Chapter 80: Planning
Chapter 80: Chapter 80: Planning
Two Transformed Demon Beasts. Every part of them is a treasure!
A few days ago, he lacked the strength to harvest the remains of these Demon Beasts.
But now that he was temporarily out of danger, he was certainly going to salvage what he could.
Hearts, paws, claws, fur, flesh, fangs—they were all treasures!
"Liusha, keep an eye on our surroundings!"
Zhu Ge immediately crouched down and began to butcher the two Demon Beast corpses.
About half an hour later, he was finished.
He stuffed everything into his half-fish-basket, then left without a backward glance, leaving only a field of gore behind.
...
RUSTLE... RUSTLE...
Leaves brushed past his ears as Zhu Ge moved with incredible speed.
He gazed into the distance. Dawn was breaking in the east.
’It’s almost dawn. Liusha, have you found a suitable place?’
Zhu Ge asked Hua Liusha in his mind.
’Found one! Head southeast. It’s about a three-day journey from our Jianshan Village!’ Hua Liusha replied.
Zhu Ge had asked Hua Liusha to find a new base of operations.
There was no way he could return to Jianshan Village now.
After all, he had already sent the last two people from the village, Ji Fuhui and Duan Lei, to Mengla Slope Third Village.
Sui Niang had returned to the Yi Tribe, and Yu the Scholar was also at Mengla Slope.
Jianshan Village existed in name only.
He had no idea how much of the grain and seedlings in the cave they had dug out would be eaten by bugs, or how much would be left.
Regardless, he needed a new place to stay.
The original Jianshan Mountain had to be abandoned.
’It’s a valley surrounded by mountains, easy to defend and hard to attack, with beautiful scenery,’ Hua Liusha explained. ’But there’s a Transformed wild boar living inside. You’ll need to get rid of it, Brother.’
’A Transformed wild boar?’
’Why are there wild boars everywhere?!’
’Still, it made sense. Wild boars, like snakes, were all over the mountains.’
’They’re naturally tough, so it’s understandable that with such large numbers, some would become First or Second Realm Demon Beasts.’
But when he arrived at the valley, Zhu Ge’s mood soured.
"This was a place of beautiful scenery, of birdsong and fragrant flowers, yet you, a wild boar, have turned it into a mud pit? You have chosen the path of death."
Zhu Ge saw a very beautiful valley.
The moon had set, but the sun had not yet risen. The plantain leaves looked new in the pale, bright light.
Towering trees stood tall, the lake a deep blue, its mouth shaped like a vase with azure-stained clay.
The valley was surrounded by mountains on three sides—or rather, five sides. With a single opening, there were six faces in total.
The opening—the entrance—was as small as the mouth of a bottle, but a whole other world lay within.
Upon entering, the first thing to catch the eye was a blue pond, surrounded by flowers, grasses, and trees of all heights.
The meadows, shrubs, forests, hills, and pools were all exceedingly beautiful.
Such scenery might seem ordinary to a Demon Beast, but to a human, it was breathtaking.
However, all of this was merely the beauty Zhu Ge imagined the valley *should* have possessed.
Because it had all been ruined!
A wide patch of ground, once covered in grass and moss, had been violently torn up—clearly the work of a rooting pig.
The roots, stems, and leaves of the various plants bore scrapes and bite marks.
Worst of all was the once-beautiful pond.
In his previous life, Zhu Ge had seen the waters of Lijiang Blue Moon Valley, which were as pure and pale blue as the sky.
The water in this valley should have been just like that.
But now, a massive wild boar was fast asleep in the pond, turning it into a filthy mire.
Only a small puddle nearby gave any hint of the pond’s original color.
The boar’s body was a gradient of green, and its bristles grew like ferns.
If he hadn’t sensed the aura of a Transformed being, Zhu Ge would have mistaken it for a sculpture made of moss and ferns rather than a wild boar.
’And yet, this was the boar that had so crudely occupied *his*, Zhu Ge’s, beautiful new home?’
"Damn you, pig! Get out of my valley!"
Zhu Ge bellowed without preamble.
The sound echoed through the valley, startling the sleeping boar awake.
"I am the Long Fern Pig! I have ancient blood in my veins! I am unrivaled for a hundred li in any direction, yet you, a mere human, dare disturb me?!"
