Chapter 30 – Toxic Dumplings

The air grew heavier as they strode deeper into the forest. It was damp and dark, and Lei kept glancing over his shoulder to see if the beasts were trailing them. The foreboding feeling from his [Spiritual Sensitivity] skill remained clutched tight around his heart. Thankfully, Zhu Luli didn’t seem too bothered by the silence that surrounded them.

He didn’t know what he’d expected, but facing off against rotten beasts wasn’t high on the list. Their stench was everywhere, growing worse as they closed in on the mountain.

By the time they found a place to spend the night, it had started raining. It was a small hill with a couple of caves dug deep into its side, with mossy walls that smelled damp and felt wet to the touch. There wasn’t much to the caves other than silent walls of stone, most of them riddled with claw marks and faint traces of blood.

It was clear that peace wasn’t much of a thing in this part of the forest.

Better to have something over your head than a looming canopy. That’s what I’m thinking.

Lei placed his wok over the wooden logs, organizing his ingredients one by one at the side. He’d found a round stone inside to serve as a prep counter and dragged it near the mouth of the cave to get a wide and rather dark view of the forest beyond. It almost felt like the start of an outdoor picnic, except he had bare trunks and sickening crunches for company, and there was no music.

Heavy droplets pattered on the leaves as he started the fire. A bright and curious face watched from beside the stone, a little squirrel perched on her right shoulder, looking just as interested. They were almost too quiet; Lei couldn’t even feel their presence, but the same couldn’t be said for his brother-in-arms, who was snoring loudly inside the cave.

He wasn’t too surprised when he learned that Zhu Luli could go without sleep for a few days. Cultivation brought more than just the raw power of flesh and bones, after all. But there were a few things he wanted to ask.

“You still have to eat, right?” Lei asked as he crushed a clove of garlic on his chopping board, flattening it with the side of his knife. He then pulled out an onion and peeled its skin.

Zhu Luli was leaning over the stone with her hands under her chin, her glinting eyes focused on the board. She raised an eyebrow at him. “What kind of question is that? Of course, I have to eat.”

Little Yao squeaked in approval.

“Huh,” Lei said. “I guess cultivators aren’t that different from mortals, then? I always thought you could just, I don’t know, snort some energy to make up for it.”

“You can theoretically live off spiritual energy alone, but before the Nascent Soul Stage, it would barely be enough to keep you alive. Core Formation Stage experts could go for a month or two without food.”

“How does that work, exactly?” Lei asked, wiping the knife with a cloth before pulling out a Yellow Ivy. The thing was around four feet tall and wider than a finger. He started cleaning its thorns with the sharp side of the knife.

“That’s a good question,” Zhu Luli said, flicking off a stray thorn near the board with a finger. “The problem with spiritual energy is that it’s essentially foreign to our mortal bodies, so you can’t just expect it to replace food and water right away. You can use it to strengthen your bones and tendons, but even then, it takes time, and the process needs gentle care. Therefore, it’s advised that even in the Qi Condensation Stage, you shouldn’t heedlessly try to inject spiritual energy into your organs without first establishing a certain control over Qi.”

“A little complicated, eh?” Lei said. It was a different explanation than the ones he knew from those novels, in which most people just basically become superhumans after climbing a couple of steps in cultivation.

“And not just food, but sleep is important too,” Zhu Luli said. “That’s why a good meditation technique can make a big difference. For example, whenever I meditate, my technique allows me to stay in a half-sleep, half-awake state, during which I can maintain the minor circles. That saves me from just sleeping through the night, doing nothing.”

“And this meditation technique…” Lei said as he sliced the Yellow Ivy into thin stalks, each one not longer than a finger, before placing them to the side. He then poured some cottonseed oil into the wok and added the diced onions and mashed garlic. “I think they’re not easy to get, are they?”

“Of course not,” Zhu Luli said. “They’re tightly kept secrets, developed through the painstaking efforts of generations in the most prominent clans. I believe this particular technique I’m using comes from my great-great-great uncle, who sadly passed while trying to bear the Heavenly Tribulation of the Earth Immortal Stage.”

“Uh-huh,” Lei said, trying to keep his face straight. That was normal. Nothing too crazy. The woman had over ninety spiritual roots and supposedly traveled across the Eastern Continent by herself, passing through all sorts of places with nothing but a spiritual squirrel by her side.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

That’s a genius for you. Lucky and bold. I would’ve just enjoyed the resources of my clan if I were in her shoes.

“And say that I don’t have a near-immortal great-great-great uncle, then is there a way for me to get one of those techniques?” Lei asked, glancing at her. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m just asking for the kids.”

“A way…” Zhu Luli said, pursing her lips. “I think they give you a technique and a manual when you get your cultivation license, but those are usually low-tiered. Good enough for practice and to get a feeling of spiritual energy, but beyond that, I don’t think anybody uses the Empire’s techniques. You can always try to join a sect or an academy, though.”

Lei nodded gravely. “I think I was just hoping there would be another way. Those brats can be a handful, but they deserve much better than a set of simple techniques.” He glanced back at his brother-in-arms, who was deep in his dreams, and sighed out a long breath. “And they’re talented too. I guess we have to let them go and spread their wings at some point. Can’t drag them down with us.”

