'If I remember correctly, Mother only went to Xialuo Mountain to gather herbs because I was unconscious. Why is she still going now that I'm awake?'
'What in the world is going on? Could my rebirth have changed history, making it different from what I remember?'
Others might not know what will happen on this herb-gathering trip, but having lived a past life, Nie Yun knew all too well. This was the trip his mother never returned from. She would fall from a cliff to her death!
"Tell me the details. What exactly happened!"
Anxious, Nie Yun grabbed the steward Nie Chong by the shoulders and demanded urgently.
Even though he had lived two lives, even though he was an old monster who had lived for hundreds of years, Nie Yun still couldn't remain calm when faced with the danger to his closest kin.
'I already lost her once in my past life because I didn't cherish her. I absolutely cannot let that tragedy repeat itself in this life!'
"This morning, not long after you left, Young Master, Madam Shen Gui of the Nie Zhang Branch came by. She said a thousand-year-old Pengxin Snow Lotus had been discovered on Xialuo Mountain and asked if the mistress wanted to go! At first, the mistress was a bit hesitant. After all, Xialuo Mountain is steep, difficult to traverse, and covered in snow year-round. It's extremely dangerous! But after they talked for a while, she suddenly said that the thousand-year-old Pengxin Snow Lotus could help the master's damaged Qi Sea recover... So, the mistress went with them. We servants couldn't stop her no matter what we said!"
Nie Chong explained the whole story.
"The Nie Zhang Branch? Damn them!"
A cold glint flashed in Nie Yun's eyes as he heard this.
'The Pengxin Snow Lotus is a healing medicinal material, effective for ordinary injuries, but it's completely useless for a damaged Qi Sea like Father's! Claiming it could help him recover is absolute nonsense!'
'For that Madam Shen Gui of the Nie Zhang Branch to fabricate such a lie and trick Mother into going to a dangerous place like Xialuo Mountain... her crime is unforgivable!'
The Nie Zhang and Nie Tian Branches were both declining branches. Since the two branches managed the same peripheral family industries, they had frequent dealings. After his father fell into despair, his mother had taken a strong hand, once using commercial competition to drive the Nie Zhang Branch into a slump for a while. He never expected they would hold such a grudge and come up with this kind of scheme for revenge!
Gathering herbs on Xialuo Mountain was a venture where nine out of ten died. If his mother died because of this, they could crush his branch's industries, expand their own, and maybe even return to the main family and become an Inner Sect!
'To dare to scheme against my mother like this for their own benefit... How ruthless!'
According to his memories from his past life, their scheme had actually succeeded. After his mother's death, they had swiftly wiped out the Nie Tian Branch's industries. That was why his branch never had a chance to recover and only fell further into decline.
'Xialuo Mountain is treacherous. I can only hope they haven't gone far, and I can still catch up!'
Having understood the situation, Nie Yun didn't hesitate for a moment longer. Pushing off the ground with the balls of his feet, he executed his Body Technique at top speed and shot straight toward Xialuo Mountain.
Although he was only at the Early-Stage Qi Nourishing Realm of the Third Layer, Nie Yun had countless lightness Body Techniques in his mind. The Qi in his Qi Sea churned endlessly, and his speed was actually a notch faster than when he had left that morning!
As his feet moved faster, the speed at which his Inner Dantian in his Qi Sea nourished his Spiritual Qi also increased significantly. He rushed up the mountain, and in less than an hour, Nie Yun felt that all the Spiritual Qi in his Qi Sea had been completely nourished. His strength had unexpectedly reached the Late-Stage Peak of the Qi Nourishing Realm, and it seemed he could break through at any moment!
'How am I cultivating so fast? Could it be related to the Bloodline Factor unlocked by that Nameless Technique?'
Nie Yun felt a little bewildered as he sensed the changes within his Qi Sea.
Logically, even with a Bloodline Factor unlocked and a Dantian in his Qi Sea, it should have been impossible to nourish so much Spiritual Qi completely without taking three to five months, or even half a year. Yet here he was, having done it in less than a day. It would be a lie to say it wasn't strange!
However, while it was strange, he wasn't shocked.
'If something like rebirth could happen to me, then cultivating a bit faster isn't impossible!'
"The thousand-year-old Pengxin Snow Lotus appears in this area. Everyone, pay attention. This thing already has Spiritual Wisdom and can escape. The moment you spot it, strike immediately. Don't hesitate for a second!"
As he advanced, Nie Yun suddenly heard a voice up ahead. He leaped to the top of a tree to get a look and couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
Up ahead was the group searching for the Pengxin Snow Lotus. His mother was among them, her eyes bright and sharp as she scanned her surroundings, seemingly unwilling to miss a single corner.
There was a common saying, "a thousand years to become a spirit." A thousand-year-old Pengxin Snow Lotus would have its own will and could escape through the earth. Even if you saw it, capturing it would be extremely difficult without certain methods.
"There it is!"
