Gu Longtian stared at Zhen Huan's calm expression and asked, "Boy, you killed these beasts?"
Zhen Huan didn't hesitate. "Yeah."
The old man chuckled. "You're a talented kid."
He crouched down, inspected the Fire Fang Wolf corpses, then nodded thoughtfully. "I can give you twenty Low-Grade spiritual stones for all four."
Zhen Huan stroked his chin and thought to himself,
Low-Grade... in cultivation novels, Low-Grade is usually the bottom tier. Is this price low or reasonable?
He glanced toward Yun Sha.
If I ask her, she'll just mock me or give me that cold 'I'm smarter than you' look.
Yun Sha caught his glance and rolled her eyes.
What's he thinking? Twenty stones is actually the best deal he can get for low-tier beast corpses. This idiot should just take it.
Zhen Huan turned to Gu Longtian and said with a crooked smile, "I guess now you're going to rob me, right?"
Gu Longtian straightened up, roaring with laughter. "You think I'm a robber now?"
"I don't know," Zhen Huan shrugged. "You could be."
Still laughing, Gu Longtian pulled out a small brown pouch and handed it over. "Here. Count it."
Zhen Huan opened the pouch and saw the neat stack of twenty glowing stones inside. He smirked and thought,
Store.
In an instant, the pouch vanished from his hand, and a glowing blue system window popped up in front of his eyes.
Storage Window
Items Stored:
• Bed Sheet – 1
• Blanket – 1
• Cooked Beast Meats – 4
• Invincible Slayer Sword – 1
• Healing Cream – 1
• Spiritual Pouch – 1 (20 Low-Grade Spritual Stones)
The window faded, and Zhen Huan turned to the old man with a grin. "Alright, old man. Now it's your turn. Tell me—why are you living out here like a crazy hermit?"
Gu Longtian froze. His eyes twitched, and he gave a weak laugh. "So… you remember that, huh?"
Yun Sha gasped. "Oh right! I completely forgot! You better explain why you've been pretending to be some madman."
She and Zhen Huan both stared at Gu Longtian with sharp eyes full of suspicion.
The old man cleared his throat, adjusting his robe. "Alright, alright. I'll tell you."
He straightened up and tried to put on a solemn, noble expression. "I was once a great cultivator. The world trembled at my name. Kingdoms knelt. But one day, I was betrayed by my own friend, who crippled my dantian and left me for dead…"
Before he could continue, Zhen Huan rolled his eyes and interrupted loudly, "Old man, do you think you're the main protagonist or something? Give us the real story."
Yun Sha blinked, confused. "What's a 'main protagonist'?"
Zhen Huan waved his hand. "Nothing. You wouldn't get it."
Main protagonist means the hero of the story. And in this one… that's me.
Gu Longtian sighed and rubbed his temples. "Fine, fine. I'll tell you the real version."
He coughed and began again with a much less dramatic tone. "I was just a regular cultivator, wandering around, minding my own business. But one day, I accidentally killed someone with a powerful background. His clan swore to hunt me down. So I came here… to hide."
Zhen Huan narrowed his eyes.
Is he bluffing again, or is this actually the truth?
Yun Sha folded her arms, silently staring at Gu Longtian, trying to judge whether this story was real or another performance.
Gu Longtian smiled nervously. "That… that's about it."
The room fell quiet for a moment, the sound of the wind rustling outside. No one completely believed the other—but no one pressed further.
Zhen Huan let out a sigh, his eyes lingering on the old man.
"Old man, I think you just don't want to tell us the truth. Fine then… we're leaving."
He turned to Yun Sha and nodded.
"Let's go."
Yun Sha didn't say a word. She turned on her heels and walked out of the old, dusty shop with quiet steps.
Gu Longtian smiled faintly, raising his hand in farewell.
"Adventure safely."
As the door creaked shut behind them, his smile faded into something more thoughtful.
Heh… those kids. The first story I told them… it was the truth. But of course, they wouldn't believe it.
