Conformity and the Unknown
The north wind has subsided, and the sun shines brightly.
Ao Ming walked at the front of the group with his arms crossed, the snow under his feet crunching loudly.
He glanced sideways at Tu Shanlan, then couldn't help but quickly look in Qian Jin's direction, lowering his voice with a touch of youthful, feigned deep worry:
"Sister Lan, do you think... this time when we go to that Burial Valley of Souls, we might be going to fight some kind of powerful monster? Those three unlucky guys said it was really weird! They lost money while sleeping and their guide went missing!"
Tu Shanlan walked steadily, and frowned slightly upon hearing this. Her tone was both reassuring and thoughtful: "When the God of Wealth of the Northern Road sent a message before, he mentioned that although the Burial Soul Valley was listed as a forbidden area, there had never been any unusual activity or powerful demons occupying it in the past thousand years. The experience described by those three wealthy merchants is more like an... unknown illusion or trap."
“Hey! That’s hard to say!” Ao Ming immediately retorted, his voice unconsciously rising a little, carrying a hint of his well-informed air.
"Just look at what we've experienced these past few days..." He paused, glancing meaningfully at Qian Jin again, his voice lowering, "Wouldn't any of these things have been extraordinary in the past? Who knows what kind of ghosts are lurking in this Burial Valley of Souls? And..." He deliberately dragged out his words, "It's been too quiet the whole way, unlike some people's style, hasn't it?"
He was referring, of course, to Qian Jin. Ever since leaving the Northern Road God of Wealth Palace and embarking on the road to Burial Soul Valley, Qian Jin had been unusually quiet. He hadn't even bothered to look at the potentially valuable Ice Crystal Snow Lotuses along the way—this was highly unusual!
Tu Shanlan and Ao Ming both focused their attention on Qian Jin at the back of the group.
Qian Jin was walking slowly, with the chubby Da Qiangzi coiled around his neck. Da Qiangzi comfortably rested its chin on Qian Jin's head, its two front paws holding a golden, shiny roasted sweet potato cake that was bigger than its head, and it was eating it with relish, its cheeks puffing out as golden crumbs fell down.
Qian Jin herself held a roasted sweet potato cake of the same kind in her left hand, while her right hand would occasionally take out various snacks from a delicate little cloth bag embroidered with copper coin patterns at her waist: there were crispy and fragrant nuts coated with frosting, dried fruits shaped like small fish with spiritual energy, and candied fruits that exuded an enticing sweet fragrance.
She took a bite herself, then casually passed a piece over her head to Daqiangzi.
"Mmm... Little sister, this is delicious! It's a hundred times better than what the chef in my Dragon Palace makes!" Da Qiangzi exclaimed indistinctly, his tail tip swishing happily, his scales gleaming in the reflection of the snow.
"Right? Eat slowly, there's more." Qian Jin's voice carried a hint of smugness as she pulled out another amber-colored, crystal-clear candy and stuffed it into Da Qiangzi's paw.
Ao Ming's eyes twitched as he watched, and he finally couldn't hold back any longer. He walked over to Qian Jin, pointed at the small cloth bag in her hand and the dried fruit she was putting into her mouth, and said with a look of disgust, "Qian Jin! You...you look like you're going on a school trip! Is all that stuff in your precious storage ring just these kinds of things?"
He simply couldn't imagine that a proper cultivator's storage magic treasure wouldn't be filled with talismans, pills, magic tools, and spirit stones, but instead stuffed with snacks!
Qian Jin swallowed the dried fruit in her mouth and blinked innocently, "Not entirely." As she spoke, she actually moved the small cloth bag closer to Ao Ming and began to take things out with her other hand to show them off.
“Look, this is a ‘dust-cleaning talisman’ I made myself. Just a little water and it cleans clothes, saving you money on laundry detergent… This is an improved ‘fire-starting talisman’, which is especially convenient for starting a fire and cooking, saving on firewood… Oh, and this is a ‘small-area soundproofing array’, used to prevent snoring while sleeping… and…”
The items she pulled out were varied and had unusual functions, but they all shared a common thread: a shrewd pragmatism and... a strong sense of everyday life. The only thing missing was the combat or cultivation supplies that Ao Ming believed a "proper cultivator" should carry.
Ao Ming stared in disbelief, rubbing his forehead and exclaiming, "My God! What kind of cultivator would carry these things when they go out? Shouldn't they be carrying protective talismans, healing elixirs, pills to replenish spiritual energy, and magical artifacts for attack and defense? At the very least, they should be carrying some trapping array plates and communication jade talismans, right? This... this is simply..." He was speechless for a moment.
"I thought to myself," Qian Jin put away her precious bits and pieces, looking completely matter-of-fact, "Our job at the God of Wealth Temple, theoretically, should be one of the safest positions in the entire Three Realms, right? Why prepare all that stuff? What a waste of money! Here, try this, I made these honey-soaked snow lotus seeds myself, they're delicious!" Without waiting for a reply, she stuffed a crystal-clear lotus seed, coated in honey, into Ao Ming's hand, and then handed a handful to Tu Shanlan as well.
Ao Ming wanted to refuse, but the sweet and tempting aroma wafted into his nose. He hesitated for a moment, then cautiously took a small bite with utmost wariness.
Instantly, a refreshing and sweet aroma of lotus seeds, carrying the scent of ice and snow, mixed with just the right amount of honey sweetness, exploded in his mouth!
