Demihuman Traces

Two rows of footprints were imprinted in the mud, both plum-blossom-shaped marks resembling those of canines.

Yet the two sets differed vastly in size, and their strides were completely different as well.

The smaller prints had clearly been left by some four-legged beast, like a wolfhound in full run; the enormous tracks beside them, however, had such long, steady strides that they carried an extraordinary air—more like marks left by some towering Demihuman capable of walking upright.

By Chen Yu's guess, these Demihumans were very likely native creatures of Zeyarila.

"The footprints are clear... They should have passed by this morning. Were they investigating the strange disturbance in the forest last night?"

At that thought, Chen Yu felt faintly excited, like a shipwrecked man stranded on a lonely island for years who suddenly caught sight of unfamiliar footprints on the beach, his heart swelling with joy at the prospect of encountering civilization.

But he did not lower his guard because of it.

After all, he was only a Slime. Even a real human might not bear him any goodwill when faced with such a writhing, amorphous Demonic Beast, let alone these unidentified, unfathomable Demihuman outsiders.

But since Demihumans existed, the world beyond Swamp Forest might be even livelier than he had imagined.

Dragons and magic, humans and towering spires... It was a fantastical world that existed only in fantasy, utterly unlike Xuxuantian.

I really want to go out and see it.

I wonder what lies beyond Swamp Forest. Are there any tasty Demonic Beasts out there...

Only after letting his imagination run wild for a while did Chen Yu compose himself.

He was still far too weak. He could not even defeat the Stinger Bees blocking his doorstep, much less venture outside.

As for the Demihumans, he did not need to worry too much. Slimes like him were everywhere in this Swamp Forest. So long as he did not rashly reveal that he possessed intelligence, those Demihuman outsiders would find it difficult to take any interest in him.

After all, a weak Demonic Beast like a Slime could be crushed to death with one foot. No one would care.

So he quietly half-submerged himself in the swamp, not even hunting Moss Worms, and waited for the Demihumans who had ventured deep into the forest to return, intending to see the true face of these unfamiliar neighbors.

Unfortunately, Chen Yu waited until afternoon without seeing anyone return. The Stinger Bees above his head were quite annoying, though. Whenever they saw him floating on the water's surface, they attacked, clearly treating him as an enemy.

In the end, he grew somewhat bored. After secretly taking several stingers from his good neighbors, the Stinger Bees, he dived back into his nest to rest.

Xuxuantian.

Chen Yu rose from his wooden bed, ate lunch, and filled his clamoring stomach.

Threads of warmth, carrying the spiritual energy of grain, flowed into his Dantian, making him narrow his eyes in comfort.

After Devour and Digest rose to Lv.2, his appetite had grown larger than before, and his cultivation speed had become faster as well.

He wondered whether that counted as a good thing.

Whatever.

Being able to eat was a blessing.

Actually, spending some time in the Enforcement Hall's Little Black Room would not be bad either. At least someone would provide meals...

Chen Yu slung the Rosewood Sword across his back, pushed open the thatched hut's door, felt the bulging pouch tucked inside his robes, and headed toward North Peak.

He planned to browse the stalls in Nanqiao Market that sold Dao arts.

The range of Object Manipulation Technique was too short; he simply could not reach the Stinger Bees. He needed a Dao art specifically suited to countering them.

A quarter of an hour later, Chen Yu passed through Nanqiao Market Bridge Gate, and unlike the hustle and bustle of Green Bamboo Forest, a different sort of liveliness surged toward him from all directions.

He wandered around at leisure, picking up anything that caught his eye to ask its price, and after circling about, finally arrived at the stall where he had bought Object Manipulation Technique last time.

"Yo, Junior Brother, are you looking to exchange for some Dao Vouchers?"

The Rat Whisker Cultivator behind the stall immediately began rubbing his hands together at the sight of business. His cheekbones were high, his eyes narrow slits, and his face naturally carried a mean, sharp look.

He looked as though he had a cutting, caustic personality, and in truth, that was not wrong by the slightest margin.

When Chen Yu bought that scroll of "Object Manipulation Art" from him last time, he had only agreed to lower the price after half a day of haggling. He could spin a tale from Spirit Stones bought through the sect all the way to the tragic story of his mother dying when he was three and wild dogs chasing him when he was five.

He was quite an odd fellow.

Still, the Dao arts he sold were all things he had scavenged from outside. Though they were all junk, they really were cheap.

They were easy to learn, and powerful enough besides—more than sufficient for dealing with Stinger Bees.

"Forget the Dao Vouchers. I'm here to see what Dao arts you have," Chen Yu said.

Dao Vouchers were, in fact, contribution points circulated within the Three Origins Sect. They could only be earned by accepting sect missions or holding sect positions.

Within the sect, they were equal in value to Spirit Stones. When trading with fellow disciples, it usually took nearly one Spirit Stone to exchange for one Dao Voucher, and they had many uses, such as exchanging for precious Cultivation Methods from the Scripture Pavilion or expensive Pills from the Pill Tower.

Naturally, a disciple like Chen Yu, who loafed around in the sect waiting to eat and die without striving to improve, did not possess a single Dao Voucher.

