"Heh, this would make quite a juicy bit of officialdom gossip: the dignified county magistrate colluding with an Evil Cultivator, surrounding the Dragon Girl of the East Sea and forcibly..."
Ge Xian was in the middle of grumbling when he suddenly remembered that, according to the journal, the dragons of the East Sea were nothing like the dragons from his previous life's impressions.
Or rather, dragons in this world were mostly terrifying and grotesque creatures.
White Jade Daoist's journal contained many entries concerning the dragon race. Nearly all of them were around Qiantang County. Some were only a few lines long, while others were quite detailed—even including illustrations.
"More than ten li outside Qiantang County, on Tianzhu Mountain, there lives a Wildling called Yu Li. By chance, he learned a certain Melon Cultivation Art and is especially skilled at growing [Dragon Blood Melons]. These melons are quite bizarre: their flowers and leaves are blood-red, and they have no seeds when ripe. The flesh resembles congealed blood and is incredibly sweet, with the miraculous effects of increasing strength and healing injuries... After watching him many times, I found proof that the Dragon Blood Melons are clearly irrigated with human blood."
"On the north bank of the Qiantang River, there is another mountain called Phoenix Mountain. An Old Widower lives there. He was originally from Qiantang County, but accidentally dug up a strange egg in the mountain. Three days later, a [Centipede Dragon] hatched from it. Born with a taste for human flesh, it was treated as the widower's own child—perhaps he had been bewitched—and he called it Dear Child. He often lured people over to feed it. After his deeds were exposed, he fled with the dragon monster into Phoenix Mountain. Their fate is unknown."
"Thirty li outside Anle Town, there is a desolate pond and marsh. A [Dragon Earthworm] lives within. It is vicious and greedy, and was born with the divine ability of Earth Evasion. Over the years, it has devoured countless spirit herbs, spirit medicines, and beast corpses. It could enter the Foundation Establishment Realm at any moment."
"More than two li outside Qiantang County, there is a mass grave. Within it lies a deserted grave, the remnants of an Ancient Tomb. All the burial objects in the tomb have been stolen, with just one [Jade Pig Dragon] left behind. After being soaked in Corpse Qi for many years, the jade transformed into a monster. Though stupid and dim-witted, it has immense strength and a taste for corpses. If it has no fresh corpses to eat, it goes out to hunt all kinds of living creatures, dragging them back to its grave to brew into corpses."
Just from these entries, it was clear that not one of those creatures was anything good.
And that had been before. Now that the world had fallen into chaos, these monsters and demon beasts had likely become even more mutated and depraved.
As Ge Xian recalled all this, he also considered which monsters, demon beasts, and strange items he should go out and harvest through Cai Bu and devouring to improve himself.
That was right. He intended to take the initiative and cultivate.
Of course, it could hardly be called proper cultivation. Even with Ge Xian's outstanding talent, genuine cultivation would likely take years before he could reach Foundation Establishment.
Instead, he planned to make good use of his talent and take a shortcut through Cai Bu and plunder.
These vicious, horrifying "Dragon Kin Monsters" were all targets.
He hadn't planned to rush into this, but the premonitions of danger he'd been sensing lately were simply too strong. Today in particular, several thousand more people had arrived in Qiantang County. The city had grown even more crowded and chaotic, and even the county residents who had once been grateful to Lu Hualong were starting to complain.
After all, the newly arrived rural refugees would not only squeeze their living space but also cause plenty of trouble.
Ge Xian had no doubt about it!
Lu Hualong and his wife, Yelü Yuyan, would speed up their sale of Qiantang County.
"That fellow Lu Hualong swallowed a bunch of young heroes, didn't he? So far, we've only seen Zhang Buzu and Zhao Wuyou. Could the other Ghoul Generals have left Qiantang ahead of time to find a suitable buyer?"
"Foundation Establishment strength might not be enough to deal with a crisis that could strike at any moment."
"But the Dao Entry Realm is definitely insufficient. It might not even be enough to flee and save oneself."