It has a crisp and refreshing texture. Although the spiritual energy is not overwhelming, it is exceptionally pure and gentle. As it slides down the throat, it warms up the body that was stiff from the cold wind of the North.
"Mmm!" Ao Ming's eyes lit up instantly. Forgetting all about the initial disgust, he swallowed the remaining lotus seeds in a few bites, licking his lips with lingering satisfaction. "What is this! So delicious!"
A hint of smugness appeared on Qian Jin's face, and she raised her chin slightly: "Impressive, right? I figured it out myself! I've been thinking before, if I ever leave the God of Wealth Temple, what are some things I really want to do? Thinking about making something delicious or useful, maybe that's a path I could take?"
"Not in the God of Wealth Temple?!" Even Tu Shanlan was surprised. She swallowed the equally delicious lotus seed in her mouth, her gentle face filled with disbelief. "This place is recognized as the most lucrative position in the Three Realms. Countless descendants of immortals would kill to become a sweeping fairy. Junior Sister Qian, how... how could you have such an idea?"
Ao Ming looked at Qian Jin as if she were a monster, as if she were saying she wanted to resign from the position of Heavenly Emperor to sell candied hawthorns.
Qian Jin simply shrugged, her eyes clear and frank: "But how will I know what I really want to do if I don't try everything I want to do? Counting money in the God of Wealth Temple is certainly nice, but maybe... being a pastry chef, opening a general store, or becoming a consultant who specializes in researching tips for saving spirit stones would also be very interesting?"
As she spoke, her gaze drifted to the distant, undulating, snow-covered, unfamiliar mountain range. There was no fear in her eyes, but rather a pure curiosity about the unknown possibilities.
"What you're thinking... is really different from everyone else's!" Ao Ming exclaimed, his tone complex. Qian Jin's unconventional ideas both seemed absurd to him and subtly touched him.
Qian Jin turned her head and winked playfully at Ao Ming, her smile shining brightly against the backdrop of the snow: "Don't you think that fitting in can sometimes be a terrible thing?"
She paused, her gaze sweeping across the pristine world of ice and snow before her, her voice light yet carrying a strange power, "Look at us now, in a world where we know nothing, it's only by continuing on that we'll encounter surprises, isn't it?"
Ao Ming was momentarily dazzled by her smile. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something in response, but couldn't find the words...
Just then, Tu Shanlan, who had been intently observing their surroundings, suddenly stopped and interrupted them with a serious tone: "It seems we've... arrived. Look at that valley ahead."
She pointed to the deep crevice between two steep, massive snow-capped peaks. "Doesn't it look like the Valley of Burial Souls that the three of them described?"
Everyone immediately looked in the direction Sister Lan was pointing.
At the entrance of the valley, a thicker, more viscous grayish-white mist, more intense than the surrounding air, flowed and surged slowly like a living thing, completely obscuring the view inside the valley.
The light seemed to be swallowed up here, and the snow near the valley entrance had an ominous gray hue. The exposed black rocks were jagged and bizarre, twisted into various grotesque shapes.
The air was eerily still; even the howling wind seemed to weaken and disappear as it approached the valley entrance. The situation inside the valley remained completely obscured.
Daqiangzi stopped chewing, stretched its neck, and curiously examined the valley entrance with its large golden eyes, sniffing the air. After a few breaths, a look of confusion and...comfort appeared on its little face.
"My goodness, it looks just like the place they were talking about!" Daqiangzi flicked his tail, his tone confirming. "Those three said the fog was so thick, they couldn't see inside, it was dark and scary."
It sniffed hard again, a look of extreme enjoyment appearing on its chubby dragon face. "But...but this doesn't feel right, little sister! They say it's really eerie in there, but I feel...completely comfortable here! The air coming out of there, it smells...it feels like incredibly pure, incredibly comfortable spiritual energy!"
Da Qiangzi's drastically different sensations startled the three men, who exchanged bewildered glances. The three wealthy businessmen felt an eeriness and fear, while Da Qiangzi, the naturally auspicious golden dragon, sensed pure spiritual energy? The contrast was too great!
Tu Shanlan's brows furrowed even more, her eyes filled with even greater vigilance: "It seems that this Burial Valley of Souls is even more bizarre than we imagined. The difference in perception indicates that there must be something strange about it. Speculating from the outside is useless." She took a deep breath, subtly forming a more stable hand seal, and a layer of warm, azure light enveloped the four of them even more closely. "We still need to go in and see for ourselves. Everyone stay close, be vigilant, calm your minds, and don't be misled by any senses."
Qian Jin quickly stuffed the last bite of the potato pancake into her mouth, put away the snack bag, and her eyes became focused. Ao Ming also suppressed all playful thoughts, his dragon energy flowing secretly within him, ready to deal with any unexpected situation at any time.
Ao Ming, Da Qiangzi, and Qian Jin exchanged a silent glance. Then, with remarkable synchronization, they performed a single, perfectly coordinated action:
Ao Ming quickly tossed the last of the candied lotus seeds into his mouth, his cheeks puffing out. Da Qiangzi let out a loud "whoosh," swallowing the remaining half of the potato cake in his paws whole, letting out a small, satisfied burp. Qian Jin calmly pulled the last candied nut from the bag, precisely tossed it into his mouth, and crunched it with a loud crack.
"Go!" With a soft shout from Tu Shanlan, the four of them no longer hesitated and, maintaining a tight formation, stepped into the thick, almost tangible, grayish-white mist of the Burial Soul Valley.
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