Chapter 120: The Secret of the Wood Spirit (Five Thousand Words; Please Vote)

"Go, pay him no mind."

Watching the crowd surround the thin Taoist, Cheng Xinzhan did not linger. Seeing Eleven-Niang still gazing longingly at the spirit beasts with powdered foreheads, he took her by the arm and urged her to leave.

Eleven-Niang felt a surge of joy as she felt Cheng Xinzhan’s grip on her sleeve, and she instantly forgot about the prey.

"Gentlemen, those who understand the times are wise. Perhaps you should look at those two; they are the truly clever ones."

Seeing Cheng Xinzhan and Xiao Eleven-Niang glance back once before continuing on their way, the thin Taoist pointed in their direction and said with a smile.

The crowd naturally ignored him. Spurred on by someone, dozens of people attacked the thin Taoist in unison.

Ignoring the commotion behind them, Cheng Xinzhan spoke once they had moved a fair distance away.

"In that herd just now, I saw a Wood Essence."

Eleven-Niang was startled. "Truly?!"

Cheng Xinzhan nodded. The way the spirit beasts had been huddled together had saved him the trouble of searching for them one by one.

His Nine-Yang Form-Returning Pupil was a gift from his master, best suited for revealing the true source of things. Once he activated his spirit eyes, he saw, amidst the herd, a small plum-blossom deer. Inside it, there was no blood-red aura, only the verdant glow of the Wood Essence. It was undeniably a Wood Essence.

The two quickly caught up to the herd. The Wood Essence was indeed still mingling among the beasts.

"That is the one. The plum-blossom deer."

Eleven-Niang looked in the direction Cheng Xinzhan pointed. She could not discern any difference between the small deer and the surrounding spirit beasts, so she asked, "How do we capture a Wood Essence? Generally speaking, all Wood Essences possess the arts of wood and earth escape. While using these arts consumes their vital energy, the moment they realize they are about to be caught, they will use them immediately, and with one slip of attention, they will tunnel away."

Cheng Xinzhan smiled. "With me here, it cannot escape."

He seized the moment, formed a seal with his hands, pointed at the herd, and chanted, "Sink!"

Eleven-Niang saw a large pit suddenly appear in front of the deer’s hooves. The Wood Essence was unable to dodge and tumbled in. Once it fell, the earth immediately sealed shut, and the spirit beasts behind it trampled over the spot, continuing their flight.

Eleven-Niang grew anxious, grabbing Cheng Xinzhan’s forearm. "The Wood Essence has escaped!"

Cheng Xinzhan replied, "Do not be impatient. Wait and see."

After the herd passed, the two waited for a long while. Several more groups of people hurried past. To their surprise, the thin Taoist was completely unharmed, while those who had besieged him were all wounded.

What kind of background did he have to be so formidable?

Cheng Xinzhan mused on this, but it was not the time to act—after all, they were guests invited by the Xiao family. If they crossed paths again, he would certainly confront him and eliminate the fiend.

Once it was clear that the crowd had moved ahead, they emerged from hiding.

They arrived at the spot where the Wood Essence had fallen. Cheng Xinzhan waved his sleeve, and the earth parted to reveal a deep hole. Inside, the small deer was flailing and kicking, but it was useless; not even a speck of dirt fell away, as if the soil had turned into solid refined iron.

Up close, Cheng Xinzhan used his Dharma eyes again and saw a tiny, swaying plum tree inside the hole. It was trying to drive its roots into the ground, but it could not penetrate the earth.

"What is happening?" Eleven-Niang asked curiously.

Cheng Xinzhan smiled without answering. He practiced the Earth element; turning soil into stone was no challenge for him.

He used his magical power to lift the deer out. It tried to run, but he flicked a spark of golden fire in front of it. Feeling the scorching intensity of the Yang fire, the Wood Essence immediately went docile.

"Don't eat me!" the deer spoke in a human voice, sounding like a young girl.

Cheng Xinzhan was surprised; the spirituality of this Wood Essence was profound.

