Chapter 55
Su Jing followed Qing He along the gravel path on the west side of the Monster Valley. Her shoes crunched softly over the sharp stones. Qing He walked ahead, clutching a porcelain bottle filled with mosquito repellent, occasionally stopping to apply it to their sleeves and trouser hems.
The mosquitoes in the bamboo forest were more ferocious than expected. Just now, a mosquito landed on Qinghe's neck, but before it could suck blood, it was knocked to the ground by the mosquito repellent. Its wings twitched a couple of times and then it went silent.
Su Jing's trousers still bore the charred marks left from killing the Crimson Flame Tiger. A gust of wind carried the bitter medicinal scent of the fire-repelling ointment mixed with the minty smell of mosquito repellent, lingering around her nose.
"We'll reach the valley entrance in about half a mile. Once we're out of the valley, we'll be on the main road. The elders usually don't go that way."
Qinghe turned around and said, her forehead covered with fine beads of sweat, and the back of her coarse cloth short jacket was soaked with sweat, clinging to her thin shoulders.
Just as he was about to continue walking forward, a deep, steady voice suddenly came from behind the boulder beside him. It wasn't loud, but it had a penetrating quality that instantly made the two of them stop in their tracks: "Qinghe, you brought guests to the Monster Valley, why didn't you tell me?"
Su Jing subconsciously reached for the laser gun at her waist. Just as her fingertips touched the cold barrel, a man in a dark brown coarse cloth robe slowly emerged from behind the boulder. He looked to be about fifty years old, his hair tied back with a black wooden hairpin, a few bits of grass clinging to the ends. He had three faint scars on his face, extending from his left brow bone to his jaw, but they didn't look ferocious; instead, they added a touch of composure.
The man wore a black animal skin belt around his waist, from which hung a palm-sized deerskin pouch. Several dried herbs peeked out from the pouch's opening. His deep eyes were fixed on Su Jing, showing no hostility, but rather a gentle scrutiny.
"Valley Master!" Qinghe instantly relaxed, her grip on the porcelain bottle loosened, and she quickly walked to the man, tilting her head up to say, "This is Sister Su Jing. She came to the valley to find pills, and I helped her avoid the patrolling disciples. We're just about to escort her out of the valley."
The man called "Valley Master" nodded, his gaze falling on the charred marks on Su Jing's trouser leg, then sweeping over the laser gun at her waist. A faint smile appeared on his lips: "So you're the outsider who killed the Crimson Flame Tiger? That tiger has been entrenched in the valley for three years, injuring many herb gatherers. You're quite capable, using a 'magical weapon' (referring to the laser gun) that I've never seen before."
Su Jing released her grip on the laser gun and nodded slightly: "I was just lucky, with Qinghe's help and fire-resistant ointment for protection."
She could sense the faint aura emanating from the man, which was more composed than the Azure Wolf and Crimson Flame Tiger she had encountered before, yet not oppressive. Instead of a danger warning popping up on the system panel, a line of small text appeared: [Detected the Valley Master of the Demon Beast Valley, cultivation level Qi Refining Level 5, friendliness value: 80, no intention to attack].
The Valley Master took out a small, dark blue cloth booklet from the deerskin pouch at his waist and handed it to Su Jing. The booklet was about the size of a palm, with slightly worn edges. On the cover were four neat characters in regular script written in ink: "Introduction to Immortality Cultivation Manual." The spine was bound with hemp thread, and the stitches were neat, clearly indicating that it was hand-sewn.
"This booklet is something I got from a pharmacist at the Qingyun Sect when I was young. It contains basic breathing techniques, as well as simple methods for identifying low-grade herbs and refining pills," the Valley Master said with a hint of solemnity, tapping the cover of the booklet with his fingertip. "You were able to kill the Crimson Flame Tiger, so your character must be quite good. Take this; it can help you cultivate and improve your physique after you leave—consider it a way of thanking you for ridding the valley of a menace."
Su Jing took the manual. When her fingertips touched the cloth, she could feel the thickness of the paper inside; it was slightly heavy. She gently turned to the first page. On the yellowed Xuan paper were handwritten characters, the ink even and the handwriting vigorous. The first line read, "Basic Breathing Technique: Rise at Yin hour, sit facing south, inhale three inches, exhale one inch, repeat forty-nine times to gather spiritual energy into the body." Below was a simple diagram of the sitting posture, with the approximate locations of acupoints marked.