Of course, he did not need any particularly expensive Cultivation Methods or Dao arts either.

"Hiss... That voice sounds awfully familiar."

The Rat Whisker Cultivator found Chen Yu's voice familiar the moment he heard him speak. He leaned closer and squinted at him, then his expression changed as he waved him away.

"Why is it you again, kid? Last time, you even haggled over an Object Manipulation Technique that cost two Spirit Stones. Go on, get lost. I'm not selling to you."

Chen Yu took out the pouch tucked inside his robes and tossed it lightly. "That would be a real pity. I was thinking I wouldn't haggle this time."

"Huh?" The Rat Whisker Cultivator showed a suspicious expression. "You're not trying to fool me with ordinary rocks, are you?"

"Senior Brother, Three Origins Sect disciples do not deceive Three Origins Sect disciples."

"Tch."

The Rat Whisker Cultivator shook his head disdainfully. He scoffed at Chen Yu's words, but the Spirit Stones in that pouch made his heart stir.

"Tell me, then. What do you want to buy this time?"

"To be honest, a nest of poisonous bees has been built in my backyard. I'm trying to figure out how to wipe them out, but they're too high up for me to reach."

The Rat Whisker Cultivator clicked his tongue in amazement and sighed nostalgically. "Cultivators these days are so delicate. They can't even climb trees. When I was three, I could already climb trees and raid bird nests for eggs. When I was four, I walked more than ten kilometers to study with the teacher in the mountains..."

Seeing that he was about to ramble on without end again, Chen Yu cut him off.

"Senior Brother, you're a vendor, not a storyteller at Treasures Pavilion. Be professional."

He gave a muffled snort. "I was merely speaking from the heart. If you don't want to listen, I'm not willing to tell it anyway."

The man bent over and rummaged through a bamboo-woven box for a while before finally handing over a tattered book.

Chen Yu picked it up and looked at it. "Lesser Arrow Technique?"

"Isn't this a Dao art used by late-stage cultivators?"

The Rat Whisker Cultivator cleared his throat. "That's right, so this is the son of Water Arrow Technique: Lesser Arrow Technique."

"Dao arts can reproduce?"

"Not exactly. This Lesser Arrow Technique was accidentally cultivated by an early-stage cultivator, who then secretly sold it to me for eight Spirit Stones."

"Although its power is reduced by ninety percent compared to Water Arrow Technique, its attack range remains unchanged. Once cultivated to the great mastery realm, not only can it pick off beehives in trees, it can even pluck earthworms out of the soil one by one."

"Since you're an acquaintance, I'll sell it to you for nine Spirit Stones."

Chen Yu naturally did not believe his nonsense, but honestly, nine Spirit Stones was not expensive for a Dao art.

"Here, take them."

He straightforwardly poured out nine Spirit Stones. This time, he truly did not haggle.

The Rat Whisker Cultivator put away the Spirit Stones and counted them. His gaze turned suspicious. Chen Yu had agreed too quickly, which instead made him uneasy.

"Has the sun risen in the west?"

"Junior Brother, are you alright?"

Chen Yu pointed at his bamboo-woven treasure chest.

"I'm not finished speaking."

"Do you remember the Maze Formation Diagram and Sound Transmission Technique you mentioned last time? Throw them in as a buy-one-get-two deal."

"Maze Formation Diagram? Sound Transmission Technique?"

"Easy, easy."

The Rat Whisker Cultivator grinned from ear to ear. These two pieces of junk could fetch at most two or three Spirit Stones. Even if he gave them away, he would still make a considerable profit.

To start with, this Maze Formation Diagram was a low-grade formation. Any cultivator who understood even a little formation theory could easily break it.

As for the so-called Sound Transmission Technique, it only worked through physical contact. It could be useful in certain situations, but it was also something found everywhere in the cultivation world.

Afraid that Chen Yu would regret it, the man hurriedly bent down, took out the formation diagram and book, patted off the dust lingering on them, and handed them over.

Still, he could not help muttering a question.

"What do you want a Maze Formation Diagram for, kid? To guard against wild boars?"

"What if I happen to encounter a cultivator who doesn't understand formation theory?"

The Rat Whisker Cultivator sat back down in his chair and leisurely fanned himself.

"A cultivator who doesn't understand formation theory? That would probably be rarer than Hundred Treasures Scorpions in Ten Thousand Poisons Cave. Things are too competitive these days. Even Rogue Cultivators from the countryside know a little about formations."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk... Someone who doesn't understand formation theory? You'll have quite a search ahead of you."

Chen Yu placed the formation diagram and book inside his robes, keeping them close to his body. He had originally wanted to ask a few questions about cultivating Dao arts, but suddenly sensed something and decisively turned, hurrying away.

"I have something to do. I'm leaving first."

With that, he vanished into the sea of people.

Wait.

That kid ran off so quickly. Could the Spirit Stones he gave me be fake?

The Rat Whisker Cultivator suddenly woke to the possibility. He hurriedly brought one to his mouth and bit down. Only after sensing threads of pure spiritual energy within and confirming it was genuine did he let out a breath of relief.