Chapter 45: A Bountiful Harvest (Please add to your favorites and continue reading!)

When all the monstrous serpents had finally succumbed to rage, Shanglu let out a sigh of relief. He had never expected these creatures to be even more cunning than he imagined, clever enough to increase their length by connecting head to tail. Fortunately, their strength did not grow with their added length. Back when Shanglu was still at the Bone-Cleansing stage, he could sever these serpents repeatedly; now, having reached the Meridian-Passing stage, it was even less of a challenge.

The real trouble with these monstrous snakes lay in their resistance to ordinary methods of killing. Yet, though Shanglu could not overpower them, he could shorten them, and in the end, managed to enrage them all to death.

Lowering the bamboo he had held above his head, Shanglu gripped his ox-tail blade and searched among the shattered remains for spoils of war. Yet the serpent gallbladders he found were fewer than expected—barely thirty, less than a third of the total number of snakes.

“What’s going on, where are the rest? Surely I didn’t blast them apart with anger?” Shanglu was bewildered, wondering if these serpents were so petty as to not only die from rage, but to have their gallbladders destroyed in the process.

Among these gallbladders, however, Shanglu discovered one that was different. It was not the usual dark green, but gleamed gold within its verdant hue, shining brightly even through the dense mist. Upon seeing it, Shanglu searched the serpent corpses and found one that was unusual: along its sides, four small limbs had grown, resembling legs. Shanglu confirmed that it was indeed a snake, not a lizard or similar creature.

“Was this mutation caused by eating humans, or did it absorb spiritual energy from the secret realm and evolve?” Curious, Shanglu lamented that the creature was dead—it could answer nothing but cackle and scream if alive.

As before, Third Lady immediately helped Shanglu clean the gallbladders. Thirty-odd gallbladders were cumbersome to carry, and might be damaged in fierce battles ahead. So, after brief consideration, Shanglu decided to swallow them all and store them in his stomach.

With the presence of his Five-Viscera Temple and the Spleen God statue, Shanglu did not have to immediately activate his cultivation method to absorb the essence, unlike ordinary martial artists. Whatever he consumed would be offered to the Spleen God, who would transform it. Now that his Spleen Meridian was open, any essence produced—even if not absorbed right away—would circulate within the Spleen Meridian, never wasted.

Shanglu quickly swallowed all thirty gallbladders. Since they were intact, he felt no sour or bitter taste. Yet, when these gallbladders were offered in the Five-Viscera Temple before the Spleen God, Shanglu noticed something peculiar: not only did they yield essence, but also a wisp of strange black-red energy. This energy was much like the black-red mist that emerged from the spiritual fat he had consumed previously—slightly weaker, yet still imparting a sense of strange and restless agitation.

Fresh from battle, Shanglu found this agitation stirring his bloodlust. Fortunately, there were no others present, and in the next instant, the black-red energy was absorbed by the Liver God statue shrouded in fog. The restlessness and murderous intent in Shanglu's heart faded immediately.

“So the strangeness in the spiritual fat really is tied to the secret realm?” Regaining composure, Shanglu marveled inwardly. Though his knowledge of the secret realm was limited, he knew it was crucial for cultivation. Resources such as spiritual liquid, fat, marrow—all were vital. Yet he had not expected such resources to conceal a bizarre energy capable of affecting the mind. Clearly, the secret realm was not as simple as the world believed; its opportunities could be a blessing or a curse.

As Shanglu pondered this, he suddenly saw Third Lady’s blood-red silhouette emerge from the monstrous fog, busying herself. The fog blocked out sunlight, allowing Third Lady to leave her oil-paper umbrella, which was no surprise. What intrigued Shanglu was her apparent purpose—and another oddity: Third Lady seemed clearer within the fog than outside, as if the haze sharpened her form.

Curious, Shanglu hastened over. As he drew near, Third Lady, now unshielded by the fog, grew more indistinct. It was then he realized she was helping him gather spoils. While Shanglu had only collected gallbladders, Third Lady had found many snake scales, several intact skins, and some creamy white fat lumps.

Delighted, Shanglu exclaimed, “My Third Lady, ever so meticulous! I was so focused on gallbladders, I overlooked these treasures.” The scales, sturdy and sharp, Shanglu had previously used as hidden weapons. The snake skins, tough and studded with sharp scales, could not quite form armor, but would make fine shoes. The sharp scales paired with his Tiger-Step technique could serve as weapons—he recalled the invincible Wang Chongyang from “East Meets West,” slain by a boot; there was promise here!

The creamy white fat appeared to be snake oil—a valuable substance, good for healing wounds and detoxification. Shanglu wondered whether, aside from providing essence, it might yield other effects when consumed. He trusted Third Lady’s selections to be edible or useful, and promptly praised her, stowing the treasures in his pack. He had brought the pack precisely for such fruitful moments.

After clearing the battlefield, Shanglu estimated the time—enough to keep exploring. Checking his pouch of realgar powder and confirming the supply, he pushed his bamboo stick, plowing a furrow to scatter powder ahead as he advanced.

During the fight with the monstrous serpents, Shanglu had not managed to spread realgar powder, but fortunately, Third Lady had quietly done so for him. Otherwise, running out of powder might have caused him to lose his way in the fog.

This time, Shanglu explored a long stretch, but encountered no more serpents rising to challenge him. Perhaps the snakes in this area had all been wiped out, or, seeing his shameless tactics, were hiding, unwilling to face him.

“Cowards, afraid to die,” Shanglu mocked the serpents’ pettiness, but could do nothing. He decided to exit the fog and try another direction; perhaps elsewhere, the serpents were still foolish, and he could harvest another batch.

However, as Shanglu followed the trail of realgar powder, he had not gone far when he glimpsed, through the thick fog ahead, the faint outline of a person.

Shanglu immediately halted, gripping his ox-tail blade tightly.

Someone in the monstrous fog—who could it be?