NOVEL WEB Chapter 13: Inner Peace.
"NO—!"
Fang Yuan's scream reverberated through the cavern like a thunderclap, sheer horror etched across his face.
And for good reason.
The beast, the freaking dumb, oversized, meat of a carpet had just bitten into the Hollow Yeklo Grass like it was a midnight snack!
CHOMP.
One clean bite. Leaves, stalk, shimmer, spiritual essence! All gone!!
"No no no no—STOP! STOP EATING THAT!!" Fang Yuan howled, his voice already cracking in unspeakable grief.
He bolted forward, spiritual energy flaring wildly behind him.
The sabertooth froze in place out of fear despite already resolving itself to take down the treasure with it.
For in that instant, it sensed death rushing toward it, dressed in silk robes and heavy rage.
Its amber eyes went wide. It swallowed instinctively.
Gulp.
"...You son of a—"
In a single, blur-fast motion, Fang Yuan's hand cleaved downward.
A blade of spiritual light arced out, cleaner than a surgeon's scalpel.
The beast didn't even have time to yelp.
It was simply… two halves now.
Flop.
Fang Yuan stood there, chest heaving, clothes billowing slightly from the residual force of the strike.
He said nothing at first.
He simply dragged his feet across the stone toward the small patch of earth.
There, where once the Hollow Yeklo Grass had danced like moonlight on still water, now sat—
A mangled root system, half-chewed.
Like a toddler had tried gardening with teeth.
Fang Yuan dropped to one knee, gently cradling what little remained.
A long, deep sigh escaped him.
"…At least I got the beast core," he muttered bitterly, glancing at the still-steaming sabertooth carcass.
He stared for a moment longer. Then added dryly:
"Thanks, Heaven. Truly generous. Next time, just slap me and be done with it."
Fang Yuan raised his hands in silence, then drove them unceremoniously into the still-warm carcass of the sabertooth beast.
His expression was unreadable as he dug through sinew and bone, blood splattering across his robes as if mocking him with every squelch and tear.
He fished deeper, fingers scraping past shattered ribs and collapsed organs, until finally; his hand closed around something hard.
It was the beast core. He wasted no time and yanked it free.
And then blinked as he hold up the core.
It was cracked.
A jagged fissure ran down its center like a wound left too long untreated. The spiritual energy it contained was unstable; leaking, flickering like a candle in the rain.
Fang Yuan stared at it for a long moment.
"…Damaged?" he muttered.
He looked down at the corpse, at the huge white beast that had, mere moments ago, swallowed a priceless herb like it was breakfast dumpling.
Was this… the reason it had stayed here?
Trying to use the Hollow Yeklo Grass to repair its own core?
Fang Yuan let out a sharp exhale through his nose. Not quite a laugh. Not quite a sigh.
He looked at the core again, then let it drop on top of the carcass.
His mood was foul now.
He sat back on his heels and muttered, "Life really doesn't go the way people want it to."
Still, he wasn't about to leave without maintaining appearances and blow his cover.
He stood, smeared some of the beast's blood across his robes, even dabbed a few smudges on his face for dramatic effect.
Then, picking up his sword, he hacked at the walls, shattering a few rocks to simulate an intense struggle.
He cut open his own shoulder, shallow but bleeding, and staggered slightly to perfect the look of a weary, victorious cultivator.
Satisfied with the staged carnage, he cast one last look toward the broken herb patch and whispered under his breath, "May you reincarnated as a Hollow Yeklo grass so that I can have the pleasure of refining you when I find you."
With that, Fang Yuan stepped out of the cave appearing bloodied, wounded yet victorious.
The moment Fang Yuan stepped out of the cave entrance, bathed in moonlight, a hushed silence fell over the crowd.
His robes were torn, streaked with blood; some dried, some fresh.
His shoulder bore a visible gash, and dust clung to his hair like ash from battle.
Behind him, the faint smell of scorched stone and beast blood wafted out from the mine.
For a few seconds, no one moved.
Then—
"Family Head!"
"Is he injured?"
Dozens of voices erupted at once. Elders rushed forward, cultivators quickly formed a perimeter, and several servants scrambled to prepare healing ointments and spiritual water.
Uncle Chen hurried over, his usually stern face lined with worry. "Little Yuan! Are you all right? That wound, what happened inside?"
Fang Yuan waved a tired hand as if swatting away flies, adopting the perfect tone of solemn dignity.
"The beast was stronger than expected," he said, voice grave. "It had entrenched itself around the spirit herb… and was bonded to it. I had no choice but to face it head-on."
Gasps echoed among the crowd.
Fang Yuan sighed softly, as if weighed down by the burdens of leadership and fate.
"The spirit herb was destroyed in the process too."
Murmurs turned to lament.
"Such a pity… i wonder what type of spirit herb it was to have a half step nascent soul realm beast guard it."
"What a heavy loss…"
"The heavens are cruel."
Only Fang Yuan stood silent in the middle of it all, hands behind his back, looking off toward the horizon like a tragic hero too noble for praise.
But inside, he was screaming. Shouting.
"Destroyed in the process?!"
No! That was just me covering up my own stupidity!
I should've killed that oversized furball the moment I saw it twitch! But nooo—'maybe it'll raise another herb,' I said. 'Maybe I can be merciful,' I thought. Merciful my ass!
His mental voice roared louder than any battlefield cry.
And the damn beast core? Cracked. Fractured. Absolutely useless! You think I plunged my hand into monster guts for fun? I smell like death and regret!
Oh Heaven! Why do you hate me? First the Hollow Soul Pill quest fails, now the Hollow Yeklo Grass gets chomped in front of me like a midnight snack! Are you messing with me on purpose?!
He clenched his fists behind his back, outwardly calm, inwardly moments away from collapsing into a tragic opera singer.
If I get one more "blessing" from the heavens, I swear I'll start spitting at the sky every morning for balance!
And yet, he still had to maintain a serene, proud smile on the surface. His chin lifted.
The very image of a hero returning victorious from a hard fought battle.
Truly, the greatest illusion Fang Yuan ever cast… was pretending he was fine.
A servant timidly stepped forward. "Family Head, should we prepare a cleansing bath and summon Elder Jingyi for medical treatment?"
Fang Yuan nodded wearily. "Later. Right now, gather the remains and halt the mining for now. Let the family cultivators explore for hidden traps."
He turned to leave, limping slightly for effect.
Behind him, the gathered clan members erupted into whispers of admiration.
"So brave…"
"So calm…"
"Family head is truly worthy of leading our Fang family…"
As he walked away, head held high and robes fluttering nobly, he muttered under his breath,
"Through heaven and earth, I alone am the unlucky one."