A Snail's Wisdom

Kenja distanced himself from the studio.

It was only a matter of time before they would realize the challenge had been beaten.

He didn't leave his name or cave number this time, so it should not be easy to figure out who he was, even with the elders' involvement.

"We're rich...we're rich...we're rich! We're rich...we're rich...we're rich!" Snail sang in a catchy manner.

Kenja wasn't too sure how many sect credits he had right now, but he was confident that even his master's face would pale if she were to see the number.

"What do you plan on doing with all these credits, disciple? I mean, aside from buying me various necessities for my daily living," Snail asked.

'Waxing your shell and buying you tea are necessities?' Kenja rolled his eyes at Snail's question.

"You said it yourself: 'the only reliable way for me to advance is to constantly court death.' I will prove you wrong! I am going to gather most of the sect's resources and use them to advance towards Foundation Establishment," Kenja explained his plan.

Truthfully, obtaining these credits was an unplanned stroke of luck, but he would use this blessing to further his cultivation. Kenja believed if he could gather the sect's top spirit stones, pills and cultivation techniques, nothing would stop him from advancing to the next stage.

"Hoho, you are going to prove me, your master, wrong? Quite the precocious disciple you are...I like it! I am never wrong, but I will assist you to the best of my abilities!" Snail offered.

'Never wrong? Didn't you previously claim that I couldn't fix the machine?' Kenja rolled his eyes again at Snail's shamelessness.

Kenja's ears caught someone's loud voice which caused him to stop.

"I'll buy those Calming Meditation Pills for 400 credits each!" one man implored.

"Forget him, I will pay 450 credits!" a woman retorted.

"600 credits! Just hand them over now, and I will be on my way," a third person spoke over them.

On the side of the street, a vendor was bombarded by five or six outer sect disciples at once. Kenja turned his head to look at the other stalls and saw a similar sight happening at every store.

'What's going on? Does this happen frequently in a sect?'

As if reading his mind, Snail answered, "The Qi in the air is much denser than usual. These fledglings are taking advantage of the moment to gather what pills they can find to strengthen their ability to cultivate."

While not all vendors dealt with pills, some of them kept stock of the most commonly-used pills for a small profit.

Kenja drew in some Qi and felt a slightly higher density of it in the air. A passing servant girl was scurrying by him when Kenja stopped her.

"Junior sister, may I have a moment of your time?"

The girl stopped and looked at Kenja. She attempted to hide the rushed look on her face as she bowed to Kenja.

"Yes, senior sister?"

Kenja didn't wish to hold her up too long, so he directly asked her as he motioned to the crowds, "Junior sister, I wish to know why these other brothers and sisters are in such a hurry to cultivate? This dense Qi that we are feeling, is it an unusual occurrence here?"

The girl blinked her eyes several times, wondering if this senior sister was just out to make trouble for her by wasting her time.

"Senior sister, you do know that the river is flowing, right?"

Kenja was at a loss with how to respond. That moat was 'flowing'?

The girl saw Kenja's confused look and went on, "Someone beat a challenge!"

Kenja was even more confused now.

'That was quick. They already figured out that the apothecary's challenge was beaten, but what does that have to do with the sect and the Qi?'

The girl noticed Kenja's increased confusion, so she decided to explain everything. "When a challenge is beaten, the sect's river flows faster and rewards everyone with dense Qi to cultivate for a time. Everyone is in a rush to seize this good fortune."

'Ah…'

Things made more sense now. He did notice that the disciples seemed much more lively after he exited the apothecary.

'So this must have been the reason.'

The girl continued, "What's more, a few moments ago, the river sped up even more! They're saying a second challenge was defeated just now. We have never received two blessings from the river at one time before."

Kenja stifled a depressed laugh. He only wished to obtain some credits and intended to keep eyes off of himself, but here he was, causing such a scene in less than a week after his initiation.

'Had I known, I wouldn't have solved the second challenge,' regretted Kenja.

"Thank you, junior sister. Please be on your way."

The girl bowed and scurried away, faster than before.

"Truly, I am cursed with this gift. No matter where I go, the Supreme Me cannot help but bestow everyone with such good fortune. Even as a snail, luck just bursts forth from my shell to shower it on all my juniors!" Snail declared, as if carrying some huge burden.

"As a snail? Were you not always a snail?" Kenja asked.

He was curious since meeting Snail at the forest. While talking beasts and animals existed, it would usually be one of mythical standing, such as a dragon or a phoenix. For a lesser animal to reach such a high level was unusual and normally required outside influence.

"Me? A snail…? Ahem. Yes, yes. I have always been a snail. Snails are great, wise, delicious, prudent and fantastical creatures. Wouldn't you agree?" he advertised.

"Did you just describe snails as delicious?" Kenja raised his eyebrow.

"I said vicious! They're vicious! Disciple, you really should clean your ears! I hang from here all day, so I know what I am talking about," Snail rebutted.

Kenja could only shake his head.

'We're speaking telepathically, you dumb snail. How could I mishear you?'

Kenja didn't dwell on the topic. He decided to keep walking in his current direction. He planned to return to his cave and use the pills to see if he can make any advancement with the sect's blessing.

But first, he needed to eat something. It had been three days since he had had anything to eat. The aftertaste of Hanabi's tea still lingered in his mouth.

