The sun came and went, and the hot and cold of passing days shifted the rocks of the mountain. Irresponsible skin grew boils, and fingers froze.

Hao, in that time, had a conversation with all those he enjoyed talking to, primarily about his coming hunt. Each gave a response of concern, warning, helpful tips, and well wishes if they gave any response at all. Senior Tuzai just gave a quick lesson. A fast tutorial on skinning, killing, and questioning Hao on a few things.

Hao was heading to the mission hall while his mind was elsewhere. There was more time in the days and nights than Hao spent talking to people. The Spirit-holding bag was reaching a state. Near full of dirt and herbs along with his many possessions. The two badges from the Elders, along with the Drinking-Stone, which was floating off on its own.

Hao had found the best way to use the golden stones. Right now, the only way. He let them soak in water after breaking them down to a powder form, letting that water drip over the many plants he was cultivating. The golden crystals did exactly dissolve in haste. He took care of how he used it if he had the chance. I have yet to try it on anything other than plants.

Too much control over the bag was still something beyond Hao. He got better, but having a grasp on the way water flowed into the bag was a level of feat too far for him to see.

Hao entered the mission hall. The atmosphere was the same as before, dozens of people, little sea snake eyes finding the small fish to eat, and the tallest stalk of seagrass to wrap around. Each time Hao visited, he ensured it was a different time; Gathering attention was the last thing he wanted to do.

It was a slight inconvenience; he had to pay for his caution. He did not think he would visit often, but he had to turn in herbs in small batches, not all he had, and never ones with healthy roots. His eye avoided the temptation of the bigger price tag.

This morning was the same as when he had entered before. The place was quiet, with a wave of murmurs but more populated than the paths outside. It was still early. Most of them had no reason to cower; The winds had passed fully during the breakfast he ate with Meiqi and Zhengqi.

The taste was still on his tongue. He did not let the people in the room sour it. Fire-roasted beast meat with a jam sauce made from the berries. They had their rations too, a type of sailor bread. Meiqi cracked it up with Hao’s help before soaking it in hot water to make a porridge, sweetened by a medicinal honey Zhengqi had hidden away. The breakfasts never got boring. Eating with the two beautiful women, one sly and funny, the other intelligent, sharper than any blade’s edge Hao had seen.

The group Hao spotted as his own did not look so entertaining or entertained. They weren’t hard to spot. Lou Yi Shou was being the same self he was before. Loudly confident, a cheeky display. An arrogance that attempted to express his reliability, Hao saw through it, which only helped to hinder that sense of reliance.

Yi Shou saw Hao a little after Hao spotted the group of four. The young man was quick to usher Hao forward, pulling him by the shoulder to the rest of the group.

“Brother Hao, the days are as busy as water is blue. You know the two beautiful sisters. This is the fourth of our group. Senior brother Tui. He is a big boon to our fighting strength.” Yi Shou said, mimicking the quick swing of an axe. Clearly copying the movements of the large man in front of Hao.

The one named Tui had a still and solid face, taller than Yi Shou by a head and a half, two heads over Hao. Unkempt in the face and head shaved on the sides. It was an awkward look. There was no flow from beard to hair but a rather sudden stop-and-start where the hair was. The most important feature he had on full display was the enormous axe on his back, its blade oversized and one-sided.

Yi Shou similarly introduced Hao as his “Brother.” He did not hesitate to mention the life-saving grace Hao had done. When the introductions were over, Hao and the sturdy Tui had perfunctory half-bows. Both were uninterested in the person bowing opposite to themselves.

An awkward silence was quick to fall in the middle of the group; The only one who was talking was Yi Shou, and even he needed to catch his breath.

That break did not last long. Yi Shou started speaking again, pointing toward the exit with the feathered hand-fan. He did well leading the group, moving them all with haste towards their goal.

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It was a good while after stepping outside the sect until another voice outside Yi Shou’s was heard.

“I’m surprised Big Brother Tui would be willing to join this mission after what I told you,” Jingshe spoke; The second eldest spoke to Tui, who was nearby. Her words were not quiet, yelling over the group in the least subtle way possible.

“It should be fine. Green-horn bulls are easy to hunt. Having two newbies is usually alright, as long as they don’t serve as a hindrance and slow us down.” The man named Tui said. His voice was a rumble. In the light of the outdoor sun, Hao noticed how old the man was. Similar in stature to Axe but slightly older, he could have been Hao’s uncle, his father’s older brother.

Tui looked back at Hao during his words. Not shying from staring at the young girl named Dai, who was in their group too. He turned his face away when Yi Shou slowed down to step in front of her.

The older man wore a growing smirk. Hao sunk deep into the thought, looking at the two oldest in the group. They both had different intentions when looking at the people they thought of as weak and young.

