Chapter 23: The Transformation of the Mark

Shen Lie dashed onto the vehicle without a backward glance, and the two women, breathless, followed close behind. Sensing the tense atmosphere, Zhang Jing floored the accelerator as soon as she got behind the wheel, speeding away from the scene.

Even after they’d hurried back to the compound, there was no sign of the white spider pursuing them. Shen Lie realized the creature likely hadn’t been able to cross the river, and while relief washed over him, the power of the Red River became apparent. No wonder the locals were unafraid of the monsters—over these past months, not a single beast had managed to cross that boundary.

“Shen, you’re back?” Li Cheng, who had been waiting by the door, quickly approached the car as soon as Shen Lie stepped out. He greeted him with newfound respect, asking nothing about where Shen Lie had been or why he’d returned with a vehicle. After witnessing Shen Lie cleave a steel blade with his bare hand earlier, Li Cheng’s attitude had shifted profoundly.

“Yes,” Shen Lie replied with a nod, then continued, “You and Zhang Jing take everything from the car into my room. I have something to discuss with you both in a moment.” Shen Lie bore no resentment toward Li Cheng; in fact, he still had tasks for the man, so his manner was rather gentle.

Relieved that Shen Lie hadn’t brought up what had just happened, Li Cheng hurried to help Zhang Jing with the bags, curiosity piqued about their contents.

The other residents of the compound were present, but Shen Lie had nothing to say to them. He headed straight into his room.

“Li Cheng, are there many survivors living in this area? I want to trade supplies for those Phantom Mushrooms. Is that possible?” Shen Lie opened one of the bags, revealing an array of food.

“Trading supplies for Phantom Mushrooms is simple—just let the word out. You can also hire people directly to go after them. But that will definitely attract the attention of the Four Lords. Those four are always on edge about the mushrooms and often fight over them. They control more resources than we do, and I’m afraid we’d be outmatched,” Li Cheng replied after a moment’s hesitation, opting for honesty.

“Don’t worry about the supplies. I have my ways. Just help me contact anyone who has Phantom Mushrooms. I’ll make sure you’re rewarded,” Shen Lie promised, well aware of what Li Cheng wanted most.

Sure enough, excitement lit up Li Cheng’s face. He didn’t ask further, simply bowed and went off to carry out the task. Shen Lie didn’t shortchange him either, handing over a generous share of food.

“Here, you two take some as well. Zhang Jing, I’ll leave Tao Tao in your care.” After distributing supplies to the two females, one grown and one small, Shen Lie sent them away—he had pressing matters to attend to.

Once they left, Shen Lie locked the door and retrieved the white flower he’d acquired earlier. He’d stored it in a box after getting into the car; the instant he opened it, a fragrant scent filled the room.

He inhaled deeply, savoring the aroma, a look of bliss spreading across his face as the mark on his brow seemed to stir restlessly.

How extraordinary.

The more Shen Lie observed the flower, the more remarkable it seemed. He had no idea where it had drifted from. Supposedly, the river upstream was a branch of a larger river, and tracing its origin would be no simple task.

“Forget it. Let’s see what it does first.” Unable to resist the allure of the fragrance, Shen Lie plucked a petal and placed it in his mouth. Instantly, his lips and teeth tingled with lingering sweetness.

Delicious! The petal, though translucent as jade, melted away instantly, releasing a cool, aromatic juice that slid down his throat, so refreshing he almost moaned aloud.

Yet the flavor was only part of it. As the juice entered his stomach, an exquisite comfort spread through his body, and a clear, cool current seemed to form within, rushing straight to the energy center behind his brow.

The moment it entered, the dim, broken mark within his mind brightened abruptly, absorbing the flow until it was restored to normal.

Outwardly, nothing seemed to have changed, but Shen Lie could feel the mark becoming more solid, his mind sharpening with newfound clarity.

Could this be enhancing my mental strength? He sensed no increase in physical power, leading him to speculate.

One petal had little effect. He tried another, with the same cooling sensation absorbed into the mark on his brow.

With little obvious result from two petals, Shen Lie crushed the remainder together and ate them all in one go.

This time, the cool energy within him was no mere trickle—it surged forth in a great wave. Shen Lie felt the mark in his mind blaze with light, vibrating with a low hum. A powerful suction, like a whale drinking in water, swept up every bit of the energy.

After absorbing so much, the mark underwent subtle change: not only were the damaged sections mended, but it also gained a newfound luster, no longer so dark and dull. Within the mark, a faint dotted line seemed to writhe, indistinct yet undeniably present.

Is that all, after such a commotion? Once all anomalies faded, Shen Lie couldn’t help feeling a bit disappointed.

The mysterious mark had changed, but he still had no idea what purpose it served. Whether it changed or not made little difference to him now. What he truly needed was greater strength. He’d hoped the extraordinary white flower might elevate his martial prowess, but that had been wishful thinking.

Night had fallen by the time he finished. Zhang Jing quietly brought in fresh bedding, made the bed without a word, then stood by, unmoving. Shen Lie noticed her flushed cheeks, and a ticklish sensation stirred in his heart. The meaning in her silent gesture was obvious—if he made any move, she would not refuse. Should he yield to temptation or not?

In the end, reason triumphed over desire—not because Shen Lie was particularly noble, but because he’d only just arrived in this town and already experienced so much. He had to stay alert. Zhang Jing may have earned some of his trust, but it was still too soon for him to let his guard down.

“How is Tao Tao? Go and look after her when you have time. There’s nothing else for you here,” Shen Lie said gently, moving past Zhang Jing to sit on the bed.

“Tao Tao is recovering well. Her wound has scabbed over. If there’s nothing else, I’ll—I’ll go now,” Zhang Jing replied, her voice tinged with both disappointment and relief, before she left the room with her head lowered.

The night passed uneventfully, save for the occasional strange sound from outside the town. Overall, the night was calm.

Shen Lie didn’t sleep well, remaining half-awake throughout. At dawn, he got up to stretch; his mind felt clearer than before, so the white flower had brought some benefit after all.

But what mattered most now was obtaining Phantom Mushrooms. Those were what could truly enhance his physical and supernatural abilities. Shen Lie believed that an Awakened one’s strength depended not only on their powers but also on this extraordinary energy—since the more energy they had, the stronger and more enduring they’d become.

As valuable as the mushrooms were, Shen Lie had no intention of venturing to the medicine fields outside town himself. The other Awakened hadn’t made any such move, which spoke volumes. And since he could pay others to take the risk, why be the one to stick his neck out?

He already had a plan for gathering supplies. The water of the Red River seemed suppressed by his black spear, granting him the ability to cross at will. The resources on the far side of town were his for the taking—provided he didn’t get surrounded by the spider monsters.

Having settled his next steps, Shen Lie left his room, thinking he’d need a long plank to cross the river. Though it was only about two meters wide, walking across was safer than dashing over.

Such planks were hardly scarce now. As he walked, he asked Zhang Jing where to find one. She recalled that the agricultural supply station nearby was certain to have some, so Shen Lie set off in that direction.

“Shen! Shen!” Before he could reach the gate, Li Cheng came running in from outside, his face pale with alarm. Spotting Shen Lie, he called out anxiously.

“What is it?” Shen Lie frowned slightly. To be honest, apart from Zhang Jing and Tao Tao, he had little interest in the others in the compound.

“Shen, Lord Ma is here!” At this, Shen Lie halted in his tracks.