Chapter Three: Uncle Cai Da

At this moment, Li Sibai had just finished his morning cultivation and was preparing to head out for breakfast. The dawn light was pale, and the lingering mists were gradually dispersing, revealing the distant, graceful silhouette of Mount Gongger. Breathing in the mountain’s fresh air and hearing the melodious songs of the early-rising birds, his mood lightened, and the gloom in his heart was swept away.

He had quietly tried to inquire about the man and woman from his dreams, albeit cautiously concealing the details, for the scenes were far too tragic and he feared… He had once directly asked Chef Cai about his own origins, but the chef only knew that Sibai had been found in the mountains and brought back by the sect leader; all other matters were a mystery.

To an outer disciple like Li Sibai, the sect leader seemed a distant presence; he would only catch glimpses of him during grand ceremonies each year, with no opportunity to speak directly. When Sibai was once hailed as a prodigy, he had also asked Master Yunfei about his past. The master’s response was vague and uncertain, leaving Sibai with an intense longing to join the inner sect, hoping for a chance to ask the sect leader about his parents and where he truly came from. Unfortunately, though once a genius, he had now become utterly mediocre. Younger fellow disciples had already entered the inner sect one after another, while he, at twelve years old, found that seven years had passed since his once-celebrated early promise, and anxiety was taking root in his heart. He feared he might never possess the strength to enter the inner sect.

Lost in these thoughts as he walked, Sibai soon found himself at the dining hall. After a simple breakfast, he went to the kitchen to help Chef Cai, who was tidying up. Seeing Sibai enter, Cai greeted him with a smile, “Xiaobai, just in time—I need your help with something.”

“What is it, Uncle Cai?” Sibai blinked and looked at him. Their relationship was as close as that of father and son; after over a decade of care, Sibai was deeply grateful and always willing to listen to the chef’s advice.

“It’s like this, Xiaobai. The selection exams for inner disciples are coming up soon. I have some Xuantian Jade-Clear Pills here that I’ve saved over the years. You might find them helpful in your cultivation. Give me one of your pill bottles.” As he spoke, Uncle Cai produced a tourmaline bottle gleaming with a peacock-blue luster, ready to pour pills for Sibai.

The Xuantian Jade-Clear Pill was the most basic elixir of the Xuantian Sword Sect. When taken during cultivation, it could slightly enhance one’s spiritual energy; in emergencies, it could accelerate the circulation of true essence and temporarily boost combat power. These pills were refined in the inner sect’s alchemy rooms; inner disciples could make their own, while outer disciples had to complete tasks to earn them.

There were many kinds of tasks available to outer disciples, posted daily on the main hall’s notice board. Those who wished to take on tasks would find the corresponding sponsor, accept the commission, and receive agreed-upon rewards upon completion.

Chef Cai, as a staff member of the sect, earned a salary and was busy with three meals a day, leaving him no time to complete these tasks. Sibai looked at him with some puzzlement.

“These are what I saved up before,” Chef Cai explained. “They’re not of much use to me now. I intended to wait until you were a bit older to give them to you.”

Sibai studied the bottle closely; it felt strangely familiar to him. Suppressing the odd sensation, he shook his head. “Uncle Cai, I can’t accept this. You worked hard to save these—they’ll be useful to you in the future. I can take on tasks myself, and it’s good practice for my cultivation. Please keep them.”

Chef Cai, hearing this, found the reasoning sound and didn’t insist. He wrapped the bottle carefully in a silk cloth, checked it once more, and put it away.

“Uncle Cai, I noticed everyone else stores their pills in white porcelain bottles. What’s special about this one? It looks unique, and you seem to treasure it greatly.”

