Volume 4: Hidden Battles and Turbulent Times, Chapter 88: Precious Treasures of Heaven and Earth

The disciples of Tianyin Sect, including Xue Feifei, were stunned. They never expected that the two people who had seemed so aggressive just now would actually ask for food!
Chu Tianyu, watching from the side, was also greatly interested. He silently sensed their auras. At first, he felt that their martial skills were pure and righteous. Suddenly, Chu Tianyu’s mind trembled—he realized that each of them seemed to possess a natural energy flow. Although he wasn’t sure if it was the energy of heaven and earth, one thing was certain: he found their auras very familiar!
Despite their rough appearance and burly builds, a natural, pure, and enduring aura flowed around them, astonishing Chu Tianyu. This aura was none other than the legendary Xuanqing True Qi of Yunmen, his second master’s unique skill!
Chu Tianyu suppressed his excitement. He never expected to encounter someone from Yunmen in such a remote place. His second master had mentioned that he had two uncles and one elder brother. He wondered which branch these two belonged to and what their relationship to him was.
Though Chu Tianyu wanted to approach them right away to introduce himself, it would be too abrupt under these circumstances. Moreover, it seemed they were heading in the direction of Motuo, so there would be plenty of opportunities to meet later—there was no need to rush. Although it wasn’t convenient to introduce themselves now, Chu Tianyu felt a sense of kinship toward them, especially as he sensed the familiar aura around them, which reminded him of the days he spent practicing with his second master…
“Xiaoya, give these two friends some bamboo shoots!” At the same time, Xue Feifei also gave an order.
After what had happened that night, Xue Feifei was fully aware of the dangers ahead, and her burden grew heavier. She had no confidence about what lay ahead and felt uncertain. So she was extremely cautious on the road. Facing such a situation today, she didn’t want any trouble. If these two really just wanted some food, then she would give it to them. And judging from their light-footedness, Xue Feifei already understood the seriousness of the situation!
The two men happily took the golden-brown bamboo shoots, ignoring their heat, and stuffed them into their mouths right away. They began eating with delight in front of everyone.
The disciples of Tianyin Sect found it very amusing. They forgot the rough and fierce impression the two had made when they first arrived. Watching them eat like that, they couldn’t help but cover their mouths and giggle secretly.

Damn it, Chu Tianyu thought to himself. He resolved firmly that once everything was over, he would definitely treat these two guys—whether they were junior brothers or nephews—properly with a meal. The small bamboo shoots disappeared quickly from the two burly men’s mouths. The man who had spoken earlier looked unsatisfied, his round eyes frequently flicking toward the bamboo shoots being roasted in Chu Tianyu’s hands. Then, as if feeling embarrassed, he said, “Hehe, little sisters, um, hehe… Do you have any left from what we ate just now? Could we get some more? We…” Before he could finish, the man next to him hurriedly added, “We’ll give you ‘grain coupons’!” Saying this, he took out a few crumpled national grain coupons… This time, Chu Tianyu felt even more like passing out. What the hell was going on here! Thankfully, he had read a lot and recognized that these national grain coupons seemed to have been in use in the 1980s—things that could be considered antiques these days! Good heavens! It seemed these two disciples were probably out of the mountains for the first time! It could also be inferred that their sect hadn’t interacted with the outside world for nearly decades. But then again, Yunmen emphasized blending in with nature and practicing cultivation among heaven and earth, so it wasn’t impossible for them to live in isolation for so long. Chu Tianyu knew something about these national grain coupons, but the disciples of Tianyinmen, including Xue Feifei, had no idea what was going on. They stared at those brightly colored pieces of paper with almost worn-out patterns in the burly men’s hands, completely stunned. The two burly men clearly didn’t understand either. Anyway, their master had told them this could be exchanged for food, so they weren’t sure if they’d given too little or too much. Especially the man holding the grain coupons turned red in the face, his thick hands trembling slightly—uncertain whether to hand them over or take them back, in utter embarrassment. As an observer, Chu Tianyu understood the situation perfectly. It seemed it was up to him, the handyman, to defuse the situation again! So he picked up the nearly cooked bamboo shoots, went over to the two men, handed them the shoots while taking the grain coupons, and simply said, “Okay, it’s fine. Here, for you!” With Chu Tianyu’s intervention, the tension eased. The two burly men didn’t care much and continued eating the roasted bamboo shoots, while the people from Tianyinmen also realized what was going on. Especially Xiao Ya, who cleverly exclaimed, “Oh, these little tickets must be their local currency in the mountains. They can really be exchanged for food!”

