Chapter 125 – Forbidden Fruit

Ren wanted to heave a sigh of relief that his strange instincts had warned him to stop talking in time. The shame of being caught gossiping by the subject of the gossip would have hurt almost as much as the fight it would have surely caused.

'It is a valuable lesson to keep in mind, as I have been rather flippant about gossip lately. It's all because I’m not used to this isolation! Wait… looking at it another way, if my instincts can alert me in advance, doesn’t this mean I can gossip to my heart’s content?’

The arrogant young man’s next rebuke broke Ren out of his daydreams.

“What are you gawking at? Look, Junior Sister, he doesn't even stand to greet us!”

He carefully examined Ren’s face, then turned up his nose with a smirking sneer, as if declaring his victory over Ren’s seemingly lacking appearance.

Ren recognized all those tactics used to belittle someone from his own past as a young master. This unidentified senior was implying closeness to Mei Ling, berating him while simultaneously provoking him into a fight. If Ren responded rudely in any way, he would be called crude. If he meekly accepted, he would be mocked as a coward. Either reply would be playing right into his hands.

‘Somehow these attempts seem so juvenile. All that’s left is for him to call himself my grandfather. I’m so glad I stopped doing embarrassing things like that.

Ren stood and gave a formal bow, which worked to hide the smile he was struggling and failing to hide. Rather than being annoyed, something about this fellow just amused him terribly.

"Greetings, senior. I am called Zhao Ren. May I know your name, honored guest?”

The sneer widened as if vindicated in his belief about Ren’s cowardice, the man replied, his nose pointed almost vertically toward the cloudy sky.

“Having eyes but failing to recognize Mount Tai! I, your grandfather, am Bai Kang!”

Ren was forced to disguise his snort as a cough. He had fortunately kept his head bowed but was unable to stop his shoulders from shaking.

‘And there it is!’

When he looked up, Mei Ling’s face had transitioned from shame to burgeoning rage, clearly about to leap to his defense. When she locked eyes with Ren, she froze, finally spotting his mirth. Ren’s jovial attitude infected her as well and turned the whole situation around. Instead of her senior brother trying to put Ren down, he suddenly started to appear as a small child putting on airs.

Ren tried his best not to draw attention to Mei Ling, who had clapped a hand to her mouth and doubled over to stifle her sudden outburst of laughter. He introduced Hu Yan, who was promptly dismissed with a scoff, then invited Bai Kang to sit for tea.

“If you’re living out here because your abode is already overrun with beasts, know that the Azure Mountains won’t suffer slackers. Unless you can prove your ability, the Hall of Discipline’s patrols will be paying a visit in a few years to evict you. But then again, I’ve heard this is a famously worthless place, so they may not bother! Kekeke!”

Then turning a bit to peek at Mei Ling’s reaction, he continued,

“Medicinal gardens have already started to flourish in my new abode as Sister Meimei has surely seen. Soon I’ll be producing medicinal pills and contributing to the sect.”

‘This fellow is preening like a peacock!’ Thought Ren to himself, ‘But it’s good to confirm that I still have some years before I’m expected to produce results. That’s more than enough time!’

Hu Yan began to engage Bai Kang in conversation, providing him with plenty of opportunities to show off in front of the one he liked. If Ren hadn’t known about Hu Yan’s skills, he might have missed it, but he could feel the information broker working towards setting the prickly young man at ease. He ingratiated himself without groveling, reversed the previous impression he’d made, and slowly convinced the other that he was an ally. Ren knew what came next, extracting any useful information Bai Kang possessed, all without him even realizing what was happening. Sometimes, it was a pleasure to watch a master at work!

“What do you mean the Azure Mountains’s tournaments seem simple?! To not know the immensity of the Heavens and Earth! How naive! These tournaments and contests are but means for the weak to hone themselves, avenues for them to join the ranks of the strong. You’ll see what true competition looks like in 3 years when the sect actually becomes serious!”

“Oh! Senior has opened my eyes! But what will happen in 3 years?” Hu Yan widened his eyes in wonder a bit comically. This time Mei Ling was too surprised to be amused. Ren could see that she hadn’t known about it.

“Senior Brother, why wasn’t I informed of this matter?”

“How could I let some pesky gossips interrupt my junior sister’s cultivation?" Bai Kang said a bit awkwardly. Unfortunately for him, it was clear from his face that he had scared away other ‘suitors’.

Ren was willing to lend a hand this time if only because he was beginning to tire of this awkward wooing.

“Speaking of preparations for this foray into the Forbidden Regions, Mei Ling, I was unable to make significant progress…”

Before he could continue, Bai Kang cut in, “Hmph, what preparations could you even have?! Just stay quiet and follow us! I will protect Junior Sister; you just need to look after yourself.”

