Fish mint can be used as medicine, but itâs also a rather good vegetableâit can be stir-fried, deep-fried, grilled, or even eaten raw. In his previous life, Gu Sheng had been a diehard fan of fish mint, so when he saw its familiar leaves now, he couldnât help but feel a little excited.
Gu Sheng ran to the edge of the pond and carefully started digging, as if he were not digging for fish mint but an herb worth a fortune.
As the soil was cleared away, the white-and-yellow rhizome underneath was revealed. When the unique fragrance hit him, Gu Shengâs face lit up with a contented expression.
"Ah, the taste of nostalgia! Fish mint paired with grilled meatâwhat a perfect combination!"
Hurriedly, Gu Sheng pulled up that clump of fish mint by its roots, rinsed off the soil in the pond water, and then returned to the firepit. He tore off a leaf of fish mint, stuffed it into his mouth, and hummed a little tune as he happily began grilling his meat.
About a quarter of an hour later, the surface of the meat was golden brown, and the aroma was mouthwatering. Gu Shengâs stomach growled uncontrollably once again. Wrapping the fish mint around the meat to form a thick "roll," he began feasting with great gusto.
Gu Shengâs face was filled with satisfaction. In this otherworld, being able to enjoy a taste he knew so well felt like a great comfort to his soul.
After eating his fill, Gu Sheng was just about to leave with his wooden box on his back when he suddenly heard the sounds of fighting and a cacophony of shouts in the distance. Judging by the volume, the group was heading in his directionâand they werenât slow.
"What a coincidence," he muttered.
Frowning, Gu Sheng stomped out the flames a few times, slung his wooden box on his back, and hid in the dense forest behind the pond.
From Gu Shengâs experience, conflicts in places like this were usually sparked by greed. His intention in staying was to see if he could scavenge a little from the aftermath.
As the old saying goes, âOne cannot grow wealthy without windfalls, just as a horse cannot grow fat without grazing by night.â Gu Sheng didnât claim to be some noble gentleman; if there was an opportunity, he wouldnât say no to playing the opportunist.
Activating the Snake Breath Skill to its fullest, even someone in the Marrow Refining Realm wouldnât be able to detect him. Of course, Gu Sheng wasnât foolishâif a Silver Bone cultivator were present, heâd make a run for it without hesitation. After all, the Snake Breath Skill could only conceal his presence; it didnât truly erase him from notice completely. With his current level of strength, he could take on someone in the Bronze Bone Realm, but if there were a Silver Bone powerhouse involved, things would get dicey. Gu Sheng was a man who cherished his life and wouldnât take unnecessary risks for paltry rewards.
As an experienced opportunist, he would never act unless he had a sure-kill plan. That was his creed for survival.
The commotion in the distance grew louder. A few minutes later, someone in a Holy Pill Sect uniform, covered in several gruesome gashes, stumbled out of the forest.
This person was gravely injured, with multiple wounds nearly splitting his flesh apart. Blood poured relentlessly from him. If he didnât stop the bleeding soon, he likely wouldnât last much longer.
Seeing this, Gu Sheng frowned. "To use such ruthless methods on a fellow discipleâisnât the sect going to intervene?"
"Hahaha, Mo Buwen! Keep running if you can! Whatâs wrongâis that all youâve got? I already told you: hand over that Mobao Grass, and Iâll spare your pitiful lives. But you Holy Pill Sect fools just donât know when to relent. Isnât this just throwing your lives away for nothing? Truly laughable!"
A burst of gleeful laughter rang out as four individuals in dark purple-black robes emerged from the forest.
Each of the four bore faintly visible purple-black tattoos on their faces, and their entire demeanor exuded a sneaky, insidious aura.
Mo Buwen, gravely injured and at the end of his strength, was losing so much blood that his vision was beginning to blur. Yet even in such a state, he refused to bow to these four, instead spitting a mouthful of bloody saliva in their direction. "Bah! You Thousand Poison Sect bastards! Even if I die, Iâll never let you have your way!"
As he spoke, Mo Buwen took a grayish-black herb out from his robes.
Without any hesitation, he attempted to shove the herb into his mouth.
The leader of the Thousand Poison Sect snorted coldly as he saw this. From beneath his long robes, his right hand suddenly lifted, sending a precise and swift dart shooting out to pierce Mo Buwenâs hand.
"Ah!"
Mo Buwen cried out in pain as the dart struck, causing him to drop the herb. The wound on his hand quickly turned a purplish black, and the discoloration began spreading rapidlyâit was clear that the dart was coated with a potent poison!
"Hmph! In your condition, you think you can still play tricks against me? How utterly laughable!"
The four from the Thousand Poison Sect were all in the Bronze Bone Realm. Their auras were steady, a sign that they had been honing their cultivation at this level for some time. Even so, Gu Sheng did not think much of them; their energy still fell noticeably short compared to his.
Hidden in the shadows, Gu Sheng quietly loaded an arrow into his Stone-breaking Crossbow.
Even though Gu Sheng was just a menial disciple, he was still part of the Holy Pill Sect. Furthermore, he had crossed paths with Mo Buwen before and found his personality quite agreeable. Since it was within his capabilities, Gu Sheng decided to save him!
As the poison coursed through his body, waves of searing pain engulfed Mo Buwen, and his consciousness grew increasingly blurred. Even breathing had become a struggle.
Through hazy eyes, Mo Buwen looked at the leader of the Thousand Poison Sect, who was approaching him step by step. "Yun Feihe, even if I become a ghost, I wonât let you off!"
Yun Feihe burst into laughter at these words. "Become a ghost? What do I have to fear from some ghost? Let me tell you somethingâI specialize in defying superstition! As it happens, Iâm quite curious whether there really are ghosts in this world. I might as well use you to test that theory!"