Violet and Hundred Snake Valley 1.18

I gazed at the glass of water before me, filled to the brim with ice cubes. The sound of the ice cubes cracking between my teeth was satisfying, and the chill of the water was refreshing.

*Crunch...Crunch*

So cold...but so good.

*Crunch*

"Another glass, please!" I requested confidently, ignoring the waiter's curious expression. I tried to project an air of power and self-assurance, but my facade was quickly shattered when I was handed a third glass of free ice water.

"Thank you," I muttered as I once again savored the cold, crisp drink.

What was I doing, you may ask? I was gathering information. After leaving the sect, I arrived in the town near Snake Valley and decided to visit a local restaurant to gather any news about heavenly treasures that might have recently been discovered in the area.

Of course, the information I was really seeking was not about the Crystal Lotus, but other potential treasures that might have spawned in the Snake Valley.

I was aware of the cliché of the protagonist encountering news of newly discovered treasures, but I still took the time to verify that there wasn't a sudden treasure quest event in progress. In the game, restaurants are often a prime spot for gathering information, and as the protagonist, you might even trigger a special face-slapping event.

However, at this moment, no such events were occurring. People in the restaurant occasionally glanced in my direction, but quickly withdrew their gaze upon seeing my outer sect robe.

After an hour of observing, I was relieved to announce that the Snake Valley was peaceful, with no sudden appearance of an overlord monster or strange occurrences.

But despite this, I couldn't shake off a feeling of unease. I didn't want to dismiss it as mere imagination, but the situation seemed fine, with people talking and chatting as usual. I even asked the waiter, who, while annoyed, reassured me that everything was okay.

However, that seemed to be the tipping point for the waiter, who politely asked me to leave the restaurant. His strained smile made me wonder about his behavior, but I decided to brush it off and move on. Weird guy...

...

"I'd like to purchase these gloves, please," I said as I pushed the black gloves I had selected toward the old man in front of me.

I was in a store, trying to purchase the necessary gear to complete my mission. The gloves I had picked were sleek and dark, much like my own heart.

"Yes, that'll be 200 silver coins," the old man responded, glancing at my outer sect robe.

It seems that this guy's heart was darker than mine.

As if sensing my doubt, he quickly spoke up, "These gloves are made from the threads of spirit spiders and are specially designed to be resistant to tearing. I can see that you're heading to the Snake Valley, so these gloves are a necessity to keep you safe while collecting herbs."

Well, that does make sense but looking at the eager appearance of the old man, I still had a feeling of being duped.

"Okay," I said, handing over the silver coins as I walked out of the store, my fair skin now covered by black gloves.

I unsheathed my long sword, feeling fully prepared to enter the Hundred Snake Valley.

...

The Hundred Snake Valley was a vast and treacherous landscape, teeming with venomous snakes that lived up to its ominous name.

As I approached the outer periphery of the valley, I found that it was relatively clear of any major obstacles. The sparse trees and shrubs that dotted the area made it easy to spot any predators that might pose a threat, as well as to harvest any useful herbs and hunt the occasional snake.

Poisonous lilies were found in the periphery of the valley, so to be honest the mission itself was not that dangerous.

My plan was to first harvest the poisonous lilies and then go to search for the crystal lotus.

[Insight]

As I approached the area where the poisonous lilies grew, I used my power of Insight to sharpen my senses and increase my perception. Thanks to my current level of cultivation, I was able to keep Insight open for a full two hours, which was a long time compared to the beginning.

Within a mere twenty minutes of searching, I had already found the poisonous lilies I was looking for. They were a stunning shade of blue, but I knew better than to be swayed by their appearance. I carefully collected thirteen stalks of the poisonous flowers, which was more than the number that I was originally tasked to retrieve.

I planned to extract the poison from the lilies and use it as a trump card in case of any emergencies. Thinking like this made me grin a bit evilly, but I quickly composed myself.

With the poisonous lilies safely stored away, I turned my attention to the main objective of my journey: the Crystal Lotus.

...

A/N: Please support the cute author with a powerstone~