What do you mean I'm a cultivator?-Chapter 23

As the inner sect disciples disappeared from sight, Jiang Cheng remained by the fire, watching the jade mole's flesh sizzle on the makeshift spit he'd constructed. The meat hissed and popped, releasing an odd aroma that made his nose wrinkle. It smelled like spoiled game, gamey and heavy with iron, yet underneath that unpleasantness lingered something else. A sweet, almost delectable note that tickled his senses.

Qi. The energy infused in the creature's flesh gave off its own distinct scent, one that his heightened perception could detect.

It was like nothing he'd ever experienced before. Enticing yet alien.

Perhaps, the only reason he noticed this, was just how empty his dantian was. It made sense though. Qi condensation was all about filling the dantian. Then, the closer you got to foundation establishment, the stronger the body got. That was obvious.

But the thing that got Cheng's gears turning was a single erratic thought. One of the ones he thought had stopped filling his mind with weird references and ideas.

If Qi condensation was about the accumulation of Qi.

The foundation establishment must be strengthening of the body to a new level. Perhaps some kind of controlled way to harness the nature of Qi. after all, even containing Qi in ones dantian would slowly nourish the body, strengthening it.

"You actually going to eat that thing?" Deng Bo called out as he approached, wiping sweat from his brow, slipping Cheng out of his thoughts.

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Clearly, he had lost his respectful tone, likely too scared to remember that. After all, this man was barely into Qi condensation.

"Senior Sister suggested it would do me good." Jiang Cheng replied, rotating the spit to ensure even cooking.

Deng Bo snorted, squatting down beside him to examine the cooking meat. Though scared, he could tell Jiang Cheng was not like the typical, arrogant Sect disciple he had seen in his travels. Especially since Cheng hadn't bothered correcting his tone.

"Heard tales of cultivators eating monster flesh. Never actually seen it done." He tilted his head, studying Jiang Cheng with newfound curiosity. "You're different from other cultivators I've seen in my travels."

Jiang Cheng said nothing, merely turning the spit again. The fat dripping into the flames caused them to flare momentarily.

"How long before the mine is operational again?" he asked, changing the subject.

"Three days, maybe four." Deng Bo gestured toward the workers. "We've dealt with cave-ins before. Though I have to admit, this one is a first."

Inside the mine entrance, men shouted instructions as they hoisted a large wooden beam. The support structure creaked as it settled into place, dust cascading from the ceiling like fine snow.

"The sect will likely send a Array master to stabilize the tunnels." Jiang Cheng spoke.

After all, the Qi condensation grade jade was nothing of note, but the foundation establishment grade materials deeper, behind the array was notable to draw attention, As just like cultivators, materials were way more scares the higher you went.

From the close to then thousand outer sect disciples, the sect had less than a thousand inner ones, most likely.

Cheng felt that sounded like the correct assumption.

Deng Bo grunted in agreement. "Wouldn't surprise me. Your sect doesn't let go of anything profitable."

He stood, brushing dirt from his pants. "I've got to supervise these fools before they collapse the rest of the mine. Don't eat too much of that thing at once. I've seen men get sick from strange meat."

As the caravan leader walked away, Jiang Cheng carefully cut a small portion of the cooked flesh. Steam rose from the meat, carrying that strange dual scent of decay and vitality. He hesitated for a moment before taking a bite.

The taste was even more complex than the smell, surprising him.

Bitter at first, then oddly sweet, with an earthy undertone that reminded him of wild mushrooms. But the sensation that followed was what truly caught him off guard. As he swallowed, warmth spread through his body, rushing to his depleted dantian like water finding parched soil.

Raw, untamed Qi. Different from his own carefully cultivated energy, surged through him. It was unrefined, almost crude in nature, but potent nonetheless.

More than his own, as the beast had been several stages higher.

Jiang Cheng closed his eyes, focusing on his dantian as it absorbed the foreign Qi, finding it to have some sort of Earthly feeling.

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This had to be something that tied to aptitudes. Perhaps he would have benefitted a lot more if he had a earth aptitude.

And more importantly, this was why cultivators valued monster cores and flesh. Consuming them was like gulping down a pill, bypassing the slow accumulation of energy through meditation and breathing techniques.

He took another careful bite, more mindful this time. The mole had been almost a foundation establishment creature. Its Qi was dense and powerful. Too much at once would be like trying to fill a cup from a waterfall.

It was truly a eye opening moment. it reminded him that even a stage of cultivation could be the deciding factor in a fight.

Around him, the mining camp gradually settled into a rhythm of repair and recovery.

Men shouted and laughed as they worked, their spirits lighter now that the threat had been eliminated, likely glad to not have been turned into monster food.

The clang of tools and creak of timber formed a chorus of normalcy returning.

