So That's How It Is

"That's how it is."

In a safe place, Liu Zhi had finished going through the things in Perkin's bag. By then, he had pieced together Perkin's purpose for coming here from the various clues.

Unlike Liu Zhi, who used all kinds of parchment to record maps and information, Perkin was wealthy and influential. Aside from high-calorie food and several glowing objects whose uses were unclear, his bag also contained a notebook, something quite rare in this era.

The notebook was made of ordinary paper. Liu Zhi was accustomed to using it, but in this era, such paper was truly uncommon, and its quality was nowhere near that of this notebook.

The notebook contained a great deal of information, along with several diagrams.

From the contents, it was clear that Perkin was close to death.

He must have contracted some extremely serious illness. He had less than three weeks left to live, and his only hope now lay in a plant found somewhere in this jungle.

No one had ever brought that plant out before. The local natives called it Namuda, meaning the Blood-soaked Tree. According to legend, it usually looked no different from an ordinary tree, and there was no way to distinguish it by its leaves or any other feature.

The only known information was that the tree grew beside cliff waterfalls and needed a great deal of moisture and air to survive.

Every seven years, when the moon was full on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, the tree would bloom with red flowers for three days. At the same time, all its leaves would fall, turning it into a red tree.

Under the moonlight, the tree looked just like a blood-colored tree. That was precisely why the locals called it the Blood-soaked Tree.

What truly attracted Perkin was not the tree's flowers, but the fact that after blooming, it would grow fruit resembling peaches.

The fruits were small, only about the size of a thumb, but they could suppress illness and extend one's life.

Perkin only needed to obtain a few fruits to alleviate his illness. If he obtained all of them this time, he might even be able to live forever.

Looking at the ambition recorded in the notebook, Liu Zhi could not help shaking his head.

It seemed that this was Perkin's objective for coming here. On one hand, it was to save his life; on the other, it was for his future power and status. Bringing something like this back to human society would absolutely make it a stepping stone into the upper class.

Those with money and influence would invest all their resources without hesitation for the sake of extending their lives.

But what does that have to do with me?

After flipping through the rest of the notebook, Liu Zhi put it away. Immortality meant little to him, and the power of this world meant even less.

At most, he would stay in this world for a hundred and eighty days. Even if he developed immense influence, what use would it be?

The Golden City, on the other hand, interested him much more. At the very least, its existence was connected to his Identity Compulsory Quest.

Thus, a notebook that would count as a treasure to some adventurers in this world was shoved into the very bottom of Liu Zhi's backpack.

The other things in Perkin's backpack, however, caught Liu Zhi's attention.

The items Perkin had taken out of his backpack twice before had already proven that those glowing objects were no ordinary items.

So Liu Zhi was even more curious about what the remaining objects were.

There were four items left in the bag. Liu Zhi did not underestimate them because of their inconspicuous appearances. Instead, he carefully and solemnly put them away.

The first was a piece of hide from some unknown beast. The fur on the other side still looked quite fresh.

The second was something resembling a quill. Its feathers were an ordinary white, and the shaft was decorated with copper. It looked as though it could be used for a long time. If not for the white light radiating from it, Liu Zhi might even have thought it was meant to be used with the notebook.

The third was a tube that looked like lipstick. Liu Zhi was beginning to wonder whether lipstick had even been invented in this era.

The last was something resembling a canteen. It was made entirely of silver and engraved with patterns from ancient mythology. When gently shaken, it made some sort of noise from within.

Without knowing what was inside, Liu Zhi had no intention of opening it to take a look.

After putting everything away, Liu Zhi simply dismantled Perkin's backpack.

From a gap in the bag, he found two objects resembling land deeds. Looking closely, he discovered that they were actually property deeds for a nearby port. He had no idea whether they were Perkin's final preparations or his secret base.

After confirming that nothing else had been left behind, Liu Zhi put his own backpack back on, took out his map to check the direction, and headed toward the Golden City.

At the same time, Perkin and Lloyd were cautiously making their way through the jungle.

Perkin's face was somewhat bluish, and his lips had turned a little purple, but he still forced himself onward, refusing to stop.

Lloyd, supporting Perkin, said, "Uncle, why don't we turn back?"

"No. We've already come this far. I won't accept turning back now. Besides, would you be able to accept it? This is our family's hope of rising again."

"But so many of us entered the jungle, and now only the two of us are left. I'm worried..."

"There is nothing to worry about. All the information is in my head. As long as we can still walk, we will definitely reach the Blood-soaked Tree."

"No, Uncle. That's not what I'm worried about. You saw them too—we've encountered so many giant snakes along the way. I'm worried that there might be something wrong here."

Perkin laughed when he heard that. "Do you think I didn't notice? You've been adventuring with me for so many years, yet you still have no powers of observation. Didn't you notice that all those giant snakes were ordinary snake species? What does that tell us? It tells us that the legend of the Blood-soaked Tree is true. Those snakes ate the fruit of the Blood-soaked Tree and have survived from ancient times until now. Unlike humans, snakes shed their skin every year, growing a little larger each time. This is proof that the legend is true. Immortality is right before our eyes."

After hearing Perkin's explanation, Lloyd was somewhat convinced. "But, Uncle, can the two of us steal the fruit of the Blood-soaked Tree?"

"It won't just be the two of us. Someone took my bag, and whoever took it will definitely discover the information I left behind. No human can resist the temptation of immortality. Once we get there, we'll find a place to lie in wait. When the thief who took my bag arrives, we'll have him lead the way. Once he gets the fruit, you can make your move. Lloyd, how is your swordsmanship practice coming along?"

"Don't worry, Uncle. I've already mastered it..."