Lei stood silent for a long second, fingers trembling as he watched Snake and Stone climb down through the mountain path. Their robes were riddled with holes, smeared with blood and mud, but their skin gleamed smooth under the sun, and there was a wide smile on their lips.

Is this real?

The search, the fights, that rotten bastard who blocked their path… Everything flashed past before his eyes like a filmstrip. He’d tried to hold on to that hope, and played deaf against the heart pounding in his chest. Cursed himself for how weak and desperate he’d been through all of it.

And now, to see those two smiling wide as they hopped down through the mountain path, something unraveled in his mind. Shoulders slumped, he wobbled a couple of steps before barely correcting himself. His legs couldn’t stand the weight of his body, yet he remained on his feet. His arms trembled violently, yet he clutched his fists and stood strong.

His boys were still alive. Still breathing.

“I knew it!” Fatty Lou said with a face flushed with excitement, tears glistening in his eyes as he wiped them with the back of his hand. “I’ve never doubted. Never!”

A tap on the solid ground, then Stone came dashing across the distance, threw himself into Lei’s arms. Lei pulled him high and held him tight as Stone started sobbing. He caressed the boy’s head and told him over and over again that everything was going to be all right.

They were together now, once again, and this time, Lei would make sure they were never separated.

“Big Brother Lou, I’m relieved to see—”

“What did you say now?” Fatty Lou scowled into Snake’s eyes when the little brat stretched a hand toward him. He swatted the hand away and stared Snake down with a glare. “You were worried about your Elder Brother here? Some stone must’ve caught you while you were there. Last I remember, it was you two brats who got kidnapped by some bastard into this forest, not the other way around!”

Snake bit his lower lip and tried to step back, but Fatty Lou lunged forward and took him into a bear hug. He fondled his hair even though Snake flailed in his arms, but Lei could see the smile on the little boy’s lips.

Relief washed over Lei as he held Stone at arm's length, glancing down at him.

“How?” he asked finally. “I thought those stones…”

“There was an old—”

“Tunnel!” Snake cut off Stone’s words right away, glaring at him before flashing a smile at Lei. “There was an old tunnel inside the mountain. We were lucky to find it when the walls started coming down. It took us all the way up to the mountain, then we used those steps to get down.”

“An old tunnel?” Lei frowned in doubt, staring up at the steps on the side of the mountain. “You crawled up in that state?”

“You have to show some spirit, Big Brother Lei. That’s what Big Brother Lou always says, right?” Snake puffed his cheeks out with pride. “We did just that. Pushed through until we saw daylight. We couldn’t have stayed still. Not after we saw you facing that rotten man.”

“Did he do anything to you?” Lei asked, heart clenching tight around his chest. Even Fatty Lou’s smile gave way to a nervous scowl, as if he was preparing himself for the worst.

“He took our blood,” Stone said with a trembling voice. “Said it was tainted and needed to be cleaned before being presented to his Master.”

“Master?” Lei said. “That man wasn’t alone?”

Snake shook his head. “We never saw that Master, but he must be deep in the mountain. I think he’s hurt. Elder Huang told the thug that his Master needs time to recuperate.”

A bad taste settled in Lei's mouth. He tapped a finger to his cheek as he paced around the group. A rotten man who could corrupt beasts with a dozen cultivators working under him. He was shocked when he saw Lei standing strong after that attack. Muttered something about mana.

Who the hell are you people?

Lei didn’t know, but he wasn’t about to linger around and try to learn the truth. Snake and Stone could smile all they wanted, but Lei knew what they’d gone through was nothing short of traumatic. He had to get his boys back to the house. Get them back to the house and let them rest.

“Mm,” he said after a long pause, turning toward Zhu Luli. “We should go back. Can you tell Little Yao to find us a safe path? I don’t think I want to take my chances against the forest.”

A pained growl shook the ground beneath their feet as trees swayed dangerously about. It seemed to Lei that his dumplings were still doing some serious work over there, and he had no intention of being a part of it.

“Let’s go,” he said, sparing one last glance at the mountain before nodding to himself. “I don’t want to stay here any longer.”

……..

It was past afternoon, and a gentle breeze whistled a pleasant tune as Lei’s group strode toward the city. The Darkloom Forest had long since become a dot in the distance, but Lei could still hear the growling in the web of his ears, ringing inside his mind.

