The atmosphere in the southern outskirts pasture was still enveloped in gentle tranquility. The sun had moved higher, its rays now falling vertically, penetrating the gaps in the distant primeval forest canopy, creating pillars of golden light that danced on the emerald grass. The goats grazed with a calm, monotonous chewing rhythm, the bells on their necks occasionally clanging softly like quiet background music.
Zhi Xuan was half-aware, half-asleep, his head resting on the heavy staff, his eyelids only one-third closed. In that semi-slumber, the peace of nature was slowly torn by a sound.
Initially, the sound was a subtle humming, as if originating from the vibration of the air itself, not from a clear physical source. The hum resembled a zither string plucked in a vacuum—low, steady, and distant, faint enough that Zhi Xuan thought it was just a mosquito in his ear.
However, slowly, the hum began to resonate. It no longer felt like an external vibration, but one originating from within. It pulsed in time with the hidden crack between his ribs, as if the sound were a secret language that only the anomaly in his body could understand.
The hum thinned and transformed. It shifted into a series of vocal tones, husky and low, similar to the whisper of an old woman trying to convey a forbidden secret. The words were undefined, like an ancient, long-dead language, but the intonation carried a cold emotional weight—like frozen water flowing down his spine.
Then, the whisper reached its final note, fading into a subtle laughter that made every hair on Zhi Xuan's body stand on end. The laughter carried no joy, but a cold, insane glee, as if the subject of the laughter was a terrifying misfortune.
Zhi Xuan flinched, his sapphire eyes wide open, assaulted by cold adrenaline. He sprang to his feet with a quick movement, dropping his staff onto the grass. "What... What was that?"
He quickly looked around. The pasture remained calm.
The goats were still grazing, some of them looking up momentarily, startled by Zhi Xuan's sudden movement, then lowering their heads again. There were no monsters, no wild dogs, no moving shadows. There, near the riverbank, the one-eyed goat was chewing peacefully, completely unperturbed. Everything was fine.
Zhi Xuan let out a long, shaky breath. He picked up his staff, which felt cold in his palm, and sat back down on the large rock nearby.
"What was that sound, actually?" Zhi Xuan mumbled, his voice low and hoarse.
He turned toward Mingling, who was lying sideways under the tree, a partially eaten piece of dried game meat still clenched in his hand. Mingling slept peacefully, with a faint snore. It was impossible that he had heard it.
A sense of unease crept over him, like a cold spider walking on his skin. The sound felt real, very real, but only he had heard it. Was this a side effect of the cracked mortal wheel? Was he going insane?
The peace in the pasture had been shattered. Zhi Xuan felt restless. He stood up again, deciding that they must return. Spending another second in a place that now felt whispered to by an invisible entity was foolish.
Zhi Xuan tightly gripped his staff. His eyes were no longer staring at unseen stars, but fully focused on their mortal task.
He raised the heavy wooden staff. He tapped its thick end onto the muddy ground with a firm rhythm: knock. Knock. Knock. Knock.
The sound was a command well-known to the goat herd. At the first knock, the goats still near the river, especially in the darker water section, looked up. At the second and third knocks, they slowly turned. At the fourth knock, the goats began to gather, embracing their herd instinct again, moving away from the river and toward the main group. Zhi Xuan repeated it, this time with a slightly faster rhythm: knock-knock. Knock-knock. It was the signal to gather and move.
The one hundred and twenty-three goats, led by the obedient One-Eyed Goat, began to move forward, their bells clanging cheerfully as if welcoming their return. Zhi Xuan then walked under the tree, where Mingling was curled up. He sighed, preparing for Mingling's fuss.
"Ming! Wake up! It's time for us to go back!" Zhi Xuan called, gently kicking Mingling's shoe.
There was no response. Only a small snore.
Zhi Xuan tried again, this time harder, shaking his friend's shoulder. "Mingling! Wake up, you sleeping baboon! Grandfather Wu will pull our ears!"
Mingling groaned, his hand, still holding the piece of dried game meat, instinctively pulling the piece closer to his chest. His eyes remained closed.
"Five more minutes, Aunt Lian," Mingling mumbled, his voice muffled by sleepiness. "I promise I'll help chop wood tomorrow. Don't... don't make me hit the grain sack again. That sack... he's too good at talking. He mocked my stance."
Zhi Xuan had to stifle a laugh, recalling how pale Mingling was during the previous training. "It's not Aunt Lian, Ming! It's Zhi Xuan! And that grain sack is still at the village! Wake up! We have to go back. The goats are already moving!"
Mingling finally opened his eyes, but only halfway. His brown irises looked confused and shaky, as if he hadn't fully returned from the realm of dreams.
"Go back?" Mingling yawned widely, then frowned. "Why? I just dreamt I... I managed to turn Grandfather Wu's staff into a grilled sausage... and I was about to eat it... you ruined my grilled sausage, Zhi Xuan!" He pushed Zhi Xuan's hand away annoyedly, then sat up with a pout. His previously athletic face now looked dull from the remnants of sleep.
