"So? How was it?" Pan Tian asked.
"It's... interesting... thank you for showing me how. It didn't mention any curses. Does that mean it's not cursed?" Jie asked. She still felt a little stunned by the sudden surge of information and didn't like the mention of slavery let alone slaves being forced to fight for entertainment. But it felt good to finally know how to use a scroll of wisdom.
Pan Tian nodded. "If it finds a curse, it should tell you," she said, "but whether it finds one or not depends on the scroll you're using and how well hidden the curse is. So, it's always best to be cautious. What did it tell you?"
Jie relayed the information to the other girls.
"This one thinks that's a most impressive find," Ithilix said.
"I agree," Pan Tian said, "we should all take turns studying it. I'm sure we can learn a lot."
Jie smiled in response. They were right, of course. Even though the idea of slavery infuriated her, it'd be foolish to waste such a learning opportunity. It still bothered her though.
Jie stored the book in her storage ring and the other girls resumed their work. Now with Jie helping them go through it all as Pan Tian gifted her some scrolls of wisdom.
Jie then used scrolls on some of the books next to the one she'd first chosen. The first of which had a purple leather cover with a golden symbol of the number seven imprinted upon its spine.
A copy of the seventh of a twelve-volume set of historical texts covering Long Kui's battle with the Dark Hive Queen Trinix and his subsequent ascent to become the Spectral Emperor, ruler of the Shandian Hearthlands.
This copy was penned by Vorrmak The Arak Scribe. The handwriting is poor, but it's otherwise a faithful replication.
'Before he became the Spectral Emperor, those whose hearts cried for freedom knew well the name of the Spectral Warrior Long Kui.'
Jie shook her head, wondering if she'd eventually get used to the strange sensation of having knowledge smashed into her mind like that. Curious, she briefly flipped through the book. Some of the pages had rough drawings of maps and she couldn't help but recognize a marker for Heping City.
I guess I'm in the Shandian Hearthlands then... she thought. Knowing the name of the region she was in seemed like it should be important... but somehow Jie found she didn't care all that much.
She stored the book and identified another one with a red leather cover.
A cultivation manual describing the Path of Blood cultivation method and the creation of blood qi.
This particular manual was penned by High Priestess Vrethka.
While following the cultivation methods described is likely to indeed produce blood qi, it should be noted that this manual is filled with zealous language and false promises designed to indoctrinate those who read it into following 'The Blood Goddess'. And, to revere the goddess's 'holy messenger', the author.
Jie shared her discovery with the others and they agreed it might be worth seeing if there was anything useful for their own cultivation to be found within the manual's pages. Despite its attempts at brainwashing.
Now that she knew how to use scrolls of wisdom, Jie had an idea.
"I still feel like I might throw up lightning," Jie said, "I'm just going to move away from you guys for a bit and try to settle down."
Pan Tian and Ithilix gave her concerned looks and Jie felt guilty despite her words mostly being true.
"Do you want another healing pill?" Pan Tian asked.
"No, I'm okay. Just... my cultivation feels a bit unstable," Jie said, "don't worry. I think it's best if there's some distance between us for a moment. I won't go far."
"Alright... if you're sure..." Pan Tian said.
Jie gave her a smile and slipped away out of view of the other girls. Then, with a look over her shoulder to ensure they weren't watching, Jie took out the stone she'd gained all the way back in the Crimson Vault. She felt guilty for the deception, but it seemed preferable to triggering the reaction and wiping their memories again. Or revealing the fact that she didn't understand what the item she'd told them about earlier was.
Jie focused on the stone and used a scroll of wisdom.
A hideous, malformed rock. One would think nature could not produce such a travesty. Congratulations on wasting a scroll on such a worthless, wretched item. Idiot.
Jie blinked. Well, that was rude. Though I guess I shouldn't be surprised... what did I expect from such a low-ranked scroll when even Ming couldn't remember it? Jie thought.
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
She shook her head before storing the stone in her ring and returning to her friends once more.
They soon finished in the secret room and returned to the main chamber where they gathered up the treasures there. Some gold and silver coins that hadn't been sucked into the treasure construct, some scrolls that hadn't been blasted into ash. Most of them were just scrolls of wisdom. But, there were some hand-drawn maps of the world, some of which conflicted with one another, and other scrolls which described poetry or music.
Much of the artwork had been destroyed with the rest of the treasure, but they were still able to collect some statues and glittering gemstones. The most elaborate tapestries were now little more than ash. Pan Tian seemed to think that was particularly unfortunate as she suspected they'd been worth a great deal. But, there was nothing to be done about it now.
Several metal crowns covered in glittering jewels had survived. After identifying one, Ithilix had snuck up behind Jie and placed it on her head then announced loudly, "Now you're definitely a princess!" Before bursting into giggles together with Pan Tian.
Jie returned a mock glare at the girls, then identified two crowns of her own. Once she was sure they were free of curses, she chased the other two girls down and placed a crown upon their heads.