As he looked for an area he passed by earlier with food vendors, he remembered something Snail had brought up multiple times before.

"Snail, you said you had a large book collection, right?"

"Countries and kings have large book collections, but their collections are just a drop in the ocean compared to mine. No one has a larger book collection, than I," proclaimed Snail, puffing out his chest as the shell stayed attached to Kenja's ear.

"Really? May I look through it then?" petitioned Kenja.

Snail strongly asserted, "Why would I let you look through it? It's my collection, not yours."

Kenja let out a frustrated sigh, but he didn't relent. "I'll buy you whatever you want in exchange."

"Hmph. What can a mere toddler in a third-rate sect possibly offer me that would equate to my collection of books?"

'Third-rate sect? Didn't you claim the sect to be amongst the twenty best you have seen before?'

Kenja rubbed his glabella as he neared his destination. Bargaining with Snail took a toll on the person. Kenja imagined even Gods would suffer if they were to converse with Snail.

He made his way to an open area. Several food stalls were strewn about with middle-aged vendors cooking food. He saw a couple dozen tables with matching seats and a crowd encircling something.

He entered the crowd to look at the spectacle. To his surprise, he saw a group of boys led by the man he met three days earlier, Matsushita Hizumi, speaking with three girls. When he saw who the three girls were, Kenja couldn't help but grimace.

"Those are my twin sisters," Kenja informed Snail.

"Hmmm... not bad, not bad. Well done, disciple. I sense no blood ties between you and them, so you must have planned ahead of time. They will make a fine addition to your household," Snail assessed them approvingly.

Kenja was too focused on the conversation between Hanabi and Hizumi to pay any attention to Snail.

Hanabi was speaking with Hizumi, placing herself in front of Shizuka and Yoshie. The twins held a slightly panicked expression on their face while Hanabi had a polite smile, but Kenja could see that she was uncomfortable from the attention being drawn to them.

Inner sect disciples were like venerated celebrities to the outer sect and the servants. If enough of them showed up in one location, all eyes would be on them.

Hizumi's entourage were all inner sect disciples with cultivations ranging from Qi Flourishing to Foundation Establishment. Hizumi appeared to be their leader.

"Junior Sister Ryu, bring your sisters and join us for some delicious fruit. I brought it specifically to share with you."

Hizumi pulled out a jar containing a red fruit submerged in water. Kenja recognized it as the delicious fruit he had eaten at the top of the tree every day for the past three years.

"This doesn't look good for your harem. He brought out a Sanguine Spirit Fruit," Snail informed Kenja.

Ignoring the harem comment, Kenja questioned, "Sanguine Spirit Fruit?" Kenja had never learned the name of the fruit before.

"Yes. It's very sweet and delicious, but if freshly-picked, it contains a highly concentrated dose of Qi that can overwhelm the unprepared body and easily intoxicate the consumer. Even those at your level would only be able to handle a morsel before collapsing."

Kenja was shocked by the news, but his mind's gears began turning.

"Even someone at this obnoxious fellow's stage shouldn't be able to handle more than two bites. I fear he has ill-intentions towards your property."

Sakura vibrated at Snail's comment.

"What? I said 'his' property. Not mine."

Hanabi replied to Hizumi, "Senior brother, I fear that we must decline as the sect's blessing has given us an opportunity to seize good fortune. If we were to spend time eating fruit, I fear that we would lose out on this opportunity."

Hizumi smiled back at Hanabi. "Of course, junior sister. I brought out this fruit because of its helpful properties in aiding our cultivation. Just a few bites, and your body will be overflowing with Qi that will add to your progress when you return."

Hanabi slyly bit her lip, thinking of a way to dissuade this persistent senior brother.

"What's more, we can make a game of it. A slight wager, and then you can return back to the cave," Hizumi proposed.

"A wager?" Hanabi's worried face grew even more anxious.

The twins behind her couldn't utter a single sound of defiance due to the pressure Hizumi naturally exerted out of his body. A mere Body Tempering cultivator had no way of defying someone three realms higher than them.

"Yes. We will all partake in this fruit, but the wager will be between you three and myself," he stated.

"If you three can collectively eat more of this fruit, then I shall give you two hundred sect credits each. If you lose though, you all must accompany me for dinner tomorrow."

His words sounded innocent, but his tone was highly suggestive. At this point, Hanabi slipped into contemplation as Hizumi waited for her reply.

Kenja slipped back into reality as he spoke to his annoying accessory, "Snail, want to make a wager?"

"A wager? Right now?" Snail felt the timing was strange, but truthfully, he had wanted to get back at Kenja in a wager since they left the forest.

"Yes. I wager I can beat this senior brother of mine in the contest. If I win, you give me free access to your library."

Snail chuckled in joy at the thought of such an easy victory, "I see. Interesting. Don't you think you're biting off more than you can chew, disciple? And I mean that literally."

"Do you dare?" Kenja tried to provoke Snail.

"Hmph. And what do I win once you've collapsed on the ground?"

"I'll consider your previous wager complete. You no longer have to serve me."

Snail's eyes bulged when he heard this. "Deal!"

"Good." Kenja closed his eyes as if he was about to say something truly painful.

"Take out your lipstick.