Chapter 3

Wen Xu touched his face and weakly asked, “Do I really look like a ghost?”

Bian Chunzhou patted his chest, trying to calm his nearly leaping heart, wondering internally if his vigilance was that poor. He hadn’t even noticed someone approaching, despite them still being about ten meters away—though for a cultivator, such proximity might as well be right beside them. After all, Primordial Infant ancestors could slay enemies from thousands of miles away.

“Stop there! Don’t come any closer; your face is as pale as a ghost’s. I’m afraid you’ll trick me again!” Realizing his words might have sounded harsh, Bian Chunzhou added hastily, “What do you need from me? I’m quite busy.” Busy strategizing against the Pill Fragrance Herb, that is.

Hearing this, Wen Xu smiled apologetically. “My apologies for startling you, benefactor. It was my fault.”

Upon closer inspection, this deathly pale fellow had rather handsome features, reminiscent of the campus heartthrob from the neighboring art school in his previous life. Oh heavens, dear Lord, considering he just saved a major hottie today, please grant him some fortuitous opportunities! Internally, Bian Chunzhou indulged in mystical musings while maintaining a composed facade. “You don’t need to call me ‘benefactor,’ it feels rather awkward.”

“But I don’t know how else to address you, sir… I…”

“Hey, hey, hey—don’t faint on me now! After taking two Blood Recovery Pills, your wounds shouldn’t still be that bad, right? Which ruthless powerhouse did this to you? Wait, just hunger-induced fainting? How many days have you gone without food?”

No way, has even the Qi Refinement stage of the cultivation world become so intense that there’s no time for a simple Fasting Pill before exams? Must it be this competitive?

“It might…have been two or three days,” Wen Xu replied uncertainly; it could have been longer, as he couldn’t quite remember.

Impressive, anyone would give him a thumbs-up hearing that. Bian Chunzhou noticed there was no pouch at his waist and bluntly asked, “Where’s your Fasting Pill?”

Wen Xu didn’t fully grasp the situation but managed to deflect, “Someone stole everything I had.”

“What kind of desperate person steals even a Fasting Pill!” Bian Chunzhou exclaimed indignantly, then quickly regained his composure. “Wait, something’s off about you. No one daring enough to participate in Yonglu Mountain’s selection would resort to stealing others’ Fasting Pills. What is your true purpose in approaching me?”

Bian Chunzhou may have lacked experience, but he wasn’t truly foolish. He drew his low-grade spirit sword from his waist. “Speak!”

Of course, he wouldn’t dare actually kill someone, but intimidating them was within his capabilities—after all, that’s how it always played out in dramas.

“I…” Wen Xu cleared his throat, his complexion paling further. He remained prostrate on the ground, exposing his vulnerable body to the threat of the weapon above. “Indeed, I approached you with a purpose, benefactor.”

Wow, just as suspected—the cultivation world’s morals have truly deteriorated. “Go on,” Bian Chunzhou urged.

“I’m unsure where to begin, but as you rightly pointed out, if my intentions were truly malicious, I wouldn’t be so weakened by hunger now. To be honest, I don’t know how I ended up here; I stumbled upon this place accidentally.” Wen Xu finished with a bashful smile. Though he couldn’t recognize others’ appearances, he was well aware of his own good looks.

“Accidentally? That’s impossible. The Broken Clouds Secret Realm is Yonglu Mountain’s exclusive domain for spirit plants. There’s no way it could fail to deter even a basic Qi Refinement cultivator. Your story becomes more far-fetched by the minute.”

Wen Xu smiled bitterly. “To tell you the truth, seven days ago, three individuals pursued me without any reason. Today, having exhausted all options, unwilling to die at their hands, I impulsively leaped off a cliff. I never expected to crash into you, yet somehow managed to survive. Benefactor, your life-saving grace leaves Wen Xu deeply indebted and eternally grateful.”

From the look of it…this didn’t seem like an act, but stumbling into a secret realm after falling from a cliff—shouldn’t such plot twists be reserved for protagonists like him?

Bian Chunzhou remained skeptical, his sword still unsheathed. “Then what exactly is your purpose for seeking me out?”

