The two men's gazes were like those of jackals and tigers, while the little maid was a lamb in a hungry wolf's claws. Hearing Yan the Fourth's request, the sinister middle-aged man licked his dry lips and grinned lewdly. "Fine. Fourth, you'd better be gentle. Don't go breaking this delicate little thing!"
"Little girl, just be good and come to us brothers. Don't resist. Your useless young master is a sickly ghost who looks like a gust of wind could knock him over. He's a dead man walking. To tell you the truth, someone has already ordered us to make sure he doesn't survive the night. Tomorrow, everyone will get the news: the Qin Family's Ninth Young Master's time was cut short. Unblessed by Cangtian, he passed away from a vicious illness in his bed, dying young! If you submit to us, maybe we'll be merciful and let you live!"
By now, the two had dropped all pretense, making no effort to hide their greed or their killing intent toward Qin Feng. In their eyes, Qin Feng was now a fish on the chopping block, ready to be carved up as they pleased. The only reason they hadn't killed him immediately was likely due to some dark impulse—a desire to see the usually high-and-mighty young master suffer and cry in agony.
Just the thought of such a scene made the two of them grow even more excited.
The little maid's face showed a resolute expression. Unexpectedly, faced with two hungry wolves, not only was she not afraid, but to Qin Feng's astonishment, she rushed to the loom by the bed, grabbed a pair of gleaming scissors, and used her frail body to block the bed. She stood guard in front of Qin Feng, brandishing the scissors like an angry little tiger as she shouted.
"Don't you dare touch a single hair on the young master's head!" she yelled. Forcing back the fear in her eyes, she turned to Qin Feng and said, "Young Master, don't be afraid. Honglian will protect you!"
However, this only made the two guards more excited. They let out strange laughs, their interest piqued, like cats playing with a mouse. As guards of the Qin Family, they had both practiced some of the family's basic Martial Arts Skills. Even if they hadn't truly mastered them, they were more than a match for a little maid.
The shifty-eyed middle-aged guard sneered lewdly, "This little girl's got a stubborn look about her. But that just makes it more fun to play with!"
"Such vicious, biting dogs! As expected of that old beast's dogs. To be such lackeys, you've really grasped the essence of being a dog!" Suddenly, a cold voice spoke up.
Everyone in the room was startled. They followed the voice and saw the delicate-featured youth on the bed, a cold sneer on his face. Somehow, he had forced himself into a sitting position. Perhaps due to the intense pain in his body, supporting his thin frame seemed exceptionally difficult. His dry, straw-like black hair fell over his shoulders. His reasonably handsome features held a trace of femininity, and his pitch-black eyes were like dark, ancient wells, yet they held an untamable, domineering glint.
"How dare you speak to us like that?" The two guards pointed at Qin Feng in disbelief, their faces red with anger.
"You two dog-like vermin. If you know what's good for you, crawl over here and kneel. Beg for mercy like the dogs you are, and I might spare your miserable lives today. Otherwise, I'll chop your bones to pieces and leave you without a whole corpse!" Qin Feng never suppressed the demonic nature in his bones. The little maid quickly moved to support her young master, but for some reason, she felt that he was different today.
Domineering, savage, and exuding an indescribable pressure.
The two men's faces went pale, then flushed red with shame and anger. As house slaves, the thing they hated most was being called dogs to their faces, even though they really were just dogs kept by the Qin Family!
"You piece of trash! I was going to kill you later, but it looks like you're tired of living!" The fierce, burly man had an even more explosive temper. Furious, he let out a vicious laugh and charged forward. His hand, large as a cattail fan, shot toward Qin Feng's neck, as if to pick him up like a chick—an extremely humiliating gesture.
The little maid, Honglian, panicked and was about to lunge forward! But Qin Feng was faster. With one hand, he snatched the incoming palm and held it in a death grip.
Normally, with Qin Feng's frail and heavily injured body, it was a miracle he could even sit up. How could he possibly grab hold of the strong and robust Yan the Fourth, who had even practiced a Body Refining Boxing Technique?
But that wasn't what Yan the Fourth was thinking. The moment that delicate hand, which looked like it would snap with a single twist, closed around his, he was horrified to find his entire body go numb. He felt completely weak, unable to move. A terrifying sensation washed over him as his strength was bizarrely drained away.
Bone Marrow Extraction and Essence Transformation Technique!
Qin Feng appeared extremely weak, a faint smile playing on his lips, but a cold sneer flickered in the depths of his eyes. A continuous stream of pure Essence was being drawn from Yan the Fourth's palm into his own, nourishing his frail body and restoring his injuries and Primordial Qi.
The Bone Marrow Extraction and Essence Transformation Technique was a Daoist Martial Level Secret Technique that Qin Feng had created himself. It was the Unparalleled Technique his past self, the Thunder God, had relied on to dominate the world and remain undefeated. It was an extremely vicious Cultivation Technique, capable of draining all of an enemy's bone marrow and Essence, transforming it into his own Primordial Qi to constantly heal his injuries.
This Secret Technique had practically been absorbed into his very bones, becoming a physical instinct.
