The Storm Valley Bargain

“Eh? An Initial-stage Qi Refining newcomer? How dare he come to Storm Valley? Is he that tired of living?”

In the only tavern of the town nearest to Storm Valley, every customer who entered couldn’t help but wonder the same thing.

The man sitting at the most conspicuous seat directly facing the door was simply too eye-catching.

People who came here were at least at the mid or late stage of Qi Refining. Otherwise, forget about competing for the Morning and Evening Dew inside the valley—they wouldn’t even survive the demon beasts along the way.

His cultivation was so absurdly low that it drew everyone’s attention.

Even more suicidal was the fact that this man was currently bothering a woman sitting nearby.

“Really, I’m only at the Initial-stage of Qi Refining. Would I dare lie to you?” The man spread his hands, speaking casually to the woman.

The woman was at the late stage of Qi Refining. She could kill him with a flick of her finger.

The two were clearly strangers. From the moment he initiated the conversation, the woman had raised her hands slightly in front of her, on guard, looking ready to strike at any moment.

But after hearing Yuan Xing’s remark reminding her of his own weakness, the wariness on her face lessened, and she lowered her hands.

He was only at the Initial-stage. Even if she stood still and let him hit her, he couldn’t even break through her protective True Qi.

The woman cautiously glanced around and lowered her voice. “So, you’re saying the drinks in this tavern have been poisoned?”

The man calling himself Yuan Xing nodded. “Exactly. You know how people get when the Morning and Evening Dew is involved. They’d do anything. Eliminate the competition here, and the struggle later becomes much easier.”

The woman frowned. “Impossible. Who would dare do such a thing in town? The City Lord would never let them get away with it.”

Yuan Xing chuckled. “Hey, is this your first time out? This is just a small border town, far from the main city. By the time the City Lord arrives, who would be left to find?”

The woman thought for a moment, took a deep breath, and was about to circulate her Qi to check her condition.

Yuan Xing quickly interrupted, “You want to meditate and circulate Qi while surrounded by enemies? That’s asking for death.”

Reminded of the danger, the woman realized that while the man before her was harmless, there were plenty of mid and late-stage cultivators around. If they attacked while she was in deep meditation, she would surely die.

Yuan Xing added, “Tell you what. If you still don’t believe me, I’ll prove it to you.”

With that, he raised his hand and reached for the woman’s face.

The woman frowned slightly, but recalling that he was only at the Initial-stage and couldn’t harm her, she didn’t dodge. She simply stared at the approaching hand.

His hand touched her jade-like cheek. After a brief caress, it slid down her face, over her slender neck, and then slipped inside her collar to touch her smooth shoulder directly against her skin.

Even so, the woman showed no intention of stopping him. Instead, she blinked her large eyes, tilted her head, and looked puzzled.

They were in public, and Yuan Xing was the center of attention. Everyone witnessed the entire process.

Yet, no one intervened. No one even showed a hint of surprise. To them, this scene seemed utterly ordinary and insignificant.

If this were the mortal world, the onlookers would have already started catcalling and teasing, and the woman would not have remained indifferent. But here, such an odd scene unfolded without a ripple.

Tsk, this is the best part of this world, Yuan Xing thought.

He smiled, relishing the sensation for a moment, then finally squeezed her shoulder hard.

“Ah…” The woman couldn’t help but frown, letting out a small gasp.

“Is it stinging a bit?” Yuan Xing asked.

“Yes.” The woman’s expression changed. Under normal circumstances, an Initial-stage cultivator like Yuan Xing couldn’t cause her any physical discomfort at all.

“This is the onset of the poison,” Yuan Xing said slowly, withdrawing his hand. “Your top priority is to find a safe place and circulate your Qi to expel the toxins.”

The woman immediately stood up and fled the tavern without looking back, disappearing from sight.

Hmm, at least I saved one person, Yuan Xing thought.

He smiled, clenching his hand as if reminiscing about the touch, then looked up and glanced around. Now, it was time to get down to business.

He stood up, cleared his throat, and shouted loudly.

“Everyone, I am Yuan Xing!”

Most of the attention was already on him, so at his shout, every head in the room turned.

“All of you must have noticed that my strength is merely at the lowly Initial-stage of Qi Refining. Coming here is nothing short of suicide.

“But my lifespan is running out. I only have a few days left. Either way, I’m dead. I had no choice but to come here and try my luck.”

Yuan Xing looked no older than twenty, in the prime of youth. But since it was common for cultivators to maintain their youthful appearance, no one doubted his claim of imminent death.

“As everyone knows, the Morning and Evening Dew yields three fruits at a time. My request is modest. I only need one, and I’ll be satisfied.

“Of course, I’m not asking for your kindness. Everyone knows that’s impossible. Instead, I want to make a deal. I believe you all recognize this.”

As he spoke, Yuan Xing rolled up his left sleeve to reveal his arm. On it was a mysterious tattoo that glowed with a faint, ethereal light.

“A Spirit Tracking Talisman!” someone blurted out in surprise.

The tavern erupted into an uproar. Everyone whispered urgently, their eyes gleaming with greed.

To find the Morning and Evening Dew, the first step was to locate the Spirit Realm it grew in. But Storm Valley was vast, and finding a hidden Spirit Realm was no easy task. Usually, it required a grueling search that was both time-consuming and dangerous.

But a Spirit Tracking Talisman could sense a Spirit Realm within a certain range. With it, the efficiency of the hunt increased tenfold.

However, such talismans were rare. They could only be crafted by experts at the Foundation Establishment stage, and those masters had no interest in such a low-level region. Qi Refining cultivators could only buy them at an exorbitant price. Few were willing or able to pay.

Only someone like Yuan Xing, whose life was supposedly ending, would spare no expense to obtain one.

“Everyone!” Yuan Xing lowered his sleeve and shouted, silencing the crowd. “I don’t need to explain what a Spirit Tracking Talisman means. It has now been fused with my body.

“However, with my low cultivation, I can’t even make it through Storm Valley. So, I want to find a partner.

“The terms are simple: I’ll lead you to the Spirit Realm. When we obtain the Morning and Evening Dew, there will be three fruits. You take two; I only need one.

“So, who among you is willing to cooperate with me?”

Yuan Xing finished and looked around. After a brief, heavy silence, the tavern exploded into a cacophony of noise.

“Me!”
“I’ll go!”
“I’ll protect you, boy!”

Voices rose and fell, everyone shouting, terrified that if they were too slow, someone else would seize the chance. With the Spirit Tracking Talisman, success was almost guaranteed.

This was the cultivation world, not a place for mere words. After the initial commotion, a loud crash echoed through the room. No one knew who struck first, but soon the entire tavern erupted into a chaotic brawl.

These cultivators had brought the fight for the Morning and Evening Dew forward to the present. They struck without holding back, desperate to eliminate the competition.

Amidst the banging of tables and the smashing of jars, screams of pain filled the air.

The instigator of the chaos, the young man named Yuan Xing, merely smiled. He leisurely sat back down, poured himself a fresh cup, and calmly drank his wine as if the bloody battle happening around him had nothing to do with him.