Chapter 30

With Gongyi Xiao guiding them, the three quickly breached the protective formation around the Illusory Flower Palace and pinpointed their direction.

The original work had offered scant description of the exact location where the Sun-Moon Dew Mushrooms grew, merely mentioning in passing that it was "a rocky cavern blanketed in dense, verdant greenery." Recalling even this tiny detail had cost Shang Qinghua dearly. After all, this item wasn't meant for Luo Binghe; it had been arranged for one of Luo Binghe's rivals.

And precisely because of that, Shen Qingqiu dared to act. If it were a rare flower or herb tied to the main storyline, or something meant to help Luo Binghe level up, he wouldn't have the guts to snatch it. The consequences of stealing resources from the male lead were far worse than a simple case of "the bait lost, the snare gone." Since they were both antagonists, a little casual theft should be fine!

Fortunately, though the White Dew Forest was vast, there was only one such rocky cavern, saving them a lot of trouble.

Shen Qingqiu snapped his fingers, and a cluster of bright yellow flame sprang to life on his fingertip. With a flick, the flame, swaying with a flickering tail, drifted into the dark, damp depths of the cavern, lighting the way ahead.

The initial passage was wide enough for three to walk abreast, but it grew progressively narrower, forcing them to turn sideways to pass. It twisted and turned like the coiled intestines of some colossal beast.

The light was dim, and even the flame Shen Qingqiu had conjured flickered uncertainly. He summoned several more, and the fireballs chased each other through the gloom. Gongyi Xiao brought up the rear. Shang Qinghua had wanted to wait outside the cavern but had been dragged in by Shen Qingqiu. Whether from fear or something else, he kept reaching out to touch Shen Qingqiu's arm, raising goosebumps all over it.

Finally, Shen Qingqiu could bear it no longer. Mindful of their guest, he whispered, "Could you stop pinching me?"

No response. But the touching stopped. Shen Qingqiu continued feeling his way forward, only for Shang Qinghua to kick him in the shin.

Shen Qingqiu couldn't help but blurt out, "Damn it!"

Shang Qinghua's voice echoed from far behind, drawn out by the winding passage. "Shen—Senior—Brother! What—did—you—say?"

His voice reverberated through the serpentine rock tunnel, seeming to stretch and distort. Unconsciously, Shen Qingqiu had quickened his pace, while Shang Qinghua's dawdling, along with Gongyi Xiao stuck behind him, had caused the other two to fall a good distance behind.

If it wasn't Shang Qinghua, then who—or what—had been touching him all this time?

Shen Qingqiu halted abruptly.

Expressionless, he patted his arm, trying to smooth away the goosebumps.

The clusters of flame still hung in the air, burning with an eerie light.

The enemy was hidden; he was exposed.

Shen Qingqiu flipped his left hand, several talismans slipping silently from his sleeve. With his right, he slowly drew Xiuya. The sword's light gradually brightened, illuminating nothing but the dark, wet rock walls ahead and behind, which exuded a damp, fishy odor.

He suddenly remembered—the impact on his shin hadn't felt like a kick. It felt more like… being headbutted!

Shen Qingqiu jerked his head down, his gaze colliding directly with a pale, bloated face on the ground.

His left hand shot forward, slapping a talisman toward that face. Instantly, the narrow tunnel erupted in a burst of lightning and flame. He tried to draw his sword, but the space was too cramped. Before the blade was halfway out, his right arm slammed against the rock wall, the hilt clanging loudly against stone.

The creature was soft and boneless, slithering across the ground like a giant snake. It dodged with terrifying speed, evading the talisman even at point-blank range, proving far more agile. Shen Qingqiu's delay in drawing his sword was all it needed. With a swift swoosh, it turned and scurried away—back toward the direction of Shang Qinghua and Gongyi Xiao. He shouted, "Watch out! Something's coming your way!"

Hearing this, Shang Qinghua immediately turned. "Young Hero, quick! Let's switch places!" A logistics guy shouldn't be on the front lines!

