Elio’s Notes: This is just like a placeholder chapter. More to come soon!
Deep in the mountain wilderness, a group of people walked single file through the wild grass in complete silence.
The two men at the head of the line were dressed as guards, steel sabers hanging at their waists. One of them also had a storage pouch at his belt. Although it was only of the lowest quality, a storage pouch was already exceedingly valuable around Liancui Mountain, where there was not even a single proper cultivator to be found.
Both men kept one hand on the hilt of their sabers as they vigilantly scanned their surroundings. Immediately behind them, the front half of the group consisted of several men and women whose clothing, though plain, was at least intact. Their faces showed only mild fatigue. Farther back, patches began appearing on people’s clothes, and their expressions grew increasingly weary.
At the very end of the group was a collection of the “elderly, weak, sick, and disabled.” What they wore could hardly be called clothing at all; it was more like scraps of cloth patched together with other scraps. They looked utterly exhausted, their heavy feet dragging across the ground. Every now and then, someone would pitch forward and never get up again, and no one stopped to offer a hand.
Everyone carried a bundle containing the “treasures” they had brought back from the mountain: perhaps a single spirit herb, perhaps a piece of ore… At the very end of the line walked a young man.
His clothes were equally tattered, his hair was disheveled, and black soot smeared his face so thoroughly that his features could not be made out. Only when he occasionally raised his eyes could one glimpse a pair of bright, black-and-white eyes brimming with vitality.
He was different from everyone else. The others were doing well if they managed to find even one spirit herb. He, on the other hand, carried a bamboo basket on his back packed full of them. It was quite heavy, pressing down on his slender shoulders and making his already bony frame look even more gaunt.
The people beside him had been startled by the basketful of herbs too. One leaned over for a look, then immediately turned away in disdain. The young man had not struck it rich at all. The herb filling his basket was called Lingwei Grass, and its name alone hinted at its nature: the spiritual power it contained was exceedingly faint. Calling it a spirit herb was almost generous. In truth, it was little different from the weeds covering the mountains. Whether eaten directly or used for something else, removing its impurities consumed more spiritual power than the herb itself provided. If one fell on the ground, no one would even bother picking it up.
Several people glanced at the young man. He did not look very old. Had he come treasure hunting on Liancui Mountain without knowing anything at all?
Xia Yunzhao sighed silently and tugged the basket, which had slipped almost to his backside, higher onto his back. Even he felt rather sorry for himself.
He had transmigrated here three days ago. The body’s original owner had been a seventeen-year-old orphan who had somehow heard that Liancui Mountain was covered in spirit herbs and spirit ore and that finding even one would make a person rich. So he had gone through untold hardship to make his way here.
Everyone who had traveled with him died on the journey. The original owner had stubbornly held on long enough to reach the camp at Liancui Mountain, only to die the following day. When the body opened its eyes again, Xia Yunzhao was the one inside.
Xia Yunzhao was miserable. Back home, he had been something of a pampered young master. Then an accidental fall had killed him, and the next thing he knew, he had woken up inside a broken wooden shack with drafts coming in from every direction. If not for the mysterious bronze alchemy furnace that had transmigrated with him, he would already be trying to figure out how to die his way back home.
The Liancui Mountain Range stretched far and wide, and ordinary mortals like them only dared gather resources along its outermost edge. Even there, however, the terrain was not easy to traverse. The group had been walking for nearly two hours, yet the surrounding vegetation seemed completely unchanged. Meanwhile, the atmosphere had gradually grown oppressive. The already quiet group even began breathing more softly.
This was Xia Yunzhao’s first time following a gathering party up the mountain. He did not know what was happening, but prudently lightened his footsteps as well.
Suddenly, a terrified scream erupted from the front. “Ah! A slaughter beast! Run!”
The group instantly descended into chaos. Screams rang out one after another, followed by the metallic scent of blood drifting on the wind—the smell of human blood…
Xia Yunzhao had grown up in modern society. He had never experienced anything like this and froze instinctively. Someone behind him shoved him hard. “What are you standing around for? Run!”
Caught off guard, Xia Yunzhao stumbled. He hurriedly raised his head and looked around. His eyesight had always been excellent, and after one quick sweep of his surroundings, he pointed. “Over there!”
The person behind him did not waste time talking. He grabbed Xia Yunzhao and rolled across the ground, and the two of them tumbled straight into a hollow tree.
Liancui Mountain was covered in trees so enormous that it took several people joining hands to encircle their trunks. Their hollows were correspondingly large, and this one was just wide enough to conceal two people.
The man swiftly tore up several handfuls of weeds beside the hollow. When those proved insufficient, he grabbed another handful straight out of Xia Yunzhao’s basket and used them to camouflage the entrance.
Xia Yunzhao: …
The man behind him seemed to chuckle softly. “Don’t be afraid. I’ll return them to you later.”
