Chapter 25: The Unsettled Medicine family Head Upon Learning of Kunlun

“Hm?”

Hearing Zhao Qingzhi’s words, Yao Lai narrowed his eyes. If someone had told him before that the tales of immortals and gods were true, he wouldn’t have believed a word. The Medicine family, with thousands of years of heritage, was privy to nearly all the world’s secrets. Whether the tales of immortals and gods were true or false, how could the Medicine family not know? But Zhao Qingzhi’s astonishing transformation made Yao Lai hesitate. The changes in Zhao Qingzhi seemed inexplicable except through the lens of immortal or divine intervention.

…

“I have a story for you, Brother Yao. Care to listen?” Zhao Qingzhi said, looking at Yao Lai.

“This story is about a young man born into a wealthy family. Due to his family’s affluence, he became a spoiled dandy. But one day, he encountered an existence akin to an immortal or god. This being told him he possessed a Wisdom Root, but it was shrouded by worldly dust. Because of their fated meeting, the being awakened the young man’s Wisdom Root.

“Once his Wisdom Root was awakened, the young man seemed divinely blessed, embarking on a grand and magnificent life. No matter what industry he entered, he could become a leader in the shortest time. Ultimately, he elevated his family from a mere wealthy clan to a top-tier aristocratic family.”

Zhao Qingzhi paused here, looking at Yao Lai.

“That story is quite straightforward. The young man in the story is you, isn’t it, Brother Zhao?” Yao Lai said, looking at Zhao Qingzhi.

“Indeed, the young man in the story is me,” Zhao Qingzhi admitted. “The one who awakened me, I call Mr. Ye. To be honest, until yesterday, I thought Mr. Ye was just a dream. His existence was known only to me—no one else, not even my attendants at the time, knew about him. If that wasn’t a dream, what was it?

“But yesterday, the Mr. Ye I thought was a dream appeared at the Zhao family like a phantom, like an immortal or god. His appearance was exactly the same as it was eighty years ago, unchanged in the slightest. It was at that moment that my worldview shattered, and I began to believe in the existence of immortals and gods. Before yesterday, I was like you, Brother Yao—not believing a bit in the ethereal tales of immortals and gods.” Zhao Qingzhi spoke solemnly.

“So, your transformation was caused by this Mr. Ye?” Yao Lai asked, looking at Zhao Qingzhi. “But why? I don’t believe in fortunes falling from the sky for no reason. If this Mr. Ye is truly an immortal or god, as you say, helping you awaken your Wisdom Root eighty years ago and transforming you was already the limit of a single encounter. Why would he seek you out when you were on the brink of death, rejuvenate you, and grant you extraordinary strength?”

“Mr. Ye sought me out because of that initial encounter,” Zhao Qingzhi explained. “Without that encounter, I wouldn’t have undergone such a transformation or built such a vast family empire in the mortal world. Because of that encounter, I hold a modest place in this world. So, when Mr. Ye had the idea to reopen Kunlun, he came to find me and invited me to join.

“By the way, Kunlun is the organization Mr. Ye founded—an almost mythical organization established countless years ago. Mr. Ye created Kunlun with the purpose of finding a way to roam the cosmos. The Earth may seem vast to us, but to Mr. Ye, it’s merely a slightly larger cage. As an immortal with an endless lifespan, having lived for countless ages, he’s unwilling to be confined to Earth. He wants to break free and explore the broader universe.

“But the cosmos is too vast. Even with Mr. Ye’s abilities, though he can leave Earth, he cannot truly roam the starry expanse. Thus, he created Kunlun, recruiting countless heroes nearing the end of their lives, extending their lifespans and inviting them to join Kunlun, hoping to use their collective wisdom to find a way to roam the cosmos.

“You could say that every legendary figure on Earth has joined Kunlun at some point. The tales of immortals and gods on Earth mostly stem from the incredible powers they gained after joining Kunlun. But unfortunately, those legendary figures, despite extending their lives for a thousand years and researching for a millennium with Kunlun’s resources, failed to find a method that gave Mr. Ye hope. Disappointed, Mr. Ye gave up on them and closed Kunlun. After its closure, their lifespans ran out, and they turned to dust.

“But perhaps fate is unpredictable. Those historical figures failed to find a way to leave Earth not because they lacked wisdom, but because their approach was wrong. Their methods were limited by the paths of their era, never considering the development of technology. In recent decades, the rise of technology has given Mr. Ye renewed hope for roaming the cosmos. Thus, he reopened Kunlun, recruiting new members to research a way to achieve this goal.

“Because I possess a Wisdom Root, have considerable influence in the mortal world, and had that initial encounter, I was fortunate enough to be chosen by Mr. Ye as the first member of the reopened Kunlun. After joining, I witnessed how terrifying the Kunlun organization, created by Mr. Ye, truly is.

“In Kunlun, as long as you have Kunlun points, you can exchange them for almost anything you desire. With enough points and a high enough membership level, extending your life by a thousand or even ten thousand years is effortless. If someone can develop technology for Mr. Ye to freely roam the cosmos, Kunlun won’t close, and with its support, achieving eternal life isn’t impossible.

“My current transformation is the result of exchanging points for two types of pills from Kunlun: the Rejuvenation Pill, which extends life by ten years, heals all injuries, and rejuvenates one’s appearance, and the Bone-Strengthening Pill, which enhances physical strength.

“This is the identity jade token for Kunlun members. After binding it with a drop of blood, you can connect with it. With a single thought, you can see everything about Kunlun. To exchange for items, a thought is all it takes, and the items will appear through a rift in the void, dropping right in front of you.

“Brother Yao, you may doubt my words now, but once I recommend you to join Kunlun and you witness Mr. Ye’s power and Kunlun’s wonders for yourself, you’ll understand that I’m speaking the truth.”

Zhao Qingzhi took out the task jade token, smiling as he explained everything about Ye Yang and Kunlun to Yao Lai.

“Recommend me to join Kunlun?” Yao Lai asked. “Why would you recommend me? I don’t believe you’d do it just for profit. If Kunlun is truly a mythical organization transcending the mortal world, as you say, worldly profits would mean nothing to you. Why would you share such an opportunity with others? Wouldn’t that dilute your share of the benefits?”

Yao Lai’s breathing grew heavy, his heart unsettled as he looked at Zhao Qingzhi.

[TN: Lmao. This developing more and more like a cult. MC scamming old men left and right. Kids, beware of scammers like MC. Don’t eat random pills offered by strangers with strange powers. Bolt at the first sign! Be safe.].