Chapter 38: Harvest

Three days later.

In a remote village, amidst low and weathered mud houses,

The village was not far from Qingya County. When Chen Luo first encountered Old Man Tian, he had asked to be taken here. True to his word after receiving payment, it took Old Man Tian one and a half days to drag the unconscious Chen Luo out of the mountains.

After staying two more days at the small village, once they were certain Chen Luo posed no danger, the four men set off for home.

Tian Daniu’s job was now gone, and with uncertainty about his employer’s fate, he needed to find new means of livelihood. Similarly, Fang Cun and Fang Shan had families to support. Old Man Tian also planned to return; having been away longer than expected, he worried about his spouse back home.

After some attempts to persuade them to stay, Third Uncle saw them off from the village.

“Thank you all so much!” Third Uncle solemnly bowed to the four men.

“Don’t mention it, we just did what we were paid for,” Old Man Tian grinned, revealing his yellow teeth.

Despite his unkempt appearance, the old man was remarkably trustworthy, having truly helped Chen Luo significantly during this ordeal.

“Business is business, but gratitude remains.”

As they spoke, Third Uncle Chen retrieved four prepared money pouches from his pocket and distributed them among the group. The amount wasn’t substantial, but it was more than enough for Old Man Tian and his companions.

If a favor could be repaid with money, then so it should be. With the illicit funds Chen Luo had brought back, Third Uncle Chen now found himself quite well-off.

After further pleasantries, both parties finally parted ways.

“How are you feeling?”

Back at the village, Third Uncle Chen opened the door to find Chen Luo sitting on the bed, eyes closed in quiet recuperation.

Chen Luo had awakened earlier that morning, prompting Old Man Tian and the others to leave. Their departure served two purposes: first, to ensure Chen Luo’s safety, and second, to confirm if Third Uncle Chen was indeed his relative, avoiding any mishaps by delivering him to the wrong place.

This reflected Old Man Tian’s principle of life—he might seek small advantages, but he would never engage in morally compromising acts.

“Much better. Have they all left?” Chen Luo didn’t delve into details with his third uncle; his recent experiences were somewhat mysterious, and discussing them too much could be detrimental. Moreover, revealing such information could potentially endanger his uncle if encountered by martial experts capable of soul-searching techniques.

“Yes, I gave them five hundred taels altogether—hundred each for the three young men, and an extra hundred for the old man.”

Pulling up a small stool, Third Uncle sat down nearby and tapped his pipe against the wall twice, leaving behind a dark stain—a simple yet crude habit of his.

He spent his days seeking out widows in alleys and smoking opium at his doorstep. In the past, when money was scarce, he even took jobs burying corpses to make ends meet. But after Chen Luo gave him a large stack of silver notes, he no longer needed such work. With Qingya County unaware of his activities, it suited him perfectly to retire and enjoy a leisurely life as a gentleman.

“The debt of gratitude is now repaid.”

“That’s good,” Chen Luo nodded, acknowledging that Third Uncle had informed him about sending the money.

“I shouldn’t have led you into martial training in the first place.” Third Uncle lifted his pipe, took a deep puff, and managed to utter these words after a long pause.

Seeing Chen Luo dragged back on an ox cart nearly scared him to death. Having buried countless bodies from the jianghu throughout his life, he had witnessed too many deaths. Most of those individuals were skilled martial artists, and compared to them, Chen Luo still seemed remarkably inexperienced.

Fortunately, it turned out to be a false alarm.

Nevertheless, Third Uncle dared not bring Chen Luo directly back to the village, fearing the worry it would cause among the elderly residents. Chen Luo’s parents were getting older, and there was also a young girl in their care. It was better to avoid unnecessary complications.

“No, I’m truly grateful to Third Uncle for changing my destiny through martial training.” Chen Luo shook his head, not aligning with Third Uncle’s perspective.

For Chen Luo, learning martial arts marked a crucial turning point. Cripple Ma’s guidance had saved him from many pitfalls; otherwise, even with his ability to ‘borrow brains’ for cultivation, it would have wasted considerable time before he could truly embark on the path of cultivation.

