Chapter 64 - 63: Song Tao

Song Tao knelt before him, but Xu Guang remained skeptical. He narrowed his eyes, yet managed to suppress his instinct, stopping himself from stepping forward and punching Song Tao to death.

After all, when he had killed Qian Cheng in the past, even though there had been no kneeling involved, the process was humiliating enough. Kneeling to kill someone was just another tactic. Of course, the key factor was that Song Tao’s strength posed no threat to him.

"Benefactor, do you not remember me? I am Song Yue’s second younger brother, Song Tao!"

"I know who you are, but... why do you call me ’Benefactor’?" Xu Guang asked in a low voice.

Thinking of his late older brother and sister-in-law, a look of sorrow crossed Song Tao’s face. "On the day of my brother’s funeral, I watched from afar."

Recalling Song Yue’s simple and crude funeral, Xu Guang couldn’t help but sigh. "Why have you ended up in such a state?"

Song Tao stood up, his palms still open to show he was unarmed. "Benefactor, this is no place to talk. Let’s go over there and chat while we eat."

Night was beginning to fall, and it was indeed time for a meal. Xu Guang nodded and followed him. He was now mostly certain that Song Tao posed no threat to him. The man’s genuine emotion couldn’t possibly be an act.

This valley was undeniably beautiful. As darkness descended, specs of light drifted among the various flowers and plants—fireflies. Their sheer numbers illuminated the valley, making it look like a wonderland.

"Be careful, Benefactor. The flora here is highly poisonous," Song Tao warned cautiously as they walked. "When I first arrived, I was enchanted by the beauty of this place as well. But later, I noticed that the wild beasts coming here would only drink the water and never eat the grass. I caught a sheep and fed it a single blade of grass. In just a few breaths, the sheep died."

Xu Guang couldn’t help but break out in goosebumps as he looked at the flowers and grass scattered across the valley. His previous admiration vanished in an instant. The reason humans instinctively feared snakes was because of their venom. Knowing something was poisonous would always evoke an innate sense of dread.

"It truly is... dangerous."

Song Tao nodded in agreement. "But don’t be afraid, Benefactor. When I was being hunted, I luckily awakened my Bloodline Power, making me immune to all poisons. I can cure any toxin here." He patted his chest rather wildly as he spoke.

Xu Guang cast a surprised sideways glance, observing Song Tao with astonishment. He wondered if this man was a bit simple-minded. To reveal his trump card right after their reunion was truly... Xu Guang didn’t know how to evaluate him for a moment.

Song Tao had already been roasting meat here; Xu Guang’s arrival simply meant adding another person to the meal.

"It’s a pity we have meat but no wine. Otherwise, meeting my Benefactor today, I would surely drink three hundred cups with you."

"Brother Song, I still don’t understand why you call me your Benefactor."

Song Tao glanced at him, a bit puzzled by Xu Guang’s question, but still stood up and explained. "When my brother and his wife were humiliated, it was you, Benefactor, who stepped forward. Afterward, I tracked Qu San’s gang for many days. When I tracked his whereabouts into the mountains, I later learned that the Qu Family brothers had all gone missing. I guessed that Qu San must have been killed by you as well. Since you first saved my brother and sister-in-law, and then helped me avenge their humiliation, you are my Benefactor."

Xu Guang was speechless. He couldn’t be bothered to explain that Qu Da and Qu San hadn’t died together, and that one of the reasons he had killed Qu San was because he feared the man would seek revenge against him.

"Your bond with your brother and his wife is truly profound," he said, his tone filled with emotion. Like himself, people who were so grateful to their family members were a rarity these days.

Song Tao’s hand, which had been wolfing down food, paused mid-air. The burly, bearded man’s eyes turned red in an instant.

"I was raised by my older brother since I was little, and after I grew up, my sister-in-law took great care of me. Naturally, it’s hard to forget," he said. He hadn’t spoken to anyone in a long time, and looking at his benefactor, he couldn’t help but pour his heart out.

"My parents died tragically when I was very young. My brother was only nine years old when he took me—barely a month old—and fled nearly a thousand miles to Feiyun City. When we first arrived, he lived by begging. However, the silver coins he begged for every day were used to search the old alleys for households with diapers hanging in front of their doors. He would spend money, kowtow, and shamelessly beg just to get milk for me.

"Later, through a beggar, my brother learned the trade of preparing corpses for burial, and we brothers finally managed to survive.

"At the age of five, I memorized all of this, and I swore right then that I would repay my brother in this life.

"But..."

His emotions grew increasingly agitated as drops of black tears flowed from his eyes. When they landed on the ground, they made a sizzling HISS. Suddenly, Song Tao stood up, only to drop heavily to his knees once more like a toppling pillar.

"My brother is gone, and my heart has died with him. Having met you today, Benefactor, if you do not despise me, I should lead your horse and carry your saber for the rest of my life. However, I still have an unresolved, deep-seated grudge against the Han Family. If you think highly of me, please wait for me a few days. Once I have taken my revenge, I will come and serve you."

Xu Guang’s expression shifted as he observed Song Tao’s face closely. However, since the man had been living like a savage for a while, his thick beard and hair made it difficult to make out his exact expression. He slowly asked, "I only know you offended Han Po. Why... was that?"

Song Tao scoffed coldly. "Because I saw something I shouldn’t have seen.

