NOVEL WEB Chapter 23
Night fell.
The moon shone brightly, its silver light filtering through dense leaves, casting dappled spots across the forest floor.
The Spirit Beast Mountain Range was quiet, with only occasional distant beast calls.
“Li An, how’d you meet Sister Xu?” Tan Qingxue sat on a log, sounding bored as she questioned him.
Li An leaned against a thick tree, eyes closed in rest. He opened them, glancing at her.
Why was she suddenly curious?
“Sister Qingxue, I met Sister Xu while selling rice,” he said calmly, his mind racing.
Why was Tan Qingxue probing?
“Sister Xu always said you’re clever and sharp… You’re the first she’s praised like that,” Tan Qingxue said, her face lovely under the moonlight, her gaze piercing like the moon itself. “You’re also the luckiest person I’ve met. Even stumbling on Prime Spring Grass…”
She watched him closely, determined to unmask him tonight.
No more hiding!
Li An’s guard went up. Tan Qingxue, who’d ignored him, was now testing him?
Had he slipped up?
Unlikely.
It must be something Xu Qiuhui told her.
He thought quickly. “All thanks to Sister Xu’s guidance,” he said, pulling out the talisman brush she’d sold him, sighing softly. “I wonder how Sister Xu’s doing in the inner sect…”
He gently rubbed the brush, as if cherishing it, then added, “Sister Qingxue, did Sister Xu really mention me?”
His voice held a hint of joy.
Tan Qingxue paused, realizing… Did Li An have a crush on Sister Xu?
That made sense. Xu Qiuhui was a star in the sect, admired by many.
“Sister Qingxue?”
“Oh… yeah, she mentioned you,” she replied.
“Great! I remember Sister Xu likes Spirit Plant Mountain’s second-harvest rice and Qi Recovery Talismans. Could you send some to her for me later?”
The topic shifted smoothly.
Soon after, Li An stood. “Sister Qingxue, I’ll patrol the area.”
Tan Qingxue felt a mix of emotions. Their chat revealed Li An knew Xu Qiuhui better than she did…
His words about Xu Qiuhui were sincere, tinged with the inferiority and helplessness of a low disciple.
Xu Qiuhui, an inner sect prodigy with a bright future.
Li An? Average talisman talent, still at the Third Layer of Qi Refining after years…
A pipe dream.
“Sister Xu said he’s savvy in dealings… Maybe it’s just him carefully currying favor,” she shook her head, thinking not she, but Xu Qiuhui, had misjudged. Li An seemed honest enough.
…
In the forest, Li An plotted.
Tomorrow, he needed a reason to ditch Tan Qingxue’s group.
He’d used some conversational tricks to steer the talk, drawing on his past life’s experience with many wives.
But staying with her felt risky.
…
Morning came, birds chirping as sunlight spread through the forest.
“Today, we head to Cold Mist Forest, a spot where the Black Needle Giant Ape was seen,” Tan Qingxue said.
They set off.
Cold Mist Forest was full of Cold Camphor Trees, which emitted toxic spiritual qi, forming a thin, pervasive mist. No one dared enter normally.
Tan Qingxue handed each a Detox Pill.
Li An was surprised. She’d spared no expense—a single ungraded Detox Pill cost about ten spirit stones!
His Life Seed neutralized poison, but he swallowed the pill without a problem.
“Probably not here,” he thought, scanning the area, sniffing the air.
Black Needle Giant Ape dung was foul, especially in this humid, toxic mist, carrying far. He smelled none.
So, he felt safe following.
“Look, Black Needle Giant Ape tracks!” Jiang You spotted prints under a large old tree.
“Parasite Spirit Vine!” Li An exclaimed, eyeing a cluster of blue vines in the tree’s branches, bearing several blue fruits.
“First Grade Spiritual Fruits, so many!” Jiang You was thrilled, climbing to pick them.
Six fruits total, split evenly since they found them together. Li An got one, plus ten stones from Tan Qingxue.
“The ape came here for the Parasite Spirit Vine… It’s sharp for herbs!” Cao Zhiruo said.
Though they hadn’t found the ape, their spirits were high.
They turned back, but just outside Cold Mist Forest, a voice called, “Oh, Sister Qingxue from the Talisman Hall!”
Seven or eight young disciples waited, led by a handsome youth with a small cauldron embroidered on his robe’s left chest.
An Alchemy Hall disciple!
“Brother Qingyuan,” Tan Qingxue frowned. “What are you doing here?”
Qingyuan smiled. “Looking for the Black Needle Giant Ape. Sister Qingxue, you’re not after the same, are you?”
Her heart stirred, “No… we’re hunting other herbs. Brother Qingyuan, found any ape clues?”
