A Mysterious Frozen Cave?

The jade bottle was no treasure. I thought it might be, but after using it for a while, I didn't notice anything strange about it. That was disappointing…

I wanted to stay in the cave overnight, but I knew Zhao would eventually show up at the cabin—and I didn't want to tell him about my new cave.

That place had to remain a secret. I needed somewhere I could retreat to, knowing no one would come looking.

For now, I'd use the cultivator cave as my beast garden. It would be much safer there.

I returned to the cabin, flying away from the cliff with my translucent wings.

What I needed now was another spiritual beast to cultivate—but it had to be stronger.

If I kept relying on weak beasts, my Qi wouldn't increase at the pace I wanted.

Most of the spiritual beasts in the forest were either at the first or second layer of Qi Condensation. I knew that because Zhao told me.

But I needed something stronger. That meant more information.

The villagers didn't know much about the region's spiritual beasts, and I didn't want to reveal I was a cultivator—not yet.

So the only one I could talk to was Zhao Lintao.

I visited his house. It was getting late by the time I arrived, so I hoped to spend the night there.

I knocked on the door. Zhao opened it, clearly not expecting me.

"Hey," he said. "Come in."

His house wasn't very clean. I noticed dust on the shelves, scattered clothes, and a few empty bottles of alcohol.

Zhao didn't look well. He was fighting some inner demons—I could tell. Maybe because of his wife's death, or the recent conflict with those warriors from the other village.

I didn't ask. If he wanted to talk about it, he would.

"So, what do you need?" Zhao asked.

He handed me a mug of water, and we sat near his fireplace.

His son, Zhao Bei, was there too. Zhao was about to send him away, but I told him it wasn't necessary.

"The conversation isn't anything private," I said. "I just want to talk about spiritual beasts in the region. Do you know where I might find stronger ones?"

"Stronger spiritual beasts?" Zhao asked, frowning.

Zhao wasn't a cultivator, so he couldn't sense how rapidly my Qi was growing. To him, I was still just a weak first-layer beginner.

"Yes," I said. "At least second-layer—and if you've heard of any third-layer beasts, that would be even better."

"Are you trying to kill yourself?" Zhao asked. "Don't forget—we're counting on you to protect the village. I can't let you throw that away."

His concern made sense. As the person with the role of village leader, Zhao wanted to protect his people.

"Listen—I'm basically at the third layer of Qi Condensation already," I said. "If you help me find stronger spiritual beasts, I can grow even faster. And with my current strength, those warriors won't stand a chance if they return. So don't worry."

If I wanted intel on the beasts around here, I had to share my progress. That was the only way Zhao would take the request seriously.

The region was massive. Without guidance, I'd waste too much time wandering aimlessly.

When Zhao Lintao heard that, he couldn't believe it.

"Are you serious or are you just lying to me?"

"I'm serious. Why would I lie to you?"

"Then this is extraordinary. Your progress is so fast. Are you a genius or something?"

I wasn't a genius. It was my system doing all the work—but Zhao didn't need to know that. In fact, no one did. As far as others were concerned, I'd be seen as a prodigy.

"Maybe. Who knows. So, what do you know? You've been living here a long time, so you must know things."

Zhao Lintao shared what he knew. He looked excited, actually—and I knew why. He was now more confident that I'd reach a strong realm and start teaching his son like we talked about.

"There's a cave some hunters spoke of," Zhao said. "Apparently, no matter the season, the inside of the cave stays frozen. People say there's a beast living there. No one's ever seen it, and no one's gone in to check—but it's definitely a spiritual beast."

The information piqued my curiosity. But how strong was the spiritual beast inside? Zhao didn't know. It could be even stronger than the third layer.

"And where is this cave?"

"You need to follow the river all the way up the mountain. You'll find the entrance there," Zhao said. "But be careful. You're a cultivator, so you should be able to sense Qi from a distance. If the beast's Qi is overwhelming—run."

"Understood," I said.

"Can I stay the night here?" I asked.

"Of course you can! I'll prepare dinner for us. Just relax by the fireplace and take it easy, all right? Let me handle things."

Zhao Lintao was clearly trying to lift my spirits. The man knew exactly what he was doing.

While he cooked, his son came over to speak with me. The kid was visibly excited.

"Can I learn from you one day?" Zhao Bei asked. "That would be awesome!"

I wanted to teach him, but I wasn't cultivating like a traditional cultivator. If I really planned to help him, I'd need scrolls with techniques, and I'd have to learn his affinity and other things.

It wouldn't be simple. I'd have to put in real work to prepare—and he was still a bit too young to start cultivating anyway. I had two years to prepare things before the kid could start cultivating.

"Yes, in the future," I said. "For now, focus on helping your father. He needs you."

Zhao Bei nodded.

The dinner Zhao cooked for us was pretty good—a piece of cow meat with rice, vegetables, and a bottle of wine.

I enjoyed it thoroughly. We talked over dinner about our next steps. Zhao seemed calmer now after hearing about my strength. He'd been worried that I wouldn't have the power to protect the village.

After the meal, he showed me the room I'd sleep in for the night.

It was nice. Definitely better than my cabin.

Tomorrow, I'd be looking for that mysterious frozen cave Zhao told me about.

And I was hoping to find something worth the journey.