My healing injuries hadn't bothered me much on the way to Greengrass Town. Showing the resilience of a cultivator. But just seeing the grimace on Mao Zhi's face made those injuries act up again.
"Someone stole from the Greengrass Auction House," he said with his grimace growing. "Wanna know the worst of it?"
That was already more than enough of a reason for me to get the hell away from here. "Not really."
"Well, I'm gonna tell you anyway," he shrugged. "The Blazing Sun Sect sponsors the auction, and they're already breathing down our necks. An inner sect elder is currently in the governor's office, and some say he is a Core Formation Realm expert."
As expected of my intuition that had grown from reading many xianxia novels. I really should be getting the fuck away from here. The last thing I wanted was for suspicion to fall on me.
But before I could turn around, Mao Zhi grabbed my wrist, glanced at his fellow guards, and said, "Can we talk by the side here? I have a message for you from one of the merchants you bought something from."
I could easily overpower him and get the hell away from here. But Mao Zhi's gaze seemed solemn. He wasn't the kind of guy who would do this for no reason. So I followed him.
We walked thirty feet from the other guards, and he leaned on the wall. He sighed and looked around to make sure no one was around.
As we were far enough out of earshot, he explained, "Okay, that thing about the merchant was a lie. But I had something to tell you."
"What is it?"
"A good friend of mine that works in the governor's manor told me that the Blazing Sun Sect elder that came here wasn't just because of the things stolen from the auction. But also because he was trying to get something for his great-grandson to help with his cultivation," he whispered and looked around carefully again. "A Spring of Power was discovered somewhere around here, and the clans will fight fiercely to get it. They say there is enough for someone to bathe in the damn thing!"
A Spring of Power was a natural gathering of pure Qi. The Qi was compressed and so dense that it turned into liquid form. Bathing in it or even drinking something like that was beneficial. But it usually was better to do so when someone was at the Qi Gathering stage. However, even Body Tempering would cleanse impurities, help with strengthening the body, and make the breakthrough from Body Tempering to the Qi Gathering realm much easier.
I was tempted. But that was only my greed speaking here. It was like knowing that there was money in a bank vault, and there was a reason why it didn't usually go well when someone tried stealing it.
This would have been free real estate if I were a cliche xianxia protagonist with plot armor. But the chances of me stealing that from Qi Gathering and perhaps some Foundation Establishment cultivators were slim to none. On the other hand, the chances of me dying were high already, and it was guaranteed death with the Core Formation guy around the corner.
Also, I could see the signs: a jade-like beauty around, a secret treasure that spawned, and many clans gathering around. There was only one thing I should do for now; I had to get the hell away from here. It felt like this was all just a time bomb waiting to blow up.
Some might call it stupid and superstitious, but I had no intention of tempting fate.
"Thank you," I put a hand on his shoulder and looked him in the eyes. "You're putting yourself in danger by saying this information, and it means a lot to me that you're going through such troubles just to help me with my goals. You're a true friend."
I wasn't even lying because I hadn't known Mao Zhi for long. But this was a xianxia world. Maybe friendships developed easier here?
Either way, I took out all the change money I had left from exchanging that one gold coin and sneakily put it in his pocket. "Make sure the other guards don't see you with that money, or they might get ideas to take a part of the share. Also, don't spend it all at once. People might think you're involved in unsavory things to get this money."
With that said, I turned around and waved.
"Ha, that old cod. He is always trying to tie me up with some of his granddaughters," I said loud enough for the others to hear.
After saying some things unrelated to what we had previously talked about, I departed from Greengrass Town.
As I walked away, I couldn't help it as a sense of worry fell over me. It felt like an invisible weight on my shoulders. The kind of tiredness that was comparable to working for eight hours straight in the office plus another two hours of overtime. My body wasn't tired. However, my mind was.
Unlike the last time, I chose not to take the direct path toward the Blazing Sun Sect. Instead, I opted for a roundabout route, steering clear of the site of the explosion.
Fortunately, the road I traversed appeared devoid of trouble. I moved stealthily from tree to tree, striving to minimize any noise. Finally, the white walls surrounding the giant mountain appeared in the distance.
I stopped and released a sigh of relief.
The wind, gentle and cool, brushed against my face, carrying with it the soft aroma of grass and trees. With each breath, my lungs filled with the purity of the night air, rejuvenating my spirit.
I had learned a profound lesson during this journey. Engaging in battles fueled by supernatural powers held a certain allure. After all, crushing trees and flesh under my fist had its charm. Yet, it was not something I relished or liked. With each fight, death loomed like a guillotine over my neck, with only a strand of hair stopping it from falling down.
