Fierce Tiger Eats People

Looking at the hazy, cloud-shrouded information, Ling Qing understood that it was nothing more than the story of Wang Qi seeking the Dao at Lao Mountain.

As the information faded away, he began to face a choice.

This dungeon still offered the opportunity to select an identity.

Swordsman, Scholar, Lay Practitioner, and Woodcutter—there were four identities in total.

Among them, the Swordsman and Scholar went without saying; they represented martial and literary skills, respectively.

In Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio, these two identities were the ones most frequently able to come into contact with gods, immortals, and ghosts.

The Lay Practitioner was likely someone who lived at home while yearning for the Dao, presumably possessing some knowledge of Daoist scriptures and anecdotes about immortals.

As for the final option, the Woodcutter, whether it was the one who guided Sun Wukong to find Fangcun Mountain and Three Stars Cave in Journey to the West, or the woodcutter in the tale of the rotting axe handle, they all seemed to be the ones most likely to stumble upon places of immortal destiny.

Ling Qing pondered for a moment and first ruled out the Swordsman and the Woodcutter.

Choosing the Swordsman would be no different from what Tian Yong and the others chose last time: obtaining a set of physical combat skills.

However, he had already exchanged for a staff technique at the Special Affairs Department, and with his protective spells, he was not lacking in offensive means.

While the Woodcutter was more likely to encounter immortals, his goal this time was clear, and he didn't seem to need that.

Furthermore, in legends, although woodcutters easily encountered immortals, few actually followed them to cultivate the Dao; there was even a saying that they were immortals themselves.

Though he didn't know the reason, it was enough for Ling Qing to give up on the idea.

Of the remaining two, the Scholar was the quintessential protagonist of strange tales, while the Lay Practitioner possessed a foundation in Daoist studies, which would facilitate future learning.

Faced with these two choices, Ling Qing was momentarily conflicted.

After thinking it over, he chose the identity of the Scholar.

Ling Qing made this choice primarily because he valued the status of a scholar.

At any time, even in the modern era, educated people were held in higher regard, let alone in ancient times, where the literary atmosphere was even more pronounced.

Whether in strange tales or historical records, when facing fox spirits, ghosts, or bandits, few would harm a scholar without cause.

It was this status that commanded respect, and that was exactly what Ling Qing valued.

As long as he didn't die immediately upon encountering danger, he had the confidence to fight back against any threat, thanks to his well-stocked spellbook.

At the very least, he could escape.

Moreover, scholars often read strange tales and admired the immortal path, much like Wang Sheng in "Lao Mountain Daoist."

Following his choice, the landscape shifted, and Ling Qing appeared in a small town.

Compared to the Tianshui Town from his last visit, this town appeared more primitive; judging by the attire of the passersby, the era was much further back in time.

But Ling Qing didn't care about that; he wasn't here for archaeology.

The most important thing now was to reach Lao Mountain as quickly as possible to learn immortal arts.

Although this large-scale dungeon certainly contained more than just the opportunity at Lao Mountain, the dangers involved—not to mention the difficulty of finding them—made Ling Qing abandon other pursuits.

There were quite a few people who had entered this time, and most were heading straight for the Shangqing Palace on Lao Mountain to practice the Dao.

He didn't know if there was a limit to how many could be accepted into the Shangqing Palace; if his affinity was insufficient, he could blame no one.

But if he missed out simply because others arrived first and claimed the opportunity, he would regret it forever.

At the same time, a line of information flashed before his eyes:

"Character has acquired a vast amount of Confucian knowledge (Four Books and Five Classics, etc.), a small amount of Daoist knowledge (Tao Te Ching, etc.), and a trace of mystical knowledge (legends of gods and strange tales, etc.)."

As expected, there were no specific skills; most were textual knowledge, all categorized under knowledge-based skills.

Ling Qing set aside the knowledge flooding his mind and checked himself; his long gown had transformed into a Confucian robe.

The medicine chest on his back had turned into a book box, and the medical banner in his hand had its cloth stripped away to become a rain cover for the box.

The Iron Birch Wood Staff he held was thick at the top and thin at the bottom, tapering to a sharp point encased in a conical iron tip.

The gnarled branches and leaves at the top had formed a rustic-style staff head.

"Greetings, elder. May I ask the way to Lao Mountain?"

After a brief inspection of his attire, Ling Qing stopped an elderly man who looked quite knowledgeable and asked.

In the modern world, if you wanted to go somewhere, you could just search on a map app on your phone, and everything would be laid out, even the route.

But in ancient times, he was completely in the dark.

Without such convenient navigation, he could only ask his way as he went in this unfamiliar place.

Although he had been to Lao Mountain before, he had gone by car.

He had no clear impression of the places he had passed along the way.

As for why he hadn't prepared a map?

Not to mention the geographical differences between the modern and ancient worlds, this was a place where gods and ghosts existed.

Charging headlong into the wilderness with nothing but a map is a surefire way to stumble straight into a demon's den.

Of course, Ling Qing had purchased a map of the area around Mount Lao from the Special Affairs Bureau; it was a simple print made with paper and ink brought out from the dungeon.

It marked the approximate location of the Shangqing Palace on Mount Lao within the dungeon, intended to help everyone find their destination and avoid getting lost in the vast mountains.

"What business does a scholar have asking about Mount Lao?"

The old man glanced at Ling Qing, then countered with a question of his own: "Is it a matter of great urgency?"

"I am seeking friends and acquaintances. Furthermore, I have heard that the ravines of Mount Lao are deep and secluded, the scenery is beautiful, and it is home to many seekers of immortality and the Dao. I wish to search for them myself."

Ling Qing answered truthfully.

"Since ancient times, the path of the immortals has been hard to find, while ghosts, monsters, and wild beasts are plentiful. If your friend has no urgent business, scholar, you would do well to abandon this thought and not head toward Mount Lao."

"Why is that?"

"Do you see that? Behind those distant mountains lies Mount Lao. To get there from our Jinshui Town, one must pass through Miao Mountain. But recently, travelers coming from the foot of Miao Mountain say that a tiger plague is ravaging the area; over a dozen fierce tigers descend the mountain daily to devour people. Even merchants with large entourages and skilled guards dare not pass, and the villages near Miao Mountain are busy fleeing. For a lone scholar to go there, isn't that just throwing your life away?"

Over a dozen tigers?

Tigers are solitary creatures that claim their own territory; they rarely move in packs. This is because tigers have a massive appetite, and a limited area can hardly sustain the hunting needs of multiple tigers. However, when food is abundant, tigers do not mind living in groups. Yet, judging by the old man's words, the tigers descending the mountain to hunt humans in packs was a recent development. Moreover, the local populace had not engaged in large-scale land reclamation that would have forced the tigers out of their habitat. Combined with the Special Affairs Department's repeated warnings about the abundance of ghosts and monsters in the dungeon, it was likely that either some anomaly had occurred in the mountains or an evil spirit was stirring up trouble.

"Are there any other paths to Mount Lao? My friend's invitation is sincere, and I find it hard to refuse. Besides, I have already traveled more than half the distance; it would be difficult to turn back now."

Ling Qing thought to himself that there was no need to be reckless; changing direction was not out of the question.

"Very well. If you must go to Mount Lao, you can bypass Miao Mountain by traveling an extra ten days or so; you can also reach it by way of Changyang Town."

"Many thanks, elder."

After inquiring in detail about the specific route, Ling Qing bowed to the old man and turned to leave.