35-40

Chapter 35 - Special Energy

 Green light swallowed him whole. He blinked around to get a sense of his surroundings, but he couldn't even see his own fingers, let alone the others. Everything was a mess of twisted light and blurry lines, his ears ringing with the sound of crashing stones.

"Hey!" he called out, tears running hot down his face. He searched blindly with his arms, and crawled to his feet when his fingers touched a solid wall. Slowly, painfully, he raised himself up. His vision returned in blurry pieces.

The cave was a mess.

Shattered stone and broken walls greeted him. Beyond the twisted silhouette of the old man stood a barrier of green light, wavering ominously. Snake and Stone were gone. Zhu Luli lay wheezing in the corner, one hand clasped around her heart. His brother-in-arms flailed wildly against some invisible enemy. Only Little Yao seemed awake, but even she stood staring blankly at her own clawed paws.

Lei ground his teeth as he wobbled a couple of steps, his heart pounding in his chest. Right around his stomach, under his skin, a hurricane of energy twisted his guts. It hacked and slashed at him, making him nearly belch when acid shot up his throat. He gulped the vomit back, raised his head, and peered straight into the old man's face.

The man seemed surprised, one green eye half-closed as if confused. The diamond perched on top of his staff didn't seem that bright anymore. It had lost its light and now resembled a simple, cracked piece of gravel.

"How?" the man muttered, his eyes darting back and forth between the staff and Lei.

How indeed, Lei thought. When that light splashed across his face, there wasn't any doubt in his mind that it would rip him wide open. Yet even when the others groaned in pain, riddled with wounds and blood pooling under their feet, Lei stood strong.

Steel glinted close to his feet. Fatty Lou's sword. Lei wrapped his hands around the hilt, fingers straining, back screaming in pain, and raised it high before lurching forward. The world was spinning, the ground was shaking, and yet his eyes remained nailed on that bastard's face.

"Can't be," Elder Huang said, propping his rotten chin with one hand. He seemed unaware that Lei was coming at him. But then, it was small wonder why the man didn't see him as a viable threat. He kept muttering, "Mana, in this world…"

Lei lunged forward, the sword whistling in the air as it slashed across Elder Huang's face. For a moment, Lei thought he'd caught the man unguarded, only to reel back when that wooden staff moved with a speed he could hardly register and slapped the sword sideways before slamming into his chest.

The blow sent him crashing into the wall, where he collided with the stones. He hardly felt the pain, but his lungs were a different matter. Breath wheezed weakly in his chest, and he choked on his own spit, gurgling desperately even as he tried to flounder back to his feet.

"Let me see," came Elder Huang's voice. When Lei raised his head to stare at him, he saw two eyes blazing with inner light, staring deep into his soul. "Nothing. So you're really one of them, eh? Desperately weak, though, I must admit. We've all heard tales of your kind. I even saw one of you back when I was a little pup trying to find my way through the Crack. I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised. This is one of your worlds, after all, eh?"

"W-What are you saying?" Lei sputtered. He balanced himself on his feet with the tip of the sword. His fingers hurt from how hard he clenched the damned thing, but his legs couldn't hold the weight of his body.

"Oh? Your mighty patron hadn't bothered to tell you anything? Now that's new," Elder Huang said, shaking his head as he smiled slightly. "I was just about to ask whose spawn you were, but I suppose I've got my answer. This must be fate. Who knew? It might be the spark I needed to become a believer!"

Lei tried to shake himself awake, to focus on the energy coursing through his body, but he felt like a stranger. His body refused to listen.

Deep breaths. Take deep breaths.

"Looks like I've chanced upon a gold mine here at the edge of the world!" Elder Huang cackled to himself, yellow teeth clattering as pus oozed from between them. "I shall clean this mess before I get to work."

He pointed the staff toward Zhu Luli, the diamond atop it glistening with green light. It was weaker than before, but Lei had no doubt that foul thing would be enough to seal their fate. He tried to reach for it, clenching his teeth as he raised the sword. Too heavy. His fingers were failing him.

Just then, a flash bolted off in the corner of his vision. It dashed across the distance, and when it reached the wooden staff, it climbed nimbly upon it before slashing with a clawed paw. The cracked diamond shattered with a deafening explosion, sending Little Yao flying away from it. A blinding light poured from the pieces.

"You little beast!" Elder Huang hissed, eyes burning as he stared Little Yao down with cold fury. "How dare you—"

Lei stumbled toward the man, dragging his feet as he raised the sword and jabbed with all his strength. The tip brushed vainly against Elder Huang's robe, barely stirring the shadows. A rotten hand clawed upward to his neck, hissing with rot and pus.

Move, dammit!

Time seemed to slow to a crawl. His [Spiritual Sensitivity] skill roared in his scalp. Lei didn't need the reminder. Once that hand grabbed him, he knew he'd be done for. He desperately called on the energy roaming inside his body. It was there. It belonged to him. He just needed to control it.

If I die, you'll be gone with me too!

It stirred—the energy did. Like a slumbering beast suddenly poked awake, it crawled up his arms, slithering around his fingers. Lei clenched the sword with newfound vigor. His whole skin burned as if it couldn't take it. Too much. It was too much, but it was just the thing he needed.

The hand caught him by the neck. Rot hissed against the delicate skin. Lei twisted his wrist and drove the sword into the man's gut even as blood pooled in his mouth. The blade strained against something hard. Lei pushed it further, refusing to give up.

"Bastard!" came a voice, a furious voice from behind, before a punch crunched against the side of Elder Huang's face, making him stumble back.

The old man dragged Lei with him as they tumbled to the ground, the tip of the sword squelching smoothly into his flesh. When the hold around his neck softened, Lei pulled himself back and rasped out a breath, staring wide-eyed to see if it worked.

Right where the sword had struck, Elder Huang's skin started peeling off like rotten bark from a tree. It cracked and split, pus oozing from between the lines. He was still alive, trying to grasp the handle of the sword, but his fingers trembled violently.

"Little Yao!" Zhu Luli called, looking toward the wall as she wiped the blood from her face. The little squirrel nodded weakly as if to show she was still alive, still breathing. That seemed to ease Zhu Luli's worried expression.

"Looks like he's done," Lei said, staring at the green barrier that blocked the passage. It wavered, light flickering dangerously around the stone walls. Snake and Stone would be there, waiting for him.

They succeeded.

"But I'm not done with him," said Fatty Lou. He wobbled, his teeth clenched, brows knitted in fury. Once he reached Elder Huang, he pulled the sword free from the man's rotten flesh and stabbed him once more, roaring into his face. "You rotten piece of shit!"

Elder Huang's skin crackled and burned, the shadows surrounding his robe blowing away with the wind. Even the tip of the sword seemed corroded after Fatty Lou stabbed him a couple of times before throwing it away.

"I don't know what that is, but it was definitely not alive," Zhu Luli said, scowling at the sight. "Even Death Cultivators bleed. They have their own ways, but they have to keep one foot on the side of the living."

"He's not a cultivator," Lei said. It was all coming back to him now. Mana. That was an odd thing to say in a world of cultivation. The man also seemed surprised and uttered a bunch of things, none of which made any sense to Lei. But one thing was clear: He didn't belong to this world.

"Some sick beast, that's what he is," Fatty Lou spat, huffing tiredly as he shook his head. "Look at it. The bastard's rotten through and through. Dark work."

"We'll get our boys and return to the city," Lei said as Elder Huang's body slowly disintegrated into black spots that fluttered away with the wind. Soon, nothing was left but that wooden staff. That, and an old tome that seemed to have burned around the edges.

Then a strange pain pulled at his mind. Lei took a step back, clutching his arm. The spot where the rot burned him was stinging. He watched as his skin stitched itself back together. Not a second later, it healed as if the whole thing was a lie.

Your [Tier] has increased by 1 level!

Your [Tier] has increased by 1 level!

…

"Huh," he muttered when the pain wore off. "That's odd."

"What?" Fatty Lou asked.

Lei shook his head. "Nothing. Just feels like a bad dream, is all. I still can't believe it."

"A bad dream. That's a good way to put it," Zhu Luli said as she picked Little Yao from the ground and scratched her chin, even as the cave shook around them. "I'm afraid this world is full of bad dreams. I know I've seen a few."

"Is this how it's going to be from now on?" Fatty Lou muttered, staring deep into his own hands. "Like, we'll come across rotten bastards and foul beasts? People trying to kidnap little children?"