Gongyi Xiao tried to comply, but the tunnel was excruciatingly narrow, leaving only a fist's width of space beside a single person. He couldn't get past. Meanwhile, Shang Qinghua heard Shen Qingqiu roaring from the other side, "On the ground! Look down! It's crawling on the ground!" He turned back just in time to see a serpentine humanoid figure slithering toward him.

Shang Qinghua made a snap decision: he immediately lay flat on the ground!

Gongyi Xiao, who had never seen such a bizarre monster, froze for a moment. Seeing Senior Shang also drop prone, his face twitched. Understanding dawned. "Forgive the offense!" he said, leaping over Shang Qinghua…

However undignified, logistics and vanguard had finally swapped positions…

Shen Qingqiu yelled again, "Don't draw your sw—" Before the word "sword" was out, Gongyi Xiao, confused, had already drawn his. The result, of course, was a repeat performance: halfway drawn, the hilt clanged against the rock wall.

Shen Qingqiu rushed over with his own sword drawn, exclaiming, "Ah, you dummy!"

Gongyi Xiao felt deeply wronged. In truth, Shen Qingqiu knew it wasn't his fault; he'd simply reacted too quickly, acting before the warning was complete. Anyone would have done the same. Yet, on the rare occasions he had fought alongside Luo Binghe, he often hadn't needed to say a word. Luo Binghe would understand his intent perfectly and respond flawlessly. The comparison was stark, and Shen Qingqiu couldn't help but miss Luo Binghe's reliability and competence.

The twisting, dark tunnel was ideal for the creature's movements. By the time Shen Qingqiu grabbed another handful of talismans, it had long vanished. Gongyi Xiao asked incredulously, "Senior Shen, was that… snake… the demonic creature you encountered earlier in the White Dew Forest?"

"That's the one," Shen Qingqiu said. "I don't know how it slipped past us with a pincer attack from both sides."

Shang Qinghua rose from the ground without changing expression, dusting off his robes. "It slithered right over me."

Gongyi Xiao: "…"

Shen Qingqiu: "…Let's go. This time, stay close."

He didn't need to say it twice. This time, Shang Qinghua refused to be more than two feet away from him, even if he died!

After twisting and turning until their heads spun, the three finally emerged from the tunnel. Deep in the cavern's heart, the space suddenly opened up.

Shen Qingqiu had been puzzled: the deepest part of a cavern should be devoid of sunlight and moonlight, so how could something like the "Sun-Moon Dew Mushroom," which clearly gathered the essence of heaven, earth, sun, and moon, possibly grow here? Now he understood.

At the cavern's highest point, the ceiling opened into a massive, sky-rending hole. Sunlight and moonlight poured directly through this opening, like a stage spotlight, focusing on a single point at the center of a lake within the cave.

The small mound of earth surrounded by a lake of shimmering, crystalline water was naturally the feng shui treasure ground that nurtured the Sun-Moon Dew Mushrooms.

Shang Qinghua confirmed with certainty, "The Dew Lake. This is it."

They had found the right place. Shen Qingqiu relaxed, relieved.

This was no ordinary lake water. It was rootless morning dew. Rootless water combined with morning dew, brimming with spiritual energy, nourished the Sun-Moon Dew Mushrooms. Once the flesh-mushrooms matured, their roots soaking in the water and soil would, in turn, nourish the dew. This cycle perpetuated itself, the spiritual energy endlessly renewing, never depleting.

While Gongyi Xiao marveled at the wondrous sight, he finally understood the purpose of the two Peak Lords' journey.

Yet he remained somewhat puzzled. Cang Qiong Mountain Sect was a major producer of immortal herbs and spiritual medicines, collecting rare and exotic flora daily. Though exquisitely rare, this spirit mushroom didn't look like something that could grant immortality or directly facilitate a breakthrough to ascension. Why would two Peak Lords travel a thousand miles to personally harvest it?

Shen Qingqiu's eyes were now fixed solely on the cluster of small, pale flesh-mushrooms at the lake's center. He flicked his sleeves back and resolutely stepped into the water. After a dozen steps, the dew reached past his waist. It was neither warm nor cold, soaking into his skin as if it could moisturize the very depths of his heart.