"Grilled sausage won't make you live 200 years, Ming. Come on! It's almost lunchtime. And you know, if we're late, Tang will eat all our portions of game meat." Zhi Xuan offered the most effective argument.
The word 'game meat' fully pulled Mingling from the realm of dreams. He jumped to his feet, clutching his stomach. "What?! Tang will never get my game meat! That traitor! Why didn't you wake me up sooner, Zhi Xuan?"
"I tried. Now hurry! We have to catch up with the goat herd," Zhi Xuan said, smiling slightly at Mingling's transition from a sleeping baboon to a hungry wolf.
Mingling immediately ran, but after a few steps, he stopped, turning to Zhi Xuan with an annoyed look.
"You know, I hate the southern outskirts pasture. Why can't we herd near the training field instead? Next time we'll just herd there." He let out a dramatic sigh. "Alright, let's go. But if Grandfather Wu scolds us for being late, it's your heavy staff's fault!"
Zhi Xuan just laughed, taking a position behind the herd, hiding the tremor he still faintly felt from that cold, husky whisper. Focus on the journey ahead.
Mingling, driven by the fear of losing his portion of game meat, ran ahead again. His movements were agile and athletic, a clear testament to the hard training under Wu Quezi. He was the perfect representation of a mortal's speed limit.
"Hurry, Zhi Xuan! The one-eyed goat is almost at the main path!" Mingling shouted, leaping over a dry mud puddle.
Zhi Xuan sighed, adjusting his pace. He knew he couldn't run as fast as Mingling because he had to guard the goats from the back, and it would be too risky if even one goat was left behind. The cold wheel in his core was still pulsing softly, reminding him of the husky voice he had just heard. He ignored it, focusing his mind on the task ahead.
Gathering one hundred and twenty-three full and lazy goats, and moving them from the fertile pasture to the muddy path leading back to the village, was not an easy task. The goats, after eating the emerald grass rich with natural nutrients, now moved with the same reluctance as Mingling when forced to practice the earth stable stance.
The goat herd began to move slowly, spreading sideways, going into the bushes and squatting under trees, as if protesting the journey home.
"Brown goat! Don't try to eat that thicket! You're full!" Mingling scolded, waving his staff in the air. His staff was light, allowing for quick, threatening movements, but not strong enough to actually harm a goat.
Zhi Xuan was at the rear, his job was to be the steady pusher. He used his heavy staff, tapping the ground behind the most stubborn goats. The goats would only move if they felt subtly threatened. Zhi Xuan's solid, heavy staff produced a deeper knocking vibration on the ground, just enough to make the goats feel uneasy and continue their journey.
"Short-bearded goat! Move aside! You're blocking the whole herd!" Zhi Xuan called out.
The goats walked in an annoying pattern. Just as one group started moving forward, another group that had previously moved would suddenly stop to eat a last blade of grass. The herd constantly changed shape, from a straight flow to a scattered bunch, forcing Zhi Xuan and Mingling to move non-stop to maintain formation.
"Damn it, these goats are harder to manage than the earth stable stance!" Mingling grumbled, now running zig-zag among the goats to push a stubborn white goat. Mingling finally resorted to his tactic: he let out a loud, high-pitched sound imitating the howl of a wild dog, startling the goats and making them move forward quickly.
"Don't shout too loudly, Ming! You'll attract a real jade wolf!" Zhi Xuan retorted, although he was grateful that the goats were finally moving with a better rhythm.
Mingling returned to Zhi Xuan's side, panting. "Desperate tactics, buddy! But it worked! You have to admit that these goats are our biggest mortal enemies. They're lazy, but they have determination! They don't want to leave this jade essence-rich pasture."
Zhi Xuan smiled slightly. He observed the one-eyed goat, which was now at the front, walking with a steady pace. "You know, they're just doing what Grandfather Wu taught us. Taking every opportunity to strengthen themselves. These goats just want to live 80 years and eat good grass."
"That's true," Mingling laughed. "In that case, I need to be a better goat! I need to eat more game meat so I can live long!"
They continued their journey. The path began to change. Mud and hard soil were now replaced by a rocky path that curved sharply to the left.
Mingling pointed ahead. "There it is. The jade valley is around that bend. That's Grandfather Wu's forbidden area. Remember the rules, Zhi Xuan: don't touch the rocks directly, and make sure the goats don't eat the moss there!"
The jade valley was not a valley, but a section of the path where the rocks forming the walkway looked different. The rocks there were not just dark; they emitted a soft greenish shimmer, even under direct sunlight. It was a place where the jade essence eroded from the hidden mountains was abundant, making the rocks reach a level of purity dangerous for mortals.
"I know," Zhi Xuan replied, his focus now heightened. The resonance in his core returned—reacting to the rocks, as if he were being presented with forbidden delicious food.
