Survival

Li Fan trudged along with Kun perched on his head. His only remaining hand clutched the white-faced Daoist's head, which he had barely managed to sever with the Qiankun Flying Dragon Sword's sword aura. He passed the Suanni's corpse, shattered into several pieces by the Black Sword's Sword Light, and left a trail of blood as he staggered out of the tomb passage.

The right half of his face had been blown apart by the Crimson Vein Child Sword, so he turned his head to look toward the cave entrance with his left eye.

Chen Daotong lay on the ground, his head fallen to one side. His eyes were closed, and he looked exceptionally peaceful, as if he had simply fallen asleep. Perhaps he really hadn't suffered much—he'd just closed his eyes and passed away.

On the other side lay Yuan Xuanbao's corpse, cut in half at the waist. He had probably charged forward a couple of steps, hoping to avenge his Dao Companion, and had naturally been split apart by a single sword strike. The pool of blood around him made for a particularly gruesome sight...

Chen Daotong had been mild-mannered, while Yuan Xuanbao had a foul mouth, but both of them were decent at heart. Neither was the kind of asshole who was hard to get along with. What a pity. Li Fan had thought they could become friends...

Li Fan sighed and placed the white-faced Daoist's head beside Yuan Xuanbao, whose eyes remained open. "Senior Brother, I avenged you..."

Yuan Xuanbao turned his head and glared at him. "You actually managed to kill him!"

"Fuck! Cough, cough, cough!" Li Fan nearly choked to death on a mouthful of blood. "You're not dead! Oh, right. I guess you can stay alive for a while after being cut in half. You could probably even write the word 'tragic' first... Sigh, Xuanbao, if you have any last wishes, say them now. If I survive, I'll do my best to fulfill them..."

Yuan Xuanbao glared back and forth between the Daoist's head and the remaining half of Li Fan's face. He started to speak, stopped, then started again, before finally forcing out, "I think I can still be saved..."

Li Fan couldn't help laughing. The wound where half his neck had been sliced open leaked air and sprayed blood, so he could only suck in a breath through clenched teeth and point at the other half of Xuanbao's body. "Senior Brother, you're in this state. Quit joking around..."

Yuan Xuanbao just glared at him.

Li Fan finally caught on. "Oh... Oh, you're not joking. You really can still be saved... Fuck! That's actually possible? Quick, tell me what to do!"

Yuan Xuanbao endured the pain and lay on his back, gasping for breath. "In my inner waist pouch, inside the jade token for Inner Sect disciples, there are ink thread and bone-sewing needles. Take them out and stitch my body together. Don't sew it on backward!

"Huff... Huff... And your severed arm—if it's still there, stitch it back on too. There's still a chance of saving it once we're back at the mountain. Qingyue, my Inner Landscape was damaged when I was cut in half, so I can't circulate qi. I'll have to rely on you..."

"Got it! Leave it to me!" Li Fan hurried to the lower half of Yuan Xuanbao's body, took out the bone-sewing needles and ink thread, and dragged the two halves together. Then he hastily sewed them together, repeatedly piercing the flesh with needle and thread. "But, will this really work?"

It was way too unscientific...

Yuan Xuanbao gritted his teeth, his forehead slick with sweat. "That ink thread is a Magic Treasure soaked in baleful qi. As long as the severed flesh hasn't been detached from the body for too long, you can stitch it together with the thread. The baleful qi will erode the flesh and make it fuse back together, so it's often used for emergency treatment.

"But only cultivators can use it. Baleful qi will remain in the body and damage your cultivation, and it also increases the risk of turning into a Devil Embryo. But we can't worry about that now..."

"Then..." Li Fan couldn't help glancing over at Chen Daotong.

"There's no saving him." Yuan Xuanbao gritted his teeth and refused to look at his friend's corpse. "The head is the seat of the six yangs. Even at the Golden Core realm, only a very few people can reincarnate after being decapitated—and only if they have made special preparations for a method of disintegration.

"You did well to cut off that evil Daoist's head. Huff... Don't worry about me. This should be enough to hold me together for now. I'll chew on some pills, then throw out a Brightlight Talisman and wait for Senior Brother Lu to come save us."

Li Fan nodded, took out a talisman from Yuan Xuanbao's jade token, lit it, and tossed it at the tomb entrance.

The Brightlight Talisman was the same kind they had lit at the bow of the boat. Through Divine Sense, it shone with a white light like a signal flare. It was used by Ink Bamboo Mountain disciples to call for fellow disciples in an emergency.

