M49S Vol 1 Chapter 6. Change Begins!

“Bang!”

Luo Hai was dragged back into the cave and thrown down, landing directly on top of a beast. The force of the fall stunned the creature into unconsciousness. It toppled over with its legs in the air, kicking up dust that rushed straight into Luo Hai’s nose and mouth.

“Cough, cough…” He choked as cold rain struck his face. Frustration swelled in his chest. But then he realized he wasn’t lying on solid ground. The air around him reeked of blood.

The ferocious beasts from earlier had now become a mountain of corpses. He was lying right on top of them, being interrogated by the man who held the sabre.

“Speak. What were you sneaking around for?” Meng Qiqi flicked blood from the blade, then pushed his rain-soaked hair back. His phoenix eyes were sharp and piercing.

“I… I left something behind. I came back to retrieve it.” Luo Hai scrambled for an excuse. From the corner of his eye, he spotted Chen Boyan and quickly added, “Senior Brother Chen should know. I was just with his junior, Tu Youqiong.”

He hadn’t planned to run into Chen Boyan, but right now the man felt like a lifeline. Luo Hai was sure Chen Boyan, being upright, wouldn’t stand by and let this dangerous man do anything to him.

Chen Boyan looked over and frowned slightly. “Then where is my junior now?”

“They went ahead,” Luo Hai answered quickly. “Said they were heading east. There’s a valley with houses where they can take shelter from the rain.”

Chen Boyan seemed to listen, but didn’t respond further.

Luo Hai grew anxious. “Truly, I only came back to find what I lost. And besides, what could I possibly do alone?”

“That’s fair.” Meng Qiqi nodded. “Then stay here and find whatever it is you dropped.”

Luo Hai froze. That was just an excuse. How was he supposed to actually find anything? Even if he randomly grabbed something to play along, the look in Meng Qiqi’s eyes told him the man didn’t believe a word.

Meng Qiqi glanced down at the blade, now washed clean by the rain. He smiled and said, “No rush. Take your time. Keep looking until you die.”

Goosebumps broke out all over Luo Hai’s body. He instinctively turned to Chen Boyan, hoping for help, but Chen Boyan was staring at the open cave entrance, deep in thought, not sparing him even a shred of concern.

Where was the righteous man? The virtuous swordsman? Seriously?

“Senior Brother Chen, I really-” The smell of blood made Luo Hai dizzy. Clinging to a last bit of hope, he tried to break free from Meng Qiqi and ran toward Chen Boyan. But halfway through his sentence, Meng Qiqi suddenly dropped the smile and cut him off.

“You call him Senior Brother Chen too?”

“Please don’t misunderstand, sir. Gushan Sword is a leading sect. I have long admired its name…” Luo Hai instinctively backed away, not daring to take another step toward Chen Boyan.

Chen Boyan turn his head, giving Meng Qiqi a confused look as if asking what he meant by that. But Meng Qiqi’s expression immediately shifted. His face warmed with amusement, as if nothing had happened. “I was praising your reputation, oh great cultivator from Gushan. Didn’t you notice?”

Of course Chen Boyan couldn’t tell. This man’s mood turned without warning, and everything he did was impossible to predict. Mad Dog? The name actually seemed to fit, yet Chen Boyan had never heard of such a person.

Chen Boyan said, “You don’t need to flatter me. With your skill, you’d be valued wherever you go.”

Trying to draw me out? Or just pretending not to know? Meng Qiqi was sure Chen Boyan could tell the difference between genuine praise and empty flattery. After being apart for so many years, Chen Boyan had become a stranger.

The proud and self-righteous Chen family, how could they possibly raise a true gentleman? What a joke.

“Thanks for the compliment,” Meng Qiqi said, playing along. “But there are watchdogs everywhere, all with the same sharp teeth and loud bark. Better to be a mad dog that roams free, and maybe snatch a couple of black-hearted rabbits while I’m at it. Don’t you agree?”

In the drifting rain, their eyes met. For a moment, it was as if they had already exchanged moves several times. Chen Boyan didn’t quite understand what the black-hearted rabbits referred to, but Meng Qiqi’s words held some truth. He nodded in agreement.

“You make a fair point.”

In other words, Chen Boyan didn’t have a bad impression of Meng Qiqi.

Luo Hai, on the other hand, was completely lost. Watchdogs, mad dogs, and black-hearted rabbits. Was he supposed to be a rat now?

But Chen Boyan and Meng Qiqi quickly turned their attention back to the matter at hand. Meng Qiqi said, “There are far too many beasts in this area. By right, there shouldn’t be more than a hundred.”

Chen Boyan nodded. He didn’t ask why a rogue cultivator would know anything about the secret realm. His eyes moved to the cave entrance.

