Li Yan turned to head deeper into the valley, his mind churning with regret. It occurred to him that he'd just missed a once-in-a-lifetime chance to escape. How could he have been so careless? Already well aware of the peril of his current situation, he still remained complacent—when might Master Ji lose control of that raging fire poison and decide to slaughter him like a pig?
"No—I must not hesitate any longer when fate offers such an opportunity," Li Yan thought. "In just a short while, I have to set off. If I wait any longer, I'll surely regret it!" With that urgent determination, he hurried back inside. There wasn't much to gather: just a change of clothes and nearly two months' worth of his stipend. He placed these modest belongings in a brown rattan chest atop the table—a simple packing would suffice. Carrying a bulky pack would only attract attention, so he chose instead to discreetly hide the several dozen taels of silver within his cloak, keeping them out of sight.
Although Li Yan hadn't yet left the valley for two full months, the silver delivered monthly by Chen An and Li Yin—as part of his duty as deputy sentry—had always reassured him. Now, with these funds at hand, his journey would at least be financially possible; without them, the road ahead would be much harder.
Having made up his mind, Li Yan sat cross-legged in his room, centering himself and drawing on his inner strength until he was ready to rise and make his escape. He had yet to realize that even if Master Ji were absent from the valley, leaving wouldn't be a walk in the park—Chen An and Li Yin, unless ordered otherwise, would not simply let him slip away.
Recently, his cultivation of the "Gui Shui Zhen Jing" (the True Classic of Gui Water) had felt nothing short of divine. It was an ancient celestial technique from the Xian Ling realm, specially tailored for someone of his constitution. In barely over ten days, he could feel his water spirit energy surging rapidly. Although he could not yet "see" inside his body, he sensed that this small reservoir of potential had already been infused with roughly one-fifth of spiritual energy; his body was becoming more agile, and his Qi was much stronger.
The speed of his cultivation was alarming—if he maintained this pace, he mused, he might reach the peak of the first stage of Qi condensation in less than a year. Part of this optimism was justified: for one, the technique was designed perfectly for him, enabling a rapid transition from nothing to something in the early days; second, his modest internal reservoir allowed for a swift accumulation of energy; yet he also knew that in the later stages of cultivation, no matter how refined the technique, progress always slowed down.
Just then, while he was deep in meditation, the sound of footsteps outside interrupted him. "Lunch must be ready now," he thought, "and who knows when the next meal will come? I should eat well to have the strength to flee." Rising immediately, he walked toward the door.
"Li Yan, I heard you were looking for me?" Before his hand even touched the door's handle, a familiar voice rang out—a sound that struck Li Yan like a bolt of lightning. For one heart-stopping moment, he stood frozen, his mind buzzing, wondering who could possibly speak in such a tone. It wasn't Master Ji's usual gentle demeanor—and yet, who else could it be?
Gathering what little composure he had, Li Yan steadied himself and slowly opened the door. He was aware that his teacher's spiritual sense could be projected externally, but he hadn't felt any such pressure this time—perhaps Master Ji hadn't activated it yet.
"Ah, teacher? You're back!" As the door swung open and Li Yan recognized Master Ji's familiar face, his shock was quickly replaced by delight.
"Ah, I had urgent business that took me away," replied Master Ji. "I just returned and heard from Chen An that you were seeking me, so I came over."
"Teacher, I came because I have some questions regarding my cultivation!" Li Yan exclaimed.
At that moment, Master Ji's face was far from his usual calm self. His clothes were torn in several places and stained with hints of blood, and along with his normally ashen complexion, traces of dark, ominous energy marred his features.
Later that same day—after Li Yan had departed—Master Ji had already decided to visit the location marked on his map. He planned to inspect things firsthand, troubled by the ever-growing pressure of the fire poison within him. His strategy was simple: avoid conflict and minimize the consumption of his precious spiritual energy. With resolve hardening within him, Master Ji left the valley, heading west.
