Chapter 344: Bumper Harvest!
Translator: Novel Saga Editor: Novel Saga
Jun Mo Xie sighed with relief. But, his mouth twisted as he implored. [I will be able to cross the sixth or seventh layer in three years. But, I’ve showed a bold face and made claims to finish their task in a time period of three years…]
"Oh yes, there’s another thing which I had almost forgotten about." Jun Mo Xie put his hand behind his back in an eloquent manner, "I heard that there will be a decisive battle between you and the Southern Heaven City. Is this the case?"
"Yes. There’s a battle. And, it’s scheduled to take place day after tomorrow," Long Crane replied in an even more respectful tone than before.
"Ahem! Tian Xiang City’s Jun Family and the Dugu Family have a somewhat special relationship with me. I hope that their people don’t get hurt. It is a matter of honor for me." Jun Mo Xie had put this sudden request forth in special manner; it would seem to be a modest request if one were listening casually. But, one would realize that it was a direct command if they paid careful attention.
"That won’t be a problem." Long Crane chuckled, "We had never intended to deal with them anyway." He thought for a moment, and took out a green bottle before he continued, "Sprinkle the powder from this bottle on the men from these families before they take to the battlefield. We will surely recognize them if we come across them on the battlefield if this powder is present on their body. And, we won’t fight back even if they attack us."
"Thanks a lot for this." Jun Mo Xie smiled slightly. He showed neither happiness nor relief. The Young Master merely maintained a regular, mild, and easy appearance.
The Xuan Beasts suddenly saw a flourishing spectacle. The shadow of the mysterious man couldn’t be seen in the sky for a moment. Then, he had returned to his original position a moment later. The green bottle in Long Crane’s hand had also disappeared at that exact moment.
[Such a magical move…!]
The Beast Kings had started to admire him even more.
He then considered the two objectives complete, and decided to return. But, Jun Mo Xie naturally spoke a few words before he left; for he feared that the Xuan Beasts might think that he’d go back on his word if he vanished abruptly…
However, he hadn’t gotten far when he thought to himself; [the decisive battle takes place day after tomorrow. That’s still a while away. But, I’ve stumbled upon this Thousand Evils and Ten Thousand Poisons Fruit here. How surprising! How many other miraculous treasures might I find in this place for ingredients? How could this Young Master forget the main reason he came to this place?]
An unbearable itch overtook his heart as this thought came to his mind.
He initiated the Yin-Yang escape. His body flashed, and he leapt deeper into the forest.
Within the forest…
"Third Elder Brother, Fourth Elder Brother, quickly tell me who that mysterious man is. And, how are you two so familiar with him? You vouched our Tian Fa to him without even batting an eyelid. And, you even guaranteed out our treasure…?"
The Snake King Green Hunter asked in a doubtful tone, "I understand that this person’s power is unknown, and he’s far more powerful than us. But, I wish to know why you were so eager in his presence? Could it be that you have that much faith in him? This fruit was the jewel of our forest… we had labored for over three-hundred years to procure this fruit!"
Everyone else also looked at Long Crane and Big Bear after they heard this. Their heads were muddled to be honest. The Young Master Jun’s alter-ego had displayed a tremendous strength. It could even be said that he was the strongest in the whole world. But, he was no threat to Tian Fa. Long Crane and Big Bear had talked about him before as well. However, the Xuan Beast Kings wouldn’t have cowered and given way… even if Jun Mo Xie was difficult to deal with, and could kill each one of the Beast Kings…
Long Crane and Big Bear had a proud look on their faces. After all, their relation with this unrivalled master had provided their siblings a means to advance without any dangers of a backlash. Therefore, they had effectively done a great service to their Tian Fa.
All of them could advance. That too without any worries or fears! Therefore, their eyes were already full of the boundless prospects of the future…
[Something this good has never happened in the Tian Fa forest!]
[This event will create history!]
The two joyfully opened their mouth in order to show-off and speak a few words to display their superior personality. [Won’t having such a wide circle of friends mean having superior personality?] But, they immediately shut their mouths after they opened them since they were struck by a realization…
[Yes ah! Who knows who this mysterious person is?] The two elder brothers of the Xuan Beast Kings only knew him as Feng Qing Yang. But, little did they know that this name wasn’t real. As for who this person was… or where he lived and how he behaved…? These two didn’t know what to say about any of that. In fact, the two Xuan Beast Kings hadn’t discovered this most critical problem until this moment…
[My God!]