The boar, calling itself the Long Fern Pig, heaved itself up and shook the water from its hide. Its eyes were filled with vicious light. "Perfect. It’s been a while since I’ve eaten a young boy or girl. Today, I’ll make a meal out of you!"
"Excellent." A smile touched Zhu Ge’s lips at its words, and he immediately charged forward to battle the Long Fern Pig.
’Brother, want me to take a shot?’ Seeing Zhu Ge fighting with such satisfaction, Hua Liusha was also eager to join in.
’No,’ Zhu Ge refused outright. ’It’s broad daylight. If your true form appears, the sun will incinerate you.’
It was nearly dawn, so Hua Liusha could no longer appear so recklessly.
Ghosts and gods, despite their strange and immense power, often came with all sorts of limitations.
Perhaps with enough cultivation, there would come a day when Hua Liusha could walk freely under both sun and moon.
But that day was not today.
’That’s true...’ Hua Liusha’s voice was tinged with resignation. ’Then I’ll go out tonight. Anyway, I feel like I’m too far from breaking through to the Third Realm. I probably need to devour more souls.’
BAM!!!
Zhu Ge slapped a palm on the Long Fern Pig’s head as he replied in his mind, ’Right. First, we’ll get settled here. You’ll have plenty of chances to go out, mesmerize souls, and devour them.’
’Yuan Yang City is too dangerous right now, and we can’t go back to Jianshan Mountain. We should avoid any place with a lot of people. We can think about other things once I’m stronger.’
Lay low.
The Great God of Plague and the Divine Que was coming from the south, and it seemed to have colluded with the Great Demon Red River Dragon Python.
The Yuan Yang City Lord had summoned all Third Realm officials back to the city; it was clearly a time of crisis.
In a situation like this, someone like Zhu Ge was nothing more than cannon fodder.
Rather than being needlessly sacrificed, it was better to focus on his own growth, safe and sound, amidst a world fraught with danger and chaos.
The valley’s location was extremely secluded. If Hua Liusha hadn’t used her Yin Qi to scout, he probably would have never found it.
It was the perfect base for him and Hua Liusha!
He had to advance to a Mountain Shattering Martial Artist within a year!
CRACK!!
Zhu Ge’s Rain Swift Fist tore through the Long Fern Pig’s spine, ending its life.
"Done!"
Watching the Long Fern Pig’s demon heart slowly cease to beat, Zhu Ge couldn’t help but feel a sense of satisfaction.
Growth!
The mortal who once had to tread carefully with every step when facing the Fungus God had finally grown into a Martial Artist capable of killing a Transformed Demon Beast in under half an hour.
And not a Spiritual Demon Beast, but a Transformed Demon Beast.
"Liusha, you should still be able to absorb its soul. I don’t think it’s completely gone yet."
Zhu Ge kicked the Long Fern Pig at his feet, and its body twitched.
’Brother, you’re the best!’ Hua Liusha felt no pity for the Long Fern Pig. She emerged as a red mist, enveloped the boar’s corpse for a few seconds, then flew back into Zhu Ge’s body.
The women of Jianshan Village never just farmed; they were all experts at killing chickens, slaughtering pigs, gutting fish, and butchering ducks.
’I’m full! The soul of a Transformed Demon Beast is really something else. Brother, I need to digest for a bit!’ Hua Liusha’s voice was filled with drowsiness.
"Alright. I’m hungry too. Perfect, we’ll have roasted pork!"
Zhu Ge looked up at his valley, his heart swelling with heroic ambition, filled with optimism and hope for the future.
Cultivate!
Not only did he need to cultivate, but he also had to build a simple shelter—a base, a sanctuary.
That was the only way to ensure he’d have enough food, even if he stayed in the valley for a year or more.
After all, Martial Arts Practice was incredibly taxing!
He needed enough protein sources like meat, eggs, and milk, but that didn’t mean other nutrients like carbohydrates and fats weren’t also important.
When he had time, he also needed to gather news about Yuan Yang City. Eventually, if possible, he’d have to make a trip into the city to trade for some goods and acquire more knowledge.
But at what realm should he go? What would he sell? What would he buy? What knowledge did he still lack? These were all things he needed to consider and plan.
Of course, the most important thing was to increase his lifespan!
He only had one year to live. While he wasn’t afraid of death, he still had to plan carefully. It was always best to keep on living if possible.
’First things first, I need to eat my fill!’
’After I eat, I can plan my next steps!’