Yun Qiang looked at the green pill before him with a surprised look. He had seen a similar pill once when he was still at the fortress.
It was a body-refining pill; as the name implied, it was used to refine one's body, helping low-realm cultivators to achieve one minor stage in the body element.
"However..."
His stare intensified as his low murmurs caught everyone's attention. Voss had just left, and a tense silence had fallen between them.
Hai Ming seemed to have a similar train of thought to him.
"Let's take it. Lee's situation is solved; there is nothing more that we can do. We can try and smooth things over with the captain once we've taken it."
Yun Qiang looked at Lee's unconscious body; his complexion had already become better and wasn't as pale as before.
His hands curled up into fists as he remembered Voss's words.
Why didn't we ask for help? Lee was dying!
He gritted his teeth. He hadn't realized it until now, but he had started to lose faith in others.
Voss had done a lot for him. He had reassured him during his first real patrol, mentored him through extra training sessions. Even when he discovered the peculiarities in Yun Qiang's souls, he didn't report them to his superiors. Instead, he explained what they meant to Yun Qiang, advising him to keep them hidden from other cultivators
Yet Yun Qiang had never thought to ask him for help when Lee's condition began to deteriorate. He just assumed Voss wouldn't be willing to spend his contribution points to buy the pills required to heal Lee.
Sun's calm voice sounded from beside him.
"Qiang, you shouldn't worry about it."
As he spoke, he patted Yun Qiang's back. "We made a mistake; that doesn't mean that we can't make up for it in the future."
He breathed a sigh of relief.
"Voss is a good captain. I didn't expect him to care so much for us." He smiled. "Let's do our best to follow him during this war."
Yun Qiang opened his mouth to respond, but he stopped. Sun had already started walking towards his dirty bedroll.
He silently followed him with his eyes. His comrades were right; Voss had already given them the pill. They couldn't waste his goodwill. If they wanted to make up for this debt, they could only pay him back with their loyalty in the future.
Yun Qiang sighed.
It's not like we have anything else to give him anyway...
He gave one last look at Lee, making sure his condition was still improving, before shifting his gaze towards his companions, who had already entered meditation. Both Hai Ming and Sun looked calm, sitting still like stones as they absorbed the pill.
He let his gaze linger on them for a few seconds before settling down on the remaining bedroll and gulping down the pill. Even if nobody was speaking inside the tent, there wasn't complete silence, and Yun Qiang could hear the sound of people walking and talking in the distance. He would have liked to consume the pill in a calmer environment, but this was the best place he had at his disposal. He was still in a military camp; there was no such thing as a truly calm place in it, only noisy and less noisy places.
As Yun Qiang gulped down the pill, he emptied his mind of superfluous thoughts and focused only on digesting it while circulating his Qi according to his meditation technique. A smile bloomed on his face as he felt the warm and calm energy of the body-refining pill slowly expand from his stomach, giving a pleasing yet tiring sensation. If he had to compare it to a similar experience, it would be like the feeling of sleepiness that comes after a satisfying meal; all that his body wanted to do was sleep and digest his gains. Yun Qiang didn't resist this feeling. Instead, he slowly stopped circulating his Qi, letting his own body do the rest of the work as he slowly fell asleep.
Just like that, within a matter of minutes, the tent filled with the soft sounds of snoring. Except for the unconscious Lee, all of the other tenants had fallen asleep. The only thing indicating their intent to digest the pill was their cross-legged posture, something rarely used for sleeping.
Inside Yun Qiang's dreams.
As he closed his eyes and fell asleep Yun Qiang found himself in another dream. He rubbed his eyes, to try and awaken himself, the feeling of drowsiness brought by the pill had followed him even in his dream.
Uh? I guess my condition can influence what I feel in my dreams?
Even if the feeling of drowsiness was weakened by a huge extent it was definetly there, making him occasionaly yawn. However, he didn't pay it much attention; in the end, a dream was still a dream. Even if it was supernatural in nature, his mind definitely played an important role in its creation and maintenance.
He slowly streched his limbs while curiously looking at his surrounding, currently he was in a small bland room. Everything inside it was completly made out of wood, however the complete lack of decoration, emblems and carving gave of the rough and utilitarian vibes of a poor family's home. Having been raised in a small village, Yun Qiang knew this style all too well. everything from the stands to the chairs and the table wasn't there because it was beatyfull or to decorate the room, it was there because it was needed. Each item served its function, nothing more. However while looking at it Yun Qiang couldn't help but feel nostalgic for his family home, it was a situation were the lack of style was a style in itself; A simple and rought style that Yun Qiang had come to like and feel confortable living in.
