Chapter 27 Dog Head
At noon, five days later.
Lu Li was preparing to head out to the herb garden east of Tianjue Peak to gather herbs for Xiao Jue when a sudden knock at the door made him frown.
Over the past few days, Lu Li had been assisting Xiao Jue with alchemy until late last night, when they had to halt because the four herbs needed to refine the Condensing True Pill lacked Mystic Pearl Grass.
During this time, seeing that Lu Li performed well, Xiao Jue even allowed him to try controlling the fire himself.
However, a slight tremor of his hand turned the spiritual herbs in the furnace to ashes, prompting a heartbroken expression from Xiao Jue, who strictly forbade him from touching the furnace again.
Due to continuous alchemy, Xiao Jue's Divine Sense was severely depleted, so he planned to rest for two days and instructed Lu Li to go to the Tianjue Peak herb garden to bring back ten stalks of Mystic Pearl Grass.
Lu Li was more than willing, as he had previously spotted Thunderfire Orchids in Xiao Jue's possession; this trip presented a prime opportunity to check if any existed in the garden, and if so, he intended to maneuver things to his advantage.
Upon opening the door, Lu Li was surprised to see Min He, the kitchen's fat hand, holding several plates of fragrant dishes and a flask of wine.
This fellow rarely ever left his domain; what brought him here today?
"Junior Brother, care for a chat?" Min He asked with a smile.
"Senior Brother, please enter," Lu Li stepped aside.
Stepping into the room, Min He walked straight to the stone table, set down the wine and food, and after Lu Li sat, poured him a bowl. Without waiting for Lu Li, he downed a bowl himself and asked:
"Junior Brother, tell me... what are we really cultivating for?"
Taken aback by the abrupt question, Lu Li pondered for a moment before answering, "Three years ago, I suppose my greatest ambition was what the books describe-soaring freely through the skies."
"And now?"
"Now," Lu Li mused quietly, "I want to grow strong enough that I never have to bow my head to anyone."
"Indeed. I once thought cultivation would grant us absolute freedom, but only now do I realize that even a stray dog in the mortal realm lives more unfettered than we do..." Min He shook his head bitterly, draining another bowl in one go.
"So... why did we even come here?"
Lu Li shook his head. "Cultivation is like climbing a mountain. To reach the summit, we sometimes have to crawl. The path may be long or short; persevere, and the peak lies ahead, where you can look down upon all lesser mountains. Give up, and the descent is easy, but trying to climb back up is a different matter entirely..."
"Right now, we are merely in the crawling stage. Not only must we keep our footing so we don't slip, but we also have to watch out for those ahead of us casting stones down."
"Sometimes, acting like a dog is simply a way to keep those above from kicking you when you are down. Of course, if one manages to gain the favor of those above, that is an unexpected blessing."
"We can play the dog for a time, but not for a lifetime. Once you surpass the one who once treated you like a beast, you can kick them off the mountain and leave them beyond redemption..."
With that, Lu Li fell silent. He had spoken at length only because he sensed this man was wavering, offering a touch of guidance born from a deeply buried shred of benevolence.
As for himself, nothing could shake his resolve to cultivate. In this lifetime, he would undoubtedly stand at the very peak and gaze down upon the multitudes crawling below.
"So that is the true meaning of cultivation."
Min He's eyes cleared instantly. He stood up and bowed deeply to Lu Li. "Junior Brother, Min He will never forget this kindness. If I survive this path, I will surely repay you."
He placed a jade bottle on the table, muttered, "Open it tomorrow," and hurried away.
Frowning, Lu Li stared at the jade bottle, but before he could speak, Min He was already out of sight.
Shaking his head, he stored the jade bottle in the Space Hall, stepped outside, and headed down the western path.
Lu Li's profound realization had been forged through the fires of Qingliang Mountain and the death of Qin Shouren. In the cultivation world, everyone fought tooth and nail to grow stronger; right and wrong were blurred, but friends and enemies were absolute.
Meanwhile, back at the kitchens, Min He slung a heavy bundle over his shoulder, clutched another in his hand, and set off along the eastern path. Though he still walked with a pronounced limp, his eyes burned with fierce determination.
Before long, Min He reached the back mountain cliff, standing before the secluded cave where Deng Qingsheng was confined.
He struck the iron door, dangling the bundle in his hand-from which fresh blood still dripped-and called out, "Senior Brother Deng, I have what you asked for."