After this little incident, the distance between everyone seemed to shrink significantly. Although the two burly men clearly still wanted more after eating, it was likely they didn’t dare ask for more food. Since they seemed to have no ill intentions and appeared easy to get along with, especially seeing their “cute” eating habits, Xue Feifei and the others felt relieved. So, the two sides briefly introduced themselves.

“Hehe, what you roasted is really delicious. My name is Tong Tiancai, and this is my brother, Tong Dibao…”

“My name is Xue Feifei. We’re from the Tianyin Sect…”

“Did you come here too for the ‘Spirit Energy of Jingzhe’?”

“Mm…”

……

Through their brief conversation, Chu Tianyu finally understood why they had come. It turned out that every year during the Jingzhe season, the natural energies nurtured by heaven and earth would become active. Usually, these energies were found in remote mountains and swamps, unknown to most people. But during Jingzhe, they would stir and, in response to heaven and earth, send three signs indicating their awakening!

In the world of cultivation, many practitioners who used pure natural energies or various sects would sense these changes. Every year at this time, they would use their unique methods and treasures to search for them.

This time, there was no need to search. The signs of spiritual energy coming from the Motuo area were not only extremely strong but also clearly discernible. Needless to say, everyone knew that a powerful spiritual energy was about to appear, which immediately attracted various cultivation practitioners from hidden realms, who gathered in Motuo.

After understanding the truth and learning more about the sects that used natural energies for cultivation, it seemed that this undercover task had finally paid off—what a hard job! Thinking of his efforts, Chu Tianyu also felt emotional inwardly.

It seemed this trip to Motuo was becoming increasingly interesting. Now, Chu Tianyu was 90% certain that the spiritual energy in Motuo was related to the Mo Long energy within him! But then he thought of those cultivators who had traveled thousands of miles in search of spiritual energy. What would they think if they knew they were about to fight against a monstrous dragon-like creature over such energy?

“Will I end up making up some big lies to claim treasures again?” Chu Tianyu thought anxiously. But he quickly dismissed this idea—this was different from last time. Among those who had come were many upright practitioners from hidden realms, including his own sectmates. He certainly couldn’t take advantage of them.

If the Black Dragon really shows its power then, I’ll have to find an opportunity to warn them in advance. But who will listen to you by then! Ugh, what a headache! Ignoring Chu Tianyu’s self-pity over there, the Tiancai and Dibao brothers had long stopped talking to Xue Feifei and the others. Instead, they sat around Chu Tianyu with great anticipation, staring intently at the bamboo shoots in his hands… Whether they were junior disciples or nephews, counting from their second master Xianyun, they were all considered younger than Chu Tianyu. He should at least treat them well! So after roasting more bamboo shoots and handing them out again, Chu Tianyu went alone for a walk around. When he returned, he had a large mound of earth in his hands. Under the curious gazes of the Tiancai and Dibao brothers, Chu Tianyu placed this mound over the fire. The brothers then understood—it must be food, so they became excited, sitting motionless by the fire, staring intently at the mound, their throats moving as if swallowing. At that moment, several disciples from the Tianyin Sect, led by Xiao Ya, also came over out of curiosity. In no time, the outside of the mound had dried up. Chu Tianyu added a few large pine branches, making the fire burn brighter. Soon, under everyone’s eager eyes, the mound was finally ready. The moment Chu Tianyu broke open the mound, a wonderful aroma filled the air. Even Xue Feifei, who was far away discussing things with her peers, could smell it and turned to take a look. The Tiancai and Dibao brothers’ eyes bulged, and they swallowed hard, eager to pounce and take a few bites right away to satisfy their cravings! Inside the mound were layers of thick, unknown leaves that grew in the snow, along with many pine needles. Beneath them were pieces of fragrant tender meat, combined with the scent of pine needles, making even the female disciples of the Tianyin Sect swallow hard in anticipation. Actually, this dish was something Chu Tianyu and his second master often ate during their training, called “Stewed Three Delicacies,” usually made from snakes, field mice, and pheasants. This time, in the icy mountains, Chu Tianyu had only managed to find a few hibernating snakes and field mice using his Purple Void Qi. Considering the presence of the girls from the Tianyin Sect, he cleaned and prepared them thoroughly before bringing them along. The Tiancai and Dibao brothers, seeing that Chu Tianyu hadn’t given any further indication, became anxious, scratching their heads frantically. But since they had already eaten several bamboo shoots from him, it would be embarrassing for them to ask for more now.

