The moment Shen Yuan stepped through the shimmering barrier marking the edge of the Mistvine Marsh, he knew two things with absolute certainty.
First, the mud was sentient.
Second, it hated him personally.
His foot squelched deep into a puddle that hissed like a boiling kettle and refused to let go. He yanked it free, only to be splashed with something that smelled like it had fermented since the last ancient war.
"System," he muttered, grimacing and wiping his face with a leaf that immediately dissolved into smoke. "Why do all your quests lead to places where even the air has regrets?"
[Because this is the lowest-level danger zone that still counts as a 'spirit-rich environment.' You said you wanted faster cultivation. Don't complain about the scent of success.]
"If success smells like pickled regret and frog sweat, then yes. I'm deeply fulfilled."
Behind him, Old Man Jiao had already disappeared into the mist, shouting something about watching Shen Yuan from "a safe spiritual distance." Which probably meant he'd gone back to the sect kitchen for soup.
Shen Yuan sighed. The marsh stretched ahead, all bubbling pools, twisted reeds, and fog that moved like it had something to hide. His only goal was to retrieve a certain moss that grew on the back of a territorial spirit beast called a Marsh-Spined Toad.
Naturally, the toad was classified as 'semi-deranged' and had a reputation for collecting shiny things and throwing mud at anyone who disrespected its swamp.
Shen Yuan had never disrespected a swamp in his life.
Until now.
He trudged deeper, clutching a bamboo staff he had borrowed from the outer sect training grounds. It wasn't enchanted. Or balanced. But it made him feel slightly less edible.
Just as he stepped around a mossy stone shaped suspiciously like a butt cheek, something croaked.
Loudly.
The air trembled. Ripples spread across the muddy pools. A low, thunderous sound rolled through the marsh like an annoyed stomach growl.
Then it emerged.
A toad the size of a wagon. Gleaming green-black skin. Eyes like golden moons. And on its back, a thick patch of glowing moss that pulsed with spiritual energy.
It blinked at Shen Yuan once.
Twice.
Then it burped, shaking a few reeds loose.
"Hi," Shen Yuan said carefully. "Lovely... um, ecosystem. I just need a pinch of that moss. Won't even touch the wart."
The toad croaked again. Louder. The air split as it leapt into the air and came crashing down in front of him, sending a wave of muddy water flying.
[Warning: Spirit Beast 'Rent-Collector Toad' has activated Domain Skill: Toll of the Mire.]
Shen Yuan barely managed to leap backward as his feet tried to sink into the suddenly thickened muck. The ground beneath him turned sticky, dragging him down like glue.
"Oh come on! You're charging me toll to walk?"
The toad puffed up, jiggled its throat sack, and croaked what sounded suspiciously like a demand.
Then, out of the muck, rose dozens of tiny frog-like creatures. They wore little leaf hats. One of them even had a broken jade ring around its neck like a necklace. They were the toad's minions. And they looked ready to collect payment.
Shen Yuan, half-sinking into the mire, groaned.
"Of all the cultivators in all the realms, why do I always end up in tax season?"
[New Objective: Survive the Rent-Collector Toad's Toll Enforcement Squad. Optional Reward: Marsh-Spine Moss Sample.]
"Optional?!" he shrieked, ducking as one of the froglings hurled a mud ball at his head. It splatted against a tree with enough force to split bark.
Shen Yuan scrambled sideways, activating the one technique he had truly mastered.
The Art of Fleeing With Purpose.
He dove, rolled, slid under a dangling vine, and landed in a puddle that giggled.
Yes. The puddle giggled.
A hand reached up and slapped his ankle.
He kicked free, whirling to find a spirit wisp shaped like a mud-child with algae hair. It gave him a cheeky grin and vanished in a puff of fog.
"This realm," he gasped, "is not normal."
But then he spotted it. A stone outcropping just above the toad's pond. The moss was within reach, right where the toad sat squatting like a guard over its green treasure.
He had a plan.
It was terrible.
It relied on distraction, misdirection, and an unhealthy level of optimism.
Perfect.
He snapped off a reed flute from a nearby plant, jammed it between his lips, and blew a tune that sounded vaguely like a love song sung by a duck.
The toad paused. Blinked. Turned its massive head.
Shen Yuan threw his voice poorly and muttered, "Oh Great Toad Lord, I come bearing tribute from the Sect of Soggy Enlightenment."
The toad croaked, confused. One of the froglings raised a leaf in salute.
Shen Yuan bolted.
He sprinted past them all, flinging mud in every direction. He leapt onto the rock, skidded halfway up, grabbed a fistful of glowing moss, and yelled, "Your taxation policy is unfair!"
Then he ran.
The toad roared and gave chase.
Behind him, frogs slipped, splashed, and shrieked war cries in croaks. Spirit energy surged as vines lashed out, roots pulled at his feet, and a flock of swamp crows dive-bombed him like angry accountants.
But he made it.
Barely.
He crossed the boundary stone of the marsh, gasping for breath and soaked in sludge.
The toad skidded to a stop at the edge, glaring. Then it flicked a pebble at him.
The pebble hit Shen Yuan on the forehead.
[You have obtained: 'Minor Bruise of Righteous Eviction']
[Quest Complete! Marsh-Spine Moss obtained. Optional Bonus: None. Style Points: 7/10.]
Old Man Jiao reappeared beside him, sipping from a gourd.
"Well," he said, wrinkling his nose. "You smell like a bankrupt duck. But you're alive. And the moss...let me see...yes, potent indeed."
Shen Yuan slumped onto a rock.
"Did I just get spiritually fined by a toad?"
"Yes," Old Man Jiao said cheerfully. "But you did it with flair. That's what counts."
The System chimed again.
[New Feature Unlocked: Spirit Resonance via Unorthodox Methods.]
[Congratulations, Host. You have impressed a Tier-3 Spirit Beast with your chaos.]
[Future Summoning Option: Rent-Collector Toad - Affinity Level: Slightly Amused.]
Shen Yuan blinked.
"Wait... I can summon him later?"
[If you provide payment. He now accepts shiny buttons and rare accounting scrolls.]
Old Man Jiao chuckled and patted his shoulder.
"Boy, your cultivation path is strange... but entertaining. Let's see how far you can really take it."
As the old man wandered off toward the edge of the marsh, Shen Yuan gazed back at the distant pond where the giant toad still sat, grumpily stacking shiny stones into a tower.
He grinned.
"Next time, I'm bringing receipts."