I could tell those warriors didn't think I stood a chance. They kept laughing, not even taking me seriously.
The lead warrior spoke to Zhao again. "So, where are the supplies?" he asked. "I'll just ignore this crazy person with you."
Zhao Lintao looked torn. He didn't want to hand over supplies, but he also didn't want to start a conflict with another village.
I turned to him. "Can I kill them or not?"
I had to show dominance. After my encounter with the bandits, my confidence in combat had risen. And I didn't feel guilty about killing someone—not anymore. Maybe the beast I absorbed had altered something inside me…
Zhao hesitated, his gaze sweeping over the villagers. He saw their anger—the frustration that built up year after year from being exploited. Every winter was tough because of this.
He made his decision.
"Yes," Zhao said. "You can kill them. But let one go—someone who can deliver the message."
The lead warrior overheard our exchange and laughed again. "Is this guy insane? What's he even talking about?"
I ignored him and moved.
I didn't use my beast claw ability. This time, I relied on the sword at my waist—and my speed.
My speed was beyond human. I closed the distance between us in seconds.
The warrior tried to draw his sword, but he was too slow.
I thrust my blade into his chest. His eyes widened in disbelief. "H-How?"
He collapsed from the horse. Dead.
I turned to the two remaining warriors.
"Do you want to die too, or do you want to deliver the message?"
They didn't want to die. No one does.
"What message?" one asked.
"We're not giving our supplies anymore. If you want to speak with us—create a partnership between villages—we're open to that. But if you show up with warriors again, we will retaliate."
The two men left, galloping away.
"How far is their village?" I asked Zhao.
"At least twenty days," Zhao said. "Maybe more. The journey's not short. And they'll want to hold a meeting before deciding what to do."
That was good news. At my current strength—just the first layer of Qi Condensation—I wouldn't stand a chance against multiple warriors. My power was limited.
But with the second layer… maybe even the third?
They'd crumble like ants.
I had time to grow stronger. That gave me peace of mind.
"I see," I said. "Don't worry—we won't surrender. You can count on that."
I looked around and saw how the villagers looked at me. It was different this time. They were far more friendly after what I had done.
So much so that one of the villagers came to speak with me. The man was tall and muscular, wearing a heavy apron—he was the blacksmith.
"Thank you for what you did," he said. "Those bastards come every year to take not just our food but the weapons I forge, too. They're nothing but parasites."
That village had come, year after year, to take everything—food, weapons, clothes—whatever they could get. They used their superior military power to do it.
"It was nothing," I replied. "We won't tolerate it anymore. Things are going to change."
"I believe that," he said, nodding.
Other villagers came to speak with me as well, offering their thanks. It was a good feeling. For the first time, I felt like I belonged there.
They weren't angry about my presence—they were glad I was there.
It was the complete opposite of how things had been for me, and for the old Mo Zhen, back when we lived with our family.
Zhao Lintao was also grateful that I had taught those warriors a lesson, though I could see he was still worried.
"Are you sure you can face them?" Zhao asked. "Not judging your power, but you're new to cultivation, aren't you?"
He had a point—if I were a normal cultivator. But I wasn't. After I absorbed the moth I was currently cultivating, I was confident my power would improve dramatically.
"I can," I said, trying to reassure him. "Don't worry."
I helped dig a grave for the fallen warrior and helped bury him. Zhao Lintao didn't assist—he returned to his house to see his son. The boy had been waiting alone, probably anxious.
I was glad he hadn't seen what I'd done to the warrior. It wasn't something a child should have to witness—at least not yet. In the future, maybe, as violence was common in this harsh world.
I returned to my cabin feeling like I had fulfilled my duty. It was truly satisfying to see the shift in how the villagers treated me—more importantly, to know that I was genuinely helping them in some way.
They even waved to me as I climbed the mountain.
The first thing I did upon reaching the cabin was check on my spiritual beast. It was growing fast. I knew that in a few days, it would be strong enough for me to absorb—especially if I kept feeding it.
So, that's exactly what I did.
Just like that, four days passed in the blink of an eye.
I checked the moth again one morning, and the system notified me that it could no longer continue growing.
To my surprise, the moth had reached the third layer of Qi Condensation. That was impressive.
It was finally time to absorb the spiritual beast and raise my power. The thought excited me.
I placed my hands on the cocoon and absorbed the beast. The Qi that surged into my body was far greater than what I had experienced with the first beast.
My Qi rose quickly, reaching the second layer of Qi Condensation—and climbing.
For a brief moment, I thought I'd break into the third layer. But I stopped at the peak of the second layer, which was still pretty good.
A normal cultivator would take far longer to reach this level. At least, according to what I knew about cultivation in this world.
And Qi wasn't the only thing I gained.
My mind now held several abilities that once belonged to the moth.
One in particular caught my attention: I could create translucent wings and fly with them.
I couldn't wait to test it.
The other abilities were related to camouflage and illusion. I wasn't surprised—those matched what the moth had used against me.
Now that I could fly, I thought about the entrance near the cliff.
Maybe it was finally time to explore it.