[The two of us have trusted someone we know nothing about with such a big guarantee!]
[We were both so eager… and we did as was ordered!]
[But, how will us two brothers find him for getting the dans which will help everyone advance if we get no news and if there isn’t any communication from him after three years…?]
[Consuming the sacred fruit did have a huge risk. One could explode from doing so. But, it’s a sure method to increase one’s strength! The no-risk and absolutely safe method did seem attractive, but it’s only like a bread drawn on paper at present. It won’t mean anything if we didn’t get to eat it. I don’t know how we’ll find him if this deal falls through!]
They didn’t know what to do after they thought it through clearly. The two Xuan Beast Kings looked at each other; they were at a loss as to what they could do…
The two had been caught unprepared.
The rest of the Xuan Beast Kings looked to the two for answers. But, the two weren’t making things clear. In fact, the others could also see that their complexion wasn’t good. So, they nervously asked, "What’s the matter Third Brother, Fourth Brother? Why don’t you speak? Why are you keeping these things hidden from your younger siblings…!?"
[Why? You think we wipe his uncle’s…? You’re asking us for answers, but who do we ask?]
[Damn! He won’t betray us brothers, right?] The thoughts of both the brothers were getting increasingly muddled at that point.
Long Crane was depressed. He couldn’t help but flip his eyeballs as he spoke-up, "Your anxiety isn’t worth a fart! That man is a top-class expert with amazing cultivation. He may even be regarded as the strongest master ever born! Why would he diminish his reputation for a matter as trivial as taking away the sacred fruit from us? Anyway, do you think we could’ve resisted if he had wanted to take it from us by force? You need to be patient if you want this benefit. Why are you in a rush? That master said that he’ll finish our assignment in the next three years? What’s three years for us Beast Kings? We can sleep for a period longer than that! Now, why don’t you guys start acting like Beast Kings again? Go about your own business! We have a battle upcoming in two days’ time!"
Big Bear hastily cut-in, "Exactly! Looking at your morose appearance is a pain in the ass! Hurry up and get lost! What are you waiting for? Just go! Raise your spirits! Not many enemies will be able to match you in the future!"
The other Xuan Beast Kings felt discontent and unhappy. They cursed in the secrecy of their hearts; [you looked morose yourself! You think you are the only ones who are allowed to feel that way? How can we not feel bad, huh?] Though, they could do nothing else after they looked at the serious expressions on their two brothers’ faces. They then scattered, and went away. But, the prospect of that beautiful dream continued to linger in their hearts. [Ah, we’ll make a safe and seamless breakthrough in three years!]
Long Crane had spoken the truth. Three years was nothing to these Xuan Beast Kings; it was a very short period of time in their eyes. They had extremely long life-spans. They weren’t immortal. But, their lives were tenfold longer than those of an ordinary person. Perhaps much more than tenfold…!
[Three years’ wait for advancement and longer life…! This is very profitable. It was like heavenly meat had fallen from the sky. Sure, there are some doubts, but this mysterious expert deserves complete trust. Moreover, he had displayed his amazing cultivation. Moreover, everyone experienced a ‘ten year leap’ in their cultivation by merely taking those dans of his’. Forget about eating or even seeing such a magical thing… no one has even heard of something like this before!]
[Those dans have increased our cultivation by ten years. That’s simply against the natural order of things! Could anything be impossible for this mysterious man?]
Therefore, it was only natural that Long Crane and Big Bear didn’t have any misgivings regarding the mysterious person. Moreover, Jun Mo Xie had never intended to renege on this deal either.
This was a chanced-upon opportunity for him, and would be good for him as well. Wouldn’t they owe him a big favor if they all managed to advance through their bottlenecks safely? [Wouldn’t that mean that I would acquire many powerful thugs for free?]
[Moreover, each one of them would be an apex-level warrior! Ah…]
The Young Master Jun felt free of worry… and pleasant with that treasure in his hand. His entire journey forward had been pleasant and full of surprises since he had left the Xuan Beast Kings…
[This Tian Fa forest isn’t a fu*king treasure in name only! This has gotten me very excited! I couldn’t find any of these ingredients in Tian Xiang City. My efforts failed even when I had searched the entire place so painstakingly, and had exerted the entirety of my strength. But, I can find everything here en mass! No ingredient is rare here. I can find anything I want… as long as I look for it seriously. And, they aren’t present in a small number either… their quantity here is huge!]
