Gu Qin replied, "Who are you calling sister?"

The man grinned, "It's such a coincidence. I remember you. And you, Brother, you seem familiar. Have we met before?"

Qin Xiansheng remained silent, as did Gu Qin.

The man stared at Qin Xiansheng, suddenly realizing, "You're my senior brother! Are you my senior brother?"

Seeing the man about to lunge forward, Qin Xiansheng held him back, "Stay calm and speak properly."

"You are my senior brother!" the man said excitedly, "I'm sure I remember. Although it's been a long time, I still recall the day you left. Master was furious and sealed a demon inside me..."

Thinking of the torment he endured after his master sealed the demon inside him, he wondered how he had managed to survive all these years.

Gu Qin said, "It's already dark, let's go inside and talk."

The three of them entered the tent and sat cross-legged. The man asked clearly that Qin Xiansheng was indeed his senior brother, then told them about his experiences over the years. His name was Wan Qiyán, and he wasn't an orphan. His father was not kind to him. That year, he was taken home by his master, who told him that he had a senior brother named Qin Xiansheng who was sick and should not be disturbed.

After becoming his master's disciple, the master first taught him how to read. He was smart and learned quickly, so the master gave him a copy of the I Ching for him to study. Most of the time, when the master was away, he would stay at home reading. His senior brother would also go out occasionally, sitting silently in the courtyard, pale-faced and silent.

When he had free time or grew tired from reading, he would go find his senior brother to chat, even though his senior brother never responded. He could talk to himself for half a day until his senior brother returned to the room.

Later, one day, his senior brother disappeared, and his master was seriously injured when he came back. The master's face looked terrible. One day, the master suddenly called him into the room where he set up some formations. He didn't know much about these formations, but he just followed the master's instructions and sat down.

Then he seemed to lose consciousness. When he woke up, his whole body was in pain, indescribable pain. He felt like he was awakened by the pain, as if his body was being burned by flames. He screamed countless times, feeling like he would die from the pain. But he didn't want to die. He was a burden to his family; his father hated him, drank, and beat him every day. From a young age, his father would hit him. Growing up in such an environment, he longed to live more than anything else.

Despite all the beatings, he still believed that living was a beautiful thing. So no matter how much pain he endured, he held on. When he woke up again, it was the next day. At that time, he still didn't understand what had happened. When he asked his master, the master said he was sick and would take good care of him, telling him not to worry.

At that time, he really thought he was sick. Otherwise, why would his whole body hurt? As time passed, he realized something was wrong. There seemed to be something different inside his body.

As he grew older, he felt pain in his body several times a month. Gradually, he understood what was happening inside him. There was a monster inside him, an invisible yin beast. He finally understood what the formation his master had made him sit in was for, and why his senior brother's pale face and daily silence were the way they were. He also understood why his master was seriously injured when he left to help his senior brother.

From then on, he became increasingly silent. One day, he left while his master was away. Over the years, he traveled everywhere, using the I Ching he carried with him to learn many things. He had never considered getting rid of the yin beast inside him because he couldn't find a way.

Gu Qin listened quietly and felt that this person had extraordinary talent, almost as good as Qin Xiansheng, both considered self-taught. Their master only wanted to use them. She wondered how he had managed to survive over the years.

Opening her Heavenly Eye, Gu Qin looked into the past and future. After a few seconds, she frowned. Strange, she couldn't see through this person either. Just like with Big Brother Qin. She might have guessed some of Big Brother Qin's situation, as she couldn't see her own fate, and thus couldn't see the fate of those closely connected to her. Unsurprisingly, Big Brother Qin would be the closest person to her in the future, so she couldn't see his future. But why couldn't she see this person's past and future?

Wan Qiyán carefully observed Qin Xiansheng for a while and exclaimed in surprise, "Senior Brother, you, your yin beast?"

Qin Xiansheng nodded, "The yin beast inside me has left."

"Senior Brother, how did you do it?" Wan Qiyán was somewhat excited. He had suffered greatly from the yin beast inside him and wished he could get rid of it immediately.

Qin Xiansheng didn't hide it, "I once had a chance encounter with a dragon stone, which allowed me to succeed."

Dragon stone, Wan Qiyán lowered his head. Such a celestial treasure was not easy to obtain. How much luck was needed to come across one? He sighed, "Forget it, anyway, so many years have passed, it's not urgent. To be honest, I came to Changbai Mountain after hearing that there might be celestial treasures here. However, most of these treasures require luck, so I just wanted to give it a try."

Qin Xiansheng and Gu Qin exchanged glances. They hadn't heard this news. Gu Qin’s circle consisted mostly of family and school, and Qin Xiansheng rarely interacted with other occult sects, so it was natural they wouldn’t know.

Wan Qiyán continued, "When I entered Changbai Mountain, the yin beast inside me flared up, and I passed out. Luckily, I met Senior Brothers and Sister, or I would have frozen to death. By the way, Senior Brother, why are you here?"

Gu Qin replied, "We came for a tour."

Wan Qiyán asked, "What about you two now?"

Gu Qin, "Continue deeper into the mountain, but it's late, we should rest soon."