Had he missed that critical moment, he might not have overcome the subsequent crisis in Qingya County, let alone seize the opportunity amidst danger to gain an immortal cultivation chance.

“Rest well. If you need anything, just call out.”

After finishing his pipe, Third Uncle Chen rose and left the room.

Chen Luo was still in the recovery phase, and as per the doctor’s advice, needed ample rest. Therefore, Third Uncle didn’t wish to disturb him further.

Watching his third uncle depart, Chen Luo slowly closed his eyes from the bed.

The recent experience had been incredibly perilous, nearly leading to a point of no return. The pale blue energy from killing Old Daoist Li Chen remained within his body, neither dissipating nor integrating.

Under its influence, a persistent sense of disconnection existed between his consciousness and his physical self. He tried to control this energy, but without the amplification of the blue gemstone, both the jade booklet and the energy inside him ignored his attempts.

Fortunately, his physical injuries were mostly healed.

Cultivators in the Bone Tempering Realm possess remarkable healing abilities. For an ordinary person, such severe wounds would require at least half a year bedridden before they could walk again.

“The body’s assimilation process is slow, and this energy can only be absorbed by the Imperial Brain. Even if I cultivate daily using it, I can digest only a tiny fraction at a time; any more would be overwhelming.”

Chen Luo summarized his progress over the past two days while cultivating with the Imperial Brain.

By “maneuvering” the energy, he meant replicating the process from when the jade booklet erupted, utilizing the inner qi of Black Tiger Fist. However, this method had an extremely low conversion rate and was incredibly strenuous to employ. It felt like trying to pull a heavy cart with sheer human strength—an ill-suited approach.

Nevertheless, he currently had no other choice but to make do with what he had. Fortunately, the blue energy possessed exceptionally high potency, so even absorbing just a minuscule amount brought about a transformative change in Chen Luo’s capabilities. At the very least, ordinary Zongshi were no longer insurmountable foes for him.

“I wonder what exactly ‘Immortal Script’ signifies,” Chen Luo recalled Old Daoist Li Chen’s words before his death.

The old Taoist undoubtedly knew something, but alas, he was already dead. Even if alive, he likely wouldn’t have revealed it to Chen Luo, probably intending to eliminate him and keep any benefits for himself.

Chen Luo gently touched the jade slip at his chest; it remained nestled within his clothing. On ordinary days, it appeared unremarkable, only emitting slight warmth when Chen Luo accessed the pale blue energy. Otherwise, there were no other noticeable changes.

After securing the jade slip once more, Chen Luo closed his eyes and gradually drifted off to sleep.

His external minds took turns, each attempting their own methods to digest the pale blue energy. Throughout the night, over a hundred brains tried one by one, yielding the same result as before: only the imperial brain succeeded.

Time swiftly passed, marking another half-month.

After this period, Chen Luo could finally venture out, with most of his surface injuries healed.

Although the disconcerting sensation persisted, it no longer hindered his movements.

Informing Third Uncle, he stepped outside.

On his first day out, Chen Luo headed straight to the county town for a hearty meal, indulging in rich dishes and savoring every bite. After days of lying in bed and following strict dietary advice with bland meals, he craved some flavor.

He enjoyed his feast until midday before finally leaving.

After departing from the restaurant, Chen Luo made his way to the County Office.

The once-troubled Qingya County Office now had new leadership, with even the military officers replaced. Commandant Zhu’s whereabouts were unknown, as all the newcomers were unfamiliar faces.

“The fighting continues at Sunset Valley; they say they discovered gold mines there.”

“There aren’t enough grave diggers left; who knows if more mutations will occur?”

Snippets of conversation among bailiffs reached Chen Luo’s ears.

Glancing back briefly, he changed course and headed towards another street.

He refrained from hastily infiltrating the County Office. Following the recent events, it was certain that skilled experts now resided there. Considering the timeline, Prince Ning’s people likely arrived too. Attempting to sneak in at this time would be akin to delivering himself to their doorstep.