A glance at Stone and Snake brought him back to reality. Hard to believe these two little boys had clung to life, borne through all the hurdles, and come out smiling in the end.

It was the little things, Lei found, that revealed the fear and desperation they’d gone through. A sudden pause in speech, or that how Snake always seemed to peer toward the endless skies, eyes looking deep in thought as he fondled the ring on his finger.

It would take some time before they left everything behind.

Back to normal now.

That was what Lei tried to tell himself, but deep in his core, he knew that nothing was normal about the whole ordeal. The rotten bastard who called himself Elder Huang, whom the System showed as a mortal even though the man was nothing short of a corrupted beast hiding in human skin, weighed on his mind.

Mana. An odd thing to say, indeed. Lei wasn’t a stranger to the word, and yet it seemed Zhu Luli and Fatty Lou had never heard of it before. Then again, Zhu Luli did say the man couldn’t be a Death Cultivator since he didn’t shed a drop of blood after being stabbed with a steel sword.

Foul stench, rot, and pus.

He shook his head. He had more questions on his hands than the rocks crunching under his feet. The fields stretched all around him, full of swaying wheat stalks and men laboring under the bloody sun. Nobody knew what horrors lurked up in the distance, hidden behind the trees, perhaps concocting an evil plan that would make them bleed.

How can you hide such a thing? Aren’t there Immortals in this world? Skyguards who could catch any bastard’s trail from miles away?

But then, Jiangzhen had been blasted by a cultivator’s attack some weeks prior, and the response to that destruction was barely considered apathetic. It seemed like nobody cared as long as it was the mortals who got the short end of the stick. Poke a finger into the pot of some high-nosed bastard, though, and you’re bound to get some attention.

This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

His first thought was to alert the authorities. Tell them there was an evil organization hiding near Jiangzhen, kidnapping children from the city to use in unorthodox practices. But who would answer? Those guards who’d readily let that thug walk away after giving him a slap on the wrist? The Governor, who was busy entertaining some mysterious guests, couldn’t spare a damned second to see the situation in his city?

Or perhaps he should cry out like a madman in the Eastern Square, telling the folk they were in deep trouble. That ought to get him some reactions. He could then build upon that initial response.

“Sister Luli,” he said when his thoughts crammed together into a twisted mess. When Snake and Stone turned toward him, Lei swallowed the question in his mind and instead gave them a smile. “Do you remember our deal?”

“Deal?” Zhu Luli cocked an eyebrow at him. “Of course I do. Actually, I can’t wait to start.”

“Mm,” Lei said, nodding with a little smile. “I think we shouldn’t waste any time and get to work right away.”

“We need a wide space if we’re going to do this,” Zhu Luli said. “All the space we can get, and a carpenter, one who knows their business. A dozen dummies would be enough for a start.”

“What about weapons?” Lei asked with a hint of doubt in his voice. “Swords, spears, shields?”

“We’ll see about that,” Zhu Luli answered. “You can’t just give them the toys and expect them to perform. I have to first understand their disposition and talents before making a decision. And you only get to pick your weapon once you’ve established a good foundation.”

“What about you, then?” Fatty Lou asked from the side, the wooden staff in his hand thumping against the ground as he used it like a walking stick. “A cultivator like you should’ve picked one long ago, no?”

“I can use that sword,” Snake said, eyes glinting as he glanced at the steel sword strapped on Zhu Luli’s back.

Zhu Luli shook her head. “Weapons don’t make a cultivator; hard work does. And I’ve been practicing Thousand Node Fingers for years now. A sword or a spear will only slow me down.”

That’s a cultivator’s Martial Art, alright. Has the name for it.

Lei wondered if, in the future, he would develop something like that. His would probably take inspiration from dishes.

The Boiling Pot Rises From the East… Seems not that bad, eh? Or the Spiritual Ladle Slaps People Dead?

Now that he thought about it, his fingers started itching for the touch of that poor-quality but always faithful ladle that had been shattered into pieces by that bastard. He would have to find a new one and grow it into a spiritual tool. The satisfying crunch the ladle produced against hard bone was still fresh in his mind.

