In the deep autumn, twisted and bare old vines stood silently in the autumn wind, while the rugged mountain cliffs and valleys echoed with the chirping of autumn insects.
Whoosh!
A strong wind swept through, and within the thousands of mountains and ravines, it seemed as if countless moths were fluttering and jostling, turning the world into a grey and white haze.
Upon closer inspection, these were thumb-sized insects with grotesque human-like facial features and plump flesh.
Smack!
A net swooped down, trapping several human-faced bizarre insects, which flapped their wings in a frenzied attempt to escape.
The sharp proboscises spewed acidic fluid, corroding the rocks with sizzling sounds, forming honeycomb-like scars.
Clap clap clap!
A glass jar swiftly captured the human-faced bizarre insects; the lid was screwed on tightly.
"Three human-faced moths, I'm really lucky."
A young man around twenty wiped the sweat from his brow.
He was dressed in a thick rubber suit, wearing a protective beekeeper's hood; his features were regular and his eyes, bright and spirited.
He tapped the glass jar, observing the furiously thrashing and saliva-spewing human-faced moths within.
Su Jie set down the basket on his back at his feet, already filled with over a dozen similar human-faced moths.
"Twelve, plus these three, even if they're sold at a reduced price at the Ghost Market, should fetch me a Blood Marrow Crystal."
Su Jie's face held the joy of a farmer reaping a bountiful harvest.
On the Black Market, ten human-faced moths could usually be exchanged for one Blood Marrow Crystal.
Human-faced moths, a gregarious and dangerous species, have a keen sense of hearing and an extreme thirst for blood.
If too much noise is made, or even a small wound is carelessly exposed, it would attract a swarm to descend upon the unfortunate soul, devouring them completely, leaving not even bones behind.
Having been here for half a year, Su Jie had already seen too many clumsy fellow sect members meet their end, leaving no trace of their corpses.
Capturing them required patient lurking, waiting for a gust of wind to stir them into motion, seizing the chance to grab one or two.
Sometimes luck was poor and only a few could be caught in a day, but one still had to be wary of the risk of losing one's life.
Because it was too troublesome, fully-fledged Demon Cultivators wouldn't bother with capturing them, but human-faced moths happen to be a favorite food for the poisonous insects cultivated by many Demon Cultivators.
Therefore, this troublesome task fell to newcomers like Su Jie.
He was an Outer Disciple of Ghost Ridge Palace and a specialized Insect Catcher.
As the wind died down, the human-faced moths once again settled on treetops and rocks.
Su Jie carefully placed his basket, slowly retreated, and left that part of Insect Valley.
Outside the mountain, there was a narrow path, winding and deep. Su Jie took off the stifling rubber suit and beekeeper's hood, enjoying the crisp air.
"Brother Su, it looks like you've had a good haul today."
Sounds from behind; several Insect Catchers, dressed just like Su Jie, greeted him.
"It's just enough to scrape by, after all, I still have to pay my dues to my Master."
Su Jie nodded slightly; these men were also Outer Disciples of Ghost Ridge Palace.
Ghost Ridge Palace was renowned for its insect poison, by virtue of controlling this part of Insect Valley. This area was Ghost Ridge Palace's forbidden ground, where other Demon Cultivation Sects dared not tread.
While speaking, Su Jie quickened his steps, his gaze vigilant.
Although they were from the same sect, they were all Demon Cultivators, naturally lacking much comradery, with the law of the jungle prevailing; snatching or even killing others was commonplace.
"Wait for us, Brother Su, it's getting dark soon, beware of Alien Ghosts on the prowl, and it's better to stick together."
"If you hadn't mentioned it, I would have almost forgotten, Brother Su, you're with Taoist Qiu, who demands ten Blood Marrow Crystals a month. You've been here for half a year, so at least dozens of Blood Marrow Crystals are gone. They really don't treat you like a human being."
"Tell me about it, my Master only demands five Blood Marrow Crystals a month."
As the several Disciples continued talking about Taoist Qiu, their tone teasing, they sped up, approaching Su Jie with seemingly ill intentions.
At Ghost Ridge Palace, Su Jie had always been an inconspicuous existence; robbing him came without any sense of guilt.
"I wouldn't dare to speak nonsense. My Master likes to use insect poison, for all you know there could be one of his insect poisons on me. If he hears about this, he won't let it go easily."
Su Jie kept a calm face, but his words caused a slight change in the expressions of the Disciples opposite him.
Offending an Elder with careless words, if Disciples like them were attacked or even killed, no one would bother to ask about it.
The thoughts of robbery they had harbored faded, uncertain of the truth in Su Jie's words.
"We'll be going ahead then, brothers."
Su Jie no longer paid attention to the few men behind him and strode onto the narrow path.
...
The sun was setting, and the dying light was as red as blood, tinting the sky.
Su Jie walked briskly, the distant mountains shrouded in mist, willow trees stood silently by the roadside, their branches hanging down, casting shadows over the grassy path.
After distancing himself from the few Disciples, Su Jie thought back to their words and mused internally: "That's right! I've been in this world for half a year, and to think I'm still acting as a cheap Insect Catcher every day."
Reflecting on his past memories, Su Jie felt melancholic.
Su Jie was not native to this world; he came from the modern civilization of Blue Star.
Half a year ago, Su Jie had just graduated from an ordinary second-tier college and was struggling to find a job.
These days, it wasn't just the graduates from ordinary colleges that had difficulty finding jobs; the situation was the same even for postgraduates, or else there wouldn't be so many opting for a steady government job.
But instead of finding work, one night, an Ancient Mirror passed down in his family glowed brightly and in the blink of an eye, it drew him into it.
By the time Su Jie came to his senses, he found himself in this cultivating world called Tianyuan.
And his arrival was in none other than the deep forests of Ghost Ridge Palace's territory.
Unable to leave this deep forest, Su Jie inadvertently joined Ghost Ridge Palace.