“Let’s take a look.”

Meng Qiqi had the same thought and stepped in first.

Chen Boyan followed, but before entering, he turned back and said to Luo Hai, “It’s been about the time it takes for one stick of incense to burn. The forest is crawling with beasts. If you want to leave, go ahead.”

As the words left his mouth, Luo Hai’s foot, which had just lifted, froze in place. He turned his head stiffly, only to see Chen Boyan’s back disappearing into the cave.

The cave was dark. As he circulated qi to dispel the dampness from his body, Meng Qiqi lit a fire striker. The space lit up in an instant, revealing jagged formations on the ceiling like crude stalactites. They were rougher than stone and more like the claws and fangs of beasts, reflecting a cold, metallic gleam.

The deeper they went, the wider the space became. The hanging spikes also grew larger. The stench of beasts made Meng Qiqi instinctively raise a hand to cover his nose and mouth. From the corner of his eye, he glanced at Chen Boyan, who showed no visible reaction.

The cave wasn’t very deep. They soon reached the end.

Chen Boyan examined the withered yellow vines climbing the cave walls and spreading toward the ceiling spikes. He scanned the rubble and dead grass on the floor, and finally, his gaze landed on a round stone basin at the center of the cave.

Strictly speaking, it was a carved stone. A rough basin had been chiseled into it, not smooth but hollow enough to hold a pool of slightly murky clear liquid.

They walked closer. Chen Boyan dipped a finger in and took a moment to feel it.

“This is yuan liquid¹ (元液): A highly purified form of qi found in liquid state. More concentrated than rainwater or natural qi. Often used for cultivating rare spiritual seeds or accelerating a cultivator’s internal refinement) Purer than rainwater.”

“There’s a sprouted seed inside,” Meng Qiqi said as he narrowed his eyes to look closely. He didn’t reach in. He didn’t want to damage the fragile sprout. Also, he found it dirty. His fastidiousness always shifted with his mood. He never minded the mess during a fight, but once things quieted down, his quirks came back in full.

The basin was no wider than a straw hat. To look inside, Meng Qiqi had to lean in, squeezing against Chen Boyan. Their arms pressed together. The half-dry fabric of their robes transmitted each other’s body heat, and even their breathing felt warm at this close distance.

Chen Boyan wasn’t used to being this close to others, so he shifted slightly to the side to give Meng Qiqi more space. But Meng Qiqi didn’t seem to notice at all. Each time Chen Boyan moved away, he edged right back in.

Soft strands of hair brushed past Chen Boyan’s ear and came to rest on Meng Qiqi’s shoulder.

Chen Boyan frowned slightly and turned his head. He saw the long, black hair that shimmered faintly like pearl, but felt no trace of aversion. In silence, he took a step back to put some distance between them.

Meng Qiqi felt the sudden coolness on his arm and knew Chen Boyan had moved away. He curled his lip but said nothing, continuing to study the sprout closely.

“This is a winter ephedra sprout.² (麻黃芽): A medicinal herb used to boost qi and restore energy. Often found in cultivation settings for its stimulating effects. These beasts, lacking any intelligence, are actually trying to grow one.”

After speaking, Meng Qiqi examined the edges of the basin and looked up with a thoughtful glance.

“This basin seems to have been carved using those ceiling spikes. If we assume there are no humans living in this secret realm, then these beasts must have carved the stone themselves, gathered the yuan liquid, and planted this immortal herb that could help them form a core.”

“You mean these beasts have already developed intelligence?” Chen Boyan asked, his voice low.

Meng Qiqi let out a light laugh. “Did you forget what happened six years ago on Tianlao Mountain? Humans seek immortality and transformation. Beasts do too. These secret realms are no longer our playground.”

A flash of surprise crossed Chen Boyan’s eyes. It wasn’t what Meng Qiqi said that startled him, but the fact that he knew about it at all.

The shifts happening in secret realms were a carefully guarded secret. If Chen Boyan hadn’t been born into the Chen family, he wouldn’t know about it either. But this man before him seemed to know far too much.

Who was he really?

Meng Qiqi took out a small jade vial, collected both the seed and the yuan liquid, then stood up and said, “Let’s go.”

The two retraced their steps quickly. Midway back, they ran into Luo Hai again. He stood there awkwardly, wanting to leave but not daring to, wanting to enter but holding back. The sight brought a flicker of amusement to Meng Qiqi’s eyes.

Meng Qiqi gave him a glance and walked past. Chen Boyan followed soon after. Seeing both men leave, Luo Hai clenched his teeth and followed after them.