Xia Yunzhao studied him. The man appeared to be somewhere between thirty and forty, with a very thin build and fine lines at the corners of his eyes. His gaze held the gentleness of someone who had weathered many hardships. He did not seem to be in particularly good health and coughed occasionally. He wore a thick blue-green robe, and a faint, bitter medicinal scent clung to him.
Xia Yunzhao lowered his voice. “Thank you for saving me just now. What should I call you?”
“No need for thanks. Xing Wenyu.” The man lowered his voice as well. “Did you just arrive at Liancui Mountain? What are you doing gathering an entire basket of weeds?”
Xia Yunzhao pulled a long face. “Ah, I didn’t exactly have a choice.”
He had just opened his mouth to continue when Xing Wenyu’s expression abruptly sharpened. He raised a finger to his lips and leaned toward the entrance to look outside.
Xia Yunzhao leaned closer as well—and a single glance sent a chill through his entire body.
Through the gaps between the weeds, he saw an enormous wolfhound-like monster burst from the wild grass and pounce on a man who had failed to hide in time. Amid the man’s piercing screams, it bit clean through his neck, tore open his soft belly, and began devouring him in great mouthfuls.
The thick stench of blood spread through the air.
Beneath the soot, Xia Yunzhao’s face turned pale. “What… is that?”
“A Level-One slaughter beast, a Blackwind Hound.” Xing Wenyu’s expression was equally grave. “There are usually only lowest-level slaughter beasts around the outskirts of Liancui Mountain. Why is there a Blackwind Hound here?”
Seeing that Xia Yunzhao still looked bewildered, he explained, “Slaughter beasts are vicious creatures that especially enjoy eating humans. If you encounter one while you’re on the mountain, you must hide as quickly as possible.”
Xia Yunzhao nodded vigorously. Obviously. That thing looked like the last creature anyone should mess with.
Xing Wenyu continued, “That said, some people come to Liancui Mountain specifically to hunt slaughter beasts. They may eat humans, but their hides, flesh, bones, and even their inner cores are all valuable and can be sold for quite a few spirit pearls.”
Xia Yunzhao immediately asked, “Are you here to hunt slaughter beasts too?”
Xing Wenyu paused before giving a faint smile. “I don’t have that kind of ability. I merely gather a few spirit herbs to make a living.”
Outside, the Blackwind Hound had already emptied the corpse of its organs. It abandoned the still-warm body and turned to search for the remaining living humans. The beast was actually picky.
Xia Yunzhao immediately tensed. The place they had chosen to hide was awkwardly situated. It was well concealed, but it was also not very far away. If the Blackwind Hound had a good nose…
Just as he began worrying, he heard the sound of a weapon being drawn, followed by the sharp snapping of clothing in the wind. A figure suddenly leaped into the air and brought a steel saber crashing down on the Blackwind Hound’s back.
The Blackwind Hound’s back was covered in thick fur, yet when the steel saber struck it, the impact rang out like metal colliding with metal. The attacker froze for an instant, then immediately retreated and raised his weapon to block the Hound’s snapping fangs.
Looking more closely, Xia Yunzhao recognized him as one of the two guards from the front of the group. While fending off the Blackwind Hound, the man said rapidly, “I’ll hold this beast off. Grab the item, and then we’re leaving!”
The other guard nodded at once and quickly approached the corpse the Blackwind Hound had discarded. The beast paid him no attention, focusing entirely on biting the man who had provoked it to death. Its long fangs were even sharper than the steel saber. Seizing an opening, it lunged for the guard’s shoulder. If those jaws closed properly, half the man’s body would be torn apart.
A faint white glow suddenly appeared around the guard. The Hound’s teeth seemed to have bitten down on solid stone and could not penetrate it no matter how hard it tried.
“That’s…” Xia Yunzhao’s eyes reflected the white light in astonishment.
“A protective magical treasure. It may only be of the lowest grade, but its advantage is that even mortals can use it. It’s worth around five hundred spirit pearls.” Xing Wenyu removed the wine flask from his waist and took a drink. The liquor made him cough twice. His eyes curved as though he were smiling, yet there was no amusement in them. “Whoever employs them is no ordinary figure.”
Xia Yunzhao was about to speak when the situation outside suddenly changed. The second guard darted toward the corpse and pulled something from the dead man’s blood-soaked clothing. “Got it. Let’s go!”
Hearing this, the guard fighting the Blackwind Hound immediately spun around and kicked the slaughter beast in the side. Taking advantage of the moment it lost its balance, he turned and fled with his companion.
Xia Yunzhao hissed softly. “I thought those two were supposed to protect the people going up the mountain…”
Judging by the fight just now, if both guards had attacked together, they might not have been able to defeat the beast, but holding it back long enough for the others to escape would have been easy. Yet they clearly had no intention of doing so. They simply took what they wanted and left. Everyone had paid money to join this treasure-hunting party too… This is bad. If that Blackwind Hound hangs around here, won’t it wipe out the entire group?
