A Difficult Task

The sky finally cleared.

The mountain leeches that had blanketed the hills and forests retreated along with the rainwater, burrowing into the damp corners hidden by fallen leaves, dark pools, and the depths of tree hollows to lie in wait.

Only when the heavy rains returned, turning the world into a sodden, saturated mess, would they crawl out from those gloomy nooks to roam the woods once more.

Of course, before the next round of downpours arrived, no one knew how many of them would perish from dehydration, or how many would end up as food for their natural predators, leaving not a scrap of their bodies behind.

But one thing was certain: the number would be far from small.

And it was equally certain that every creature living in the forest would applaud the mass death of such disgusting, terrifying pests.

At this moment, inside an unnamed cave, Shen Rongguang emerged from the dark, damp hole where he had been holed up for so long.

Gazing at the clear world bathed in bright sunshine outside, he let out a long breath, as if trying to expel the stifling frustration that had built up over the past two months.

"Damn it, this thieving heaven!"

"It rains day after day, day after day—why don't you just collapse and rain yourself out once and for all!"

Shen Rongguang stared at the sky and cursed loudly.

Immediately, boom, boom, boom!!!

Several streaks of spiritual energy blasted out, shattering the massive trees in front of him and smashing the ground to pieces. He vented his hatred fiercely until he was panting for breath.

"Damn it! If I'd known, I wouldn't have come!"

"We haven't reached the destination, haven't found the item, and instead, I've had to swallow my anger for two months!"

Having been cooped up in the cave for two months, Shen Rongguang was filled with pent-up rage.

Especially when he thought of the dense swarms of mountain leeches crawling through the vegetation outside during the rain, it made his skin crawl just to think about it.

At the same time, the thought of the one back home—who enjoyed the support of the entire branch and walked a smooth path on the road of cultivation simply because he was born a quarter of an hour earlier—made his blood boil.

He, on the other hand, had to suffer and toil, venturing out to fend for himself, relying on his own efforts to obtain cultivation resources and plot his own future.

Shen Rongguang grew even angrier, his face darkening with gloom.

"Alright, Xiaoguang."

Behind him, Shen Chongshan and his group also walked out of the cave.

Compared to Shen Rongguang, although the others didn't look much better, they showed at least a hint of joy upon seeing the bright sun and clear sky above.

Shen Chongshan walked up behind Shen Rongguang and patted his shoulder like a steady, older brother.

"This expedition didn't go smoothly; it's my fault for not preparing properly for this area beforehand."

"Brother Shan, I..."

Seeing this, Shen Rongguang grew anxious and tried to explain.

However, Shen Chongshan raised his palm, cutting off his words.

"I led this mission. The fact that I didn't investigate the weather patterns or information about this desolate land before coming here is my responsibility."

"What is, is; what isn't, isn't. There is no need to make excuses for me."

Shen Chongshan said in a steady voice.

Shen Rongguang and the others were taken aback, a warmth blooming in their hearts as their conviction in Shen Chongshan grew even stronger.

"Brother Shan, you cannot be blamed for this. Who could have known that this borderland would suffer such strange, incessant rain for two whole months?"

"Exactly! Especially those mountain leeches. We've encountered month-long rains back in Tiannan City before, and based on our past experience, pushing through the rain was never an issue. But who would have guessed that the forests in this godforsaken place were crawling with those things?"

"This place is seven or eight thousand miles away from Tiannan City. Unless you're a local, an outsider would have no way of knowing the ins and outs of this wretched land."

The group spoke up one after another, absolving Shen Chongshan of blame.

In truth, they were not merely making excuses for him; it was simply the reality of the situation.

Compared to the well-developed regions surrounding Tiannan City, this borderland was still in the midst of transitioning from a wild, untamed wilderness into a place fit for human habitation.

Not only was the environment harsh, but the flow of information was also severely lacking.