Inside, Deng Qingsheng's expression lit up with elation. With a loud clang, he slid open the square iron grating in the center of the door and rasped eagerly, "You killed him? Hand it over! Quickly!"
Once he possessed the head, he would have solid proof. Tianjue Peak had only a handful of occupants, and locked away as he was, he could easily fabricate a story claiming Min He murdered Lu Li out of a desire to curry favor. Without lifting a finger himself, Lu Li would be dead.
A brilliant two-birds-with-one-stone scheme. How marvelous.
Min He looked at him with an inscrutable gaze. "Senior Brother Deng, don't you think something is missing?"
"What could be missing?" Deng Qingsheng frowned, his voice dropping. "At least let me take a look first, right?"
"Seeing is no problem at all."
Min He slowly peeled back a corner of the cloth wrapping. Inside lay a head that bore Lu Li's exact features, its eyes wide open and frozen in terror.
"Good! Excellent!" Seeing the head, Deng Qingsheng felt the matter was already as good as done. He tossed out two jade bottles through the gap. "Here! Now give me his dog head so I can stamp on it a few times!"
Catching the jade bottles, Min He inspected them, a mocking smirk touching his lips. He shoved the bundle hard through the iron grating. "Inspect it thoroughly, Senior Brother Deng. When I handle matters, I am utterly reliable!"
Reliable?
Deng Qingsheng sneered inwardly, thinking the fellow would soon learn the meaning of regret. Eagerly tearing open the cloth, he peered inside, only to suddenly point at Min He and burst into wild laughter:
"Hahahaha! You spineless dog, you actually killed Lu Li just to please me! You're dead, you're dead for sure! Hahahaha..."
"Is that so?"
To his surprise, Min He remained entirely unruffled, watching him with cold amusement. "Take a closer look at what's beneath that neck."
"Neck?"
Deng Qingsheng blinked, shifting his gaze to the ragged severance at the base of the skull. Only then did he notice a slip of yellow paper stuck amid the gore. Pulling it out, his expression drained of color in an instant. "A Transformation Talisman! Min He, you bastard, you dared use a Transformation Talisman to trick me!"
The moment he yanked the talisman free, the supposed head of Lu Li instantly warped and morphed into the bloody head of a dog!
"Hahahahaha!" Min He roared with laughter, unrestrained and fierce. "Deng Qingsheng, did you honestly think I would do your killing for you? You flatter yourself far too much! Hahahaha... Didn't you want a dog head? It fits you perfectly! Hahahaha..."
"Min He! Do you have any idea what the consequences are for toying with me? I swear, the moment I get out of here, I'll skin you alive!" Deng Qingsheng gnashed his teeth, his eyes bloodshot with rage. He had never imagined that this timid, submissive drudge of a fat man would dare humiliate him so.
"Skin me?" Min He sneered. "That's assuming you ever walk out of here alive." His gaze hardened into a piercing glare. "Deng Qingsheng, you'd better pray you live a long time. I'll be back to settle the debt for my crippled leg sooner or later!"
Without another word, he turned and strode away.
"Scumbag! Don't you leave! Come back!" Deng Qingsheng hammered frantically against the iron door, howling in fury until a rush of blood surged up his throat, and he coughed up a mouthful of fresh blood.
The expanse of Tianjue Peak was vast. At the end of the eastern trail branching off the small square lay a secluded mountain depression perpetually shrouded in dense white mists. Near the edge of the mist stood a rustic fence woven from brown logs and a small thatched pavilion.
The path terminated at that very pavilion, where an old man in gray robes, looking over half a century old, sat cross-legged in meditation.
Approaching respectfully, Lu Li produced the restriction token given by Xiao Jue and spoke, "Senior, I am here to gather herbs under the Great Elder's orders."
The old man slowly opened his eyes, scrutinized the token in Lu Li's hand, and then rose to his feet. His voice rasped like grinding stones. "What herbs?"
"Mystic Pearl Grass."
"How many?"
"Ten... ten stalks."
"There are fifteen stalks left in the eastern garden. Go take them yourself, one li to the east." With a flick of his palm, a pale blue jade token materialized, suspended by a delicate green metallic chain.
The old man beckoned. "Come here."
Uncertain, Lu Li stepped forward. Suddenly, the old man flicked his wrist, and the jade token shot toward him like a dart. Before Lu Li could react, the chain wrapped itself around his neck, tightening instantly with a vicious choke. As his expression shifted, his hand instinctively moved to tear it off.
"Don't move!"