Though the mushrooms were still small, looking like bean sprouts, once he found a place with abundant spiritual energy and excellent feng shui to plant them, and raised them according to plan…

Looking at the dozens of tender, white little dew-mushrooms on the small mound, Shen Qingqiu hesitated. After all, their growth here was a wonder in itself; uprooting them all seemed a bit ungracious. But then he thought, if he didn't take them now, some other antagonist would later, which was even less gracious. Moreover, if his cultivation attempt failed, having a few extra would provide a remedy. Better safe than sorry; he sought absolute certainty.

Decision made, he carefully uprooted each one with a bit of soil attached, storing them in his sleeve.

He held the last dew-mushroom in his hand, not yet tucked away, when he suddenly heard the sound of a sword being drawn behind him.

He turned. Gongyi Xiao had his sword in hand, staring intently at him.

Shen Qingqiu initially thought Gongyi Xiao was protesting his reckless flower-picking, but a glance at Shang Qinghua, who wore an identical expression, told him something was wrong. He held his breath.

Suddenly, something long and massive leaped from the lake's surface, like a giant fish, lunging head-on toward Shen Qingqiu.

A white, expressionless face flew toward him. It was the thing that had followed them all this way!

Simultaneously, Gongyi Xiao completed his sword seal. His long sword shot forth like the wind toward the creature. But its lunge missed Shen Qingqiu, and it sank back into the lake, not resurfacing. It stirred up silt that had settled for years, clouding the water. Gongyi Xiao recalled his immortal sword. "Senior Shen, come up quickly!"

Shen Qingqiu, however, smiled. "No rush. I'm playing a game of catching fish."

He stood his ground, leisurely pulling a talisman from his robes.

Gongyi Xiao said, "Against this thing, one talisman probably won't be enough—"

Before the word "enough" could leave his lips, he saw Shen Qingqiu rub the talisman between his fingers as if handling banknotes. One instantly became a dozen. Shen Qingqiu gripped the stack of talismans and punched them into the water.

A series of deafening booms!

The lake's surface erupted with twelve towering geysers of water, each over ten feet high.

The serpent-man that had been lurking at the lake's bottom was blasted out of the water, soaring high into the air before crashing down heavily onto the ground beside Shang Qinghua.

Shen Qingqiu, dripping wet, climbed ashore. With a glance from him, Gongyi Xiao used the hilt of his sword to flip the creature over.

The moment it was turned, all three men froze.

After a long pause, Shen Qingqiu finally turned his head to ask Shang Qinghua, "What is this?"

Shang Qinghua squeezed out three words, "...No idea!"

He truly didn't know.

The creature vaguely resembled a human form, draped in a wild mane of hair. Its body seemed made of soft cartilage, its skin rough and hard, covered in patches of scales here and there like a poorly-skinned python.

Though Shen Qingqiu had initially mistaken it for a female ghost, a closer look at its face—though swollen—revealed faint traces of masculine features.

Shang Qinghua shot Shen Qingqiu a questioning look: ...Did I? Did I ever write something like this?

Shen Qingqiu: "...Probably not." If the original work had described this thing in more than ten characters, there was no way he wouldn't remember!

Both men turned their hopeful gazes to Gongyi Xiao. Gongyi Xiao couldn't recognize it either and felt a slight embarrassment. "If even you two Seniors cannot identify this creature, this Junior has certainly never heard of it."

Shang Qinghua suddenly spoke up, "Let me say this. Actually, this monster might not have been born looking like this."

That made some sense. Given its bizarre and twisted form, it hardly seemed like a normal creature. It resembled more a freak of nature, or some grotesque hybrid.

Shen Qingqiu mused, "Heavenly punishment, a curse, or a cultivator who failed in practicing forbidden arts."

Gongyi Xiao nodded, "Any of those three could indeed produce such a monster."

Hearing the word "monster," the snake-man on the ground seemed to grow agitated. Its tail-like appendage began thrashing wildly against the stone floor. Shang Qinghua hastily scrambled back. "Young Master Gongyi, Gongyi Xiao, watch your words! It seems to understand. Use a different term, a different term!"