“I… I’m hungry, but I have nothing on me. There seem to be no animals here, so hunting isn’t possible, and I can’t determine if the fruits on the trees are safe to eat. So, might I ask, benefactor, could you perhaps…”

Such a disarmingly straightforward reason left Bian Chunzhou momentarily speechless. But quickly, he shrieked, “What?! Fruits on the trees?! What do they look like?! Why haven’t I seen them?! This can’t be!”

Wen Xu didn’t directly describe the fruits; instead, he said, “To be honest, I’m not entirely sure. My hunger was overwhelming, making my vision blurry. I even walked with my eyes closed at times, feeling several fruits underfoot as I stumbled. However, given the eerie silence and lack of any wildlife, I dared not risk eating them.”

Bian Chunzhou’s mind raced!

If Wen Xu had provided detailed descriptions of the fruits, Bian Chunzhou might have been more suspicious. But seeing this fellow’s dire state—so famished despite cultivators’ inherent pride—he doubted such a feeble excuse would be used deceitfully.

Now, Bian Chunzhou felt somewhat intrigued.

“Um, buddy, how about we strike a deal? I’ll treat you to some Fasting Pills, and in return, you lead me to those fruits, sound good?”

Without hesitation, Wen Xu nodded. “Sure.”

“That easy? Is there some trap I should know about?”

“No, I’m just an ordinary person,” Wen Xu replied. “Besides, scheming against my benefactor would surely invite divine retribution.” He believed he still had principles—though these principles could sometimes stretch quite conveniently, there was no need to deceive anyone on this matter.

Bian Chunzhou pondered for a moment before deciding to take a gamble. After all, not trying meant certain failure; taking a chance at least offered a shot at success. Killing wasn’t permitted during Yonglu Mountain’s initial trials, so if he lost this bet, the worst outcome would be immediate disqualification. From then on, he’d vow never again to trust any handsome man’s promises.

The most compelling reason, however, was that Fasting Pills were inexpensive. Rounded up, this transaction essentially let him gain something from nothing.

“Wait—hold on! If someone like you is considered an ‘ordinary person,’ what hope do the rest of us have?!” Wen Xu’s unaware handsomeness only made him seem even more trustworthy.

After consuming the Fasting Pill, Wen Xu soon felt warmth spreading through his stomach, and the sensation of hunger quickly vanished. How miraculous! he thought. If such pills became widely available, they would undoubtedly be highly sought after by those observing mourning periods. Ah, having subsisted on plain vegetables for three years, Wen Xu felt qualified to speak on the subject.

“I haven’t, I…”

Bian Chunzhou met Wen Xu’s lifeless gaze again—how peculiar. He couldn’t see his own reflection within those eyes. “You—”

Wen Xu touched his face. “Have I startled my benefactor once more?”

Those eyes remained vacant. Unable to resist, Bian Chunzhou waved a hand before them. “Can you not see?”

Wen Xu was initially prepared to explain himself. To avoid revealing that he couldn’t recognize people, he had devised countless excuses for his unusual behavior. But…perhaps pretending to be blind wouldn’t be so bad.

He wasn’t a beggar anymore, didn’t need to take the imperial examinations, and there was no chance of returning to Bizhou County. Moreover, being perceived as blind would undoubtedly lower others’ guard around him. With this thought, Wen Xu promptly nodded. “Apologies, it seems my benefactor has caught on after all. I believed I was hiding it quite well.”

After saying this, he even closed his eyes and tore a strip of cloth from his sleeve to cover them.

Oh damn, I’ve really messed up! thought Bian Chunzhou.

“But wait, aren’t you a cultivator? How could a cultivator be unable to see!” As long as one had sufficient spirit stones, unless the issue involved vital organs like the heart, dantian, or spiritual roots, even severed limbs could regrow instantly, functioning just as effectively as the original.

Wen Xu was taken aback; no wonder he felt this man seemed overly cautious around him—it turned out Bian Chunzhou had mistaken him for a fellow cultivator. After a moment’s consideration, Wen Xu responded, “I’m afraid I don’t understand what you’re saying, benefactor. I am not a cultivator.”