Ren glanced at Mei Ling, who reluctantly nodded. If this fellow was going to accompany Mei Ling today, then Ren could no longer back away. He was unwilling to let Mei Ling brave the dangers of this region with only an unreliable ally foisted upon her by some circumstance of hers. And his senses informed him that Bai Kang was around his own level of cultivation. Moreover, Ren didn’t get the feeling that Bai Kang was a very skilled fighter. In an instant, Ren changed his plans.

“I only meant to say that we should not delve deeper than the shallow regions of the outskirts. This terrifying place would kill us without us even realizing it.” Ren came up with an excuse on the spot. After all, he had already agreed with Mei Ling to restrict themselves to the outlying areas of the forbidden region.

Not soon after, Hu Yan excused himself and departed after making plans to continue working on the market on their return. He urged Ren to think of some item, technique, or treasure that might serve as a highlight to attract customers. They needed something big for their opening day, whenever that was.

Ren flew back and quickly gathered a few items and his secret weapon that might be especially effective and rejoined Mei Ling and Bai Kang. And together they entered the forbidden region, which was ironically unrestricted.

Ren hadn’t sparred with Mei Ling since their days as outer sect disciples of the Heavenly Sword Sect and, as such, knew very little about her combat abilities beyond what she had told him. She was a whip user and an expert poisoner, but he was unfamiliar with her cultivation, her recent advancement into ghostly yin qi, and her combat style. It was vital that they gained an understanding of each other's abilities before venturing into such dangerous lands.

While Ren had looked forward to adventuring with Mei Ling again after such a long time, Bai Kang served as an unwelcome intrusion. He couldn’t very well reveal his secrets to an outsider! But since they were already familiar with each other, he was the odd one left to his own devices. That annoyed Ren more than anything said earlier that morning.

Mei Ling found a quiet moment to inform Ren that Bai Kang had convinced her master to accompany her without her knowledge. And despite how his presence grated on her, she couldn’t go against her dear Master’s wishes.

Ren would have been more upset, but he was far too busy marveling at their surroundings. Beneath the perpetual fog, he would have expected to find a deadland judging by the qi that leaked from this place. But as the records he studied claimed, this place was a thriving ecosystem of deadly spirit plants and beasts.

Hasty and ill-advised as this venture might be, Ren couldn’t help himself. Everything around him that had adapted to living in this environment was so very fascinating! Scavenger beetles, worms that looked closer to snakes, swarms of flesh flies, and carrion birds. A thriving ecosystem that only existed on the outskirts of the forbidden region. The barren inner regions with the thickest qi were where the true monsters stayed.

Ren unabashedly relied on Bai Kang’s protection while he collected samples of insects, plants, and even the soil into his beast storage pouch and his spatial ring. The wasteful young man had burned one Yang Barrier talisman after another to prevent anything from viewing them as an easy meal.

‘Who cares about the reason? If he is willing to burn money like this, then I gratefully accept his sacrifice!’ Ren nodded to himself as he collected a strange shrub that looked like bone spurs to add to his growing collection of plants. It was one of his primary motivations to enter the forbidden regions. In the abundant environment of the shallows, there were all kinds of plants and insects accustomed to death qi. Ambush hunters, sneaky camouflage users, fisherman types with alluring bait, and more. He couldn’t wait to return to the Edge and try raising them for himself.

“These would surely thrive in the cycle I am trying to create at home! Don’t you think so?” He asked his secret weapon.

“This place is amazing, Ren! So many tasty things!” The young snake coiled under his sleeve was ecstatic to be part of this adventure. Ren had brought Yu Ran along to protect him with its yang flames that were particularly effective in this place filled with yin and ghost qi. He had also wanted to train the young one in combat and working together, and this was the perfect opportunity. As an added benefit, the slim snake was benefiting from consuming the inhabitants of this terrain. Yin bolstered Yang, and the snake was putting its stealth skills into maximum use, striking out from his sleeve to snap up spiders, insects, or even the odd mushroom.

They had barely spent a bell's worth of time, and Ren had already profited from this venture into the forbidden regions. Still, he was here not just for himself but for Mei Ling.

“Of the two landmarks closest to us in the shallows, I think we should head toward the Tree of Sorrows instead of the Mass Grave. Both are said to attract the ghosts prevalent in the shallows, but I’d rather not deal with vengeful ghosts.” Mei Ling stated her desired goal to Ren’s obvious relief. He would have been forced to bow out otherwise. Even the shallows of the forbidden regions were deadly to foundation establishment stage cultivators like them, no matter how many talismans Bai Kang was willing to burn.

Signs of movement and life decreased as they wandered deeper into the forbidden regions, guided only by the records of their predecessors. Soon, Ren spotted a purple glow on the horizon, and a spine-chilling wail echoed out over the distance.