He brifly gazed againg at the surrounding before focusing on his dream counterpart who was sitting at a wooden table happly drinking tea with an old lady.
Without much more thought, Yun Qiang took advantage of his ability to float within the dream. He lay down in midair and began paying attention to the conversation his dream counterpart was having, his attitude resembling that of a spectator lazily watching a film while lying on a couch.
The old lady spoke first, her voice calm yet excited, like someone talking to an old friend she hadn't seen in a long time.
"So, how is it being a cultivator? Did you see something interesting outside of this small mountain?"
Dream Yun Qiang responded almost instantly, his demeanor completely lacking the calm and cold air he had while fighting, instead being more similar to that of a child eagerly telling his parents of his achievements.
"Yes, out there everything seems magical. The sect looks ethereal; from the sect tower, you can see everything from miles away. Oh, and the inner part of the sect where I stay floats on a cloud, so I can also see some of my junior brothers and sisters from up high! It's magical."
As he spoke, he constantly moved his arms, trying to emphasize how big the sect was while also trying to draw the shape of a cloud in the air.
"My master is also very kind. If I have some doubts, he will help me resolve them, and he also teaches me a lot of things like sword techniques and array formations. He also said that one day he will teach me how to fly."
Spectator Yun Qiang looked on with his eyes half-closed. His dream counterpart was purposely leaving out all the fights he had with blood cultivators and the dangerous extermination mission that he took on during his free time.
Dream Yun Qiang paused for a second, looking at the old woman in front of him. A hint of sadness flashed before his eyes.
"Mum, are you sure you don't want to come with me? You can live way better in the sect than up here in the mountains. I can even give you some pills to extend your life."
Dream Yun Qiang's mother took a sip of her tea and smiled at him, her smile a mixture of happiness and nostalgia.
"You don't have to worry about me, Qiang. I know you have learned a lot during this period. You should know by now that mortals and cultivators shouldn't mix together. I would only burden you."
She was about to continue when her son interrupted her.
"But that's not true! In White Cloud City, I saw tons of mortals! Cultivators and mortals can easily live together!"
The woman shook her head and continued.
"Qiang..." she paused for a second, "Little Qiang, what kind of jobs do these mortals do? In places filled with strong cultivators, I doubt there are jobs that can't be done easily and faster by a cultivator than a mortal."
Her gaze seemed to carry the weight of age and experience. She had definitely lived in a similar place in the past.
Dream Yun Qiang stayed silent for a second. His mother was right; in cultivator cities, mortals only took on the most heavy and dirty jobs that cultivators didn't want to do. He still insisted.
"It doesn't matter. I can pay for all of your expenses. You can just live peacefully with me; you wouldn't have to work. My standing in the sect is good; it's no problem to pay for a house and food."
The woman shook her head again.
"It doesn't matter, even if I don't have to work." She took another sip of tea. "Have you thought about your reputation? I would only be a burden, and you would lose your reputation. Your cultivation progress would slow down, and some people would definitely accuse you of being a leech. The most vicious ones would even try to use me as a hostage to threaten you."
He hesitated.
"But I ca—"
"No buts. I won't leave this village; this is my home and the home where you were born. Cultivators and mortals shouldn't mix together. Besides this, you are young and should go out and experience the world, without preoccupying yourself with an old lady like me. Maybe one day you will find a place that you can call home without me."
Dream Yun Qiang's fists tightened.
"I—" Tears started staining his face. "I will never find a place like that..." He paused again. "I don't want to leave you here."
He threw a pouch on the table.
"There are some life-extending pills in here. I have more in the sect. With them, we can extend your life!" His voice became frantic, and he started gesticulating wildly.
"Maybe I will find a way to let you cultivate. Maybe I can find a treasure and make you a cultivator!"
At this point of the conversation, Dream Yun Qiang was desperate and completely changed tactics. If his mother wasn't willing to leave because she was a mortal, then he would find a way for her to become a cultivator.
He was about to continue spouting some other strange hypothesis that would let her cultivate. However, the simple sight of his mother putting down her cup while shaking her head completely silenced him.
"You know better than I do that people who don't have a spiritual root can't cultivate. If they could, that would be something against the heavens. It's impossible for something like that to happen."
"But—"
They locked eyes. Tears were streaming down Yun Qiang's face, while an unshakable determination could be seen in his mother's eyes. There was a brief moment of silence before Yun Qiang spoke once again, his voice occasionally interrupted by his sobs.
"At least keep the pills. It doesn't matter if you don't want them. Just take them, even if you give them to the old couple next door, take them with you." He looked at her once again.
"Please, take them. I don't want to lose you like—" He looked at his cup of tea, not daring to look into her eyes. "Like dad..."