Who could predict when a cultivator two major stages above me could appear? No matter how hard I fought, someone at that stage could reduce me to a smudge on the ground with a single slap.
Abruptly, movement stirred in the grass, and a rabbit emerged, its ears perked. Swiftly, I altered course and charged toward the unsuspecting creature. While its senses detected my approach, I seized it by the ears.
With swift, decisive action, I twisted its neck like a screw, snuffing out its life in an instant. I had barely eaten anything while outside the sect. Now, with the opportunity to sate my appetite, I refused to enter the sect on an empty stomach.
Who knew what awaited me there? After all...
Typically, I had a weak stomach when it came to bloodshed and gore. Yet, having killed someone with a fist through their chest, killing a rabbit and skinning it with my bare hands seemed a trivial task. Igniting a fire proved equally uncomplicated—a matter of coaxing flame from dry grass and sticks through vigorous friction.
As I surveyed the rabbit meat skewered on sticks, I grabbed a piece of meat, devouring the chunk of meat in a single big bite. The second and smaller piece I offered to my little turtle buddy as he poked his head out of my pocket.
"Hey there, little guy, you hungry?" I inquired.
Unlike myself, he lacked the supernatural fortitude of a cultivator, capable of sustaining boundless energy for days on end. However, a nagging concern surfaced—did turtles even eat meat?
To my relief, the little fellow eagerly devoured the bits of meat as though they were a rare delicacy.
Do turtles eat meat? It wasn't a question I'd ever contemplated googling in my former life. Whenever turtles crossed my mind, I envisioned creatures munching on grass, carrots, or tree bark. Only now, removed from the vast expanse of the internet, did I realize how effortless such inquiries had been in my prior existence.
Regardless, perhaps turtles feasting on meat was a phenomenon unique to the realm of xianxia!
Following that brief, all-natural brunch interlude, the formidable walls of the Blazing Sun Sect finally came into view. Towering marble structures surpassed any fortifications within the neighboring towns.
Retrieving my wooden badge, I clutched it tightly in my palm. Though without my uniform, the badge was proof of my affiliation, warding off suspicions of espionage. Holding it in clear view was a matter of life and death, should the guards opt for a shoot-first, question-later approach.
In a world where police brutality was not an anomaly but rather the accepted norm, one couldn't afford to take chances.
As I neared, it became apparent that something had shifted since my last encounter. Previously, youthful sentinels—perhaps Qi Gathering disciples from the inner sect—had manned the gates.
Now, however, two elders, their scalps nearly barren save for tufts of wispy, white hair, greeted me. One sported a robust, bushy beard while the other boasted a lengthy chin adornment reminiscent of a goat's.
By xianxia standards, the older and frailer they looked, the stronger they usually were.
Their gazes locked onto me like hawks as I approached, and I clasped my left fist into my right palm.
"Honored elders, I'm outer disciple Liu Feng, returning from my excursion outside the sect," I announced.
They scrutinized me in silence for what felt like an eternity before the bushy-bearded elder spoke, his voice gruff. "Did you find what you sought outside?"
What kind of question was that? I wasn't out there on some treasure hunt.
"Um, yes?" I replied tentatively, bowing my head as a show of respect.
The elder cleared his throat and issued an unexpected command. "Okay, seize him and escort him to the dungeons."
What?
Before I could react, four disciples clad in blue robes encircled me, swords poised at my throat. The chill of their blades pierced the air, even without physical contact.
"Honorable Elders," I interjected, thrusting forth my wooden badge. It might seem audacious, but I had to clarify the misunderstanding. "This badge signifies my authorized presence outside—"
The bushy-bearded elder waved dismissively. "Take him away."
Two disciples sheathed their swords and seized my arms. The world spun as I found myself atop the wall, then blurred again as I was dragged along the road toward an unknown destination—presumably a prison cell.
"Seniors, please, wait a moment!" I protested, but their grips were unyielding, like iron chains digging into my flesh. "I have no involvement in whatever is happening. I am Liu Feng, an outer disciple of the Blazing Sun Sect. I have cousins from the Liu Clan, and they're inner sect disciples. They can vouch for me!"
"Silence! The elders can hear us, even from this side of the wall," one disciple rebuked me with a frigid glare.
I wanted to protest further, but the two disciples with unsheathed swords silenced me with a single glance.
What the fuck did I even do to get in this situation?!