Four days later, Xue San exited his room, a dark look on his face. After this session of cultivation, he was left with a single poor-grade Qi Replenishing Pill.
He used two mid-grade pills to break through to the third stage, but to break through to the fourth stage, he had to use five mid-grade pills. When he tried to go from the fourth to the fifth stage, he used all the remaining mid-grade pills (four), the five low-grade pills, and even with the ten poor-grade pills, it wasn't enough. He felt like he needed two more mid-tier pills to be able to take that last step.
"Cultivation is so expensive," he sighed to himself.
Xue San was at the east gate early in the morning, before even the sun was up. He was careful, in order not to be recognized, he bought some simple green robes to change into.
He waited for two hours before the group of youths arrived. But the group didn't consist of just them; there were also what looked like some guards accompanying them. It seemed that each of the youths had brought at least one or two guards.
Seeing this, Xue San's face fell. The aura they gave off was similar to that of Senior Brother Yan Yi.
"Shit," Xue San muttered, his face darkening. He was ready to give up on his plan when he heard a familiar voice.
"What is the meaning of this?"
It was Dan Qing; her expression was frosty. "Why are there so many people?"
Lai Han stepped forward and greeted her. "Good morning, Young Miss Dan Qing. We just thought of bringing some helpers from our clan to make our journey easier."
"Hmph! Do you really think that if I wanted, I couldn't bring a couple of Foundation Establishment experts to help me? If this wasn't a mission issued by the sect, I could even have a Core Formation expert escort me. I can't have people higher than the Qi Condensation Stage helping, or the mission would count as a failure. Do you want me to fail?" she said coldly.
Hearing her words, Lai Han and the others' faces fell a little.
Seeing this, Dan Qing harrumphed. "If you're scared, just stay here. It's not like I can't do it alone."
"Haha, of course not, Young Miss Dan Qing," said Lai Han awkwardly. "You heard Young Miss Dan Qing; you can go back. We will go alone with her."
"But young master..." one of the guards began to protest, but before he could continue, he was slapped by Lai Han.
"Shut up, you imbecile! Or do you want Miss Dan Qing to fail? If I told you to go back, then you just have to scram."
The guard didn't dare say anything more to Lai Han. He bowed and went back. Seeing this, the other young masters also sent their guards away.
Seeing this, Dan Qing had a satisfied smile on her face. "As expected of Young Master Lai Han."
"Haha, don't worry, Young Miss Dan Qing. Even without them here, I will ensure your safety," Lai Han said confidently.
Witnessing this situation, Xue San let out a sigh of relief. If it was only them, he was almost certain he could find a way to accomplish his goal.
The group departed to look for the Spirit Ginseng. Xue San didn't draw much attention; after all, there were many cultivators exploring this area, and he made sure to keep a good distance from them.
His plan was to use his special power from time to time to spy on the group. Along the way, he would lay small traps that he had learned from his father to delay them after he stole the Spirit Ginseng from them.
The reason for him stealing the Spirit Ginseng wasn't only to pull a fast one on Lin Hai, but also because obtaining the plant was not so easy—because of the One-Eyed Mole.
The One-Eyed Mole usually lived near the Spirit Ginseng because of the plant's roots. As long as the main body wasn't consumed, the Spirit Ginseng could easily regrow its roots in a matter of days, so the mole protected the plant with its life.
It was a small, subterranean creature about 50 inches long (1.27 m) with velvety dark fur that blended with the shadows, and it had a single eye on its forehead.
The One-Eyed Mole had powerful, spade-like claws tipped with metallic nails about five inches long, which it used to burrow swiftly through the earth. Its sensitive whiskers aided in spatial awareness. Although it was a one-star Qi beast with minor earth affinity, it wasn't much more dangerous than a dog to a cultivator.
The real danger was its eye. It could launch a strange power that affected one's soul, putting a person into a trance. Once hit by this attack, they were like sitting ducks ready for slaughter.
Xue San followed the group of six at a distance of 150 feet (45 m). If he was farther than that, he could lose them out of his "sight."
Along the way, Xue San examined the terrain, deciding where to plant some small traps to make his escape easier.
After walking for a little more than an hour, Xue San noticed that a group consisting of 13 One-Eyed Moles was starting to surround Dan Qing group of six, but everyone seemed unaware of this fact—except for Dan Qing, who moved from the front of the group to the middle.
Then the youngest man in the group, who was at the back, let out a piercing scream.
"Mao Xiaosi!" Lin Hai yelled as he watched one of his friends had his throat pierced by a metallic claw from behind.
"We are probably surrounded by a group of them already. We need to be careful of their spiritual sense attack, and we will be fine," said Dan Qing.
At her words, the group composed themselves and got into defensive positions.
Seeing them preparing for battle, Xue San dashed back. He wanted to use this chance to prepare the traps for his escape.
Xue San knew that he didn't have much time, but now that he was a cultivator, he could do things he couldn't before, like making a hole in an instant or carrying really heavy objects. He didn't spend much time setting the traps—only 20 to 25 minutes—but when he went back to see if the fight was still ongoing, the group wasn't there anymore.
The ground was full of One-Eyed Moles' corpses, and there was also another youth who had died besides the one named Mao Xiaosi.
Seeing the corpses of the One-Eyed Moles, Xue San could only sigh. He knew from the book he got from the old man that the eye could be considered an ingredient, but he didn't know for what, and he didn't have time nor a way to store them before they became useless.