"Makes you think," Lei said, clicking his tongue. "I guess we've just taken a peek at the other side of the world. There's no running from it, eh? Not if you can't be the master of your own fate."

"You sounded just like my father," Zhu Luli said with a weary sigh. "Be the master of your own fate. The easiest way to do that is to reach the zenith of the Immortal Path. Become someone feared. Then nobody will bother you."

"Easiest way?" Lei raised an eyebrow at her.

"What's the hardest way, then?" Fatty Lou asked.

"To hole up in a corner where nobody will ever find you," Zhu Luli said solemnly. "Hide away from the eyes, and try to make yourself believe that you're going to be all right."

"Does that really work?" Fatty Lou asked.

"Sometimes." Zhu Luli shrugged. "I've heard a few Core Formations went hermit after they were done with the life of a cultivator. The strange thing is, this world never leaves you. It's always there, waiting. A hundred years or a day, you'll never know when it comes back to haunt you."

"Isn't that true for all mortals?" Lei said. "You can't control the future. You just have to do your best and hope that everything will work out."

"That's the difference between mortals and cultivators," Zhu Luli said, sighing out a long breath. "Cultivators think they can fight against their own fate."

"Do they ever succeed?" Fatty Lou said.

"Succeed? I'm not sure. After all, there's always the next mountain to climb, right?"

"Right…"

"Let's get our boys," Lei said, staring up at the barrier.

Finally, the lights flickered out, letting him see the other side of the passage. He paused, blinking.

"Can't be…" Zhu Luli muttered.

Lei's fingers trembled. There was nothing beyond the green barrier. The ceiling had crumbled down and choked the hall with man-sized rocks. One of them slid slowly down, crashed into the floor, and broke into a thousand pieces.

"Stone, Snake!" Fatty Lou called out.

But the stones remained silent.

Chapter 36: Old Man

The wind was gentle, the air silent and peaceful. He couldn't hear the growling of the monsters anymore, nor could he feel the rotten stench burning through his nose. It felt as though an invisible current had pulled them away from that world and pushed them gently toward another one. Snake closed his eyes as he let the wind move them through the dark tunnel, walls flashing past them.

At first, panic grabbed at his core when the wall caved in. Before he could react, a sudden force sucked them both inside the mountain, hurtling them up toward somewhere beyond their reach. He ducked and shielded his face with both arms, fearing that a wrong turn might have him crash into solid stone.

But though they came close, that invisible force somehow managed to ease them back onto the right path, where they coursed like water in a field canal through the inner parts of the mountain. Everything had a different glint about it here. Everything felt… safe.

He let his feet dangle beneath him as he squinted up at the tunnel. It seemed endless, but bright light glistened somewhere above. He then looked back over his shoulder, smiling when he saw Stone's eyes slowly open. He was alive.

Wood cracked in the palm of his hand. He raised the little flag high and checked the strange character written upon it. It was a number.

One hundred eight.

His father had once told him that any man who didn't know how to read or write was looking for trouble. Especially if you were a farmer. "This business is more about selling than growing seed," he'd say, "and you have to know your math to get a good deal for your hard work."

Snake had always been good with numbers, but he didn't know what to make of this one. His hand had brushed against the hard cloth when he was pushed back by that green barrier. It was hidden in the face of the wall, planted right beyond a big stone that must've crumbled when the cave started shaking.

A flag deep into the stone.

It made him curious.

Upwards, through the tunnel, the air whistling by his ears. He couldn't feel the weight of his body, and for a second, he'd even forgotten the pain gnawing at his arms. He was sore through and through, and this wind was the best medicine he could've ever asked for.

Then, slowly, a wrinkled, rotten face flashed in the dark of his lids. That old man was trouble, and now Big Brother Lei and Big Brother Lou were facing him. A cook and a butcher. Strong, true, but still simple mortals against a rotten beast of a man. His heart clenched in worry.

He could only hope this same wind could find its way to them.

The light flashing at the end of the tunnel grew harsh and bright, so much that Snake had to raise his arm to shade his eyes. Then came the chirping of birds. A loud, clear noise that seemed anything but ordinary. The chirping of the birds, the song of the breeze, and the bright light wrapping gently around him.

When he blinked, a sight unlike any other welcomed him. Bright, green bamboo stalks swayed lazily in the wind, surrounded by towering cedar trees with leaves as bright as the sun burning high in the sky. Around the branches, birds chirped loudly against each other. It was a contest, Snake thought, to see who had the strongest voice. The white-feathered ones were winning. Theirs was a dinning, melodic voice that spoke of strength.

"Where are we?" Stone muttered as he rubbed his eyes. He didn't look like he'd been through a twisted hell. Rather, it felt as though he was waking up from a long slumber.

Snake couldn't help the wide smile settling on his lips. "This must be Heaven."

"Are we dead?" Stone frowned across the bright scene.

Snake looked back to the tunnel they came from. The hole in the ground closed slowly as the earth stitched itself back together. Soon, it was gone, and grass patched the tiny wound.

"Only one way to find out," he said, peering at the bamboo stalks.

They strolled between the long grass, sunlight warm and easy on Snake's skin. Under the shade of cedar trees stood a serene lake. It was half-hidden by the bamboo stalks surrounding it, but Snake could see a cottage there, a simple, wooden structure with birds perched on its roof.

Somebody lived in that cottage by the wet, white robe hanging on the side of it, left there to dry. They were not alone in this paradise.

Soon, the lake came into view, making Snake blink round at it. A golden gate arced over from its pristine surface, riddled with ancient characters and inlaid with jade. It was the first time he'd seen something this perfect. Green and white jade, rounded into precious jewels, cocked into the arcing gate under which scores of fish swam peacefully.

Right then, a fish broke off from the others, gained speed, and leaped high into the sky, reaching for the gate. Snake thought it would pass over it with ease. But just when it was halfway, the brown-scaled fish suddenly slowed down, as if weighed upon by an invisible power. It started flailing, unwilling to give up, but in the end, it splashed back into the lake, unable to jump over the golden gate.

The lake's peace was disturbed by the sudden splash, sending shimmering drops of water all around it. Soon, peace was restored and everything went back to normal.

It was then that Snake saw another fish swimming on the other side of the gate. Its golden scales shone brighter than the precious jade jewels on the gate, and it was mighty and imposing. Like a true emperor, it almost seemed to look down upon the others who were shackled to the other side of the gate, stealing envious glances at it.

Snake thought it looked alone. All by itself, it had claimed the other half of the lake, yet it took only a small part of it. And whenever a brown fish jumped high into the sky, Snake could see that golden fish raising its head and staring at the gallant effort, eyes glinting with hope.

But that hope was broken over and over again when the brown fish fell back into the lake.

"The price of a thousand years spent in seclusion," said a voice, an old voice easing into Snake's ears, gentle like the morning breeze. "The carp leaps over the dragon gate, dreaming of becoming a dragon, unaware of the price it has to pay. How unfortunate its fate, to stand atop the peak, all mighty and strong, yet to remain alone all throughout eternity. How unfortunate indeed, but such is life."

Snake raised an eyebrow when they strolled into the backyard and saw an old man sitting cross-legged by the lake, staring sadly toward that golden fish. He had long, gray hair, braided and left dangling over his back, and a similarly colored long beard fluttered in the wind. He stroked it gently before shaking his head and giving them a curious look.

"Tell me, young ones. Would you be willing to pay the price of eternal solitude if it grants you the power to look down upon the world? Would you have taken the chance to be the dragon amongst men, even if it cost you your long past?"

"Be the dragon amongst men?" Stone said, frowning in thought. "I—"

"I would," Snake answered without hesitation. "If it means I can protect the ones I love, I would've paid the price."

"Selfless and bold," the old man said, nodding at Snake. He then slowly rose to his feet and smoothed the side of his white robe before turning to them.

Snake froze. There was a web of green veins throbbing on the other side of the old man's face, slithering down through his neck and under that white robe. The old man seemed unaware, though, or perhaps uncaring of that fact. He smiled gently and spoke with a mellow voice, "Come, then, you seem to have a story to tell."

Snake shared a look with Stone, and looked back to the way they came. Beyond the long grass, above the bamboo stalks, stretched the sky, endless and clear. He could see the promise of distant lands from here, and even mountains, small ones that seemed like dots in the distance.

They were on top of a mountain, high and close to the clouds.

The old man guided them through the backyard, careful not to disturb the lake. He had them sit before the cottage, at a wooden table, and served them some tea. When Snake took a whiff of the red tea, he felt something stir in his mind. All the worry clouding his thoughts suddenly felt like they weren't his own.

