Yunying Town, Quinn Clan’s Herb Garden.

Ethan Quinn stood in the middle of the herb fields, frowning, a storm brewing behind his eyes.

He hadn’t expected that the first thing he'd have to deal with after returning ten thousand years into the past... was finding medicine to heal his own injuries.

A month ago, during the Quinn Clan Academy’s contest, he'd been stabbed through the chest by his own fiancée, Sophia Harper.

The attack shattered his heart meridian, knocking his cultivation from Body Tempering Stage One down to merely Blood Qi Stage Seven—and now he was rapidly sliding toward Stage Five.

If it kept on like this, his fate would mirror that of his previous life: a cripple on the path of martial cultivation.

No. That mistake wouldn't happen again.

With the skills he'd honed over ten millennia as a divine-grade alchemist, a damaged heart meridian was far from unsolvable.

As long as he could get the Seven-Leaf Xinglong Grass, he could slow the blood loss and suppress the injury.

Thankfully, the Quinn Clan's herb garden had planted it.

Seven-Leaf Xinglong Grass was a tier-one spiritual herb, rarely used, and stashed in the outer plots among other uncommon plants.

But…

Most of those herbs were wilting now, their leaves drooping lifelessly in the soil.

And not just that—other herbs nearby were withered too.

Ethan’s brows tightened as he crouched, inspecting the roots.

“The roots are exposed... been moved recently.”

“Replanting spiritual herbs with such careless hands? Wasteful idiots.”

He shifted to another patch.

The spiritual spring's irrigation was disrupted too.

And then—he caught sight of a few glaringly red plants.

That was... Liyang Grass?

“…Now it makes sense.”

A clear picture formed in his mind.

The saboteur had no technique to speak of—everything was sloppy and obvious.

Liyang Grass had strict requirements. It had to be planted in shaded soil and kept a good distance from other herbs. Get it wrong, and it'd poison the whole patch.

Whoever brought in the Liyang Grass... that was the culprit.

“ASher Quinn!”

Ethan called out.

“Here, sir,” the voice answered at once.

Asher Quinn, the guard captain in charge of the garden, stepped forward from behind. He was a Body Tempering Stage Two cultivator—strong by local standards.

Seeing the state of the spirit field, Asher’s face darkened.

He explained quickly, “The Young Master of the Harper clan handed the garden over to us just half a month ago. I’ve been irrigating it as instructed—anything else, I don’t know.”

Three years ago, when Sophia Harper and Ethan got engaged, the herb garden was handed over to her brother, Samson Harper. But after the academy duel, Ethan’s father took it back in a rage, cutting all ties with the Harper family.

Now, it was temporarily under Asher’s care.

Hmph. That excuse won’t save you.

Ethan stayed silent, weaving through the garden.

Asher followed, uneasy.

The further Ethan walked, the more ruined patches he found.

By the time they reached the inner fields, cold sweat was running down Asher’s back.

Especially when they encountered signs of damage on the mid-tier herb—Sky Net Fruit. The once vibrant plants were shedding leaves, turning yellow.

Asher’s face went pale. He was sweating like he'd been drenched in the spring itself.

Though this garden was managed by Ethan and his father, it ultimately belonged to the Quinn family’s main branch in the capital.

And this patch, insignificant as it might seem, was one of the few places that could grow Sky Net Fruit in Yunying Town's unique climate.Tianluo Fruit was the core ingredient for Body Tempering Pills—vital for any cultivator on the Body Tempering path.

All other herbs could fail, no problem. But once the Tianluo supply got cut, part of the Quinn family’s profits would take a hard hit. This wasn’t a small matter. The entire Cloudshadow Town branch could get dragged into it.

“Master Ethan! We need to report this fast—get a real alchemist here to fix it!”

Asher Quinn finally panicked.

Just then, a guard rushed in.

“Samson Harper from the Harper family’s here, just outside the valley.”

At the mention of that name, Ethan Quinn’s eyes darkened. Memories long buried surged back—painful flashes of his youth.

Samson.

He narrowed his eyes, a cold edge creeping into his gaze.

“The herb field has nothing to do with him anymore. What’s he here for?”

“To help you, obviously,” came a smug voice.

Ignoring the guards outside, Samson Harper strode in with four attendants, pushing his way through as if he owned the place.

“You’ve got some nerve.”

Asher drew his sword with a steely clang. “How dare you trespass on Quinn property.”

Samson just laughed, not a hint of fear in his voice.

“I’ve been running this herb field for years. If you want results, why go looking elsewhere? Besides, if I leave, you’ll be begging me on your knees soon enough. And when things go south, don’t even think of blaming me. Can you handle that kind of mess, Asher?”

Asher faltered, his momentum slipping.

Samson grinned wider.

