A month later. The Herb Gathering Hall, a small courtyard stone hut. “It wasn’t as dangerous as I imagined! In the month we went into the mountains, we barely did anything, yet we easily earned over two hundred copper coins in rewards. The three-year training period as a Herb Gathering Apprentice will pass quickly, and we’ll save up quite a bit of money. Once we become full Herb Gathering Apprentices, the earnings will surely be higher, enough to find a pretty little wife!” Feng Xiao proudly tossed a bulging little coin purse, speaking cheerfully to Ye Qin.

Because Feng Xiao had been “wandering” around during the herb gathering trips, occasionally picking up some low-grade herbs, he received the largest reward among the four. Yang Yicheng, Qian Ruoxiu, and Sun Ying received slightly less, around one hundred and forty or fifty coins each. Ye Qin, burdened with his herb basket, hadn’t collected a single herb and only received about a hundred copper coins’ worth of hard labor pay.

After returning to the county town, Xie Ze distributed the rewards according to their contributions.

Ye Qin smiled, a touch of bitterness in his heart. Who let him be practicing the Endurance and Hardship Merit? During the Herb Gathering Apprentice training period, he was the one earning the least among them. If the result would be the same three years later when they became full Apprentices, the reason was simple: the internal art he practiced wasn't very suited for herb gathering. Feng Xiao practiced the Lightness Skill, making him the most suitable.

With a "bang," Yang Yicheng pushed open the wooden door from outside, his face grim and ugly, his eyes vacant. Without a word, he climbed onto his bed, lay down with his back to them, and remained silent.

“Huh? Senior Apprentice Brother, what’s wrong? Why such a temper?” Feng Xiao called out curiously.

Ye Qin glanced over, also secretly wondering. He had known Yang Yicheng for so long and had never seen him lose his temper like this. He had only just returned from an outside trip two days ago, having earned a hundred copper coins. Why had his mood soured so terribly after just one evening trip out?

Qian Ruoxiu and Sun Ying followed soon after, walking in from outside.

Ye Qin and Feng Xiao couldn’t help but look at the two women. Qian Ruoxiu’s lips were slightly pale.

“Dead, two are dead!” Feng Xiao was greatly alarmed. “Dead—what do you mean, two dead?” “The other few teams sent out to gather herbs have returned, but two Herb Gathering Apprentices are dead. One of them was an acquaintance of Senior Apprentice Brother, a companion he grew up with.” Qian Ruoxiu’s eyes filled with tears.

Bamboo Qí County town was small, and many of the children in the town knew each other. Even if they weren't close, they had seen each other. Feng Xiao was stunned, unable to recover for a long time.

Ye Qin was also frozen. It had only been a month, and two people were already dead. After the three-year training period ended, how many of this batch of over forty Herb Gathering Apprentices would survive?

Ye Qin felt a sudden chill run through him, and the air in the stone hut seemed to grow colder. The saying that the path of a Herb Gathering Apprentice was fraught with peril—nine deaths for every one life—was clearly no rumor.

Ye Qin wasn't frightened by the grim news and asked calmly. “How did those two Herb Gathering Apprentices die?”

Qian Ruoxiu shook her head. “We don’t know. The apprentices from those teams who returned looked even more dejected than Senior Apprentice Brother, but they wouldn't say anything. However, judging by their tone, it seemed they fell while gathering some precious medicinal material.”

Ye Qin shook his head. Even a fool knew they didn't just die from falling during herb gathering. Otherwise, apprentices who had practiced martial arts for over half a year, often led by more skilled Herb Gathering Artisans, wouldn't die so easily. He said, “We must know exactly how they died to figure out how to avoid future danger. Fourth Junior Sister, Fifth Junior Sister, you are from the county town and are familiar with the situation here. Go and ask the apprentices you know for the exact sequence of events.”

Yang Yicheng suddenly flipped over, his eyes showing a few streaks of scarlet blood vessels. “No need to ask, I know how they died!”

Ye Qin looked at him in surprise.