"That flag looks rather interesting," the old man said once he sat across from them, that same smile playing on his lips. "Looks like that old friend of mine hadn't done a good job of hiding those. I need to replace it."

"This flag?" Snake glanced at the flag, then back at the old man, confused. "It was well hidden, planted inside the stone walls, but they crumbled because of that Elder Huang."

"That's how you two found it, then, eh? Such coincidence," the old man said, stroking his beard. "Now, tell me. What made you two little carps step into my mountain? I can tell that you weren't out for a stroll, were you?"

"No, we weren't," Snake said, shaking his head. "We were…"

"Kidnapped," Stone said with his teeth clenched.

And so they told their story, and the old man listened without interrupting them. Snake didn't know why, but he hadn't felt a need to hide anything from him. He told him about the cultivator attack that had happened some weeks ago, and how, after that, everything changed, and Big Brother Lei took them into his care.

There were rotten beasts living under the mountain, Snake told the old man. Rotten beasts and a wrinkled man who seemed like a walking corpse. He had the voice of a snake, and he spoke of fate. And now, his Big Brother Lei and Big Brother Lou were trapped with him between the crumbling walls.

The old man listened eagerly, as if he found every word fascinating. He would shake his head, click his tongue, drum his fingers on the table, or scowl at times when Snake mentioned that rotten man. Stone would chime in whenever Snake got caught up with the fury burning in his heart, and go over the details as though he was retelling a nightmare.

When they finished, Snake found his jaw stinging with pain from how hard he had clenched his teeth. His Little Brother was no different, his face flushed with anger. But the old man waved a hand toward them, spreading a much-needed ease into their hearts that somehow relieved them.

"And so they came and reached the inner parts of the wide world," he muttered in thought. "I suppose you can't delay the inevitable. Tell me more about this Big Brother of yours. You've told me his dishes were heavenly. How so?"

Snake and Stone shared a glance before they burst into laughter. "Because he's the Heavenly Cook!" they said at the same time.

"After eating that fried rice, I managed to lift a big rock," Stone said a moment later, greatly proud of himself. "Bigger than the ones I've tried to lift before."

"You fool of a rock." Snake rolled his eyes at him before turning to the old man. "But he's right. Big Brother Lei's dishes are… different. And he knows how to use that ladle. It's too heavy, and it nearly broke a thug's nose that time."

"Mm," the old man said, smiling at them. "And now they're under this mountain with that man, is that so?"

Snake nodded right away, grimacing. "He and Big Brother Lou got trapped on the other side of the barrier."

"From what you told me, this Big Brother of yours seems like a special one. I'm sure he'll be fine," the old man said, rising from the table.

Snake clenched his fists as he glanced at the man. "Can't you do anything to help them?"

"Me?" The old man seemed amused at the words, pointing a finger to his face.

"Yes, you!" Stone pressed on. "You look strong!"

A sigh escaped his lips as the old man shook his head. "I'm afraid my time has passed, young ones. The world beyond this peak knows this old man no longer. It's forbidden for me to break past my shackles."

Snake bit his lower lip when the old man turned his back and trudged toward the cottage. He couldn't help the weakness weighing him down, like a mountain of rock trying to press him flat to the ground. He was about to walk away when his eyes strayed to his own hands.

They were pure and smooth, clean of rot and pus. There was no blood left inside his nails. Not only that, he was clad in a white robe, spotless like the clear sky. Taking a step back, he saw that his Little Brother was the same. He seemed as though bathed and cleaned by deft hands, like that time when Aunt Meilin prepared them for the spring festival.

"How?" they muttered at the same time.

"I'm afraid I can't leave this old cage of mine," came the old man's voice as he turned and glanced gently at them. Two copper rings flashed in the palm of his hand, looking old and worn. "But perhaps you can, eh, young ones? Perhaps I can teach some manners to those old foes of mine, let them once again feel the wrath of this Old Grim even though I'm bound to this mere patch of earth. What do you say? Would you be willing to jump over that gate with the help of this old man, knowing how steep the price you would have to pay?"

Snake and Stone looked at each other and nodded without hesitation.

Chapter 37 - Still Alive

Lei hauled the rock with two hands, straining as he dragged it back and let it crash to the ground. Taking a deep breath in, he pulled another stone from the blockage and repeated the process.

Zhu Luli and Fatty Lou joined him as they tried to open a way through the passage. A silent question hung between them, a question Lei thought was better kept locked up inside their minds. After all the things they'd gone through, now wasn't the time for brooding thoughts.

Yes. You have to be optimistic.

But as time passed, Lei found it hard to hold onto that optimism. They were deep into the blockage now, having cleared dozens of stones, but they couldn't find a trail of Snake and Stone here. Nothing, in fact, suggested that those two were here when the walls crumbled down.

"How is this possible?" Fatty Lou muttered, wiping his sweat. "They were… just gone, like that?"

"Something's odd here. Even if they got crushed under the stones, we should've found something," Zhu Luli said, staring solemnly at the broken walls. "Doesn't make any sense."

"Keep searching." Lei pulled another stone, this one coming up to about his waist, and rolled it away as breath burned in his throat. "They must be here."

"Brother Lei…" Fatty Lou glanced at him as if he had something to say, but a look from Lei silenced him. Nodding, he wrapped his hands around another rock and hauled it with all his strength.

They worked in muted silence, barely speaking, barely sparing a glance as they removed the rocks one by one. No matter what he did, Lei couldn't get rid of the lump stuck tight in his throat, pressing into his skin. His heart pounded closer to his ears now. Each beat sounded like a deafening explosion.

"Shit!" he said when a hand-sized rock tumbled down his head, nearly bashing into him before rolling away. He cursed and waved a hand off, clenching his fists to get the anger building up in his chest under control.

"We should… stop," Zhu Luli said with concern as the cave shook violently around them. When Lei stared her down, she didn't back away. "I know you want to save those kids, but this isn't helping them. For all we know, they could've found another way on the other side. We can go back and search for another entrance."

"She's telling the truth, you know," Fatty Lou said, nodding. "There must be hundreds of stones here. How long do you think we can keep clearing this blockage? Snake has a good head over his shoulders. That slithery brat wouldn't have stayed still."

"You saw them with your own eyes," Lei said, jabbing with one thick finger into the blockage with cold fury. "That piece of shit destroyed the cave! We're not talking about a bunch of cultivators here, they are kids! Damned kids who shouldn't even be here in the first place!"

"But they were," Zhu Luli said, staring at him. "And if we want to help them, we can't just keep pulling stones, hoping for some miracle to happen and clear the passage for us. There must be dozens of other entrances to this mountain."

"We'll search them one by one if that's what it takes," Fatty Lou said, then peered slowly back to the blockage. "Or we can just, you know, waste what little strength we've left here hauling these fucking rocks."

"Search for other entrances?" Lei took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves. What they said made sense, but he couldn't shake the feeling inside his heart. He felt as though if he were to take a step away from this place, he'd never see those two again.

He'd be leaving them to their own fate.

"Come on, brother." Fatty Lou's strong hand pressed against his back as he pulled him away from the rocks. "Have a little faith in those boys."

Little Yao gave him a nod, as if she was sure this would be the best way. She had a sharp nose, and she couldn't find a trail of the boys here in the passage. That was the only thing that gave Lei some semblance of hope.

My boys. You hold on out there, alright? I'm coming for you.

Lei clenched his jaw as he nodded.

.....

The search continued.

They filed out of the blockage, trudging through the dark hallways. Fatty Lou had taken the old tome, and the wooden staff, fixing a glowing sphere on top of it to light the path as Little Yao guided them. The way they took to get here had been destroyed, but there were more than a dozen caves carved into the mountain, slithering about like a labyrinth.

"Sister Luli, you've said cultivators think they can be the master of their own fates, right?" Lei mused as they sauntered around a corner, coming out on another set of stones that didn't seem any different than the others. When Zhu Luli gave him a nod, he raised his chin. "Once we find our boys and get out of here, I'll be depending on you."

"What do you mean?" Fatty Lou asked.

"We made a deal," Zhu Luli smiled slightly. "I'll teach you more about cultivation in exchange for Brother Lei's spiritual dishes. Though, I must say, I feel like I'm the one taking advantage of his talents."

"Doesn't matter," Lei said, fists clenched. "I need to be sure that my kids have the strength to take on the world. I can't let anything like this happen ever again."

"Well, that was the plan all along, no?" Fatty Lou shook his head with a smile. "Secure some spiritual herbs, and cook until we're all puffed up like those cultivators. I'd say we've secured a good supply line."