Trailing behind the two, Luo Hai found the path unexpectedly smooth. His anxiety slowly began to ease. He even muttered to himself, “Perhaps misfortune is a blessing in disguise.” But the moment he stepped out of the forest, that false sense of relief was shattered.

Outside the woods, under a curtain of continuous rain, winged beasts circled in the clouds above. Their piercing cries echoed outward in waves. Across the vast wildlands and mountain forests, packs of ferocious beasts moved slowly across the landscape. They were everywhere.

“H-how can this be…” Luo Hai froze. This was his first time in a secret realm, but he had asked around beforehand. No one had ever said anything about a place being this overrun with beasts.

Meng Qiqi’s expression darkened slightly. Beasts within the secret realms had been hunted down by cultivators for nearly a thousand years. But their numbers hadn’t dwindled. In recent years, they had only grown. Six years ago, on Tianlao Mountain, one beast had even slipped through a tear in the realm and entered the mortal world. Although it had been killed quickly, the implications were troubling.

If this continued…

Meng Qiqi’s eyes narrowed. He placed his hand on the hilt of his sabre and, in the next instant, shot forward like an arrow loosed from a bow.

Chen Boyan had been walking ahead. He saw a blur of pale color streak past him. By the time he realized who it was, Meng Qiqi had already landed atop one of the beasts.

Beasts gathered beneath his feet. Meng Qiqi leapt from back to back, moving swiftly. His steps seemed light, yet carried the weight of thunder.

The surrounding beasts howled with rage, but nothing could stop him.

He was fast. The sabre in his hand was even faster. In just a few moves, he stomped down hard on a beast’s back. Bone cracked beneath his foot, and he vaulted onto the crown of a half-withered tree nearby.

Trees like this were scattered throughout the secret realm, growing alone or in small clusters, quiet and desolate.

Meng Qiqi looked out into the distance. The clouds there were darker still. From the looks of it, the rain wouldn’t be stopping for days. If he planned to head that way, now might be the time to try.

Chen Boyan couldn’t tell what Meng Qiqi was thinking. He swept his gaze across the battlefield. All directions were filled with cultivators locked in battle with beasts. While the beasts were aggressive, their strength wasn’t overwhelming. Even with their numbers far exceeding the usual, they weren’t yet a match for the cultivators.

“I found another core!” someone shouted joyfully through the rain, the sound sharp and clear.

Then came a chain reaction, like a drop of water hitting hot oil.

More and more cheers rang out. Beast cores could greatly accelerate cultivation, but they were rare and only found in secret realms. Among dozens of beasts, it was lucky to find even one. But if the beasts had increased, wouldn’t the cores follow?

Among those observing from a distance, five elders of the Wang clan, who had entered the secret realm with the younger generation, exchanged hesitant glances. Their duty was to keep the juniors safe and minimize casualties.

The situation looked dangerous. But the reward was already within reach. Even if they gave the order to retreat, it was doubtful anyone would listen.

“Most of them have already taken shelter in the valley houses. For now, there shouldn’t be any major problems,” one said.

“We should still be cautious, Elder,” another added. “Things aren’t normal this time. If something does go wrong, the Wang clan…”

“That’s not quite right,” one of the elders said after exchanging glances with the others. He was tall and lean, and his voice was calm. “Nothing serious will happen either way. Let the younger ones temper themselves and observe the situation. When the Wang clan sends people in again, we’ll have a clearer grasp of things.”

“How can you speak like that? This concerns lives. You’d risk everything for your own private agenda?”

The tall elder gave him a sidelong glance. “And what, let all the effort we spent organizing the Immortal-Seeking Assembly go to waste? The Grand Elder’s own grandson is in there too. Do you really think we’d treat his life like a joke?”

That shut the other elder up. At that moment, the Grand Elder, who had remained silent with his eyes closed, finally opened his clouded gaze. He looked toward the many restless young cultivators, all stirred up by the hunt for beast cores.

“I will report to the clan leader myself,” he said. “Spread out and keep watch. Don’t lose sight of anyone.”

With the Grand Elder’s orders given, the other four had no choice but to comply. Soon, the old thatched pavilion in the mist and rain was empty except for him.

His gaze cut through the rain and landed on a distant figure. Meng Qiqi stood atop a tree with a leaf at his lips, drawing out a clear, flowing sound like a flute.

He didn’t know why, but in this young man he had never met before, he saw a trace of someone familiar.

So deeply nostalgic, and yet… repulsive.

• 1
  (元液): A highly purified form of qi found in liquid state. More concentrated than rainwater or natural qi. Often used for cultivating rare spiritual seeds or accelerating a cultivator’s internal refinement)
• 2
  (麻黃芽): A medicinal herb used to boost qi and restore energy. Often found in cultivation settings for its stimulating effects.