Eleven-Niang’s eyes sparkled with delight. She had not expected her clan to be so generous this year. She gently stroked the deer’s forehead and whispered, "I won't eat you, I won't eat you. From now on, you will stay by my side, and you shall have first pick of any spirit pills or miraculous herbs!"

Eleven-Niang’s voice was gentle, yet it carried the authority of someone long accustomed to power, making her words quite convincing.

The small deer could understand human speech but possessed low intelligence. Being stroked and coaxed, it gradually relaxed.

"How will you store this thing?" Cheng Xinzhan asked. If they walked around with it in plain sight, the remaining one hundred and ninety-eight people would surely swarm them.

Eleven-Niang smiled, formed a series of seals with her hands, and drew a spirit talisman in the air, which she then struck into the deer’s body.

A faint sound of a lock breaking echoed. The deer immediately looked relaxed and happy, letting out a joyful cry.

"These Wood Essences are all captured by my clan's elders from abroad and branded with the Xiao family’s secret seal. If the seal isn't lifted, the Wood Essence can only walk in its spirit form; otherwise, if it reverts to its true form, we would never be able to find it."

Cheng Xinzhan nodded, realizing the truth.

"Little deer, you may return to your true form now!"

The deer nodded, a flash of green light enveloped it, and it transformed into a small plum tree.

Xiao Eleven-Niang opened the sachet at her waist and used her power to lift the tree and store it inside. The sachet was clearly an extraordinary treasure, capable of storing living spirit items.

Having secured the Wood Essence, Eleven-Niang bowed to Cheng Xinzhan. "Thank you, Xinzhan. With this Wood Essence, my future cultivation will be much easier. For me, this is the greatest harvest of the Autumn Hunt. I care not for how many other trophies the others obtain."

Cheng Xinzhan waved his hand. "Why be so formal with me? Let us go, let us look further; perhaps we can find another."

Eleven-Niang smiled and agreed.

However, their luck did not hold. Because they had waited for the others to move north before capturing the Wood Essence, they now lagged behind the crowd. Not only were there no Wood Essences, but even the powdered spirit beasts had all been captured or driven away. They saw none.

Eleven-Niang did not mind; she remained jubilant, constantly repeating that this was already more than enough.

They decided to walk slowly, ignoring the powdered spirit beasts, which were surely being watched closely by others, and focused their efforts on finding Wood Essences, particularly small creatures like mice, sparrows, snakes, and rabbits that were easily overlooked.

They had entered the island early in the morning, and by dusk, they had found nothing else.

"Screech!"

About three hundred miles from the northern corner, they heard a sharp whistle.

"That is the elder’s signal. Either all the powdered spirit beasts have been caught, or the ones that haven't are all hiding in the pine forest. The Autumn Hunt will end in half an hour," Eleven-Niang explained.

They had lost hope.

"Woof! Woof!"

A quarter of an hour after the arrow signal, the dog, Deng-er, began to bark, his nose pressed tightly against the ground.

There was something in the earth.

However, the thing underground seemed to realize it as well and began to burrow and flee. But Deng-er was a dog demon with an affinity for the earth, and no scent could escape his nose. No matter where the creature ran underground, Deng-er followed it from above.

Cheng Xinzhan snorted coldly.

"Boom!"

A sudden peal of thunder shook the dry ground. Cheng Xinzhan had infused the sound with the might of a dragon.

Deng-er immediately froze; the creature underground must have been stunned by the dragon-thunder.

Cheng Xinzhan exerted his power, and the ground surged like waves, lifting a long-whiskered white mouse to the surface.

Deng-er sniffed it.

The dog's presence startled the mouse. Seeing a massive dog head, the mouse squeaked in terror, its whiskers standing on end.

It tried to escape, white light flashing on its body, jumping to return to the ground. But the ground had been sealed by Cheng Xinzhan’s magic; the mouse hit the earth as if it were solid iron.

"Ouch!"

The mouse spoke in a human voice, sounding like an old man.

