Chapter Three: Human or Demon?

Eight hundred points! Together with the accumulated points on his jade slip, his contribution was now enough to qualify for the grand event in the Pavilion of Hidden Treasures three months from now.

“Hey, it’s only eight hundred points. Do you really need to look so surprised? Back in the day, that brat earned twelve hundred points in one go...”

“What?” Lin Feng was startled, snapping his head up.

Mr. Fei smiled faintly, coughed, and once again took the Bloodstar into his hand. “Is there anything else you need? If you’re going after the cloud sparrows, I suggest buying a few Sky Nets. They’ll ensure you catch them with ease.”

“With your current contribution points, I have a few manuals that’d suit you. For instance, this ‘Windstride Footwork’ is only four hundred points. There are plenty of beasts deep in Mount Qiyun—if you master this technique, your chances of escaping danger will greatly increase. Oh, and this ‘Mountain-Splitting Technique’ is just five hundred points...” Holding the Bloodstar in his left hand, Mr. Fei stretched out his right, and two yellowed ancient tomes fell neatly into his palm from the shelf.

Glancing around, Old Fei was clearly hoping to make a few more sales. But Lin Feng raised his hand to refuse. “That’s enough. I’m just going to catch a Purple Cloud Sparrow. If I need anything else, I’ll come back next time.”

“Very well, very well. Young men with conviction are rare. If you don’t need anything else, let’s settle up here. And if you come across any more rare items like this, bring them earlier next time.” Smiling, Old Fei took Lin Feng’s green jade slip, pondered briefly, then wiped a few numbers from it. A flash of green light vanished, and the numbers turned blue: 1,723.

“That’s correct, right? Take your things and good luck.” Mr. Fei placed the Bloodstar in a porcelain dish and then into a delicately carved wooden box.

Lin Feng nodded, swiftly tucked the blue vial containing the scent beetles into his pack, kept the green jade slip close, bid Old Fei farewell, and turned to leave.

“This boy’s temperament is extraordinary. What a pity fate toys with people, and the world is unjust. Such a shame...” After the youth had gone, Old Fei stood there in a daze for a long time, finally letting out a deep sigh.

Only after leaving the Treasure Exchange did Lin Feng allow a gleam of delight to surface on his face. “This time, I can finally enter the Pavilion of Hidden Treasures.”

“To exchange for a Feng Shui Essence Pill costs a thousand points, and I’ll have seven hundred left... If I give it my all and make it to two thousand, I could even get a rare treasure...” As this thought crossed his mind, his gaze grew resolute. “Yes! I can’t slack off. This is my last chance—I must find a way to repair my dantian! So I have to work twice as hard!”

Staring out at the mist-shrouded peaks, the youth’s face set with determination, he broke into a run down the mountainside. Time was short; he could no longer afford to delay. The plan to catch a Purple Cloud Sparrow would have to wait—his first destination was the Serpent Vine Valley where he’d found the Bloodstar.

Though he knew it was unlikely, after learning its value, Lin Feng couldn’t help but try his luck again in the little-trodden depths of Mount Qiyun.

The Serpent Vine Valley lay northwest of Tianmen Peak, wedged between two small hills. The valley was choked with winding green serpent vines and no proper path, and, with few demon beasts roaming there, it was considered a wasteland. Hardly any visitors came in a year.

The path he’d taken days ago was now lost to sight. Lin Feng took the three-section spear from his shoulder, tied his bag to his waist, and began hacking his way forward.

Vines flew, insects leaped, birds sang—a previously quiet valley now bustled with noise.

After half an hour’s struggle, he finally glimpsed the ancient tree at the valley’s base, its branches stretching wide as if to welcome him.

“Phew... These serpent vines are worse than actual snakes!” Lin Feng panted, grimacing. The pain in his wounded back had never fully healed, and the strenuous exertion only made it burn all the more.

Yet around the ancient tree there was not a single vine. Fresh earth was carpeted with pale yellow flowers, their dewdrop-studded petals dazzlingly beautiful.

“This is the place. Let’s take a careful look—Heaven help me...” muttered the youth, circling the tree, head low, steadily widening his search.

“Alas! All for nothing...” After scouring every inch of the flower-dappled shade, Lin Feng could only smile wryly and slump wearily onto the gnarled roots bursting from the earth. He untied his pack, preparing a cold meal.

He’d barely fished out a coarse bread when a melodious voice, tinged with triumphant mischief, called out from above, “Aha! Finally caught you, you little treasure thief!”

“Who?” Lin Feng jerked with fright as a chill shot down his spine. He grasped his spear and reflexively leapt back two paces before looking up.

“Hmph! Not only a thief, but a coward too!”

For an instant, a riot of color dazzled his eyes from the treetop. When he blinked, the vivid figure had already alighted on the ground, as if stepping from a painting to stand before him.

