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It was quite similar to the ordinary medicinal herb he had saved before, its top leaves had withered and blackened, while only the leaves and stems near the root still appeared to hold a trace of vitality.

The soil in which it was planted was black.

Qin Niu pinched some of the soil to smell it, then brought it close to his eyes for a careful examination.

This type of soil belonged to the clay variety, containing acidic humus.

Based on the scent, it wasn’t just the decay of plant leaves and dead branches that could produce such fertilizer. It’s likely that animal carcasses had been buried in the soil and, as they decomposed naturally, they enhanced its fertility. Moreover, this process must be quite slow, otherwise the soil’s fertility wouldn’t be so even.

The deeper the fertility seeped into the soil, the milder its nature became. Otherwise, if the composting was done too hastily, it would damage the roots. Clay soil generally has poor aeration, but after Fang Family’s special preparation, it became not only loose and fertile, with a gentle nature, but also had excellent permeability. What’s more remarkable was its water retention, which was also outstanding.

This allowed it to maintain an ideally optimal level of moisture.

Just from this small handful of soil, one could deduce that the Fang Family kept a top cultivation master.

Also, there was a water storage tank behind this medicinal herb, each about two meters in height, formed from carved black rock.

There was a slight leakage of water.

In the water, there was a plant that Qin Niu was familiar with, the very same rootless aquatic grass.

He had especially bought two plants of the rootless aquatic grass for the little crow, to ensure it had a good water environment. While practicing the Everlasting Spring Technique, he had often moved the broken water vat aside, so that the two rootless aquatic grasses could also benefit from the nourishment.

They were currently growing very well, with a very strong effect on water purification.

At this moment, planted in this black rock carved water storage tank was a rootless aquatic grass.

However, it looked much stronger than the one Qin Niu was cultivating; it spread its branches and leaves in the water, not only looking very robust but also dispersing its branches throughout the entire water tank. It was continuously purifying the water inside.

He had thought that setting up this water tank was meant for slow drip irrigation for this nearly dead medicinal herb.

But it turned out that two methods of watering were being employed. One waterway was for drip irrigation, while another waterway had a clever pipeline, with the outlet sealed and pricked with some fine holes to create a mist.

When turned on, this mist could cover the entire medicinal herb.

The Fang Family really went to great lengths to take good care of this herb.

Qin Niu closed his eyes and felt carefully; he discovered that although this medicinal herb was about to die, the energy contained within was extremely considerable.

It was like a bundle of hot, raging fires burning intensely.

The energy contained in medicinal herbs could be classified into four types: cold, cool, warm, and hot.

This medicinal herb belonged to the hot type and was close to scorching hot. His Medicine King Sutra currently could only sense this much, and to further sense other characteristics of the plant, he probably had to wait at least until the Medicine King Sutra’s power reached the Acquired Realm.

Beyond that, he also discovered that the rootless aquatic grass in the water tank contained a considerable amount of cool energy.

It was mixed with a hint of cold aura.

“It seems to be a bit different from the energy contained in my rootless aquatic grass!” Qin Niu exclaimed with surprise.

Cold pertains to ice, hot to fire, continuously watering the herb with energy that carries cold air, isn’t that like having both ice and fire?

In fact, he had already felt that the blazing energy of the medicinal herb was gradually being suppressed by the watering with cold water.

It was as if a great flame was being slowly extinguished.

He wondered whether the cultivation of this medicinal herb was originally supposed to be like this, or if there was a problem with the rootless aquatic grass?

Qin Niu’s Everlasting Spring Technique could help the medicinal herb to recover its vitality, but if the root cause was not identified, it would fall into trouble again.

The Fang Family’s reward of a thousand taels was not easily claimed.

Accepting someone’s money binds one to do their bidding faithfully.

He would never dare to take the money without doing the work or to deceive the Fang Family. That would be like courting death.

The five ancestors of the Fang Family were all terrifyingly formidable, able to kill him with just a flick of their finger.

Below them, there were many family experts and employed guards, not to be offended by the current Qin Niu.

Young Master Fang, may I ask how long this medicinal herb has had problems?” Qin Niu inquired.

“About forty days or so. At first, it was just some spotting on the top tender leaves. As time went on, it gradually worsened, and the spots kept spreading downwards. We thought of many ways to treat it, but none were effective. We could only watch helplessly as it withered away, inch by inch,” Young Master Fang replied, his tone filled with helplessness.

As Young Master Fang talked about the medicinal herb, he seemed very helpless.

Before the herb had issues, did its surrounding environment change in any way?” Qin Niu continued.

“No! Nothing in its facility has changed. Lighting, air, irrigation, soil, even the stones used to build the garden have remained the same. Normally, the soil should be changed every three years, but there’s still over a year left, so it hasn’t been touched,” Young Master Fang explained.

Hearing Young Master Fang’s description, Qin Niu’s eyebrows knitted slightly. “Has Master Qin found any anomalies?” Young Master Fang, perceptive to nuances, sensed something was amiss.

