Rushing out of the small hut, Jiang Beiran was startled to find thick black smoke almost completely obscuring his vision. He couldn't help but feel confused—he had thought the mine had exploded, but now it seemed like someone was setting the mountain on fire!
After a brief moment of thought, Jiang Beiran quickly ran back into the hut and grabbed a wet towel. The smoke was simply too thick. If he charged into it recklessly, he feared he'd suffocate before even making it down the mountain.
Covering his mouth and nose with the damp towel, Jiang Beiran wasted no more time and began sprinting downhill. Using the thick black smoke as cover, Jiang Beiran descended without encountering a single overseer along the way.
"Did they all go to fight the fire?"
Though he didn't understand why this was happening, it didn't stop Jiang Beiran's mood from lifting, his steps growing lighter and quicker. Choosing the simplest option had indeed been the right call—he was finally going to escape this hellhole.
Just as Jiang Beiran broke through several unmanned checkpoints and neared the mountain's base, a burly man carrying a long blade suddenly collided with him head-on. The man froze for a moment before roaring, "You damned brat! Trying to run away!?"
'My life is over!' Seeing the gleaming blade, Jiang Beiran—who had no idea how to dodge—could only crouch and cover his head, his heart filled with despair. One second... two seconds... three seconds passed.
After cursing the system in his mind several times for being a scam, Jiang Beiran realized... he hadn't been chopped? Swallowing hard, he mustered his courage and looked up. The burly man who had been raising his blade now had a gaping hole in his chest.
After coughing up several mouthfuls of blood, he collapsed to the ground with wide eyes. 'Dead... just like that!?' Jiang Beiran wasn't afraid of dead bodies—he'd seen far too many in the mines over the past two months, and their deaths had been much more gruesome than this.
What shocked him was how a perfectly healthy man could die so suddenly.
"Little brother, are you alright?"
Just as Jiang Beiran was at a loss, a hand suddenly landed on his shoulder, startling him so badly he nearly fell onto his backside.
"Who!?"
Jiang Beiran shouted as he turned his head, only to see a man in white robes standing behind him with a gentle smile. The man had jet-black hair that cascaded straight down, sharp sword-like eyebrows, long and narrow eyes that gleamed with sharpness, thin lips pressed together lightly, a chiseled jawline, and a tall yet not overly burly frame.
His entire demeanor exuded an aura of heroic righteousness. At the same time, three options appeared before Jiang Beiran: [Option 1: Shout, "Stay away from me!" Reward: Blazing Fire Dragon's Roar (Yellow Grade, High Tier)] [Option 2: Turn and continue sprinting downhill.
Reward: Thirteen-Section Chain Spear (Yellow Grade, Low Tier)] [Option 3: Cry out, "Hero, save me!" Reward: Random Basic Skill Point +1] Without hesitation, Jiang Beiran chose the third option and cried out with heartfelt emotion, "Hero... save me!" With his smoke-reddened eyes and tear-streaked, dust-covered face, Jiang Beiran looked as pitiful as one could imagine.
Seeing Jiang Beiran's immediate plea for help, the white-robed man was taken aback. After all, he had just killed someone right in front of him. Most youths he had rescued in the past would shrink back, crying, "Don't kill me, don't kill me!"
That was why he had deliberately put on a gentle smile—to avoid frightening Jiang Beiran. But it seemed this young man was braver than he had expected.
"Alright, I'll take you down the mountain now."
With that, the white-robed man hoisted Jiang Beiran onto his shoulder and began running downhill. Later, after being settled in safety, Jiang Beiran gradually learned the full story. The white-robed man who had saved him was named Lu Bogui, a disciple of the Heart Returning Sect.
He had been leading several junior brothers and sisters on a trial mission to eradicate the black-market mine on Verdant Peak. However, his junior brothers, overestimating themselves, had thought the people on the mountain were mere ordinary folk. Without informing Lu Bogui—their assigned Iron Seal leader—they had charged up the mountain alone.
Once discovered by the overseers, the mountain's defensive formation was activated, setting the entire peak ablaze. According to Lu Bogui, this defensive formation was particularly vicious. Its main purpose wasn't to repel invaders but to burn away all traces of evidence, leaving investigators with nothing to find.
Hearing this, Jiang Beiran felt a chill run down his spine. If he had chosen to stay in his room or tried to fight the fire, he would have been roasted to a crisp by now.
After a series of choices where he consistently picked the simplest option, Jiang Beiran was successfully introduced by Lu Bogui into the Heart Returning Sect, finally gaining a place to call home. ... Coming back to the present, Jiang Beiran sighed nostalgically, "If not for Senior Brother Lu back then, I would have long perished on Verdant Peak."
Lu Bogui shook his head with a smile.
"It was my fault for bringing up unpleasant memories. I'll punish myself with a drink."
Watching Lu Bogui down a cup of Cold Spring Wine in one go, Jiang Beiran picked up the cloth bag before him and said, "Senior Brother, this is far too generous of you."
"Still being polite with your senior brother? Shouldn't you be punished with a drink too?"
"You're right, I deserve it."
Laughing, Jiang Beiran also drained his cup of Cold Spring Wine.
"Open it and see if you like it."
"Anything from Senior Brother, I'll surely love."
As he spoke, Jiang Beiran opened the bag and pulled out a round bronze mirror with a raised center.
"Is this... a heart-guarding mirror!?"
Jiang Beiran exclaimed in delight.
"Mm, though the quality isn't the highest—just a high-tier one. Make do with it for now. Next time I visit Lu Manor, I'll see if I can get you something better."
"Senior Brother, don't say that. A high-tier heart-guarding mirror is already incredible. I almost feel bad accepting it."
After joining the Heart Returning Sect, Jiang Beiran finally understood why those missions offering Yellow-Grade martial techniques or weapons had been so absurdly difficult. In this world known as the Mysterious Dragon Continent, Yellow Grade referred to spiritual artifacts—treasures so rare that ordinary people couldn't even dream of them.
Some minor sects even used them as their sect's most prized possessions. When he first learned this, Jiang Beiran had truly wanted to drag the system out and demand to know what kind of grudge it held against him, to torment him so relentlessly. The four grades—Heaven, Earth, Mysterious, and Yellow—were simply too high-level.
Not only were they unattainable for commoners, even young disciples of major sects couldn't afford them. Beneath these four grades existed weapons and armor crafted by master artisans, ranked from lowest to highest as: Common, Fine, High, Supreme, and Peerless. This high-tier mirror was already an exceptional treasure, and gifting it between sect disciples was considered an extremely generous gesture.
"Don't say that. The reason I'm giving you this mirror is partly to thank you. That bottle of Soothing Fragrance Pill you gave me last time worked wonders. Did you really refine them yourself?"
"Yes."
Jiang Beiran nodded without hesitation.
"Then you truly are a Heaven-blessed Talent, Junior Brother. How about I recommend you to the Velvet Herb Hall? Since you have no interest in martial training, achieving success in alchemy might elevate your status even beyond mine someday."
(End of Chapter)