He couldn't ask about Ji Yin’s situation, but he could still ask about some of the surrounding conditions of the small building.
“Second Senior Brother, what is planted in the fields outside the small building?”
“Those are Spirit Medicine planted by Master. It is said that if utilized properly, they can improve the Cultivation of us Cultivators.”
“When I just arrived, I saw a cave at the foot of the mountain, and a stone gate was set up in front of the cave.”
“That Immortal Cave is not an ordinary Immortal Cave; it is Master’s Immortal Cave for Alchemy.”
Zhang Cheng explained everything to Song Wen one by one, and he also did not forget to warn him.
“The outside Medicine Field and Immortal Cave, including the second floor, are all forbidden areas for us. If you do not have Master’s permission, you must not trespass.”
“Thank you, Senior Brother, for your guidance.”
In order to leave a good impression on his Senior Brother and Ji Yin, who might be listening to everything happening downstairs, and to establish an honest persona for himself, Song Wen did not ask many questions.
After kindly seeing Zhang Cheng off, Song Wen immediately began to Cultivate diligently.
Life in the small building was like being isolated from the world. Ji Yin also did not require Song Wen and the other two to do anything. Time passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, three days had passed, and the one-month period was over.
This morning, Song Wen got up and was about to head to the wing room area to start his daily morning lesson.
However, Senior Brother Er Niu informed him.
“Third Junior Brother, Master told me to inform you and Second Junior Brother that starting from today, there’s no need to go to the wing rooms for morning lessons anymore.”
Upon hearing this, Song Wen’s eyes narrowed slightly, and he looked far into the wing room area.
The wing room area, which used to be bustling with people, was now empty.
Er Niu noticed Song Wen’s actions and proactively explained.
“Master has already dismissed them. They have no immortal 緣 and cannot complete Qi Induction, so staying here has lost its meaning.”
A chill ran down Song Wen’s spine, a cold sensation shooting straight to his head, and he couldn’t help but shiver.
These young people were probably not dismissed, but rather had their bodies destroyed and traces erased, disappearing from this world forever.
Song Wen forced a smile onto his face.
“Thank you, Senior Brother, for letting me know, otherwise I might have made a wasted trip.”
Although Song Wen hid it well, the thought of over a hundred teenagers dying like that made him feel nauseous, disgusted, and terrified.
He didn't want to stay in the small building for a moment longer. He wanted to get as far away from Ji Yin as possible right now, to find a moment of peace in his heart.
“The morning air is nice. I’ll go for a walk in the courtyard.”
“I’ll go with you. I’ve been Cultivating these past few days, and I also feel a bit bored.”
Er Niu said. He had spent most of his time on the second floor these days, and Song Wen didn't know what he and Ji Yin were doing.
Song Wen nodded, and the two walked together towards the center of the courtyard.
As they walked, Song Wen inquired about Er Niu’s family situation.
Er Niu did not suspect anything and, in just a few sentences, revealed his entire family background.
Er Niu was born in a remote village. His family consisted of seven people, including his parents and five siblings. They relied on two small plots of land and hunting for a living, and their lives were extremely poor.
As the eldest child, he began following his father to hunt in the mountains and work in the fields when he was eight years old.
Due to his family's poverty, he originally had no chance to learn to read. However, the village's private tutor, seeing his family's difficulties, felt pity and allowed Er Niu to audit classes for free, which gave Er Niu the opportunity to learn to read.
When the two were far enough from the small building, Song Wen changed the subject and asked about Cultivation matters.
“Senior Brother, you’ve been Cultivating the longest, so your Cultivation should be the highest among us three. How is your Cultivation now?”
Er Niu fell into a brief hesitation, but after a moment, he still spoke.
“I am already at the Late Stage of Qi training first level.”
Song Wen was instantly dumbfounded, looking at Er Niu with disbelief.
He was certain that his own talent was definitely stronger than Er Niu’s, and his current Cultivation was still some distance from the Middle Stage of the first level, yet Er Niu was already at the Late Stage of the first level. This was simply unreasonable.
“How are you so fast?”
Er Niu’s expression became a bit troubled. After glancing around nervously, he whispered,
“Master doesn’t let me tell you. Master refined a Medicinal Pill called ‘Blood Qi Pill.’ After taking this Medicinal Pill, it can greatly and quickly improve one’s Cultivation. I only took one, and I went directly from the Early Stage of the first level to the Late Stage.”
“Blood Qi Pill?” Song Wen murmured inaudibly.
He instantly thought of Er Niu’s abnormality three days ago. He asked in a low voice,
“Are there any side effects after taking the ‘Blood Qi Pill’?”
“The Qi and blood depletion is severe. The day I first took it, I felt like I instantly aged several decades.”
Er Niu said truthfully. After a pause, he continued,
“However, Master has given me a lot of tonics these past few days, and I feel like my body has recovered now.”
“Master’s methods are truly powerful, being able to quickly improve our Cultivation. Master said that as long as I can reach Qi training second level, he will make me a Hall Master of the Tian Sha Gang. At that time, I will be able to receive several hundred taels of silver every month, which will improve my family’s life.”
As Er Niu spoke, his face was filled with respect for Ji Yin and yearning for the future.
Song Wen, however, felt a chill in his heart. His gaze kept examining Er Niu’s body.
On the surface, he indeed no longer showed the sickly appearance from three days ago. But Song Wen was not a doctor; he didn't understand diagnosis by observation, listening, questioning, and pulse-taking, so he couldn't see any internal problems with Er Niu’s body.
However, because Song Wen had always been wary of Ji Yin, he felt that things were probably not that simple.
If the ‘Blood Qi Pill’ had no other side effects, how could Ji Yin provide it to others for free instead of using it himself?
A flash of insight suddenly struck Song Wen. He instantly understood the reason why Ji Yin went to such great lengths to take disciples.
“Ji Yin is very likely using us to test Medicinal Pills!”
“Ji Yin’s previous disciples probably died from excessive Medicinal Pill testing, or lost their value and were killed by Ji Yin!”
This could explain why Ji Yin kept taking disciples, why all his previous disciples disappeared, and why the Tian Sha Gang members feared Ji Yin taking disciples.
A sense of crisis arose in Song Wen’s heart. Er Niu began testing Medicinal Pills twenty days after successfully achieving Qi Induction. It seemed that Song Wen did not have much time left.
He could only hope that Er Niu and Zhang Cheng ahead of him could hold on for a while longer, giving him a chance to escape.
After returning to the small building, Song Wen decided he couldn't wait any longer; he had to take the initiative. He needed to find out Ji Yin’s daily routine to prepare for his escape.
After these three days of observation, Ji Yin spent almost all his time on the second floor, and Song Wen wasn't sure exactly what he was doing.
Did he need to sleep normally, and if so, when?
Song Wen stood at the stairs leading to the second floor, composed himself, and walked up.