Three hundred li north of the town lay the edge of the Northern Jambu Continent's miasma, and at that very border was the trial site for the five disciples of the Du Xian Sect: the Chaotic Miasma Treasure Forest. The bare bald hills starkly contrasted the black forest the miasma veiled, a boundary not to be missed.
As they neared it, Jiu Jiu changed. Vigilance filled his gaze, immortal sense sweeping every stir of air for hundreds of li. Skimming low, he conjured a white cloud and set the great gourd, shrunk to three feet, on his back, mouth glowing pale blue, ready to hurl at any troublemaker.
At the edge he set down the cloud and looked gravely at the five.
"By the rules, this trial lasts twenty days from entering the Chaotic Miasma Treasure Forest. If you come out on your own before then, it fails and you'll answer for it on your return."
He blinked, his tone turning lighter: "Honestly, it's only a docked allowance—nothing serious. When danger comes, saving your skin comes first. If you feel overwhelmed, get out at once. I'll wait for you here; I'm certainly not playing bodyguard. Big fellow there, you stay too."
Yuwen Ling cupped his hands: "I came under orders to guard Her Royal Highness the Sixth Princess. I ask the immortal to permit—"
"Do you want to stay on your own, or be tied down by me?" said Jiu Jiu flatly.
"General Yuwen, please wait outside. All must follow Uncle-Master Jiu's arrangements," put in Youqin Xuanya, faint authority in her bearing.
"This general accepts the order!" Yuwen Ling said low, then gave Yuan Qing a frown. Yuan Qing spoke at once: "General need not worry. I'll guard Junior Sister Xuanya at the cost of my life."
Xuanya offered no reply, keeping up her daily surface-of-ice look. Behind Jiu Jiu, Li Changshou's gaze wandered between the two. 『Those two have something going on.』
Jiu Jiu cleared his throat: "Two pieces of advice. First—help one another; remember you're fellow sect members, and avoid acting alone. Yuan Qing, Xuanya, your cultivation is higher; keep an eye on the others if you can spare the strength."
Yuan Qing smiled: "Uncle-Master may rest assured." Xuanya: "This disciple obeys."
"Second—don't be greedy for luck, or fight over herbs. Precious spirit herbs are usually guarded by fierce beasts, and those beasts aren't fools. To them, you're the finest tonic going."
So saying he struck without warning—his left hand darted out quicker than a phantasm and pinched Xuanya's cheek. "Especially tender-skinned, perfectly young goods like you!"
"Uncle-Master, please show some restraint," she said with a frown, as Jiu Jiu burst into heh-hehs.
"Whoa, so smooth. I envy your natural grace. This uncle-master's skin's dry and cracked, with no one tagging behind calling 'Junior Sister Jiu Jiu, Junior Sister Jiu Jiu~'"
Still laughing, he drew out five crescent jades and tossed one to each. "Here. Message jades for help. Run into trouble, crush one and I'll come rescue you. Using one means you've given up the trial; you'll just have your allowance docked. Off you go, and mind yourselves! Don't actually die in there!"
The five stowed their message jades, cupped hands to this Immortal Jiu Jiu, pasted miasma-ward charms on themselves, and, with Xuanya and Yuan Qing leading, walked into the forest.
Li Changshou hung half a step behind, because he... first pasted a miasma-ward charm on his robe; then, with fast hands, hitched up his hem to stick a second on his inner thigh; and a third at the back of his neck, under his undergarment. Safe against all odds.
A foot flew in from the side to kick him. Li Changshou, looking scattered, took two steps forward—yet slipped clean past the kick.
"Get in there already!" Jiu Jiu cursed. "A transformation-stage ninth rank, being this careful—why even come to a godforsaken place like this?"
"Uncle-Master, take care," said Li Changshou, turning to cup his hands, lips barely moving as he passed a whisper on a sound thread. Then he caught up, hanging at the column's tail.
The miasma rolled in. The four ahead's charms glowed faintly, spreading a shallow film. Li Changshou's side was the impressive one—three films wrapping his person, until breathing grew trying. But the air he gulped down was unusually fresh.
Wang Qi cleared his throat: "Senior Brother Changshou, walk with me. I only came on a gamble; there's no herb I'm set on finding, no need to trouble Junior Brother Yuan Qing and the others."