“To tell the truth, I don’t exactly know,” Cai replied. “Years ago, when I went down the mountain, I happened to rescue an old woman from a river, gravely wounded and unconscious. As she lay dying, she entrusted this bottle to me, telling me to keep it safe. She didn’t have time to explain what it was for…” The memory brought a bitterness to his heart. Though their time together had lasted only half a month, a cultivator’s life is often lonely, and the old woman’s kindness had filled a void in his longing for family. His deepest sorrow, however, was in knowing she might have survived had she not exhausted her profound strength to mend the bottle’s crack. The sight of the bottle always weighed on him, but it was an important memory and trust he could not abandon.

Seeing Uncle Cai’s sadness, Sibai immediately apologized. “I’m sorry, Uncle Cai—I shouldn’t have brought up such painful memories!”

Uncle Cai patted Sibai’s shoulder gently. “Silly boy, there’s nothing to apologize for. If you get a chance, help me study this bottle—but this matter stays between us for now. Whether it’s ordinary or extraordinary, the old woman valued it, and I can’t risk it coming to harm. I only trust you with it.”

Sibai nodded solemnly. “Don’t worry, Uncle Cai, I understand.”

“All right, Xiaobai, I nearly forgot something important. If you’re going out for tasks today, be extra careful. I’ve heard things are unsettled near the Dark Forest lately—some disciples from Jade Void Palace were injured on assignments there. Try not to take tasks in that area.”

Sibai smiled warmly, feeling the chef’s care. He sometimes accepted tasks in the Dark Forest, mostly gathering herbs, and rarely took on those requiring him to hunt beasts—his cultivation level was too low to handle anything formidable. He only took such tasks with friends, for safety’s sake.

After bidding farewell, Sibai made his way to the outer sect’s main hall, planning to take on some herb-gathering missions. Some herbs he could use himself; others could be exchanged for pills as rewards.

The rarest herbs on Jade Void Peak grew deep within the Dark Forest. It was said that in the center of the forest lay a lake, with hot springs bubbling beneath, continuously releasing steam that kept the water warm and rich in minerals—an ideal environment for rare plants to thrive. The area was filled with all manner of strange and wonderful herbs, making it a paradise for those seeking the most challenging medicinal quests.

However, the fiercest beasts of Jade Void Peak dwelled by the lake, and these rare herbs were their favorites. As the Xuantian Sword Sect’s strength had waned in recent years, only a handful of elders now ventured into the forest’s heart to gather the most precious herbs. Many had already been devoured by the beasts, who had the advantage of their home terrain.

For someone of Sibai’s level, gathering herbs was limited to the forest’s outskirts. Yet even on the periphery, thanks to the proximity to the hot springs, the herbs grew larger and of higher quality than elsewhere.

After accepting several herb-gathering missions at the hall, Sibai was preparing to set out when four disciples—two men and two women—entered. The young man leading the group was about fourteen or fifteen, with a dignified appearance, glossy black hair, and brilliant, dark eyes. He wore the flowing white robes of an inner disciple of the Xuantian Sword Sect, with a black sword strapped to his back. Sibai recognized him as He Tianshu, a disciple of Master Yunfeng, the sect leader.

He Tianshu spotted Sibai and greeted him with a slight smile. “Xiaobai, you’re here too.”

It was no surprise that He Tianshu knew Sibai; Sibai had once been a prodigy in the sect, and having grown up in Jade Void Palace, he was well known. He Tianshu often taught outer disciples and remembered Sibai.

Sibai saluted. “Senior He, I came to accept some herb-gathering tasks.”

“Oh, Xiaobai, the inner sect selection exams are coming up soon. Lately, powerful beasts have been more active in the Dark Forest. I was sent by the sect leader to take on a few beast-slaying missions. Would you like to join us and gain some experience?”

Sibai and He Tianshu were on good terms. Their ages were close, and when He Tianshu first joined the outer sect, he had been cared for by Uncle Cai and often played with Sibai. Even after entering the inner sect, he looked after his younger friend.

Sibai thought of Uncle Cai’s earlier warning and was about to refuse, but when he saw Yao Xueqing standing behind He Tianshu, he could not help but agree.