Chapter – 6 - Crossing the Swamp River

"So Boss, you're saying that there are four layers in this swamp, and also a central area where the highest level beasts of this swamp resides? If those rabbits are level one beasts and these Wind Wolves are level two beasts, then those highest level beasts must be much much stronger!....Wow!.....But Boss, why did the eyes of these wolves turn red while fighting? I have also noticed this in the rabbits....oh, and also that huge snake!"

Ye Luo furrowed his brows, his lips twitching, but did not stop in his task of cutting through the head of the Wind Wolves to take out their crystal cores. At his level the energy from these cores was useless as an energy source. He needed more cores from higher level beasts - like the Blood Venom Snake. Still, they were good material for basic elixirs and simple weapon inscriptions. Also a fully formed core could fetch a good amount of spirit currency.

Aish....this girl did not have a mute button! It had already been a day since she started following him....and her mouth just wouldn't stop moving! She said she had amnesia, but could people really forget everything about the world they were born and brought up in?!.....Well, at least she knew how to talk.

He let out a deep sigh, but still explained patiently.

"That's called the berserk mode. When they are cornered and have a high chance of losing the fight, they will pull in all the energy in their body and attack with full force. Like a do-or-die state. This sudden forceful attack often helps them in either defeating their enemy or escaping. If you see their eyes turn red, be very careful. Avoid beasts in the berserk mode. Here, keep some with you. Once you exit the forest, you can exchange them for spirit stones at the nearest House of Mercenaries in Green-stone City. You'll need these spirit stones for buying food and other things. You'll also need it to buy a pass for the Green-stone City Teleportation Stop to get to Moon-grave City. Don't lose them."

Ye Luo passed on some of the energy cores he had collected. Six cores from six wolves. All beasts who traveled in packs had a tracker team. They would move ahead of the rest, searching out the best routes, the good preys and also which spots to avoid. They would be followed by the hunter teams. The weakest and smallest would follow at the end. They had had the bad luck of coming across the tracker team. The hunters would not be too far behind. They had to leave this area fast, before the rest of the pack sniffed them out.

"Let's move in the north west direction. There is a swamp river flowing from the first level towards the third level. Once we cross the river, the wolves will lose our track. Come on, we need to move fast."

Rihanna was happily stuffing the energy cores in to the space ring Ye Luo had tossed her before. Thinking about it, he was really kind and considerate, albeit a bit socially awkward. But he had very thoughtfully taken one of his smaller space rings, removed his spirit aura and opened the array binding the ring, so even a non-cultivator like her could use it. Now it was pretty much stuffed with a variety of meat, fruits, flowers, herbs, some common elixirs (via Ye Luo), and now also some spirit stones. Rihanna gave it another blissful look, before stuffing it inside her chest pocket and scampered off after Ye Luo.

As she almost ran to keep up with his pace, she couldn't help looking at his back profile and pursed her lips. From what she had learned till now, and just as she had expected, this was a land of elemental cultivation. And while he was a Cultivator, she was what they termed as a 'Commoner'. Cultivators did not needlessly bully or ill-treat commoners, not because it was against any law, but for the simple reason that they found it despicable and beneath their dignity to form any kind of connection with commoners. Cultivators were too busy fighting over resources, skill inheritance and mentor-ship to be bothered about the life of commoners. So commoners did not have any rights.

In a world of cultivation, rights, fairness of life, justice – they all existed only for the powerful. The five countries which existed on this mainland were made of cultivators, ruled by cultivators, and all laws pertained to cultivators.

Commoners – well, they were mostly forgotten.

In fact there more number of commoners than cultivators. One in a dozen commoners were born with spirit roots. And it was entirely common for parents with high level of cultivation, to give birth to commoners. There were whole villages filled only with commoners. Even cultivators who gave birth to unwanted commoners would often throw them into these villages and then blissfully move on.

In those specific cases, where commoners were born in medium or large clans, they would immediately be set aside, and once they were old enough, they would be relegated to various odd-jobs around the clan. Rihanna wasn't clear what those jobs entailed, but she guessed they were more or less like servants belonging to the clan.

She sighed inwardly. That Ye Luo was so readily accommodating her already showed his kind, generous and magnanimous side, aspects which were quite uncommon amongst cultivators. She felt indebted, but had no clue how to return this big favor.

Ye Luo had noticed the sudden silence from the girl, and initially was greatly relieved. But when they had crossed almost half the river, and she was so lost in her own thoughts that she lost her footing and would have washed off into oblivion if not for his quick reflex, he started wondering where her brains had wandered off to.

"Be focused! This is a very dangerous river, there are too many small and big beasts underneath this murky waters. What if I was a bit late? With your puny strength, you'll become a meal for some random beast in this forest! Keep your head straight."

Rihanna choked on the pungent smelling murky water, as Ye Luo clamped down onto the back collar of her clothes, not intending to let her off easily. Finally, when tears started pouring out of her already red eyes, and the water had pretty much entered her ears, nose and mouth, only then did he haul her up to her feet and set her on the dry bank. Rihanna plopped onto her butt, choking and coughing and trying to puke out all the water she had accidentally gulped down. She glared at Ye Luo through her tears and snot – this fellow was seriously messed up! Or were children in this world all trained the hardcore way?!

"Stop looking at me so pitifully – it's no use. If you make a mistake again, I'll punish you harder. Now get up and wash your face and mouth with the clean water in your ring. We still have to climb to the peak of the mountain in front of us before the night sets in. Let's keep moving."

Rihanna spit out some more murky water and pulled out a leather bottle filled with clear spring water. Sighing exasperatedly at the mud coated clothes and seaweed hugging hair, she started washing her face and mouth. She managed to pull out most of the seaweed, but some were stuck inside the bun, and it didn't look like this guy would give her any beauty treatment time. In all possibility, he would dump her here and disappear. She sighed again, then put the water back in and stood up.

Ye Luo had been secretly looking at her. Throughout the day he had realized what was off about this girl. Commoner's generally kept away from cultivators, and even in front they would bow down and keep a low profile. It was not out of respect, but rather out of fear.

Very unlike this girl who kept babbling fearlessly, pestering him with question about everything she saw and heard, and even when she was not talking, he could see the myriad emotions passing through her eyes and face as various thoughts flashed in her mind. Was this because of amnesia, or because she was too naïve? Why did it seem she had not forgotten about this place, but rather she had no idea about this world?

Brushing away these random thoughts, he started moving towards the mountain. But before they had reached the foot of the mountain, the ground suddenly shook, and fine cracks appeared around where they were walking. Ye Luo stopped, immediately on high alert.