Xue San used his power to scout the area but didn't find the group. He was extremely grateful for being the son of a very good hunter at this moment. He followed the tracks they left behind. It didn't take him more than five minutes before catching up to them.
Along the way he saw many corpses of One-Eyed Moles
"Young Miss Dan Qing, I think it would be better if we turn back. Something isn't right," said Lin Han in a low voice. "Being surrounded by so many One-Eyed Moles isn't normal."
He didn't dare say it outright, but he was extremely dissatisfied with Dan Qing at that moment. He had already lost two of his friends on what should have been a simple mission to acquire some Spirit Ginseng.
It also didn't make any sense. One-Eyed Moles usually weren't so ferocious, but this time they attacked as if their lives depended on it.
And Dan Qing, who was supposedly a genius alchemist of the Dan clan, didn't even carry a single Blood Replenishing Pill, although expensive, it was a pill that she ought to have as a member of the spirit cauldron sect, an alchemist, and more importantly a descendant of the Dan clan. Such a pill could have saved the second boy's life for sure.
"Young Master Lin Han, we've already come this far," Dan Qing said. "If we turn back now, everything would have been for nothing. I will remember this favor deeply. The help you and your clans have provided won't be forgotten—not by me, nor by my clan." She tried to reassure them after seeing the looks on everyone's faces.
And it seemed to have worked. They continued forward, but Xue San noticed that Dan Qing scattered some kind of powder as they moved. The corner of her lips curled into a slight smile.
Xue San wasn't entirely sure what it was, but he had a guess. Given the strange behavior and the unusually high number of One-Eyed Moles they had encountered, the powder must be something that attracted them.
But that made no sense. Why would Dan Qing sabotage her own mission? Perhaps her real objective was to kill these young men. But for what reason? From what Xue San observed, she came from a very powerful and influential clan.
He was starting to doubt whether continuing with his own plan was a good idea. He didn't want to get involved in another mess. For now, he decided to just observe. Maybe he was wrong, and there was another reason behind her actions.
The group moved forward at a much slower pace. They were ambushed twice more, but this time they were prepared and suffered no casualties. Still, they already looked very tired.
"We should rest and replenish our energy," suggested Dan Qing. "I have some high-grade Qi Replenishing Pills here. Please, use them." She took out a bottle containing six pills and handed two to each of them. "Recover your strength while I stand guard. But don't take too long—this is still a dangerous place."
Hearing her words, the three young masters looked delighted. Even for them, a High-Grade Qi Replenishing Pill was something rare.
"Thank you, Young Miss Dan Qing," they said, clasping their hands in gratitude. They sat down, crossed their legs, and consumed the pills.
Taking this opportunity, Xue San moved closer until the group was within his line of sight, making sure he remained undetected.
He saw Dan Qing take out that strange powder again, this time spreading even more of it. It didn't take long before another group of One-Eyed Moles appeared. Yet Dan Qing didn't immediately alert the others. She waited until they were completely surrounded before warning them. "Careful, here they come again!"
The group of three rose, ready for combat. This time there were twenty-three One-Eyed Moles. Seeing such a large number, Lai Han and the other two faces grew pale.
"Damn it, something's definitely wrong here," Lai Han thought. "This bitch will be the death of me. After this, I'm heading back no matter what she says. She claimed she could handle it alone, anyway." By the look on the other two's faces, they were thinking the same thing.
The fight was intense. Only five or six of the One-Eyed Moles actually attacked in close quarters, while the others launched that strange energy beam from their eye. It made defending themselves incredibly difficult.
Fifteen minutes into the fight, a scream echoed: "Ahhhhhh!"
"Nooo! Junior Brother Zeng Shi!" yelled Zeng Yuan, the last remaining companion beside Lai Han. Then he froze. "Brother Lai Han, something is wrong. My Qi circulation is sluggish, I th—" He couldn't finish his sentence before he was hit by a barrage of attacks. He froze in place, and the One-Eyed Moles leapt at him, tearing him apart.
Seeing this, Lai Han's eyes turned red. If even now he didn't understand what was happening, then he truly deserved the fate that had befallen him. He spun around and yelled, "Dan Qing, you fucking bitch! You dare plot against us! What was in those damn pills you gave us!" he also stared to feel that his circulation was growing sluggish "Our clans know we came here with you. Not only your clan but even the Spirit Cauldron Sect won't be able to save you!"
Hearing him, Dan Qing revealed a sadistic smile. "Hahaha, you idiot. Do you really think I care about that? My own clan is after me. Once I'm done with you, I'll disappear from here."
Hearing her words, Lin Han eyes grew red, he wanted nothing more than to tear this bitch limb from limb
"Don't think you'll get out of here alive today," Lai Han snarled. "I'll make sure to take you down with me." He knew he was finished, so he threw caution to the wind and used a strange technique. His body started to shrivel at a pace noticeable to the naked eye.
For the first time, a hint of seriousness flashed across Dan Qing's face. She summoned a jade talisman from her spatial ring, bit her tongue, and spat the blood onto it. Hastily performing several incantation gestures, she activated it. The jade began to glow, and a Qi barrier formed around her.
She finished her preparations just as Lin Han closed in, sword in hand. He slashed at Dan Qing, causing a loud boom. Dan Qing used the force of the impact to dash backward.
The force of the impact was so great that the One-Eyed Moles scattered in all directions. Apparently, their instincts had kicked in, and they understood this place was too dangerous for them.