Of course, the white-faced Daoist was also dressed in Ink Bamboo Mountain robes. If the one who came wasn't Senior Brother Lu but one of this evil Daoist's accomplices, they'd really be walking into their own deaths.

But Li Fan didn't care anymore. He was already crippled, utterly spent. He couldn't spare even one more drop of strength.

Li Fan wiped his mouth. The blood spilling from his nose and mouth was bright red; that kick had probably caused severe internal bleeding and damaged an artery. He had nearly used up all the medicine Fuling had prepared, and that was the only reason he could move at all, like someone experiencing a brief rally before death. Without an immortal coming to save him, he was as good as dead. Whatever. If he died, he died. At least he'd gotten revenge. Who cared anymore...

He'd called for help, at least. Li Fan went back into the tomb to find his arm and stitched it back on with the ink thread, letting it hang at his side.

Down in the underground passage, the Jade Pure Bottle that Li Fan had activated was still absorbing the baleful qi from the Corpse King's scattered remains. Whatever else happened, he had to get rid of this menace so it wouldn't harm the people living nearby.

The evil Daoist's battered corpse was also still down there. Li Fan had staggered out of the tomb earlier in a daze to check the situation, and only now did he come to his senses enough to search the body. Beneath the Daoist's robes, he found a string of jade pendants. They were clearly all Storage Jades.

So this was what they called looting a corpse. After all that effort, whether he came out ahead or lost everything depended on how good the loot turned out to be.

But Li Fan no longer had the qi to figure out how to open the Storage Jades. For the time being, he just tucked them against his chest and carefully examined the Daoist's body. Suddenly, that pale, beardless face seemed to flicker before his eyes again.

As if he'd thought of something, Li Fan hesitated, then reached down between the Daoist's legs.

Nothing.

He was a eunuch.

So it really was as he'd thought. Ink Bamboo Mountain had ink thread. Any man who got wounded there during a sword fight would surely stitch himself up right away, wouldn't he?

Which meant that if this evil Daoist really had been an Ink Bamboo Mountain disciple, he must have been castrated before joining the mountain.

Or perhaps it was the other way around: the man was likely a spy, handpicked from the imperial court of the Human Dao and planted in the Ink Bamboo Mountain Inner Sect from childhood.

Those damn eunuchs...

Li Fan got to his feet, his face dark. There weren't so many coincidences in this world. The events at the inn and in the tomb were probably all part of the same scheme, set up by the same group of people.

It was likely those eunuchs who had secretly hidden and raised this Corpse King, capable of kicking a Golden Core cultivator to death, for use in an emergency. It had just happened to be discovered when they were herding dragons over...

No, had they really discovered it by "chance"?

It had been Senior Brother Lu's decision to change their route and herd dragons to Mount Buzhou. Senior Brother Lu had also led them to this tomb. He'd even sent the three boys underground to collect baleful qi, where they encountered the evil Daoist. And when it mattered most, the Golden Core senior brother had failed to appear...

The human heart...

Was impossible to fathom...

But Li Fan had little evidence—only suspicions. For now, he shook his head and set the thought aside, then wrapped the Daoist's Storage Jades together in the ruined Purple Sash Immortal Clothes and put them away.

He waited until the bottle had finished collecting the baleful qi and purified the scattered corpses into dried remains. Then he sealed the Jade Pure Bottle and left the tomb.

Dusk was falling. The Brightlight Talisman was still burning, but Senior Brother Lu had yet to appear.

Yuan Xuanbao was propped up on the ground, staring blankly at Chen Daotong's corpse. He only snapped out of it when Li Fan came up. "I thought you'd passed out underground from losing too much blood."

Li Fan raised the porcelain bottle in his hand. "I was collecting the baleful qi."

Yuan Xuanbao looked enlightened, then thoughtful. "So that's what happened. You used the Dragon-Herding Sword to work with that baleful corpse and get rid of him. Pretty clever."

Li Fan nodded and didn't explain further. He helped sew Chen Daotong's head back on, leaving him with an intact corpse, then dragged him over beside Yuan Xuanbao.

Yuan Xuanbao didn't say anything else. He lay down and stared at his childhood friend beside him. At a time like this, he probably didn't want someone constantly trying to comfort him. He just wanted to be left alone.