"Why are those rocks dangerous again, Ming? Grandfather Wu just said 'too pure'," Zhi Xuan asked.
Mingling put on a serious face. "The merchants in Shoutuo say that for mortals, excessive purity is like poison. If you touch it, the pure jade essence will be absorbed too quickly. It will overload your mortal wheel, making it explode, or, worse, turning you into a jade frozen man."
"Jade frozen man?" Zhi Xuan shuddered. The idea sounded worse than being hit by a grain sack.
"Yes! So, focus! Let the goats move in the middle of the path. Don't let them touch the rock walls in this jade valley!"
Zhi Xuan and Mingling worked together with a newfound intensity. Mingling walked in front, making sure the goats stayed in the middle of the path. Zhi Xuan walked behind, his heavy staff becoming an extension of his senses, guiding him to tap the backs of mischievous goats to steer them away from the shimmering green rock walls.
"Ugh, we should have taken the long way around," Mingling complained, his face slightly sweaty.
"But I wanted to know why Grandfather Wu strictly forbade it. Now I know. The smell of this pure jade makes me dizzy."
Zhi Xuan just snorted, but he wasn't dizzy. Instead, the resonance in his core pulsed faster, emitting a pleasant cold sensation, almost like a thirst being quenched.
"Well, what can we do. This is the fastest route to the hunter's camp. We have to pick up our game meat portion, right?" Zhi Xuan said, his sapphire eyes observing the shimmer on the rock wall.
Mingling stopped briefly, sighing. "True. After this jade valley, we'll stop briefly at the hunter's camp. We'll pick up our meat portion, then head back as fast as possible. Ready? This bend is the way out."
Just as the two of them were about to reach the intersection that would lead them out of the jade valley, the air suddenly changed. The thick smell of mud and moss was replaced by a sharp, metallic, and familiar smell. The smell of blood.
"What is that smell?" Mingling immediately stopped walking, his body tensing. His previously relaxed face was now pale.
Zhi Xuan immediately panicked. The smell, although faint, felt very fresh. This was not the smell of wild beast blood that had been dead for hours. This was a smell that carried a warning.
"Jade wolf?" Mingling whispered, clutching his light staff tightly. "Jade wolves don't usually hunt on such an open path!"
"No. It's... more," Zhi Xuan whispered, his eyes narrowing. Zhi Xuan wasted no time. He gripped his heavy staff, pulled it back, and tapped it onto the rocky ground with full force.
KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!
Four loud, solid, and vibrating knocks. This knock was no longer a relaxed signal. The energy Zhi Xuan exerted was driven directly from the fine crack of the wheel in his core. The jade valley rocks beneath his feet vibrated faintly, and that vibration was transmitted to the entire goat herd.
The goats, previously slow, suddenly reacted as if shocked by electricity. They no longer walked; they ran. They forgot the grass, forgot their reluctance, and scattered forward in a dense formation toward the exit intersection. The one-eyed goat, led by its pure instinct, ran the fastest.
"Zhi Xuan! What are you doing?!" Mingling shouted, shocked by the strength and intensity of the knocks. He had to run to keep up with the goat herd. "They're going to run all the way to the village!"
"Run, Ming! Hurry!" Zhi Xuan yelled, pushing himself with all his might. He felt a sharp dizziness because his energy was drained, but he ignored it.
As they were about to exit the jade valley, at the sharp bend, Zhi Xuan briefly looked back. There, between the shimmering jade rock walls and the shadow of a giant tree covering a small cave entrance, he saw it. A man was lying on the ground.
The man wore a ripped robe with dull gold embroidery, evidence of a status far surpassing mortality. Thick red blood pooled around him, and what sent shivers down Zhi Xuan's spine, a thin wisp of white smoke was still rising from the wounds on his shoulder and chest. The smoke was not the smoke of a normal wound; it was like energy leaking from a severely injured body.
A cultivator. A recently injured cultivator.
"MING! RUN! INJURED CULTIVATOR! THERE IS DANGER BEHIND US!" Zhi Xuan screamed, his voice breaking from panic and the pain in his core.
Mingling, who saw nothing but the bend, turned back, his face even paler upon hearing the words 'cultivator' and 'danger'. Those words were the highest alarm they had ever heard.
They ran with all their might. They left the jade valley, re-entering the damp forest shadows, and only stopped after they reached an area far enough away, where the sound of wild beast howls dominated again. The goat herd, whose mortal instincts had been warned by the vibration of Zhi Xuan's staff, finally slowed down, stopping with ragged breaths.
Mingling fell to the ground, hugging his light staff. He was panting, but his eyes stared at Zhi Xuan with deep fear.
"C-cultivator? Are you sure, Zhi Xuan? Here? What... what happened?" Mingling asked, his voice shaking badly. Both of them knew: if a cultivator was severely injured, it meant something much more terrifying was chasing him. Something that could even kill a cultivator.