Tigers are among the most intelligent feline creatures. After roughly ten minutes of friendly "negotiation" with the striped white-browed tiger, Jiang Beiran—followed by the now thoroughly bruised big cat—arrived beneath a Chinese tallow tree.
"Roar."
The tiger extended its paw, pointing at a patch of disturbed earth that had clearly been dug up and refilled.
"Good job."
Jiang Beiran reached out and patted the tiger's massive head.
"Purr..."
The tiger let out a pleased rumble, rubbing its head enthusiastically against Jiang Beiran's arm.
"Alright, alright, go wait over there."
After shooing the tiger aside, Jiang Beiran crouched down by the disturbed patch of earth. As he did, two system options appeared before his eyes: [Option 1: Start digging immediately. Reward: "Emerging Azure Dragon" (Yellow Grade, High Tier)] [Option 2: Make thorough preparations before digging.
Reward: Random Basic Skill Point +1] "Well, well!" Jiang Beiran hadn’t expected the pit to contain a trap significant enough to trigger a system prompt—especially since the original owner had only been at the second stage of Qi Refining. Never underestimate any cultivator.
You never know when they might pull out some bizarre treasure and smash it in your face. With this thought in mind, Jiang Beiran retrieved a highly poison-resistant "Bracken Veil" from his Universe Ring and tied it over his face. Next, he poured a few drops of "Blue Python Venom" onto the soil.
After waiting for about five minutes, Jiang Beiran—now wearing silk gloves—was about to start digging when a black-and-gold centipede, roughly the width of a finger, suddenly burst out of the earth as if fleeing for its life. Black Meteor Centipede!? Though completely caught off guard by the sight, Jiang Beiran’s hands moved without hesitation.
In one swift motion, he captured the foot-long centipede and sealed it inside a gourd.
"Not bad. Didn’t expect an extra prize."
Jiang Beiran chuckled as he shook the gourd. As far as he knew, the Black Meteor Centipede was a signature poison of the Asura Sect, typically reserved for high-ranking members. Its venom was incredibly potent—any cultivator below the Mysterious Spirit realm bitten by it would either die instantly or shortly after.
Even those above the Mysterious Spirit realm wouldn’t escape unscathed. Some random human trafficker actually used something this rare to guard his stash? That "looted from a tomb" story was clearly a lie.
At least he had some sense to hide the truth. After hanging the gourd at his waist, Jiang Beiran confirmed that no other centipedes were lurking before resuming his excavation. Soon, his fingers brushed against something solid.
Got it.
A smirk tugged at his lips as he cleared the remaining dirt, revealing an orange-red box.
[Option task completed. Reward: Chess Skill +1] Seeing the system notification, Jiang Beiran knew the danger had passed.
Brushing the dirt off the box, he couldn’t help but laugh at the copper lock securing it.
Seriously?
If someone can get past the Black Meteor Centipede, you think this flimsy lock will stop them? Shaking his head, Jiang Beiran casually pulled out a wire, fiddled with the lock for a moment, and—click—it popped open. After setting the lock aside, he slowly lifted the lid.
Damn…
Are demonic sect foot soldiers really making this much money nowadays!? Inside the box lay three low-grade Gold Spirit Stones and a book on formations. The sight made Jiang Beiran inwardly curse.
He had assumed the single low-grade Gold Spirit Stone he confiscated earlier was the young leader’s entire fortune. Turns out, it was only a quarter of it. No wonder more and more youngsters are joining demonic sects.
The pay is insane. As he mused, Jiang Beiran stowed the three spirit stones into his Universe Ring before picking up the formation manual titled Waterheart Pavilion Mechanism. A single glance piqued his interest.
Hmm…
Sixteen Earthly Branches, part of the 1,080 formations. The writing’s messy—I’ll need to simulate it with a movable disk later. By the time he flipped to the middle pages, Jiang Beiran was certain this trip had been worth it.
He’d gained something new to study. This formation manual and the Black Meteor Centipede must have been given to him by the Asura Sect. But for an outer disciple to have such treasures…
Is the Asura Sect really that wealthy? Several theories crossed his mind—perhaps the young leader was the illegitimate child of a high-ranking member, or maybe he’d stolen these items from the sect. Not that it concerns me either way.
Dismissing the speculation, Jiang Beiran tucked Waterheart Pavilion Mechanism into his Universe Ring and stood. Turning to the striped white-browed tiger, which had been sitting obediently nearby, he grinned.
"Should I kill you to tie up loose ends?"
The tiger’s fur immediately bristled in terror. It flattened itself against the ground, trembling uncontrollably.
"Grr… grr… grr…"
Whether Jiang Beiran understood or not, the tiger desperately tried to convey that it was just an ordinary little tiger, posing no threat whatsoever.
"Whimper…"
After one last pitiful whine, the tiger cautiously lifted its gaze—only to find that Jiang Beiran had vanished without a trace. --- The next morning, Jiang Beiran rose early. After enjoying a bowl of lotus seed porridge for breakfast, he stepped out feeling refreshed.
He had spent the previous night deciphering the formations in Waterheart Pavilion Mechanism, gaining deeper insights into the art of concealment and further solidifying his mastery of formations. Taking familiar shortcuts, he soon arrived at the Blue Heart Pavilion. Since it was still early, no disciples had gathered for chess matches yet.
Walking straight to the innermost room, Jiang Beiran cupped his hands toward a door and called out, "Hall Master Cheng, your student has returned." The moment he spoke, the door burst open with a bang, and a hand yanked him inside.
"Come, come, sit down! Two days without a game against you, and my fingers are itching."
A white-haired elder with a long beard pushed Jiang Beiran into the seat opposite the chessboard, excitement gleaming in his eyes. Not wanting to dampen the hall master’s enthusiasm, Jiang Beiran nodded.
"Then I shall take white and move first. Please go easy on me, Hall Master."
"No, no. I’m taking white this round."
Hall Master Cheng slapped away Jiang Beiran’s hand as it reached for the white stone container, snatching it for himself instead. Jiang Beiran blinked in surprise. Conventionally, taking white signified respect—by offering to play white first, he had implied, "My skill is inferior to yours, so I should take the advantage."
Yet today, Hall Master Cheng completely disregarded etiquette, insisting on white for himself.
"It seems Hall Master has made new breakthroughs."
With a faint smile, Jiang Beiran picked up the black stone container and set it beside him. Focusing entirely on the board, he waited for Hall Master Cheng to make the first move. PS: Originally planned two chapters… but this one alone took me four hours.
(Alright, alright, I admit it—I’m slow.)
(End of Chapter)