Li Fan stood there in a daze for a while longer. When Senior Brother Lu still didn't show, he turned back and made another trip into the tomb. He examined the Suanni's remains and retrieved the spell sword, whose Sword Light had faded. Looking it over, he found that, just as the Sword Intent had said, it was a wooden talisman sword engraved with incantations. At least that put one of his worries to rest.

At last, the medicine wore off. Blood flowed freely, and Li Fan had no strength left at all. He sat down beside the tomb and panted, blood dripping from his mouth as he gazed hopefully at the darkening sky. He prayed that some immortal might pass through this godforsaken wilderness and save him.

But Senior Brother Lu never appeared.

If he really had been in league with the eunuch evil Daoist, he should have cleaned up the mess and covered his tracks. Whether he killed or saved them, he shouldn't have abandoned the three boys he was supposed to be looking after.

So Li Fan gradually guessed what had happened to him. His heart sank.

He couldn't say whether he felt glad or sad. Senior Brother Lu had seemed like a decent person, and it was always good when someone wasn't a traitor.

But if he wasn't a traitor and still hadn't shown up by now, then he was probably... What a pity. Senior Brother Lu had seemed like a decent person...

Dazed and lost in thought, Li Fan didn't know how long he sat there. As night drew near, a streak of rainbow light appeared faintly in his Divine Sense.

He kept his head down and sat motionless, pretending to be dead. He heard someone land with a rush of air and call out urgently, "Anyone still alive?"

The voice sounded familiar...

Yuan Xuanbao called out, "Master Zhang, I can hold on. Qingyue looks like he's about to die! Save him first!"

"Say no more. Hold this Life-Prolonging Pill in your mouth. Don't let your true qi leak away! Crane Boy, carry him back to the mountain. This one's about to die; I'll take him first!"

Then the man strode over and lifted Li Fan by the waist. A flying sword whistled beside his ear, its shrill cry spinning into a wheel of light, and his body suddenly grew light. They were probably flying through the air on the sword.

Li Fan squinted his left eye and glanced at the man. He vaguely remembered that old fellow—they'd had Five Immortals Soup together, and he'd dragged Li Fan along to fight the monkeys. His name was Zhang Jiu... something...

At least he'd probably survive...

Relieved, Li Fan relaxed the Sword Power he'd been holding in his left eye. His vision went black, and he passed out.

He didn't know how long he slept.

Li Fan woke up hungry, overwhelmed by the aroma of mountain delicacies and medicinal herbs. He had no idea what sort of delicacy they were cooking.

He looked around and discovered that he was lying naked in a large bronze cauldron, as if he were taking a bath. All sorts of herbs and medicinal ingredients were scattered around him, and dark green liquid came up to his chest...

Damn! So I'm the delicacy! Who are they planning to serve me to with their wine?!

"H-help! Somebody help me..."

Li Fan reached out to grip the smooth side of the cauldron and climb out. Then he realized something and took a closer look. His right hand had been reattached. He could faintly see new flesh at the wound, and his meridians flowed with a slight ache and stiffness, but overall, there didn't seem to be any serious problems.

His right cheek, nearly blown off by the Sword Light, had also been restored, though his right eye was still blurry. It felt better to keep it closed.

As for the wounds on his neck and back, and his internal injuries, they had all improved considerably. At least his life was no longer in danger.

Li Fan's mood increased by 1 point.

Oh, the system was still there. That made things even safer.

"Qingyue, you're awake?" Fuling's voice came from outside the cauldron. "Don't panic. This is to treat your injuries. Just lie there a little longer."

Since Fuling was watching over him, Li Fan could relax. He lay at the bottom of the cauldron, closed his eyes to recuperate, and used his Divine Sense to examine the injuries to his Inner Landscape.

Earlier, during the fight with the eunuch evil Daoist, he had risked practicing Moon Worship. He'd entered meditation to recover his spiritual qi. Although he'd been dragged out after just one second, he'd accomplished what he'd set out to do. He'd not only established his Foundation, but also recovered his spiritual qi and activated the dried corpse with baleful qi to secure victory. All things considered, it hadn't been a bad trade.

He could now see that five clumps of true qi were circulating through his Inner Landscape, feeding into one another. The Return to Dust clump was indeed a little weak, noticeably smaller than the others, but he'd had no choice in that moment of crisis. There was no point worrying about it. Still, the lack of Return-to-Dust Zhenqi had become the weak link in the cycle, lowering its overall efficiency.