“Ah!” Tiancai suddenly slapped his head as if remembering something, pointing at Chu Tianyu and saying, “Brother, I’ll exchange these with you!” Then, somehow, he pulled out a few torn grasses and leaves from his bosom. Seeing his brother’s actions, the treasures beside him also quickly took out various roots and stems from themselves…

Chu Tianyu, upon seeing them, reacted just like the two brothers when they saw food—his eyes bulged. After glancing at a few items, he recognized them as the “Seven-Star Moon-Chasing Grass,” “Heavenly Treasure Spirit Stem,” “Bloodline Earth Ginseng,” and so on. These were all rare and precious herbs and medicines, true treasures of the world!

Their names were indeed accurate—whatever they took out were truly “heavenly treasures”! Since they were being offered by those of lower rank, Chu Tianyu humbly accepted them without hesitation. He then gave half of his “Hui Yi Xian” to the two brothers and handed the rest to Xiao Ya, so that the disciples of the Tianyin Sect could try it too…

“It’s delicious!” That was the only thought everyone had!

After enjoying the food, they continued on their journey. This time, Chu Tianyu had two strong companions behind him, who helped him clear paths through mountains and build bridges over gaps, making his journey much easier.

There were no incidents along the way, though they encountered a few other travelers. Seeing that they included strong men and young girls, Chu Tianyu realized they were likely not ordinary people, so they coexisted peacefully without any further trouble.

Two days before the Jingzhe Festival, Chu Tianyu, Xue Feifei, and their group finally arrived at the nearest town to Motuo—Beibeng. The Beibeng township government had an inn where they could stay, and there were also small shops selling instant noodles, canned goods, beer, etc. It was the last supply point for travelers entering Motuo.

Normally, this season would see the fewest tourists, but this time it was the opposite. As soon as Xue Feifei and her group arrived, they found that quite a crowd had gathered there. Everyone had different appearances, and their cultivation levels were quite high. There were even a few elderly people traveling alone, clearly masters with profound skills.

Everyone’s intentions were obvious, and their groups kept a certain distance from each other, wary of one another. The arrival of Xue Feifei and her group seemed to disrupt the balance and peace here, causing a stir. People stared at them and whispered among themselves, making the disciples of the Tianyin Sect blush with shame and lower their heads.

The Tiancai Dibao brothers didn’t care about such things at all. Taking the money “borrowed” from Xue Feifei, who intended to befriend them, they headed straight to a small shop to make purchases. If anyone got in their way, they would wave their hands and shout, “Move aside!”
These days, the bold fear the timid, and the timid fear those who dare to risk everything. Seeing how they acted, no one dared to provoke them. Especially since they were accompanied by a group of little girls, at this time, those who showed up here—especially women, children, and the elderly—must have some real skills; otherwise, who would go through all this trouble for no reason?
Xue Feifei led everyone to a slightly quieter spot to rest and organize their belongings, checking what else needed to be added.
Meanwhile, Chu Tianyu took advantage of the time when the Tiancai Dibao brothers were shopping to go explore the mountains alone again.