It was easier to return to the village this time. Going down was always simpler than climbing up. Plus, Zhao Lintao wasn't with me, so I could move faster.
He wasn't a cultivator, which meant our physical strengths differed greatly.
Once I arrived, the villagers who were outside their homes, tending to their chores, all stopped to stare.
They didn't like me—at all.
I wanted to change how they felt about me, but the only way to do that was by showing how I could help the village.
And for that, I needed power. I had to become a stronger cultivator.
I went straight to Zhao's house and knocked on the door. After a few knocks, he opened it and greeted me.
"My friend Mo Zhen!" he said. "What's wrong? I thought we wouldn't be seeing each other for a few days."
I couldn't explain the truth behind the missing potatoes. Zhao would just have to go along with it.
"I need more potatoes," I said, wearing an awkward smile. "Can you give me some?"
Zhao couldn't believe it. "Did you eat all those potatoes I gave you? That's not possible. Even if you're someone who eats a lot."
He was getting suspicious. I had to find a way to convince him that I wasn't lying—well, not completely.
"I have a unique method of meditating and cultivating," I said. "To increase my strength faster, I require food."
Total nonsense, but it worked. That was the beauty of cultivation worlds—people would believe anything if it sounded spiritual enough.
"Really?" Zhao replied. "Well, if that's part of your cultivation, we've got a problem. There's not enough food in the village for that. Maybe we'll have to start a farm near your cabin."
The food supplies in the village were enough for the locals and a few guests. But if I kept draining their resources to feed my beasts, everything would run out quickly.
"Can crops even grow up there? I mean, it's way colder than here," I said.
Zhao stroked his chin thoughtfully. "They can grow—but with winter coming, I doubt you'll have time to start a proper farm. You'll need another method. Maybe hunting? I can get you weapons. And since you're stronger than a non-cultivator, you should be able to manage."
His idea was solid. I already suspected that meat would be the perfect food source for my spiritual beasts, so hunting was my best option.
"All right," I said.
"Follow me. I'll give you more potatoes and some weapons. But this'll be the last time for a while. You know how the villagers feel about you. If they think you're stealing food, they'll hate you."
I nodded silently.
Zhao opened the door fully, and I followed him to his storage room. He had a lot packed in there—food, tools, weapons. A bit of everything.
He handed me a bow and arrow, along with a sword. The quality was decent. Clearly, Zhao had bought these from one of the cities he visited. The village blacksmith didn't have the materials to forge anything this good.
He also gave me more potatoes, filling the empty sack I'd brought.
After that, I left the village.
As I walked away, I could feel the stares burning into my back.
Earning their trust would take time. They lived in a remote area, suspicious of outsiders by default. I couldn't blame them.
But I didn't care.
One day, they'd see me not as a threat—but as their savior. A cultivator capable of helping them in ways they never imagined.
The path up the mountain was harder with the weight I was carrying. My agility had improved after absorbing the first spiritual beast, but strength still wasn't my strongest attribute.
Still, I managed to reach my cabin. Luckily, nothing attacked me on the way—the risk of spiritual beasts emerging from the forest was always there.
I dropped the potato sack inside the cabin and sat on a chair to rest.
What I wanted now was to hunt—for myself and for the moth. My stock of meat was basically gone—not that I had much to begin with—so I needed more.
After catching my breath for ten minutes, I left the cabin and headed into the woods.
I was after a normal creature this time. Maybe a wolf, deer, rabbit—or even birds—anything I could find and eat. I wasn't searching for spiritual beasts.
The forest didn't have many birds, but other animals still roamed. I spotted a deer drinking water from the river flowing down the mountain.
Perfect prey.
I crouched behind one of the bushes, pulled the bow and arrow out—and paused.
I had no clue how to use it. Now that I think about it, I have no idea why I even tried. With zero training, there was no chance I would land a proper shot.
And I missed.
The deer darted away, disappearing into the forest and out of sight.
"Damn it," I cursed.
Stupid of me. I slung the bow across my back and decided to try something else.
I searched the forest for a long, sturdy branch I could turn into a spear. Tossing a spear felt easier—especially since my strength was at least decent.
Finding the branch was easy. Using the sword Zhao gave me, I shaped it into a proper weapon. It wasn't a simple task.
To be usable, the spear had to be sharp enough to pierce the animal and aerodynamic enough to fly straight when thrown.
I considered adding a stone tip, but that would take more time. I'd save that upgrade for later.
Spear in hand, I searched for the deer again. Its tracks were still fresh—I followed them carefully through the forest.
After about thirty minutes, I found it.
This time, I wouldn't miss.
I picked the right angle, balanced myself, and tossed the spear with everything I had.
It flew fast, slicing through the air, and struck the deer right in the neck.
A clean hit.
The deer stumbled, tried to run, then collapsed a few seconds later.
I walked over, lifted the body onto my back, and only then realized how far I had wandered.
Following the tracks had taken me to a new part of the forest. One I hadn't seen before.
Up ahead was a cliff. I approached it out of curiosity.
The view was stunning—an endless stretch of wild forest, winding rivers, scattered lakes, and distant mountains. I saw a few small villages out there, and even farther away, a larger city barely visible through the haze.
Then I looked down the cliff to gauge how high I was—and that's when I saw it.
An entrance.
Right there, carved into the cliff wall.
"What's that?" I murmured.
My knowledge of cultivation novels came rushing back. There was a chance—however small—that this was the entrance to a cultivator's cave.
I had to check it out.