C4 Fighting

The woman didn't answer directly but instead smiled and said, "I have just one question for you. If you answer it, we can forego inspecting the pill and proceed with the sale. How does that sound?"

Jiang Fann remained silent, knowing that saying too much could lead to trouble.

Taking his silence as consent, the woman inquired, "Is this pill your handiwork?"

He nodded, confirming her suspicion.

She was refreshingly candid, flipping her hand to reveal a box that she then slid across to Jiang Fann. "This is now yours. My name is Han Qianxue. Next time, you can come straight to me. I'm looking forward to future collaborations!"

Jiang Fann acknowledged her with a cool nod, accepted the box, and promptly departed. He had no time to spare.

Once he was gone, Han Qianxue chuckled to herself, "How intriguing! His hands looked almost ghostly. I wonder who his master is. When did Loongze County start harboring such a character?"

...

En route, Jiang Fann stopped at a blacksmith's shop to use the common fire for pill refinement.

Afterward, he didn't pause for a moment, rushing back to his mother's home.

His father was absent. Two maids were pacing anxiously; they were fond of his mother and, seeing her so close to death, were visibly distressed and helpless.

Upon seeing Jiang Fann return, one maid's face brightened with relief. "Young Master, you're back at last. The lady... she..."

Jiang Fann offered a comforting pat on her shoulder. These maids had grown up with him and had always been kind. "Don't worry! My mother will pull through!"

He hastened to his mother's bedside and saw her breathing was faint. He quickly administered the pill, guiding it into her system with his Genuine Qi.

Minutes later, color returned to his mother's cheeks, and Jiang Fann finally relaxed.

The maids' tears turned to smiles, one of them eager to share the news: "I'll go inform the Patriarch!"

But Jiang Fann shook his head. "No need to disturb him just yet. He's probably busy at the moment."

Three days later, word spread from the Jiang Family that the First Lady had been sent to Jing'ann Garden, a hundred miles away, for a three-year period of secluded cultivation, during which she was not permitted to leave.

Jing'ann Garden was the Jiang Family's designated place for confinement. Certain members of the clan with special status would be sent there as punishment, sometimes for decades at a time.

Despite its pleasant name, Jing'ann Garden was essentially a prison, albeit with a far better environment. It was unprecedented for the First Lady of the Jiang Family to be confined, and those outside the family, unaware of the full story, were abuzz with speculation.

Jiang Fann's mother had awakened from her ordeal and was in the process of recuperating, maintaining a fairly strong spirit throughout.

The Qiao Family had sent representatives to stir up trouble, resulting in a heated dispute that ended with them taking the body of Qiao Qianyu away.

The incident appeared to be resolved, yet Jiang Fann remained the subject of widespread discussion.

In the meantime, Jiang Fann had seemingly disappeared, as if evaporated from the world. On the day he visited the Myriad Treasures Tavern, he had requested three additional herbs, all in preparation for his upcoming retreat.

Having previously harvested the Golden Spiritual Ganoderma from a cliff, and with these three herbs in hand, he was poised to concoct the second-grade Yellow Rank Body Refining Holy Medicine, the Myriad Spirit Pill.

With the Loongze Lake Secret Realm yet to open, he aimed to elevate his realm as much as possible. A higher realm would significantly aid in his control over the flame timing during pill refinement.

Jiang Fann had preemptively gathered a pill furnace and premium White Cloud Wood. Given his current level, he would need these aids to successfully craft the second-grade pill, and time was of the essence.

In the world of pill crafting, reaching the fifth grade marked a watershed moment, with the complexity of creating pills beyond that grade increasing exponentially. For most alchemists, producing even a few second-grade pills could be a once-in-a-lifetime achievement.

Many alchemists, enamored with the art of pill refining, neglected their own cultivation, which often resulted in a shorter lifespan due to the immense talent and dedication required.

Yet the most formidable alchemists were never weak; their own strength was essential. Without it, they couldn't manipulate the various flames or endure the intense mental focus demanded by the pill refining process.

Jiang Fann was known to the world as the Medicine King, his mastery of the alchemical arts was nothing short of miraculous. Yet, despite his lofty status, his prowess in battle left much to be desired. Had it been otherwise, he wouldn't have met his untimely end.

This time around, Jiang Fann was determined not to repeat his past errors.

In the solitude of his retreat, Jiang Fann sat steadfast beside the pill furnace, allowing no distractions. The Myriad Spirit Pill had been in the making for over forty hours, and it was nearing completion.

Sweat drenched his brow, and he dared not even blink, fearing any lapse might ruin everything. The difference between a successful pill and mere ash hinged on a fleeting moment.

With bated breath and laser focus, Jiang Fann made a swift gesture over the pill furnace. The flames split in two, cradling the three emerging pills in their fiery embrace.

A few breaths later, he struck the furnace with force.

Bang!

The lid shattered, revealing three golden Myriad Spirit Pills nestled within. As the flames died down, the pills' refinement was a resounding success.

Relief washed over Jiang Fann. He lay on the ground, resting briefly, before rising to continue his work.

Without hesitation, he ingested a Myriad Spirit Pill and settled into a meditative posture to assimilate its power.

Thanks to the Spiritual Qi from the remnant scroll, his body had been fortified to avoid any bottlenecks in the Body Refining realm. With the aid of the three Myriad Spirit Pills, he was poised to elevate his realm significantly.

His body quivered as if inflated, a vast aura pouring into his Qi Sea. The Genuine Qi within him began to circulate autonomously.

His dantian radiated intense heat, the Myriad Spirit Pill's power exploding inside him, infusing his meridians and bones with frenzied Spiritual Strength, rendering them more resilient.

His strength surged upward.

His essence energy robustly expanded his Qi Sea, and Gang Qi formed almost instantaneously.