"Hm?"
Ge Xian was muttering to himself when he suddenly sensed something. The Demon Dog's power, which he had acquired through Cai Bu but never used, was finally dissipating completely from his body.
He didn't resist. In truth, there was nothing he could do. He let the demon qi gradually disappear.
After thinking it over, he said to himself:
"From now on, I can't casually use Cai Bu to devour strange items or monsters, or I'll be wasting them. After all, I won't get lucky every time and happen to gather the conditions needed for cultivation before the Dao Qi and bloodline disperse. Cultivation methods are hard to come by, and I can't expect to stumble upon a blessing like the Dragon Transformation Chapter every time."
"I can just collect them instead. That way, it'll be as if I have all sorts of temporary magical treasures at my disposal."
"Only when I have no other choice should I use Cai Bu on them."
"If that's the case, sooner or later I'll still need a Storage Magic Treasure."
Once he had made up his mind, Ge Xian started thinking about how to find a suitable reason to act alone.
He held a very important position in the Guard Team, but he was nothing more than a tool. The two Ghoul Generals and the Evil Cultivators would never let him take time off and disappear.
Unless he had an utterly legitimate reason.
Whether things would have turned out this way regardless, or whether they had simply been unable to resist the constant muttering of Ge Huolang, was hard to say.
Just as he finished up and was about to invite the pretty young wife out for a chat,
he suddenly sensed something and whipped around to look at the mouth of Locust Flower Lane. Surprise appeared on his face as he thought, What do those two Ghoul Generals want with me?
The moment the thought crossed his mind, Ge Xian hurried out to meet them. As soon as he opened the door, ghostly qi surged in the courtyard. Then Zhang Buzu and Zhao Wuyou appeared before him in human form.
Seeing Ge Xian come out to welcome them first, the two ghosts exchanged a smile and spoke in turn:
"Brother Ge, your talent is truly exceptional. We did our best to conceal our ghostly qi, yet you sensed us first."
"That's a good thing. The higher your talent, the brighter your future after entering the Dao."
Being praised by the two ghosts made Ge Xian feel deeply uneasy.
His acting skills kicked in at once. His face filled with alarm, and he was just about to bow and offer a few flattering words—
when the two ghosts stopped him. They tossed him a token and a small bell, then continued when they saw his bewildered expression:
"Nearly ten thousand county residents have arrived over the past two days. It'll take time to settle them, so we're suspending further arrivals for now. The Propaganda Team can take a few days off too."
"Wearing this token makes you one of our people. It'll keep you from being harassed in the city. The times are growing chaotic, and in a few days the city may not be safe either. Trouble is sure to stir up, attracting all sorts of low-level evil spirits and monsters. To them, someone like you, with talent but not yet having entered the Dao, is as good as a fragrant bun."
"We know you have a habit of collecting strange items like Bamboo Ladies, Lady Paintings, and Green Umbrella Women. Given the chance, you're bound to fall back into it."
"This bell contains a strand of my ghostly qi and one of Brother Zhao's. If you encounter danger, ring it. It'll protect you for a while and let us rush over to save you."
With the two items in hand and those words in his ears, Ge Xian couldn't help gaping.
What the hell!
What was going on?
He was getting nervous!
Those two Ghoul Generals, who ate people without batting an eye, had suddenly started treating him, Ge Huolang, so well.
Perhaps seeing the comical expression on his face, the two ghosts laughed again before speaking:
"Don't panic, don't panic. We're just building some goodwill in advance."
"As long as you survive until this mission ends, my brother and I will give you a tremendous opportunity. If it works out, you can call us brothers. Just remember how good we were to you today and repay us a little."
"Oh, right. Tonight, those foolish wealthy families in the city may send people to give you useless things like money, food, and beauties, hoping to recruit you or bring you into their family... If you aspire to cultivation and immortality, don't agree, or you'll only ruin your own prospects."
With that, the two ghosts smiled sinisterly and vanished from the courtyard at the same time.
