Starting from the pharmacy, he grew into a martial saint among men.

Seeing Chu Hong's expression, the girl in green couldn't help but smile slightly.

"Don't overthink it. Following my junior brother from now on, you'll definitely reap the benefits."

Upon hearing this, Chu Hong silently shook his head.

He didn't care about the benefits or the drawbacks.

As for following Xiao Yi, that's simply not going to happen.

Seeing this, the girl in green changed the subject, pointing at Xiao Yi and asking curiously:

"You two seem to have a good relationship. Tell me about my junior brother."

Chu Hong paused for a moment, then nodded and began to speak.

Of course, he only picked out the key points to talk about.

The aim is to show that despite being underestimated and ridiculed, Senior Brother Xiao always perseveres in practicing martial arts with a calm and measured approach, and never gives up.

She also briefly mentioned Xiao Yi's family situation, his humble circumstances, and how he was driven out of his home.

As the girl in green listened, her delicate brows furrowed deeper, and a flame ignited in her eyes:

"Hmph, how dare the insignificant Xiao family humiliate my junior brother like this! I will definitely seek justice for him!"

This reaction pleased Chu Hong.

Senior Brother Xiao is his only friend and close friend at present, and he was originally worried.

He worried that as his cultivation level gradually increased, the gap between them would widen, and Senior Brother Xiao would fall behind.

Now, having heard that Senior Brother Xiao possesses extraordinary talent, and with the firm words and protection of the woman in green, he is truly blessed.

He knew that Senior Brother Xiao was finally going to regain his reputation as a genius and be able to embark on the true path of martial arts.

How could he not be excited about this?

Great, that's wonderful!

But then, the image of Pang Hai flashed through Chu Hong's mind.

That kid was originally of inferior talent, but overnight he became of superior talent.

Is it also the hidden bone that the girl in green mentioned?

After hearing this, the girl in green's expression turned serious, and she asked again and again:

"Are you sure what you're saying is true?"

"Absolutely authentic!" Chu Hong nodded solemnly. "We're in the same dorm, and our physical attributes were confirmed by the instructors after examining us. There's no way we can fake it!"

The girl in green immediately stopped talking and turned to run towards the old man.

He simply left Chu Hong with the words, "Don't move, wait for me!"

Before long, the old man was dragged by the girl in green to sit down in front of the fire.

Chu Hong recounted Pang Hai's situation once again.

The old man took two puffs of his cigarette, his expression obscured by the smoke.

"This is a tactic of the Worry-Free Sect, and you said that person is already a member of the Worry-Free Sect."

"The Worry-Free Sect?" Chu Hong was suddenly startled.

"Innate talent and physique, yet the Worry-Free Sect alters people's innate talents and physiques? What exactly are they trying to do?"

At the same time, Chu Hong instantly thought of a secret letter he had obtained when he killed Chen Nian.

The order came from within the sect, demanding the elimination of the Chu family and Xiao Yi.

That sect was actually the Worry-Free Sect.

So, the letter's owner might be Pang Hai?

Why would he kill me for no reason?

The old man tapped off his cigarette ash and calmly explained the situation to Chu Hong:

"The Worry-Free Sect has been researching bone-changing techniques for many years, attempting to defy fate and seize the bones of others for their own use."

"But this method has never truly succeeded; otherwise, the world would have belonged to the Worry-Free Sect long ago."

"As for the person you mentioned, he must have been a lucky, unfinished product, and the cost was extremely high, making him impossible to replicate."

The old man told Chu Hong that it wasn't just the Wuyou Sect that was researching the art of bone transformation.

In fact, people throughout the dynasty were secretly researching this technique, but no one had ever heard of a successful case.

On the contrary, due to the bone-changing process, a large number of seedlings with superior and medium-quality root bones died.

As for Chu Hong's situation, it's not hard to understand.

The only people who actually knew about Pang Hai's inferior physical constitution mutation were Chu Hong, Xiao Yi, and his instructor Li Hu.

To prevent this information from being exposed, he had to nip it in the bud and eliminate any future trouble.

Therefore, Li Hu's death during the bandit suppression was not an accident.

Instead, he was deliberately murdered.

The old man continued, "You are the ones in the know, you must die."

"He didn't take action himself, but instead used someone else's blade, because he was afraid of exposing the secrets of the Worry-Free Sect and attracting attention from all sides."

