here to visit us?"

Senior Brother Guo hurriedly brought over a stool, dusted it off, and handed it to Lu Nanzhu, saying gratefully, "Thanks to you, Junior Brother, if you hadn't pulled some strings for us and transferred us here, we'd probably still be rubbing pills in the External Affairs Hall. That work is incredibly demanding, with no hope of advancement. Now, although the work here is heavier, it's a vital place within the sect, with excellent information flow, and our future is secure. We'll always remember this great kindness!"

Lu Nanzhu casually handed over two packs of fine tobacco, smiling, "Senior brother, you're too kind. When I first entered the sect, I relied on your help. However, seeing such a large amount of supplies being moved, is there some major operation within the sect?"

Senior Brother Zhang lowered his voice, his expression somewhat worried: "Junior Brother, you're well-informed in the Transmission Hall, haven't you heard? Recently, the Wild Wolf Gang has been causing trouble around Jingzhou Prefecture. Not only have our sect's caravans in the prefecture been robbed, but many large families that rely on our sect have also been robbed. I reckon the Wild Wolf Gang is going to cause trouble for us again! Right now, the External Affairs Hall is worried about sending people to the prefecture to escort supplies. That place is a hot potato right now, and ordinary disciples can't even avoid it."

Lu Nanzhu's eyes flickered slightly, and he seemed to understand something. He said, "To be honest, I've been worrying about this very thing. My Lu family is based in the prefectural city, and my parents and siblings are all there. I was thinking, could I sign up for a field mission to the prefectural city soon? That way, I can also go back to see my family and put my mind at ease."

"Junior Brother wants to go to the prefectural city?" Senior Brother Guo was taken aback, then slapped his thigh. "This task would be suicide for anyone else, but you're now a rising star in the inner sect, skilled in martial arts, and more than capable of leading a team. Those old fogies in the External Affairs Hall are in dire need of someone who can keep things in check. If you volunteer, they'll be more than happy to oblige and will even remember your contribution!"

"Thank you for your guidance, senior brothers." Lu Nanzhu felt relieved. Before leaving, he added subtly, "Things have been tense in the sect lately. Senior brothers, please stay in the logistics warehouse and avoid going out to the training grounds. If you have time, it's always good to prepare some self-defense items."

Zhang and Guo assumed he had overheard some inside information about the Chuan Gong Tang, and they were both grateful and relieved, nodding repeatedly.

After bidding farewell to his two senior brothers, Lu Nanzhu did not turn back, but instead met Li Feiyu at a secluded cliff in the back mountain.

At this moment, Li Feiyu's face was flushed with a sickly redness. Hearing footsteps, he subconsciously gripped the hilt of his knife, and only relaxed slightly after recognizing Lu Nanzhu.

"Junior Brother Lu?"

Lu Nanzhu didn't waste any words and handed over a white porcelain bottle: "This is the 'Pulse-Stabilizing Powder' that I concocted. Although it cannot completely cure the poison of the 'Marrow-Draining Pill' in your body, it can greatly nourish the damaged heart meridians."

"The Marrow Extraction Pill?" Li Feiyu's pupils constricted sharply, his killing intent surging as he stared intently at Lu Nanzhu, his voice unusually cold. "Han Li told you that!?"

Lu Nanzhu shook his head, calmly meeting his gaze: "These past few days I've been studying pharmacology in the Transmission Hall, and I've noticed changes in your complexion and the flow of your internal energy. If I still can't guess the truth, then all my years of study have truly been wasted. This medicine is made by referencing an ancient formula, and I specifically used... cough, I specifically used a kind of 'Golden Thread Dendrobium' with a faint spiritual energy. This medicine is rare in the mortal world and has a miraculous effect on protecting the meridians."

Seeing the complex look in Li Feiyu's eyes, Lu Nanzhu continued frankly, "I once tested this medicine on wild rabbits that had been given the Marrow Extraction Pill. Although the rabbits survived, the medicine was very potent; after taking it, the rabbits convulsed all over, frantically pounded their cages, and were in great pain..."

He paused, his tone turning serious: "Senior Brother Li, I'm only fifty percent certain that this medicine will work for you. If it does, please accept it as a token of my gratitude for your previous kindness."

Li Feiyu remained silent for a long time, then smiled happily, put away the porcelain bottle, and solemnly clasped his hands in a fist salute to Lu Nanzhu: "Fifty percent certainty... that's enough. I will remember this favor from Junior Brother Lu."

After completing all this, Lu Nanzhu went straight to the Foreign Affairs Hall. Relying on his accumulated merits in the Transmission Hall and his "longing for home," he easily accepted the mission to go to the prefectural city. After completing the paperwork at the Foreign Affairs Hall, Lu Nanzhu made a special trip to Shenshou Valley to bid farewell to Han Li and also exchanged some spare Yellow Dragon Pills and medicine for external injuries.

"Be careful on your trip to the prefectural city, Junior Brother Lu," Han Li said calmly as he stood by the herb garden.

"Take care, Senior Brother Han. If fate allows, we will meet again." Lu Nanzhu smiled slightly, said nothing more, picked up his bag, and turned to go down the mountain.