[And, it looks like no one has ever collected any of them!]
[This is great! This is really great!]
[There are so many ingredients for the Peak Level Nine Xuan Dans! Like Tri-Colored Spirit Mushroom, Heavenly Star Grass, Level Nine Xuan Root. I’ve already stumbled upon these three herbs. They are few of the rarest herbs of the age, and can’t be easily found. In fact, I’ve actually found some Heavenly Star Grass! This is only second to the Thousand Evils and Ten Thousand Poisons Fruit! And, such a legendary grade medicine actually exists here in abundance!]
This had come as a huge surprise to him! He had seemingly got the ‘cherry pick’.
Jun Mo Xie felt warm inside. He continued to use the Yin Yang Escape as he went deeper into the forest. He saw many rare ingredients, and stored all of them inside the Hong Jun Pagoda. But, he hadn’t gone very far when he started to feel that something was off…!
This was because there were no traces of any Xuan Beasts in the area that lay in front of him. There were no birds in the sky. And, the ground was so clean that not an ant could be seen crawling on it. What was really unreasonable was that he couldn’t even feel half an earthworm inside the ground.
[This place is too silent and desolate!]
[Don’t tell me that there’s another Thousand Evils and Ten Thousand Poisons Fruit here?!]
Jun Mo Xie looked around at the flowers and trees. They were all lush. He circulated the Art of Unlocking the Heaven’s Fortune, and breathed the air in. It was fresh, and there was no hint of poison in it. Moreover, there was a spiritual influence at play there. And, it was surprisingly in abundance.
[This area is so vibrant. But, why isn’t there a single trace of any beast here…?]
[This is extremely strange!]
Jun Mo Xie carefully drifted forward a bit, and then walked inside. The trees and the flowers got increasingly lush. But, there was no sound of activity… same as before. The air too got increasingly fresh and pleasant.
Jun Mo Xie finally stopped the Yin Yang Escape, and showed himself in the woods. He looked around as he walked forward, and then inhaled a lung-full of the comfortable air. There were bright purple and red colors all around him. It was late autumn. But, everything still seemed very lush in this vicinity. This place was seemingly unaffected by the seasons. The vegetation was still extremely lush…
It was extremely quite there. Then, Jun Mo Xie suddenly felt a subtle sensation. It was like his mind had grown fickle and impatient in this world. Everything had become quiet in the blink of an eye.
Everything was so quiet that it made one revel in the past. It made one’s mind feel at ease, and made them feel like their souls had been cleansed…
The ground Jun Mo Xie had just stepped-on had a silky feel to it… like the grass of a meadow. It rustled softly as he moved forward. He felt like he was walking in dreamland. The myriads of problems that had clogged his mind disappeared, and he felt his mind going empty… like he was sleep-walking.
Jun Mo Xie walked as if he was unconscious. He then involuntarily walked over to a lone tree, and sat down beneath it. And, he did this with extremely gentle movements; as if he was afraid that making any noise would ruin the tranquility of his mind.
The young man remained seated very calmly. There was perplexity in his eyes as he bought a hand to his chin while he looked ahead. He couldn’t see properly. It seemed as if the area was covered in mist… or he was drunk…
Hostilities had filled his soul for a long time. But, some of it had seemingly started to slip away from his body via a drip. He then had a mysterious feeling. Then, he felt disappointment… as if a butcher had laid down his knife. The Young Master then felt aloof… like he had transformed into a Buddha-like state of mind…
A small blossom revolved as it floated down from the tree. It silently fell down on his shoulders, but he didn’t become aware of it because of the flurry he was in. There was a light breeze. And, the hair at the edge of his hairline started to sway gently…
It seemed like centuries had already passed. But, it also felt like all of this had happened in a brief moment…
"The flower bud swiftly falls on the lone man." Jun Mo Xie sighed slightly, and raised his head. He then shaded his eyes to look ahead at the picturesque scenery. He took a deep breath, "This is so beautiful that even a blood-soaked killer like me feels elated and detached in its seclusion!"
