My Journey to Immortality Begins with Hunting

An unremarkable hill, deep within Little Ink Mountain.

Outside a slab of rock, a bizarre,exoticbeast, ready to turn away, suddenly halted.

There was no moon tonight, yet its outline was faintly visible—a body part tiger, part elephant, with a snout that tapered into a serpent's head.

Gurgle...gurgle.. Gurgle...!A soft croaking floated through the night air.

The creature padded toward the sound.

Inside the cave, Gu Xuejian was so tense her fingers dug into Li Yuan's arm, leaving him speechless.

Gurgle gurgle gurgle!The calls grew more frequent.

All at once, a sparrow burst from the weeds behind the boulder, wings flapping wildly.

The serpent‑nose yawned open and exhaled a puff of green mist. The bird dissolved to dust before it could scream.

Only then did the beast turn and lope away.

Gu Xuejian exhaled in relief, her heart thumping hard enough that she could feel it in her throat. She panted next to Li Yuan's ear.

"Uncle, that was so scary. It's a mon— "

Li Yuan clapped a hand over her mouth and, almost in tears, hissed, "Please...just stay quiet. Slow your heartbeat."

She caught on quickly. Though childish, she was still a powerhouse; even gravely wounded it was easy enough to still her pulse. She inhaled deeply and quieted her breathing.

The moment her heartbeat steadied, light, rapid footfalls returned. The beast that had just left was trotting back.

Thud, thud, thud...

It crept up to the boulder and stared. A sparrow was clutching a pebble in its claws, banging it up and down against the rock, producing that thudding sound.

Sensing danger, the sparrow chirped and shot into the air. Another puff of green mist, and it, too, was gone.

Still not content, the beast nosed around the cave entrance, searched for a while, then finally departed.

Li Yuan kept his hand clamped over Gu Xuejian's mouth. The whole scene felt like one of those cringe‑worthy television plots where the heroes made a noise the instant the enemy left and promptly gave themselves away.

Gu Xuejian was supposed to be a veteran powerhouse; how could she make such a rookie mistake? Maybe that scolding had finally taught her caution because she stayed perfectly still.

A stick of incense's time later, then a second.

Gu Xuejian wriggled her mouth. "Mmph!"

"I'll let go," Li Yuan whispered, "but no sound."

She nodded furiously. He freed her, then fished out another fasting pill and hundred herb pill, slipping them into her mouth. She swallowed without a hint of suspicion, which felt odd but saved him time.

Two hour passed in silence.

Gu Xuejian focused on healing, while Li Yuan mulled over theseedhe had sensed on that beast. He didn't regret staying put; it simply wasn't the right moment.

In truth, no one was special. Too many people were like fish who spotted the bait but forgot their lives, convinced they could swallow it safely.

Since the enemy had loosed a beast to scour the mountain, a stronger martial artist was surely watching from above.

If not, Li Yuan would look down on the opponent. Such vigilance was basic. Better to overestimate than to be careless. One loud noise and that hidden master would descend instantly.

Li Yuan could always run, but Gu Xuejian would be in real danger. Worse, he'd expose his hand. Once they knew a man who could vanish in an instant was skulking near the Lotus Cult, they'd set traps just for him. Not worth the risk.

Besides, he had gained something valuable: he now knew he couldfeelthe resonance of that opening. Judging by the surrounding birds and his own senses, the range was roughly three or four li — a built‑in radar. How could he possibly lose track of it now?

Time trickled by.

Suddenly warmth crept along the outside of his left thigh, a tingling stream that stirred his blood. He glanced down to find Gu Xuejian had somehow leaned half her body against him.

Their hiding place was tiny to begin with; after all that jostling, the two of them had naturally ended up pressed together.

Two thin layers of cloth were no match for a rising flame.

So Li Yuan flicked the short dagger hidden up his sleeve and slipped it between their clothing like a cold wedge.

Gu Xuejian's body trembled, but she pretended not to notice.

With the dagger holding them apart, the last trace of awkward intimacy was cleanly severed.

Li Yuan glanced at her, at a loss for words. This woman was nothing like the Gu Xuejian he knew. As for that fleeting moment of closeness, he chose to act as though it had never happened.

In truth, his heart still belonged to Yan Yu. Political marriages and passing beauties could be weighed later. He first to gain power, the second to satisfy desire. But Gu Xuejian? She was already his son's master; there was no need for any alliance, and, honestly, she wasn't as stunning as Cui Huayin.

These thoughts flashed by as Li Yuan folded his hands on his knees and, like a proper gentleman, closed his eyes. He sat motionless in the rock crevice, listening to the night wind, drifting snow, distant beast‑cries, and fading footsteps.

˙·٠✧🐗➶➴🏹✧٠·˙

Dawn.

In daylight, Li Yuan and Gu Xuejian kept up the same routine, while the sparrows he had placed outside confirmed the beasts had been withdrawn. Even so, he saw no reason to crawl out.

The second day passed.

Then, the third and the fourth.

On the fifth day, Li Yuan sensed a subtle shift in the woman beside him. Her aura hardened, childlike warmth replaced by a cool, seasoned poise.

After a moment's hesitation Gu Xuejian said, "Thank you for saving my life. But you don't belong to our Holy Tree Temple, so how did you come by fasting pills and hundred herb pills?"

Li Yuan knew at once therealGu Xuejian was back. He sighed softly. "I was an old acquaintance of the Blood Blade Patriarch. I couldn't bear to watch the wielder of his final sword perish so pointlessly."

Gu Xuejian fell silent. She remembered every detail of the past few days. This man had not only saved her but never once took advantage. Some instinctive goodwill, and a faint sense of destiny, stirred in her chest.

Li Yuan asked, "You've always been unstoppable, Deputy Gu. How did you suffer such a defeat in Gemhill County? What exactly happened?"

She cast him a sideways glance. "It was a trap, an ornate garden filled with uncanny blossoms. The moment I saw them, I felt my memories draining away at breakneck speed..."

"Worry-free flowers," Li Yuan said gravely. He'd learned about them fromYan Yu. He continued, "They grow in the flower shop ghost domain. The flowers feed on memory, but only if the extraction is complete; if the process is interrupted, everything flows back."

"They meant to kill me with it," Gu Xuejian muttered. "A fine trap indeed."

Li Yuan gave a wry smile. "I'm afraid it isn't that simple.

"The deadliest ghost domain in Hidden River Province is the exotic beast garden. One curse it wields is an exotic beast curse. It turns a person's own desires into a real monster that appears in their shadow, though the victim can't see it. When the beast grows strong enough, it devours its host, and both perish.

"Now, if someone's memories are extracted and grafted into a ghost item containing that curse, it might produce an exotic beast all the same, only far stronger than the original owner.

"You're already formidable, Deputy Gu. If a beast surpassing even you is unleashed...well, the horror speaks for itself."

"Such sorcery exists?" Gu Xuejian's voice tightened. "Can your information be trusted?"

"It's still conjecture," Li Yuan admitted, "but the worry-free flower and that curse are both very real."

"Even a conjecture is priceless. Once I return, I'll warn every major faction at once." Her tone turned solemn.

Li Yuan let out an inward breath. "Since they've gone to such lengths, their eyes are fixed on you. You must have family; it would be wise to seek fewer risks from now on."

Gu Xuejian gave him a curious look. "Have we met before?"