Another one that could speak. Was it a demon or an essence?

Cheng Xinzhan bent down, grabbed the white mouse by its tail, and held it before his eyes.

He activated his Dharma eyes and saw no blood inside the mouse, only green light. Looking closer, he saw a long-rooted, ancient ginseng swaying within the light.

He nodded to Eleven-Niang. "It is not a mouse demon; it is a Wood Essence."

Eleven-Niang was overjoyed, though she looked at the mouse with slight disdain. "If it had to manifest, why a mouse? And an aged, big mouse at that."

The white mouse looked truly old, with long whiskers and brows, and wrinkles on its face. It was far less appealing than the plum-blossom deer.

Eleven-Niang struck a spirit talisman into the mouse. "Let us see your original form."

But even after her command, the mouse maintained its form, refusing to reveal its true shape.

Eleven-Niang’s face brightened. If a captured Wood Essence refused to show its true form, it must be because its original form was too precious to reveal.

"Xinzhan, can you see what its true form is?"

"It is an ancient ginseng."

Eleven-Niang’s joy deepened. "It is extremely difficult for ginseng to manifest. This must be five hundred years old. Xinzhan, you should consume it. It will greatly increase your power; perhaps you can open the Wood Mansion in one go!"

Having spent the last few days together, Eleven-Niang knew Cheng Xinzhan's level.

"Don't eat me!" the mouse begged in an elderly, terrified voice, saying the same thing as the deer.

Eleven-Niang was unmoved. She ignored the mouse and looked at Cheng Xinzhan. "Xinzhan, this ginseng is very old. It has already reached its limits; it is difficult for it to advance further, and its lifespan is surely near its end. It is not suitable for my cultivation. You should take it to help you enter the second realm."

"Two immortals! It is not easy for a little old one like me to cultivate. Ever since I gained sentience, I have been hiding. My lifespan is nearly at its end; I should be reincarnated. I have gained sentience in this life, and if I die a natural death, I might be born human in the next! If I am devoured, I will be nothing but a mindless plant in the next life! Please, show mercy!" The old white mouse was weeping.

Cheng Xinzhan felt his resolve soften. He looked at Eleven-Niang.

Eleven-Niang’s eyes darted around, and she spoke harshly to the mouse: "The way of man is to take from the poor to give to the rich. You were captured by my elders and now by us—how can we just let you go for nothing?"

The white mouse understood, its black eyes rolling. "I have a secret I can trade for my life."

"What secret?" Eleven-Niang asked immediately.

But the mouse replied, "I need you to take me off this island and swear to set me free once you hear the secret. Only then will I tell you."

"How do we know if your secret is worth your life? You are an ancient ginseng of hundreds of years!"

"This secret is worth far more than my life!" the mouse said firmly.

Eleven-Niang looked at Cheng Xinzhan. "You caught it, so you decide. But I still suggest consuming it to improve your cultivation."

"Take him off the island," Cheng Xinzhan said.

"Very well." Eleven-Niang nodded and glared at the mouse. "Revert to your true form!"

Seeing a chance, the mouse nodded and transformed into a ginseng plant, which Eleven-Niang stored away.

They continued north. Before long, another arrow signaled the end of the Autumn Hunt.

They reached the pine forest, where everyone, including the bald elder, was waiting.

"Good, everyone is here. Let us count the prey," the elder said.

*Thump! Thump! Thump!*

Heavy objects hit the ground. All eyes turned to the thin Taoist, who had dropped sixteen carcasses of powdered spirit beasts. The others had at most five.

Eleven-Niang dropped a purple sable. Most others were empty-handed.

Cheng Xinzhan scanned the area. There were forty-eight carcasses in total; it seemed only two had escaped into the forest.

"Did anyone capture a Wood Essence?" the elder asked.

"Yes," Eleven-Niang replied clearly.

All eyes turned to her. Eleven-Niang walked to the elder, removed her sachet, and handed it to him. The bald elder glanced inside, looking at Eleven-Niang with great surprise.

