Earth No. 1 Prison Camp.
In A Cell, Zheng Xiu opened his eyes and subconsciously wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, his heart still pounding with fear.
'It can't be, can it?'
'Did I scare him into a heart attack?'
Zheng Xiu didn't know that Shi Wentong had just experienced great joy, only to be met with a terrible shock. To make matters worse, he had taken a potent tonic beforehand.
The moment Shi Wentong screamed, kicked his legs out, and slid from his seat, foaming at the mouth, Zheng Xiu immediately dove down into the ground, ending his [Divine Travel] as his consciousness returned to his Main Body.
With such a huge commotion inside the carriage, even the most foolish driver would rush in to check on Shi Wentong's safety.
'I didn't actually scare him to death, did I?'
Shi Wentong had just enjoyed a pleasant banquet with me during the day, only to die in his carriage that night. If he's really dead, won't suspicion fall on me?
Although he had a solid alibi, if someone with ill intentions truly wanted to make an issue of it, Zheng Xiu was still afraid of getting dragged into the mess.
"But..."
After mulling it over for a moment, Zheng Xiu smiled and shook his head. "I've already 'fallen' this far. What more can they do to me?"
It was already late. Trying to send Second Lady or his own men into the Prison Camp now to make arrangements would be too conspicuous. Zheng Xiu could only wait until tomorrow.
After a night of Divine Travel, Zheng Xiu grew more excited about the rewards that lay further down the "Path." He wondered what sort of Extraordinary Abilities he might cultivate if he continued to delve deeper.
After a brief rest, Zheng Xiu closed his eyes and entered the Heart Prison.
Seated on the Bone Chair, he gazed out at the deep, sea-like fog beyond the Heart Prison. The memory of Shi Wentong's wretched state came to mind. He didn't feel guilty, but an inexplicable sense of awe now colored his view of the gray mist.
'Well, I hope the guy's okay,' he thought.
Zheng Xiu sighed. A man should strive to be like Master Zheng—a paragon of virtue and talent, with a clear conscience.
The map spread out, a small figure waiting quietly at its center.
Zheng Xiu looked toward the location of Baili Village. The color, which had resembled a century egg, had grown several shades darker.
If the round, black orb had looked like a century egg before, it now looked like an old, spoiled one.
He reached out to touch it, and the words that appeared before him had changed—
[Baili Village · Act Two]
A yellowed scroll unrolled before Zheng Xiu.
Zheng Xiu took it and checked the current progress of himself and his Incarnation.
[Host]: [Zheng Xiu]
[Path]: [Prisoner]
[Derivation]: [Observing the Sky from Prison (Initial Path)] [Divine Travel (Initial Path)]
[Talent]: [No merchant is honest (Initial Path)]
[Experience]: [White Carp's Initial Search for Secrets, Tumultuous Times Shock Waves (Newcomer to the Martial World)]
Both [Observing the Sky from Prison] and [No merchant is honest] remained at the "Initial Path" stage.
In terms of its description, [Divine Travel] was remarkably similar in principle to [Observing the Sky from Prison].
[Observing the Sky from Prison] allowed Zheng Xiu to enter the Ghostly Realm from within the Heart Prison.
[Divine Travel] allowed Zheng Xiu to roam the world as an Ah Piao.
Zheng Xiu felt there was a contradiction in this.
On the one hand, the [Prisoner] Path required him to stay in his cell; on the other, it devised ways for him to break free from his cage.
'Initial Path' was just the beginning. If he leveled it up further, Zheng Xiu guessed, his [Divine Travel] form might eventually be able to touch things.
Filled with anticipation, he indulged in a brief moment of speculation. The night was long, and Zheng Xiu planned to pull another all-nighter to grind. Wasting no time, he focused his mind, and on the tabletop map, the Mighty Painter [Zheng Shan] opened his eyes.
...
[Name] Zheng Shan
[Birth] Painter
[Age] Thirty-two (In his prime)
[Muscle Strength] Twenty (Powerfully built)
[Step Technique] Ten (Agile and Sharp)
[Constitution] Eleven (Vigorous and robust)
[Appearance] Thirty-six (Peerlessly handsome, extraordinary presence, unrivaled in his time)
[Will] Thirty-two (Fiercely loyal, firm as a rock)
[Destiny] Eleven (Slightly blessed)
[Physique] Twenty (Broad and powerful build)
[Scholarship] Twelve (Broad but not deep)
[Traits] Scouting (Slightly Knowledgeable), Medical Principles (Slightly Knowledgeable), Intuition (some accomplishment), Intimidation (Slightly Knowledgeable)
...
Upon re-entering [Baili Village], after Zheng Xiu decisively and efficiently dispatched Li Dachui, the domineering aura he unintentionally exuded intimidated the lesser thugs, and his Incarnation comprehended the [Intimidation] Trait.
[Intimidation (Slightly Knowledgeable)]: At opportune moments, the intangible aura you emit has a chance to scare an opponent witless, allowing you to win without a fight. This is exceedingly rare.
Simply put, it's possible to scare enemies with just a look, but the probability of success also depends on your... looks.
As the saying goes, you can never have too many skills, and it's better than nothing. Watching his Incarnation gradually mature brought him a joy akin to bathing Little Zheng Xiu in sunlight and sweet dew, letting him grow up big and strong.
