Chapter 101: The Murong Family

“At first, I didn’t intend to tell you the exact location of this spiritual herb patch; I only planned to share some of the legendary sites where such herbs are said to grow. But after witnessing your brotherly strength, I’ve decided to reveal this place to you and let you decide whether you want to join me in obtaining these herbs,” Cang Yuan said mysteriously to Yang Xiao.

“Where exactly is this place you speak of, Brother Cang Yuan?” Yang Xiao inquired.

“You must have heard of the Murong family, right? They are a long-established noble clan in Yao Kingdom. According to the information I have, their spiritual herb garden cultivates many herbs passed down from ancient times. Among these are precisely the various herbs needed to refine the Qi-Consolidating Pill. So, if we manage to enter the Murong family’s herb garden, we can easily gather all the herbs listed in the pill’s formula,” Cang Yuan explained, looking at Yang Xiao as if seeking his opinion.

“Brother Cang Yuan, do you mean to commit theft? That won’t be so easy, will it?” Yang Xiao shook his head.

“Indeed, it won’t be easy. But compared to searching for those legendary ancient spiritual herb sites, this is relatively simpler. You see, in Yao Kingdom, though there are several legendary sacred grounds for spiritual herbs from ancient times, all of them are extremely dangerous places. Most cultivators who venture there never return. Even if we survive, there’s no guarantee those places contain all the herbs listed in the Qi-Consolidating Pill’s formula. Now, I have definite information that the Murong family’s garden contains all the necessary herbs for the pill. Why should we seek far and wide when we can get them nearby?” Cang Yuan persuaded Yang Xiao.

“I still feel uneasy about theft. Besides, the Murong family is a prominent clan, surely protected by many formidable experts. Brother Cang Yuan, are you confident you can obtain the herbs smoothly?” Yang Xiao asked, still deeply concerned. Theft would damage their reputations, and getting caught would be humiliating—possibly fatal. It would be a risk with severe consequences.

“To be honest, I’m not very confident. The odds of success or failure are about equal. But since refining the Qi-Consolidating Pill will boost my cultivation, I have no choice. If I can’t refine it soon, my cultivation growth will become increasingly difficult—perhaps impossible. So this time, I must take the gamble. I will infiltrate the Murong family to steal the herbs. Whether you join me or not is your decision. But if we miss this chance, I believe it will be extremely difficult for you to gather the herbs for the Qi-Consolidating Pill in the future,” Cang Yuan laid out the stakes clearly.

“What is the cultivation level of the Murong family’s clan head?” Yang Xiao naturally wanted to understand their strength before deciding whether to participate.

“The Murong family’s head, Murong Ba, is a late-stage Qi Condensation cultivator. His strength is formidable. If we steal the herbs, we must avoid him at all costs. If he’s not around, even if some Murong disciples catch sight of us, they likely won’t be able to trap us,” Cang Yuan explained.

“Let me think about it,” Yang Xiao said, still unwilling to decide hastily. This was no trivial matter and required thorough preparation.

“Brother Yang Xiao, you can take some time, but not too long. I’ve already arranged with others—we’ll go to the Murong family tomorrow to steal the herbs. Whether you come or not, the plan will proceed. Also, I should tell you, the Murong family’s herb garden doesn’t only have the herbs for the Qi-Consolidating Pill; it also contains many herbs recorded in the formulas of the Dao Creation Pill, which five major sects currently favor. If we get these herbs, we can refine some excellent pills to enhance our cultivation,” Cang Yuan added.

“Brother Yang Xiao, now that I’ve told you everything, I naturally hope you will join this venture. With your strength combined with mine and a few others, I believe that even if Murong Ba personally intervenes, we can still escape safely. Please consider it carefully,” he urged.

“Brother Cang Yuan, do you have the formula for the Dao Creation Pill?” Yang Xiao asked.

“Of course. Although the Dao Creation Pill’s formula is difficult to obtain, I managed to get it from a disciple of one of the five sects. Brother Yang Xiao, here it is,” Cang Yuan said, taking out a jade slip containing the formula from his storage pouch and handing it to Yang Xiao. “What do you think? I’m giving you the Dao Creation Pill formula to show my sincerity. I truly hope you will take part.”

“Since Brother Cang Yuan says so, how can I refuse?” Yang Xiao said. If going to the Murong family would indeed yield many valuable herbs for refining pills, it was worth a try. Moreover, he was confident in his own strength. Even if he encountered Murong Ba, he believed he could hold his ground or escape. With so many benefits, he was naturally inclined to investigate.

“That’s great, Brother Yang Xiao. Wait here a moment. I believe the other cultivators I invited will arrive within half a day. Once they’re here, we’ll discuss the plan in detail,” Cang Yuan said.

“All right,” Yang Xiao agreed and waited at Cang Yuan’s humble residence.

Cang Yuan lived in a simple thatched cottage in a quiet area. Yang Xiao sat cross-legged, cultivating while awaiting the arrival of the others.

Sure enough, within half a day, two groups arrived at Cang Yuan’s dwelling. The first group consisted of a brother and sister. The brother was tall and burly, while the sister was slender and delicate, yet strikingly beautiful. The brother appeared to be in his twenties, and the sister around eighteen or nineteen.

The second group was a lone man dressed as a woodsman, wearing a straw hat, seeming to be in his thirties.

When the woodsman arrived, Cang Yuan warmly greeted him. “Brother Jiao, you’ve finally come. Good. With you here, our team for this mission is complete. Now, let’s discuss the specific plan.”