Chapter Forty-Seven: Asking for Directions

On the branch-laden, leafy expanse of a towering tree, there was a hollow capacious enough to accommodate several people. At this moment, Chen Jiu was seated cross-legged within, beneath him a jade-green lotus dais, no larger than a meditation cushion, floating in midair. Around the dais, its petals unfurled slightly, and streams of azure light twined about, gathering spiritual energy to supply Chen Jiu.

Ten days had passed since he borrowed the power of his sword pouch to slay two “Suspended Eyes.” In these ten days, Chen Jiu no longer dared tread the post road, instead weaving his way through the wild, tangled mountains and forests. Though the path became tortuous and steep, caution compelled him to stick to the mountain trails.

As for the wronged and ill-fated yellow-maned horse at the relay station, he could only hurriedly toss a few taels of silver at the station and flee. Otherwise, should the authorities investigate, he would surely bear the blame.

Now, as Chen Jiu’s breathing grew calm, his chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm. After the span it took for a cup of tea, he left his cultivation state. Opening his eyes, Chen Jiu’s brows furrowed tightly.

He sighed. “My cultivation bottleneck remains unbroken, and no matter how I practice, it’s useless.”

He watched as the Evergreen Tree in the pill chamber flowered, soon to bear fruit, yet the fruit he had long awaited refused to form. Without the fruit, he could not take the first step, much less ascend the first floor and truly become one of the Mystic Sect.

Should he break through to the “Small Pill Embryo” realm, his lifespan would increase by at least a hundred years, and his magical power would multiply. Controlling magical artifacts and using talismans would become effortless.

But most importantly, there was his life-bound object. Once the fruit formed, absorbing Chen Jiu’s vital essence, it would give birth to this life-bound object—the most precious possession for any cultivator. Every cultivator who attains the first floor of immortality, “Small Pill Embryo,” condenses their life-bound object. In ancient times, it was said that some cultivators, upon doing so, could even trigger celestial phenomena.

Yet now, what he lacked was an opportunity to break through. What form that opportunity might take, Chen Jiu himself did not know, and this was the root of his vexation. A bottleneck is nothing; the truly fearful thing is not knowing what must be broken.

Since the day he entered the Mystic Sect, Chen Jiu had walked every step on his own. His money-loving master seemed to have offered little guidance. With no one to teach him, he could only rely on his own understanding.

He bemoaned his plight. If only he could consult a cultivator in the Pill Embryo realm, he might gain some insight. But then, where would he find such a cultivator willing to impart their knowledge?

He sighed once more.

Chen Jiu let out a soft sigh and then leapt down from the lotus dais. His state had recovered to its peak; he could set off once again.

Having strayed from the post road and plunged into the mountains, his map was now useless. So, the most urgent task was to determine his location.

Without further thought, Chen Jiu sprang out of the tree hollow, summoned his lotus dais, and flew atop it, quickly vanishing into the vast forest.

...

A broad expanse lay ahead, its surface covered with fine pebbles. At that moment, several monsters with bull heads and human bodies sat in a circle, apparently deep in discussion.

“Boss, are we really just going to slink away like this?” asked a younger bull-headed monster to the eldest among them.

The elder pressed his spiked club against the ground, grinding it, and sneered, “What else? That old man’s poisonous insects are fierce. We lost several of our fighters but couldn’t take the village.”

The others fell silent, the atmosphere growing heavy.

“Boss, I want to eat human flesh. I’m hungry…” one bull-headed monster’s stomach growled uncontrollably.

The leader stood, leaning on his spiked club, and barked, “Fine, let’s make another trip to that village. If we snatch a child in secret, it shouldn’t be a problem.”

Just then, a streak of azure light shot overhead.

“Boss! It’s a human!” one of the bull-headed monsters shouted excitedly upon spotting the man within the blue glow.

But the leader’s heart sank—someone who could fly on a magical artifact… best not provoke him.

He barked, “Are you all mad? That’s a cultivator on the first floor of immortality from the human race! Let’s go, don’t mess with him.”

Suddenly, the azure light slowed, pausing, and then descended rapidly toward them, the leader’s terror evident in his eyes.

With a thought, Chen Jiu dispelled the blue glow, appearing atop his lotus dais. He gazed at the frightened bull-headed monsters, astonished.

Bull-headed, human-bodied… they were Minotaurs!

He detested Minotaurs most of all. Fortunately, the demonic aura on them was weak, suggesting they were not powerful fiends. Their nervous, uneasy demeanor implied they took him for a formidable cultivator.

Chen Jiu asked calmly, “What place is this?”

The leader quickly discarded his spiked club and, imitating a human’s salute, replied, “In answer to the immortal, this is the territory of Qingcheng County, a small village called Hongyu Village.”

He hastily pointed ahead, indicating the direction of Hongyu Village.

Chen Jiu nodded.

He then asked, “Where are you monsters from?”

Though he had found these Minotaurs thanks to the heated stability decree, he could not be sure of their origins.

The leader bowed lower.

Chen Jiu’s brows knitted. “Speak.”

“The little monster… comes from the great mountains north of Hongyu Village, but…”

Chen Jiu pressed, “But what?”

“But a month ago, an old man calling himself the Insect-Driving Elder arrived at Hongyu Village. He sent poisonous insects up Hongyu Mountain and killed many monsters living there. We… we were forced to leave…”

As he spoke, the Minotaur began to cry in grievance.

Chen Jiu was moved, but hearing only the Minotaur’s side, he could not discern the truth.

His gaze turned cold as he looked at the monsters. “Have you eaten humans?”

“No…” the leader answered without hesitation.

But unexpectedly, another Minotaur, delirious with hunger, cried out, “We have!”

“I’m so hungry, I want to eat more…”

Chen Jiu’s expression turned icy.

The leader saw this, inwardly despairing. Sensing Chen Jiu’s killing intent, the leader decided to strike first. He suddenly raised his spiked club and swung it at Chen Jiu’s head.

But as blue light surged around Chen Jiu, the blow was repelled, and the leader’s face fell, knowing the gulf in power between them.

Chen Jiu’s gaze remained calm. He summoned his magical sword, his voice devoid of warmth, “Eat humans? Then you may die.”

With a sweep of the sword’s fierce aura, several dull thuds sounded, and the Minotaurs fell slain, collapsing to the ground.

Chen Jiu’s heart was as tranquil as a still lake; killing monsters had become routine.

He glanced at the changing number on the stability decree and was surprised.

Where once it read “Two hundred and fifty,” it now displayed “Two hundred and fifty-one.”

Chen Jiu: “…”