Chapter 11 - He Who Gives In Once, Gives In Forever

Gu Han explained Ah Sha’s condition to the shadow in detail.

The shadow was intrigued. “Huh... It seems that little maid of yours is no ordinary person.”

“Why do you say that?”

“The soul is the foundation of a cultivator. If it’s damaged, you can’t survive for more than three years unless you’ve reached a realm like mine where the soul is indestructible. But this little maid of yours has lived peacefully for so many years without a trace of cultivation. Clearly, someone must have used an extraordinary method to seal her soul to prevent the loss of soul power. Even if they’re not as powerful as me, anyone capable of such a feat wouldn’t be too far off!”

Gu Han’s brows furrowed. Of course he had asked Ah Sha about her past. But even her memories from the past two years were hazy. How could she possibly recall something from further back? In her simple mind, there was only Gu Han, chicken drumsticks, and a vague impression of Gu Tian.

“If her soul was sealed, then why...”

“Do you even need to ask? The seal must have broken. Didn’t you say she’s been complaining about being tired these past two days? That’s a clear sign of losing soul power.”

“What should I do?”

“It’s simple. But there’s a condition.” The shadow deliberately paused.

“Speak.”

“Release me first!”

Gu Han was silent for a moment. Then suddenly, a burst of sword intent pierced through the shadow.

“You little bastard! You swore you wouldn’t attack me again!” The shadow was furious.

“I changed my mind.”

“You—”

“Are you going to talk or not?”

The shadow could tell that if he kept trying to bargain, Gu Han would really lose patience and obliterate him for good. One should never give in to threats; he who gives in once will give in time and time again. The shadow had already surrendered once, and surrendering one more time would not change much.

“Her condition can only be resolved in two ways. Either by using a sacred medicine that nourishes the soul to prolong her life, or by waiting for me to restore my cultivation and reseal her soul. Other than that, there is no other way.”

Gu Han was reluctant to accept this. “There’s no other way? Aren’t you the so-called Demon Monarch? You keep calling others ants, yet this is all you’re capable of?”

The shadow was furious. “You brat! Do you really think I’m omnipotent? Besides, do you even understand what a Demon Monarch is? In simple terms, a Demon Monarch follows the demonic path. It is someone who only knows how to kill, not save!

“My power shakes the heavens and suppresses all beings; those who follow me will prosper, while those who oppose me will perish! That is my true purpose! Have you ever seen someone from the demonic path dedicate themselves to research ways to save people?”

His words rendered Gu Han speechless.

Well... he has a point. But can I just let him go? No way. I have no idea how long it will take for him to restore his cultivation, but if I let him out, the first thing he’ll do is attack me.

Huh?

Sensing that Ah Sha was starting to wake up, Gu Han didn’t linger any longer. He ignored the shadow and immediately left the consciousness space.

As Gu Han left, the shadow cursed. “Fuck! That little bastard! He’s young, but he’s more ruthless than most, and his methods are downright vicious. If this keeps up I’ll end up dying at his hands sooner or later. No! I have to get rid of him. Just wait. The days ahead are long. We’ll see who wins in the end.”

***

Outside, Gu Han opened his eyes. Right in front of him were Ah Sha’s bright, sparkling eyes. Compared to before, she looked a little less dull and a little more lively. If she had once been like a stagnant pool of water, now she was a crystal-clear spring. Paired with her naturally delicate and stunning features, she now carried a hint of true beauty.

As Ah Sha was being stared at by Gu Han, she blushed. “Young master. What are you looking at?”

Gu Han snapped back to reality. “Hm? Ah Sha, you seem... brighter?”

The old Ah Sha had always lacked emotion. Aside from Gu Han and chicken drumsticks, nothing could catch her interest. Not even when Commander Gu and his men died right before her eyes. But after taking the pill, she seemed far more expressive.

Ah Sha realized it too. “Oh yeah! I feel smarter now.

Hmph.

From now on, no one except you can call me Ah Sha!”

“Alright! Anyone who dares call you that, I’ll beat them up for you!” Gu Han smiled warmly.

“Young master...”

“Hm?”

“I just had a dream.”

“What kind of dream?”

“I dreamed that someone took me away, and I could never see you again.”

Gu Han chuckled. “Silly girl. Don’t worry. As long as I’m here, no one will take you away.”

“Okay!” Ah Sha nodded.

Suddenly, a distant roar echoed into their ears.

It’s a demonic beast!

“Young master...” Ah Sha tensed up.

“Don’t worry. It’s nothing.”

The roar sounded again, growing nearer. Gu Han’s expression darkened slightly. It wasn’t because of the demonic beast, but because his keen perception had detected several people approaching his location. He remained calm, however.

“Ah Sha. Stay here. Don’t move. I’ll check it out.”

“Alright.”

***

There were several rogue cultivators running frantically. Unknowingly, they were approaching the mountain cave where Gu Han was.

“Second Brother, we can’t go any further!”

“Yeah, Second Brother, the demonic beasts ahead seem even more terrifying!”

A man in his thirties glanced behind him. “There’s no time. If it catches up, we’re dead! Our only chance is to press forward. There might be a way out.”

