Chapter 10: Descending the Mountain for Training! The Sheepskin Scroll!

High Altitude

At this moment, Qian Mo had already left the Azure Cloud Sect, soaring through the sky. The sun above blazed fiercely, scorching the heart, and Qian Mo had nothing to shield herself; her body was fully exposed to the relentless sunlight.

Landing, she found herself at her first destination—two years ago, this was the thatched temple village. But now, it was no longer the place it had once been. After Pu Zhi’s massacre, the houses had collapsed and people perished; the fields now teemed with wild grass.

“Sigh! Such is fate!” Qian Mo gazed around her with sorrow and sighed.

She left the ruined village and traveled a hundred meters to a winding mountain valley, where butterflies and bluebirds flitted among other creatures.

A black bear lurked in the forest, eyeing Qian Mo as if she were a tasty morsel.

Seeing the bear, Qian Mo realized something serious—her stomach was growling. She patted her belly, licked her lips, and mused, “My stomach is protesting. Food delivered to my door should not be wasted!”

By midday, in a cave within the valley, a fire blazed, roasting a skinned bear paw. On the ground lay a lifeless black bear. “Roast bear paw! How wonderful! Ah, it smells delicious.” She bit into it, and savory, crispy fat burst forth.

The leftovers she packed away into her system, planning to sell them later for some money. After all, she hadn’t acquired any currency in this world yet.

She climbed over the mountain. On the other side lay a town named Luoyang.

Most inhabitants here were ordinary folk, with scarcely any cultivators. To avoid attracting attention, she quickly changed into plain clothes and entered a shop, selling bear meat for a hundred gold coins.

“Ha! This shopkeeper isn’t too bad. Didn’t cheat me too much, or else I’d have cut him down,” Qian Mo said, whistling softly as she strolled out.

Night

Qian Mo arrived at an inn bustling with people and traffic, its business thriving.

“It seems this place does well. I’m hungry, so I’ll enjoy a hearty meal here. Since arriving in this realm, I haven’t tasted the local delicacies,” she said as she walked in.

“Sir, would you like a meal or a room?” the attendant greeted her respectfully.

“Bring me a portion of all your best dishes. Money is no object; it’s taste that matters!” Qian Mo replied, choosing a seat on the second floor.

“Certainly, sir! Please wait; your order will be right up!”

Soon, a table was filled with delicacies: fish, meat, vegetables, a plate of shrimp, two plates of seafood, and a pot of magical beast soup. Every dish was a delight.

Qian Mo ate leisurely.

Meanwhile

A burly man entered outside, with tiger tattoos on both shoulders. He was the local tyrant of Luoyang, named Tiger Fierce. Once an ordinary man, he acquired a cultivation manual in a life-or-death moment and became a cultivator, eventually dominating the town.

“Master Tiger, please help yourself. Call us if you need anything,” the attendant said courteously.

“Hm! Go about your business,” he replied, heading straight upstairs. He glanced around, stopping at a table where only one person sat, surrounded by an abundance of food, a sly smile curling on his lips.

He approached, saying, “Young man, you look unfamiliar. Are you new here?”

Qian Mo, still eating, glanced up and replied indifferently, “Mm,” thinking, “Another fool courting death.”

Tiger Fierce immediately grew displeased, his tone angry. “What do you mean? Don’t you know who I am? I’m Tiger Fierce, the local boss here.”

“Oh,” Qian Mo responded absentmindedly.

“Damn you, brat! Don’t want to live? You dare speak to me like that? You’re the first!” Tiger Fierce raised his hands to overturn the table, but found it immovable, as if weighed down by something unyielding. A veteran of life and death, he instantly thought, “Not good! I’ve hit a hard wall.”

He quickly forced a smile. “Ha! Young man, I was just joking. Don’t take it to heart!” He turned to leave.

Qian Mo had only wanted a quiet meal, but being provoked by someone—and not being particularly kind-hearted herself—she grew irritated. “Stop!”

“Damn!” Tiger Fierce broke out in a cold sweat, smiling nervously, “Young man, is there something else?”

“Come here. Eat with me,” Qian Mo said coldly.

Tiger Fierce dared not resist. Though a cultivator now, he was still at the lowest level, with many stronger than him.

As Qian Mo ate, she suddenly spoke, “You have a bad temper. If someone weaker than you shouted at you while you ate, what would you do?”

“Of course, I’d kill him!” Tiger Fierce blurted out, then regretted it and stammered, “No, no, I’d just rough him up a bit—and wouldn’t cripple him.”

“Well, this brute is not without wit,” Qian Mo thought. Coldly, she continued, “If it were me, I’d kill him.”

Tiger Fierce was so frightened he knelt on the spot, begging for mercy. “Great hero, spare me! I was wrong—I shouldn’t have disturbed you. Please, have mercy!”

“Hmph! If my strength were weaker than yours today, the outcome wouldn’t be so. A newly minted cultivator dares to shout before me; you’re the first, but not the last,” Qian Mo said, her killing intent surging.

The pressure of her murderous aura left Tiger Fierce gasping, drenched in sweat, lips pale. “Please, spare me! I can serve you. I’m willing to trade a treasure’s location for my life,” he pleaded, trembling.

Qian Mo, not particularly interested, was drawn in by the mention of treasure. She maintained her killing intent, threw up a barrier around them, and said coldly, “A treasure? Are you sure? If you lie, I’ll find you and torture both your soul and body, making you wish for death!”

“Yes, yes! I wouldn’t dare deceive you,” Tiger Fierce utterly regretted provoking this merciless demon.

Qian Mo withdrew her pressure. “Get up. Speak.”

Feeling the oppressive aura vanish, Tiger Fierce breathed a sigh of relief, hurriedly stood, and took out a very old sheepskin scroll from his storage ring. “Sir, this is a sheepskin scroll I obtained by chance; it records the location of a treasure.”

“Hmm? If there’s treasure, why not go yourself? Are you trying to make me your vanguard?” Qian Mo’s killing intent flared again.

“No, sir, I wouldn’t dare! I went when I first acquired the scroll, but there’s a fierce beast guarding it. I’ve just stepped into the first stage of Jade Purity—enough to intimidate ordinary folk, but if I went, I’d surely be killed by the beast. So I dared not try. But seeing your prowess, I trust you. If others had it, they’d die as well,” Tiger Fierce hurriedly explained.

Qian Mo’s sharp eyes watched the flow of energy in Tiger Fierce’s meridians. There was no change—he wasn’t lying.

“Enough. You may go. Don’t bother me again. Next time, I’ll strip your spiritual energy and turn you back into a mortal,” Qian Mo said, picking up the sheepskin scroll from the table.

“Yes, yes! I won’t dare offend again. I was blind this time. I’ll leave now and not disturb you.” With that, he fled without a backward glance, terrified the demon might change her mind.

Watching Tiger Fierce run off like a madman, Qian Mo thought, “A mere one-stage fighter—hardly worth my attention.” She squinted at the scroll in her hand, took a sip of tea, the corners of her mouth curving up, and murmured three words:

“How intriguing!”

(End of chapter)