Xuanming Golden Token

In the end, the chill in Chen Zhentian's eyes gradually faded, and the hand gripping his sword hilt loosened. "Brother Jiang, please wait."

Jiang Shuo turned around, a trace of impatient irritation hanging between his brows as his fists clenched of their own accord. The other man's repeated attempts to stop him had put him thoroughly on guard.

Chen Zhentian stepped before Jiang Shuo. "There are many wild beasts in these woods, with danger lurking at every turn. Judging by your appearance, you must have suffered quite a bit at their hands as well. Why not travel with us? At the very least, there is strength in numbers, and we can look out for one another."

"Thank you for your kindness, Brother Chen, but I wandered into these woods by mistake and still need to find my village." Seeing that they intended to press deeper into the forest, Jiang Shuo tactfully declined Chen Zhentian's invitation, his answer watertight.

Yang Jun sprang out and mocked, "The Young Master personally invited you, yet you still don't appreciate it. What a country bumpkin. Do you know how many people in the Martial World would crack their heads open fighting for a chance to join our Xuanming Sect?" He was something of a figure within the Xuanming Sect himself. Having been defeated by an Unknown Nobody was like a ship capsizing in a gutter; it was only natural that he could not let it go.

"Senior Brother Yang!" Chen Zhentian turned his head and sharply rebuked him. Yang Jun withdrew resentfully, though his gaze toward Jiang Shuo remained cold.

"Every man has his own aspirations. Since Brother Jiang is unwilling, Chen will naturally not force you." Chen Zhentian raised a hand and pointed behind Jiang Shuo. "Keep walking in this direction, and you will leave these woods. The nearest city outside is Yulin. Seeing the injuries covering you, I suggest you seek treatment at the Yulin Hundred Flowers Sect, lest hidden troubles remain. Also..."

Chen Zhentian took a token from his robes and handed it over. "This is the Xuanming Golden Token. Brother Jiang, keep it safe. Should you encounter any difficulties in the future, you may bring this token to the Xuanming Sect to find me."

At this sight, the expressions of every Xuanming Sect disciple, Yang Jun included, shifted slightly. Jiang Shuo accepted it and examined it carefully in his palm. It was a diamond-shaped token, golden throughout, with the character "Ming" engraved in its center. Judging by the others' reactions, this Xuanming Golden Token was clearly extraordinarily precious. Jiang Shuo hesitated, then carefully put it away, his hostility toward Chen Zhentian easing somewhat.

Next, Chen Zhentian obtained a water pouch and dried rations from his fellow disciples and handed them to Jiang Shuo. "You will need these."

Having done all this, Chen Zhentian did not linger. With a wave of his hand, he gathered the Xuanming Sect disciples and plunged into the depths of the woods.

Once their figures vanished into the vast sea of people, Jiang Shuo stood where he was, frowning. He could not understand why Chen Zhentian, whom he had met only by Chance Encounter, was treating him so well.

"Although the only thing in Nine Tripod Mountain worth outsiders mobilizing such a force for is Chiyun Village, perhaps their original purpose in seeking Chiyun Village was not evil. Could it be that I truly wronged him?" Jiang Shuo shook his head, sweeping away his thoughts, put away the rations and water pouch, and returned to the side of the pool.

Only now did Jiang Shuo find the chance to inspect his injuries. The Giant Eagle, the Vicious Wolf, and Yang Jun had left countless wounds on him, several of them horrifying to behold, though fortunately none had damaged his bones. Everyone in Chiyun Village had clawed their way to adulthood through herds of wild beasts, and Jiang Shuo was no exception. Long illness made the patient a doctor; after treating so many such external injuries, Jiang Shuo had become quite practiced. He fetched some pool water and simply washed his wounds, then bent over to search through the nearby grass. Suddenly, his eyes lit up. "Found it."

Before him stood a clump of seemingly ordinary plants, with long oval heart-shaped leaves and elongated lance-shaped follicles. An ordinary person would likely dismiss it as unremarkable wild grass, but Jiang Shuo recognized it as Bai Shou Wu, an excellent medicine for reducing inflammation and stopping bleeding. He picked a large number of fruits, peeled them open, removed the white silky seed hairs within, and spread them evenly over his wounds.

Jiang Shuo had suffered too many injuries, and this clump of Bai Shou Wu was soon picked clean. He had no choice but to search for more.

He had only just struggled to his feet and taken one step when Jiang Shuo suddenly felt something unusual beneath his foot. Looking down, his line of sight was immediately caught by a sheet of paper-thin silk.

The silk had fallen out of the pouch along with the Hundred Segment Bone when Jiang Shuo took it out earlier. It was extremely tough; once, it had accidentally fallen into a campfire without being burned. Jiang Shuo had always thought it was used to wrap and protect the bone inside. But now, the silk was somewhat different—during his battle with the Vicious Wolf, blood had splashed across it. Where it had been stained red, the already thin silk had become so transparent it seemed ready to break at a touch, and dark veins had emerged across it.

The blood had only soaked one corner of the silk, so the dark veins were incomplete. Curious, Jiang Shuo spread the silk flat upon a stone, tore off a ragged corner of his clothes, dipped it in the bloodstains scattered across the ground, and smeared it evenly over the surface. Yet some areas became clear while others remained blurry; the effect was terribly poor.

"Could it be that only human blood works?" Jiang Shuo noticed the difference, then gave a helpless, self-mocking smile. Right now, human blood was the one thing he lacked least.