Zhao Ying widened her already bright eyes. “Eternal youth? You had better stop lying.”

　　Chu Li smiled. “These seeds are from Lady Xiao herself. There shouldn’t be anything wrong with them. What do you think?”

　　“Such a rare item…” Zhao Ying hesitated. She felt worried as she stared at Chu Li. “You’re so loathsome!”

　　She had thought about it after Chu Li brought it up. Even uneducated women would have heard about the tales of the Nightmare Flower.

　　When female Protectors gathered to chat, they would often talk about it. All of them had hoped to encounter such a flower. A truly wonderful dream.

　　But they all knew that it was merely a pipe dream. It was impossible for it to come true. Even if the fabled Nightmare Flower were not almost extinct already, it would still not be in their possession.

　　She could not accept the fact that she had just eaten the Nightmare Flower!

　　“What? Did you feel like you were undeserving of it?” Chu Li sheathed his sword and walked towards her.

　　“Of course!” Zhao Ying nodded.

　　She understood that even if her looks were quite good, there were many more alluring women out there. The Public House itself had a number of them. She was unable to outshine many women in the Public House solely because her looks were not of the best.

　　Qualifications were what mattered most to the Protectors. The martial way was their way of life. If their skills were inadequate, then they were at the bottom. Their looks were irrelevant.

　　Chu Li shook his head and smiled. “You deserve it!”

　　Zhao Ying rolled her eyes. “Now, why do you have the Nightmare Flower?”

　　“I’m planting them for Lady Xiao.”

　　“And isn’t that a problem? Using official authority for private interests is just asking for trouble! Lady Xiao is very strict and just! She’d never forgive you!”

　　The Public House itself was strict. If the rules were violated, the punishment would be heavy regardless of the offender’s background. She did not want Chu Li to be penalized because of this.

　　“No worries. Lady Xiao gave me one of them!”

　　“Seriously?” Zhao Ying let out a breath of relief.

　　“Don’t dwell on it for so long. The Nightmare Flower can also boost one’s efficiency in cultivation! So, quick! Go practice!”

　　“Uh… Alright.” Zhao Ying bit her lower lip and turned away.

　　She felt pressured. Chu Li gave her so much but she had nothing to offer him in return.

　　She understood Chu Li’s intention, but her feelings are hers. She could not force herself to match his pace. She was really fond of Chu Li, but it had not extended to the point where she was able to sacrifice everything for him. She only enjoyed the time she spent with him but there was not an urge for her to die for him.

　　Chu Li gazed upon the elegant view of her back. He shook his head and blamed himself for trying to progress too quickly. He should loosen the reins every now and then and slow down. The pressure he had placed on her was far from desirable.

　　…

　　Time passed in the blink of an eye. A month had already elapsed.

　　Chu Li’s progress in cultivation was incredibly fast. Thirty-six of his meridian points had been completely broken through, propelling him to the stage of an Innate Master. He also developed his ability to transmit inner energy into items.

　　He had immediately figured it out. It was all because of the Life and Death Scripture. He initially communicated with the spiritual force of plants, and that was already a form of inner energy transmission. It could be counted as an acquired mastery even though it was limited to plants. Now that he had broken through all thirty-six meridian points, he was able to transmit it anywhere.

　　With the acquired mastery boundary, the Life and Death Scripture grew stronger!

　　It not only expanded to a two-hundred-meter radius, he was even able to communicate with plants without having to establish contact with the earth. More importantly, he was able to channel the spiritual energy of plants into others.

　　This meant that he could channel his inner energy and attack someone within a two-hundred-meter radius! They would not even be able to guard themselves from it.

　　If the Life and Death Scripture were to be developed further, he would then be able to control it from a greater distance. It would be incredibly tyrannical once its range achieves a thousand meters. He could instantly interrupt someone as they were cultivating by merely overwhelming them with an influx of energy.

　　He felt excited thinking about it. The Life and Death Scripture was indeed amazing.

　　The acquired mastery boundary had already dramatically improved his spirit. Now that the Omniscient Mirror covered a three-mile radius, everything was being completely read. There was nothing that could escape from the palm of his hand.

　　Zhao Ying had also improved dramatically in the month! She had broken through the thirty-six acupoints and now sat solidly at rank eight. She even had the chance to become a rank seven Protector. She felt that she could have also completed her acquired mastery in another two weeks.

　　The Torso Refiner and the Nightmare Flower had played a big role in boosting her achievements. They enhanced her skills and made her meridians stronger. She currently felt as though her qualifications had surpassed that of Zhuo Feiyang. She was completing her acquired mastery for sure.

　　In the morning, Chu Li took a knife and harvested all the Deity’s Beard.

　　The Deity’s Beard looked like common blade of grass, though it was slightly thinner and longer. The texture and flexibility of the blade was also different. One could easily tell the difference if they scrutinized for details, but who in their right mind would pay any attention to grass let alone the Deity’s Beard?

　　“Sister, our mission is done.” Chu Li and Zhao Ying gathered the grass into a few sacks.

　　Chu Li declared, “We can return home now.”

　　Zhao Ying wiped the sweat on her forehead and nodded. She then looked around.

　　Both of the wooden houses were only a few meters apart. She had only lived there for a month but it already felt like home. Living here was quiet and comfortable.

　　“Alright, go and wash yourself. We will leave today.” Chu Li smiled.

　　“How do we move these?” Zhao Ying asked.

　　She looked at the twenty sacks of grass which required at least two carriages to transport. She had not expected this much grass.

　　Chu Li shook his head and smiled. “Just leave them here, we don’t have to bother about these sacks.”

　　“Leave them here?” Zhao Ying was surprised.

　　Chu Li explained, “Someone will come and get them, we don’t have to worry about the rest. We can leave after our breakfast.”

　　“…Okay.” Zhao Ying nodded. She tilted her head and smiled.

　　“Brother, are you really sure about this?”

　　Chu Li broke into a smile.

　　“I have complete faith in Lady Xiao, there wouldn’t be any problems.”

　　“You put in one month’s worth of effort… what if anything happens? Should we wait until someone gets here?” Zhao Ying asked, unwilling to leave.

　　She saw exactly how hardworking Chu Li was with her own eyes. He nurtured those plants with the entirety of his heart. From hoeing to fertilizing and watering them, he had always been there. Even late into the night, he had stayed with them.

　　Zhao Ying had not known Chu Li was just cultivating through the Deity’s Beard. She assumed that he was worried about creatures damaging them.

　　Chu Li smiled.

　　Zhao Ying understood that he had already made up his mind. She unwillingly prepared a meal and left the ravine after finishing it.

　　Zhao Ying glanced back from time to time, hoping to catch someone, anyone, entering the ravine.

　　Chu Li whipped his horse and rushed it on its way quickly leaving the ravine behind. Zhao Ying unwillingly looked at Chu Li, sighed, and followed in his steps.

　　Not long after, a team of two hundred riders surged forward with the vigor of tigers, all while they maintained their formation. It could be seen that these soldiers were strictly trained.

　　They had a hundred men but two hundred horses with each soldier riding two. They were moving very quickly, collectively emitting a heavy atmosphere. Not a single word was spoken as they silently yet swiftly traveled toward their destination.

　　As they arrived at the mouth of the ravine, more than ten soldiers dismounted and entered it. They stood in a formation and were on high alert, with piercing and frigid eyes that ignored everything around them.

　　One soldier exited the ravine before leading several others back in. Each of them lugged two bags of grass out of the ravine.

　　Twenty sacks of grass were fastened onto twenty-four horses. The company left on their horses like thunder, vanishing from sight. Only the footsteps of their horses were any evidence that they had ever been here.