Jun Mo Xie reluctantly looked around at the surroundings. His mind opened up. He chuckled and spoke-up in self-mockery, "Staying in this serenity for merely one day can be life’s greatest pleasure. But, such an elegant paradise isn’t suitable for a killer like me."
His figure then floated up without touching the moist and soft grass underneath. Jun Mo Xie relished the soft breeze for a bit, and then suddenly rushed forward.
There was thick growth of trees ahead. In fact, there was no gap between them. They were maybe hundreds… or perhaps thousands of years old from the looks of it. They crowded together with no gap between two trees. In fact, it seemed as if they were growing on the same place. They were seemingly fencing something from the surrounding area, and had effectively formed an enclosure…
"How can someone reside in such a place?" Hit-man Jun was curious. But, he possessed the caution of an assassin. So, he initiated the Yin-Yang Escape, and entered it as light as a feather.
"My Heavens! What a beautiful place!" there was a small valley within those closely packed trees! There were no constructions in it, but it still had some natural and muddy hovels within. It seemed as if this place had been made by the heavens. In fact, this place was extremely shocking and amazing!
A burst of faint and wonderful scent was coming from flowers hidden at a distance. This scent hit Jun Mo Xie’s nose, and he couldn’t help but eagerly stretch his neck to breathe it in. He suddenly felt a burst of extreme comfort, and his spirits rose up. He followed the scent, and hadn’t gone far when he saw something. It made him want to shout out, and he eventually had to cover his mouth with his hand…
There was a massive and solid tree in front of him. It grew on gravel. However, the gravel was exuding three bright colors — gold, red and white. These three colors glittered so splendidly that they took Jun Mo Xie’s breath away.
It appeared that the treasure — the Tri-Colored mushroom — grew there. Moreover, there weren’t just seven or eight of them under that tree’s trunk… several grew in every nook and cranny; they were practically growing there as if they were cabbage in a farm. And, one could also find many other rare herbs there…
[I’m not dreaming, right?]
Jun Mo Xie was suddenly overcome with a great sense of happiness. He had coveted this mushroom for a long time. He could rise to the third level, and refine the Cleansed Marrow Dan. He hadn’t even found ten ingredients in Tiang Xiang City… despite his thorough search. But, he had collected even higher-level ingredients in merely one night’s time after he had set foot inside this forest. Moreover… he had collected them en mass!
Jun Mo Xie was very depressed some time ago. He could’ve made a breakthrough. But, he didn’t have the medicine which could supplement it. This had given him a huge headache. He had never thought that these things would line-up like ‘cabbage in a farm’ after he’d arrive at Tian Fa. But then, he had found this unfathomable and mysterious place!
[This is indeed inexplicably amazing! It’s unknown how many rare and amazing treasures one could find in this vast Tian Fa Forest. This would tantamount to immense strength in the future!]
Jun Mo Xie went wild with joy and stepped forward. He then started to pluck those herbs as quickly as he could. The Young Master Jun picked a great number of them. But, he hesitated once only the last two trunks of that tree remained laden with this treasure. And, he eventually decided against it. [You can’t make a living from hunting if you burn the forest! Too much of anything isn’t a good thing either!] Jun Mo Xie wouldn’t show a moment’s hesitation when it came to destroying something right down to its root cause. However, the Young Master Jun inadvertently found himself abiding to ‘appropriate behavior’ inside this heavenly abode.
[Too much of anything is never a satisfactory thing either!]
Jun Mo Xie looked around, and was amazed to discover that a natural ‘cultivation base’ was somewhat concealed in the embrace of that tree. And, one could actually find every kind of precious ingredient in the underbrush…
[Is this the source of that spiritual influence?]
Jun Mo Xie felt apprehensive, and looked around with greater care.
One would find a cave if they took a detour from the trees. But, there were trees which leaned forward to cover the entrance of the cave. In fact, he was convinced that even wind and rain wouldn’t be able to affect the area inside this cave. [This cave must be unusually dry!]
Then, the Young Master Jun heard an extremely faint sound from the mouth of the cave. [Don’t tell me… someone actually lives here? But, my spirit sense had detected no abnormality in this area...?] Jun Mo Xie suddenly became alert. He quickly initiated the Yin Yang Escape, and floated inside the cave in a state of invisibility…
He went forward, and took a look inside the cave. His mouth immediately opened a round "O" with astonishment.