"Harsh." Zhu Luli tapped with a finger on her cheek, then gave him a shrug. "But I'll take it. I'll become that supply line all you want if that's what you need."

"Don't you have a family?" Lei asked as stones crunched under his feet and raised a hand when he saw the odd expression on Zhu Luli's face. "Don't get me wrong, I was just wondering. Would they be fine with you staying in some remote corner of the continent?"

"I make my own decisions," Zhu Luli said sharply. "And it doesn't… work like that in our family. Cultivator clans can be different than your average family. Filial piety is important and all that, but what really matters is strength. Being honest, I'm not really different than most cultivators who chase after opportunities. I saw one and I'm taking it, simple as that."

"Blunt, but fair," Fatty Lou said, clicking his tongue. "That's a strong mentality right there. Be your own man, so to speak. We need that if we want to establish a clan of cultivators."

"A clan of cultivators?" Lei was taken aback.

"Or a sect, I don't know," Fatty Lou shrugged, then his eyes glinted. "I mean you're basically a big alchemy cauldron that can cook potent dishes. I say we can't hope for a better foundation than that."

"That actually… makes sense," Zhu Luli said, cocking her head. "I've been meaning to ask this for some time, but couldn't find the right time, so I've waited. But… are you two really 1st Step Body Tempering Stage cultivators?"

Lei and Fatty Lou shared a strange look.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Fatty Lou asked a moment after.

Zhu Luli frowned in thought. "I mean, an average 1st Step Body Tempering Stage cultivator would've crumbled after all the things we've gone through, yet you two were acting like it wasn't a big deal. Meanwhile, there isn't a bone in my body that doesn't ache from hard use, and I'm at the 7th Step of the Body Tempering Stage."

"Huh?" Fatty Lou muttered, looking at his own hands, riddled with cuts and smeared with blood. "I don't think that's true."

Lei nodded silently.

Zhu Luli sighed out a long breath. "You don't understand. That rotten air sucked nearly all the spiritual energy from that Peak-Grade Body Tempering Stage pill. Peak-Grade! It should've left you breathless."

"I guess we just have more spirit in our hearts, eh? You have to acknowledge the fact that not everyone is equal in this world," Fatty Lou said, puffing his chest out with pride. "Even a city as mortal as Jiangzhen has to get its own geniuses, eh?"

"Geniuses?" Zhu Luli didn't look that sure. "I've thought it was those kids who had the talent for cultivation, not you."

"I didn't say I'm a cultivation genius." Fatty Lou rolled his eyes at her. "Can't say I'm not disappointed, Sister Luli. Thought you'd be better than that. There's more than cultivation in this world, don't you think? Even if you polish a diamond to perfection, there needs to be a good finger or a fair neck to make use of it."

"That's who you are, then? A genius manipulator who can make good use of cultivators?" Zhu Luli asked.

"If you like to put it that way, sure. Why not?" Fatty Lou nodded with a smile. "But I'm a budding genius at best. I need to work on my skills, no doubt, if we want to make good progress. And Brother Lei here is an essential part of my success. At least he will be, once we get a hang of our situation."

Lei was shaking his head at the conversation when his [Spiritual Sensitivity] skill sent a jolt of alarm down his back. Slowing down, he peered around, ears perked up to catch any sound, but couldn't find anything that would trigger the skill. There was an odd wind, though, coming right around his feet and slithering up his legs.

A squeak pulled him away from his thoughts when Little Yao paused before them. She had a confused look on her face, taking deep breaths as if she'd caught something in the air. But other than the same rocks and the shaking ground, Lei couldn't see anything different here.

"What happened?" Zhu Luli asked, but Little Yao didn't spare her a glance as she kept sniffing the air.

Her tail jolted upward a second later, stiff as a wooden stick. Lei's group exchanged strange glances as they waited for Little Yao to do anything that at least suggested she wasn't possessed.

When she started wagging her tail wildly, Lei took a deep breath, heart thundering in his chest.

"What? Did you get a whiff of—"

Little Yao bolted forward down the hallway, clawing at the ground as she sent stones and pebbles flying. Lei dashed after her without hesitation, the fingers of his right hand trembling with nervous expectation.

This wasn't normal. Little Yao wouldn't have taken off without at least indicating that there was something there. Coupled with the jolt he got from [Spiritual Sensitivity], Lei felt the little hope he bore in his heart slowly heating up.

Onwards, through the stones they rushed, the cold walls flashing past them as the wind grew stronger. It poked playfully at Lei's back, and for a second, he almost felt like it was pushing him, adding to his speed.

What is this?

Lei would've questioned it more if he hadn't seen the light glistening from the end of the hallway. Bright sunlight fell gently upon the cracked face of the stone walls, illuminating the hoof marks and claw prints on the ground. The rotten stench slowly wore off as they came out through the arched exit.

And the sunlight welcomed them.

A treeline stood facing the mountain, its canopy cracked and torn by what seemed like sharp claws. The growling of the monsters pounded in Lei's ears when he stepped outside. It was chaos over there between the trees. A chaos of his own making.

Screams of agony echoed as Fatty Lou and Zhu Luli joined him, watching the black-robed cultivators run for their dear lives while Corrupted Sabertongues lunged at them. Most of the creatures barely had any breath left, driven by pure madness as they chased after every living thing their eyes fell upon.

"What the hell happened here?" Fatty Lou asked, scowling into the forest. "It was just a bunch of dumplings!"

"Looks like there has been a serious change in the balance of the forest while we were inside the mountain," Zhu Luli said, shaking her head. "I've never quite understood the way these beasts think. Too primal for my taste."

Lei blinked when he thought he'd seen Little Yao giving Zhu Luli an eye-roll. Before he could look again, he felt the wind poking playfully at his back, as if nudging him like a stubborn child. Taking a breath in, he gave up resisting and turned tiredly toward the mountain, peering up through the bright sunlight.

Then he paused. The steep stone steps curled around the side of the mountain, a dangerous path making its way to the ground. It was dangerous indeed, and wasn't much of a path if you asked Lei, but two shadows climbed down using them, nimble as foxes and chuckling wide.

"Big Brother Lei!" came Snake's voice, high-pitched and full of joy. "Big Brother Lei, you're alive!"

Chapter 38: Return

Lei stood silent for a long second, fingers trembling as he watched Snake and Stone climb down through the mountain path. Their robes were riddled with holes, smeared with blood and mud, but their skin gleamed smooth under the sun, and there was a wide smile on their lips.

Is this real?

The search, the fights, that rotten bastard who blocked their path… Everything flashed past before his eyes like a filmstrip. He'd tried to hold on to that hope, and played deaf against the heart pounding in his chest. Cursed himself for how weak and desperate he'd been through all of it.

And now, to see those two smiling wide as they hopped down through the mountain path, something unraveled in his mind. Shoulders slumped, he wobbled a couple of steps before barely correcting himself. His legs couldn't stand the weight of his body, yet he remained on his feet. His arms trembled violently, yet he clutched his fists and stood strong.

His boys were still alive. Still breathing.

"I knew it!" Fatty Lou said with a face flushed with excitement, tears glistening in his eyes as he wiped them with the back of his hand. "I've never doubted. Never!"

A tap on the solid ground, then Stone came dashing across the distance, threw himself into Lei's arms. Lei pulled him high and held him tight as Stone started sobbing. He caressed the boy's head and told him over and over again that everything was going to be all right.

They were together now, once again, and this time, Lei would make sure they were never separated.

"Big Brother Lou, I'm relieved to see—"

"What did you say now?" Fatty Lou scowled into Snake's eyes when the little brat stretched a hand toward him. He swatted the hand away and stared Snake down with a glare. "You were worried about your Elder Brother here? Some stone must've caught you while you were there. Last I remember, it was you two brats who got kidnapped by some bastard into this forest, not the other way around!"

Snake bit his lower lip and tried to step back, but Fatty Lou lunged forward and took him into a bear hug. He fondled his hair even though Snake flailed in his arms, but Lei could see the smile on the little boy's lips.

Relief washed over Lei as he held Stone at arm's length, glancing down at him.

"How?" he asked finally. "I thought those stones…"

"There was an old—"

"Tunnel!" Snake cut off Stone's words right away, glaring at him before flashing a smile at Lei. "There was an old tunnel inside the mountain. We were lucky to find it when the walls started coming down. It took us all the way up to the mountain, then we used those steps to get down."

