Hidden Realms and Blessed Grounds (Cave Heaven and Earth)

"Though it's been twenty years since we last met, Senior's presence remains as commanding as ever."

Upon seeing Su Min appear so suddenly, the two men immediately bowed with reverence.

"I fear I've aged a bit," Su Min replied with a smile. "Cao Yuan, Cao Yuanmu."

As she looked at the two before her, there was a lightness in her tone, though their expressions grew subtly awkward. Even though Cao Yuanmu was now a man well into middle age, his appearance hadn't deteriorated much—thanks in part to cultivation preserving one's vitality. Still, the years had left their mark, and outward age often mirrored one's inner state.

Cao Yuanming was easier to read. Though he was only in the early stages of body refinement, age had caught up with him. Body refinement could strengthen the body and stave off illness, but it couldn't truly halt the aging process. It was Cao Yuanmu's cultivation that surprised Su Min—he was now at the peak of the Qi Refining stage.

"Well then, I'll take my leave. It seems the three of you have much to discuss."

Hui Ming offered a respectful nod and quietly excused himself from the room. Su Min sensed his presence vanish from the compound entirely a moment later—he'd left the Prince Yong's manor altogether.

"You're quite guarded around them," Su Min observed with a smile, an amused glint in her eye. "Rightfully so. The Buddhist sect… isn't known for its purity."

She didn't even need to mention the Blood Monks, Ghost Monks, and other such corrupted offshoots that plagued the sect in its later years. Even that Hui Ming and his master—the central temple's mainstay—had skeletons in their closets. At least with the blood sects, you knew they were farming people for offerings. But with these so-called righteous ones? They'd twist benevolence into coercion.

~Edit and rewritten by Rikhi, Reiya_Alberich, ReiNyam~

Take the "forced salvation" many of their monks practiced. A simple, "Benefactor, I see great karmic affinity with the Buddha in you," could mean being snatched off the street and dragged into the temple for so-called "enlightenment." In truth, it was little more than forced indoctrination.

Now, Su Min trusted Hui Ming and his master as individuals. Their character, she could vouch for. But institutions? Those were another matter. Once any sect or system grew large enough, rot was inevitable. Righteousness was a matter of personal virtue—once it became policy, corruption followed.

She had even written a chapter in her own records—Chapter Two, in fact—detailing the hidden rot in the Buddhist sect. And that wasn't even the worst of it. Right now, her headache was the Demon Queen. The Buddhists could wait.

"I still trust those two masters," said Cao Yuanming carefully. "But their disciples… not so much. Just a few years ago, their followers convinced an entire village to donate all their wealth to build a Buddha statue. It nearly left the whole village starving that winter. Since then, I've placed tighter restrictions on their movements. But Senior… you're associated with them now?"

His voice held a trace of concern. After all, they all knew Su Min had gone into seclusion—and she'd been gone for a full twenty years.

"It's just a partnership," Su Min said casually. "Their incense offerings are useful to me, though not essential. If you want to keep an eye on them, your best bet is still to grow stronger yourself. Besides, Buddhist cultivation is extremely strict. Most people won't even be able to practice it properly. There's no need to fear them gaining too much power. And when The Awakening happen, the Daoist sects will return. At that point, it'll be up to you to balance the scales."

She didn't want to get dragged into the muddy politics of sectarian conflict, but she gave them a gentle reminder nonetheless. The Buddhist sect was still a formidable force—even if their reputation had taken a beating. No wonder Hui Ming had said he wasn't spreading the teachings for now—clearly, they'd made quite a mess and didn't want to draw attention to it.

Even though Hui Ming was at the Foundation Establishment level, the Prince Yong wasn't entirely powerless before him. And Su Min had a hunch that this wasn't an isolated incident. It was clear that bald donkey like those had made quite a name for themselves—an infamous one—in all Eight Provinces of the Yong Domain.

Someone had clearly pulled strings behind the scenes. If the Buddhist sect wanted to regain their footing here, they'd probably have to play nice and contribute for decades before even thinking of regaining trust.

As for why Cao Yuanming trusted Su Min so implicitly—it came down to desire. She didn't crave power or position. All she wanted was wealth—though not in the form of coin. Her currency was rare herbs and precious materials. The previous Prince Yong had made a deal with her: purely transactional, no politics involved. To rulers, partners like that were a godsend.

"Judging by your cultivation, you've taken the pill I left you?" Su Min asked. "You're at late-stage Qi Refining, but still a long way from Foundation Establishment. Even with the pill's help, that leap is no easy feat."

She turned her gaze to Cao Yuanmu. He was already over forty now. His temperament had changed greatly over the years—the carefree, flippant youth was long gone. What remained was a calm, steady man. His cultivation had reached the late Qi Refining stage as well—close to the threshold for Foundation Establishment.

"All thanks to your guidance, Senior," Cao Yuanmu said respectfully. "And now that you've returned, we've prepared a stockpile of high-grade medicinal herbs. If Senior is willing…"

He trailed off, bowing deeply. Status meant little in front of Su Min. Back in his youth, she'd beaten him so soundly that it nearly left a psychological scar. Now, meeting her again, he reverted to that same cautious respect.

"I don't mind," Su Min said with a faint smile. "But I'll need a favor in return."

A pill master without herbs was like a warrior without a sword. Unfortunately, her stores were completely empty now. Refining a few pills for them was no problem—especially since she could openly keep the most valuable herbs for her own future breakthroughs.

But what she truly wanted wasn't pills, or materials—it was information.

She was searching for Cave Heaven and Earth

In the game, these places were like randomly spawned dungeons, rich with superior herbs and rare treasures—sealed away by the Heavens long ago. In truth, they were pockets of untouched nature, isolated since the Great Sealing. In-game, they'd show up directly on the map. But here, in the real world, no such convenience existed. Once these places emerged, they would be fought over mercilessly—bloodshed was all but guaranteed.

Luckily, Weiwu Prefecture, where the Great Wei Kingdom sat, was relatively remote and barren. The lack of foundation meant less competition. Other, richer provinces were far worse off. Though they had more resources and hidden realms, they also had vastly more cultivators.

If Wei had one hidden realm and a hundred fought for it, those wealthy provinces would see three such realms—and three thousand competitors. Just thinking about it gave one chills.

"Please speak," Cao Yuanming replied, straightening up.

"Help me investigate," Su Min said. "Check if any Hidden Realms have surfaced recently. By now, some should be appearing."

In the game, they usually began surfacing around the thirtieth year after players entered the world. By her reckoning, they should begin revealing themselves soon.

…And to think people had the nerve to accuse her of being a Buddhist sympathizer.