Chapter 498: The Way of Survival

The purification and enhancement of his physique did not proceed as exaggeratedly as Duan Rong had imagined, because the medicinal efficacy was decaying. And both the speed and magnitude of this decay exceeded Duan Rong's expectations.

After about twelve hours, it would take two or three Great Heavenly Cycles of circulation for a single wisp of Black Fungal Hyphae to be stripped away from the wall of his dantian.

By the third day, Duan Rong circulated his Great Heavenly Cycle without pause for an entire day, yet only three wisps of Black Fungal Hyphae were stripped away in total.

After three days had passed, the medicinal efficacy, as time went on, had gradually decayed to the point of being nearly non-existent.

Zhu He had instructed him to take it once every three days, which could be said to be timed quite precisely.

After three days of refining and exploring, Duan Rong had a clear understanding of the process of the medicine's decay.

Although the medicinal efficacy decayed quickly and was practically negligible by the third day, Duan Rong knew that even purifying one extra wisp of Black Fungal Hyphae from his dantian and meridians was an improvement to his physique.

In the long, drawn-out cultivation career of his remaining life, this minute improvement would, due to the vast stretch of time, accumulate into a huge benefit.

He did not delay any longer; after the third day ended, he merely pondered for a moment before once again digging a small lump of black ointment out of the Round-bellied White Porcelain Bottle, mixing it with the bile of a Fire Scale Python, and swallowing it.

A new round of refining the medicinal power began once more...

About a month later, on this day, the medicinal power in Duan Rong's body was once again approaching nothingness. He opened his eyes, just preparing to ingest the medicine again, when he suddenly saw a lewd-looking face leaning in right beside him.

Duan Rong glanced at Ximen Kankan and asked, "What are you doing here?"

Ximen Kankan's nose twitched a few times, and he gave Duan Rong a strange look before asking, "Do you smell that? There's a sour, rotten stench? It's just like taking socks that have been worn for several months and boiling them in a pot..."

Duan Rong asked in confusion, "I don't smell anything. There are no foreign objects in this Secret Chamber, so where would this sour, rotten stench you speak of come from?"

Ximen Kankan sighed, "It seems you really can't smell it! It's the smell on your own body!"

"The smell on my body?" Duan Rong's expression shifted.

Ximen Kankan complained, "I faintly smelled it a while ago, and it's become more and more intense these past few days. Smell yourself; it's sour and stinking, really..."

As Ximen Kankan said this, he fanned the air in front of his nose with his hand and walked a bit further away.

Duan Rong lowered his head to sniff, and sure enough, he caught a scent like a dead mouse from his armpit. Even he couldn't help but cough.

Over this past month, every three days, some yellow-and-white pus would ooze from his body. Although the amount each time was small, it had added up to quite a lot over a month. And he hadn't bathed once this entire month, so the smell was to be expected.

As for Duan Rong himself, firstly, he was focused on his cultivation, and secondly, he had gradually adapted to the smell bit by bit; if Ximen Kankan hadn't pointed it out, he wouldn't have noticed at all.

It was just like the boys' dormitory back in school; if you stayed away for a few days and then suddenly walked back in, the smell—it was truly pungent, but after staying inside for a while, you wouldn't be able to smell it anymore.

Duan Rong raised his head, feeling a bit embarrassed, and looked at Ximen Kankan. "This smell is a side effect of the medicinal power. Let's go; I'll take you to soak in a bath."

Ximen Kankan stepped back and said, "With that smell of a stinking mouse on you? Who wants to bathe with you!?"

"That's what you said. Fine, then don't come!"

In the bathing room on the pavilion of Yunfu Peak, Duan Rong and Ximen Kankan each soaked in a large wooden barrel, with young Attendants coming in from time to time to add hot water for them.

Ximen Kankan rested his head on the rim of the barrel, half-closing his eyes, and while scrubbing off dead skin, he said, "Duan Rong, isn't this life you're living a bit too comfortable? I have to remind you, indulgence can lead to ruin!"