Yet fate, as ever, is unpredictable. In a twist that would have been astonishing for Li Yan, Master Ji, covering nearly thirty thousand li both ways and taking extra time to search for treasure, found himself deep inside the Daqing Mountains. Though he was familiar with this route and knew that a demon beast of this level would normally not appear until he had ventured another ten thousand li deeper—where he'd have been extra cautious—the unexpected happened. A mid-stage Grade One demon beast, sporting a limping gait as if injured in a recent skirmish, crossed his path. With no warning and entirely off guard, Master Ji found himself unable to conceal his presence.
This demon beast was no common nuisance—it possessed strength comparable to a cultivator on the fourth or fifth layer of Qi condensation. Seeing a human cultivator and judging by Master Ji's aura that he was far below its level, the beast's fury surged, and it charged ferociously.
Master Ji, who had only reached the third layer, was hardly a match. Yet, the demon beast's wounded leg hampered its movement. Sensing the danger, Master Ji turned and fled immediately. But the wounded beast, its rage far from sated, saw in him the perfect target for its pent-up fury. Thus began a relentless chase along the edge of the Daqing Mountains. At times, leveraging its superior power, the beast closed the gap so persistently that Master Ji was forced to unleash every ounce of his power—mixing celestial techniques with mundane martial skills—just barely managing to escape to the mountains' outlying rim.
Inside the Daqing Mountains, demon beasts and ghostly apparitions rarely ventured out. Records told of countless millennia ago, when vast hordes of such creatures emerged and terrorized mortal lands, inflicting unspeakable suffering. That chaos eventually drew in high-level human cultivators, and after brutal clashes with heavy casualties on both sides—including numerous Golden Core experts and formidable Grade Three demon kings—several Nascent Soul elders stepped forth. With them came secret agreements with the mightiest demon beasts and ghost emperors. Although the exact terms were known to none but a chosen few, from that day forward these malevolent creatures retreated deep into the Daqing Mountains, seldom appearing in the mortal realm again.
So when Master Ji finally reached the outskirts, the demon beast dared not cross the invisible boundary. It could do nothing but roar its fury at him before ultimately retreating back into the depths.
Master Ji breathed a long, relieved sigh—but his anger still burned. Not only had he failed to acquire any secret immortal technique, he had come perilously close to losing his life. And although he had managed to salvage himself, the bout had drained a huge portion of his spiritual energy. So thoroughly was his internal fire poison unleashed that recovering to even a stable state would likely take several months.
With heavy heart and wounded pride, he had no choice but to return to the Military Strategist's Mansion. He needed time to quietly recuperate and suppress the fire poison before he could decide on his next move. If he recovered well—and if Li Yan hadn't yet reached the pinnacle of the first Qi condensation stage—he planned to venture into the Daqing Mountains again. Surely, his streak of misfortune wouldn't repeat, and next time he'd be far more cautious.
Upon reaching the valley's entrance at the Military Strategist's Mansion, Chen An and Li Yin rushed to greet him with respectful bows. Seeing that Master Ji's face was ashen, his clothes torn and stained with blood, they dared not ask questions. Inwardly, they wondered, "Master must have returned from yet another foray into that dangerous Meng Kingdom area. But why does he look so battered this time? Might there be an equally formidable opponent in Meng Kingdom?" They kept these thoughts to themselves. Soon, they relayed Li Yan's inquiry about their teacher. After listening, Master Ji nodded and then inquired about Li Yan's recent behavior.
Chen An replied hesitantly, "Recently, the young master's temper has been rather volatile." Master Ji simply nodded, fully aware of the situation.
"Also, it seems that the young master suddenly acquired brush, ink, paper, and inkstone—and has even been copying poems and classic verses. His behavior seems odd. I've saved those pages, though I'm not sure what to do with them," Chen An added in a low voice.
