Spread It More Evenly

The man in black robes only had to think about it to feel a huge, dazzling "Danger" hanging above his head.

"Old Black, you know that old senior who guards our ancient records?"

"What happened?" Black Goat asked, baffled.

"He's merely a first-stage Qi Refining Foundation Establishment cultivator, and he's over a hundred and ninety years old this year, yet he's still clinging to his last breath instead of dying. Guess why?"

"What's it got to do with me? Don't change the subject."

"Because he never goes looking for death. People like us have never been known for our combat strength. We only need to do our own jobs properly—for example, using Shepherd to get some Jinlan Ore and investigate some intelligence. What comes afterward and what needs to be done never requires us to handle it ourselves. That's how we can live a little longer."

The man in black robes was perfectly clearheaded. He felt that Black Goat's current idea was extremely dangerous.

"Even if that missing Langya Academy dean really isn't dead, even if he's hiding among the flock, even if someone really did kill Shepherd and rescue him.

"Perhaps they were being hunted, or perhaps they suffered severe injuries. Traveling with a Dao Practitioner who hadn't entered the Dao would be too dangerous, so they could only send him to the mine for the time being.

"Even if such an extremely unlikely event really happened, haven't you thought about the other problems?

"To dare hunt the Langya Academy dean—how much nerve would that take? Regardless of whose hands that big shot died by, it would be impossible to keep it hidden forever.

"The Great Qian Emperor would personally look into such a matter at the first opportunity. His hounds spread throughout the world would pursue every clue with bloodshot eyes, and Langya Academy would spare no cost to find the culprit."

"What are you thinking? Even if I were insane, I wouldn't dare hunt the Langya Academy dean." Black Goat looked utterly shocked and backed away two steps with a clatter, convinced that his companion had gone mad.

"Then why are you saying all this?"

"If we get the chance, of course we'll bring him back... Bah, bah, bah, I mean rescue him and bring him back. A living Langya Academy dean is worth more than you can imagine.

"If we succeed, we'll never have to come slogging through this godforsaken place again. Wouldn't it be better to sit at our base and give orders? We'll never give Mu Zhiqiu another chance to kill us.

"Of course, that's assuming my guess is right."

Black Goat couldn't help laughing aloud. It had already begun fantasizing about its wonderful future.

"Are you sure the two of us can deal with a Dao Practitioner? He may be a mortal, but he isn't an ordinary person. How many cultivators have been killed by Dao Practitioners in past years?"

"More or less. If he really entered Jinlan Mine through Shepherd's help, then he definitely won't have much on him. Our only real trouble will be the freaks inside Jinlan Mine."

"I feel this matter definitely isn't that simple. We should stop taking the risk..." The man in black robes remained cautious.

"I know what you're thinking. I've already planned our way out. If my guess is wrong, and some huge problem turns up, we'll head straight over there. What do you call it again..." Black Goat chuckled, stretched out a forehoof, and pointed southeast. That was the direction of the Great Gan Divine Dynasty.

"Become traitors?" The man in black robes froze where he stood. He had never once considered that possibility.

"Bah, I remember now. It's called abandoning darkness for the light, reforming and returning to the right path, and thoroughly mending our ways. By then, we'll be great heroes. When Mu Zhiqiu sees us, he won't just smile—at the very least, he'll nod to us."

"Are you really a demon?" The man in black robes was utterly convinced. Put that way, it really did seem foolproof. Take a gamble: if they won, they would never again have to risk their lives; if they guessed wrong, they would lose nothing. And if all else failed, they still had a way out.

"There's still one problem. Are you sure we can beat the freaks in Jinlan Mine? I still remember what the archives said.

"Back then, outsiders coveted Jinlan Mine, but quite a few people died there. Even a third-stage body cultivator who had forged a steel body was beaten to death by those freaks.

"Who knows whether that kind of terrifying freak is still there?"

"Don't worry." Black Goat opened its mouth and spat out a cloud of black mist, enveloping the two of them. The thin mist dispersed in an instant, and their bodies vanished into the air. Black Goat smiled smugly. "If we run into Mu Zhiqiu, this trick of mine would be like lighting a lamp in a latrine at night. But those freaks are all mortals. They won't discover us. We aren't going there to fight."

The man in black robes was persuaded. They could investigate first; it shouldn't cause any major trouble.

One man and one goat took a wide detour. To avoid being discovered, neither dared use their power and could only run across the ground with their physical bodies, eventually reaching the outside of Jinlan Mine.

Black Goat's two eyes shifted slightly. It was somewhat surprised by the changes at the entrance, but after taking two looks, it decisively went around the left side.

Wind sprang beneath the man in black robes' feet. Dragging the black mist that wrapped around them, he silently drifted into the Locust tree forest on the right.

"This forest feels strange. It always gives me a dangerous feeling. For now, though, it's quiet. I truly don't dare enter from the left—it feels especially dangerous."

The man and goat entered Jinlan Village and immediately sensed the Strange Power surging there, filling heaven and earth. They weren't surprised by this, but only dared use the power within their bodies as they carefully sneaked along the outskirts of the village.

"I've forgotten one thing all along. Do you know who we're looking for? How are we supposed to find him? A Dao Practitioner is a mortal, but everyone here is a mortal too." The man in black robes posed a question that struck straight into the soul.

"Hiss..." Black Goat froze where it stood and sank into thought.

The awkward silence lasted a long while before Black Goat spoke uncertainly.