Duan Rong said, "It's not bad here. But whenever I start cultivating, I often can't remember to come over and wash for a month or two. Ruin my ass!"

Ximen Kankan lifted his head slightly, took a peek at Duan Rong, and said, "You really don't know how to enjoy yourself. What a waste of such a good place!"

Hearing Ximen Kankan's words and thinking of his expression and tone, Duan Rong couldn't help but giggle. He suddenly thought that if this kid Ximen Kankan were on Blue Star in his past life, he would definitely be a regular at bathhouses and massage parlors! That was just the kid's nature.

Seeing Duan Rong laughing, Ximen Kankan turned his head and asked, "What are you laughing at?"

"Nothing!"

As Duan Rong said this, he had already stood up and stepped out of the bath barrel. He urged him while wiping his body, "Come out when you're done washing! You've been washing for nearly an hour!"

"No! I want to soak for a while longer!"

"Soak my ass! Don't make me come over there and drag you out!"

Hearing this, Ximen Kankan looked at Duan Rong with a wary gaze while soaking. Duan Rong finished drying his body, wrapped a bath towel around his waist, and just as he walked to the side of Ximen Kankan's barrel, Ximen Kankan jumped up.

They threw their dirty clothes aside, both of them bare-chested with bath towels wrapped around their waists, and walked out wearing wooden clogs.

The wooden clogs clicked and clacked on the Corridor. The sound of the two people's clogs merged into a symphony, echoing through the Corridor.

They reached a turn in the Corridor when Lu Geng suddenly turned the corner and appeared in front of them.

Seeing Duan Rong and another person he didn't recognize walking over bare-chested, Lu Geng was clearly stunned.

Duan Rong smiled and said, "Senior Brother Lu, when did you return?"

Lu Geng cupped his hands and smiled, "I returned five or six days ago. Junior Brother Duan, I heard you have already advanced to the Qi Cyclone Realm. I haven't had the chance to congratulate you yet! For you to have such a realm at such a young age, you have truly brought glory to our Yunfu Peak!"

Although Duan Rong was standing there bare-chested, Lu Geng cupped his hands and bowed, almost as if performing the etiquette of a subordinate, and the words he spoke were even more fawning.

When Lu Geng was at Shenyun Prefecture, Duan Rong had once saved Qin Xueyin from his hands; even then, he was amazed at the speed of Duan Rong's progress. He hadn't expected that just five days after returning to Yunfu Peak, Duan Rong would have already achieved the Qi Cyclone Realm.

And it hadn't even been a year!

Duan Rong said, "That drinking session with Senior Brother Lu at Shenyun Prefecture was very enjoyable. If there is time in the future, we brothers should drink and chat again."

Lu Geng smiled, "Easily done. I will certainly be there whenever you invite me."

Duan Rong said, "Then, Senior Brother Lu, I will return to my room first."

"Very well, Junior Brother, walk slowly."

Duan Rong and Ximen Kankan walked past, and Lu Geng actually remained standing there, watching them leave.

Ximen Kankan glanced behind him out of the corner of his eye and said to Duan Rong, "Is that guy your Senior Brother? That bootlicking! He's still standing there watching us go!"

Duan Rong's expression remained unmoved as he said, "Everyone has their own way of surviving."

He knew that his sudden achievement of the Qi Cyclone Realm had greatly shocked all the Senior Brothers on Yunfu Peak; he still remembered the look in Wu Shidao's eyes when he first heard him admit it.

After all, this was the crossing of a major realm, which was not the same concept as his fast progress in the Qi Refining Realm.

Lu Geng's behavior just now was merely an attempt to curry favor with him.

Duan Rong and Ximen Kankan returned to the room. After the two changed their clothes, Ximen Kankan pulled the rope behind the door, and before long, an Attendant came over with quick steps.

Ximen Kankan ordered a whole bunch of dishes, saying he wanted to have a good meal.

Duan Rong said, "Just order for yourself. I'm not eating!"