The crowd stared, realizing she had indeed caught a Wood Essence, and began to murmur. Eleven-Niang had caught one powdered beast and one Wood Essence, equivalent to eleven beasts. Combined with her sixth-place ranking, she was likely in the top three overall.

The bald elder cleared his throat and announced the results.

"First place in this Autumn Hunt: Xiao Hou, two Wood Essences and one powdered beast."

The crowd was in an uproar! Two! She had caught two?!

Xiao Hou was Eleven-Niang’s name. This was the first time Cheng Xinzhan had heard it.

"Xiao Yuan, second place, fifteen powdered beasts."

The elder continued, but no one cared about second place. The thin Taoist looked at Cheng Xinzhan. Capturing two Wood Essences was not just a matter of luck. He himself had searched and found nothing. Who was this man? As for Eleven-Niang, he never suspected her; the Xiao family were good at business, but surely they lacked such keen eyes and skill.

Amidst the commotion, the bald elder finished the rankings and concluded, "As you have seen, this small island has no great riches, but it is the ancestral property of the Xiao family. The protective array was laid by a high master from Mount Lao. Please do not reveal the existence of this island to outsiders, lest you harm others and yourselves."

The warning was stern; everyone agreed.

The hunt ended, and the guests left. Some departed immediately, while Cheng Xinzhan and Xiao Eleven-Niang returned to Haiqing City.

After returning to the city, the hundred Xiao clansmen followed the elder to the city lord’s residence, while Cheng Xinzhan waited at the Douduo Pavilion for tea.

Before long, Eleven-Niang returned, beaming. Cheng Xinzhan asked with a smile, "How did it go?"

Eleven-Niang’s face was radiant. "The assessment tests our business acumen, cultivation, and ability to befriend high-level experts. I was sixth in business, and first in the hunt—I took first place overall this year. For the next ten years, I will have more resources to command. This is a step ahead that leads to many more. It is all thanks to you, Xinzhan!"

Cheng Xinzhan waved his hand. "It is because you are capable, Eleven-Niang."

***

In the courtyard of the Douduo Pavilion, there was a small lake with a pavilion in the center. The two sat there, and Eleven-Niang dismissed the servants.

She took the ginseng out of the sachet and placed it on the stone table. The spirit light flashed, and it transformed back into the white mouse.

The white mouse sniffed the air and asked, "Are we in the White Jade Capital?"

They nodded.

"No, I must return to the land. I will tell you the secret once you set me free."

Eleven-Niang raised an eyebrow. Did it not trust her? But Cheng Xinzhan nodded.

"Let us go down then. It is time for me to return to my sect anyway."

Eleven-Niang agreed, though she shot the mouse a fierce look.

They returned to the ground, landing in a wild area of Qilu.

"Alright, you can speak now," Eleven-Niang said.

But the mouse ignored her, looking instead at Cheng Xinzhan. "Honored Taoist, may I ask if you are a disciple of the Three Pure Ones?"

Cheng Xinzhan nodded.

"Then, may I ask you to swear by the name of the Three Pure Saints that once I reveal the secret, you will set me free, without hindrance or pursuit? And you must also ensure this member of the Xiao family does not pursue me."

"You!" Eleven-Niang had not expected her family’s reputation to be held in such low regard by a mouse. Seeing Cheng Xinzhan about to agree, she quickly added, "Wait, what if your secret is useless to us? Like a piece of gossip, or something we cannot reach, like a deadly forbidden zone? Or what if you are simply lying to us?"

Eleven-Niang’s logic held. Cheng Xinzhan nodded. The Xiao family certainly had many schemes.

The white mouse sighed, looking at Eleven-Niang. "Why would I lie? I am not a merchant."

Eleven-Niang laughed in frustration but would not budge. "You must first tell us what kind of secret it is so we can judge its worth."

The white mouse nodded. "It is a secret that will interest you. I believe no one in this world could fail to be interested in it. It is worth thousands of times more than my life."

"Have you two ever heard of the Ginseng Fruit Tree?"