Volume One: The Dragon Rises from the Wild Chapter Five: The Treasure

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This work was first published on Zongheng Chinese Network.

Acknowledgments: Many thanks to Bomber 20, Jiang Mulin, Mingming Biluo Fuzhongren, Bula, Reader 59929330, East Wind Pine, Gongsun Linyi, Wandao Friend, Reader 2599126, “Dazzling Flowers Can’t Blind My Eyes,” and Peach Branch Swaying for their generous support!

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Yu Ye stood there, panic-stricken.

Before the stone wall, there truly sat a person.

It was not his father’s remains; he did not recognize him.

This was a stranger, a middle-aged man dressed in a coarse robe, seated cross-legged. But his eyes were sunken, his skin cracked, his facial bones and teeth exposed—a hideous, ghastly visage, terrifying to behold.

A dead man—long dead.

Strangely, the corpse had not completely decayed. His attire was not that of a mountain hunter. Most peculiar was the way his hands were clasped together, looking remarkably odd.

Yu Ye brought the torch closer.

The dead man’s hands were black, his left middle finger, wizened as a dead twig, bore a white ring—an ornament one might expect in a wealthy household, though not made of gold or silver.

Who was he? How could he have died here?

Why hadn’t the giant serpent swallowed him? Was his father’s misfortune related to this man?

Yu Ye’s confusion deepened, and he was about to examine further.

Suddenly, someone shouted—

“Stop!”

At that instant, a gust of force swept through the cave. The corpse’s hands shattered, and the white ring flew out.

Yu Ye was so startled he nearly dropped his torch.

A figure had appeared two or three fathoms away—a young man in his twenties, hair tied in a topknot, dressed in a blue robe, with a dignified appearance. He studied the white ring in his hand, unable to hide his delight. “Haha, a storage ring! If this belonged to the demon cultivators of Qizhou, it would be a hundred, a thousand times more valuable than an ordinary Xuanhuang Pill…”

Yu Ye had no idea what a storage ring was, nor did he understand “Qizhou,” “demon cultivator,” or the rest. But the sudden appearance of this young man surprised him greatly. The spectral nature of his presence, his unfathomable abilities, and the tone of his speech—all were not unfamiliar.

Ah, he remembered now.

It was him!

The figure he’d seen earlier in the valley, and the one who’d spoken with Bai Zhi outside Lingjiao Town—it was the same person, Bai Zhi’s senior brother. After that, he’d vanished. Now he’d reappeared, in this hidden mountain cave. He must have tracked down the cave from afar—but what was he after?

A crash—

After the corpse’s hands were shattered, perhaps due to external force, the ruined body could no longer support itself and collapsed.

Yu Ye shrank back, but his eyes sharpened.

Amid the scattered remains and tattered clothing, something rolled free and came to rest at his feet.

Bai Zhi’s senior brother was perhaps too elated to notice.

Curious, Yu Ye bent down and picked it up.

It was a bead, yellow and the size of a chicken egg, perfectly smooth. The instant it touched his hand, a chill shot straight to his soul.

Yu Ye shivered.

What was this thing?

“Hm…”

Bai Zhi’s senior brother fiddled with the ring, seemingly at a loss. Disappointed, his eyes then lit up.

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A youth holding a torch stood foolishly nearby—and in his hand was a yellow bead.

A look of joy flashed across Bai Zhi’s senior brother’s face. He couldn’t hide his eagerness. “Hand it over!”

Yu Ye looked up, confused. “On what grounds?”

He’d already figured it out—the bead was unclaimed; since he’d found it, why should he hand it over? Especially since this place was connected to his father’s fate—the bead’s significance was surely extraordinary.

Bai Zhi’s senior brother chuckled, amused, and glanced back.

The entrance by which he’d come was now blocked—by his own doing. In the gloom, only the two of them remained, along with pools of blood and scattered bones.

His smile grew sly. He drew two cloth-like talismans from his robe and waved them, murmuring incantations. With a flick of his hand—boom!—two balls of fire swept through the cave.

Yu Ye was aghast. He spun to flee.

The fireballs crackled and burned furiously. The raging flames nearly melted the stone, consuming all in their path. The searing heat left no room to breathe, nowhere to hide.

Yu Ye didn’t know the specifics, but he sensed mortal danger. He could only think of escaping the cave, of avoiding a fiery death. Yet after only a few steps, the wall of flames blocked his way. Panic-stricken, he suddenly felt an icy chill spreading from his palm over his whole body. The approaching inferno and the searing pain vanished instantly.

Gradually, the fire consuming the cave died away. The corpse, the serpent’s body, the blood, the scattered bones—all turned to ash.

“Still alive?”

Bai Zhi’s senior brother was surprised to see Yu Ye unharmed. He quickly guessed the cause; his expression grew even greedier. He clapped his hands, his words laced with menace—

“Hand over the treasure!”

Yu Ye stood stunned, staring in disbelief at the bead in his hand.

A mere bead—was it truly a treasure?

He’d nearly been burned alive; it was only the chill from the bead that had saved him. If so, this really was a rare treasure.