No one responded. Xia Yunzhao turned around and saw Xing Wenyu staring in the direction the guards had disappeared. “That was… They actually found it already…”
“Found what?” Xia Yunzhao looked at him. “What did they take?”
Xing Wenyu came back to himself and fell silent for a moment. “Just a spirit medicine… I came to Liancui Mountain for it as well. I simply didn’t expect someone else to get there first.”
Remembering the medicinal smell on Xing Wenyu, Xia Yunzhao guessed that it was probably something he needed to treat his illness. He comforted him, “It’s fine. Liancui Mountain is enormous. It’s not as though only one of those spirit medicines can grow here. Just keep looking for another one.”
Xing Wenyu remained silent, as though countless worries weighed upon his shoulders.
Xia Yunzhao did not mind. Anyone would be in a bad mood when they were sick. He voluntarily took over lookout duty and watched the Blackwind Hound’s movements through the gaps at the entrance.
After prowling around for a while, the beast finally left the blood-soaked area.
Xia Yunzhao did not dare move recklessly. He waited for more than another two hours before hearing faint rustling noises outside. The others had apparently grown impatient and were emerging from their hiding places. He forced himself to wait another fifteen minutes. When nothing unusual happened, he finally called to Xing Wenyu, and the two descended the mountain together.
At the foot of Liancui Mountain was a settlement formed by treasure hunters who had gathered there from every direction. On his first day, the body’s original owner had spent the last ten spirit pearls he possessed to rent the cheapest wooden shack available, which had now conveniently passed into Xia Yunzhao’s hands.
By the time he returned to the settlement, the others had already formed long lines in front of the buyers. The sounds of haggling could be heard from far away. Since Xia Yunzhao had found nothing except Lingwei Grass, he had no reason to join the commotion. He said goodbye to Xing Wenyu and went home.
Calling it a home was generous; it was nothing more than a dilapidated wooden shack.
The property itself was fairly large. After all, land at the foot of the mountain was worthless, so people could fence off as much as they pleased. A fence surrounded a spacious yard outside the shack, although most of it had already collapsed and served absolutely no purpose.
Xia Yunzhao considered cutting some bamboo and repairing it himself when he had time. Then he pushed open the wooden door and entered his miserable little home.
The shack consisted of wooden walls and a thatched roof. Both were riddled with holes of every imaginable size… Well, looking on the bright side, the lighting and ventilation inside were excellent.
The shack itself was not small, but there was hardly any furniture. There was a chair with only three legs left. Two tall stones supported a broken wooden plank, forming what passed for a table. A water jar half as tall as a person sat in one corner, while a worn bamboo bed stood against the middle of one wall. On the other side was an earthen stove with an iron pot sitting on top of it—the most valuable item in the entire house.
Apart from that, two chipped bowls were stacked on the stove alongside a long-handled wooden spoon and a bamboo container for salt. Beside the stove lay a pile of dry grass for kindling… and that was the entirety of Xia Yunzhao’s current possessions. Yes, he did not even own a spare set of clothes. Every night, he had to wash what he was wearing and wait for it to dry before putting it back on the next day.
At last able to remove the heavy bamboo basket from his back, Xia Yunzhao rolled his shoulders, lifted the lid from the pot, scooped out a bowl of water, and gulped it down. Then he let out a long breath.
This body still had not recovered, and a full day of climbing mountains had left him utterly exhausted.
Xia Yunzhao rested for a while, then grabbed several handfuls of straw and stuffed them into the larger holes in the wall. After peering through one of the smaller gaps and confirming that no one nearby was paying attention to his broken shack, he finally pulled a tiny bronze alchemy furnace from inside his clothes.
The furnace was only the size of his palm. Verdigris covered its entire surface, and dirt still clung to several spots, making it look thoroughly battered and decrepit. Xia Yunzhao, however, knew there was something deeply mysterious about it.
A friend had given it to him as a birthday present, saying it was something found on some unknown mountain. Xia Yunzhao had kept it in a cabinet ever since. Then one day, it suddenly came to mind, so he took it out to play with it. He accidentally slipped, struck the back of his head against the corner of a table, and promptly kicked the bucket.
Unexpectedly, the alchemy furnace had transmigrated along with him.
Xia Yunzhao ran a hand over the furnace, and a progress bar visible only to him appeared. He lifted the lid, pulled the bamboo basket closer, selected an intact stalk of Lingwei Grass, and stuffed it inside.
An almost imperceptible white light flashed from the furnace. The Lingwei Grass vanished, while the progress bar advanced by an amount barely as thick as a strand of hair.
“Just as I thought!” Ever since learning that this was a cultivation world, Xia Yunzhao had suspected that restoring the alchemy furnace required feeding its progress bar objects containing spiritual energy. Unfortunately, he had nothing to his name. Even when he went into the mountains looking for spirit herbs, all he could find was Lingwei Grass with its pitifully faint spiritual power.
But that doesn’t matter. As long as it works!
Other spirit herbs might be difficult to find, but Lingwei Grass?
It grew absolutely everywhere.
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