She wore a flowing pink robe, her dress almost ethereal, like a fairy’s. Her skin was pure as snow, and with those lively, brilliant eyes, she was heartbreakingly beautiful.

The girl cradled a white fox in her arms, her bright eyes dancing, lips curved in a slight smile. She glanced him over with a soft “hmm,” but said no more, only fixed him with a curious gaze.

“Why are you looking at me? Are you human or a demon?” Lin Feng was obviously startled. How could a lone girl appear in these wild hills? Disciples from the sect almost always traveled in groups; it was rare for sisters to go alone. For all he knew, this captivating girl could be a demon beast in disguise, her beauty a mask for something deadly, plotting his demise.

The girl’s fine brows knit slightly, and her rainbow-hued hair rippled in the breeze with several distinct shades.

“So what if I’m human? So what if I’m a demon?” she said, her face turning stern, a trace of anger in her tone. “You’re the one who stole something that wasn’t yours, aren’t you? Where’s the Bloodstar?”

“I didn’t steal it!” Lin Feng blurted out, then his face went pale as he suddenly understood. “You—you really are a demon beast?”

Books said that any demon beast who had survived the tribulation and achieved human form rivaled at least an early Foundation Establishment cultivator. Most such creatures were born with extraordinary talents, could command wind and rain, wield boundless power—no ordinary person could hope to contend with them.

Seeing his terror, the girl burst out laughing, waking the fox in her arms, which blinked up at her, curious.

Her laughter was like a spring bloom, bringing the silent valley to life. Lin Feng stood frozen, momentarily forgetting her identity.

The girl, as if deliberately teasing him, suddenly stilled her smile, composed her face, and took a step forward. “That’s right! I am a demon immortal come to claim your life! Drop your weapon and surrender, quickly!”

Startled by her words, Lin Feng’s thoughts raced in search of escape, his feet inching backward. A passage flitted through his mind:

“A thousand-year old demon, fond of the flesh and blood of virgins, often takes the form of a seductive woman to lure victims to their doom.”

That chilling description from “Strange Beings and Oddities” made him grip his spear even tighter.

“Don’t come any closer! The Bloodstar isn’t with me—I already... already sold it!”

At this, the girl’s face fell. Her long lashes fluttered, and she looked as if she might cry, but said nothing.

Flushing with embarrassment, Lin Feng didn’t know what to say. After a long, awkward silence, he finally stamped his foot. “Fine, I’ll buy it back and return it to you!”

The words were out before he realized how much he’d regret them. To reclaim something once exchanged, the price would only skyrocket—and he might lose his chance to enter the Pavilion.

But at his promise, the girl’s mood brightened instantly and she smiled sweetly. “You said it! If you try to cheat me, hmmph, I’ll eat you!” she added, putting on an exaggeratedly fierce face.

Lin Feng could only scratch his head in rueful resignation. He realized he’d been caught in her trap—trying to steal a chicken and losing the rice instead. He shouldn’t have come to Serpent Vine Valley at all; his own greed had brought this trouble!

“Hey, where are you going?” Seeing Lin Feng turn to leave, the girl darted in front of him with a movement faster than lightning.

A faint, fresh scent washed over him. Lin Feng quickly turned his head aside and muttered, “I’m going to get the Bloodstar...”

“No way. What if you don’t come back? Where would I find you?” She cut him off before he finished. “Unless you leave something as collateral.”

Lin Feng fell silent for a long while before quietly replying, “I don’t have anything of value.”

“Hmm...” Her eyes sparkled as she petted the white fox. “Why not come with me to meet someone? If he’ll vouch for you, that’ll do. By the way, what’s your name?”

“I... I’m Lin Feng.”

“Lin Feng, then. Come on, let’s go.” The girl in pink glanced at the noonday sun and, without further ado, reached out. In the blink of an eye, the two vanished from beside the tree and reappeared outside the valley.

This feat of teleportation had covered several hundred meters in an instant. Lin Feng was left pale and sweating.

The girl smiled and took his arm, and they soared into the sky.

Wind howled past his ears, the mountain air beating against his face and stinging his eyes. Lin Feng shut his eyes tight, refusing to look at the landscape rushing past beneath them.

After what felt like the time it took an incense stick to burn, he felt solid ground below him. Opening his eyes, he found himself in a thickly misted valley, clouds swirling ahead like a bowl of iced tea.

“Careful. One wrong step in Mist Veil Valley, and you might be lost forever.”

Her clear voice floated back to him. Looking at her graceful figure, Lin Feng tensed and hurried to follow close behind.

Everything before him was shrouded in a dreamlike haze, the world veiled in gauzy light. He didn’t know how far they’d walked when suddenly the roar of a thousand galloping horses filled the air, as loud as thunder, unstoppable.