"An old tunnel?" Lei frowned in doubt, staring up at the steps on the side of the mountain. "You crawled up in that state?"

"You have to show some spirit, Big Brother Lei. That's what Big Brother Lou always says, right?" Snake puffed his cheeks out with pride. "We did just that. Pushed through until we saw daylight. We couldn't have stayed still. Not after we saw you facing that rotten man."

"Did he do anything to you?" Lei asked, heart clenching tight around his chest. Even Fatty Lou's smile gave way to a nervous scowl, as if he was preparing himself for the worst.

"He took our blood," Stone said with a trembling voice. "Said it was tainted and needed to be cleaned before being presented to his Master."

"Master?" Lei said. "That man wasn't alone?"

Snake shook his head. "We never saw that Master, but he must be deep in the mountain. I think he's hurt. Elder Huang told the thug that his Master needs time to recuperate."

A bad taste settled in Lei's mouth. He tapped a finger to his cheek as he paced around the group. A rotten man who could corrupt beasts with a dozen cultivators working under him. He was shocked when he saw Lei standing strong after that attack. Muttered something about mana.

Who the hell are you people?

Lei didn't know, but he wasn't about to linger around and try to learn the truth. Snake and Stone could smile all they wanted, but Lei knew what they'd gone through was nothing short of traumatic. He had to get his boys back to the house. Get them back to the house and let them rest.

"Mm," he said after a long pause, turning toward Zhu Luli. "We should go back. Can you tell Little Yao to find us a safe path? I don't think I want to take my chances against the forest."

A pained growl shook the ground beneath their feet as trees swayed dangerously about. It seemed to Lei that his dumplings were still doing some serious work over there, and he had no intention of being a part of it.

"Let's go," he said, sparing one last glance at the mountain before nodding to himself. "I don't want to stay here any longer."

.....

It was past afternoon, and a gentle breeze whistled a pleasant tune as Lei's group strode toward the city. The Darkloom Forest had long since become a dot in the distance, but Lei could still hear the growling in the web of his ears, ringing inside his mind.

A glance at Stone and Snake brought him back to reality. Hard to believe these two little boys had clung to life, borne through all the hurdles, and come out smiling in the end.

It was the little things, Lei found, that revealed the fear and desperation they'd gone through. A sudden pause in speech, or that how Snake always seemed to peer toward the endless skies, eyes looking deep in thought as he fondled the ring on his finger.

It would take some time before they left everything behind.

Back to normal now.

That was what Lei tried to tell himself, but deep in his core, he knew that nothing was normal about the whole ordeal. The rotten bastard who called himself Elder Huang, whom the System showed as a mortal even though the man was nothing short of a corrupted beast hiding in human skin, weighed on his mind.

Mana. An odd thing to say, indeed. Lei wasn't a stranger to the word, and yet it seemed Zhu Luli and Fatty Lou had never heard of it before. Then again, Zhu Luli did say the man couldn't be a Death Cultivator since he didn't shed a drop of blood after being stabbed with a steel sword.

Foul stench, rot, and pus.

He shook his head. He had more questions on his hands than the rocks crunching under his feet. The fields stretched all around him, full of swaying wheat stalks and men laboring under the bloody sun. Nobody knew what horrors lurked up in the distance, hidden behind the trees, perhaps concocting an evil plan that would make them bleed.

How can you hide such a thing? Aren't there Immortals in this world? Skyguards who could catch any bastard's trail from miles away?

But then, Jiangzhen had been blasted by a cultivator's attack some weeks prior, and the response to that destruction was barely considered apathetic. It seemed like nobody cared as long as it was the mortals who got the short end of the stick. Poke a finger into the pot of some high-nosed bastard, though, and you're bound to get some attention.

His first thought was to alert the authorities. Tell them there was an evil organization hiding near Jiangzhen, kidnapping children from the city to use in unorthodox practices. But who would answer? Those guards who'd readily let that thug walk away after giving him a slap on the wrist? The Governor, who was busy entertaining some mysterious guests, couldn't spare a damned second to see the situation in his city?

Or perhaps he should cry out like a madman in the Eastern Square, telling the folk they were in deep trouble. That ought to get him some reactions. He could then build upon that initial response.

"Sister Luli," he said when his thoughts crammed together into a twisted mess. When Snake and Stone turned toward him, Lei swallowed the question in his mind and instead gave them a smile. "Do you remember our deal?"

"Deal?" Zhu Luli cocked an eyebrow at him. "Of course I do. Actually, I can't wait to start."

"Mm," Lei said, nodding with a little smile. "I think we shouldn't waste any time and get to work right away."

"We need a wide space if we're going to do this," Zhu Luli said. "All the space we can get, and a carpenter, one who knows their business. A dozen dummies would be enough for a start."

"What about weapons?" Lei asked with a hint of doubt in his voice. "Swords, spears, shields?"

"We'll see about that," Zhu Luli answered. "You can't just give them the toys and expect them to perform. I have to first understand their disposition and talents before making a decision. And you only get to pick your weapon once you've established a good foundation."

"What about you, then?" Fatty Lou asked from the side, the wooden staff in his hand thumping against the ground as he used it like a walking stick. "A cultivator like you should've picked one long ago, no?"

"I can use that sword," Snake said, eyes glinting as he glanced at the steel sword strapped on Zhu Luli's back.

Zhu Luli shook her head. "Weapons don't make a cultivator; hard work does. And I've been practicing Thousand Node Fingers for years now. A sword or a spear will only slow me down."

That's a cultivator's Martial Art, alright. Has the name for it.

Lei wondered if, in the future, he would develop something like that. His would probably take inspiration from dishes.

The Boiling Pot Rises From the East… Seems not that bad, eh? Or the Spiritual Ladle Slaps People Dead?

Now that he thought about it, his fingers started itching for the touch of that poor-quality but always faithful ladle that had been shattered into pieces by that bastard. He would have to find a new one and grow it into a spiritual tool. The satisfying crunch the ladle produced against hard bone was still fresh in his mind.

"Big Sister Luli, what about me?" Stone asked all of a sudden, pulling all the attention to his innocent eyes. But there was a stubborn frown on his face. "I'm stronger than Brother Snake, and just like you, I think a sword will only slow me down."

That earned a snort from Snake.

Hands on her hips, Zhu Luli gave Stone a solemn nod before looking up in thought. "There are thousands of Martial Arts and Cultivation Manuals in this world, Little Stone. I'm sure we can find one that suits you."

"But how?" Stone asked with a sigh. "I don't have any money."

"Told you to start saving." Snake poked him with an elbow. "This time, you'll follow my lead. I'm sure Master Li will give us more work in the future."

"Oh?" Zhu Luli chuckled. "More work, you say? I think the last time I checked, you could buy a good Martial Art from the Adventurers' Guild for some thousand imperial gold. How long do you think it'll take you to fork up that amount?"

"A thousand gold?!" Snake and Stone paused in their steps, staring wide-eyed at Zhu Luli.

"Well, what do you think?" Zhu Luli stole a glance at Lei as he gave her an amused smile. "If you two are diligent and do as I say, I'm willing to give you both a good Martial Art fitting to your talents. But I want absolute obedience!"

Snake and Stone shared a solemn look before they nodded. "We're willing!"

"Good!" Zhu Luli said, clapping her hands as she turned toward Lei. "A good teacher couldn't ask for more from her pupils. And we have a Spirit Chef at our backs. How good is that?"

"Left alone to gather dust," Fatty Lou muttered. "But I shall stay strong. I've braved many a wind to let this sort of thing shatter my will. Alone, I shall pave a path to greatness."

"Too bad I'll need a handyman to fix me a couple of things," Lei said as he clapped Fatty Lou on the back. "Can't go around chasing ladies anymore, eh, brother? We have a mess on our hands, and I'll be relying on your quick wit to come up with a solution."

Fatty Lou glanced strangely at him, which made Lei lower his voice. "We have to do something about that Master. Can't act like he doesn't exist."

"You're right," Fatty Lou said gravely. "I'll see what I can do. At worst, I'll knock on my old man's door to seek his help. He's been baking for the Governor's Office for years now."

"Do that, but try to keep it quiet. These people have eyes and ears in the city. I doubt not all of them are mere thugs ratting about in the streets. You know the saying: if there's one rat, there are more hiding."

"Trust me, I know," Fatty Lou clenched the wooden staff tight in his hands. "I'll never forget the stench of that rotten bastard."

"Big Brother Lei, what are you two talking about over there?" came Snake's voice, curious as a fox as he craned his head toward them. "Would you let me in?"