More giggling followed, during which Pan Tian placed a crown on Xue's head only for him to regard her coolly and flick his tail before settling back down into that easy snooze that seemed to come so naturally to cats, his crown still in place.
There were a few surviving books too. Most of which were dry historical texts that Pan Tian said collectors might be interested in. Several weapons were destroyed along with much of the rest of the loot, but there were a handful that remained in good condition.
A hammer Pan Tian identified as a Hammer of Bone, and two cursed weapons. One was an axe that gave its wielder hiccups and the other a sword that would grant its wielder exceptional hearing at the cost of making them blind.
They stored the cursed treasures in their storage rings without touching them. Pan Tian thought they might have some worth to collectors or as prank gifts for more powerful cultivators. They collected jewels, some surviving pottery, artwork, and even some jade figurines as well as other treasures. Most of the stuff seemed like junk to sell as far as Jie was concerned. Though the blue gems that Pan Tian called refinement shards seemed somewhat interesting.
On finding them, Pan Tian and Ithilix each broke one on their weapons. Blue energy poured out from the stones into their weapons until the stones turned black and broke down into fragments.
"So, they empower your weapons?" Jie asked.
"Yes. They're like cultivation resources for weapons," Pan Tian said.
"Weapons can cultivate?" Jie asked.
Pan Tian, Ithilix, and Xue all looked at her like she was insane.
"Everything can cultivate," Pan Tian said as she gave Jie an odd look.
Some of the electrum was still molten but slowly cooling. Jie's friends cultivated to replenish their qi while Jie read through the manual on the path of blood. She would've cultivated too, but she dared not add any more energy to her dantian until she'd had time to settle it.
She hoped they'd get into some fights that pushed her a bit soon so she could stabilize faster. The book was an interesting read though, and she had some thoughts on how she might be able to adjust her cultivation method. It seemed like it would allow her to cultivate faster and better. But, she couldn't test it out just yet.
Once Ithilix and Pan Tian had regained their energies they all turned their attention to the now cooled-off remains of the treasure monster. The metal lacked the toughness it had before and it was easy to break off pieces and deposit them inside their storage rings.
A few of the weapons trapped in the creature's bulk had survived. A gleaming black spear called Starless Night, a metal hammer that worked well with sonic qi called The Reverberator, and a silver sword called Death Fang.
Just more junk to sell with the rest as far as Jie was concerned.
After collecting everything, they continued on through another long, dark series of passages lined with skulls and bones.
They found a few smaller treasures in alcoves and bypassed countless traps. Jie had the feeling they were slowly heading downward, but it was difficult to tell and the passageways looked indistinguishable.
They encountered a few packs of giant spiders and some skeletons but Jie dealt with them easily each time.
"I'm surprised that everything in here is so weak. I thought it'd be tougher. Like the trials," Jie said.
"The only things that gave you trouble in the trials were the ghosts the plaque summoned and that huge monster in the lake," Pan Tian pointed out, "you even killed that woman in the garden."
"I didn't kill her," Jie said, "I tried to keep her from killing herself."
"Whatever," Pan Tian said, "besides, you had that treasure construct. Wasn't that hard enough for you?"
"Well... yes. I just thought it'd be tougher inside that's all," Jie said.
"It's more controlled here and the dungeon is for students. These enemies would be difficult for Ithilix and me without you," Pan Tian said.
"I guess that makes sense," Jie said.
"What's strange is you complaining about it. Oh no! Poor me, I'm so strong I'm getting rich with my friends and it's not even hard. We entered the dungeon in record time and now I can spend it all taking all the shiniest treasures. My life is just the worst!" Pan Tian cried with a giggle that echoed through the long, dark tunnels.
"I wasn't complaining. I just thought it was weird that's all," Jie said.
Pan Tian stuck her tongue out at Jie and giggled again.
"This one thought being quiet was the goal?" Ithilix said.
"We're not being that loud, but you're right. If we attract too many enemies, Jie will slaughter them all and then get mad at them for not being a challenge," Pan Tian said, "I can't wait for her to travel. Can you picture it, Ithilix? Our martial sister out in the wilds where she encounters merciless bandits. I can almost hear it: Bandits! Oh no!
"How could you attack me when you're so weak it isn't even a challenge? Naughty bandits! You're bad and you should feel bad! Disgraceful. I have no choice but to take all your treasure. I don't suppose you have a strong leader so I can rip them to pieces and consume their flesh as a body conditioning resource after I crush their cultivation and absorb it for myself do you? I have to do something to keep my boredom at bay."
Ithilix giggled and then covered it with a cough.
Jie rolled her eyes. "I need to stabilize my cultivation but these ones are all too weak," she said, "and I just thought it would be harder, okay?"
Pan Tian giggled even more which set off Ithilix again.
They continued down the long, dark passages with endless echoing giggles seeming to come from every direction at once.
Jie sighed.