The room fell into silence once again; only Yun Qiang's sobs could be heard.
"Fine, I will take the pills. Now tell me more about your experiences. I like hearing new things."
Yun Qiang's eyes shined with excitement, and he started telling her various stories about the sect, his friends, his master, and the various treasures that he had read about in books.
As he looked at this, spectator Yun Qiang smiled. It was good to see that his dream counterpart wasn't a cold-hearted machine but also had a soft side to him. It was a shame his mother was stubborn and didn't want to leave her village. He sighed.
I wonder if my parents will follow me into a better environment when I become a strong and respected cultivator...
He looked at the duo again. Even if dream Yun Qiang wasn't a kid anymore, he gave off the same energy as one when he was with his mother. He spoke excitedly, telling her everything he did without missing any details, while his mother looked at him. Even if it was clear she wasn't really interested in what he did in his free time, she didn't seem bored either; instead, her clear blue eyes sparkled with pride. It was clear that seeing her son go out into the wider world and become a member of an important sect brought her joy. Her child had finally grown into a strong man.
Yun Qiang moved his gaze away from his counterpart and started pacing around the room, slowly brushing the walls and the wooden furniture with his hands. Even if this was a dream and he couldn't feel anything by touching them, he could still imagine the texture of the walls and the uneven feeling that touching a rough piece of furniture gave. The room was extremely similar to his natal home, making him feel nostalgic.
He sighed.
Mum, Dad, Mei, will I ever see you again...
"What?!"
The sudden scream from his counterpart attracted his attention.
The conversation had seemed so calm a few moments ago; why did it change?
Yun Qiang turned around. His counterpart was standing still, a shocked expression clearly etched on his face. He suddenly stood up, knocking down his chair.
"How could you let her do that????"
His mother tried to calm him down.
"Qiang, it was your sister's decision to join the Monastery of the Golden Hand as a servant. You shouldn't do anything stupid."
His counterpart screamed again, his voice filled with anger.
"No! There is no way she did that! Those baldies have definitely used some kind of spell on her! There is no way she would join a random group of passing monks as a servant!"
"Qiang—"
He didn't stop to listen to her; instead, he became even more frantic and enraged.
"I have to save her!" He briefly looked into his mother's eyes. "Wait here; I will go and take her back!"
His mother tried to grab his hand; however, she was too slow. By the time she had reached out, Dream Yun Qiang was already at the door.
She couldn't do anything. Fury had completely taken over her son; there was no way she could stop him.
As the door closed, making the wall of the house tremble, Yun Qiang felt his surroundings shift and disappear into mist. His dream had come to an end.
Yun Qiang opened his eyes, the drowsiness in them easily hiding his shock; he hadn't expected his dream to suddenly change and end so abruptly. He wanted to spend some time thinking about what he had just dreamt, but his attention was caught by Sun, who was energetically waving at him from the entrance of the tent.
He yawned while lazily greeting him.
"You can always sleep tonight," Sun's voice reached him. "Let's go wash ourselves. This place already stinks enough when we are clean."
Yun Qiang nodded at him, slowly getting up and stretching his body.
Hai Ming suddenly appeared beside Sun.
"Stop that, your skin is falling everywhere!" As he said that, he pointed at the small flakes of skin that fell every time Yun Qiang moved. "If you continue doing that, I will force you to clean everything."
Yun Qiang suddenly stopped and gave a better look at himself. His body had a foul smell, and a dark layer of impurities covered every part of him. The more he looked at his dirty body, the more he smiled. The small layer of impurities could only mean one thing.
His body had leveled up, allowing him to reach the fourth stage of the Qi Gathering Realm.
"Stop smiling. Everyone here broke through a minor stage," Hai Ming said, pointing at Sun. "This guy even reached the limit in the body element. He is only missing a soul and a Qi level, then he will become a Foundation Realm cultivator."
Yun Qiang let out a low whistle in admiration.
"I guess everyone here will become captain at the same time since we are all at the fourth stage of Qi Gathering?"
"Well, we—"
Hai Ming was responding, but Sun abruptly cut him off.
"If you two want to argue, do it while we bathe" he held his nose. "If we stay here any longer, we might suffocate Lee with our stench."
Both Yun Qiang and Hai Ming couldn't help but look at the poor Lee, who had to suffer their smell while unconscious.
The duo briefly looked at each other before responding in unison
"Yeah, we should go."
As they walked toward the bathing area, Yun Qiang ignored the awkwardness of their strange situation or the passive-aggressive comments Hai Ming made while they walked. He was too happy about his progress. He was only two stages away from the Foundation Realm.
He had made another step toward his survival in this crazy war.