Food Immortal Master

"Come on, tell me."

"First, that assumption is very unlikely to hold, because Immortal Hunters often wander the mortal world for a long time before finding their destined person. Second, if it really has already formed a pact with someone, we'll try to bring that person back."

"What for?"

"To serve Great Tang, of course."

"Mm, that's good."

Shang Lang looked at him, then suddenly frowned slightly. "Why do I get the feeling you..."

"I can feel it now," Pei Ye interrupted, his expression serious.

"What?" Shang Lang failed to catch his meaning at first.

"My dantian." Pei Ye held his right arm out before him.

At a shift of his thoughts, the blue in his blood vessels swiftly receded into his dantian, and his arm returned to normal.

"What keen sensitivity to qi," Shang Lang praised him, then looked at his arm again. "Can you send it back into your arm whenever you like?"

"Yes. It makes me much stronger." With a thought, Pei Ye covered his arm in blue markings again. "The 'web' woven by the 'spider' hasn't been destroyed. It can go back at any time."

"In that case, you should be able to achieve the same effect in your other three limbs and your internal organs. But to be safe, keep it confined to this arm for now."

Pei Ye nodded and was about to speak again when hurried footsteps sounded in the courtyard. A constable stopped at the door and said urgently, "Young Hero Pei, Lord Shang, you're both wanted in the front hall at once."

The two exchanged a glance and rose together.

They strode to the main hall, just in time to hear the latter half of a man's anguished words from inside. "...so we split up along four routes. But now... now I'm the only one who's arrived."

Pei Ye frowned and pushed the door open. At a glance, he saw a new man in plain clothes in the hall. Short and stocky, he wore rough garments and had disheveled hair, bronze skin, and a dust-covered face. Dried, cracked mud clung to his trouser legs. His eyes were slightly red and his lips badly chapped, yet he had no mind to drink the tea set beside him. He must have been the one speaking.

The other three wore grave expressions. When the pair entered, Xing Zhi spoke first. "Shang Lang, go muster the Dragon Martial Army."

Shang Lang cupped his fist and turned to leave. Somewhat bewildered, Pei Ye approached Chang Zhiyuan, who handed him a crumpled sheet of yellow hemp paper. "This is a hunter from White Bamboo Village. Read the news he brought first."

Pei Ye took it. Sweat had smudged the writing slightly, but it remained legible:

"To the county magistrate: a monstrous tiger is eating people outside White Bamboo Village. More than twenty have already been killed. Please send heroes from the Crane and Teal Register or three hundred prefectural soldiers to aid us! Urgent! Urgent! Urgent!"

A small line at the bottom bore the signature of Zhao Baishu, the headman of White Bamboo Village.

Pei Ye finished reading and lowered the letter in astonishment.

Not just White Bamboo Village-even Fenghuai County was almost buried in the Firewood-Cang Mountains. Hunters abounded in the county, and its people did not regard tigers and leopards as frightening. For a seasoned hunter, familiarity with their habits and a cautious approach were enough to secure a fine pelt worth more than ten taels.

What sort of "monstrous tiger" could terrify White Bamboo Village, whose people had lived deep in the mountains for so long, into requesting such substantial reinforcements?

Wasn't Black Chi the Immortal Hunter? Where had this monstrous tiger come from?

Only now did Pei Ye realize that even writing a plea for aid required some skill. The letter Shen Yanping had sent to the prefecture must have been concise and clear, laying out the predicament, the enemy, and the specific assistance needed.

The short note in his hand, however, left many details vague. Most of the village's circumstances could only be guessed at. Still, the village lacked people capable of investigating the matter and knew little of the resources available to the prefecture and county, so it was understandable that the letter had turned out this way.

As Pei Ye knitted his brows, Chang Zhiyuan took his wrist and said quietly, "Don't involve yourself in this expedition. Registered heroes are already the strongest force ordinary people know of. For Zhao Baishu to make such a request shows how deeply shaken he was."

Pei Ye fell silent for a moment. "Uncle... Chang, I have a reason I must go."

"...Very well." Chang Zhiyuan released Pei Ye's wrist and said worriedly, "In that case, I'll sign an order authorizing you to reassure the people of White Bamboo Village on my behalf, and to recruit local volunteers for deployment and restore order in the village. Huang Er, tell Headman Zhao for me that he must do his utmost to cooperate with Pei Ye. Though young, Pei Ye is thoughtful, brave, and composed, and more than capable of this duty."

Both Pei Ye and the man voiced their assent.

Jing Ziwang rose with a solemn expression. "Since the matter is urgent, let's waste no more time. We'll set out now."

Chapter 31: Entering the village

Leading his horse, his sword secured at his side, Pei Ye reached the city gate to find everyone assembled.

Shang Lang sat mounted at the front, a long spear gleaming coldly at his side. Behind him stood a formidable, sternly disciplined squad of cavalry.