Since his rebirth, Yan the Fourth was the first person to "enjoy" this Cultivation Technique. As his bone marrow and Essence were drained, his strength flowed out of him like water from an open floodgate.
The sinister middle-aged man was confused. Why did Yan the Fourth look like he'd seen a ghost? With a dark expression, he walked over and shoved him, cursing, "Yan the Fourth, are you stupid? Kill this bastard already! What are you waiting for?"
'This idiot is so stupid!' Yan the Fourth was about to lose his mind. 'Can't he see something's wrong with my expression? Run! Go get help! Something's weird with the Ninth Young Master!'
"Perfect timing. You two are such good brothers, you can enjoy this together and die together! Come on!" Qin Feng laughed heartily. Seeing the sinister middle-aged man approach, he shot out his other hand and grabbed the man's arm. The Bone Marrow Extraction and Essence Transformation Technique activated once more, and a stream of pure Essence was forcibly ripped from the sinister man's body and channeled into his own frail frame.
As the sinister middle-aged man watched in horror, the rich Essence began to nourish Qin Feng's heavily injured body. His internal organs felt as if they were soaking in a hot spring. A drunken, flushed red appeared on his pale face, as if he were intoxicated.
"Ah, that feels good. It's been so long since my Cultivation reached its peak that I've almost forgotten how to use this Dharma Gate. Almost got rusty!" Qin Feng chuckled. Seeing the pleading looks on their faces, a cold sneer appeared in his eyes.
"Considering you two took the initiative to deliver yourselves to me, your ancestor, as nourishment, I'll show some mercy beyond the law. I'll only chop up your bones for firewood!" Amidst their terrified expressions, Qin Feng gave a strange smile and increased the power of his Bone Marrow Extraction Technique, draining all their Essence in one go.
The Essence of two men was even better than the medicinal power of two Centennial Ginsengs. In an instant, Qin Feng's injuries were completely healed, and he felt as vigorous as a dragon and as fierce as a tiger.
PSST! At the same time, the two guards instantly turned into two withered corpses. All of their vital energy had dissipated, leaving behind nothing but foul-smelling husks.
The little maid stood at the side, staring blankly at the scene before her. Her small mouth was slightly agape, her eyes blinking, her long eyelashes fluttering. She looked quite adorable.
Seeing this, Qin Feng smiled, stretched his slightly sore arms, and gently tapped the dazed little maid on her small head. With a yelp, the little maid clutched her head and cried out aggrievedly, "Young Master!"
Qin Feng chuckled and gazed at the green mountains and clear waters outside the door. "Burn these two foul husks," he said with a smile. "I'm going out for a bit. If anyone asks, just say I'm asleep. Stall them. If you really can't stop them, tell them these two took me to the mountains behind the estate!"
Following Qin Feng's gaze, the little maid shivered. Two perfectly living people had turned into a pile of dried kindling in an instant. 'It's too terrifying. When did my young master become so cruel and frightening?' But strangely, she didn't feel repulsed. Instead, there was a flicker of excitement in her heart, as if a vicious energy was echoing within her, telling her that this was how things were supposed to be done. The feeling both astonished and panicked her.
Hearing his words, she numbly acknowledged his command.
"Young Master, please be careful!"
Qin Feng waved his hand and gave a cold, sinister laugh. "Don't worry. Your young master is no longer a fish on the chopping block for anyone to slaughter! If they dare to eat the fish, they shouldn't be afraid of a fishbone piercing their throats! Also, Honglian, do you know where the Qin Family's medicinal fields are?"
Qin Feng needed to find Profound Sun Ginseng. Profound Sun Ginseng wasn't a particularly rare Spirit Medicine. Because its medicinal properties were mild, it should be cultivated in the family's medicinal fields.
Stealing a woman's Yuan Yin was no small matter. If he succeeded, the power of the woman's Yuan Yin would undoubtedly trigger his Three Yin Extinct Meridian. The Extreme Yin Cold Qi would assault his heart, and without a Spirit Medicine with Warm Yang Medicinal Properties to protect his heart meridians, he would be in grave danger.
He had to seize this opportunity to cleanse his Three Yin Extreme Body. Those people in the Qin Family were dead set on sacrificing him and definitely wouldn't let him off so easily. Once they discovered something was wrong here, they would surely send someone stronger to deal with him!
However, to Qin Feng's surprise, the little maid shook her head and said, "Young Master, have you forgotten? Our Qin Family is adjacent to the Barbaric Mountain Range. The mountains are rich in Spiritual Qi, so most of our Spirit Medicines are gathered from there. The Qin Family has no need to cultivate any medicinal fields!"
Qin Feng faltered, a strange glint flashing in his eyes as he thought to himself. 'The Barbaric Mountain Range… Why does that sound so familiar?'
He pondered for a long time before his eyes suddenly lit up. A long-buried memory surfaced in his mind. 'That's it! I think I read about this mountain range in an ancient text in my later years. It said that somewhere on the outskirts of the Barbaric Mountain Range, in an old temple, there was a small, hidden underground ruin. It was a small subterranean palace, an Alchemy site for some minor sect from Ancient Times. The ruins were said to hold an extremely rare and precious Elixir...'