“Or I can just give you another technique. A more simple, but still effective one,” Zhu Luli smiled meaningfully at him. “Granted, I’ll have to get something in return. My father wouldn’t take it lightly if he learned I’d leaked our family secrets to outsiders.”

“Something in return?” Lei stopped as he was about to add the chopped ivy stalks into the wok. “Like what?”

Zhu Luli tapped a finger onto her right cheek as she shared a look with Little Yao. “I don’t know, perhaps you can allow me to eat more of your dishes for… six months?”

“Six months?” Lei said.

“Ouch— Fine, a year!” Zhu Luli pulled her arm away when Little Yao pinched the side of her elbow, looking furious. “A year! I’ll get you the ingredients and can teach you more about cultivation, and in return, you’ll let us both eat your dishes for the next year.”

“Deal,” Lei said right away, winking at Little Yao.

He couldn’t have hoped for a more lucrative deal, and this meant that he wouldn’t have to risk sharing his dishes with a broader crowd. That was the part that really relieved him. Even though Zhu Luli had proved herself to be a reliable and sincere companion, it was hard to say it would be the case with other cultivators.

Lei added parts of the Bloodberry into the wok and let them soak in all the juice. He wanted to get that thick consistency so that he could roll up the cooked mixture into little balls. He wouldn’t just serve plates of food to those rotten beasts; no, he would throw little snacks around the forest to lure them out of their hiding spots.

He was about to use the [Essence Enhancement] skill when the bushes near the cave stirred. Lei saw a flash bolt toward the distance as Little Yao took off, sharp claws glistening in the dark. Zhu Luli gave him a nod before trudging out toward her companion.

Lei tried to keep his focus on the wok. They’d expected the fire and the smell to draw some attention, which was why Zhu Luli and Little Yao had been standing with him. Perhaps it would be easier to just let them deal with the beasts, but they had no way of knowing how many of those beasts were trailing them.

Even a little confusion will help. Better than nothing.

He nodded as he used the [Essence Enhancement] skill. He couldn’t just sit there and do nothing. His boys were waiting for him.

...

[Corrupted Sabertongue - Fifth Step of the Body Tempering Stage] - (A Sabertongue corrupted by a special energy injected into its veins.)

Lei pinched his nose as he examined the corpse of the beast. This one was a touch stronger than the one that attacked them the other day, and it wasn’t alone; there was another one lying still behind it. The good thing was that Zhu Luli and Little Yao had made short work of them. Those two were strong.

“Can’t even catch a nap,” Fatty Lou said, rubbing his eyes tiredly. It wasn’t the sounds of the fighting that woke him, but Lei’s poke to his face. “Somebody’s dark work, I tell you.”

“Dark work indeed.” Lei nodded as he slapped a few red balls into Fatty Lou’s hand and curled his fingers around them. “Take these. We’ll toss them around the forest along the way.”

Fatty Lou sniffed them, his face twisting into a frown. “Bah!” he grunted. “Smells like shit and piss, with a hint of stink beans. You sure these beasts will eat them?”

Little Yao squeaked in protest, pointing at the balls.

“There’s your answer.” Lei shrugged and took some balls from his pack as well before clapping Fatty Lou on the back. “Make sure not to eat them, Brother Lou. I’ve poured some horrible stuff into these.”

“I can tell.” Fatty Lou cringed back a step.

The first lights of the morning started spilling between the cracks in the canopy as they made for the mountain. Lei’s [Spiritual Sensitivity] skill was on high alert, letting him know that there was a serious abnormality around them. He peered around every tree and stayed clear of the bushes, trailing Little Yao as he tossed the reddish-dark balls here and there.

[Spirited Toxic Dumplings: Mortal-grade, Medium-Quality] - (Highly poisonous and equally alluring.)

These things earned him a level in the [Essence Enhancement] skill. He’d cooked about a hundred balls, squeezing every bit of that Bloodberry. Besides the spiritual ingredients, he also added onions and garlic to at least give the balls some flavor. Though he wasn’t sure how they tasted, they had to be effective, as even before he used the skill on them, the smell alone had been enough to attract two beasts to their cave.

“Brother Lou, don’t just throw them,” Lei frowned at Fatty Lou when he saw his brother-in-arms tossing the berries without a care in the world. “Be a little more careful. We don’t have hundreds of those balls.”

“I can see that,” Fatty Lou huffed. “Considering how huge those beasts are, do you really think these little things will be enough to deal with them?”

“I’m not sure,” Lei said. “But I didn’t want a single beast to devour all the dumplings in our hands, so I figured the more, the better.”

“Makes sense,” Zhu Luli commented from behind them. “Brother Lou, it seems you’re not a morning person.”

“Look, Miss Zhu, I’m doing the best I can, but you can’t force a habit out of a man’s chest with just a bunch of words. I’ve never wished to be like this; I’m just… born this way, and I make up for it with my heavenly wits.”

“Some genius.” Lei shook his head, but he felt a smile slowly spread across his lips. The man just had that special quality about him that somehow eased Lei’s heart. Certainly made him chuckle in this twisted mash of a forest.

Lei tossed another ball toward the bushes.

Let’s hope they bite the bait. I’m curious about the effects of this thing.

...