Starting with a Super Five-Star Hotel

"I'm going to strike it rich!" Zhu Hongyun's eyes sparkled with excitement.

He had once heard a similar sound at an auction. It wasn't the sound of an animal, like a mouse, but rather… a Spirit Ginseng! Under the right conditions, some Spirit Ginseng could grow into a humanoid shape and even make sounds! Such a specimen was an invaluable treasure, whether for sale or personal use. If left to grow for a while longer, it could even run freely! Yes, run! Just like a child! To capture one, you first had to tie a rope around its body before attempting to dig it out.

SQUEAK! SQUEAK!

The Spirit Ginseng's cries continued, fanning the flames of Zhu Hongyun's excitement. He couldn't believe he had found such a fine treasure even without his Treasure-Seeking Pendant!

He hurriedly followed the sound, finally pinpointing a spot about ten meters away. It was a crystal-clear stream where aquatic plants swayed in the current and small fish darted about. Right on the bank was a hole that looked like it had been dug by an otter. The cries of the Spirit Ginseng were coming from inside!

"You're mine now!"

Zhu Hongyun quickly crouched by the hole and reached his hand inside, only to yank it back a second later.

Why would a Spirit Ginseng cry out for no reason? It must be in some kind of danger!

POP!

Zhu Hongyun pulled out a fire starter and shone it into the hole, his eyes instantly narrowing. There was indeed a Spirit Ginseng inside, but there was something else, too! A large, black snake was coiled around the Spirit Ginseng, flicking its tongue and looking ready to swallow it in one gulp.

The snake suddenly turned its gaze to Zhu Hongyun and whipped its tail, splattering a clump of mud. At the same time, it spat a stream of venom at him!

SIZZLE!

Zhu Hongyun quickly raised his sleeve to block the attack. The fabric was instantly corroded, leaving behind a dense patch of tiny holes.

"Hmph!"

He snorted coldly toward the hole, then flipped his wrist so his palm faced up. Murmuring an incantation, he released a burst of icy energy from his palm that flooded into the den.

THUMP! THUMP!

Sensing the danger, the snake thrashed its body desperately, trying to escape.

CRACK! CRACK!

But it barely crawled half a meter before frost began to form on its body. It froze solid, turning into an ice sculpture.

"Not so arrogant now, are you?"

Zhu Hongyun sneered, reached in, and pulled the frozen snake out. He smashed it on the ground, and it shattered into pieces. Then, he leaned halfway into the hole and carefully dug out the Spirit Ginseng.

"How old could this Spirit Ginseng be?" he muttered in awe, cradling it in his hands. "It's almost ready to take human form and run!"

He planned to find a reliable Pill Master to refine it into a life-extending elixir. This would increase its value exponentially, and consuming it himself would also bring immense benefits.

Suddenly, Zhu Hongyun's heart leaped into his throat, and he frantically stuffed the Spirit Ginseng into his clothes. He had heard footsteps approaching.

"Fellow Daoist, what did you dig up?" a cold voice asked. Sure enough, a man had walked up to him. "Whoever sees it gets a share. How about you give me half?"

"Scram!" Zhu Hongyun twisted his face into a menacing scowl and snarled at the man before leaping away into the distance.

But the man wasn't the least bit intimidated. He simply flicked his wrist, throwing out an object—a whip!

CRACK!

The whip shot out like a bolt of lightning and instantly wrapped around Zhu Hongyun's legs.

THUD!

Caught off guard, Zhu Hongyun pitched forward and fell face-first onto the ground. He was a strange one. To avoid crushing the Spirit Ginseng, he deliberately arched his back as he fell, which only made him slam into the ground that much harder.

"Damn it!"

Zhu Hongyun cursed under his breath, rolled over, and fumbled with the whip. By then, his attacker had rushed over and was kicking straight for his face. He had no choice but to grab the man's leg with both hands and fling him violently to the side, giving himself just enough time to untangle the whip.

I'm sure of it, this guy uses a whip specifically to tie people up and rob them! And from that brief exchange, I've sized up his cultivation level. We're evenly matched. What's there to be afraid of? I'll just have to fight! I can't let him steal the Spirit Ginseng I stumbled upon by sheer luck!

As soon as he was free, Zhu Hongyun pounced on the man. They fought intensely for more than ten minutes before he finally beat his opponent to the ground, leaving him unable to move.

HUFF... HUFF...

Zhu Hongyun bent over, propping his hands on his knees and gasping for air. He hadn't escaped unscathed, either. His clothes were in tatters, and blood oozed from several wounds. He looked as pitiful as a refugee fleeing a disaster.

Still, he felt it was worth it.

He took out the Spirit Ginseng and inspected it. It was completely unharmed.

THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!

Just as he breathed a sigh of relief, a series of urgent footsteps pounded from nearby, and a figure charged madly toward him.

"Shit!" Zhu Hongyun's eyes nearly bled with rage. I just finished one, and now another one shows up? I don't have the strength to take down another person, even if their cultivation is weaker than mine!

But then, something unexpected happened.

"Quick, quick…" the person yelled in a terrified voice before even reaching him. "Run! Run!"

Run? He's telling me to run? He's not here to rob me? What the hell is going on?

WHOOSH!

In the blink of an eye, the man vanished, and true to his word, he hadn't tried to rob Zhu Hongyun. Though he didn't understand the situation, Zhu Hongyun decided he should probably run too.

But he was too late.

A figure appeared in his vision as swiftly as a gust of wind. The moment he saw the person's face, his heart sank as if doused with ice-cold water.

"Yo!" The figure stopped in front of Zhu Hongyun, a roguish grin on his face. "Well, if it isn't… what's-his-name!"

"Um…" Zhu Hongyun hung his head, not daring to speak.

The newcomer was Su Xuan. The very jerk who had messed with him last night.

"What happened to you? You're a mess," Su Xuan asked with a chuckle, surveying Zhu Hongyun's disheveled and sorry state. The reason he was here was that he had been chasing the man who just fled. That man had tried to rob him, realized he was no match, and turned tail. Su Xuan felt obliged to give him a little chase for show.

"I got robbed," Zhu Hongyun said, unable to meet Su Xuan's gaze. "I'd just dug up a Spirit Grass. I barely had a chance to warm it in my hands before it was stolen."

"How unlucky for you," Su Xuan remarked, his eyes lingering on Zhu Hongyun.

"Yeah!" Zhu Hongyun felt transparent under Su Xuan's stare, as if he had no secrets left. He said bitterly, "After entering the valley, I got separated from Uncle Wu. I… I really can't defend myself on my own."

"But I don't believe you," Su Xuan said suddenly. "I can see you have something on you…"