Yang Yicheng said hatefully, “I knew the apprentices from those two teams. One team said they found a century-old precious Black Grass on a cliff in a secluded valley. But the location was almost a sheer drop, and the rock face was extremely sharp, the wind cutting like knives, making the ropes very prone to snapping. The Herb Gathering Artisan himself was unwilling to risk it, so he sent an apprentice who knew the Lightness Skill up, but he lost his footing and was scraped off into the valley, losing his life. The other team found a rare herb in the river valley; the Artisan also refused to risk it himself and sent my brother, who knew the Lightness Skill, up. He lost his footing, and in the blink of an eye, he was swept away by the water. These Herb Gathering Artisans are all scum, using our lives as apprentices to ensure their own safety!”

Ye Qin, Qian Ruoxiu, and Sun Ying looked back at Feng Xiao in the stone hut, shocked by these words. Among them, only Feng Xiao knew the Lightness Skill. If that day came when the Master Artisan Xie Ze needed someone to take his place to take risks gathering herbs... Feng Xiao would surely be the first.

Feng Xiao’s face had long turned ashen, and he was paralyzed with fear, clutching his head, unable to listen further. “How could this happen? Everything was fine, why do people have to die?” His pleasant mood from earning two hundred copper coins had vanished completely. If he lost his life, what use was such money?

Ye Qin remained silent. He thought of a further problem. If Feng Xiao died, who would be next to take his place? Probably one of Qian Ruoxiu or Sun Ying, given their agility. Then Yang Yicheng and he, who only possessed physical strength. With every death, his own danger increased. Therefore, no matter what, they had to protect Feng Xiao. Only if Feng Xiao lived would they all be safe.

Ye Qin shared this thought with Qian Ruoxiu, Sun Ying, and Yang Yicheng. They all agreed, willing to do their utmost to keep Feng Xiao safe.

They rested in the county town for two or three days.

When Xie Ze was ready to enter the mountains to gather herbs, the five of them naturally had to follow and set out again into the deep mountains. However, this time they had no leisure or cheerfulness left; their minds were heavy, and they kept stealing glances at Xie Ze with strange looks, as if he were a man-eating demon.

Feng Xiao, in particular, was extremely dispirited, having no interest whatsoever in using his Lightness Skill to pick up any herbs. He wished desperately that he hadn't learned the Lightness Skill at all, lest he die faster.

Yang Yicheng, Qian Ruoxiu, and Sun Ying also had no heart to hunt for insects, snakes, or wild beasts. Although they were only eleven or twelve years old, most came from poor backgrounds and had grown up enduring hardship, making them relatively mature in certain aspects. They were highly wary of those harboring malicious intent.

Xie Ze had already noticed their strange expressions and knew the reason, but he paid them no mind, walking at an unhurried pace. He only let out a cold sneer in secret occasionally, thinking to himself: What does it matter if you guard against me? When I need to use you, I naturally will. Can you even resist?

Only Ye Qin followed five paces behind Xie Ze, carrying his herb basket, remaining low-key at all times.

Spring gave way to winter, year after year. The three-year training period as Herb Gathering Apprentices passed quickly.

During these three years, sometimes several apprentices would die in one month, and sometimes not even one would die over several months. It entirely depended on whether they encountered precious medicinal materials, how dangerous the growing locations were, and whether the apprentice sent up lost their footing. If none of the above three points occurred, usually no one would die under normal circumstances.

In the first year, the Herb Gathering Apprentices lacked experience, and the most deaths occurred—a full seven. In the following two years, the number of deaths clearly decreased, but there were always a few each year.

Ye Qin’s group was slightly luckier.

Over these three years, Xie Ze only made Feng Xiao substitute five times.

Feng Xiao was timid. Stirred by Yang Yicheng, and knowing he couldn't escape the fate of being sent up, he desperately practiced his Lightness Skill in grief and indignation, managing to push the Cloud-Treading Step to the Third Layer realm. Given his playful nature, achieving the Third Layer was no small feat.

Coupled with the full assistance of Ye Qin, Yang Yicheng, Qian Ruoxiu, and Sun Ying, they successfully weathered the three-year apprentice training period.