Then, turning his eyes to Ethan, he sneered, “You? With a busted heart meridian? Step aside and go hug your medicine jar. If anything goes wrong, your father’s going to point fingers at us again.”

The only reason the Harper family’s hold over the herb field was revoked was because of Ethan’s injury.

Ethan’s voice was low, every word layered with anger. “You should know, Samson, that the one who shattered my meridian was your dear sister—my so-called fiancée.”

“So what?” Samson raised his chin. “It was a martial contest—life and death left to fate! You lost because you’re weak. If my sister hadn’t shown mercy ‘cause of the engagement, you’d have already been six feet under. You’re lucky to be alive and you don't even have the decency to be grateful.”

The crowd exchanged awkward glances.

Ethan took a slow breath, the fury in his eyes colder than before.

This man…

Shameless down to the bone.

And Sophia Harper—she wasn’t any better.

Back then, her talent was just above average, barely in the ninth level of Qi and Blood. He—already at Body Tempering Tier One—should’ve crushed her easily.

But he was naive. Held back in the final strike.

That’s when the venomous girl struck and damaged his meridian.

Ethan remembered it all now.

A month after his injury, Samson had come cockily knocking at the door. That snake, who used to put up a humble front, had then spewed endless garbage that broke Ethan’s spirit—and his body along with it. That’s what pushed him deeper into ruin.

Now, Samson showing up early served two purposes. First, he feared real alchemists would uncover what they did to the herb field. Second, he wanted to rile Ethan up—worsen his injury.

But Ethan wouldn't fall for it again.

Sure enough, Samson paused, noticing the calm look on Ethan’s face, then spoke again:“Back then, you and my sister were equal in martial talent, so the engagement made sense. Now you’re useless, even kicked out by the Quinn Academy. My sister, on the other hand, caught Elder Osborne’s eye and is about to become a disciple under a Moonshade Palace elder. Her future’s limitless. That engagement? Let it go.”

Samson Harper's words came fast and sharp, full of contempt. Once, such pressure would've crushed Ethan Quinn. But after ten thousand years of cultivation and returning to his youth, he was already a different man.

His gaze was calm, depth hidden like a still lake.

The Harpers backing out of the engagement? Expected. It was their second strike back then—humiliating him, forcing him back to sword training with an already injured core. Made things worse fast. Even after his father spent a fortune to get him a rare Vital Qi Pill, it was too late. Couldn't train, had to rest for decades.

Those two siblings planned every move to cripple him forever.

When Samson finished, Ethan finally replied, voice cool and steady, “You and I both know what happened on the arena. The elders will judge. You’ve no right to speak here. And the herb garden—it's back under the Quinns. You step foot there again, the law enforcers will handle it.”

At the mention of the Quinn law enforcers, Samson flinched.

With Ethan's stance clear, Asher Quinn, the herb garden’s leader, didn’t hesitate.

“Draw!”

Swords rang out as Quinn guards moved in like a tide.

Samson's face paled. His four followers didn’t even last a breath—turned tail and fled from the valley.

In front of the Quinn family, they were less than ants.

But Samson wasn’t ready to leave in shame. He fixed a hateful glare on Ethan and barked, “Ethan Quinn! You and your father would ruin the herb garden that dozens of warriors in Cloudshade Town bled to build—just to please yourselves! Shame on you! If you’re a man, hand the herb garden back! Don’t let Cloudshade Town bear the cost when it all dies under your hands!”

“Fool. You think handling a herb garden is beyond me?”

Ethan’s tone was dismissive.

Samson’s eyes gleamed.

“Big talk! There’s less than a month until the main Quinn family’s harvest deadline. The collection team’s already on the way. You couldn’t bring in a skilled alchemist from elsewhere in time even if you wanted!”

“The Quinn Academy doesn’t just teach fighting. There are all kinds of alchemy techniques. I didn’t dive into alchemy much, but managing guard shifts... using spirit springs to water herbs—I’ve got that covered.”

Ethan sounded clueless on purpose, and Samson took the bait beautifully.

“So full of yourself! Someone as pampered as you wouldn’t even know where to begin. Let’s make a bet, then! If you can manage the herb garden and meet the main family's required quota, I’ll hand over the Harpers’ iron mine to you. No tricks!”

“Really?”

Ethan played along.

Seeing him take the bait, Samson’s heart beat faster.

“I never go back on my word! But if you fail, I won’t touch your Quinn assets. Still, I take over the herb garden’s management for the next three years. How about it? Dare to gamble?”

“The Harper iron mine? I’ll be taking it.”

They sealed the bet.

Samson turned to leave but threw one last line over his shoulder at the valley entrance: “Ethan Quinn, just wait. When the collection team arrives—that’s the day the herb garden returns to me!”

Ethan watched him go, a cold smirk curling on his lips. “That iron mine... Let’s call it my opening gift to you two.”