The creature's gaze remained fixed, unblinking, on Shen Qingqiu's sleeve. Shen Qingqiu noticed that despite its hideous, nauseating appearance, the eyes peering from within that tangled hair were astonishingly clear, mirroring the Dew Water Lake itself.

A realization dawned on Shen Qingqiu. "No wonder it attacked us. Look," he pointed. "Its eyes. They were likely nurtured by drinking the rootless morning dew daily. And look at the scales—trapped in the crevices is a moss, green with hints of red, identical to that on the cave walls. This cavern is a place it frequents. It probably sustains itself on the spiritual dew of the lake."

If the Sun-Moon Dew Mushrooms were harvested, it would disrupt the cycle of spiritual energy. The Dew Water Lake would gradually exhaust its spiritual essence, becoming a stagnant pool of waste, or even drying up completely. That was why this creature had followed and attacked them.

Gongyi Xiao asked, "But Senior Shen, if that… being sustains itself on the dew, wouldn't consuming the mushrooms directly be more efficient? Why didn't it take them before?"

Shen Qingqiu explained, "Back in White Dew Forest, when it was harassing us, it retreated once after being burned by sunlight reflected off a sword blade. I suspect this creature cannot bear light, especially sunlight or moonlight. That's why it can only operate within forest shade, caverns, or underwater." He gestured toward the beam of light piercing the cave's ceiling. "The mushroom patch is bathed day and night in the radiance of the sun and moon. Of course it cannot approach."

To test this, Shen Qingqiu plucked a tender young mushroom and waved it gently. Sure enough, the snake-man's eyes lit up. It raised its head eagerly, baring a mouthful of stark white fangs.

Seeing this, Gongyi Xiao prodded it with his sword hilt, flipping it onto its back again. The snake-man struggled painfully on the ground, unable to right itself. Gongyi Xiao pointed his sword tip downward, poised to pierce through it. Shen Qingqiu quickly said, "Hold."

Gongyi Xiao stopped immediately, puzzled. "Senior?"

Shen Qingqiu chose his words carefully. "You mentioned that the common people for miles around White Dew Forest have never suffered attacks from demonic creatures?"

"That is correct."

"Then that suggests it has never committed evil. Why resort to extermination? In fact, it comes to this cave daily to drink the dew. It was our intrusion that disturbed it."

Since his Senior spoke, Gongyi Xiao had to listen. Moreover, the words held truth. If this monster had ever taken a human life, the Huan Hua Palace would have discovered and eradicated it long ago. Its continued existence proved its harmlessness. He sheathed his sword. Seeing Shen Qingqiu gaze down at the creature with what seemed like benevolent compassion, Gongyi Xiao assumed he followed the same creed of mercy as the masters of Zhaohua Temple. He had no idea that this unknown biological specimen held the same fascination for Shen Qingqiu as a bevy of beautiful maidens did for the average reader of stallion novels.

As the group left the depths of the cavern, no one noticed that the struggling snake-man on the ground had gone still, trembling faintly.

Its deformed body pressed down subtly on a slender, weak mushroom sprout. Within those incongruously bright eyes, a fierce fire seemed to ignite.

Once out of White Dew Forest, Gongyi Xiao invited the two to visit Huan Hua Palace, offering to inform the Old Palace Master. Shen Qingqiu declined politely, "The matter is concluded, and we are grateful for your assistance. We would not wish to impose further."

Visit Huan Hua Palace? What for? To host a mushroom appreciation banquet? What if your higher-ups get any ideas about discussing its ownership?

Seeing Gongyi Xiao about to insist, Shang Qinghua cut in, "Let's skip it this time. We'll take a rain check, Young Master Gongyi. When you visit Cang Qiong Mountain in the future, come up to Qing Jing Peak. Senior Shen will surely take good care of you then."

Shen Qingqiu shot him a look. Shang Qinghua promptly shut his mouth.

Shen Qingqiu adjusted his expression into a mild smile. "What my Junior Brother Shang says is true. Qing Jing Peak will await your visit."

