Volume IV

  Songs of Moon, Lake, and Eternity

  Chapter 250

  Darkness (I)

  Should I accept the quest?

  As with most things in this world, I really don't know. I don't think the system would generate a quest that leads to wind and fairy dust--so, the garden likely exists. The question is... do I see us wandering the forest for months searching for it if the hint turns out to be unhelpful?

  Unlikely.

  Then again, there really aren't any other useful monthly quests that I can accept--not the ones that seem doable, anyway.

  Eh. No need to accept it immediately. I'll first get to the forest to see what it's like and then reconsider it.

  Speaking of forests, this one was quite thin, its canopy sort of like the balding man's hairline--sure, if you comb it in one way and angle yourself in another, it does look like there's a full shrub up there, but it's all just pretend.

  Going back into the tent, I realized that all the kids were cultivating, while Rayce seemed to be deeply studying my little gift to him.

  Lao Shun, thankfully, didn't bother any of them, finding a small corner toward the entrance and entrenching himself there, either meditating or just thinking.

  Retreating to my little corner, I quickly realized I'm a bit too amped up still to go to sleep, so I decided to cultivate.

  Honestly, I kind of need to make it a habit. Even if my talent isn't otherworldly, it's still not awful. With consistent work and a bit of the system's assistance, I might even be able to keep up with the kids.

  Okay, a lot of system's assistance.

  At some point, I actually managed to doze off, snapping myself awake at what I felt a moment later--only to realize it was now dawn. Just one of those feelings that make time feel more like a concept than a real, tangible thing.

  The kids were all still inside the tent, but Lao Shun wasn't.

  Getting out, I found him tending to a big-ass cauldron--no, seriously, that thing could be used to make dinner for an entire village--tossing a few pinches of some herb and then stirring it.

  "Ah, good morning," he called out with a smile. "That may have been the first time I've seen a cultivator fall asleep like a baby."

  "... what are you doing?" I asked, ignoring his jab.

  "I've spent the last night developing a rigorous regime," he said. "To fully unlock the kids' potential. This is me starting it."

  A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  "Oh."

  "Ha ha, don't look so worried. The truth is that, as with most things in the path of cultivation, pills are a crutch; they can help and they can accelerate and they can even change one's fate for the better, but, ultimately, they are still a crutch. Consuming them indiscriminately always leads to more harm than good. Don't think of the boil in the cauldron as a pill--it's more of a... drink?" Did this guy invent smoothies or something? "It's nowhere near as potent as an actual pill, but it also doesn't leave behind any toxins."

  "Your idea?"

  "Indeed. Though, it hasn't really been well received. If you're going to be using a shortcut anyway, they supposed, why use a much worse one?" Fair question. "Ah, it's almost ready."

  I stepped to the side as Long Tao walked out, not even looking at the cauldron and instead moving nearby and starting a fire, slowly fetching all ingredients to make breakfast. It's actually been a while since he cooked, as, well, we had other people do it for us. He's improved... I guess... but going from the food in the city to his will be, eh, rough.

  Kids started coming out one by one, and Lao Shun slowly explained to them what he was doing.

  It was also kind of... sweet, really, just how readily newcomers are taken in. Now, I'm not saying they're the best of friends or anything, but whether it was with Wan Lan, or Rayce, or even now with this grown-ass alchemist that's older than all their ages (and mine) added up together, they seemed to resoundingly welcome him.

  It also might have something to do with the fact he was going to help them grow stronger much faster. So, you know, for the strength-obsessed entourage, it wasn't all that odd that they'd take him in as one of their own.

  Long Tao's rice and boiled beans and carrot stew was served first, steam still billowing out of the bowls. It actually looked quite nice, and eating it--yeah, nah, it's still kind of like eating grass, to be honest. The beans weren't properly cooked, as they were still kind of crispy, while the chunks of carrots were way too big and way too cooked. Rice was... fine, I guess, but it was just rice. No seasoning, not even salt.

  Right after, we were served a piece of sludge--no, seriously, it was the consistency of jelly, bouncing on the wooden plate back and forth, but it was green and slimy more so than delicious-looking. The kids didn't care in the slightest, devouring their servings within seconds.

  Bringing it up, I smelled it. It was kind of like medicine, that strong, borderline pungent smell that I was beginning to forget slightly. Biting it... yeah, I mean, it's medicine. It'd be sort of like chewing aspirin for fun.

  Bitter, dry, and extremely dehydrating, somehow, despite feeling wet.

  In fairness, as I swallowed the first bite, it was sort of like that minty sensation blowing down through me, cooling me. It stirred my Core ever so slightly, and was just about to do something else when it all... stopped, and a window appeared in front of me.

  [--effects of the herbal concoctions annulled. The concoction's grade (Sky) does not meet the necessary requirement (Jade)]

  Shit. Right.

  My little unique physique that I got after purifying the body of toxins. I kind of forgot about it, actually. Now I have to eat this damn tasteless sludge and get no benefit for doing so.

  Haah.

  At least, the minty sensation would persist for a moment or two before my body nullified all effects.

  The kids, on the other hand, got up as soon as they were done and started fighting. As though the last night happened years ago and it was all in the distant past.

  Honestly, maybe I should just be more like them.

  "Master," Rayce wasn't one of them, though, as he wasn't a fighter type. He sat just by my side, seeming expectant. "Can... can I ask you something about the art you gave me?" Shit. I kind of forgot that's my job, honestly, since none of the other kids asked me anything. Maybe Xi Zhao once or twice at the start? But they are all mostly self-sufficient.

  "Of course. I hope I can help." I immediately set the expectations, though it was probably unnecessary, as he knew I'm not a Shaman.

  "I'm... not quite sure about the nature of it all," he said. "What does it mean to distort light? I thought it was akin to writing the words of illusion, but when I tried to approach it that way, I realized it wasn't."

  Huh.

  A question I can actually answer (at least partially).

  Probably as rare as the feather of a phoenix.