Volume One, Chapter Eight: A Substantial Reward

Uncertain how much time had passed, Yun Qianbai finally noticed the poison gas concentration inside the hive diminishing significantly. Reluctantly, he ceased his cultivation.

Rising to his feet, he stretched lazily, bones crackling crisply, his entire body feeling as refreshed as if he had just received a full-body massage.

“This Poison Soul Heart Technique combined with the system’s divine-level feedback is an absolutely perfect match!” Yun Qianbai grinned broadly, revealing eight gleaming white teeth. He felt power coursing through every fiber of his being, imagining that one punch could fell a mammoth.

Stepping out of the hive, he began gathering seeds from the mandrake flowers.

These seeds were treasures in the eyes of alchemists and commanded a hefty price.

Carefully, he plucked each seed and placed them into the cloth bag he carried with him.

“These seeds, besides submitting for the mission, I can keep some for myself or sell them to alchemists for a tidy profit,” Yun Qianbai mused happily. “Finally, I can live a good life!”

With this thought, his hands worked even faster, eager to harvest every mandrake seed in sight.

“I wonder how Mi Yang is doing back home,” he said softly, gazing into the distance with a touch of tenderness. “That girl has loved strawberry candied hawthorn since she was little. We couldn’t afford it before, so I could only buy her one occasionally to satisfy her craving. But now, once I return, I’ll buy it for her every day!”

The image of his sister, Yun Mi Yang, blissfully enjoying the candied hawthorn made his heart feel as if it were filled with honey’s sweetness.

He longed to sprout wings and fly home immediately.

“Fruits are rare in this world, and strawberries are among the rarest. One skewer of candied hawthorn could feed an ordinary family for a month,” Yun Qianbai whispered to himself while collecting seeds. “But now that I have money, not just one skewer, even ten or a hundred—if Mi Yang likes it, I’ll buy it all!”

Imagining his sister’s astonished delight, his smile grew even brighter.

“Oh, and I need to buy her new clothes. That girl always wears the old clothes I’ve tailored smaller for her—she’s nearly a little beggar,” Yun Qianbai rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Also, I must get some tonics; Mi Yang’s health is too frail. She needs proper nourishment.”

His excitement mounted with every thought; he wished he could haul the entire world’s wealth home to give to his precious sister.

“When I return, I’ll make Mi Yang the happiest girl in this world!” Yun Qianbai clenched his fist and quickened his pace as he gathered seeds.

“Big brother will be home soon. Wait for me—I’ll bring you delicious treats, nice clothes, and so many wonderful things!” he spoke to the air, as if his sister stood right before him.

Having collected all the mandrake seeds, Yun Qianbai set off contentedly on his journey back. Along the way, he hummed a tune, his steps light, as if the entire world had brightened.

Approaching the city gate, he saw several armored guards lazily leaning against the walls, chatting idly.

A flicker of realization stirred in his heart. “These guards are no strangers to bribes. I’ll probably have to spend some money to get in.”

Sure enough, as he neared the gate, a burly guard with a fierce glare blocked his path.

“Stop! What’s your business?” the guard scrutinized Yun Qianbai with an unfriendly tone.

“I’m here to submit a task,” Yun Qianbai said, slipping a small pouch of green stone coins into the guard’s hand quietly. “Just a little something as a token of respect.”

The guard weighed the pouch, his face briefly lighting up with satisfaction before hardening again. “Just you? Where’s the rest? When will they return?”

Prepared for this, Yun Qianbai feigned a shaken demeanor. “Ah, don’t mention it. We had terrible luck this time—we encountered the queen bee. That thing was bigger than a millstone, and when it flapped its wings, poison fog blanketed the air. Among us, I was the weakest and dared not venture deep into the flower fields. I was lucky to escape with my life.”

“Queen bee?” The guard’s eyes flashed with surprise but soon returned to calm. “Tough luck. Alright, go on in.”

Yun Qianbai breathed a silent sigh of relief and stepped quickly through the gate.

He knew that in this brutal, survival-of-the-fittest world, human life was cheap; a few deaths meant nothing. These guards had seen it all and wouldn’t pry.

Once inside the city, Yun Qianbai wasted no time and headed straight to the Mercenary Guild.

He needed to submit his task promptly, collect the reward, and then buy his sister plenty of delicious food, fine clothes, and medicines to ensure she lived the best life possible!

At the guild, he immediately spotted the familiar portly merchant. Hurrying forward, he handed the bag full of mandrake seeds to the merchant. “Boss, the task is complete.”

The merchant took the bag, opened it, and his face broke into a broad smile. “Not bad, very good quality seeds!” He pulled out a larger pouch stuffed with green stone coins from beneath the counter. “Here’s your payment: one hundred thousand green stone coins. Count them.”

Yun Qianbai accepted the heavy pouch, his heart blooming with joy.

He didn’t bother to count and tucked it away.

“Boss, there’s something else I need to tell you.”

“Oh? What is it?” the merchant asked curiously.

“We encountered the queen bee. Except for me, the others…” Yun Qianbai repeated the story he had given the guards.

The merchant showed little surprise but nodded. “Got it. I’ll report this to the guild.”

Yun Qianbai thought to himself, this merchant really is sharp—he’s seen every storm and isn’t fazed by such a small matter.

“I’ll be off then, boss,” Yun Qianbai said, preparing to leave.

“Wait,” the merchant called out suddenly. “Do you have any extra seeds? I can buy them at a high price.”

Yun Qianbai’s heart leapt—an offer delivered on a silver platter! “Yes, I have some more.”

“Good, name your price,” the merchant said.

After some thought, Yun Qianbai replied, “I was going to keep these for myself, but since you need them, I’ll let them go. How about a flat price of two hundred thousand green stone coins?”

“Two hundred thousand?” The merchant frowned. “Young man, that’s a bit steep.”

“Boss, these are mandrake seeds, and they’ve been bathed in the queen bee’s poisonous mist. The quality is top-notch. Two hundred thousand green stone coins isn’t expensive at all,” Yun Qianbai argued.

“One hundred thousand, no more,” the merchant bargained.

“One hundred fifty thousand, not a cent less,” Yun Qianbai insisted.

“Deal!” The merchant bit the bullet and agreed.

Yun Qianbai inwardly rejoiced—the merchant truly appreciated the seeds’ value. He pulled out another small cloth bag and handed it over. “All here.”

The merchant opened the bag, eyes widening. “So many! Young man, did you clear out the entire hive?”

“Heh, just lucky,” Yun Qianbai scratched his head and smiled sheepishly.

He longed to sprout wings and fly home right now to share this wonderful news with his sister.