“Big Sister Luli, what about me?” Stone asked all of a sudden, pulling all the attention to his innocent eyes. But there was a stubborn frown on his face. “I’m stronger than Brother Snake, and just like you, I think a sword will only slow me down.”

That earned a snort from Snake.

Hands on her hips, Zhu Luli gave Stone a solemn nod before looking up in thought. “There are thousands of Martial Arts and Cultivation Manuals in this world, Little Stone. I’m sure we can find one that suits you.”

“But how?” Stone asked with a sigh. “I don’t have any money.”

“Told you to start saving.” Snake poked him with an elbow. “This time, you’ll follow my lead. I’m sure Master Li will give us more work in the future.”

“Oh?” Zhu Luli chuckled. “More work, you say? I think the last time I checked, you could buy a good Martial Art from the Adventurers’ Guild for some thousand imperial gold. How long do you think it’ll take you to fork up that amount?”

“A thousand gold?!” Snake and Stone paused in their steps, staring wide-eyed at Zhu Luli.

“Well, what do you think?” Zhu Luli stole a glance at Lei as he gave her an amused smile. “If you two are diligent and do as I say, I’m willing to give you both a good Martial Art fitting to your talents. But I want absolute obedience!”

Snake and Stone shared a solemn look before they nodded. “We’re willing!”

“Good!” Zhu Luli said, clapping her hands as she turned toward Lei. “A good teacher couldn’t ask for more from her pupils. And we have a Spirit Chef at our backs. How good is that?”

“Left alone to gather dust,” Fatty Lou muttered. “But I shall stay strong. I’ve braved many a wind to let this sort of thing shatter my will. Alone, I shall pave a path to greatness.”

“Too bad I’ll need a handyman to fix me a couple of things,” Lei said as he clapped Fatty Lou on the back. “Can’t go around chasing ladies anymore, eh, brother? We have a mess on our hands, and I’ll be relying on your quick wit to come up with a solution.”

Fatty Lou glanced strangely at him, which made Lei lower his voice. “We have to do something about that Master. Can’t act like he doesn’t exist.”

“You’re right,” Fatty Lou said gravely. “I’ll see what I can do. At worst, I’ll knock on my old man’s door to seek his help. He’s been baking for the Governor’s Office for years now.”

“Do that, but try to keep it quiet. These people have eyes and ears in the city. I doubt not all of them are mere thugs ratting about in the streets. You know the saying: if there’s one rat, there are more hiding.”

“Trust me, I know,” Fatty Lou clenched the wooden staff tight in his hands. “I’ll never forget the stench of that rotten bastard.”

“Big Brother Lei, what are you two talking about over there?” came Snake’s voice, curious as a fox as he craned his head toward them. “Would you let me in?”

“Don’t worry yourself about these things, Little Snake,” Lei said and pulled the boy into his arms, ruffling his head. He then pointed to Zhu Luli with a finger as Snake chuckled beside him. “I want you to take a good rest when we get back, because I’m afraid you won’t be getting any under your new teacher’s care.”

“You mean Big Sister Luli?” Snake shrugged with confidence. “It’ll be a piece of cake!”

“Ignorant and bold,” Fatty Lou barked out a laugh. “You don’t know what that woman’s capable of, little brat. I’d be careful if I were you.”

Lei shook like a wet dog, nodding at Fatty Lou. “I’ve suddenly got the chills. What about you?”

Fatty Lou patted his left arm with a frown. “Got them all over my arm, too.”

“You two…” Snake gulped nervously under their gaze. “Can’t be serious.”

“Oh, but we are, sneaky Snake,” Fatty Lou said while Lei nodded. “You wanted to get strong, and you’ll get your wish. It’s just that it’s not going to be easy at all.”

“I—” Snake sputtered, then took a deep breath and clenched his fists. “I can do it. I’m ready to do it. Whatever it takes, I will never back down.”

Lei clapped him on the shoulder. “That’s the spirit! Now go tell your Little Brother the same. I don’t think he’s as eager to take on the challenge as you are.”

After sending Snake away, Lei frowned out across the distance, peering at Jiangzhen’s silhouette looming before them.

“We all need to get stronger,” he muttered, pulling up the System’s interface. A blinking notification appeared:

[Tier Upgrade Quest Available] - Prepare an Earth-tier dish.