Chapter 104: The Rise of the Midnight Thief

Lin Fan paid no mind to the scene at the mountain gate; it had nothing to do with him. Now that the excitement was over, it was time to leave.

The disciples waiting at the mountain gate wore expressions uglier than the next—some were deeply grieved, others sighed repeatedly, looking utterly helpless.

After returning to the sect, Lin Fan found that Zhang Ergou and Feng Bujue were getting along quite well.

Feng Bujue's cultivation was far superior to Zhang Ergou's—a world of difference—yet Feng Bujue actually called Zhang Ergou "Senior Brother."

This surprised Lin Fan a bit; he wondered what method Zhang Ergou had used.

Night fell.

Zhang Ergou and Feng Bujue had long since returned to their wooden hut to rest. Lin Fan gazed at the night sky, sighed softly, and stared into the endless void with deep, penetrating eyes.

"Stealing—I, Lin Fan, find it despicable. But to help my disciple regain his masculine vigor, it's understandable." Before leaving, Lin Fan comforted himself with this thought, then his figure melted into the darkness, silent and unseen.

Danding Peak, the residence of the herb garden disciples.

What Lin Fan didn't know was that ever since the giant ship appeared, the Saint Sect had been in a state of tension.

This forbidden ground trial had cost the Saint Sect dearly.

"Senior Brother, I heard that eight top inner disciples died in this trial. Senior Brother Zong was beyond saving, and Senior Brother Tianyu's foundation was shattered by an enemy disciple. He's now on the verge of becoming a cripple."

"Today, the Grand Elder came to the herb garden and selected a few herbs, probably to refine a pill to stabilize Senior Brother Tianyu's foundation. Who knows if it will succeed."

"Sigh, this is the first time in a hundred years the Saint Sect has failed. I wonder which sect's disciple managed to suppress Senior Brother Zong."

"Let's sleep. Matters like these are beyond us. We just need to guard the herb garden well."

"Mm."

Gradually, the lights in the room dimmed, merging with the darkness.

At that moment, Lin Fan's figure appeared silently in the herb garden. The endless expanse of herbs, blending into the darkness, seemed somewhat eerie.

If someone were timid, they might have been scared out of their wits.

Now, Lin Fan could only rely on his herb-identifying ability to make selections.

"Ding, congratulations on discovering the herb Zhulanxiang."

"Zhulanxiang: Mild in nature, effective for promoting blood flow and Qi."

Lin Fan touched a herb, and a description appeared in his mind. But this herb was of no use to him, so he moved on to touch another.

"Ding, congratulations on discovering the herb Tieshihua."

"Tieshihua: Strong in nature, effective for tempering the body."

...

He touched one herb after another, shaking his head in disappointment each time.

Not suitable. Completely unsuitable.

Not even close in effect. Could it be that in this vast herb garden, there wasn't a single similar herb?

But seeing that there was still a large area of the garden he hadn't tested, Lin Fan calmed down and continued trying slowly.

The moonlight was dim that night, occasionally hiding behind clouds. In the vast herb garden, a figure stealthily crept about, though to others, the garden seemed empty.

"Ding, congratulations on discovering Lieyangcao."

"Lieyangcao: Strong in nature, effective for replenishing Qi and enhancing vitality."

At this, Lin Fan stopped. The Lieyangcao had a red stem and only three leaves, looking rather bare.

"This herb will do."

In Lin Fan's view, this herb's ability to replenish Qi and enhance vitality should help with male virility.

Then Lin Fan continued searching for herbs. Finding the first reliable herb was like a shot in the arm; surely there were more herbs he needed in this garden.

...

The sky gradually brightened.

The disciples guarding the herb garden began their work at sunrise every day.

Several disciples carried buckets and hoes, ready to loosen the spiritual soil of the garden. Just as people need to breathe, so do herbs.

"Ah... Senior Brother, come quick!" At that moment, a piercing scream came from another direction.

The disciples, each busy with their tasks, heard the sound and were puzzled, then hurried over. "What's wrong?"

"Senior Brother, look." The terrified disciple pointed at the herb garden, his body trembling slightly as he spoke.

"This..." The disciples who followed, upon seeing the scene before them, stood frozen in place.

The herbs in that large patch of garden were all gone.

The spiritual soil, as if dug up by a dog, bore witness to the devastation.

"How is this possible? It was fine yesterday. How did it become like this?" The disciple's face was pale with fear, his voice stammering.

This was the most important place on Danding Peak. If the Grand Elder found out that due to their negligence, this patch of garden had been dug up, what would they do?

The few of them looked at each other, completely at a loss.

"Senior Brother, come quick! Something big has happened here!"

At that moment, another cry of alarm came from a distant part of the garden.

Everyone's faces changed simultaneously. Had something else happened?

When they arrived and saw that this patch of garden was also empty, with not a single herb left, their hearts, which had been pounding, seemed to stop.

It was over. Truly over.

A large number of herbs had been stolen. They would be in serious trouble.

That thief was utterly detestable.

"Quick, check what herbs were stolen!" a senior brother in charge of the garden roared.

Before long, the disciples who had gone to investigate returned.

"Senior Brother, Herb Garden No. 1 lost Lieyangcao, No. 2 lost Qingxiancao, No. 3 lost Huogenxian..."

Listening to the junior disciples' reports, the senior brother's face turned even paler. Then he spat out a mouthful of blood and fainted.

...

On Nameless Peak.

Lin Fan had no idea how many people were terrified by his herb theft last night.

At that moment, Lin Fan woke up leisurely. After returning to Nameless Peak with the stolen herbs, he had fallen asleep.

As for alchemy, Lin Fan wasn't in a hurry. He would take his time figuring it out after waking up.

The herbs he had swept up last night were enough for his experiments.

Now, Lin Fan took out one Lieyangcao, one Qingxiancao, and one Huogenxian.

Among the herbs in the garden, only these three had suitable properties. He wondered what kind of pill they would produce—it was quite exciting.

Outside the hut, Feng Bujue and Zhang Ergou were each cultivating in their own rooms. Both had the Suyuan Pills Lin Fan had given them to speed up their cultivation. Feng Bujue wasn't stingy and had taught Zhang Ergou the techniques and mental methods he knew.

As for when the Sect Leader would teach them techniques, they had hoped for it, but since he showed no intention, they weren't anxious.

In their view, the Sect Leader would teach them one day.

Just then, a roar came from the Sect Leader's wooden hut.

Feng Bujue and Zhang Ergou immediately opened their eyes, startled, then quickly got up and rushed to the Sect Leader's hut.