The second page contains illustrations of low-level medicinal herbs, with lifelike depictions of Bupleurum, Angelica sinensis, and Atractylodes macrocephala, along with annotations on their growing environment, harvesting time, and even tips for distinguishing genuine from counterfeit herbs—more detailed than Qinghe knew.
“This manual…” Su Jing looked up at the Valley Master, her tone tinged with surprise—this was not only a method for beginners in cultivation, but also a practical guide to survival, which would be more useful than simple pills in the face of the impending apocalypse.
The Valley Master waved his hand, interrupting her: "No need to thank me, I only have one request." His gaze fell on Su Jing's face, filled with earnestness, "Many people outside think that the Monster Valley is only home to ferocious birds and beasts, and that we, the people living in the valley, are not easy to get along with."
After you leave, if you encounter other outsiders, could you please tell them—the people of Monster Valley aren't just about fighting; we're also willing to help those in need, as long as they don't indiscriminately kill the monsters in the valley or steal the herbs from the medicinal fields?
Su Jing felt a warmth in her heart, recalling Martin and the little boy's friendliness in the cyber world, Qinghe's help, and now the Valley Master's entrustment. These natives of the instance always conveyed goodwill in the simplest way.
She nodded solemnly: "Don't worry, I will tell them. I will remember the kindness of the Monster Valley."
The Valley Master smiled, and the scars on his face softened a bit: "Alright, then I won't keep you any longer. The elders of the Qingyun Sect have already passed the bamboo forest and are coming this way. Take the left fork in the road ahead; that path will get you out of the valley faster. There are red ribbons marked on the road by me; just follow them and you won't get lost."
After he finished speaking, he turned and walked behind the boulder, his long robe sweeping across the pebbles on the ground. He did not look back, leaving only a composed figure behind him, and soon disappeared behind the boulder.
“The Valley Master rarely talks so much to outsiders,” Qinghe whispered as she leaned closer to Su Jing and looked in the direction the Valley Master had disappeared. “He used to be a hunter, but he saved a herb gatherer who had been injured by a monster. So everyone elected him as the Valley Master. He usually lives in a wooden house deep in the valley and only comes out when something big happens in the valley.”
Su Jing carefully placed the "Introduction to Immortality Cultivation Manual" into the "easily accessible layer" of her spatial storage, close to the nanmu elixir box she had previously collected. Her fingertips traced the cloth surface of the manual, and she felt much more at ease.
With the elixirs and cultivation methods in hand, the matter of improving her physique in the apocalypse finally had a solution. She followed Qinghe toward the fork in the road, where the gravel gradually turned into a smooth dirt road. Occasionally, she could see red ribbons tied to the tree trunks by the roadside, the markings the Valley Master had mentioned. The ribbons still carried a faint herbal fragrance, indicating that they had been tied not long ago.
After walking for about fifteen minutes, Su Jing's system panel suddenly popped up a "Global Channel New Message" notification. Chen Yang, whose name was displayed in dark gray as "Sharp Blade (China)," was the first to appear, his voice filled with obvious frustration: "Our team encountered an elder in the core area of the Qingyun Sect! That elder knows the 'Thunderclap Technique,' and one bolt of lightning injured three teammates. Now we can only retreat to the outer perimeter. Forget about pills, we haven't even gotten many points. If we stay any longer, we're afraid we'll perish here!"
Immediately after, Zhao Yue from "Flying Swallow (China)" followed up with a message accompanied by a crying emoji: "We just saw the elder's aura outside the core area too! That oppressive aura scared us so much that we hid in the cave and dared not move! How did 'I Am the God of Wealth' manage to avoid the elder? Not only did she complete the mission, but she's also ranked first now. Does she have some special method?"
The channel instantly erupted in discussion, with participants from other countries echoing the sentiment:
"I just ran into the elder too. Luckily I ran fast, or I would have been burned by the 'Fireball'! How did 'I am the God of Wealth' do that?"
"She definitely has natives helping her! She got a discount from natives in the Cyber instance before, so maybe someone will guide her this time too!"
"Jack is still looking for the Strength Pill. I heard that another of his teammates has fallen, and now there are only 3 left!"
Su Jing quickly scrolled through the messages, her fingertips lingering on the panel for a few seconds before she ultimately didn't reply.
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