As the Richest Person, Zheng Xiu was normally able to keep a perfect poker face, but this foray into the "Ghostly Realm" had allowed Master Zheng to rediscover his youthful passion, making him feel as happy as a child again.
It was a painful sort of bliss.
A wave of vertigo washed over him, and Zheng Xiu stepped into the Ghostly Realm.
He was just about to spend a few minutes speed-running Li Dachui before heading into Baili Village when the dense fog parted. A tree-lined path, not too wide and not too narrow, led into the distance. Water droplets clung to the branches on both sides, and everything, including Zheng Xiu's own clothes, was soaking wet.
Zheng Xiu stared blankly at this new starting point. Ignoring the water seeping from his clothes, he scanned his surroundings. He couldn't see the main road used by the Mountain Bandits, a path he had walked hundreds of times.
"It... it saved my progress?"
'So this is Act Two?'
In the distance, flickering lights hinted at a settlement.
'That must be the real Baili Village.'
Zheng Xiu recalled the message he saw last time, right before choosing "Deep Path."
[You sense that once you advance, it will be very difficult to turn back.]
'Very... difficult?'
'How difficult?'
Unconvinced, Zheng Xiu turned and headed back.
The rain had stopped and the wind was still. Not a bird chirped, not an insect buzzed. The only sound was the SQUELCH SQUELCH of Zheng Xiu's steps on the muddy path. It was terrifyingly quiet.
After walking for what felt like an eternity, the silhouette of a village appeared before him once more, its flickering lights identical to the one he had just left.
"Am I seeing things?"
Now Zheng Xiu was truly baffled. A drop of cold sweat trickled down his Incarnation's forehead.
After pausing for a moment, Zheng Xiu drew the looted Mountain Bandit Saber, carved a large "X" on a conspicuous tree, and headed back again.
Just as he expected.
When Zheng Xiu saw the "X" he had carved on the tree with his own hands, he finally understood the eerie nature of this place.
"Make a Scouting check."
[You were Cunning and Deceitful!]
'Oh yeah! A critical hit!'
[Thirty-six.]
[Scouting: Critical Success!]
'Scouting is a great Ability,' he thought.
You didn't need a specific target; you could even use it on thin air.
Its only drawback was that if a successful Scouting check at a specific time and place yielded a low roll and little information, subsequent checks in the same spot would reveal nothing new, regardless of the roll.
Zheng Xiu had personally confirmed this during his grinding sessions.
'But whatever. As long as I can Scout, it's fine.'
'Getting a little information versus a lot is just a matter of degrees. It's better than knowing nothing at all.'
[You see a village in the distance.]
[This must be Baili Village.]
[What a peaceful and serene place, hidden away amidst these chaotic times.]
[You are alone. Though the rain has stopped, you are lost in the woods.]
[Though you don't wish to disturb the villagers, you are famished. If you don't find lodging for the night, you fear something terrible might happen to you, alone in the forest after dark.]
[You grow wary. With Mountain Bandits running rampant and the world being such a cruel place, why hasn't Baili Village been plundered? ]
[And so, you make a decision.]
After the critical success on his Scouting check, three options floated before Zheng Xiu.
[The isolated village ahead makes you uneasy. You decide to spend the night in the forest.]
[You are starving. You decide to go to Baili Village and ask for lodging for the night.]
[You are determined to leave this forest, no matter what. Even if you encounter a wild beast and end up in its belly, you will have no regrets. You'll just consider it a charitable donation.]
'[Scouting] really is a good Skill,' he thought.
The critical success provided a lot of information.
'That last option especially makes a lot of sense,' he mused.
In the end, after careful and painful consideration, Zheng Xiu decided to enter Baili Village.
Upon entering the village, Zheng Xiu surveyed his surroundings. It wasn't large, consisting of about twenty households. A plump, fair-skinned old man, who introduced himself as the village chief, opened his door. A fire crackled in the hearth. As Zheng Xiu was welcomed inside, he noticed several other guests who were clearly not locals.
The village chief explained that this group was also taking shelter from the rain and staying for the night.
They wore straw raincoats, their sabers resting within reach. Zheng Xiu's eyes lit up; he almost mistook them for Mountain Bandits.
But a closer look revealed they didn't have the right demeanor. The old man leading them, in particular, had neatly combed hair and a tidy beard despite being caught in the rain. As Zheng Xiu stepped over the threshold, the man shot him a wary glance before quickly looking away.
This time, Zheng Xiu didn't need to use his [Scouting] Ability; he could already vaguely discern the group's status through his own observations.
Boss Zheng had dealt with their kind many times before.
If not wealthy, then noble.
The rich and noble share one obvious trait: they are afraid of dying. Terrified of it.
Watching the old man cautiously pull a Silver Needle from his clothes to test the soup for poison before allowing the others to drink, Zheng Xiu nodded to himself, his suspicion confirmed.
Zheng Xiu lowered his head and sipped the broth. The village chief said it was made from the local Baili carp; its meat was tender and smooth, and the resulting soup was fresh, sweet, and delicious. Even Boss Zheng, who had tasted countless delicacies, almost bit his own tongue off after the first sip.
"This is fish?"
Zheng Xiu was skeptical at first, but then the beaming village chief scooped the boiled-soft fish bones out of the pot, and he was convinced.
He glanced at the softened fish skeletons, drained his bowl, and was about to get a refill when a strange thought flashed through his mind:
"Why are all the heads missing from these fish skeletons?"