Puzzled, he took a few more steps, and the world opened up. A white waterfall plunged from a mountaintop, its spray cool and refreshing on his face. Below, a clear pool flowed into a sparkling stream, winding away into the distance. On a nearby hillside, two bamboo cottages stood quietly amid blooming purple flowers and melodious birdsong.

What a paradise! Lin Feng was momentarily stunned, unable to recall any such blessed place within Mount Qiyun.

“Hey, dummy! Over here!” The girl had already walked on ahead. Seeing him lost in thought, she laughed, her beauty radiant.

Lin Feng stared, oblivious to being called a dummy.

Regaining his composure, he saw the girl heading toward the waterfall.

“Who is she really? Human or demon?” Lin Feng muttered, quickening his pace.

Nature’s majesty is hard to grasp until witnessed firsthand. Up close, the waterfall’s might made him feel insignificant; the thunderous torrent battered the rocks below.

What were they doing here? As he puzzled over it, the girl’s clear, slightly petulant voice rose above the roar: “Uncle Liang! If you don’t come out, I’ll get angry!”

“Ha ha ha...” Suddenly, the world seemed to fill with laughter—deep and sonorous, yet not the least unpleasant, but refreshing to the spirit.

As Lin Feng searched for the source, a white figure shot from the waterfall and landed lightly on a boulder by the shore.

Knowing he was in the presence of a master, Lin Feng quickly looked up.

A middle-aged scholar in plain robes, with long purple hair, a square face and piercing eyes, stood on the stone. His bearing was cultured yet imposing; at his waist hung a golden flute that shimmered with treasure light—clearly no ordinary artifact.

“Uncle Liang!” The girl called playfully, about to dash over, but the white fox in her arms beat her to it, leaping into the man’s embrace and curling up affectionately.

“Ugh, Xiao Bai is such a little flatterer!” Laughing, she linked her arm through the scholar’s.

The man shook his head with a smile and turned his gaze kindly on Lin Feng. “So, young friend, are you Caiyi’s new acquaintance?”

Caiyi—Caiyi. Lin Feng repeated the name silently, forgetting to answer. Only when he came to did he realize his rudeness. Blushing, he stammered, “Yes, uh... no.”

“Oh?” The scholar’s eyes twinkled as he glanced from Lin Feng to the girl in pink, an odd look in his gaze.

“Uncle Liang! This dummy stole my Bloodstar and has nothing to offer as collateral...” Caiyi pouted, shaking the man’s arm.

“I didn’t steal it! I found it!” Lin Feng suddenly straightened, his eyes blazing.

Caiyi froze, then snapped, “You admitted it just now and now you deny it? You... you’re cheating!”

“I... I...” Unable to argue, Lin Feng lowered his head in defeat.

The scholar smiled gently as he and Caiyi floated to the ground. “Though the Bloodstar is not rare, I have urgent need of it. Since you took it unwittingly, just return it. There’s no need for harsh words.”

“He already sold it!” Caiyi huffed.

Lin Feng was mortified, bowing his head even lower.

The scholar paused, looking skyward. After a long silence, he sighed. “So be it. Heaven’s will, heaven’s will...”

Lin Feng glanced up, sensing a hint of sorrow in the man’s expression, and Caiyi too looked crestfallen. For reasons he couldn’t explain, Lin Feng felt a pang in his heart. “I’ll go buy it back for you.”

The scholar shook his head. “Once sold, how could you go back on your word?”

At that, all three sighed, then shared a rueful smile.

“Well then, since you’re Caiyi’s friend, you may call me Uncle Liang,” said the scholar, warmth returning to his smile. “Though the Bloodstar is gone, there is another herb that can substitute for it. But it’s not easy to obtain, and I cannot leave the valley. Would you be willing to help?”

Without hesitation, Lin Feng nodded vigorously.

The scholar’s face relaxed into a smile. “A hundred miles east lies a perilous peak called Mushroom Crest. On the cliffside by a spring grows a spirit herb—purple stemmed, leafless, its blossom like a Buddha’s hand. It’s called the Purple Buddha Fungus. Will you and Caiyi fetch it together?”

Lin Feng nodded again, curiosity growing. He’d never heard of any Mushroom Crest in the Lianyun Mountains—where exactly was this place?

“Hurry up!” Caiyi’s voice called from ahead. Lin Feng answered quickly, smiled at the scholar, and hurried after her.

The man smiled and vanished without a trace.

Caiyi and Lin Feng left Mist Veil Valley, flying straight east. In no time they landed again. Lin Feng quickly calculated and was shocked—the distance from Mist Veil Valley to Serpent Vine Valley was at least a thousand miles! That meant they were deep within the vast wilds, tens of thousands of miles from civilization.