Ge Xian pretended to look baffled, staring at the token and bell in his hands as he pondered their meaning.
But before long, just as the two ghosts had said, Locust Flower Old Lane grew lively.
It was as if everyone had agreed on a time. One after another, the wealthy families behind the Evil Cultivators sent people to deliver gifts.
Most really were money, food, and beauties.
Their pitches were nearly identical: they invited Ge Xian to join them and promised to spare no effort in cultivating him, and so on.
Two families, however, were somewhat different.
Xu Bai Lian, who had once served as a male companion to a great demon, and the Wang Family Eldest Daughter-in-law, who cultivated the Bizarre Martial Art Bone-Melting Palm, had each sent a short letter instead.
Both letters contained secrets that could guide him into the Dao.
Ge Xian read the Wang Family Eldest Daughter-in-law's letter first. It said that if he wanted to cultivate, she could invite an elder of the Ancient Tomb Sect to come to Qiantang County and take him as a disciple. The elder would teach him the secret Nine Yin Manual that very day and use Ancient Tomb Ice Jade to help him pass the rejection barrier. It also said that the Ancient Tomb Sect was mostly made up of women, and if he agreed, he would be the first male disciple of his generation.
After reading it, Ge Xian shook the letter and grumbled, "Heh, what kind of person do you take me for? Would I really agree to cultivate that bizarre martial art just because I could become the only man in a women's sect?"
Then he read Xu Bai Lian's letter. He'd only made it halfway through when his face twitched. He refused outright: "Young Master Xu is as beautiful as a flower, so he won the favor of the Nine-Headed Witch God's disciple in this world. I'm just a humble peddler. What virtue do I possess? I'm not going, I'm not going."
Clearly, Xu Bai Lian's recommendation was that he, too, should become the great demon's male companion.
Ge Xian rejected both the Xu and Wang families, and naturally did the same with the other wealthy families.
However, Ge Xian was certain that the wealthy families wouldn't gather together to discuss something as face-losing as being rejected.
So whenever he met one of their representatives, he simply said that he had already accepted the invitation and would enter the Dao to cultivate soon, and that there was no need for them to worry.
In the latter half of the night, the courtyard grew quiet once more.
Ge Xian thought over the night's events and quickly sorted out the reason behind them.
"Raising pure humans in captivity and increasing their numbers isn't easy."
"But because of my 'intervention,' that fellow Lu Hualong has had an incredibly smooth time taking in human refugees. In just two days, he's brought in several thousand people... Qiantang County is one of the more prosperous counties in Jiangzhe Province, and it only has tens of thousands of residents. With so many people suddenly pouring in, Qiantang will inevitably be in chaos for a few days before it can absorb them."
"That Perverted Couple must be both troubled and overjoyed. They rewarded the Guard Team handsomely, so Zhang Buzu and Zhao Wuyou, those two Ghoul Generals, as well as the Evil Cultivators, realized my importance once again. I've become the most sought-after person around, and they want to recruit me."
"Of course, my talent has something to do with it too. Otherwise, given the nature of Ghoul Generals and Evil Cultivators, how could they possibly treat me so well?"
"Unfortunately, their offers are only so-so."
"The tremendous opportunity those two ghosts mentioned must mean introducing me to Lu Hualong so he can devour me and turn me into a Ghoul General. That's why they said I'd be able to call them brothers afterward."
"As for the other Evil Cultivators, they want to recruit me for the lowest possible price."
"And that fellow Xu Bai Lian probably wants to play matchmaker and sell me as a male companion, then skim off a commission or something."
"The Wang Family Eldest Daughter-in-law is a little better. She probably wants to bring a talented disciple into the Ancient Tomb Sect. If I win favor there, she could improve her own standing too."
"Perfect, just perfect. I was wishing for a pillow, and one has landed right under my head."
By the time he had sorted it all out, Ge Xian was grinning from ear to ear.
