Since the mysterious disappearance of that family twenty years ago, it had gradually faded from his memory. If things had ended there, that family would have remained just a distant memory for Elder Huang, slowly forgotten.

But a little over two months ago, a mysterious figure in black suddenly appeared, finding him directly. This person traded a single 'Clarity Pill' for a piece of jade that possessed 'spiritual energy,' and then demanded more jade and rare herbs imbued with spiritual energy.

Elder Huang felt a sense of familiarity with the scene at the time, but he couldn't recall the source immediately.

After the encounter, Elder Huang slowly sifted through his thoughts and finally remembered that buried history from twenty years ago.

It was then that he suddenly realized how strikingly similar the mysterious man in black was to that enigmatic family that once ruled all ten major factions of Pingzhou. He had missed a perfect opportunity to establish a connection with this mysterious figure.

This realization made him sigh with deep regret.

If the man in black was indeed a member of that family, it meant the mysterious clan was about to reappear in Pingzhou territory. Given this family's terrifying strength and methods, unifying the ten major factions of Pingzhou would be a trivially easy task for them.

Although this family had ruled the ten major factions of Pingzhou with an iron fist for nearly a century, they were only interested in collecting spiritual artifacts and had no interest whatsoever in the trivialities of the Jianghu power struggles or the mundane administrative affairs of the various guilds.

The family had a custom of supporting a designated proxy to handle matters between the family and the Jianghu factions of Pingzhou, serving as the daily point of contact.

Over twenty years ago, the proxy supported by this family was the former leader of the Medicine King Gang.

It was precisely because of this connection that the Medicine King Gang, which was merely a mid-tier faction ranked dozens of places down in the Jianghu hierarchy back then, soared up like a firework rocket, instantly vaulting into the ranks of the ten major factions of Pingzhou.

What Elder Huang desired most intensely was the hope of becoming this family's worldly proxy.

If he could establish contact with a member of this mysterious family as soon as they re-emerged, and persuade them to appoint him, Huang Jinhu, as their proxy, then he would become the supreme leader overseeing the secular affairs of all ten major factions of Pingzhou.

At that point, he would no longer be merely the Chief Elder of the Treasure Sect; he would be the agent reigning supreme over the entire hierarchy of the ten major factions. What magnificent prestige that would be.

Every day, every moment, the thought caused Elder Huang's heart to heat up almost to the point of boiling over.

However, by the time he fully grasped these possibilities, it already felt somewhat late.

The mysterious man in black had vanished without a trace after trading for the spirit stones two months prior, never to reappear. A black cloak and wide hat—that was the most common disguise in the Jianghu for concealing identity, making it impossible to track the person's whereabouts.

For over a month, Elder Huang had been consumed by regret and sorrow, regretting desperately that he hadn't detained the mysterious man in black, hadn't engaged in deeper conversation. He didn't know the man's temporary lodging, nor did he know how to proactively seek him out; he could only wait for the man in black to approach him again to exchange for more jade.

But Elder Huang waited for nearly two full months, and the black-clad figure still had not shown himself again, leaving him anxious, tormented day and night.

When the muscular guard rushed in to report that a man in black, carrying his Treasure Token, had arrived at the trading venue, Elder Huang felt a surge of joy so profound it was as if a massive mountain of gold had slammed into his forehead.

He has come! The mysterious man in black has finally reappeared!

Truly, Heaven does not fail those who persevere. Thank goodness he had kept a single Treasure Token to give to that mysterious man in black; otherwise, he would have no idea how to identify the correct figure from the mysterious family among the masses in the vast expanse of Zhuqi County.

Excited, Elder Huang’s pace quickened by another fraction.

On the third floor of the Yongfu Tower, under the respectful gaze of several powerfully built guards, Ye Qin slightly lowered his hat and stepped into the third-floor hall of the trading venue.

The spacious hall was illuminated by numerous ornate and exquisite colored-glass lamps, blazing brightly. In the very center was the exhibition platform, where a broker was demonstrating the sharpness of a prized saber to the assembled crowd.

In the rest of the hall, approximately one hundred VIP tables were arranged.

There were about two to three hundred guests present in the entire trading floor, drinking wine, bidding on treasures, making the atmosphere quite lively.