Before long, the first strand of Genuine Qi materialized in his meridians, the Myriad Spirit Pill's potency still abundant.

After three more hours, Jiang Fann had cultivated four distinct types of Qi. As the Qi of Form materialized, the last of the Myriad Spirit Pill dissipated. The final traces of Spiritual Qi flowed into his Qi Sea, and Jiang Fann's eyes slowly fluttered open.

The miraculous effects of the Ten Thousand Spirit Pill are truly astonishing. It looks like the two remaining pills should suffice for my cultivation to reach the pinnacle of the Body Transformation Stage. Regrettably, I'm limited to consuming one pill every half month, or the potency would be significantly diminished. My goal is to advance to the Innate Stage before the opening of the Loongze Lake Secret Realm.

With his plan in place, Jiang Fann packed up and left the isolation of his mountain cave, making his way back to the Jiang Family.

But shortly after his arrival home, a beam of light streaked from the sky and descended upon the Jiang residence.

Jiang Fann's eyebrows lifted in recognition. "That's a messenger flag!"

He strode over to investigate who was behind such an extravagant gesture. The Spirit Treasure was no small thing, and a messenger flag like this couldn't be used many times.

By the time Jiang Fann reached the scene, a crowd of disciples had already gathered, along with two family elders deep in discussion.

The flag billowed in the wind, its luminous script visible from afar. The golden "Jiang" character emblazoned on it confirmed its origin—it was from Jiang Mansion, the Jiang Family's main house.

"By order, release Qiao Qingzhu and Jiang Zhengloong. No dissent allowed."

The decree bore the official seal of Jiang Mansion and the name of a woman, Jiang Yueyao.

Jiang Yueyao's standing within Jiang Mansion was on the rise, having been taken under the wing of the family's most prominent figures. Her position was likely even more elevated than that of Jiang Tianhai.

Yet, no one had anticipated her to wield such authority. With just a messenger flag, she sought to overturn Jiang Tianhai's decision.

Jiang Fann pushed through the onlookers and approached the flag.

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, he yanked it from its place.

Someone hastily objected, "Young Master Jiang Fann! That is an order flag; it must not be tampered with lightly. The Patriarch himself must come to receive it!"

"An order flag? Since when does Jiang Yueyao have the authority to command my father? What does she think she is?"

With that, Jiang Fann called forth his Qi—the words on the order flag had been inscribed using this method.

He promptly erased Jiang Yueyao's message and, with a flourish, inscribed two bold characters in its place: "Dream on!"

After inscribing his name and infusing some Spiritual Strength, he casually tossed it into the sky. The command flag transformed into a streak of light, soaring towards Jiang Mansion.

Jiang Fann simply turned and walked away, unconcerned with the reactions of those around him.

An elder furrowed his brow, remarking, "Jiang Fann just manifested Qi, that's..."

"It had to be Qi; otherwise, he couldn't have inscribed the treasure flag! In just a few short days, the kid has truly turned his fortunes around!"

Over the next couple of days, Jiang Tianhai was plagued with worry. Jiang Fann's bold move had taken him by surprise; the Jiang Mansion's command flag was clearly of no consequence to him.

Yet, there was a sense of relief. Had Jiang Fann not acted so, would he really have released them? Where then would justice be?

In a mere few days, Jiang Fann had managed to cultivate Qi from his very marrow. Jiang Tianhai credited this remarkable feat to the mysterious master supporting Jiang Fann, and he couldn't help but be astounded by the master's skill.

That same afternoon, the command flag made another appearance.

Upon noticing it, Jiang Fann wasted no time heading to the flag's location, which was now buzzing with even more activity than before. The disciples were all eager to witness how this prodigious girl would handle the situation.

"Jiang Fann has seized the command flag without authorization; he must be executed! If no action is taken, upon my return to Loongze County, I will see to his punishment myself!"

The signature was, once again, Jiang Yueyao.

Her mother was from the Qiao Family, a blood sister to Qiao Qingzhu, making her motives clear.

It was Jiang Fann once more, decisively yanking the flag from its place.

"Just you?"

His challenge hung in the air as he flung the command flag back into the sky. It would take at least three months for anyone from Jiang Mansion to reach this point, by which time he wouldn't have to worry about repercussions.

Even if they were to return now, Jiang Fann was confident in his ability to handle the situation.

Jiang Fann's defiant act left the Jiang Family disciples dumbfounded once more.

To challenge Jiang Yueyao? Such arrogance from that woman was legendary. To them, Jiang Fann's actions were tantamount to signing his own death warrant.

Yet, several family elders pondered the situation deeply. That very night, they summoned Jiang Fann, intent on resolving the issue before it escalated. After all, if Jiang Yueyao were to truly return, they would be facing a much more complicated situation.

Jiang Fann was nowhere to be seen, instead sending word through a maid.

"If Jiang Yueyao returns, I'll take her to Jing'ann Garden to reunite with her aunt."

Upon hearing this, his mother leaned on Jiang Tianhai, her worry evident.

"Could something happen to Fann? He seems so different this time around!"

Jiang Tianhai chuckled, "That's my boy! He must have a master guiding him. After years of being held back, he's just letting out his emotions now. He's a bit impulsive, sure, but he's sensible enough. Don't worry."

"I just hope you're right! I couldn't bear it if something happened to him right after coming home!"

"He's likely under the tutelage of a formidable alchemist. His skills are advancing quickly, and his prospects are promising. He might even reach the Innate Stage before long."

"Does that mean he'll need to be sent to Jiang Mansion for further training?" his mother asked anxiously.

His father shook his head, "He has his own path to follow. Let's see what he decides. He's mentioned possibly leaving with his mentor, so we shouldn't meddle."

Comforted by her husband's presence, his mother said no more.