Behind Gu Longtian, a large spiritual form shimmered into view—his younger self. He stood tall, proud, and radiant. Handsome, sharp-eyed, dressed in flowing green robes, a jade-green sword held casually in one hand. He was no ordinary man. He was once the Emperor of Tian World, a name that once struck fear and awe across continents.
Emperor Gu.
Once a legend, now forgotten.
He had been betrayed—stabbed in the back by a sworn brother. His cultivation was crippled, and his fame faded into dust. But through years of suffering, Gu Longtian clawed his way back to a fraction of his former power. Now, standing at Nascent Soul – Third Layer, his path forward was sealed.
He watched Zhen Huan's back as it disappeared down the street.
In a voice that barely escaped his lips, he whispered,
"Kid… you have the potential to surpass even me. That sword of yours… it will take you to the peak of this cultivation world."
Then he lowered his hand and chuckled.
"Haha… younger generations. They're in for quite the surprise."
---
Outside, the sun was bright, and the dusty streets of the town were lively. People walked past, merchants yelled out their wares, and cultivators moved around with purpose.
Zhen Huan and Yun Sha walked side by side, looking around silently. The awkwardness from earlier hung faintly between them.
Yun Sha's eyes darted left and right as she scanned the shops.
I need to find a map… I can't remember the way back to my clan's territory.
She felt a wave of embarrassment.
I mocked Zhen Huan earlier for getting lost, and now look at me… If he finds out I'm also lost, I'll never hear the end of it.
Then, her eyes locked onto a small merchant shop that had a rack of rolled scrolls outside. Her eyes lit up.
She turned suddenly toward Zhen Huan. "Hey, I'll be back in a minute. You go ahead and look around."
Zhen Huan blinked. "O-okay? But where are you going—?"
Before he could finish, she had already dashed toward the shop.
He scratched his head and shrugged.
Weird girl.
Turning his attention back to the street, he strolled along, casually observing the area. His nose twitched as he caught a faint aroma in the air. His eyes drifted toward a small shop with a wooden sign carved with the word: Spices.
He paused.
Spices?
His mind flashed back to earlier that day—gnawing on Fire Fang Wolf meat, hungry and tired. The meat had been dry and bland, cooked over an open flame with no seasoning at all. The taste had been passable… but not satisfying.
I didn't even get to enjoy that meal. I was just too hungry.
Determined, he stepped into the spice shop.
Inside, the air was rich with all kinds of aromas—earthy, tangy, sweet, and fiery. Jars lined the shelves, filled with crushed powders, dried herbs, and glowing roots.
Zhen Huan smiled faintly.
Let's make the next hunt taste better.
Inside the cozy little spice shop, the warm scent of dried herbs and rare roots filled the air. Jars of colorful powders lined the shelves, neatly labeled and glowing faintly under the soft light of spirit lamps. Zhen Huan moved through the narrow aisle, his eyes sharp as he examined each container.
Sweet, spicy, bitter, tangy—he selected a variety, carefully picking from the ingredients that would go well with the meat of Fire Fang Wolves. His hands worked quickly but precisely, showing surprising familiarity with culinary choices.
"That much should be enough," he muttered to himself.
Once satisfied, he brought everything to the front counter. Behind it, a kind-looking woman sat in a wooden chair, her robes modest yet clean. Beside her stood a young girl, no more than twelve, her curious eyes peeking at Zhen Huan from behind her mother.
Zhen Huan placed all the selected spices on the counter and said plainly,
"I want all of this."
The woman nodded and began calculating with nimble fingers, glancing at the jars and tallying quickly. After a few moments, she looked up with a smile.
"Sir, the total comes to fifteen Low-Grade Spiritual Stones. Also, we're running a special offer today. You'll receive one new spice blend for free—it's a specialty made only by our shop."
Zhen Huan raised a brow with faint interest.
"Oh? Fine then. I'll take it."
The woman turned to her daughter and gestured. The girl quickly nodded and scurried into the back room.