He returned to the room and happened to see the pretty young wife leave the Soul Residence. She was there, as usual, to sweep and tidy his room, so he dragged her into a chat.
Come to think of it, the collecting habit and reputation the original had left behind might not be a bad thing after all.
Early the next morning!
Ge Dahualang once again pretended to be a proper peddler, shouldering his Peddler's Pole and heading out of the city while hawking, "I treat oxen, horses, and children!"
Before he left the city, he saw just how chaotic the county seat had become. Even in broad daylight, the Ghoul Generals had appeared to violently suppress the unrest.
At a time like this, no one leaving through the city gate was ordinary.
They were either powerful merchant caravans!
Or "Monster-Hunting Teams" and "Treasure-Hunting Teams" organized by wealthy families!
There were also mysterious cultivators coming and going.
As for Ge Xian, he wore his Waist Token, so no one questioned him. They simply let him leave.
The wilderness was dangerous, but that was only if one ventured deep into it. The towns and villages near the county seat were relatively peaceful, and many had some form of protection. Lu Hualong hadn't taken action against them yet because they were so close that they were already considered part of Qiantang County. He could sell them all together later.
There were also plenty of nearby counties that remained safe. Take neighboring Renhe County, for example. The atmosphere there was said to be no less tense than in Qiantang. Merchant caravans often traveled quickly along the official road between the two counties, and bolder county residents could seek refuge with one another. Most were safe.
So it made sense for a peddler like Ge Xian, with his strange habits and backing, to leave the city.
After leaving, he didn't act right away. Instead, he followed the official road, selling his wares in several villages and towns around the county seat like a proper peddler. He also made a point of asking whether there were any "Female Ghost Strange Items" or "Beauty Monsters" around. He could deal with them for free and take them in for free.
By the afternoon, he was even brazenly hawking:
"Ge Family Peddler, from Qiantang!"
"I can subdue Female Fiends and tame Seductress Ghosts!"
Before he knew it!
Ge Huolang's cries had carried into a mass grave.
The moment he stepped inside and shouted twice, the fresh scent of blood on him immediately drew out every vengeful ghost in the entire graveyard.
Among them were indeed several Seductress Ghosts.
When they saw the handsome face of the Young Peddler, they all looked delighted and pounced at once.
"Handsome peddler, can you really subdue Female Fiends?"
"Young man, you're awfully bold. I'm a Seductress Ghost myself, so let me see how you plan to tame me!"
"What a fragrant little brother. Can I have a bite? Just one bite."
Sweet scents swirled, and ghost mist rolled thickly. The ghosts' true forms occasionally appeared within it. It wouldn't have been surprising if someone with a faint heart had dropped dead on the spot.
But Ge Xian wasn't frightened. He laughed instead, setting down his Peddler's Pole and warmly approaching them.
Just as the female ghosts surrounded him, before they could sink their teeth into him, Ge Xian seemed to sense something. Delight appeared on his face too.
The next moment!
Under the Seductress Ghosts' puzzled gazes, the Young Peddler transformed.
Amid a flurry of hissing sounds, Dragon Kin Fierce Blood Qi visibly surged out of him like blazing fire. In the blink of an eye, it roasted the Seductress Ghosts until their souls scattered, leaving not a trace behind.
Ge Xian didn't think it was a waste either. Two dragon claws suddenly shot out through the ghost mist, catching the horns of a monster that had silently charged at him. It was crystalline as jade, half pig and half dragon, and looked both stupid and vicious.
With a muffled bang, Ge Xian, already transformed into a dragon, was sent flying several zhang.
Only then did he get a clear look. The "Jade Pig Dragon" in his grasp was filthy and greasy, at least two-thirds of its body soaked in foul-smelling Corpse Fluid. The Corpse Qi it spat out was laced with deadly poison. Its jade eyes, which should have glittered with spirit, were now filled with a twisted, bloody light.
"You stupid thing, how many corpses did you have to eat to end up looking like this?"
"Let me beat you into submission first, then I'll see if I can harvest you!"
Before you continue