Yue Ling flipped the new pouch upside down and, once again, channeled a gentle stream of spiritual energy into its seal. The pouch responded with a soft glow, and more items spilled out onto the ground with a chorus of soft clinks and rustles, forming a small but steadily growing pile between them.
First came a few well-maintained weapons—sleek daggers, and a short sword with a jade-inlaid hilt, still sharp and polished.
Then, several bottles of rare elixirs designed to boost spiritual energy absorption. These were highly valuable during cultivation, and even core disciples could only receive a limited number each month.
These alone were already such amazing finds.
Next came a few basic formation flags. Clearly, the owner had been practicing the art of array formations.
Alongside them were some familiar-looking cultivation manuals.
Langtian picked one up and flipped through it briefly.
"Hm... these are just beginner manuals from the Mysterious Sun Sect," he muttered. "I already memorized these years ago."
"Huh?" Langtian paused, reaching toward a slim, worn book near the bottom of the pile.
Something about it tugged at his memory. The texture of the binding... the faded color of the cover... it all felt oddly familiar.
But the moment he saw the title, his blood ran cold.
His face turned bright red, ears burning.
It was... it was that kind of book!
The title was printed boldly across the front, completely shameless:
"My Big-Chested Senior Sister Can’t Be This Cute!"
’What the hell is this doing here!? Who the hell carries something around!?’
Heart pounding, Langtian panicked. He stuffed the book behind his back as quickly as he could and darted a nervous glance at Yue Ling.
It would be a disaster! A total, unrecoverable disaster!’
Yue Ling raised an eyebrow, clearly having seen his suspicious movements. She folded her arms and tilted her head, watching him with amusement.
"Hoh? What was that just now?" she asked, eyes narrowing playfully.
"N-n-nothing!" Langtian stammered, trying to hide both the book and his rising shame. Sweat poured down his face like a broken faucet.
Yue Ling didn’t miss a beat.
She chuckled knowingly, shaking her head. "Haha, I know what you found. I’ve read that one, actually."
"W-w-WHAAAT?!" Langtian’s voice cracked. "Y-you what?!"
"Aha! So it really was an erotic book!" she grinned, the gleam in her eye growing more wicked by the second.
’Crap... I’ve been tricked!’
Langtian’s soul nearly left his body.
"Relax, relax!" Yue Ling laughed. "I’m not judging you. You’re a guy—it’s normal to be curious about these things."
Then she leaned forward just a little, her voice turning teasingly soft.
"And besides... Langtian... you’re not some innocent little disciple anymore, are you? You’re a grown man now~"
Langtian backed away half a step, nearly stumbling over a rock. "R-right..."
His whole face was glowing red now. He wanted to crawl into the ground and vanish.
But he had to salvage his pride somehow.
Clutching the book like it was a cursed object, he straightened his back and declared with forced righteousness,
"But still! This kind of unholy scripture mustn’t be allowed to exist! I—I’ll destroy it! Burn it! I can’t let you read this kind of corrupting material!"
Yue Ling snorted, thoroughly entertained.
"Sure, sure. Toss it into the fire," she said with a wave of her hand. "Might actually help the flames burn hotter."
"A-a-alright then!" Langtian nodded firmly, trying to sound serious.
And yet, deep inside...
He wept for the tragic end of what was clearly a rare, limited illustrated edition.
__________________________
And just like that, they continued rummaging through the belongings the corpse had left behind, tossing aside anything broken, useless, or too damaged to salvage, while carefully sorting out the good ones.
"Wow," Yue Ling muttered, lifting another small bundle of items. "This guy must’ve been pretty well-off. His pouches are stuffed!"
"Y-yeah..." Langtian nodded awkwardly.
Even now, he still didn’t feel entirely comfortable going through the possessions of the dead. A part of him felt guilty, like they were robbing the man’s grave.
He had to admit, this was probably the right thing to do.
If they didn’t take these things, who would? And not to mention, without these supplies, how would they survive?
Without new clothes, they’d be forced to keep patching up their tattered robes.
Without cooking tools or spices, every meal would remain as bland and dry as tree bark.
Life down here was already miserable enough. They couldn’t afford to waste anything.
Langtian’s eyes caught something lying just beside his boots.
Long, slender, and pale green, carved with a simple plum blossom motif near the mouthpiece.
"...Wait," Langtian murmured, his eyes slowly widening. "I... I recognize this."
His heart sank. A strange coldness spread through his chest.
That wasn’t just any flute.
It had once belonged to someone he knew.
’No... don’t tell me... this guy is...’
A heavy silence fell over him, as the truth began to settle like a stone in his stomach.
_____________________________
Langtian immediately rushed toward the decapitated head and gently flipped it over.
Despite the dried blood and the twisted grimace frozen on the face, he recognized the features. A distinct mole sat just above the chin. It was undeniable.
’Ah... so it’s really him...’
"Junior Brother, someone you know?" Yue Ling asked softly, her voice lowering.
"Yes..." Langtian replied, his tone heavy with sorrow. "This is... Senior Brother Zhao."
"Wait, you mean that kid—Zhao Rui Chen?" Yue Ling blinked in surprise.
"You knew him too, Senior Sister?" Langtian asked.
"Mm. I taught him some basic sword techniques back in the day," she said, her gaze distant. "He was a bright one. Always eager to learn. Very clever."
"Yes... he was," Langtian nodded quietly.
"So... how did you know him?" Yue Ling asked again.
Langtian exhaled a slow breath. "We were assigned to the same mission three years ago."
As he spoke, memories began to resurface, sharp and vivid, as if it all had happened just yesterday.
He remembered Zhao Rui Chen, a clever and cheerful senior brother, working together with him and a few others on a joint task to recover a rare spirit flower. The flower had been hidden deep inside a forest and guarded by a large spirit serpent.
It was thanks to Zhao’s skill with array formations that they managed to trap the beast temporarily, long enough for Langtian to rush in and snatch the flower.
After that, they’d hung out a few more times—laughing, talking, sparring, and drinking. He even remembered Zhao playing beautiful tunes on his spiritual flute whenever he got tipsy.
Zhao’s melodies always had a peaceful, calming feel to them. They lingered, even now.
Langtian lowered his gaze, holding the head in both hands.
"So... that bastard got you too..." he whispered bitterly.
He clenched his jaw and turned to Yue Ling.
"Senior Sister... we can’t just leave him here ."
"Of course not," Yue Ling said gently, offering him a faint smile. "Let’s place his body in a clean Qiankun pouch. We’ll find a place to bury him properly later."
Langtian nodded, his grip tightening as he lifted the remains with solemn care.