These guests attending the trade fair fell into two categories.

One group consisted of high-ranking officials from the various major factions, always arriving in clusters.

The other group comprised renowned lone heroes, who usually operated independently.

Those qualified to attend this small-scale treasure trade fair, personally hosted by Elder Huang, the Chief Elder of the Treasure Sect, included the leadership tier of every faction in Pingzhou—at least individuals at the level of Section Leaders, Deputy Hall Masters, Elders, or Revered Guests.

Each faction occupied a single table, yet the space did not appear crowded.

The remaining few dozen scattered lone figures were also respected, independent martial artists. They sat in small groups of two or three, speaking little, perhaps drinking or observing the proceedings, occasionally chatting about the latest developments in the Pingzhou Jianghu.

There were quite a few lone heroes like Ye Qin, wearing hats and black attire, concealing their identities to attend the trade fair.

The people from the major factions had deep backgrounds and did not care if others knew they possessed treasures. However, some lone adventurers did not wish for their identity or origins to be known, nor did they want others to know they were the ones acquiring treasures, thus paying close attention to keeping their identities secret to avoid potential ambushes.

Ye Qin casually swept his gaze across the hall, intending to find a secluded spot to sit.

His eyelids suddenly twitched violently.

Ye Qin spotted several familiar faces seated at a table in the very front row of the venue: Hall Master Li the Great Benefactor, Deputy Hall Master Ma, and Deputy Hall Master Ji, all from the Herb Gathering Hall. As the Chief and Deputy Hall Masters of the Herb Gathering Hall, which was under the Medicine King Gang, they were the local hosts for the "Medicine and Herb Trade Convention" organized by the Medicine King Gang; thus, their status was naturally highly significant. Consequently, their seating was positioned in the most prominent area of the entire trading floor.

A conspicuous wooden plaque rested on their table: "Medicine King Gang, Seat Number One."

Ye Qin was puzzled. Although the Herb Gathering Hall was affiliated with the Medicine King Gang, in Zhuqi County, members of the Herb Gathering Hall usually identified themselves solely as part of the Herb Gathering Hall, rarely mentioning the Medicine King Gang. Therefore, in most public settings, the name "Herb Gathering Hall" was used almost exclusively. What was going on today that they brought out the grand banner of the Medicine King Gang?

A total of six people were seated at the Medicine King Gang's table.

Ye Qin’s gaze swept over the three individuals sharing the table with Elders Li, Ma, and Ji.

Among those three, one was a richly dressed youth whose eyebrows held a hint of flippancy, mixed with a touch of arrogance, and whose nose and mouth were slightly crooked. This youth was pointing at the prized saber on the display platform, murmuring criticisms.

The other two were solemn-faced elders, their complexions ruddy, their temples visibly full and taut, clearly indicating they were top-tier internal energy masters with profound cultivation bases.

Yet, Li, Ma, Ji, and the two solemn elders—all five top experts—were watching the richly dressed youth's expression, constantly flattering him with smiles and effusive praise. The youth, however, clearly enjoyed the blatant flattery directed at him.

Ye Qin felt a sense of bewilderment.

He had never seen Elder Li, Ma, or Ji treat anyone with such deference before.

Furthermore, tonight was the critical juncture where Li the Great Benefactor’s chief disciple, Xie Yun, was scheduled for the wheel-style challenge, aiming to break through to the seventh round. Instead of paying attention to Xie Yun's progress, they were all accompanying this richly dressed youth at the trade fair. Just who was this youth?!

Recently, disciples in the hall had been circulating rumors that high-ranking officials from the Medicine King Gang headquarters were coming down to supervise. It was rumored that the Medicine King Gang Leader, Li Hong, intended for his son to earn merit during the preparations for this convention. Could this person be the Young Leader of the Medicine King Gang, Li Pingxi? If so, his presence here was most likely related to the medicinal convention.

A thought flashed through Ye Qin's mind.

He strolled over to a secluded table, not too far from the Medicine King Gang's table, intending to eavesdrop on their conversation. With his hearing, he could perceive every sound, down to the flutter of a mosquito's wings, within a radius of several dozen zhang in the hall.