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There was only room for a double tent, and Gu Qin didn’t want to squeeze in. She suggested, "Let’s do this: since you’re injured, you can rest in the tent. My Senior Brother and I will sleep by the fire."

They gathered more firewood, fortunately without snowfall. Otherwise, they would have been forced to sleep in the icy snow.

Wan Qiyán was indeed uncomfortable. Every time the yin beast flared up, it caused immense pain, and it took a couple of days to recover. Therefore, he thanked them and entered the tent to rest.

Gu Qin and Qin Xiansheng spent the night by the fire. Wan Qiyán slept comfortably in the tent. Qin Xiansheng reflected on his interactions with this junior brother. They hadn't had much contact back then, and he couldn't recall anything significant.

Both Gu Qin and Qin Xiansheng felt that Wan Qiyán probably had no connection with the person they suspected. They believed no one would be loyal to someone who sealed a yin beast inside them. However, Wan Qiyán’s words couldn’t be taken entirely at face value. Meeting someone like this was too coincidental.

Early the next morning, Qin Xiansheng boiled some water over the fire, ate some compressed biscuits, drank the hot water, and shared some with Wan Qiyán. "We don’t have much food. This mountain is full of wild game. We can catch and roast them. Your injuries are almost healed, so we’ll part ways here."

Wan Qiyán was stunned, "Senior Brother, we’ve just met. I have so much to tell you."

His tone was somewhat aggrieved. It was hard for him to meet a fellow sufferer, only to have his senior brother not believe him.

Gu Qin remained silent, letting Qin Xiansheng handle it.

Qin Xiansheng said, "We’re here for a tour, not to seek celestial treasures. Our routes are different, so it’s better we split up."

Wan Qiyán sighed, "Alright, I understand. Thank you very much, Senior Brother and Miss Gu. I hope we meet again."

Without further ado, Wan Qiyán left, carrying his backpack.

Gu Qin and Qin Xiansheng didn’t think it was improper. They weren’t close, and given their suspicions, it was safer to be cautious. They packed their belongings and continued their journey. They wouldn’t specifically look for celestial treasures, as these required luck. Just like the dragon stone, seeking them deliberately didn’t guarantee success. Better to leave it to fate.

This Changbai Mountain was rich in ginseng, but few people came here now. Many had sought wild ginseng before it was protected, depleting the outer areas. Few dared enter the inner mountains.

Gu Qin found ginseng easily. Opening her Heavenly Eye, she located places with dense spiritual energy. Wild ginseng, the older it got, accumulated more spiritual energy. While not as valuable as celestial treasures, thousand-year-old wild ginseng was rare.

She found two spots. One ginseng had such dense spiritual energy, it must have been thousands of years old. She examined it without digging, sensing its consciousness. This ginseng was almost a spirit.

In various travelogues and mythological novels, it wasn’t an exaggeration that ginseng could develop consciousness. Wild ginseng over a thousand years old gradually gained awareness. This wasn’t like mythical running ginseng babies. It had just begun to form consciousness, opening its spiritual channels. With continued growth in a place rich in spiritual energy, it would slowly evolve into a human form, a process taking tens of thousands of years and extremely difficult.

This ginseng was almost conscious. Gu Qin didn’t want to disturb it and kept it safe. Moving to another spot with dense spiritual energy, she found a ginseng several hundred years old, without consciousness. She dug it out, careful to keep the roots intact.

She cleaned the dirt off the ginseng, wrapped it carefully, and put it in her bag. This exceptional ginseng was valuable, whether for ordinary people or cultivators like them.

That night, Gu Qin didn’t say much. She trusted Qin Xiansheng to guess she had a Heavenly Eye. Since he guessed, there was no need to explain. Their trust and understanding were sufficient.

The next day, they continued their journey. They had no specific route, going wherever the path led. Gu Qin was here for breakthroughs, needing trials and opportunities. This couldn’t be rushed.

After two more days, Gu Qin found another ginseng, a few hundred years old. Changbai Mountain was truly the home of ginseng.

Two were enough. One for her family’s health, and another could be dried and passed down as a family heirloom.

Gu Qin decided to stop searching. However, what was Wan Qiyán talking about regarding celestial treasures? Her Heavenly Eye should have detected something. But it wasn’t infallible unless within a certain distance.

Days passed, and she still felt nothing. She began to feel anxious. Stuck in the late stage of Qi Transformation for a year, she couldn’t break through.

Qin Xiansheng said, "Don’t rush. Let things happen naturally. The more anxious you are, the harder it becomes."

Gu Qin sighed, "I’m too impatient."

"Good, rest early. Tomorrow we’ll explore more. If not, we’ll return. It’s almost New Year, and they must miss you."

They went to bed early and woke up before dawn. Just as they planned to eat and continue, they heard cries for help in the distance. They listened closely and heard people running. They exchanged glances. Gu Qin said, "Let’s check it out."

Even if they didn’t go, they saw what was happening. A large group of people ran toward them, shouting, "Quick, run! D*mn it, can’t shake it off."

The group noticed Gu Qin and Qin Xiansheng and waved from afar, "Friends, run! Something’s coming!"