But Bai Zhi’s senior brother was domineering and terrifyingly powerful. If he tried to take the treasure by force, what could Yu Ye do?

Yu Ye hesitated, when suddenly a voice whispered, “Your life is in danger—run!”

The voice was barely audible, yet clear as day, urging him to flee.

Who was speaking?

There was no one else in the cave.

Meanwhile, Bai Zhi’s senior brother was already upon him, reaching out to seize him.

Yu Ye wanted to hand over the bead, but in the end, he hid it behind his back and said anxiously, “Brother, I have no quarrel with you or Miss Bai. Why do you want to kill me…”

Before he could finish, a hand clamped his chest.

A sneering face drew close, mocking and suspicious. “Kid, do you know who I am?”

Yu Ye gasped, “Outside Lingjiao Town, I met you and Miss Bai…”

Bai Zhi’s senior brother did not loosen his grip; he squeezed tighter. His fingers felt like iron hooks, almost crushing Yu Ye’s bones.

“Oh? Then how do you know I mean to kill you?”

“I…”

Pain shot through Yu Ye’s chest; he could barely breathe, let alone speak. That sneering face hovered before him, its sinister gaze chilling him to the core.

He suddenly understood—no matter if he surrendered the bead, he would not live.

Yu Ye struggled desperately, but could not break free. The torch in his left hand was still lit; he swung it sideways.

Bang—

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Bai Zhi’s senior brother blocked the blow.

The torch flew through the air, landing several yards away. The light went out, and darkness descended.

Yu Ye seized the moment, broke free, stuffed the bead into his shirt, and tried to flee. In his panic, he crashed into a stone wall. Dizzied, he frantically searched for another way out. Bai Zhi’s senior brother was upon him, grabbing his neck and slamming him against the wall, snarling, “Where do you think you’re going?”

Yu Ye’s feet left the ground, his vision dimmed. He could not resist—he was doomed. Yet this only roused his fighting spirit. He struggled to reach into his shirt, forcing out the words, “The… treasure… is here…”

Bai Zhi’s senior brother was unmoved, tearing at his robe.

The cloth ripped; the bead tumbled out.

Impatient, Bai Zhi’s senior brother lunged for the bead—when suddenly, a blade flashed toward his abdomen.

For a cultivator, the abdomen was where the dantian and vital energy resided. Alarmed, he sprang back.

He was no ordinary man and had not expected a mere village youth to pose a threat. But they were close, and the attack was sudden—he was caught off guard.

Yu Ye had drawn a dagger from inside his shirt and lashed out. The man dodged with lightning speed, and the blade missed. As Yu Ye’s feet touched the ground, he threw himself forward with all his might.

Forced to retreat, Bai Zhi’s senior brother was both furious and humiliated. He began chanting, sweeping his sleeve as he struck.

Yu Ye had never thought of killing—only of survival. But as he thrust with the dagger, an overwhelming force knocked him back.

Bang—

Yu Ye flew through the air and crashed to the ground. He opened his mouth to cry out, but no sound escaped. He tried to rise; his head was spinning, sparks dancing before his eyes.

Yet amid those dancing sparks, he thought he saw the bead rolling away.

Bai Zhi’s senior brother, now back in control, was still seething with rage.

This fool of a boy had actually forced him to such a state. His anger turned murderous; with a flick of his sleeve, a short sword appeared in his hand.

Yu Ye’s right arm was numb; with his left, he clutched the bead. He lay prone, barely able to move, his mind lost and helpless.

He could not see his foe, but he knew he was coming closer. He had used all his strength, but it was futile. This man was more savage and terrifying than any wild beast, and now, in the darkness, the sword in his hand glimmered faintly.

Alas, this world was filled with mysteries, so much yet to explore. But he would not live to see it. If there were a next life, he swore he would master the ways of the supernatural, become powerful, and never again fall victim to evil men…

As Yu Ye despaired, the mysterious voice sounded again—

“Swallow it!”

“Huh…”

Yu Ye didn’t understand.

“The flood dragon’s pill in your hand—swallow it, escape with your life…”

The soft whisper seemed to come from his ear, or above his head, or perhaps deep within his soul. In his desperate plight, Yu Ye could not resist.

So the bead was a flood dragon’s pill?

Swallow it—and survive!

With no time to think, Yu Ye shoved the bead into his mouth, rolling and twisting on the ground like a lamb awaiting slaughter, struggling for life.

Bai Zhi’s senior brother, intent on murder and theft, saw his quarry swallow the treasure. Enraged, he swung his sword. After several blows—bang, bang—he stared in disbelief.

Yu Ye had not died. In fact, he had vanished.

In his eagerness to seize the treasure, he had overlooked a crack in the stone floor. In a single roll, the boy had slipped right under his nose and disappeared into the crevice.

The fissure was naturally formed—wide at the top, narrow below, just big enough for a person to squeeze through.

Peering closer, he saw someone wriggling downward—Yu Ye’s feet could still be seen, working desperately in the gap…