"You're still not eating?" Ximen Kankan looked at Duan Rong with a strange expression. "You've been cultivating in the Secret Chamber for a month; it seems you haven't eaten a single bite of food, right?"

Duan Rong said, "I told you I am practicing Inedia. I only drink mountain spring water."

"Fine!"

Ximen Kankan ordered a few more dishes from the Attendant and sat before the small table, waiting to eat.

Duan Rong said, "I'm going out for a while; I'll be back soon."

Ximen Kankan asked, "What are you going to do?"

"I have business!"

After saying this, Duan Rong walked out the door.

Once he left the room, he arrived at the Document Repository of the Inner History Department.

As soon as Duan Rong walked in, a middle-aged History Supervisor who had already grown stout stood up with a start, bowed to Duan Rong with a beaming smile, and said, "Lord Duan, is there something you need to instruct me with?"

This middle-aged History Supervisor's belly was bulging high, and the Belt he wore was cinched so tightly that it squeezed the flesh out on both sides.

Duan Rong glanced at the man and said, "History Supervisor Song, I would like to look at the catalog of recently archived documents."

"Yes, my lord. It is right here." The man flipped out a booklet and respectfully handed it to Duan Rong.

Duan Rong took it and said, "Go back to your work. I'll just take a look."

"Very well, my lord! If you need anything, just call for me."

Duan Rong opened the booklet and walked into the Document Repository.

The reason he had come to the Document Repository was that he had run into Lu Geng in the Corridor just a moment ago.

Since Lu Geng had returned, it meant that the case of Li Shensi had come to an end.

Duan Rong wanted to come to the Inner History Department to examine the final closing documents regarding the Li Shensi case.

He flipped through the booklet in his hand, his gaze sweeping over it, and he found the entry he was looking for on the very first page.

Following the index number, he quickly found the relevant document on the shelf.

Duan Rong scanned the document at a glance. The Li Shensi case had no solid evidence and was ultimately treated as an unsolved case.

He saw that at the end of the document, in addition to the seals of the Dali Temple and the Prefectural Office from Shenyun Prefecture, there were also the seals of the Ruling Sect Justice Division, the Office of Transmission, and the Inner History Department from within the Sect.

And at the very end of the document were the joint signatures: Lu Geng, Yang Yi, Liu Shushan, Chen Shanmeng, and Lin Yuan.

Duan Rong paused slightly at the name of Liu Shushan; although this old friend had also spent quite some time in Shenyun Prefecture, they had never met face-to-face.

A feeling of a childhood friend becoming a stranger welled up in Duan Rong's heart.

He put the document back in its place, but suddenly his gaze shifted; he opened the booklet in his hand again and stared at one of the entries on the first page: "Document regarding Liu Shushan becoming a disciple of Zheng Yi archived."

Looking at the date, this document had been archived in the Inner History Department the day after the closing document of the Li Shensi case.

Duan Rong's eyes flickered; in other words, as soon as Liu Shushan returned to the mountain, he had entered the tutelage of Zheng Yi.

If it had been a few months ago, the name Zheng Yi would have been quite unfamiliar to Duan Rong, but now he was very familiar with it.

This person was also an Elder of the Elder Council, and more importantly, he was one of the most important members of the camp of Lv Zhongtang.

Liu Shushan had only just become a disciple of Ge Rusong not long ago, but unexpectedly, Ge Rusong was suddenly toppled by Zhu He, and Liu Shushan naturally became the fish in the moat that suffered when the city gate caught fire.

At the very least, he had lost his status as a personal disciple because of it.

Yet, only a few days had passed, and he had actually become a personal disciple of the Sect once again.

"This isn't just as simple as you having good talent, is it?" Duan Rong thought to himself, and a mocking smile flashed across his lips: "Shushan! You keep switching sides, and yet you still ended up on the opposing side! Even though we are old friends, we can never walk the same path again!"

After all, they had been Outer Sect Disciples for three years; their friendship was deep, and many confidential matters could be considered entrusted with their lives.