"Don't worry yourself about these things, Little Snake," Lei said and pulled the boy into his arms, ruffling his head. He then pointed to Zhu Luli with a finger as Snake chuckled beside him. "I want you to take a good rest when we get back, because I'm afraid you won't be getting any under your new teacher's care."

"You mean Big Sister Luli?" Snake shrugged with confidence. "It'll be a piece of cake!"

"Ignorant and bold," Fatty Lou barked out a laugh. "You don't know what that woman's capable of, little brat. I'd be careful if I were you."

Lei shook like a wet dog, nodding at Fatty Lou. "I've suddenly got the chills. What about you?"

Fatty Lou patted his left arm with a frown. "Got them all over my arm, too."

"You two…" Snake gulped nervously under their gaze. "Can't be serious."

"Oh, but we are, sneaky Snake," Fatty Lou said while Lei nodded. "You wanted to get strong, and you'll get your wish. It's just that it's not going to be easy at all."

"I—" Snake sputtered, then took a deep breath and clenched his fists. "I can do it. I'm ready to do it. Whatever it takes, I will never back down."

Lei clapped him on the shoulder. "That's the spirit! Now go tell your Little Brother the same. I don't think he's as eager to take on the challenge as you are."

After sending Snake away, Lei frowned out across the distance, peering at Jiangzhen's silhouette looming before them.

"We all need to get stronger," he muttered, pulling up the System's interface. A blinking notification appeared:

[Tier Upgrade Quest Available] - Prepare an Earth-tier dish.

Chapter 39: Diary

It was dark when they got back to the house, and Lei sent Fatty Lou to check on the other kids before stepping through the door. It felt like it had been years since he last saw the wooden interior of the place and tasted the cozy, familiar air that eased into his lungs.

"Alright, straight to your beds," he said once Zhu Luli closed the door behind them. "You need a good rest."

Snake nodded and dragged Stone with him as they moved upstairs, leaving Zhu Luli and Lei alone in the living room. Little Yao, on the other hand, jumped straight over the couch and stretched her little arms tiredly before lying across the puffy cushions.

"What a journey it was," Lei said as he poured himself onto the couch. "I forgot what it feels like to have a roof over your head."

Zhu Luli smiled knowingly from across him. "You get used to it. Actually, I think cities are worse. You know what a beast might do to you deep in the night. You just have to avoid it. But people are different. You can never be sure about them."

"That, you're right," Lei nodded. "It's just that I missed the safety of walls, even though any able-bodied man could probably break them open. A place to sleep, your own place—that's hard to find out there."

"It's not about the walls and the house, is it?" Zhu Luli looked deeply into his eyes. "You just missed being around those kids. Without them, you wouldn't call this place a home. It'd just be a reminder of the ones you've lost."

"I guess that's true," Lei said, shaking his head. "I wouldn't know what to do without them. That's true for everyone, though, don't you think? Being alone, even if by choice, doesn't strike me as a good life. I want them to grow and find their own paths, and to do that, I have to make sure they have the right things for it."

"Mortals are really different," Zhu Luli said gravely. "It's like a different life out here."

"What makes you say that?" Lei asked.

"You have a heavenly gift, Brother Lei," Zhu Luli said. "That gives you the right to become a chosen. Where I come from, the chosen wouldn't trouble themselves with a bunch of kids. They only live for themselves, as the Immortal Path is a lonely one. There's no sense in being close to others."

"That… doesn't make any sense," Lei said. "Climb the ranks all you want, become a damned Immortal for all I care, but without anyone by your side, what would be the point?"

"That's why mortals are different," Zhu Luli said. "But the world of cultivation isn't about the friends you make along the journey or the family you leave behind. It's about self-fulfillment, achieving immortality to ascend above all that is mortal. We were born into competition, with the same mission dangling over our heads. But let's leave this talk for another day, shall we? I think we're both tired."

Lei stared at her for a long second before nodding. "Alright, we'll do that. Let me show you a room. You're not staying in that inn tonight."

....

The next day started with a bustle of noises that nearly made Lei tumble down the stairs, staring wide-eyed at the group of kids in the living room. They tackled him down and hugged him until his bones groaned in protest. Fatty Lou had even brought Master Li and his new sweetie, Granny Nu, with him, saying that he couldn't stop them from barging in.

Still, the reunion of the kids was a special sight—one that even brought tears to Master Li's face. The old man's wrinkles didn't seem as deep that day. He refused to let Lei cook the dishes for the celebration; instead, he rolled up his sleeves and prepared a feast with his own hands as children hopped around Lei's house, their screams of joy filling the air.

Granny Xu helped him in the kitchen, and they looked like an old married couple who had a dozen grandkids. Though Fatty Lou grumbled that he'd never seen the old man show him that kind of care, he kept his grievances to himself and enjoyed the joyous atmosphere in the house.

They gathered around the big table and wolfed down the pastries two at a time. Stone almost choked when he tried to gobble three buns at once, earning a sigh from Snake, who watched him with a tired expression.

Little Mei and the others bombarded the two boys with dozens of questions, their curious eyes staring intently. Greatly proud of the attention, Stone spoke like a seasoned adventurer, telling one tale after another, while Snake made sure his Little Brother ended the stories on a good note.

As per Lei's instructions, they never told the others about Elder Huang and the rotten beasts. Their made-up tale was just an adventure in the wilds, where they chased deer and rabbits and dealt with a bunch of spiritual beasts before Lei's group found them.

It was then that Little Yao squeaked in defiance, becoming an instant source of distraction for the kids. The squirrel performed a speedy and flashy show, cutting tomatoes and eggplants with her sharp claws. At first, she seemed to enjoy the celebrity treatment, but it got old much sooner than she'd expected, to the point that she bolted back to Zhu Luli when Little Mei tried to squeeze her flat between her arms.

Zhu Luli's presence was one of the highlights of the celebration. Her new mentoring job got promising reactions from the crowd. She would first start by measuring their cultivation talents via the Governor's Office, then sketch a plan suited to their abilities. She made it clear that everyone had their own path in the Immortal Path, and she could only show them the way.

Lei wasn't too surprised by the following questions. To normal kids, cultivation in this world was more like the superhero comics he'd read growing up. There were the good ones and the bad ones, but most kids seemed to pay more attention to the tools rather than the people who used them.

A wooden plank could become an imaginary spiritual sword on which they could ascend high into the heavens. A broken stick could serve as a spiritual wand that spat fireballs and showers of sparks.

Often, at around age 11 or 12, these dreams would get grounded by adults who ushered talentless kids into realistic occupations: farmers, stall owners, carpenters… To them, the spiritual side of the world would turn into a childhood fantasy, eventually becoming a source of fear as they heard about the real side of cultivators.

But for now, being presented with a teacher who could guide them along the spiritual path, it was little wonder these kids couldn't wait to start their training.

Having seen how Zhu Luli handled those beasts, though, Lei was more than doubtful that the kids would find their training as joyous as they imagined. This so-called Immortal Path was essentially a path to defy the Heavens, and it was a question whether these kids would find success in such a dangerous pursuit.

But Lei knew he had little other choice but to accept it. Cultivators were an unreliable bunch—overpowered maniacs who could destroy cities for the sake of it—and now they had another group of rotten bastards to deal with on top of that.

The best course of action against this strange world was to make his little group as strong as possible.

On that front, they'd come up with a solid plan with Fatty Lou. Once a week, they'd join Zhu Luli and Little Yao for a quick hunt around the forest to secure some spiritual ingredients. His potent dishes would serve as spiritual pills to enhance the growth of their close circle. According to Zhu Luli's estimations, if they could keep getting enough spiritual ingredients, Snake and Stone could become 9th Step Body Tempering Cultivators in three months.

When he first heard it, Lei found it hard to believe. Climbing through a whole stage in just three months seemed unrealistic, but there was a crucial reason why Zhu Luli was confident in her estimates—a reason that made Lei's dishes different from average spiritual pills.

His dishes weren't poisonous.

Zhu Luli had told him that during the Body Tempering Stage, a cultivator would go through three different Body Cleansing phases. The first would occur at the 3rd Step of the Body Tempering Stage, the second at the 6th Step, and the last would start right after the cultivator had reached the 9th Step of Body Tempering.

This was considered preparation for the Qi Condensation Stage, to cleanse the mortal dust from the body. The real trouble was the amount of mortal dust accumulated. Theoretically, you could consume all the pills in the world to speed through the Body Tempering Stage, but if the pills weren't of high quality, your meridians could fracture or even be crippled during the Body Cleansing Process from the overload.

