Three taels of silver, wrapped in a worn cloth sack, weighed heavy in Jiang Heng’s hand.

  Without a word, he marched to the camp’s food stall and spped down tKeeper Wenty coppers.

  “Three ptes of dumplings, a roast chicken, and two bowls of meat broth!”

  The Mountain Patrol Division’s camp charged steep prices. Only guards and hunters could afford such meals—ordinary mountain folk didn’t stand a chance.

  This simple spread cost a whopping twenty coppers.

  As Jiang Heng ordered, several guards noticed, whispering among themselves.

  He winced at the cost—earning money was no joke—but hunger gnawed at him. He needed fuel to keep going.

  His body, strengthened by the cauldron’s power, craved more food than ever before.

  These portions would barely sate him.

  If he weren’t worried about drawing attention, he could’ve downed fifty coppers’ worth of food.

  Yesterday, I earned two hundred coppers, and a decent meal costs seventy? That’s brutal.

  But a hearty appetite was a blessing.

  Every bite would turn to energy, forging his body stronger, his power greater.

  I need to boost my strength and hunt rarer treasures…

  Otherwise, how would he save enough coin?

  Buying a spirit beast corpse to become a hunter was a long-term goal.

  Short-term, he was intrigued by the medicinal meals he’d heard about.

  The bugs, snakes, and lingzhi the mountain folk gathered were toxic if eaten raw, but blended into medicinal recipes, they became elixirs—extending life, boosting strength.

  Those recipes weren’t free.

  Even the simplest medicinal meal recipe cost five taels of silver.

  To grow stronger, Jiang Heng needed them.

  And even with a recipe, he’d need to buy ingredients—no one could gather every herb alone.

  Too many pces to spend coin.

  Jiang Heng sighed.

  No matter the world, climbing the dder to greatness is never easy.

  Wiping his mouth, still hungry, Jiang Heng headed to the mountain folk’s sleeping quarters—a crude, open-air ptform near the camp’s edge.

  Css divisions were stark. If the forest’s miasma surged or spirit beasts broke through, the mountain folk would be the first to die.

  Guards slept in private tents deeper in the camp.

  As for hunters like Sly Zhao? They had sprawling, five-meter-wide pavilions, glowing with mplight, filled with the scent of wine and the ughter of women.

  The next morning, Jiang Heng took a deep breath and rejoined the group heading into the mountains.

  His first stop was the spot where he’d buried his treasures.

  The thumb-sized lingzhi and spiritual cicada shell were still there, untouched. He breathed a sigh of relief.

  With his haul secured, he ventured deeper into the wild bamboo grove.

  This area, thick with miasma, was too dangerous for most mountain folk. Its treasures, though, were far richer.

  Yesterday, he’d found a Hellseed and gained a new ability.

  What’ll I discover today?

  Hope stirred as he moved cautiously through the bamboo.

  The tall, slender stalks radiated an eerie chill, their green bodies speckled with purple spots from the miasma. The spots formed unsettling shapes—beasts, faces—sending shivers down his spine.

  Navigating the creepy grove, Jiang Heng relied on [Qi Devouring]’s treasure-sensing power. Soon, he struck gold.

  At the root of an ancient bamboo by a stream, he found a bug nest. After dispatching the grotesque wax-leech adults, he uncovered a pile of pearl-like eggs inside.

  Weighing half an ounce, they were worth a hundred coppers.

  Not long after, in a cluster of waist-high weeds, he spotted a small blue flower radiating cold.

  As he approached, a swarm of blue-bellied venomous bees attacked.

  Thanks to [Night Vision], his sharp senses had already clocked them.

  Sprinkling common insect-repellent powder, he drove the bees off with ease.

  A frostbloom—worth over three hundred coppers—was his!

  With the pearl eggs, that was four hundred coppers in less than an hour.

  Some mountain folk don’t earn this in a month!

  That was the power of [Qi Devouring].

  One word: awesome!

  Suddenly, Jiang Heng froze.

  A surge of spiritual energy, stronger than anything he’d felt before, hit his senses.

  Following it deeper into the bamboo, he spotted a massive pine tree, over thirty feet tall, among the sea of green stalks.

  Thick fog cloaked it, making it look like a tower in the clouds, otherworldly and striking.

  But with [Night Vision], Jiang Heng narrowed his eyes, a faint spiritual glow flickering in them.

  The fog vanished from his sight, his vision crystal-clear.

  What…

  His heart jolted. Perched on the pine was a peacock-like bird, nestled in a woven nest.

  It slept, eyes closed, but oddly, the fog he’d seen was streaming from its beak.

  This isn’t ordinary fog—it’s miasmic mist.

  Jiang Heng’s mind raced.

  This peacock, like yesterday’s purple bamboo shoot, had been shaped by years of miasma, becoming a creature that produced it.

  The shoot was a pnt; this was a beast.

  It was another Hellseed.

  Refine it, and he’d gain a new ability.

  But…

  Each feather shimmers with potent spiritual energy. Even asleep, it breathes clouds of miasma. Its power… it’s at the spirit beast level!

  Fear gripped him.

  Thank the heavens for [Night Vision]’s long-range sight, letting him spot it from afar.

  If he’d blundered closer and woken it, he’d be dead.

  No wonder they say the Hundred Thousand Mountains are a deathtrap!

  But danger meant opportunity.

  Pulling out a rough map he’d sketched, Jiang Heng marked the pine’s location.

  He wasn’t strong enough now, but when he was? He’d return, sy this mist-breathing peacock, cim a new ability, and—better yet—its spirit beast corpse, worth a hundred taels, enough for a hunter’s title.

  With the mark made, he turned to leave.

  But then, a piercing screech tore through the silence.

  The bird’s cry, sharp and jarring, echoed through the dead-quiet bamboo, chilling him to the bone.