As long as Liu Shushan wasn't on the opposing side, they could still have been friends.

It was just that at that time, Liu Shushan had chosen to take Ge Rusong as his master. After Ge Rusong was destroyed, he had taken Zheng Yi as his master again.

Duan Rong shook his head secretly, walked out, returned the booklet to the middle-aged History Supervisor, and then left the Document Repository.

"Lord Duan, take care!"

Just as Duan Rong stepped out of the entrance of the Document Repository, the enthusiastic farewell of the stout History Supervisor Song came from behind him.

When Duan Rong returned to his room in the pavilion, Ximen Kankan had already finished eating and was sitting there picking his teeth.

Duan Rong glanced at the messy table full of cups and plates and said, "Let's go! Once you're done eating, go back to the Secret Chamber to cultivate!"

"Still cultivating!" Ximen Kankan's face fell upon hearing this, and he said, "We've been cultivating for a month straight. Even beasts need a rest."

Duan Rong said, "Who are you calling a beast?"

"Can't even say it?" Ximen Kankan said, "I mean, we need to balance work and rest. People need entertainment!"

Ximen Kankan's remark that people need entertainment amused Duan Rong, and he was reminded of bathing and massages. "This kid!"

Duan Rong saw that Ximen Kankan was truly resistant to immediately diving into cultivation. His own hidden injuries would take another two months to fully heal, and according to his temperament, he wouldn't do anything else until the hidden injuries were completely repaired and healed.

However, the fact that Ximen Kankan had been able to cultivate in the Secret Chamber for a month straight had already exceeded Duan Rong's expectations.

Duan Rong said, "It's fine if you don't cultivate. Then I'll take you somewhere!"

"Where to?" Seeing that Duan Rong said he didn't have to cultivate, Ximen Kankan immediately became interested; he jumped up from the table and asked excitedly.

"The Dark Forest!"

Duan Rong led Ximen Kankan, jumping down all the way from the iron chains on the cliff, and landed on that patch of Fluorescent Grass.

Ximen Kankan looked at the glowing grass stalks under his feet and immediately turned into a curious child, pulling out a stalk of grass and holding it in his hand to examine it.

But just as he pulled it out, the fluorescence of the grass stalk quickly vanished.

"Follow me, don't run around!" Duan Rong said, and then walked forward slowly.

Ximen Kankan immediately threw away the grass stalk in his hand and followed Duan Rong. He kept asking various questions behind Duan Rong, and Duan Rong answered him half-heartedly.

When the two walked out of the patch of fluorescent grass, Ximen Kankan's eyes rolled, and his expression immediately became vigilant.

Duan Rong had already told him that the fluorescence within that patch of grass could sting and blind the eyes of Origin Beasts, so it was relatively safe within the grass.

But once they left that patch of grass, they had to be prepared to deal with the various Origin Beasts of the Dark Forest, and the deeper they went into the forest, the deeper into the hinterlands, the more dangerous it would be.

Duan Rong took Ximen Kankan to wander around the outer perimeter, finding a few small, low-level Origin Beasts for him to kill and practice with.

Ximen Kankan stabbed a green-furred rabbit to death with a knife, picked it up by its ears, held it out for Duan Rong to see, and muttered, "Why is this thing so ugly? It looks like a dead rabbit covered in mold."

Duan Rong said, "If you find it ugly, you can throw it away."

"Why throw it away? Even a fly's leg is meat!" After Ximen Kankan finished speaking, he put that rabbit into the cloth bag by his feet.

Inside his cloth bag, there were already several small, low-level Origin Beasts.

"Let's go. Let's go over there and take a look." Duan Rong executed his movement technique and headed in one direction.

Ximen Kankan slung the cloth bag over his back and immediately followed Duan Rong.

The two of them wove through the Dark Forest when suddenly Duan Rong's figure stalled; he turned his head to look in a certain direction, his eyes flickering.

(End of this chapter)