That was why Peak-Grade Body Tempering Pills were ridiculously expensive and hard to come by. They were often monopolized by cultivator clans and couldn't be bought through the Empire's Alchemists' Guild.

Here's where Lei's dishes shone. Because he didn't use Alchemists' Fire during the cooking process, and because he had near-perfect control over spiritual energy—thanks to the System—his dishes came out as safe-to-consume spiritual foods with no apparent side effects.

On the other hand, Zhu Luli said that even a Core Formation Stage Master Alchemist could only hope to achieve an 85% purity in their pills. Even though this was a respectable ratio, their pills still contained 15% impure matter that could harm the cultivator's foundation in the long run.

Lei had always known his dishes were valuable, but this only made him more cautious as even the Spirit Chefs around the capital of the Eastern Continent couldn't achieve 100% purity when they cooked with spiritual ingredients. Zhu Luli had even said that if word got around that there was a Master Spirit Chef who lacked any sort of backing, dozens of cultivator clans would come seeking his talents for their own use. And not all of these cultivator clans would beg him to cook for them when they could easily subdue and turn him into a slave that would work for their clan's good for eternity.

That sent a shiver down Lei's spine and also made him grateful to have come across a cultivator like Zhu Luli. By all means, she was no weakling, and Lei had his doubts about her clan. It was good to have someone he could trust with these things.

The day ended after Master Li and Granny Xu put the kids to bed before going back to their own place. The old man seemed invigorated by the celebration. Even though he'd chased after the kids and prepared a whole feast by himself, he didn't seem all too tired. Quite the opposite, there was a joyous glint in his eyes as he glanced at Granny Xu.

Lei thought the old Granny wouldn't get much sleep tonight.

Once they were gone, Fatty Lou and Zhu Luli helped him clean the house. They then chatted about small topics, but it seemed to Lei that everyone unwittingly stayed away from their little adventure.

He was grateful to have had the chance to clear his mind for a whole day, but when he drew back to his room, the leather-bound tome that stood in the corner piqued his interest. It was the only thing they had in their hands, as the wooden staff was basically a useless piece of wood.

That diamond… That was what made it special. And Little Yao had shattered that diamond into pieces with a heroic effort. So if they wished to learn anything about that evil organization, this tome was their best bet.

Lei poured himself onto the bed once he took the tome and stroked its leathery surface. The cover was painted in a dark brown, dotted with pus marks that seemed to have burned their way through the tome. Its edges were curled from hard use, and there was a rotten stench about it.

[Diary] – (An old diary written in a strange language.)

He cocked an eyebrow when he used the Yellow Maiden's Eyes skill before opening a random page. He was instantly met by a string of strange characters that swirled about on the yellowed paper, half of it burnt with pus, the other half full of drawings swaying gently around the page like leaves floating on a gentle breeze. For a second, he thought he could touch them, but his finger passed through the dark letters as if they were a lie.

Scowling, Lei felt heat rush toward his eyes as the characters nailed themselves one by one to the page, rejoining as a sensible whole that made Lei blink in confusion. He could hardly read the second half, but as soon as his eyes skipped to the first half, he froze.

Year 7, Day 250.

Today, Master Voilanth used the last mana crystal to establish contact with other teams. There was no response. Like the others before, the crystal cracked as soon as he used it. The foul energy of this world has an innate characteristic that serves as a counter-current to the flow of mana inside the crystals.

We are surrounded by towering trees, buildings made of wood and stone, high palaces glistening richly over the clouds, yet it is no different than laboring through a desert. My skin couldn't hold it anymore. I have to sacrifice my body if I want to survive. Master Voilanth says it's not a big matter. He's hardly considered a human, after all.

There is no mana in this world, but we will continue. We've already planted dozens of thorns along the way. We can't go back anymore. I can only hope the others are doing their job.

...

Master Voilanth granted me permission. I've long since wanted to study these human-like beings, to see if our skin is the only thing we share. But I shall act with caution. The mana regeneration rate has dropped to near zero after the years we've spent here. My body is a lifeless well, dry and cracked like a bare patch of earth.

I hope I can find something through my experiments that can help to replenish our energy reserves. Otherwise, if this continues, we will be no different than the mortals living peacefully in the cities, and will lose access to the System.

But there's a silver lining. The farther we stray from the capital, the easier it gets to handle the pressure. The spiritual energy, or Qi as locals call it here, is slowly dwindling. Perhaps we can find a place where we won't have to fight for each breath.

...

The subject is an adult male in his twenties. No sign of illness. His skin looks clear and smooth. His blood—

Lei rubbed the bridge of his nose after reading the first part. Pain throbbed in his head for keeping the Yellow Maiden's Skill active for far longer than he'd ever done before. But pain wasn't the real thing that made him frown.

It was clear that these people were not alone. There were more of them in the Eastern Continent, and just like him, they had a System.

What the hell is going on here?

Chapter 40 - Measurement Hall

Alright, take a deep breath.

Lei took one to clear his mind as he turned another page and tried to use Yellow Maiden's Eyes once again. He jerked back in his bed when the throbbing pain around his head filled his vision with blinding lights. Blinking through the pain, he shook his head as he let go of the skill.

Can't seem to use it. Why?

Without the skill, the pages of the tome looked like a jumbled mess of characters. None of it made any sense. He'd never tried to use the skill for more than a couple of seconds, which was probably the reason why he'd never gotten this sort of response from it.

Maybe it has a duration? I'll try to see if that's the case later.

There was a lot more to think about than the skill's duration, though. He had suspicions about Elder Huang's identity, but this part from the tome made it quite clear that the man was not from this world, and there were more people like him out there on the continent.

They were sent here for a mission. Teams, the man wrote, and they were separated for some reason. It could be because of their method of communication, but Lei refused to believe this sort of thing would pass under the Eastern Continent's authorities' surveillance. Immortals lived in this world, and even though they cared little for mortal cities like Jiangzhen, the same couldn't be said for other places.

Except, they might have some way to avoid detection.

Another thing that caught Lei's attention was the mention of mana. Elder Huang wrote that this world didn't have mana at all, and the spiritual energy made it hard for them to even breathe in certain places. The two energies didn't have a harmonious relationship, but Lei's situation begged to differ.

He had mana. He gained mana through his dishes. And it was probably thanks to this mana that he wasn't too affected by Elder Huang's burst of green light. He'd managed to push through and stab the sword right into the guts of the old man. His skin burned from all that pus, but it stitched itself together after he'd gained multiple tiers from the kill.

By that logic, I've gained mana for killing Elder Huang. So the special energy I'd gained through the System and the one I've got from playing a part in killing Elder Huang are the same.

That was… troubling. Elder Huang had a system of his own. Whoever these people were, they had a working, established System just like Lei's, which gave him goosebumps.

He'd thought much about the origin of the System after he'd opened his eyes to this strange world. At that time, there was just the Feed People quest and nothing more, but beyond the blue screen floating before his eyes, the fact that it came with his reincarnation had also made him curious about the reasons.

This can't be a simple coincidence, right?

He was reincarnated into a mortal city, far away from the capital, alone and with nothing but a basic quest. Then, once he completed the quest and got the 'real' System, he came across people who seemed like they were sent here as spies. And it was thanks to all the dishes he'd made that he could put up a fight against those bastards.

They're using the thugs and other cultivators in the city. They want to stay away from certain eyes. Wait a second… Is this related to the mysterious guests of the Governor? Is that why they couldn't just… I don't know, level the city?

Whatever their reason was, it was clear that they wanted to act in discretion. It seemed like Lei's group had poked a sharp stick right into their plan, though.

Who was your patron? he'd asked. And the man had told him that he'd seen his kind. Was he trying to say that there were other cultivators like him who had their own System?

So the chances were, he wasn't unique. That was… oddly soothing, but it still didn't clear the question in his mind.

Why? Why would a patron, a god, or some heavenly being choose some chef from another world? Why would they send him off to this place and give him a cooking system?

His breath stuck in his throat. His fingers started shaking as he remembered what Zhu Luli had said the other day. She'd told both of them that they were stronger than mere 1st Step Body Tempering Stage cultivators. Lei didn't think much of it at the time, but it was indeed strange that a pair of 1st Step Body Tempering Stage cultivators could keep up with a strong woman like Zhu Luli.

The obvious answer to that question would be the mana in his body. Yes, the mana he'd gained through his dishes had probably made his body more durable and strong. But what about Fatty Lou? His brother-in-arms didn't have a System like his. He was just a budding cultivator, one that didn't have prior experience.

