Every Sip, Every Morsel

Stone Desert City.

Chen Cang strolled along the pitch-black streets with the Void Pegasus Beast.

The night was hazy, quiet, and desolate. The footsteps of the man and horse were the only sounds.

After settling matters in Desert City, Chen Cang had headed straight here. He had taken his time on the road, unafraid that Hai Bodong might come chasing after him in a furious rage.

After all, what did the deeds of a cunning villain have to do with him, Chen Cang?

Don't even think about pinning anything on me without evidence!

He walked from one end of the street to the other, yet not a single light shone in the vast city, let alone an inn where he could stay.

Just as Chen Cang was about to find some random corner to rest in, a rustling sound came from a dilapidated house.

Then a timid voice reached his ears.

"Are... are you looking for somewhere to stay? If... if you don't mind, you can come in and rest."

As one's strength increased, the six senses sharpened as well.

With Chen Cang's current strength, even beneath the veil of night, he could still see far better than an ordinary person.

Turning his head, he saw that the speaker was a little girl, ten or so at most. Her face was indistinct, but he could make out her disheveled hair and thin frame.

"Thank you."

Chen Cang did need somewhere to settle down and examine his body, so he accepted.

After settling the Void Pegasus Beast somewhere sheltered from the wind, Chen Cang took out a few gold coins and offered them to the girl.

"I don't know what the inns in Stone Desert City charge, so consider these gold coins payment for our lodging."

"No... there's no need. You've already paid."

"Hm?"

"I remember you. You gave me food two years ago."

Perhaps sensing Chen Cang's goodwill, the girl spoke more smoothly as she lowered her head and explained.

Old memories surfaced, and Chen Cang finally understood. Wasn't this exactly where he had asked for directions to the Desert Iron Mercenary Group when he first arrived in Stone Desert City?

Then the girl before him was the very same one from back then.

He met her eyes. In the dim night, they seemed to shine with a steadfast light.

"So it's you. Sorry, I didn't recognize you just now. I've come to Stone Desert City twice and met you both times. We really do share a bit of fate."

Chen Cang sat cross-legged near the doorway inside the house and spoke with a gentle smile, as though he had met a friend after a long separation.

To him, giving her food two years ago had been a passing impulse. He had forgotten it afterward, never expecting the flowers he planted to bear fruit.

Yet such a tiny gesture had stayed with the girl for two years. Somehow, it brought a saying to Chen Cang's mind.

We have always lived in darkness, but we remember every beam of light that shines in.

So we, too, can become light!

"It's late. Get some rest. I won't disturb you, and I'll leave at daybreak."

"Would... would you like to come farther inside? There's a gap in the door. It gets cold when the wind blows."

"No need. It's warm here."

Silence returned to the little house. Chen Cang closed his eyes and began examining his body.

Once someone became a Dou Zhe, they could use Inner Sight. The stronger they grew, the clearer that inner view became.

During Inner Sight, Soul Perception acted like a microscope, an invaluable tool for surveying one's own body.

Chen Cang circulated his cultivation method through a full cycle, clearing his mind completely and allowing his body to reach its most relaxed state. Only then did he summon his Soul Perception and begin examining himself from head to toe.

His examination was painstakingly thorough. He missed not a single pore, making sure to inspect every inch of skin and every stretch of his meridians. He would rather spend more time than leave any blind spots.

An hour, two hours...

At last, Chen Cang discovered a faint clue along the spine in his back.

On the stark-white bone lay an exceedingly inconspicuous red dot.

Chen Cang concentrated his Soul Perception there. Soon, the red dot came into focus. It was actually a wisp of gaseous energy shaped like a little snake, coiling within an almost imperceptible space.

There really was a mark!

Chen Cang could only marvel at how many tricks a veteran Dou Huang expert possessed. If not for Hai Bodong's unusual reaction, he might have taken a long time to notice this hidden danger.

Of course, the main reason the mark had remained so well concealed was that it had no effect on his body. Just as Hai Bodong had said, it was more like a marker.

For that very reason, Chen Cang erased it without lifting a finger. It was almost absurdly simple.

"So you like leaving marks, do you? When I get the chance, I'll carve a couple of words on you too..."

Call him vindictive over the slightest grievance or petty and narrow-minded-either way, he had written this down in his little ledger.

Then again, if the day truly came when he could carve those words, it would no longer be called revenge.

Scholars called it a bit of spice.

After erasing the mark on his spine, Chen Cang swiftly refocused and continued examining the rest of his body.

Fortunately, he found nothing else unusual.

"My Soul Perception might be stronger than I imagined."

When he opened his eyes, the sky outside was already growing light. Despite working all night, Chen Cang felt little fatigue, which meant he was still nowhere near his limit.

That made him very curious about his own Soul Perception.

Unfortunately, there did not seem to be anywhere in the entire northwest where he could test it.

"When I meet Pill King Gu He someday, I could spar with him. That should give me a rough idea."

A direct clash of Soul Perception offered a far clearer measure than a conventional test.

Of course, the risks were greater too.

Without absolute confidence, or a grudge over a murdered father or a stolen wife, an ordinary Alchemist would never act so rashly.

Rising, Chen Cang glanced at the girl pretending to sleep on the bed, softened his footsteps, and quietly left.

The Holy City, at the center of the Tagor Desert.

A seductive, stunning figure stepped gracefully out of the temple into the morning sunlight.

Arriving atop the city wall, she gazed toward Stone Desert City, her thoughts returning to two years ago.

As the leader of her people, with an illustrious reputation forged through battle, there were few things in the surrounding lands that could pique her interest.

Yet the man and horse who had suddenly appeared that time had made her eyes light up.

The man was no ordinary man, and the horse no ordinary horse. Together, they were difficult to ignore even if one tried.

And so, her interest had been stirred.

She had originally planned to settle the tribe's affairs, then venture into the Jia Ma Empire to find some amusement and while away her boredom. Who knew? Perhaps she might even find an opportunity to break through.

However, the chief Commander had suddenly announced a retreat into seclusion, disrupting her plans.

Temporarily losing one of her right-hand aides had not only left her with a pile of duties, but also prevented her from leaving the Holy City at will.

Day after day had passed. If she had not sensed the mark she left dissipating last night, she would almost have forgotten the incident.

"Hua She'er."

"Your Majesty!"

"I will be entering seclusion. The Holy City will be in your hands for the next few days. If anything arises that you cannot decide, consult the elders."

Medusa gave her instructions, inwardly doubting that any great storms could trouble the Snake-People Tribe as it stood now.

After all, she had not been idle these past two years. She had cultivated quite a few capable people, with Hua She'er foremost among them. She could already shoulder responsibilities on her own.

Hearing her orders, Hua She'er hurriedly acknowledged them.

Still, she was somewhat puzzled. Her Majesty seemed to be entering seclusion rather frequently lately. She had only emerged a few days ago, yet she was already going back in.

But when she remembered that Medusa bore the weight of the entire tribe on her shoulders, Hua She'er immediately understood everything.

Her Majesty has sacrificed so much for the Snake-People Tribe!