Roar!

As he spoke, the massive creature behind them got even closer. It was over ten zhang long, with razor-sharp fangs and black fur as tough as steel. A single streak of silver-white fur extended from its brow to its lower back. It was a Tier 2 Silver-Stripe Ironback Bear.

Then, the group arrived near the cave.

“Second Brother, there’s someone here. The demonic beast here seems to be gone as well.”

“Damn! It’s catching up!”

Roar!

The Silver-Stripe Ironback Bear had lost all sense of reason. It completely ignored the lingering aura of the Crimson Flame Snake and charged straight in with its jaws wide open, ready to tear them apart.

It’s over!

Despair filled their faces.

At that moment, a flash of light streaked past and pierced the bear’s forehead. Without even a groan, the massive beast collapsed before them. It instantly split in half.

They stared in stunned silence. Gu Han stepped out from the shadows, not sparing them a glance. He calmly extracted the beast core and stored the bear’s corpse in his storage ring.

“What...”

Only then did the group react. That Silver-Stripe Ironback Bear was an incredibly tough, brutal creature capable of rivaling a fifth stage Meridian Opening cultivator. It was vicious by nature, holding grudges over the smallest slights, and had chased several people to the point of making them flee in panic. Yet, it had been effortlessly slain by Gu Han.

The man cupped his fists. “Little brother. Thank you for savin—huh?”

As he got closer, he saw Gu Han’s face clearly.

“What’s wrong?” Gu Han frowned.

“N-nothing! Thank you for saving us!”

“No need to thank me. I just wanted the beast core. If there’s nothing else, you may leave.” Gu Han’s expression remained indifferent. He simply ignored them and walked straight back into the cave.

The group saw how indifferent Gu Han was and had no desire to linger any longer, now that they had narrowly escaped death.

But as they walked away from the cave, the man called Second Brother suddenly showed an excited expression.

A female cultivator was puzzled. “Huh? Second Brother, what’s with that face?”

“I recognize that boy!”

“You do? What’s so special about him? He’s just another arrogant guy showing off his strength. If Big Brother was here, would he have even gotten a chance to act? What a waste of that beast core!” The female cultivator sneered.

The man shook his head. “No. You don’t understand. A single beast core is nothing. I think that boy was Gu Han!”

“Gu Han? The one wanted by the Gu family?”

“That’s right!”

“Second Brother, you mean...”

“

Hehe,

who would’ve thought our misfortune would turn into an opportunity? We’re about to strike it rich!”

“But...” Another person hesitated. “He killed that Silver-Stripe Ironback Bear so effortlessly. His cultivation must be at least at the eight stage of Meridian Opening, and I didn’t even see how he attacked. With just the few of us...”

Among them, the strongest was the second brother, and he was only at the third stage of Meridian Opening.

“Let’s find our big brother! He’s an expert of the Acupoint Unsealing Realm. Dealing with this kid will be easy!”

“Oh right, how could we forget about him?!”

“Let’s go! If we’re too late and someone else finds him first, we’ll lose our chance.”

As they discussed their plan, they seemed to have completely forgotten that Gu Han had just saved their lives.

***

Inside the cave, by the campfire, Ah Sha happily gnawed on a golden, crispy bear paw; her foodie nature on full display.

“

Mmm...

it’s so good!”

Beside her, Gu Han was also feasting on another bear paw. It wasn’t that he was hungry; at the Meridian Opening Realm, he could go half a month without eating or drinking. But this was a Tier 2 demonic beast, and its flesh was rich in vital energy. Even if the improvement was minor, it could still help his cultivation. Right now, he was broke, so he wouldn’t let any chance to grow stronger slip away.

“I’m so full!”

After Ah Sha was satisfied, she put down the half-eaten bear paw, which was nearly five times the size of her head, and let out a contented burp.

“You’re full?” Gu Han wiped the oil off her lips. “Then let’s move on.”

He needed to find spirit herbs to improve his cultivation, so he had no reason to stay here any longer. Moreover, the Crimson Flame Snake had been dead for days. Its lingering aura was weakening, making this place less safe. Otherwise, that Silver-Stripe Ironback Bear would have never dared to step foot in here.

“Okay!”

Ah Sha didn’t ask any questions. Wherever Gu Han went, she followed. The bond they had developed after ten years spent together meant that words were often unnecessary.

As she clung to Gu Han’s back, Ah Sha suddenly spoke. “Young master, I want to cultivate too.”

“Cultivate?”

“

Mhm,

I want to help you!”

“Alright! I’ll teach you.” Gu Han smiled.

He had tried to teach Ah Sha before, but back then, she was too dazed to even sense spirit qi, let alone absorb it. Eventually, the matter had been set aside. But now, that was no longer a problem.

***

Not long after Gu Han left, a group of people arrived at the cave. It was the same group that Gu Han had saved earlier. The second brother looked inside the cave, and when he saw there was nobody there, his face darkened.

“Damn it! Big Brother, he’s gone!”

A middle-aged man with a scar across his face glanced at the fire pit. “It doesn’t matter. It’s still warm. He shouldn’t have gone far. After him! This bounty is ours. No one else can have it!”