"Oh? Then bring those sheets here, and let me see," Master Ji said, now having pieced together the whole picture. Chen An and Li Yin quickly brought over two large boxes. When Master Ji opened one and skimmed through a few pages, he found nothing more than loose excerpts from the classics that had once been neatly arranged on bookshelves—written in messy, untidy script that was hardly worthy of praise.
After examining a dozen or so pages, he returned them to the box and said to Chen An and Li Yin, "These are worthless; they're just scribbles Li Yan wrote when he needed to vent his inner frustrations. In the future, you might as well gather these up, burn them for kindling in the kitchen, and be done with it." He knew full well that these pages were nothing more than a desperate outlet for Li Yan's rising inner fire—a method he himself had used in the past, much like playing the qin or the flute.
With that, Master Ji left the main hall and did not return immediately to his own quarters. Instead, he walked straight to Li Yan's room. He intended to interrogate Li Yan about his recent behavior, and then to seclude himself for a long while in quiet meditation. With his injuries still fresh, he preferred not to entertain any visitors unnecessarily.
Arriving in front of Li Yan's house, he chose not to use his spiritual awareness to spy on whether Li Yan was practicing. After all, his recent wounds had left him dangerously depleted of spiritual energy, and even using his spiritual sense now would further cost him precious reserves. So he simply knocked on the door, speaking aloud.
"Teacher, what happened to you?" Li Yan looked at Master Ji, whose once familiar face was now marred by dark, gray hues and tattered clothing. He knew the moment had passed; with Master Ji appearing in such a condition, it was unlikely that he would leave the mansion any time soon. And even so, with his current injuries, it would be impossible for him to flee easily.
With a mixture of feigned concern and genuine curiosity about where his teacher had been these past days, Li Yan asked, "Teacher, what has happened to you?"
Master Ji managed a pained smile, "I went on an errand, and along the way, I encountered a formidable enemy. I have already slain that foe, though I did sustain some injuries. With a little time to recuperate, I should be fine." His words were only half-truths.
Upon hearing this, Li Yan inwardly thought with a bitter tinge, "What a pity. If the one who injured him were also a cultivator, eliminating him would have been so advantageous. Alas, I've truly missed a splendid opportunity to escape my fate."
"Ah, teacher," Li Yan said, bowing deeply, "I only sought your guidance because I have some questions regarding my cultivation—not anything too dire. I do not wish to disturb your recovery."
Master Ji replied, "I see. But your questions are not trivial. Come, explain what troubles you."
Hastily stepping aside, Li Yan allowed his teacher to sit. Once Master Ji had settled into a chair, Li Yan stood quietly at his side before launching into a recitation of the first-layer incantation of the so-called "Mu Yin Gong" (Wood Yin Method). He then proceeded to ask a string of five or six questions—questions that naturally couldn't be too simple, lest all those painstaking days of practice had been for nothing.
Master Ji listened thoughtfully and nodded, recognizing that these were common stumbling blocks in cultivation. One by one, he began to explain, and Li Yan listened intently, interjecting now and then to ask follow-up questions that dug ever deeper into each point. This exchange seemed to please Master Ji; indeed, his injuries appeared to ease slightly as he explained.
After sharing a cup of tea together, Li Yan's face lit up with complete understanding. Once more, he bowed respectfully. Master Ji nodded, saying, "You must practice diligently. I hope to see you reach the second layer of Qi condensation very soon. That way, even after I'm gone, you'll at least have the means to protect yourself in this world." His voice carried an unmistakable note of melancholy.
Instantly concerned, Li Yan hurriedly replied, "Teacher, with your profound skills, I trust you'll recover swiftly. In the meantime, I will work even harder in my cultivation so that I may repay the debt I owe to our sect."
Instantly concerned, Li Yan hurriedly replied, "Teacher, with your profound skills, I trust you'll recover swiftly. In the meantime, I will work even harder in my cultivation so that I may repay the debt I owe to our sect."