"Ooh-la-la—"
Accompanied by the strange sound of exotic instruments, several graceful women with exposed midriffs danced lightly within the large tent. Yet none of the three seated inside had any interest in appreciating the performance. The emperor sitting at the head, the monk serving as the national preceptor, and Su Min—all remained indifferent.
Had it been under normal circumstances, Su Min might have spared them a few glances. But now? Sorry, she had absolutely no interest.
"Hmph, they're not even as pretty as me. Other than having a slightly bigger chest, they're good for nothing," she grumbled inwardly, cutting off a piece of lamb with her knife and tossing it into her mouth. She wasn't jealous, of course.
Although the cooking method was somewhat crude, the taste wasn't bad. After all, she had survived over a month living solely on fasting pills; there were few things she refused to eat now. She still had a stockpile of seafood in her ring—gifts from the governor and local fishermen before she left.
Beside her, the monk Huiming, also the national preceptor, was much the same. He ate lamb calmly without sparing the dancing girls a single glance. In this world, martial cultivation required meat consumption. Thus, even monks did not abstain from eating meat; as long as they didn't kill the animal themselves, it was permissible. As for women, they, like in modern times, were generally avoided.
"Dismiss them." Seeing the two engrossed in eating, the King of U'er let out a bitter smile and waved his hand, signaling the dancers to leave. The grand tent quickly quieted down.
The King of U'er ruled the grasslands neighboring the desert. Due to the isolation of endless sands and the weakening of Great Wei's power, the desert regions had long since been ruled by various tribes. The King of U'er had only managed to secure his throne thanks to his national preceptor, Huiming, and the group of monks under him.
Now, almost everyone in this kingdom had converted to Buddhism, though harsh conditions meant that no temples had yet been built. Being the disciple of a venerable master, Huiming was of good character. His assistance in uniting the desert tribes had not been for power, but out of a simple desire to end the centuries of internecine bloodshed.
Thus, he now held an exalted status, acting as both a trusted advisor and confidant to the king. Even the prince, heir to the throne, practiced Buddhism under Huiming's guidance—though how far he would go was uncertain.
Su Min, half a Buddhist cultivator herself, knew well that organized religion was not entirely benevolent. What the future held was unknown, but it mattered little to her.For now, she had her own path to walk.
"Master," the King said with a slight bitterness, looking at the girl before him, "since you come recommended by our national preceptor, I will not say much. I hear you came to deal with the monster?"
Su Min tossed another piece of lamb into her mouth and replied lazily, "That's right. Sounds like that thing has put a lot of pressure on you."
Although she sounded casual, her body instinctively tensed. Sure enough, after her words fell, silence enveloped the tent. Even the guards tightened their grip on their spears.
"We desert folk have three major oases where our cities are built. For countless years, tribes fought over their ownership—until, with the preceptor's help, I finally unified them. But last year..."
At this, the king visibly shuddered, terror clouding his face. "It appeared—a monster, its entire body covered with flashing, blade-like appendages. In a single night, it slaughtered an entire city. Not a single soul left alive—not even a rat."
"Hiss—"
Su Min gasped sharply. Even she had never heard of something so horrifying. This was a city massacre. Such a tragedy had not even occurred in Great Wei. And if not even a rat survived, that spoke to a terrifyingly murderous nature. Her gaze instinctively shifted to Huiming. After all, he was the strongest in this land, and surely his master had warned him about this creature and told him to be cautious.
~Edit and rewritten by Rikhi, Reiya_Alberich, ReiNyam~
"This humble monk... my skills are lacking. Had my master been here, he might have had a way. But he left for Great Wei long ago, and we've heard nothing since. Since then, I've fought the creature several times... but I am no match." With those words, Huiming pulled aside his robe, revealing his scarred upper body. Several wounds lay perilously close to his heart. Surviving such injuries spoke both to great luck and formidable cultivation.
"Eat this first," Su Min said lightly. She flipped her palm, producing a round pill and tossed it to him. Huiming glanced at it, then swallowed it without hesitation. Instantly, his body radiated a soft glow. The terrible scars began healing at a speed visible to the naked eye. Such was the power of an alchemist—a single pill could reverse life and death.
Su Min gave him the pill not out of kindness, but because she wasn't confident she could face the monster alone. She needed Huiming's help at full strength.
"And where is the monster now?" she asked, turning her eyes to the king.
"It roams the desert," the king said heavily. "To protect the remaining two cities, we've had to send people to lure it away—an act of near-certain death. It's not a long-term solution."
Seeing the monk's wounds rapidly healing, the king's expression finally eased somewhat, no longer looking so miserable.
But still—
"Can you contact the national preceptor's master?" the king asked, holding onto a shred of hope.
"Impossible," Su Min said flatly. "He is from beyond this world, bound by heavy restrictions.Self-preservation is the most he can manage, let alone helping others."
"And besides, you have two Qi Refining cultivators now. I am already at mid-stage Qi Refining. Facing the monster, we have a decent chance." She glanced at Huiming and, after a moment's thought, said:
"Do you have any rare treasures? If so, I can forge a magic artifact for you. But in exchange, once we slay the monster, I want its entire corpse."
"Agreed," a calm voice said—It was Huiming, still seated with his eyes closed, healing.