“I don’t know what the previous growth environment of this herb was like. When I inspected it just now, I indeed found something that defied common sense, which is why I asked whether the herb’s environment had changed. How long has this rootless aquatic grass been planted here?” Qin Niu asked.

“For at least two or three hundred years. Has it caused problems?” Young Master Fang asked tentatively.

“I can’t be sure,” Qin Niu replied cautiously, not daring to make a hasty conclusion.

“Can we find water grass of a similar age?”

“We can find ones that are over a hundred years old, but it’s hard to find older ones in a short time. However, just give the Fang Family a few days, and we will certainly be able to get them.”

Young Master Fang appeared extremely confident.

This is the power of a great family. They have their own network of connections in every aspect and countless people working for the clan.

With just one command, if the whole family’s resources are leveraged, there’s hardly any herb they couldn’t find.

“First, bring a hundred-year-old specimen for me to see. I’ll compare it, and if this old water grass really has a problem, we’ll replace it. By the way, how is the water supplied? Could there be a problem?”

Qin Niu believed that the water grass constantly releasing cold energy was definitely not normal.

“The water supply is locally sourced, and direct descendants of our Fang Family are in control, so the likelihood of a problem is infinitesimal. Nonetheless, since Master Qin mentioned it, I will immediately dispatch someone to secretly investigate.”

Young Master Fang was not letting any clue go unnoticed.

“If possible, try not to let too many people know. I’m not certain yet whether there’s an issue with this water grass. If there is indeed a problem with it, then there are only two possibilities. Either the water grass has mutated over time, or someone has deliberately tampered with it.”

No sooner had Qin Niu finished speaking than he felt the surrounding air turn freezing cold; his body tensed up, and his soul trembled.

All five of the Fang Family’s elders opened their eyes simultaneously.

These five were actually eavesdropping on Qin Niu’s conversation with Young Master Fang while pretending to meditate.

“Fang Lian, if you find out that someone has tampered with this herb, remember to keep them alive. I want to see who dares to meddle with the foundations of the Fang Family,” a white-haired, shorter elder spoke indifferently to Young Master Fang.

Despite his unimpressive appearance, like a local earth deity, his status among the five Fang Family elders was likely the highest.

Because once he spoke, none of the others said anything further.

“Understood! They dare to attack the Fang Family during my father’s seclusion, thinking that I, Fang Lian, am too young to be a threat. If I find out who it is, I will exterminate their entire clan to deter others from coveting what belongs to the Fang Family.”

Young Master Fang, who looked to be just over thirty, spoke with a chillingly grandiose demeanor.

Wiping out an entire family seemed to him to be as trifling a matter as any. And from his tone, it seemed that he didn’t care which major family within Black Tiger City it was; he would dare to annihilate them just the same.

Qin Niu was getting a glimpse into the tip of the iceberg of Black Tiger City’s hidden strength.

Powerful families entrenched within the city were locked in fierce competition. Without substantial power, one’s life in the city was as insecure as that of an ant.

And this was just the Fang Family, already so powerful. What about the Lu Family, into which Wang Furen dreamed of marrying her daughter? How strong might they be?

Qin Niu had no idea.

He was just a minor character at the moment, not daring to get too involved with those top-tier families that were like huge immovable objects.

Young Master Fang activated the mechanism for the forbidden area, and the stone door opened again.

“Guard number one!”

“Present!”

A figure gradually emerged from the darkness.

“Bring over a water grass that’s over a hundred years old. Secretly investigate the water supply entering the forbidden area. Keep a close watch on Master Pang’s every move, but for now, don’t alert him…”

Young Master Fang issued a series of orders.

The guard’s figure disappeared.

Before long, a water grass, stored in a bucket, was brought over.

But the guard didn’t dare set foot in the forbidden area, only placing the item at the entrance.

Young Master Fang personally brought it in

And he carefully checked it before bringing it inside.

He made sure there was nothing abnormal before he brought it in.

The herbs and trees cultivated in the forbidden land were the core high-level strategic resources of the Fang Family.

They could not afford any mishaps.

Having an outsider like Qin Niu brought into the forbidden land made him extremely uneasy.

In his mind, he had already quickly thought through several life-saving plans. As long as he could escape back to Shuangf eng Village after leaving Black Tiger City, he would have the means to protect himself. The Ancient Banyan Tree was a natural maze, providing considerable protection.

The only downside was that he couldn’t hide inside it at night.

Because at night, all the living creatures inside would be indiscriminately killed by the tree.

“Master Qin, please check if this water grass is normal!”

Young Master Fang handed him the bucket.

Qin Niu closed his eyes again, feeling carefully.

The energy contained within this water grass was clearly less, which also indirectly indicated that it was much younger. But the energy was normal, belonging to cool energy, with no trace of cold energy.

“This one is normal,” Qin Niu said, with only four words.

“Could someone really have attacked the most crucial asset of the Fang Family? Despicable.”

Young Master Fang’s fists clenched tightly, cracking with tension.

“I suggest we replace all the water in this pool and store the replaced water in tanks. Then cultivate the normal water grass in there. This way, we can find out if there’s a problem with the pool water.”

Qin Niu himself couldn’t be sure where the problem lay.