Just as Nie Yun was about to go over and persuade his mother to go home, he suddenly heard her shout, and she shot forward.
Although his mother's talent was far inferior to his father's, it was still decent. She possessed the strength of the Fourth Layer of True Qi Realm Early Stage of the Qi Sea Nine Heavens. Without that power, it would have been impossible for her to sustain a branch on her own as a woman.
SWISH!
His mother sped before a cliff, and with a flick of her wrist, a red, spider-web-like net shot out from her sleeve.
'The Fallen Robe Net? I never knew Mother was also a medicine-gathering expert!'
Seeing this, Nie Yun was afraid of startling her and didn't step forward.
Thousand-year-old medicinal materials were difficult to capture because they had Spiritual Wisdom, requiring special tools. This Fallen Robe Net was woven from blood-soaked clothes from a battlefield and carried a dense Evil Qi. Once a thousand-year-old medicinal material touched it, it would be scared stiff and unable to escape.
She threw the Fallen Robe Net with such accuracy and skillful technique. Nie Yun could tell with a single glance that his mother must have gathered herbs before. As for when, he had never heard her mention it, so he wasn't too sure himself.
"I caught it!"
The Fallen Robe Net landed, and with a flick of her wrist, his mother reeled in a pure white Snow Lotus.
The Snow Lotus exuded a cold air. Its entire body was as crystalline as jade and faintly translucent. A medicinal fragrance floated from it; a single whiff made one feel refreshed and invigorated, as if they had become ten years younger.
It really was a thousand-year-old Pengxin Snow Lotus!
Carefully taking out a medicine box, his mother gently placed the Snow Lotus inside.
If precious medicinal materials weren't protected by something special after being removed from the earth, their medicinal effects would gradually dissipate. His mother's medicine box was made of chilling Cold Jade, which could preserve the medicinal effects without any loss.
"You truly are the former number one Medicine-Gathering Master of Luoshui City! To think we came here seven or eight times and couldn't catch it, but you got it in one try! Haha, with this thousand-year-old medicinal material, if our branch contributes it to the Clan Leader, becoming an Inner Sect is practically guaranteed!"
"Hmph..."
Hearing this and seeing the group's actions, Nie Yun's eyebrows shot up.
'It seems these people had this planned all along. They knew they couldn't catch the Pengxin Snow Lotus, so they deliberately tricked Mother into doing their dirty work for them!'
'No wonder Mother, with her strength at the Fourth Layer of True Qi Realm, would slip and fall from a cliff. It turns out the people from the Nie Zhang Branch were behind it!'
His fists clenched, making a CRACKING sound. Veins popped out on Nie Yun's forehead. For the first time since his rebirth, his blood boiled with a murderous rage, and he wanted to kill someone to vent his fury.
"*Your* branch? Didn't we agree when we came? Whoever catches it, keeps it. Are you trying to go back on your word?"
Seeing the group surround her, his mother took a step back. But behind her was a cliff. The slight movement dislodged a rock, which tumbled down, the sound of its fall echoing for a long time, indicating an unknown height.
'If I rush over recklessly now, and they act out of desperation, Mother will definitely be in danger...'
Although rage burned in his heart, Nie Yun knew he couldn't charge in. The Nie Zhang Branch had brought over a dozen people, and even the weakest was at the Second Layer Spirit Valley Realm. Since he couldn't possibly kill them all in one move, his mother would be in danger if he pushed them too far.
From such a high cliff, let alone someone at the Fourth Layer of True Qi Realm, even an Eighth Layer Qi Sect Powerhouse would face certain death if they fell!
"Go back on our word? Heh, our plan never changed. We brought you here precisely so you could help us gather this Pengxin Snow Lotus! Now, hand it over. It'll save us the trouble of taking it by force. Otherwise, don't blame us for being merciless!"
The person who had spoken before said again.
Nie Yun recognized this woman. It was the Madam Shen Gui the steward Nie Chong had mentioned. Her strength wasn't much different from his mother's; she was also at the Fourth Layer of True Qi Realm Early Stage.
"Fine. Fine! Are you trying to disregard the clan rules?" Not expecting them to say something so shameless, his mother's face flushed red with anger as she roared.
"Disregard the clan rules? Heh, don't be ridiculous. Out here, *we* are the clan rules. Enough nonsense. Hand over the Snow Lotus, and we might not kill you. Otherwise, today will be the day you die!"
Madam Shen Gui sneered.
The Nie Family was an enormous clan, and the blood ties between branches had faded to the point of being negligible. If blood brothers would kill each other for the throne, what more could be said for distant relatives? It was perfectly normal for branches to scheme against one another for their own benefit.
"Mother, Auntie Shen Gui is right. Just give her the Pengxin Snow Lotus. It's useless to us anyway. Once their Nie Zhang Branch is promoted to the Inner Sect, maybe we'll be able to reap some benefits too..."
Just as his mother was at a loss, faced with their resolute attitude, a clear voice rang out from a distance.