Wait… We've been together for weeks. He's tasted all the dishes I've made. The spiritual ones, the normal ones, everything. Don't tell me he has mana too?

Lei felt a sudden chill as he leaned back against the wall, frowning in thought. He didn't dare to follow that train of thought, fearing it might lead up to some dark plot. But he was alone in his room, with a burned tome in his hands. He had nothing to distract him from diving deep into the boiling pot that was his mind.

Alright, if mana and spiritual energy are contradictory in essence, then shouldn't the mana in my body have affected me in some way? The same is also true for Brother Lou.

Elder Huang wrote that spiritual energy weighed on them like a natural pressure. Why, then, hadn't Lei felt something similar?

Hold on. I've felt something similar, haven't I?

The pain he'd gone through whenever he'd gotten a tier upgrade. Before, he unwittingly attributed this pain to his body's lack of capacity, but now it seemed to him that the pain was mana's doing. Then, when he stepped into the 1st Step of Body Tempering Stage, things got a touch more bearable.

Is it because we have spiritual energy in our meridians? Maybe those two have established some sort of balance.

That aligned with his initial thoughts. He'd wanted to climb through the cultivation ranks to prepare his body against that pain. Granted, he'd never thought this could be because of the System's rather different way of injecting mana into his veins. Unlike spiritual energy, the special energy roaming inside his body had refused to trigger a minor circle.

What should I do, then?

There was one thing he was sure of: He couldn't just stay still and wait for things to happen. Like they'd talked about with Brother Lou and Sister Luli, they'd be hunting for spiritual beasts and spiritual ingredients to boost their cultivation.

Or I can just hunt these spies to get those level ups.

Elder Huang's death alone gave him multiple tiers, to the point that he'd hit the limit of Novice Tier right away. To move further, he'd have to prepare an Earth-tier dish, and Lei could only imagine how much pain it would bring when he stepped into the next Tier.

But that bastard nearly killed us all.

That was the problem. Lei had no way of knowing how strong these people were. He'd caught Elder Huang off guard, which gave him a chance to finish the old man off, but from the diary, it was clear the man had another rotten bastard with him — supposedly his Master, who no doubt would be stronger than a mere servant.

It's too risky.

They'd talked about moving to Lanzhou just to be safe, but the trip wouldn't be a breeze with a dozen children by their sides. Zhu Luli said that Qi Condensation, or even Foundation Establishment beasts, lurked along the path between the cities, and she wasn't sure if she could protect them in case of a spiritual beast attack. That left them no choice but to stay in Jiangzhen for the moment.

Prepare an Earth-tier dish and keep the stall up and running. We need money if we're going to do this.

That was their exit. To use the Empire's spiritual ferry service, it would take more than just coppers, but it was worth the price. Using flying beasts to travel across the continent was the safest way. Lei just had to make sure he'd have enough money to bail his group out of Jiangzhen. Even though Lanzhou was full of cultivator clans competing against each other, at least it would be safe from an outside attack. There were Core Formation experts there.

He rubbed his eyes tiredly as he put the diary to the side. All this information and thinking about what-ifs and what-nots had turned his mind into a mess. And he needed rest, as tomorrow he and Zhu Luli would take the other kids to the Governor's Office to measure their talents.

Baby steps. You don't have to do everything at once. Give yourself some time.

Lei eased into the bed and pulled the blanket over him. Sleep came right away.

...

The next day, they took the kids to the Governor's Office after Lei sent Fatty Lou to fix them some dummies from a carpenter. When asked, Zhu Luli kept her silence about the training plan, insisting on the fact that she would have to see the talents of the children to devise individual programs for the most efficiency, but she made it clear that she'd need those dummies.

They didn't take Snake, Stone, and Little Mei with them, as according to her, there was a good chance these kids had over ninety spiritual roots, which surely would spark some degree of attention from the authorities. All things considered, they had decided to keep them away from the Governor's Office, as they didn't know how deep those rotten bastards had penetrated into the city's governance.

Still, Lei found himself deep in thought as they strode into the building complex. The place had been nailed right into the heart of the city, walls white-washed and kept clean of any blemishes. People hurried about in the wide halls, all clad in the Governor's Office's brown robes.

A scribe showed them the way down a corridor that led them to a different hall. Before the high double doors, a line of townsfolk stood, their kids waiting by their side. Lei could see the confusion on those young faces and the excited expectation of the parents. A talented child could change the entire fate of a family, but whenever the doors opened with a thud and a parent dragged their child away with a disappointed pace, it seemed as though everybody took a long, shivering breath.

It's like the SATs of the cultivation world, only the results are solely decided by your birth.

"Stand tall," came a voice from the front. A man glowered down at a little boy with a raised fist, then leaned over to him and pulled his chin. "I don't need another farm boy in my house. You'll get in there and show your worth."

The boy nodded weakly, fingers trembling as he tried to hold his chin high. When the double doors opened and an old man beckoned them closer, the father pushed the child into the hall.

"Big Brother Lei," said Little Ji from beside Lei, gulping nervously. "What if I don't have any talent? Will you—"

"Nonsense." Lei bent his knees and looked Little Ji in the eye. "Whether you're talented or not isn't important, Little Ji. In the end, you will choose your own path. That is the only thing that matters. We're just here to see if you have other options."

"But Big Brother Snake is talented," Little Ji said, shoulders slumped. "I want to be like him. He's strong and fearless."

Lei felt a smile on his lips as he pressed Little Ji to his side. "But he's older than you. Give yourself a few years. You'll see, you'll become a dependable big brother just like him in the future. Now, I want you to take a deep breath and try to stay calm."

Zhu Luli gave him a deep look before scowling down at the other kids. A strict gaze from her was enough to keep them in line.

She was certainly taking a different approach to the kids, but Lei had no qualms about that. Unlike him, the woman would be their cultivation instructor, and according to what she'd said before, she might be one of the kindest ones out there.

The doors swung wide open.

"Worthless!" growled that same man, dragging his boy by the nape of his neck. "You're all worthless. But it's my fault for taking that whore into my house!"

Lei tapped gently on Little Ji's back, and pulled him aside before sighing out a breath. "Hey," he called out just as the father-son duo was about to pass him. "You have a second?"

"What?" the man snapped his head toward him, eyes bulging with fury. "What do you want?"

Lei pointed at the kid who was flailing desperately in his father's hold. "Let's calm down a bit. You don't have to blame the kid. He doesn't have any say in the matter. You should—"

"Who the hell are you?" the man hissed through clenched teeth, leaving the kid and taking a step toward Lei. "You think you can tell me what to do with my own son? Who the fuck do you think you are?"

When the man poked him in the chest with a thick finger, Lei shook his head and was about to jab him senseless, but he saw the little boy staring up at him in fear.

He's your father after all.

Rather than punching the man, he instead decided to take him by the neck just like he did to his own son. The man tried to swat his arm away, but Lei barely felt his touch before yanking him closer by his neck.

"You're a big man, are you not?" Lei whispered into the man's ear as he tightened his hold around the man's neck. "Then why don't you act like one?"

"You—"

"Shush, now." Lei pulled him tight once again, shaking his head. "If you don't know how to speak with your own son, perhaps we should make sure you can never talk again. What do you think?"

Turning his back to the kid, Lei then jabbed a finger into the man's mouth and pulled his tongue out. "Now, what do you say?"

"I-I," the man sputtered, saliva dripping down his chin.

"Oh, right," Lei said, releasing the tongue.

"I-I'll be good." The man nodded under his hold, shaking like a broken stick. "I-I'll—"

"That's right." Lei nodded and patted him on the back before releasing him. "Don't think you can get away with it next time. I'll be watching."

The man rubbed his neck as he stumbled back, breath wheezing through his teeth. He nodded over and over again before taking his kid and bolting out of the hall.

"You sure looked like a cultivator there," Zhu Luli chuckled a moment after.

Lei shook his head. "I couldn't have stayed silent. You saw how that bastard treated his own son."

Zhu Luli shrugged. "Not the first time I've seen it. You get used to it."

"You always say that." Lei glanced at her. "You get used to it. But what if I don't want to?"

"Then you do that," Zhu Luli said. "You fix it."

"Simple as that?"

"Simple as that," Zhu Luli said solemnly. "Not like an ant would ever dare to fight against a tiger. As long as you're the tiger, you don't have to think about these things."

"A tiger…" Lei muttered to himself. "That sounds good to me."