Old Lao's Abode

But despite having a very high talent for cultivation, they were just too poor to be able to afford the cultivation resources, and their mother had to work herself to death to save enough money to buy them one.

But as fate would have it, their drunkard of a father stole her savings and gambled them away causing their mother to die from fury.

The trio continued to share more information, and before they knew it, they were already standing in front of the fence that surrounded Old Lao's Mansion;

~Hu!~

The trio coincidentally sighed in unison stunning them altogether;

"Jinx!"

Ji Min planned to say it first, but he could never be as quick as the smiling twins, and thus, he lost;

"Ha-ha-ha."

"Fufu-fufu."

The twins laughed at their antics; a peal of laughter that the onlooking Old Lao heard and smiled at.

Perhaps, it may be because of their trauma of being enslaved, but the twins rarely spoke to others of their own accord except when asked to.

Moreover, they also knew that Old Lao was someone who loved to hear nature's music [Birds chirping, insects buzzing, rain falling, wind howling, etc.], thus, whenever they were within the mansion, they barely spoke to one another.

Furthermore, since they were Old Lao's attendants, they were mostly within the mansion which meant they rarely went down the plateau to socialize with others, except when Old Lao is being summoned, on a hunt for rare herbs, or plans to visit others.

Thus, when they began to talk with Ji Min -who from his life as a spy had been trained on how to hold a conversation with others- they found talking with him much longer than they had ever spoken to others combined, and still, they couldn't get enough.

This prompted the helpless sigh they heaved the moment they arrived, knowing their chat had to end.

The entrance of the castle was a simple circular opening that was melded with the fence and it had no door or gate.

The moment they stepped into the area, Ji Min was forced to sigh in wonder;

'It seems the king truly values Master Lao a lot.' He thought to himself as he took in the sight in front of him.

What was in front of them was a massive herb garden of mind-buzzing proportions. Different scents from innumerable unique herbs wafted into Ji Min's nostrils causing him to subconsciously draw in a deep breath that invigorated his body and cleared his mind.

The twins allowed Ji Min to revel in the bliss he was currently experiencing; after all, it was also because they lived within the sea of herbs that they were about to transform from the dirty little slaves they were into the drop-dead gorgeous beauties they are.

The herb garden not only attracted insane amounts of natural energy towards the plateau, but the herbs within it also release their medicinal fragrance into the air which they inhaled daily, causing them to become as healthy on the inside as they were gorgeous on the outside.

After allowing him a few minutes to bask in the paradisiacal effects of the herb garden, the twins finally began to tread the beautiful stone pathways that snaked their way into different parts of the garden.

[Hmm; to think I will get to find it in here of all places; not bad.]

The Old Monk's calm voice echoed within Ji Min's mind.

[Unh; what do you see?]

Ji Min asked curiously; he obviously knew that whatever the old monk whom he found in a place as powerful as the 'Hall of All Beginnings' could deem something 'Not bad' then whatever it was had to be extremely precious and rare.

[There are several precious herbs and fruits deep into the left side of this garden and you should really try your best to obtain them. Once you come across them, I will notify you.]

The Old Monk answered as Ji Min finally gazed towards the trees that dotted the herb garden, providing shade for anyone who wanted to rest or simply sit and admire the herbs.

After walking deep into the garden, the trio came across a little bridge that had a spring flowing right past beneath it; the spring water glittered in the sunlight like there were precious gems beneath it.

After crossing the bridge, Ji Min then saw a huge lake that was just as clear and glittering as the spring water he had seen earlier.

Right at the middle of the clear glittering lake sat a mansion which had two other structures attached to it on either side, and on the left stood a little hut made of the same material as the mansion, whilst an open flat beach-shore-looking area sat on the right.

"That is Lord Lao's abode." Little Qing spoke this time pointing towards the grand two-story tall mansion which Ji Min couldn't get enough of.

"That is Lord Lao's workplace; where he refines pills, and potions, and attends to anyone of us who get hurt." She pointed at the small hut to the left.

"Then that is our training area; where we train our martial arts and cultivate." Ji Min stared at the shore-looking area and nodded in apprehension.

'Could anything be grander than this?' Ji Min thought to himself before hearing a ridiculing snort resound within his head.

Ji Min knew the Old Monk wanted to refer to the Realm of All Beginnings, but he was only scaling this domain based on the equivalence of the owner's cultivation base and occupation; he even went as far as thinking about his previous life, but it fell far short in comparison.

There was a bridge that stretched from their location to a gazebo located in between their position and the mansion; it looked like a place where one could truly relax and absorb everything on sight as it was at the center of the entire plateau.

The trio then began their journey through the tranquil, serene, and natural energy-rich atmosphere;

Ji Min took in the sight and felt the natural energy reduce the harshness of the sunlight that caressed his body, and the gentle breeze that spread the scent of the herbs, fruits, and trees in the herb garden in every direction.

He spotted a few unique species of marine animals swimming in the lake including a few Koi fishes and even some Axolotls which made him heave a pleased sigh that ended in a sweet smile that dazed the twins.