Upon learning that the herb was very likely a Nine-Leaf Violet Orchid, Jiang Ping An's heart gave a violent leap.
An urge to set off at once and pick it surged through him. He almost wanted to fly out of Great Lake Village immediately.
But he forcibly suppressed that restless impulse and calmed down.
So many years had passed. Whether that Nine-Leaf Violet Orchid was still growing safely in its original spot remained unknown.
Perhaps it had long since been devoured by that guardian Fierce Beast, or perhaps it had withered due to changes in the environment.
No matter what, one night would make no difference.
Jiang Ping An sat back down on the edge of the bed, lifted the bowl of rough-tasting fruit wine, and looked through the crude window at the busy, jubilant village clearing outside.
The villagers were enthusiastically hauling and cutting up the Fierce Beast's carcass. Children chased and played around the mountain of meat, while the men's hearty laughter mingled with the women's joyful chatter, brimming with life.
Watching this scene, Jiang Ping An felt deeply conflicted.
These people were clearly only consciousness products simulated by that mysterious beast hide, phantoms pieced together from countless Soul Fragments devoured by the Zhum Civilization.
Yet their joys and sorrows, every word and action, were so vivid and real.
They would rejoice from the bottom of their hearts at obtaining food, and they would genuinely grieve when their loved ones were hurt.
Some were open and bold by nature, some were honest and simple, some shrewd and cautious... each had their own personality, each their own story.
It was difficult to simply regard them as lifeless "fake people."
Just how did the Zhum Civilization accomplish this...
Jiang Ping An sighed inwardly. *They recombined the memories, emotions, and even