"I was ordered to guard the riverbank and inspect the large ships passing through. That day, I went to relieve myself and accidentally spotted a silhouette stepping out of a ship bearing the ’Han’ character. I happened to recognize that person; it was the White-clothed Envoy under the command of the Yellow Heaven Sect’s Bright Moon Canon Seat. I reported this to our Decurion, but I never expected...

"The very next day, news spread that our Decurion was secretly colluding with the Yellow Heaven Sect. In a fit of rage, I killed someone and fled."

The Han Family was involved with the Yellow Heaven Sect? This piece of news instantly gave Xu Guang an extremely bad feeling. He had been wondering about the Yellow Heaven Sect’s conspiracy after they had remained quiet for so long. Now, it seemed he had a clue. They didn’t want to get their hands dirty themselves; instead... they wanted to stir up chaos within the city.

"This is a matter of great importance. Do not speak of it carelessly."

"I naturally understand."

Since night had already fallen and the Messenger Owl’s vision wasn’t as sharp as during the day, Xu Guang decided to rest for a day. As long as he crossed this valley, he would reach the area where the Five Spirits Grass was located. Xu Guang was in no rush.

He sat on the ground and began practicing his Martial Techniques. Currently, his Cultivation Techniques had all hit a bottleneck. Several of them could only reach the Bone Forging Chapter, or their Refining Visceras Chapter had not yet been modified, so he didn’t dare to practice them recklessly. He could only pour his energy into the Refining Visceras Chapter of the Golden Willow Skill. However, the Refining Visceras Chapter didn’t have any movements; it only contained a few static postures and a painting of a massive tree with golden willow leaves.

Refining Viscera was a very unique Realm. It was no longer so fixated on "movement," but rather relied on practicing specific postures in conjunction with a Visualization Image. Furthermore, his Golden Willow Skill was a Rubbing. The painting had form but lacked spirit, making it impossible for him to enter the state of "tranquility" required for Refining Viscera.

While he practiced, Song Tao stood guard nearby. His wilderness experience was extremely rich. During a moment of rest, Xu Guang glanced over and saw the man pressing down a blade of grass with the Curved Saber in his hand. Following a soft RUSTLE, a long snake darted out of the brush. Song Tao was sharp-eyed and quick-handed. With a flash of his Curved Saber, the gray shadow of the long snake was sliced in half.

"Good move!" Xu Guang couldn’t help but praise.

Song Tao gave a goofy smile. With incomparable ferocity, he extracted the snake’s gallbladder and shoved it into his mouth in one bite. Blood splattered everywhere. Soon after, a strange odor emanated from his body. As he raised his arm, Xu Guang saw several round, tumor-like lumps bulging on his abdomen.

This was likely the physical manifestation of Song Tao’s Bloodline Power. It was somewhat... hard to swallow.

"Without subsequent Cultivation Techniques and Secret Medicines, I can only consume the flesh and blood of mountain beasts to enhance my bloodline. I’ve made a fool of myself in front of you, Benefactor."

Xu Guang blanked for a moment, suddenly recalling the plight of ordinary, low-level Martial Artists. Secret Medicines were tightly controlled by Noble Sects. For commoners, obtaining a Cultivation Technique was nothing more than a pipe dream. After all, not everyone had a miraculous tool like his Searcher.

"Brother Song, what Cultivation Technique are you practicing?"

"The Frenzy Blood Skill taught by the Feiyun Guard."

Xu Guang had heard of the Frenzy Blood Skill. Rumor had it that this technique allowed for rapid progress, but it consumed a massive amount of Essence Blood. The blood nourished in daily life couldn’t keep up with the demands of cultivation. It was considered a quick-fix skill with little to no potential. Xu Guang didn’t comment on it, deciding instead to observe him a bit more. If Song Tao’s character was truly solid, keeping him around wouldn’t be a bad idea.

The night passed peacefully. Xu Guang and Song Tao didn’t stay too close to each other, but they had more or less put their cards on the table.

In the morning, Xu Guang looked at the flora covering the valley and couldn’t help but sigh. It was simply too beautiful. Unfortunately, it was poisonous.

"Brother Song, I still have some business to attend to today. If you’re willing, wait for me here."

This was his test for Song Tao. After all, in the eyes of an ordinary person, traveling all this way deep into the mountains meant he had to be searching for some treasure. If Song Tao secretly followed him, it would prove that everything from last night was a lie.

Xu Guang walked out of the valley, and the Messenger Owl swooped down from the sky. Standing on a tree, Xu Guang pointed at Song Tao, gesturing for the Messenger Owl to monitor the man’s movements. If he left the valley, it was to alert him. Tracking a person in the mountains was not difficult for the Messenger Owl’s intelligence. After all, they weren’t in the city; the Messenger Owl could still tell the difference between a bipedal ape and an ordinary wild beast.

Crossing the valley required no further mention; it wasn’t a difficult task for Xu Guang. He trekked through the dense jungle, the ground carpeted with rotten branches and withered leaves.

Suddenly, a wild deer burst out of the woods, fleeing blindly forward, before letting out a terrified shriek. Ahead of it lay a massive swamp. Xu Guang paused in his steps and narrowed his eyes. He untied the white cloth around his forehead and used his Celestial Eye to observe the situation in the swamp. The Five Spirits Grass grew right here in this wetland.

The deer’s cries seemed to have attracted the attention of a creature within the swamp. Under Xu Guang’s watchful gaze, the deer was abruptly dragged deep into the muck, leaving only its long antlers slightly protruding above the surface.

"What is that thing? A crocodile?"