Chapter 11: The Orc Cave

"Where are you going?" I was momentarily stunned. The three of us had grown up together, and this was our first time venturing out into the world. Now, with Xiaohan poisoned, where could he be going?

"To learn a craft!" When I looked at Zhang Yi, I saw an unwavering determination in his eyes. I rarely saw him like this.

"Learn a craft? Where?"

"Ginkgo Valley." Zhang Yi mentioned a place I had never heard of. "I asked Grandpa Pan about it, and he told me it's a place where mages are trained. I've thought it through—I may not be able to become a swordsmanship expert like you and Lu Xi, but I believe I can be a mage. And Grandpa Pan thinks I can too."

"A mage?" I vaguely recalled hearing that term before, but I couldn't remember where.

"Yes, it's a profession that harnesses the forces of nature. A truly powerful mage can be incredibly formidable." It seemed Zhang Yi had already discussed this thoroughly with Grandpa Pan.

"No way!" I suddenly found it hard to accept that he was leaving. "If you just keep practicing, you can become proficient in swordsmanship too!"

"But I don't even like swordsmanship, nor do I want to train in it." Zhang Yi was telling the truth—he had never been fond of wielding swords.

Just as we were at an impasse, Grandpa Pan stepped out of the house. He motioned for us to sit down in the courtyard and calm ourselves.

"Whether it's swordsmanship or magic, it doesn't really matter," Grandpa Pan said with a kindly smile. Perhaps because Xiaohan had woken up, he seemed to be in a better mood. "After hearing about the cat demon last night, and then learning that Commander Hu Yong kidnapped Xiaohan, I can't help but wonder if there's some connection. While it's still uncertain whether the demon race has returned, it's always good for young people to acquire more skills. If the demon race really is back, the coming battle will fall on your shoulders. Do you expect an old man like me to take up arms and fight?"

After Grandpa Pan spoke, the three of us remained silent. He continued, "Grand Mage Pilei from Ginkgo Valley and I share some acquaintance. I've written a recommendation letter for Zhang Yi. I believe he will take good care of him, and I also believe that Zhang Yi will become an outstanding mage in the future."

Hearing Grandpa Pan say this, although I was reluctant to part ways, I felt somewhat relieved knowing that my good friend had the opportunity to grow stronger.

"Have you really made up your mind? There's no turning back once you go." I asked Zhang Yi again.

"Yes." His determined gaze told me this wasn't just a whim. "I just put Xiaohan in danger. If I remain weak like this, I might drag you both down again in the future."

I knew he felt guilty about Xiaohan, but I hadn't expected it to push him into making such a decision. Even with a recommendation letter, Ginkgo Valley was far away, and we had no idea where it even was, let alone what magic really entailed. Yet he was so resolute about going.

"But I have one favor to ask of you two." Zhang Yi looked at me and Lu Xi.

"What is it?"

"For the next part—collecting the bat guano, scorpion tails, and maggot eggs to treat Xiaohan—I'll be relying on you both." Zhang Yi quickly added, as if afraid we would object, "I already asked Grandpa Pan, and it's not dangerous. You can go without worry."

"Ha, I thought it was something big. You didn't even need to ask—we were going to do it anyway. Xiaohan saved not just you, but us too." Lu Xi and I nodded sincerely.

"Good!" Grandpa Pan laughed heartily. "Since everything is decided, stop being so sentimental. Set out after breakfast."

During breakfast, I had little appetite. I was still worried about whether Zhang Yi would be safe on his journey. But if the demon race truly returned one day, we would at least need the ability to protect ourselves and our loved ones. For now, I could only trust in his and Grandpa Pan's judgment.

"You three are lucky. I just happen to have three of these," Grandpa Pan said with a grin, holding up a few cloth-like pouches after we finished eating.

"What are these?"

"They're called Qiankun Bags."

"Qiankun Bags? What do they do?" I was about to dismiss them as simple cloth pouches, but then I thought about everything we'd encountered so far—orc warriors, giant spider monsters, and the enchanted gear on Lu Xi and Zhang Yi. The world was far stranger than I had ever imagined.

"They're incredibly useful. These Qiankun Bags have their own internal space." Grandpa Pan deliberately kept us in suspense. "Although they look small, they can store a lot. Here, hand me your dagger."

I hesitantly handed over my dagger. Grandpa Pan opened one of the pouches, placed the dagger inside, then pulled the opening shut. The bag's size didn't change at all. He handed it back to me, and when I lifted it, it felt as light as an empty pouch.