Jiang Cheng sat in silence, slowly consuming the strange meat and feeling his strength return incrementally. In three days, perhaps four, he would return to the sect with the caravan. He would report his experiences, resume his training, and continue his slow ascent through the ranks.

But now, as the Qi settled into his dantian, he couldn't help but wonder about the two inner sect disciples.

How casually they had dispatched a threat that had killed several of his fellow disciples. How vast the gulf between realms truly was. And not only that. The sheer ease of the action. perhaps to them, this was nothing more than a chore.

One day, he told himself. One day, he too would reach that height. And perhaps then, he would understand the true meaning of power.

For now, though, he was content to eat his fill and recover his strength. The jade mole's flesh might taste strange, but it was another step on a longer journey.

As Jiang Cheng finished another bite of the strange-tasting meat, he noticed Deng Bo approaching once more.

The caravan leader had apparently delegated the supervision duties to someone else, and now carried a small flask in one hand.

Without asking permission, he settled himself across the fire from Cheng, his weathered face illuminated by the dancing flames.

"Thought you might want something to wash that down with." Deng Bo said, offering the flask. "Nothing fancy, just rice wine from the last village we passed through."

Jiang Cheng nodded in thanks but set the flask aside. Mixing alcohol with the monster meat seemed unwise, especially when his body was still processing the foreign Qi.

And secondly, something told him that he probably would not like alcohol. It was another one of his erratic thoughts.

Another piece of the puzzle. Perhaps, whatever. or whoever these thoughts came from, wasn't a big fan of alcohol.

Deng Bo didn't seem offended, taking a swig himself before tucking the flask away. His eyes lingered on Jiang Cheng with barely concealed calculation.

Though he attempted to appear casual, there was something deliberate in his posture, a certain eagerness in his attention that revealed his true intentions.

Jiang Cheng wasn't naïve. He recognized the look of a man seeking connections.

How many times had he seen similar expressions at the sect, disciples trying to ingratiate themselves with those of higher status or potential? Deng Bo was merely doing the same, hoping to cultivate a relationship with someone who might one day reach Foundation Establishment and remember a kindness shown when they were lesser.

It was a gamble, but one with potentially significant returns.

"You know." Deng Bo began, breaking the silence, "this route through the mountains wasn't always so dangerous. Used to be we could make this journey with half the guards."

Jiang Cheng sliced another piece of meat, considering how to use this opportunity. "You've traveled extensively, then?"

The question seemed to please Deng Bo, his chest puffing slightly with pride. "Thirty years on the roads and mountain passes. Started as a pack carrier for my father's caravan when I was just twelve.

Seen most of the Hongu Province and even ventured to the Southern Sea once."

"Tell me more about your travels." Jiang Cheng said, feigning greater interest than he felt.

"In the sect, we study the books, but firsthand accounts are... different."

The subtle flattery worked immediately. Deng Bo's eyes lit up, and he leaned forward, eager to share his experiences with someone who might carry his stories back to a prestigious sect.

"Well now, where to begin?" He scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Have you heard of the Floating Markets of Liang city? Now that's a sight.

Hundreds of boats lashed together to form an entire marketplace on water. Traders come from as far as the Western Steppes to exchange goods there."

Jiang Cheng nodded encouragingly. Even though the sect's geographical texts had detailed descriptions and even artistic renderings of the Floating Markets, and other things, he had not gotten around to reading those, focused on improving his own cultivation technique. If a haphazardly learned technique could be called that.

Still, hearing about them from someone who had actually been there might yield some useful information.

"And what of unusual creatures or phenomena? Anything that might interest a cultivator?" Jiang Cheng prompted.

Deng Bo's expression grew more animated. "Oh, I've seen my share of strange things. Three winters ago, we passed through a valley where the snow fell upward. Just lifted right off the ground and disappeared into the clouds. The locals said it happened every seventh day of the month."

Jiang Cheng's interest genuinely piqued at this. Reversed natural phenomena often indicated Qi anomalies or remnants of ancient arrays. Such information wasn't in any text he'd read so far.

Perhaps, it was caused by some kind of floating array. If something like that existed. Though making things float might be on the level of a formation instead.

"And there was a forest near the border of Yun region." Deng Bo continued, warming to the cultivator seated in front of him. "Trees there grew fruits that looked like human faces. Frightening things. The locals claimed they were the souls of bandits punished by some immortal centuries ago."

As Deng Bo spoke, spinning tales that ranged from plausible to fantastical, Jiang Cheng continued eating the mole meat.

His dantian gradually filled with the creature's Qi, and his mind cataloged the potentially useful information hidden among the caravan leader's embellished stories.

Even if only one in ten of Deng Bo's tales contained a kernel of truth, that was still knowledge the sect might not possess.

Though perhaps, the only reason the sect might not have such knowledge, would be due to it being beneath them. Hell, would a Qi condensation realm info be even worth of note?