After thinking it over, Li Fan figured he might as well practice the Five Elemental Sword Ghosts while he was sitting in the cauldron. He began using up the excess true qi in the other four clumps, refining the Purple Radiance Sword Ghost in his liver and gallbladder, the Crimson Fiend Sword Ghost in his heart and intestines, the Divine Hardness Sword Ghost in his lungs, and the Dark Underworld Sword Ghost in his kidneys.

Although the Profound Heaven Sword Intent had been severely weakened and hadn't spoken since, let alone offered any guidance, it had already explained the relevant tricks and details when Li Fan learned to refine his Divine Sense. Li Fan had memorized them, so refining the four ghosts went smoothly.

He had refined all four ghosts one by one and then slept again to recover his energy before he heard a noise overhead.

Li Fan looked up and saw the cauldron's lid open. Kun peered into the pot and slapped the lid with a fin.

Kun says, "Give me that umbrella mushroom so I can chew on it."

Fuck! Kun, you've picked up bad habits too! The first thing you do when you see me is make a dirty joke—oh, there is an umbrella mushroom nearby. Damn, you made me think the wrong thing...

Li Fan circulated his inner qi, planted his feet, and jumped up to the mouth of the cauldron. He stuffed a handful of overcooked herbs and mushrooms into Kun's mouth, then leaned over the rim and looked around.

It looked like some sort of workshop, rather like a huge factory floor. A row of seven or eight large bronze cauldrons stood there. Some had their lids closed as they simmered over the fire, steam billowing from them. Every so often, an overhead crane squeaked by, carrying various medicinal ingredients and dropping them into the open cauldrons one after another. He wondered if the closed cauldrons all had people simmering in them like he had been... Hmm, put that way, it sounded wrong. It was more like some kind of medicinal steam bath for treating injuries.

Li Fan climbed out of the cauldron and saw a wooden ladder nearby. Clean clothes and his own jade token and pendants had been set beside it. Fuling had probably brought them over for him. The Storage Jades belonging to the eunuch Daoist, on the other hand, had probably been taken by Ink Bamboo Mountain for investigation. He got dressed, then climbed down the ladder.

After suffering serious injuries and recovering, he would inevitably be left with some lingering problems. Even walking felt a little off, as if it were all in his head. But he'd managed to survive, and that was already good enough.

Li Fan touched the sword scar on his neck, which hadn't fully healed but could still be felt. As he walked out of the furnace workshop, he could see the thirty-zhang-tall, seven-story Lou Guandao Pagoda in the distance. He realized he was now at an Outer Sect branch outpost.

Suddenly, Li Fan felt as if something sharp were pricking his back. Someone was probing him with their Divine Sense. He turned and saw that old Daoist Zhang-whatever standing outside the courtyard with Fuling, saying something to her. They seemed to be arguing, and he only glanced at Li Fan from afar.

That was the second time the man had saved him, wasn't it? And if he counted the Qiankun Flying Dragon Sword the old man had given him, it had been more than twice...

Li Fan bowed to him from afar.

The old man nodded but didn't come over to talk. He swept his sleeves and flew away as a streak of rainbow light.

Fuling turned around, her face dark with anger. It wasn't clear who had upset her, but she forced a smile at Li Fan and walked over. "Qingyue, you look pretty good. I'm glad you're all right."

"Who was that immortal?"

"Who? Oh, Zhang Jiugao. He's an Outer Sect instructor for the boys. Actually, whether they're Outer Sect or Inner Sect disciples, as long as they haven't reached the Golden Core realm, they all have to obey him. He's just a stubborn old bull-nosed Daoist. No matter how I tried to reason with him, he wouldn't let me take you back to Wangshu Residence for treatment. He insisted you stay in the medicine room. You're awake now, so it doesn't matter. Let's go back." Fuling smiled as she summoned a flying boat for Li Fan to ride.

Li Fan didn't move. After thinking for a moment, he asked, "Xuanbao should be all right, shouldn't he?"

Fuling smiled and nodded. "Don't worry. That boy looked terrible, but he only had one sword wound. He was fine by the next day and had already been taken home by his master. It's just that his Dao Companion, who was also his senior brother, didn't make it. Sigh, that's fate. It can't be forced... I heard about what happened this time too. Qingyue, thank goodness you were quick-witted..."

"What about Senior Brother Lu?"

Fuling's forced smile froze. It stayed that way for a long while before she finally let out a soft breath and said quietly, "He died."

...So that was what had happened.

What a pity. He'd even given the stinky tofu he'd brought for Senior Brother Lu to Kun... Good people really didn't live long...