They did not look like a team the moment their trips started. The looks they gave each other and the growing distance between each member only grew, making them seem more separated. Two pairs and Hao alone, trailing behind. The two older competed to take the lead, while the younger three fell behind. Yi Shou stayed slow talking to junior sister Dai.

Hao stayed just a little behind them. The two up front were loud in their talking, insulting the people behind them. The people were half their age, yet they had to hunt with.

Joining a group with one person like this… Should I have asked about the Fourth person in the group before joining? A thought Hao could not help but have. Indeed, Hao did not know if he would have another chance like this; it was not every day a nearly fully formed hunting team asked a kid to join. But the two upfront, the strongest of their group, seemed neither bright nor kind.

The only trustworthy person was Lou Yi Shou. At least he knows gratitude. He could learn to speak in a softer, less honest tone. The girl named Dai spoke too little to make a judgment.

All things considered, the deal was still sweet. The mission itself was a major factor to consider. Herb gathering paid well enough for the time it took, as long as the time was lucrative in finding plants. But time was not infinite. Neither were the herbs on the mountain.

This Secret Realm no one wanted to mention, would be opening soon. Hao desperately wished to participate this year. If not, he would have to wait another year. The thought of waiting another year in this powerless state he found himself in drained Hao of life. Which only kept the fire flickering.

Could I keep the treasures a secret—Could I even keep my life? The uncertainty was chilling. The only thing he knew was he was beyond the stream, but he had to forge a path forward on the thread, even if fate did not like that path.

Many things he wanted to unsee haunted his mind as he went through the forest. It was nothing new. An everyday thing that only kept quiet when he was enjoying breakfast or the library, or losing himself in cultivation.

His death was a factor. But the dreams from the stone paths of the Bone-shaking Trial would tickle his head, an itch that stayed and returned no matter how hard he scratched. His parents passing, the little girl swallowed by the waves, the treasure in his possession a piece in all of that.

Does this world wish to devour me? The Second Elder’s parted lips coming towards him. Showing me a piece of hell before dangling a drop of the heavens. Is it all to make me fight so I can die? The question was to whoever could hear it; Himself included.

Lost in thought, Hao started to leap forward at a good speed; he caught up to Yi Shou and Dai, nearly passing them.

“Oh, was Brother Hao hiding some of his strength?” Yi Shou said. His smiling voice woke Hao from his nightmares. In a snap, his mind was awake, and so was the person he wore outside, the half-blood Islander who wanted to live, the Cultivator named Hao.

“Haha, no Brother Yi Shou, I was pushing myself. It’s a little embarrassing to fall behind.” Hao said, his face pulling up into a fading smile. His head, dragging away from their direction, was hard to wear. It began to sink now that it was hidden away. In a way, he had surpassed humanity, and mortality was behind him; he was above it, but he was exhausted. The mortal parts of his day were what sustained him.

“Brother Hao should reserve himself, keep your strength for the beast. The last place we saw them was just up ahead.” The words barely reached Hao. He was falling back, further than before, thinking about porridge and dry fruit.

Yi Shou was not fibbing this time. The group stopped after another ten minutes of running. Each landing to a perfect stop in the group. No one appeared tired. Except for Hao, but for different reasons than the rest assume. But Jingshe and Tui were quick to point it out in silent words, snickering as Hao arrived, smirking while he looked at them, slightly tired.

Hao did not mind them—No, perhaps he did. As they silently stalked the open areas of the forested mountain’s side, Hao continually reminded himself of the positives of completing the mission. From just one-fifth share, he would have enough points to get access to the second floor of the library for a few days. And if they asked Senior Tuzai for the flesh and blood of the beast.

The thoughts that barged into his mind were vile ones he wished not to acknowledge. A spoil, a rot in his heart. A demon that was trying to worm its way through him. The sturdy, tall, and broad Tui hung up on one of Tuzai’s hooks, another beast to process. With the elegant beauty of Jingshe, he was curious if her bones were identical to the charred bones of the two ugly men in the spirit-holding bag.

Hao gripped his head. His hands became vices, squeezing down as he walked. He was silent despite it, as this mission would not be his to mess up. It was only morbid curiosity, a distraction, not a fixation.

The search was short but arduous. Every time a noise was made, the hunting team stopped, letting the sounds of the forest return. In the silence, they could hear the bumbling of large bodies placed upon small feet.

They came into sight from a distance. Each took a turn to watch the creatures from behind a tree. The herd was smaller than the last and first Hao had seen.

No more than seven grouped tightly in a circle eating, a few young not worth counting in the center. And as experience told him, he found the largest in the back. But he was not lying down, relaxing with the sun on his back.

He was eating like the rest, showing off his size by standing close by. His giant green head never went too low. The branch-like horns soaking in the sunlight. His ears and tail too.

A large branch, larger than Tui’s arm, was eaten by the grinding of his teeth.

“Alright, let's go through a plan before we begin.” Yi Shou whispered. Everyone turned their heads. Getting close to the listen.