Gongyi Xiao knew Qing Jing Peak lived up to its name—"Tranquil"—preferring quiet and disliking disturbance from outsiders. He couldn't tell if this was mere politeness, but he smiled nonetheless. "I will remember Senior Shen's words. There may indeed come a day when I trouble you. To whom should I send my visiting card then?"

Shen Qingqiu answered without thinking, "To my disciple, Luo Bing—"

The words hung in the air. A sudden, profound silence fell. The atmosphere grew subtly awkward.

Stalling for a moment, Shen Qingqiu fluttered his folding fan twice and forcibly continued, "...he's Senior Brother Ming Fan."

Gongyi Xiao's internal monologue was complex.

Rumors said that since the Immortal Alliance Conference, where he tragically lost his beloved disciple, the Peak Lord of Qing Jing had been trapped in inconsolable grief for a long time, listless and distraught. It seemed he still hadn't accepted Luo Binghe's departure. Perhaps this trip wasn't truly about gathering mushrooms at all, but merely a distraction to temporarily forget Luo Binghe's existence. Why else would two Peak Lords be needed? Senior Shang must have come to keep an eye on Senior Shen, preventing him from doing anything foolish. Despite putting on a brave face all along, his own careless words had inadvertently reopened the wound... Truly, the bond between master and disciple ran deep!

Even as they parted ways, Gongyi Xiao kept glancing back at Shen Qingqiu every ten steps, his eyes a complex mix of awkwardness, sympathy, sorrow, and admiration. Shen Qingqiu found the stares somewhat unnerving.

It was just a slip of the tongue. What kind of tragic subplot had Gongyi Xiao conjured in his mind?

Shang Qinghua sighed with feeling. "It's true. So it's really true."

Shen Qingqiu gave him a light kick. "What's true or false?"

Shang Qinghua said, "I've been observing you for a while. There's something I have to say, it's been bothering me. Bro, did you really come to dote on Luo Binghe as your precious, darling disciple?"

He launched into a reasoned analysis. "According to your Qing Jing disciples, in the days after returning from the conference, Senior Brother Shen was listless and distracted every day. Several times, you called out Luo Binghe's name, even erected a sword mound and sighed over it. I didn't believe it before, but now I've witnessed it firsthand. Bro, I never expected you to be like this."

Damn it, 'listless and distracted' again! Is this phrase destined to be a stain on my life?

My Qing Jing disciples are all supposed to follow the path of 'poetry and cultivation breeding noble bearing.' When did they become such gossips? Spreading nonsense like this everywhere—what does it do to their master's dignity?!

Shang Qinghua, blissfully unaware of the danger, pressed on. "Bro, can I ask you something? How exactly do you see Luo Binghe? I remember you were his fan. You criticized a bunch of characters I wrote, but never him. To you now, is he a character, or is he a..."

A wave of intense discomfort crawled up Shen Qingqiu's spine.

This weird, probing questioning from Lord Towards the Sky Shooting Airplanes sounded exactly like those gossip sessions in a high school girls' dorm after lights-out: "Admit it! Do you have a crush on XXX?" "N-no! What nonsense, of course not!" "Denying it~ Don't be shy, hehe~" "Ugh, let's sleep!"

Cringe. Utter, divine-level cringe!

Shang Qinghua was utterly innocent. He was genuinely seeking a serious discussion. It was Shen Qingqiu's own guilty conscience reading too much into it.

Shen Qingqiu cut him off. "Why aren't you moving yet?"

Shang Qinghua was baffled. "What?"

Shen Qingqiu looked at him and shoved the horsewhip into his hands. "Gongyi Xiao is gone. Someone has to drive the carriage."

"...Why have you never taken a turn driving?"

"You should make allowances for a poisoned patient."

Patient, my ass!

Who was it that just tore up monster talismans and merrily blasted a spiritual lake?

Have some shame!

Shen Qingqiu lay back inside the carriage and shook out his sleeve.

Doing the math, there were still five years until Luo Binghe would return to the human realm from the Endless Abyss. Barring any accidents, that was absolutely enough time to secure his survival.

However, he had forgotten what kind of bizarre masterpiece The Proud Immortal Demon Way was. If the novel's plot didn't throw a wrench into such a critical issue, it simply wouldn't be exciting enough!