He shook his head. “None. The ape’s cautious, likely hiding since the Second Grade Spiritual Herb is ripening.
Sister Qingxue, you just left Cold Mist Forest. I bet you used Detox Pills to counter the poison. Those don’t fully clear toxins—they linger.”
I’ve got some Purge Poison Pills for you all.” He stepped forward, offering a small bottle.
Tan Qingxue was surprised. “Brother Qingyuan, Purge Poison Pills are costly. I’ll pay you…”
Qingyuan laughed. “No need. I’m giving them in hopes you’ll tip us off if you spot the Black Needle Giant Ape.”
She considered, then nodded. “Alright, thanks.”
She took the bottle, leading Li An and the others away.
Not far off, Cao Zhiruo warned, “Qingxue, Qingyuan’s unusually generous. Something’s off…”
“I thought so too.” Tan Qingxue tossed the bottle into the bushes. Though valuable, caution trumped all in the Spirit Beast Mountain Range.
Li An shook his head inwardly. The moment she took the bottle, she’d been marked.
The issue wasn’t the Purge Poison Pills—it was the bottle!
It likely had a colorless liquid coating, nearly odorless. Amid the forest’s rotting leaves and beast dung, normal cultivators wouldn’t notice.
Li An couldn’t identify the liquid, but he knew Tan Qingxue, the hunter, was now the Alchemy Hall’s bait!
He couldn’t stick with her.
“Hey, a patch of junk herbs!” Li An pointed ahead, spotting a stream flowing through the forest, cascading off a cliff. Halfway down, a lush cluster of ungraded herbs grew.
“I’ll grab them,” he said eagerly, rushing over, carefully climbing down the cliff’s stone wall.
“Li An, it’s too dangerous! Not worth it!” Tan Qingxue frowned.
His penny-pinching was slowing them down—she needed to hit the next spot!
“I’ll be quick…” Li An descended swiftly, then “slipped,” letting out a scream as he tumbled down, vanishing into the trees.
“Li An!” The others on the cliff gasped.
Tan Qingxue hurried to the edge, but the steep slope was hard to navigate. She called down, getting no reply.
“Fool brought it on himself… Third Layer Qi Refining, falling from here, he’s likely dead,” Jiang You sneered. “Greedy for scraps, typical menial. His own fault.”
“Going to the cliff base takes an hour, and we might not find him… Qingxue, it’s not worth it,” Cao Zhiruo added. “If he’s alive, he’s probably crippled, dragging us down. If dead, what’s the point? We need to hit Old Vine Slope.”
Tan Qingxue hesitated. Qingyuan’s group was also after the ape—she had to hurry.
“Li An!” she shouted, her voice echoing.
After a moment, she decided, “Let’s go. We’ll look for him on the way back.”
Her brief bond with Li An didn’t outweigh her mission.
“Pity about the Tree Spirit Mushroom and Parasite Spirit Vine fruits… We’ll check later,” Jiang You muttered.
…
Long after they left, at 150 meters down the cliff, Li An clung to the wall, his right hand gripping the Star Glow Dagger, driven deep into the stone.
He calmly swung his left hand over the dagger, cutting his palm. Ignoring the pain, he smeared blood on the cliff, then yanked with his right arm, dislodging a stone to roll down as he leaped to a small ledge.
His Life Seed’s power quickly clotted the wound.
The falling stone, blood-streaked, mimicked an injured tumble—too subtle for most to notice.
He didn’t climb up, waiting.
Half an hour later, his keen ears caught whispers.
“Looks like one of them fell here?”
“Falling from this height, hard to survive.”
“Gotta make sure no one’s alive. If the sect investigates, we can’t leave loose ends… Qin Wei, check the cliff base. If he’s breathing, finish him!” Qingyuan’s voice ordered.
The voices faded.
A quarter-hour later, sure they were gone, Li An scaled the cliff.
Carefully masking his aura with the Life Seed, he searched, finding the discarded Purge Poison Pill bottle in the grass.
Instead of grabbing it, he opened his storage bag, pulling out his Mid Grade First Rank Talismans and Star Glow Dagger, tucking them into his sleeves. Using the bag as a glove, he picked up the bottle, rubbing it thoroughly.
“Damn my Tree Spirit Mushroom and Parasite Spirit Vine fruits…” he grumbled, pained, but had no choice.
Done, he urinated nearby, tore a corner of his robe, and wrapped it around urine-soaked soil. Using a branch, he nudged the bottle into the mud.
He tied the cloth tightly, ensuring it was sealed, and slipped it into his sleeve.
Holding the storage bag gingerly to avoid its scent, he reached the cliff’s edge and tossed the bag down.
…
(Chapter End)