Something he could’ve never anticipated had appeared before his eyes. He had thought that this place was extremely secretive. He had anticipated that even a bird wouldn’t be able to come here. So, he had naturally assumed that this place would be the abode of some big boss! Or… that it was at least an abode of a Xuan Beast King in human form…
Only that kind of talent and strength would deserve such an environment.
However, what appeared in front of him was a bare room made-up of cold stone. In fact, there wasn’t even a bed inside it. It was only worthy of being called a ‘dump’. There was a black gown on the center of the floor. It laid there like discarded trash. In fact, it couldn’t even be called a ‘black gown’ from Jun Mo Xie’s standards. That thing was more like a massive piece of black cloth. He felt that even an elephant would look slender in that "gown." And, as far as a human was concerned… that cloth would cover any human in their entirety… even if the cloth had been folded a few times…
The black cloth had a small blood stain on it. It was unknown where it had picked that stain from. A barely-alive and tiny white animal was laying on top of that black cloth. Jun Mo Xie shot a quick glance towards this animal. That animal almost looked like Little White at first sight…
However, he looked more carefully, and realized that this little creature wasn’t Little White. The beast in front of him was half the size of a person’s arm. Its body was entirely white, and had no fur anywhere. But, that white creature gave-off a very comfortable feeling, and looked very elegant as well…
The frail thing looked at Jun Mo Xie as he appeared in front of it. However, its eyes didn’t display a single trace of fear. It merely turned to look at him with eyes that were filled with tranquility, clarity, and even an indescribable sense of arrogance…
Then, the tiny creature seemed to have resigned to something, and lowered its head. It had suddenly gone so quiet that it seemed as if life and death had no meaning in its eyes anymore. However, that small body was curled-up so helplessly in that black gown that the sight of it could evoke a strong feeling of tenderness in one’s heart.
Jun Mo Xie held nothing against animals. But, his temperament had never been of a man who’d be fond of pets. He didn’t exactly like or dislike Little White. But, he suddenly felt a strong urge to protect the little creature that lay in front of him.
And, it was a fantastic feeling…
"Poor thing, are you hurt?" Jun Mo Xie asked in a rare gentle voice as he softly sat down while looking at the tiny beast.
The little thing lowered its head indifferently. It seemed uninterested. It wasn’t clear whether it couldn’t understand the words the Young Master Jun had spoken… or had simply ignored them from the start…
Jun Mo Xie saw this creature’s lazy and adorable mannerism, and suddenly recalled why Dugu Xiao Yi had come to Tian Fa. She wanted to hunt a Snow-Ferret. She then wanted to use its skin to make a garment her grandfather could wear on his wounded waist.
That small creature looked like the legendary and thunderous Xuan Beast — Snow Ferret — from the looks of it.
However, Jun Mo Xie couldn’t detect even the faintest trace of a Xuan Beast-like aura from it… despite a careful inspection. Therefore, it obviously wasn’t a Level Eight Snow Ferret… or anyone from its genus. In fact, it might not even be a Xuan Beast to start with!
[Could it really be an ordinary tiny Ferret? But, why does it look so beautiful?]
Then, Jun Mo Xie slowly extended his hand, and touched the little creature lightly. However, the creature still hung its head low… same as before. The creature was motionless, but its body had become stiff.
"I know you’re scared, little thing!" Jun Mo Xie smiled, "Don’t worry; I’m a good man… a very good man. Come, amusing little thing… I will see to your wound. I will give you a tasty medicine!"
A good man…? This was the first time that Jun Mo Xie had called himself a ‘good man’ in the combined time frame of his two lives so far...
However, he was truly a good man in this little white creature’s eyes…
He circled his aura around the little creature he now held in his arms, and inspected it for a bit…
However, there was something Jun Mo Xie hadn’t come to notice. He had held the creature for barely a second when its ears had become erect. It had then opened its eyes in a wide stare. In fact, a sharp glint had arisen from the depths of its eyes. But, it then sensed the wonderful Qi that was coming from the Young Master Jun’s body. It had then stared blankly for a second. In fact, it looked extremely confused at first. But, it slowly closed its eyes shut soon after…