The current imperial forces were divided into the Northern Yamen Six Armies and the Southern Yamen Sixteen Guards. The former were stationed inside the palace city as the emperor's personal troops; the latter were stationed in the capital under the chancellor's command. The Northern Yamen Six Armies were the more elite, their ranks composed primarily of scions of prominent families, outstanding soldiers from the Sixteen Guards, and disciples of renowned sects. The Left Dragon Guard Army was one of the Northern Yamen Six Armies, a cavalry force that could be called the foremost spearhead of Great Tang's military might.

This was Pei Ye's first time seeing the Dragon Martial Army, and he finally felt firsthand what it meant to be the finest troops under heaven. Though there were only twenty riders, their formation remained orderly. Every man had a fine horse and excellent armor, and none whispered to his neighbor. In their solemn silence, a chilling killing intent condensed like iron.

"It seems I guessed wrong. This is a Demon Calamity," Shang Lang said with a smile and a sigh when he saw Pei Ye approach.

Pei Ye still believed Black Chi was the true Immortal Hunter. But he had no idea where this monstrous tiger had come from, nor did he know Black Chi's feelings on the matter-whether Black Chi would be willing to "serve Great Tang." He could hardly reveal anything without permission.

Pei Ye changed the subject. "Why haven't I seen Lord Zhu?"

"Brother Zhu noticed something unusual on our way here and suspected traces of the Torchworld Cult, so he went to investigate on his own and told us to come ahead." Shang Lang gestured toward Xing Zhi. "Sister Xing Zhi is sending him a message. It won't take long."

Pei Ye looked over. Xing Zhi finished writing a short note, put away her brush, and brought a jade bead tied to her wrist to her lips. Holding it between them, she blew a clear, bright whistle.

The woman with gentle eyes turned and added, "I exchanged a letter with Senior Brother Zhu this morning. He was heading into Xin Cang Mountain, so we need only send word asking him to join us."

Then she studied Pei Ye. "Young Hero Pei, are you certain you want to come? Don't you have an elderly family member at home?"

Pei Ye froze for a moment, surprised that she knew his family circumstances, then simply nodded. "I'm going."

Before long, a blue-green shape suddenly appeared in the sky and dropped like an arrow onto Xing Zhi's shoulder.

The blue-green bird brimmed with spiritual vitality, its eyes a rare golden yellow. A delicate little gold band encircled one slender leg, engraved with the name "Xing Zhi," while a light, pretty ribbon was tied around the other-clearly a touch of its owner's taste.

This was the first time Pei Ye had seen a Soul Bird from so close.

Xing Zhi held out her hand. The bird opened its beak and swallowed the little rolled-up paper tube, then shot into the clouds with a flutter of wings.

"Lord Jing, shall we set off?" the woman asked, turning.

"As Master Xing wishes."

Several dozen riders galloped out of the city, their hoofbeats rolling like thunder. Riding among them, Pei Ye felt safer than he would have beside any lone expert.

In truth, this company had no shortage of experts either. Though the man surnamed Zhu had yet to arrive, Jing Ziwang was a genuine grandmaster who had ascended the jade steps of the mystic gate. Killing the Seventh Growth enemy Pei Ye had risked his life to defeat would cost this grandmaster no more effort than crushing an ant.

Zhao Baishu's letter requested aid from heroes on the Crane and Teal Register, but those listed on it did not actually belong to the government and were not a force prefectures and counties could summon at will. Their legendary reputation had simply spread so widely that they had become synonymous with "powerful" in people's minds.

Besides, their numbers were few. For all that the words "Crane and Teal Register" were constantly on people's lips, and even children's games featured "Crane and Teal heroes," the register was really like the luminous pearls of legend-everyone had heard of them and spoken of them, but never seen or touched one.

The Crane and Teal Register was a roster of a thousand names that Great Tang's Immortal Platform had been publishing for more than thirty years. It had long been regarded throughout the world as synonymous with the pinnacle of martial prowess. From the northern desert wastes to Great Tang's lands and the Southern Kingdoms, whether one was a skilled soldier, a venerable martial luminary, a scion of an established family, or an heir to a renowned sect, anyone strong enough had a chance to earn a place on the Crane and Teal Register.

Nearly a million people under heaven had broken their seed and generated qi, yet the Teal List held only nine hundred names. Thus, although the Crane and Teal Register itself imposed no restrictions on cultivation realms, anyone whose meridian tree had not reached the eighth growth had no chance of even glimpsing a place on it. When people spoke of the Crane and Teal Register, they generally meant these nine hundred, who essentially represented the highest level of cultivation in ordinary people's eyes.