It was said that in this border region, trade still relied on ancient caravans trekking through mountain forests to peddle goods to isolated mountain villages.

Against such a backdrop, it was unlikely that any outsider could have anticipated the danger of a mountain leech infestation.

At this thought, the resentment that had built up within the group after being trapped in the cave for nearly two months dissipated in an instant.

"Even so, it was ultimately my lack of foresight."

"However, this incident has served as a reminder. The environment here in the borderlands differs vastly from the Tiannan Region, and there is no telling how many hidden traps lie ahead. When we enter the mountains to hunt for treasure, we must find a guide."

Shen Chongshan said, lost in thought.

"Let's move. We must reach Wu Family Market as quickly as possible."

"I fear this clear weather is only a brief respite. If another heavy rain comes and those mountain leeches emerge from the forest again, we'll be in real trouble."

"Once we reach Wu Family Market, we'll find a guide immediately and get a better understanding of the situation here."

Shen Chongshan signaled to the group, and they set off once more.

Hearing his words, the others recalled the days spent over the past two months being hemmed into the cave by the dense swarms of mountain leeches outside, and they couldn't help but feel their hair stand on end as they hurried to follow him.

"Green Origin Water Grass requires a harsh environment, demanding an abundance of water vein essence. Given that this borderland has seen nearly two months of continuous rain and harbors such a massive population of mountain leeches, it must be a place rich in water vein essence."

"Coupled with the reports of Green Origin Water Grass here twenty years ago, the odds are high that we are on the right track!"

"Once this mission succeeds, we won't necessarily be defying the heavens and changing our fates, but at the very least, our future paths will be secure!"

"I ask that everyone puts in their best effort!"

As they walked, Shen Chongshan did not forget to encourage the group.

In an instant, even Shen Rongguang swept away the gloom that had accumulated, and the morale of the team soared.

Inside Dawan Village, Shen Changchuan held the intelligence gathered over this period, his brows furrowed in deep contemplation.

Twenty years ago, Dawan Village had been ruled by a small family of cultivators surnamed Hu.

The Hu Clan were the founders who had migrated here over a century ago to establish Dawan Village.

Gathering information on the Hu Clan had not been difficult.

Even though twenty years had passed, there were still mortal martial artists in Dawan Village who had remained since the time of the Hu Clan.

This was because, after the "regime change" in Dawan Village, the Shen Clan had not wiped out everyone; aside from those with close blood ties or marital connections, they had allowed the survivors to work alongside the mortal martial artists who migrated later, serving the cultivators and tilling the spirit fields.

This had led to chaos in the village's household registration management, which was only fully clarified after Shen Changchuan arrived and implemented reforms.

However, the problem was that twenty years had passed.

The people of that era were either old or dead, and even those who survived had memories that had grown hazy with time.

Furthermore, those who had managed to survive were those who had not been close to the Hu Clan, meaning they had never been in contact with the core secrets of the family.

Even if that group of people knew any news, it was all hearsay, devoid of any valuable information.

The most they had gathered was that the head of the Hu Clan back then was named Hu Zhongming, who was rumored to be a cultivator at the seventh level of Qi Refinement.

Beyond that, they knew little about the Hu Clan of those days.

But to Shen Changchuan, none of this was of any use.

Information that would have been useful, such as anything related to the hidden cave within Dawan River, was known to absolutely no one.

No one knew that such a hidden cave existed at the bottom of the river.

This undoubtedly left Shen Changchuan feeling somewhat helpless.

"As expected, it's not that simple."

"Forget it. There is an inherent divide between the immortal and the mortal, and with twenty years having passed, even if any traces had remained, they would have long since vanished into thin air."

"Trying to search from this angle is nothing but a delusion."

"So be it."

Shen Changchuan shook his head slightly, having no choice but to set the matter aside for the time being.

However, just at this moment, a report came from outside: Zhao Hangao of Zhao Family Village was outside the village, requesting an urgent audience.