The bird's nest had been cleverly situated between three branching limbs, making it very sturdy. A canopy of foliage sheltered it overhead, keeping out direct sunlight and rain alike.
Reaching out to part the foliage and step outside was just like pushing open a door.
Chen Jin's only concern, however, was lightning tribulation.
He was too high up, with no roof of brick or stone over his head, and he himself was prone to attracting lightning...
With all those factors combined, he had to take precautions.
He could only hope there would be no thunderstorms during this time, but that was hardly realistic.
Rather than count on Heaven's mercy, he would be better off cultivating quickly, opening the three yang meridians of the foot and the three yin meridians of the foot, allowing the Qi and blood within him to be reborn and his intrinsic nature to become complete, transforming him from a corpse into a human.
By then, lightning tribulation should no longer descend upon him.
And so, in the days that followed, Chen Jin devoted himself to secluded cultivation in the bird's nest, inhaling purple Qi at dawn and swallowing moonlight at night.
Heaven cooperated, and no rain fell.
He began by connecting and opening the three yang meridians of the foot.
These meridians ran from head to foot, encompassing the foot yangming stomach meridian, the foot shaoyang gallbladder meridian, and the foot taiyang bladder meridian. They governed the superficial yang throughout the body, allowing yang Qi to flourish.
He followed the same path of "harvesting yin to replenish yang."
After all, far too much yin baleful Qi had accumulated within him, and he needed to refine it away as quickly as possible.
As he refined it, yin baleful Qi billowed forth, turning into mist and miasma that merged with the miasma already present in the secluded valley. From outside, it was difficult to distinguish one from the other; people would only think poisonous miasma filled the place, and the living could not retreat fast enough.
One day, at dusk, the setting sun burned blood-red, kindling vast swaths of crimson clouds in a truly beautiful sight.
A party arrived on a nearby hillside.
It was a small team of five, three men and two women.
Men and women alike bore faces weathered by dust and frost. One man and one woman were relatively young and looked to be apprentices or disciples of some sort.
Their leader was an old man with graying hair. Holding a pipe, he surveyed the surroundings and said, "We'll make camp here tonight."
A burly man could not help asking, "Father, look at that valley over there, with miasma surging into the sky. Aren't we staying too close?"
The old man squatted down and tapped out his pipe. "It's fine. Our camp is on the slope and sheltered from the wind. That miasma can't blow this way."
The burly man nodded. "All right, I'll listen to you, Father."
He went over to join his wife and began setting up camp.
The old man stood and called, "Tong'er, go have a look around. Be careful."
He was calling his grandson, He Tong.
The burly man was his son, named He Tie.
They were, in fact, an entire family.
Old Man He, He Tie and his wife, and the grandson He Tong and granddaughter He Juan.
Teams made up of family members were the norm among mountain foragers of the lower ranks, since they could trust one another more and were more united.
In a sense, with fathers passing their skills to sons, and sons passing them on to their own sons, it was practically a Lineage inheritance, through which one could learn genuine skills.
That was where the "households" among the unorthodox paths and miscellaneous schools came from.
Of course, households such as this were only the smallest units at the very bottom. Only once they grew and prospered, reaching the standing and scale of the Yan Household, could they be called true cultivation households.
Tall and thin, He Tong began patrolling the area like a scout, discovering no sign of danger.
Except for that secluded valley.
He certainly did not dare enter it lightly.
As the sky darkened, Madam Li of the He Household gathered firewood and set up a pot, preparing to light a fire and cook.
Mountain foragers ate in the wind and slept beneath the open sky. Their food and drink were simple, but a pot of boiled water was indispensable.
He Tie came over and sat beside his father, Old Man He, then sighed. "Father, it's been three days, and all we've dug up is half a basket of pig-whisker grass. Nothing else."
"There's nothing we can do," Old Man He said in a muffled voice. "Too many people, and we came late. That's why we have to go deep into the mountains. Anything worth a little money on the outskirts has already been dug up."
He Tie curled his lip. "The Yan Household really has it made. They've set up a market right in the mountains, charging for entry, charging for stalls, charging for eating, drinking, shitting, and pissing. Everything we work so hard to earn goes straight to them."
Old Man He glanced at him. "They're a true cultivation household. How can we compare? Besides, hasn't it been said? If the Yan Household's Holy Maiden hadn't formed the Demon-Slaying Alliance and cleared out all the Demon Beasts in these mountains, how would any of us have the chance to come treasure hunting?"
He paused here before continuing, "Even so, these mountains aren't entirely peaceful. Remnants of demons and ghosts still linger. Just the day before yesterday, there were rumors of trouble over by the Nether Passage River, of a snake demon eating people. It scared so many people away that they don't dare go there anymore. Ah, what a pity."
Precious fish appeared in the Nether Passage River, and there were treasures from sunken ships and the like on its bed. If salvaged, they would be worth a great deal.
He Tie blinked. "How come I heard it was a mutant toad?"
"Whether it's a toad or a snake demon, we have to be cautious."
Old Man He took a puff on his pipe and spoke unhurriedly.
He Tie, however, grew somewhat impatient. "Father, we've come all this way. We can't go back empty-handed, can we? Tong'er isn't that young anymore. Getting him married and settled will take a great deal of money."
Old Man He sighed. "Our family has had only one son in each of three generations. Of course I'm anxious too. But being anxious won't help, and we absolutely mustn't act rashly. Haven't enough mountain foragers died violent deaths over the years? Never mind the distant examples-just look at the Wu Household. Last year, all seven members of their family perished at the Evil Ghost River. He Tie, you must remember: once you're dead, everything is gone."
He Tie grunted assent. "I'll remember."
Old Man He exhaled. "Hang up the banner."
It was a dark-red cloth banner bearing a black talismanic inscription. Its strokes looked careless, but actually held a hidden spiritual radiance. Erected at the campsite, it could drive away ghosts, ward off evil, and dispel baleful influences.
Their household had shallow foundations and could not afford to maintain a household god, so they had spent a large sum to purchase this divine banner, nurturing the spirituality within it. Out in the wilderness, it had its uses.
With the divine banner hung up, the family of five sat around the fire and iron pot, preparing their meal.
The evening breeze blew, carrying the fragrance of their food away.
In the secluded valley, up in an ancient tree, a red-haired corpse monster was disturbed by the sound of human voices. He leaped out of the nest and made his way through the trees to the valley's edge, concealing himself among the woods and peering out.
He saw a family of five camping on the hillside, eating together and talking.
Some kind of meat broth was cooking in the iron pot. Heated by the flames, it came to a boil, giving off a rich fragrance.
As Chen Jin smelled it, an appetite actually stirred within him. He wanted to reveal himself, go over and ladle out a bowl of soup, then feast to his heart's content.
In fact, he was not hungry. Rather, some desire had been stirred deep within his soul.
Or perhaps it was because he had opened the foot yangming stomach meridian.
In the end, however, he did not move, only sitting in the tree, watching quietly and listening quietly.
Rustle!
A wind rose, blowing the divine banner so that it fluttered like leaves, rattling loudly.
Old Man He's expression changed. He sprang to his feet, his uncertain, alarmed gaze sweeping the surroundings.
He Tie and the others reacted swiftly as well, hastily picking up their various weapons and taking defensive positions, their expressions wary.
"Father, is something coming?"
He Tie asked nervously.
Old Man He strained his eyes wide to look, but the night stretched dark and vast around them, with nothing unusual in sight.
Not daring to let down his guard, he swallowed and said in a low voice, "Don't speak."
Just then, the divine banner shuddered and fell still.