In Fifth Young Master Qin Muhai's residence, he was teasing a pretty maidservant. The soft, charming voice of a young woman, tinged with a hint of flirtation, echoed from the playful chase in the courtyard.
As an Illegitimate Son of the Third House, he held the title of Young Master, but it was a title in name only. The root cause was the distinction between the direct and illegitimate lines.
What was the Direct Lineage? Legitimate Sons and daughters were the children of the primary wife, while illegitimate sons and daughters were typically born to concubines.
Illegitimate sons and daughters held a low status, were looked down upon, and were rarely given important roles. Even with outstanding talent, the best they could hope for was to become fangs and claws—enforcers for their Direct Lineage siblings. In contrast, Direct Lineage Disciples enjoyed the best treatment from birth. The family's inherited Secret Techniques were fully open to them, and resources were endlessly poured into their development.
They could easily obtain accomplishments that others struggled for years to achieve.
The Third House had three sons. Two were from the direct line: Fourth Young Master Qin Mubing and Sixth Young Master Qin Muyun. The Fifth Young Master, Qin Muhai, was an Illegitimate Son. Despite being from the same house, Qin Muhai hated his brothers from the bottom of his heart. This hatred was deep-seated, like an unbreakable Demon Spell running through the Qin Family's bloodline.
Its origins were tied to the complex struggles between the Direct Lineage and the side branches.
In the courtyard, a figure hurried over. "Reporting to the Fifth Young Master, there's activity at the Sixth Young Master's gate!"
Qin Muhai shoved the beautiful girl from his arms and shot to his feet. Ignoring the girl's resentful, coquettish gaze, he demanded in a rushed tone, "Quick, tell me! Did Lao Liu get something good again? Did Father send someone to give him Bone Tempering Pills again?! That hateful man, how can he be so biased! Just because I'm an Illegitimate Son, does that mean I'm not his real son?! Why does he treat me this way!"
A hint of fury flashed in Qin Muhai's eyes. His five fingers clamped around the servant's collar like an iron hook, nearly choking the man.
Bone Tempering Pills were one of the essential Elixirs for a Cultivator. When just beginning one's Cultivation, these Elixirs could rapidly temper one's bones, cleanse impurities from the body, and improve physical constitution. A good physique allowed one's Cultivation to achieve twice the results with half the effort.
The importance of the Bone Tempering Pill to a Cultivator was self-evident. Moreover, such an Elixir was of considerable value on the market, costing thirty taels of Gold for a single one. Thirty or forty taels of Gold was equivalent to over a hundred taels of silver, a price that no one but the wealthiest families could afford. Others would have to sell their homes and themselves just to buy one.
Qin Muhai's talent was average. At his age, it was a crucial time to strive and catch up, so he desperately needed this kind of Elixir. Hearing that his father had once again sent Elixirs to his brothers, how could he not be furious?
"N-no, that's not it, Fifth Young Master. The Master didn't send the Sixth Young Master any Bone Tempering Pills!" the servant stammered, his face red as he trembled.
"Was it a Body Tempering Pill then?" Qin Muhai's expression changed, the fury in his eyes growing even more intense.
"That's not it either!" The servant, shaking with fear, waved his hands frantically.
"Then what was it? You worthless trash, spit it out!" Qin Muhai glared, and a frosty aura emanated from him.
The servant shuddered and, in a single, rushed breath, blurted out everything he knew. "It's the Sixth Young Master! The Sixth Young Master followed the Ninth Young Master out. It seems he's discovered the Ninth Young Master's secret?"
"The Ninth Young Master? What kind of secret could that waste, Qin Feng, possibly have?" Qin Muhai threw the servant to the ground, a strange light flashing in his eyes. 'Didn't I cripple him? How is he already up and about? It seems there really is a secret to this Qin Feng!'
'No, I can't let Lao Liu have all the benefits for himself!' Thinking of his younger brother, a chilling expression appeared on Qin Muhai's face. He was about to step through the main gate when he suddenly paused, muttering to himself.
'Should I inform Lao Qi? I'm relying on Lao Qi now to keep the Fourth and Lao Liu in check. Although I'm not truly loyal and just want to get some benefits, Lao Qi's strength is far beyond anything I can compare to. That little bastard Lao Liu is Father's favorite. Father always sends people to secretly give him Elixirs and Cultivation Techniques, thinking I don't know. Lao Liu is already at the peak of the Martial Arts Second Layer Heaven, just one step away from breaking through to the Martial Arts Three Heavens. Meanwhile, I can only rely on my own efforts. Even though I skimmed that waste Qin Feng's monthly allowance to get an extra Bone Tempering Pill, I'm still struggling to even reach the Martial Arts Second Realm Mid Stage. The Martial Arts Three Heavens is a distant dream. How can I possibly compete with Lao Liu, who's at the peak of the Martial Arts Second Layer Heaven?!'