"Good," Li Changshou said with a knowing smile, and Wang Qi raised an eyebrow in return—the bond of fellow lightbulbs.
...
In the Northern Jambu Continent, anyone not yet an immortal avoided flying. Above three spans the miasma grew too thick, and swarms of poisonous insects and dire birds made their living there; the ground was safer. Their path was lined with blackened, scorched-looking trees, mostly bare branches, yet trembling with strange life. They pushed on, spiritual sense spread wide, catching a venomous beast lurking in the dark, coldly watching. No light beneath the sky, dangers on every side.
The forest yielded a few precious herbs and dozens of poisons, but as low-danger borderlands, cultivators and monster clans had picked it nearly clean. The poison herb Li Changshou sought wasn't even here, but deeper.
Walking, he drew out a palm-sized sheepskin map, checked his marks, and fixed his route. First he needed a decent excuse to leave the team; most important, to keep Uncle-Master Jiu—secretly trailing through the air—from stopping him.
After about half an hour the forest turned grimmer. Rot hung in the air, venomous insects buzzed wildly, hunters fixed on the five living creatures. Swamps afloat with white bones; blossom and fruit gorgeous yet murderous; a demon spider cackling from a tree...
The disciples were bold souls if nothing else; they quickened their pace. Li Changshou kept close behind; the point where he must turn aside was still far.
Suddenly a muffled beast-roar rang out, the insects' drone swelled, and a killing intent bore down from ahead! A venomous beast had lost patience and was attacking!
Xuanya raised a hand to stop them as the great sword on her back trembled and hummed. Yuan Qing flicked his wrist, a cyan immortal sword in hand. While the four were caught by the black shape bounding through the woods on their left, Li Changshou fixed on the right. "Mind your right," he said.
Scarcely had the words left him when a shadow over a span long burst from the left-hand woods! A black-skinned panther with wings at its ribs, foreclaws glinting faint ink-green, lunged at the four!
"The beast courts death!" Yuan Qing cried low, his form rushing out like a puff of breeze, the three-foot cyan blade shooting out eight inches of green light. Sword-light sketched an elongated zigzag, and before the panther could raise a claw, black blood spurted skyward—beheaded on the spot!
Two more dark shapes burst from the right-hand woods at Liu Yan'er and Xuanya...
"Let me take them!" Wang Qi bellowed, dashing before Liu Yan'er, hands wrapped in flame. But before the firelight could erupt, a blaze-red figure flashed past. The not-yet-drawn great sword cut the air with a muffled whoosh, sweeping both together, knocking them flying. Then the two, blasted mid-air, bloomed crimson lotuses within and blew clean apart, swallowed by the gaudy flame. In a blink, not a shred remained.
Wang Qi gave a sheepish chuckle, scattered his technique, and stepped aside. Li Changshou's eyes lit up: 『The Nine-Lotus Leaving-Fire Power. That Xuanya actually mastered it?』
Three panthers downed in a flash; more than half the eyes peering from the dark had gone. They resumed formation and pushed on until they reached a fork, where they stopped.
"I'm heading this way for the Yanhuo Mingxin Grass," said Xuanya, turning. "The sect's records note it was found here. Take care, and don't push too deep." Liu Yan'er likewise named her herb and said she'd go another way.
At once the party began to "split up." Yuan Qing went with Xuanya, of course—he'd come as a helper and, gone this far, a flower's guard. Wang Qi decided to help Liu Yan'er hunt her herb.
Then the four gazes fell on Li Changshou.
"I'll take this road, so I must part ways for now," he said, pointing a direction none had chosen; all four frowned.
"What herb are you seeking, Senior Brother Changshou?" asked Xuanya.
"That's not easy to say," he said, all grave, "but none of you need worry. Take good care."
"Senior Brother Changshou, why not come with Senior Sister Yan'er—" Yuan Qing began, but Li Changshou was already stepping onto his chosen path. Simple footwork, hem drifting, long hair unstirred, and he vanished quickly around the bend.
"Honestly—kindness thrown into a ditch," Liu Yan'er muttered, put out, and Yuan Qing and Wang Qi shook their heads. Xuanya, though, wore a thinking look, then turned down her own path.