"Open it up and see what's inside."

Curious, I peeked inside and saw a hazy interior. Reaching in, I felt my dagger, pulled it out, then reached in again and found two steamed buns. I reached in once more and pulled out two flatbreads.

"This..." My eyes widened in astonishment, at a loss for words.

"This is a Qiankun Bag. You can store weapons, food, medicine—just about anything inside. Once you tighten the opening, it remains small and lightweight."

"Is it limitless? What happens if we store something really heavy?" I always had a habit of asking lots of questions whenever I encountered something new.

"Of course, it's not limitless, but it'll be more than enough for you." Grandpa Pan distributed the bags to us. "As for heavy items, they do add weight, but much less than they would normally weigh. So it won't be a burden for you."

We experimented excitedly with the Qiankun Bags. Lu Xi even managed to shrink his bronze sword inside—it was incredible. Grandpa Pan also packed some rations inside for us, knowing we'd soon be on the road.

"Come with me." Grandpa Pan led us to his forge and took out two short swords, handing one each to Zhang Yi and me.

The swords were actually more like short blades, about the length of our forearms, single-edged with a slightly curved tip. They felt incredibly light in my grip, yet much sharper than my old dagger. Zhang Yi tested his but didn't seem particularly impressed. Grandpa Pan told him to treat it as a means of self-defense for the journey.

"And you," Grandpa Pan turned to Lu Xi with a smile. "I saw you practicing on the wooden dummy this morning—have you started training in spiritual sword techniques?"

Lu Xi nodded.

"Good, good!" Grandpa Pan seemed genuinely pleased. He retrieved a weapon from his arsenal—a massive crescent-shaped blade. It was curved almost like a half-moon. I had never seen such a bizarre weapon before.

"This weapon is called 'Half-Moon.' It's not suited for everyone due to its extreme curvature. If your spiritual energy isn't strong enough when using it, you could end up injuring yourself." He handed the weapon to Lu Xi. "Once you reach Level Three in your spiritual sword technique, you may use it."

Lu Xi gratefully accepted it and stored it in his Qiankun Bag. He was always the obedient type, whereas if it were me, I would have immediately tried it out.

Lu Xi got another powerful weapon, Zhang Yi had his recommendation letter to study magic, but me? I had nothing but this short blade. I was tempted to ask if Grandpa Pan had anything else, but I was too embarrassed. Oh well, I'd just focus on mastering swordsmanship for now.

"Don't be discouraged. With your current skill, this short sword is more than enough for you," Grandpa Pan reassured me. "Once you grow stronger, I'll have something special for you."

Encouraged by his words, I silently vowed to master the 'Attack and Kill Sword Technique' that Old Man Yu had given me.

After gathering our things and saying our goodbyes to Xiaohan, we parted ways with Zhang Yi. Then, Grandpa Pan introduced the place we would be heading next—the Orc Cave.

"...An orc cave? I can barely handle a single orc, and now we're going to their cave?" I thought nervously, glancing at Lu Xi. He seemed just as concerned.

"Don't be afraid. This Orc Cave was inhabited by orcs hundreds or even thousands of years ago. After the orcs were defeated in the war against humans, they no longer lived there. However, a fierce battle took place in the depths of the cave back then, and a large number of orcs died there," Grandpa Pan reassured us. "This cave has been abandoned for a long time, so now it's filled with bats, cave maggots, and some venomous scorpions. Just go and collect some of them. Don't go too deep inside, or you might get lost."

Even though Grandpa Pan said this, I still couldn't shake off a lingering sense of unease. This trip didn't feel like it was going to be that easy.

The Orc Cave was about two to three days' journey north of Grandpa Pan's house, near the city of Baiqi on the slopes of Woma Mountain. On the way there, Lu Xi and I didn't encounter any real danger. The most troublesome thing we faced was a few crazed deer charging at us. We even managed to kill one and roast it—its meat was delicious. We stored the extra meat in our Qiankun Bags for later.

On the morning of the third day, we finally arrived at the towering Woma Mountain. This mountain served as a natural barrier for Baiqi City. To the south lay Baiqi's territory, while to the north stretched a vast, desolate forest. Rumor had it that most of the remaining orc descendants resided in that forest.

After some searching, we finally found the so-called Orc Cave. The entrance was enormous, pitch-black inside, with a chilling wind howling from within. Scattered around the entrance were the skeletal remains of animals, their bones stark white. Lu Xi and I exchanged a glance, then lit our torches and stepped into the darkness of the cave.