After a moment's hesitation, his eyes glinted as he pondered. 'No, I can't tell Lao Qi. Lao Qi is too strong; I'm no match for him. If he finds out, even if there is a secret, I won't even get the scraps. I'm better off notifying the Eldest, Qin Shu. His talent is average. Although his Cultivation is at the Martial Arts Three Heavens, his actual strength isn't that great, and he's always been suppressed by Lao Qi. On the surface, he seems diligent and content to make way for Lao Qi, but I know he's definitely resentful and frustrated. If I team up with him, we should be able to hold Lao Liu in check. After we get the benefits, we can split them evenly!'
At this thought, Qin Muhai's eyes lit up. He summoned two trusted servants and ordered, "There are many spies from the other young masters at the manor's front gate. You two take the secret underground passage and go find the First Young Master immediately. Tell him I have an important matter to discuss with him and to come quickly. Remember, don't let a word of this leak!"
"Yes, Fifth Young Master!" The two servants scurried off towards the house.
'Oh, Lao Jiu, Lao Jiu, I'd like to see what tricks you're playing. Is it just as the Clan Leader said, that Qin Zhan really left a secret for you? It doesn't matter if you have a secret or not—it will be mine!' Watching the two servants leave, Qin Muhai muttered to himself, a cold sneer in his eyes.
...
'Heh, more dogs are on my tail!' Less than fifteen minutes after leaving the Qi Yang Mountain Range, Qin Feng detected signs of someone following him. The old Demon's mind was cunning and treacherous. Recalling the last time he was tailed, he instantly knew he was being targeted.
It was easy to guess who they were. It was either people from the Qin Family Master or one of the other young masters. In any case, whoever it was, they certainly had ill intentions.
Although he didn't know why they were following him, Qin Feng had plenty of ways to shake them off. He followed the edge of the Qi Yang Mountain Range, came to the outer ring of the Manghuang Mountain Range, and began to wander about, deliberately heading for remote and difficult-to-traverse areas.
"Bastard, he's using that trick again! Trying to use the terrain to shake me off? Dream on! You think I'll fall for the same trick twice? I brought Scale Dogs this time!" Behind him, Qin Muyun sneered. Several of his guards were leading a few strange, small, dog-like Fierce Beasts that were sniffing around everywhere.
The Scale Dog was an extremely ferocious and small dog-like Fierce Beast with a sensitive nose. Its limbs were short, and it was exceptionally good at tracking. Most importantly, it was fiercely loyal. Its entire body was covered in slippery, snake-like scales, and with a little training, it could be used to guard a residence.
"Young Master, this is bad! The Ninth Young Master is gone!" a burly guard suddenly exclaimed.
Qin Muyun flew into a rage. He looked up, and sure enough, Qin Feng's trail had vanished again in the vast mountain forest. Flustered and exasperated, he roared, "You bunch of wastes! Don't you know how to give chase?"
"We can't!" the guards replied, their heads hanging low.
Qin Muyun was so angry he laughed. He was about to ask why when a series of grunts and whines reached his ears. Turning his head, he was left dumbfounded. The few Scale Dogs were getting busy with each other.
He pointed dazedly at the Scale Dogs and asked, "What are these beasts doing?"
"Mating!" the servants answered honestly.
Qin Muyun exploded with fury. "Are you blind?! I'm asking you, why don't they normally mate? Why do they have to start mating the moment we put them to work?!"
The servants were speechless. They were also wondering to themselves. These Scale Dogs clearly weren't in their mating season, so why would they pick this critical moment to do... that.
...
Having shaken off the group, Qin Feng turned to look back at the woods and chuckled coldly. 'They thought they could track me with Scale Dogs? Wishful thinking.' He had already prepared for this. It might have looked like he was just wandering left and right through the forest, but he had actually taken the opportunity to spread a type of aphrodisiac powder in the air. The scent of this powder was extremely faint and unnoticeable to most creatures, causing them no effect. However, the Scale Dogs' noses were so sensitive that they could easily smell it, become stimulated, and go into heat.