Although pretending to be one might have been advantageous, Wen Xu lacked sufficient knowledge about their world, making it highly likely that his ruse would be exposed. Thus, he decided honesty was best. This person had a genuinely kind heart—since Wen Xu could remember, few individuals had shown such selfless goodwill towards him. Most things in his life were achieved through relentless effort.

Facing someone like this, if possible, Wen Xu didn’t wish to display his shrewd and worldly side too overtly.

“That’s impossible! You clearly have a sea of qi!”

Without needing to feign surprise, Wen Xu naturally asked, “What is a sea of qi?”

“It’s within your dantian, can’t you feel it? There are small whirlpools—one after another—that signify entering the Qi Refinement stage. Don’t play dumb with me now.”

“Is it here?” Wen Xu carefully focused inward and, surprisingly, found something akin to tiny whirlwinds indeed, albeit very minuscule: “How can this be?”

Am I dealing with an idiot?!

“But truly, before this moment, I was just an ordinary person,” Wen Xu insisted, unable to contain his excitement. “If not for my benefactor mentioning it, I would never have discovered my sea of qi.” Having a sea of qi meant he could potentially become a cultivator, although he wasn’t quite sure what being a cultivator entailed. However, considering how effortlessly his benefactor had brought him back from death, it undoubtedly sounded more intriguing than pursuing imperial examinations.

With this thought, much of the gloom clouding Wen Xu’s heart dissipated.

“Really?” Bian Chunzhou remained skeptical. Despite being from another realm, achieving a connection to one’s sea of qi as a mortal wasn’t trivial. If it were that simple, the cultivation world would likely be overrun by newcomers long ago.

“Of course it’s true. Wasn’t my benefactor here to gather fruits for some examination? I assure you, I won’t take a single fruit; they’re all for my benefactor.”

Bian Chunzhou grew even more suspicious. “All for me? What about yourself?”

“I stumbled upon this place by accident and am unfamiliar with its rules. Besides, with my poor eyesight, we should discuss further matters only after leaving here. If my benefactor doesn’t believe me, I can swear an oath.”

Is he seriously this naive? Despite Wen Xu’s clear declarations, Bian Chunzhou felt a twinge of guilt, as if deceiving an innocent person. However, when he saw the branches laden with red pearl fruits, his doubts vanished instantly!

Red pearl fruits—tier-two spirit fruits! The best specimens could even rival tier-three quality. With such abundance, this was truly a fortune waiting to be claimed.

“Benefactor, have I been helpful?”

“Oh, no need for ‘benefactor,’ just call me Bian Chunzhou—it means spring rain like a boat.”

“My name is Wen Xu.”

Bian Chunzhou was busy filling a jade box with red pearl fruits. Thankfully, Yonglu Mountain provided these boxes; otherwise, with his limited resources, he couldn’t afford pouches to store so many fruits: “I know—you’re also known as Wen Bujiing, right? Shouldn’t I call you Wen Unperturbed then?”

Wen Xu shook his head. “This name, ‘unperturbed,’ was given to me by my adoptive father on his deathbed, signifying resilience and composure amidst life’s ups and downs. Now, I find it less necessary.”

With no intention of pursuing civil service exams or entering officialdom, why should Wen Xu adhere to the complex etiquette meant for scholars? His simple name, Wen Xu, sufficed.

“Huh? Alright then, Brother Wen Xu, you really don’t want any?”

Wen Xu shook his head. “No, have you finished picking, Bian brother? Just now, I sensed a peculiar aroma of vegetation, and it’s becoming even stronger now. It carries a hint of decay, almost overwhelming. Do you know what type of spirit plant emits this scent?”

Bian Chunzhou had limited knowledge about spirit plants; he’d only hastily memorized half of a spirit plant compendium before the exam. “Could you describe it more precisely? What kind of vegetal fragrance is it?”

Wen Xu diligently tried to elaborate, while Bian Chunzhou grew increasingly excited with each word. He was so engrossed that he didn’t even notice falling from the tree. Brushing himself off, he rushed over, “Are you sure you’re not mistaken?”

“I can’t be wrong. My sense of smell has always been three times sharper than most.”

Bian Chunzhou thought to himself, This is incredible! Has heaven truly heard my prayers? “Quick, let’s go! While there’s still time in the initial test, we must find the Pill Fragrance King Grass!”