"I've seen some Dao Practitioners. Their temperaments are all a little different. They look quite scholarly. In your Human race's words, they're the sort with books in their bellies and an aura refined by learning. He definitely won't be like these mortals. Besides, to become a dean, he must be fairly old.

"How about we don't show ourselves and just search slowly? Observe him?"

"That makes sense. Let's observe slowly. A Dao Practitioner definitely won't look like the freaks here." The man in black robes looked conflicted, but since they had already come this far, he could only grit his teeth and accept it.

The man and goat were like invisible ghosts, crouching on a small hill. When people came out for breakfast and dinner, they observed them one by one.

At dinner, as they watched the villagers eat food made from fresh Jinlan Mushrooms, the man and goat crouched there, sniffing repeatedly.

"They're eating food made from Jinlan Mushrooms, right? I'm not mistaken?"

"Mm, you're not."

"How extravagant. I've never even eaten them."

"Can't afford them."

Once they saw the people finish eating, with quite a bit apparently still left in the kitchen, the man and goat exchanged a glance. Black Goat spoke first.

"I saw them make quite a lot, and they didn't finish it. It'll go to waste if it isn't fresh. How about we help them out and keep it from going to waste?"

The man in black robes remained silent, and Black Goat continued.

"Don't misunderstand. I'm really not trying to stir up trouble. If I can eat something cooked from fresh Jinlan Mushrooms, maybe I can advance another stage next year—no, this year. Even if we don't find the person this time, it won't count as a wasted trip. Don't you agree?"

"Mm, you're right. I heard fresh Jinlan Mushrooms are called a fourth-grade spirit medicine..."

The two crouched there until the kitchen was completely empty, then slipped over to it. They didn't dare eat much, each having one bowl of noodles and one bowl of soup.

After leaving the kitchen, they crouched on the hillside and continued watching from their hiding place.

The next day, when they saw Yu Ziqing drag a huge Jinlan Mushroom out of a burrow, the man in black robes—who had spent the whole night being blasted by the cold wind and had been unwilling to waste any power, nearly freezing like a dog—stared blankly for a moment.

"Tell me, is it possible that burrow is where they chop down the Jinlan Mushrooms? Could we go straight there to find the freshest ones instead of sneaking into the kitchen to steal food?"

"..." Black Goat answered with silence.

After a moment, the two quietly slipped into the burrow. When they saw the dense expanse of Jinlan Mushrooms growing beneath it, green light began to gleam in Black Goat's eyes.

"If I stayed here for a year, I could pin our boss beneath my hooves and rub him into the dirt."

Black Goat charged out impatiently, but the man in black robes hurriedly stopped it and cautiously dragged it deep into the Mushroom Forest. In a corner near the stone wall, the two creatures carefully gnawed on the freshest Jinlan Mushrooms. Only after stuffing themselves full did they leave the burrow and return to spying and observing.

That afternoon, Yu Ziqing carried a newly replaced axe and strode into the Mushroom Forest to chop trees. Not far away, the Hungry Ghost emerged from behind a Jinlan Mushroom.

The Hungry Ghost clasped its hands and bowed deeply from afar to Yu Ziqing, its manner extremely respectful.

"Oh? I haven't seen you for several days. Did you go out to play?"

Yu Ziqing was in a pretty good mood today. His fist practice had broken through, and after dragging an entire Jinlan Mushroom back, he only needed to rest once along the way. Such visible progress naturally put him in high spirits. Now he was striving to reach the strength of one mushroom as soon as possible, so he could carry one back in a single breath.

The Hungry Ghost did not approach rashly. It extended one sharp claw and wrote and drew on the ground. After finishing, it pointed at the writing for Yu Ziqing, then immediately retreated a distance.

Yu Ziqing stepped forward to take a look. The handwriting was crooked and awkward, but the characters themselves were correct.

"There is a Black Goat as tall as a person and a man in black who sneaked in and stole Jinlan Mushrooms. Be careful."

Yu Ziqing's brows drew together slightly as he looked toward the Hungry Ghost.

The Hungry Ghost climbed up along the stone wall and pointed at a spot near it. Yu Ziqing followed the direction inward and, from a distance, saw a Jinlan Mushroom with a large chunk gnawed away, its back facing the entrance.

Someone had sneaked into the village?

How had the situation at the village entrance become so lax that just anyone could come in?

Sneaking in was one thing, but why had they run here to secretly gnaw on mushrooms?

Were they sick in the head?

Still, Black Goat—he had heard Old Yang mention something about it...

After thinking for a moment, Yu Ziqing beckoned to the Hungry Ghost.

"Wait here for me a moment, will you? I have a small matter and need your help."

The Hungry Ghost nodded repeatedly, immediately climbed down from the stone wall, and waited at the edge of the Mushroom Forest.

A moment later, Yu Ziqing returned with a wet cloth wrapped around his face and a cloth bag in his hand. He carefully placed it on the ground.

"Could you help scatter what's inside over the Jinlan Mushrooms?"

A moment later, Yu Ziqing stood dozens of yards away, watching the Hungry Ghost crawl along the top of the stone wall and slowly scatter the powder from the cloth bag through the air. He nodded repeatedly.

"Yes, yes, just like that. Spread it more evenly and mix it with the spore powder on the surfaces of the Jinlan Mushrooms. It would be best if people couldn't tell.

"If you can scatter some beneath the caps, spread that evenly too.

"Yes, scatter it evenly over every mushroom except this patch we usually chop down.

"Is it enough? If not, I'll go get some more."

As he directed it, Yu Ziqing tightened the wet cloth around his face and kept backing away, afraid of getting any of the stuff on himself.