The Crane List was far more remote from common folk. Only those in the cultivation world followed it closely and discussed it with relish. Only grandmasters who had ascended the jade steps of the mystic gate were eligible, and it listed just three hundred names, mostly sect leaders and elders or renowned experts from various nations. There were also a very few young prodigies, but all were figures standing atop the clouds, whom others could only gaze up at.

Though a place on the Crane List remained a distant prospect for Jing Ziwang, he was a grandmaster nonetheless, solidly stronger than most people on the Teal List.

The brightest hours of the day had passed. The sun sank in the west and an evening breeze began to rise. Whenever they passed through tall woods, the light dimmed as though night had fallen.

Everyone concentrated on the journey. The deeper they rode into the mountains, the narrower the road became. Gradually, the trees grew tall and dense, insects and beasts became common sights, and only then did a handful of rooftops appear in the distance.

It truly was a little village buried in the mountains.

Dusk had arrived, yet not a wisp of cooking smoke rose from the village. Shang Lang raised a hand behind him. "Stay alert!"

To Pei Ye, the command was entirely unnecessary, for the elite riders behind them had not relaxed their vigilance for even a moment.

Up ahead, Jing Ziwang suddenly raised his hand and slowly reined in. They had already been moving at a modest pace along the mountain path, and the entire company halted in good order.

"What is it?"

Jing Ziwang pointed ahead. Pei Ye followed his finger and saw a wooden cart overturned on the ground. The animal that had pulled it lay motionless nearby.

Pei Ye's heart clenched. Forgetting etiquette, he urged his horse forward, dismounted, and examined the scene. The dead animal was a donkey. Looking toward the cart, he spotted that familiar sack.

Meng Jiao.

He was gone.

The other three caught up just then. Shang Lang asked, "What's wrong, Brother Pei?"

Pei Ye's voice was low and grave. "A friend I've known since childhood."

Xing Zhi dismounted, crouched, and gathered spiritual qi to probe inside the donkey's corpse. Before long, she withdrew her fingers, her expression strange.

"What is it?"

"This donkey was frightened to death."

"..."

"He had the misfortune to encounter that monstrous tiger here," Jing Ziwang said gravely, pointing to the still-soft, damp earth beside them, where several shallow pawprints lay.

"So big..."

"It really is a Demon Calamity."

"There's no telling where the pawprints lead. We can't follow them."

Jing Ziwang frowned. "Master Xing, isn't there some spellcaster's method you can use? This doesn't seem to have happened long ago. The man might still be saved."

Xing Zhi shook her head. "No blood, no flesh, no qi. Without a medium, I can't trace him."

Jing Ziwang studied the prints a few more times, then said heavily, "Then let's hurry to the village. Once we understand the situation, we'll drag this beast out and slaughter it."

Xing Zhi frowned slightly. A newly emerged Immortal Hunter or Demon Calamity should be roughly equal in strength to a cultivator like Jing Ziwang, who stood on the first jade step of the mystic gate. Holding his ground should pose no problem, but actively hunting it down would inevitably expose weaknesses. It would be better to wait until Senior Brother Zhu arrived.

But after glancing at his solemn face, Xing Zhi swallowed her words. After all, he was neither a familiar colleague nor a subordinate, and Senior Brother Zhu would likely arrive very soon anyway.

Shang Lang patted Pei Ye's shoulder. They all mounted again and soon reached the entrance to White Bamboo Village.

The village was very small, with perhaps sixty or seventy households in total. If more than twenty people had already died, as Zhao Baishu's letter claimed, that meant nearly half the households in the village were in mourning.

The moment he entered the village, Pei Ye felt its oppressive atmosphere. Everything was hushed, as though the slightest sound might startle something into emerging.

Not a soul was outside, but the clatter of hooves soon drew many heads peeking cautiously out. At the sight of the armed riders, the villagers' faces seemed caught between tears and joy.

Chapter 32: The blue-green bird's ominous cry

"The first signs appeared more than ten days ago."

Headman Zhao Baishu was short, and his hunched upper body made him look even more bowed and humble. His voice was hoarse; he must have spoken a great deal over the past two days.

"There was an old man in the village who went into the mountains to gather herbs that day and didn't return. He always went deep into the mountains for good herbs, so we guessed he'd lost his footing or his way. He had a habit of leaving marks along his herb-gathering route. We talked it over and sent two people to look for him. But three whole days passed, and neither of them returned."

"We wondered whether they'd had the misfortune to run into a tiger or leopard. We sent another five people in, armed with knives and forks, and told them to send someone back with news every other day. On the first day, one came back and said they'd followed the first two men's trail to the rope bridge and planned to keep searching farther on. But on the second day, nobody returned with news. Nor did anyone return on the third or fourth day."

"If I'd been wiser, I would have reported it to the authorities then." Zhao Baishu's eyes were vacant as he raised them to the four faces before him. "But who could have imagined that monsters really existed in this world?"

No one spoke. The old man drew a deep breath, steadied his emotions, and continued his account.