Gu Qin and Qin Xiansheng didn’t have time to pack. Gu Qin stuffed the small bag with the ginseng into her coat and followed the crowd. Entering the group, an elderly man shouted, "Didn’t we tell you to run? Why are you here?"

The old man, with a frightened face, glanced back as if avoiding something terrifying.

"What’s happening?" Qin Xiansheng asked.

The old man said, "Let’s retreat first, then we’ll discuss."

Gu Qin’s expression turned serious. With her Heavenly Eye, she saw what was chasing them. It wasn’t alive but had intense yin and evil qi. The entity hadn’t fully appeared yet and was far away but was definitely pursuing them. Its exact nature was unclear for the moment.

She scanned the group, seeing men, women, elders, and children. The oldest was the old man, and the youngest seemed younger than Gu Qin. About thirty people in total. Notably, she recognized Wan Qiyán.

Wan Qiyán noticed them too and ran up, "Senior Brother, Miss Gu, what a coincidence."

Qin Xiansheng asked, "What happened?"

Wan Qiyán shrugged, "After parting from you, I kept moving, hoping to find the treasure. Instead, I met this group who seemed to be chased by something. We’ve been running for two days, and it attacked several people, killing about ten. We couldn’t fight it together, so we fled."

Gu Qin noticed these people weren’t ordinary. They were likely practitioners like them, though she didn’t know their sects.

"What exactly is it?" Gu Qin asked.

Wan Qiyán said, "I guess it’s some kind of yin evil creature. No one has seen it clearly. What’s clear is that it’s very powerful, too powerful. We can only escape."

Gu Qin sensed the danger. Even with her and Qin Xiansheng and Wan Qiyán working together, they might not be able to defeat it.

They managed to shake it off after a day, but it was temporary. Even cultivators had physical limits. Exhausted, they collapsed on the ground.

Among them, Qin Xiansheng, Wan Qiyán, Gu Qin, the old man, and another middle-aged man and woman had the highest cultivation levels. The others were mostly in the early stages of Qi Transformation, hence their focus on escaping.

Most lay exhausted on the snow, a few sitting cross-legged. All lost their belongings. Everyone was tired and hungry.

Qin Xiansheng finally asked what happened. The old man explained, "We heard Changbai Mountain had celestial treasures and brought our sect members to search. Instead, we encountered this thing. We didn’t see what it was, and many died in the first confrontation. We’ve been running ever since."

They introduced themselves. Gu Qin learned the old man was from the 'Xuanmen' sect, one of the oldest and most prestigious in the field of occultism. He was an elder from Xuanmen, leading a group for training. Another man belonged to the 'Liu Shantang' sect, and a woman from the 'Yimen' sect.

Yimen was likely focused on divination, studying the I Ching.

Liu Shantang was unfamiliar to Gu Qin, but Yimen was less known. Xuanmen was more famous, an ancient sect.

Liu Shantang and Yimen brought about ten people each, losing several in the process. Only a few remained, while Xuanmen had around twenty.

Qin Xiansheng and Gu Qin briefly introduced themselves. The sects were surprised Qin Xiansheng was from Jumen, a mysterious sect little known to other sects, including the ancient Xuanmen.

Qin Xiansheng didn’t mention Gu Qin, saying they were tourists.

These people didn’t sense her cultivation and assumed she was a regular person, not paying much attention to her.

Gu Qin asked, "Elder Lu, how did you learn about the celestial treasure? It seems odd."

The sects all came after hearing about the treasures, only to encounter something dangerous instead.

Elder Lu, the old man from Xuanmen, said, "We're all practitioners. The elders of several sects divined that there would be celestial treasures here, so we gathered to search. No one informed us directly."

Gu Qin frowned. Could there really be a celestial treasure? She felt someone intentionally lured these practitioners here. She and Qin Xiansheng were merely coincidental.

Opening her Heavenly Eye, Elder Lu didn’t lie. The others also confirmed through divination and star observation. Was it all coincidence?

Elder Lu instructed two nearby to hunt for game for dinner. They roasted the meat and shared it. Elder Lu said, "It seems the celestial treasure is beyond our reach. Continuing to pursue it might cost us all. Let’s rest tonight and return tomorrow."

Liu Shantang’s Huang Qi said, "We’ve come so far, Elder Lu. You said it guards the treasure. Shouldn’t we try again?"

Huang Qi, the elder of Liu Shantang, had a plain appearance, unremarkable among the crowd.

The Yimen elder, the highest-cultivated woman, hesitated but didn’t speak.

Elder Lu snorted, "We faced it once and lost many. Escaping for days, do you think we can defeat it? If you wish, you can lead Liu Shantang. We won’t go."

"This…" Huang Qi sighed, "Elder Lu, we need to work together to stand a chance. Going alone is suicide."

Elder Lu, "Going together is still suicide."

Silence fell. No one spoke. Elder Lu looked at Qin Xiansheng. As the leader of Jumen, Qin Xiansheng had the highest cultivation. Elder Lu asked, "Master Qin, what’s your plan?"

Qin Xiansheng said, "We’re just here for a tour. This has nothing to do with us. We have no interest in the treasure. We’ll leave as soon as it’s light."