"Also, I was afraid you would guess his identity and pass on the information, so I chose to use someone else to do the dirty work."

"Otherwise, once exposed, the Worry-Free Sect and he himself will be in danger."

Chu Hong finally understood; the root of all this was right here.

However, Chu Hong also had some doubts. The Wuyou Sect was powerful, so it would be easy for them to use someone else to get rid of him.

But what we saw earlier was how clumsy their methods were.

The old man was unaware of this.

Chu Hong took a deep breath, then became worried again: "Senior, Pang Hairuo sent a message to the Worry-Free Sect here. Tomorrow they will definitely target us."

"Since Senior Brother Xiao has such excellent potential, why don't you just take him away with you?"

The old man, with a deep gaze, looked at the rising light of dawn and shook his head:

"He has to walk his own path. I can protect him for a while, but I can't protect him forever."

"Moreover, I have important business to attend to in Huang'an and cannot leave."

"You all better be careful."

Before he finished speaking, the old man turned and left, the remaining smoke being blown away by the breeze and disappearing into the world.

No trace of them.

-----------------

Meanwhile, the Huang'an County Wuyou Education Base.

"Snapped!"

A middle-aged man dressed in a gray-black robe embroidered with faint gold patterns slammed his fist on the table in anger:

"You've destroyed most of the three-eyed cat demons that the sect has painstakingly trained. Do you know your crime?!"

How could he not be angry?

These three-eyed cat demons were carefully trained from a young age, which is why they became so obedient and could attack wherever they were told.

It is one of their trump cards and powerful weapons for the future.

As a result, this kid's reckless attack caused the cat demon to suffer heavy losses.

How will he explain this to the church?

The young man was startled and knelt down with a thud: "Father, I just wanted to be the first to make a contribution, I..."

"I never expected this to happen..."

"Meritorious service?" The middle-aged man's eyes darkened, and he said in a deep voice, "Then let me ask you, between Xiao Yi and Chu Hong, who is dead?"

The young man stammered, then lowered his head and weakly uttered, "None of them are dead."

"You son of a bitch... trash!" The middle-aged man stood up abruptly, slapped him, and then kicked him.

"Snapped!"

"Bang!"

The young man rolled a long way away, a clear handprint visible on his face.

He hurriedly explained, "Father, it's not that I don't want to kill him."

"That guy named Chu Hong, he... he runs too fast, even the cat demon can't catch him."

"Fast? How fast can a mere Ming Jin (明劲) be?"

The young man said with a mournful face, "It's true! His movement technique must have reached a minor level of mastery; the cat demon simply can't catch up with him."

"What about Xiao Yi? He doesn't have any movement techniques, does he?" the middle-aged man demanded.

The young man's face looked even more bitter at this moment:

"That Xiao Yi is exceptionally cautious and composed, always accompanied by bodyguards for cover; I haven't found an opportunity yet, so..."

"You bastard!"

"waste!"

"You haven't accomplished anything, yet the cat demon has suffered heavy losses. You truly are my good son!"

At this moment, a figure in a gray robe lifted the curtain and knelt on one knee:

"Sir, the caravan is still thirty li away from Black Wind Stronghold. What do you think...?"

The middle-aged man's eyes were cold and menacing, revealing a murderous intent:

"Execute according to plan. Today, let them not leave alive."

"Chu Hong and Xiao Yi each arranged for two hidden experts to deal with this person. This person was personally ordered to be killed, and may also be the scourge prophesied by the Holy Venerable."

"yes!"

-----------------

The morning light shone, but it couldn't dispel the chill of the early morning.

The caravan assembled, but no matter how much Shi Yi tried to boost morale...

They said the escort mission was almost complete and that they would treat everyone to a delicious meal when they got back.

But the atmosphere remained heavy.

Everyone knows that today is the real highlight.

They will face a formidable foe, with a slim chance of survival or even certain death.

The wheels started turning again.

Chu Hong remained vigilant throughout, constantly observing the forests on both sides and occasionally glancing at the distant mountain peaks.

Before long, the narrow valley reappeared before our eyes.

"stop!"

Ahead, Shi Yi raised his hand.

Chu Hong looked around and saw that the two sides of the canyon were already filled with densely packed figures.

The Worry-Free Cult members, dressed in gray robes, had cold expressions, while the mountain bandits, armed with knives and arrows, revealed their ferocious nature.

The murderous aura was almost tangible, enveloping the entire caravan.