“Oh?”
Shen Ying and Lu Zheng exchanged a glance, surprised that Hou Ping had such an opportunity.
“Now that I think about it, when I saw those drawings on the inner walls, I got curious and looked at them more, sometimes even playing along with them. Perhaps because of that, I became strong and sturdy, with my spiritual intelligence beginning to awaken,” Hou Ping said.
Lu Zheng’s eyes flickered. “So, it’s a cultivation technique?”
Shen Ying nodded at his words. “Alright then, let’s go take a look together.”
Her connection with *Peach Blossom* was strong, and her interest was purely out of curiosity. She didn’t need other techniques, but she wanted to see if there was anything useful for Lu Zheng.
Lu Zheng was also curious. In modern times, he had read about encountering inheritances in remote mountains in novels. Yet, after more than a year in this ancient world, the techniques he had acquired were either taken or given to him. He had never found one in the wild.
Now was the time to test whether he was truly a protagonist, whether he had that protagonist aura!
“Let’s go!”
Seeing Lu Zheng and Shen Ying’s interest, Hou Ping felt proud. He stood up and led the way enthusiastically, his childlike nature evident.
Shen Ying stopped Xiao Cui, instructing her to train more with the Eighteen Heavenly Maidens, then joined Lu Zheng, hand in hand, as they set out.
Once outside, Hou Ping rolled up his robe to his waist, took off his slightly oversized shoes, and held them in his arms. With a leap, he swiftly jumped to the treetop of a nearby tree, grabbed a branch, swung, and soared seven or eight metres away.
Shen Ying and Lu Zheng held hands. Shen Ying’s body felt light as Lu Zheng formed a seal with his hand, summoning a breeze. Their robes fluttered as they hovered a metre or two off the ground, closely following Hou Ping. Their pace seemed slow but was deceptively fast, graceful like immortals, as if they were a divine couple.
…
The trio headed south, delving deep into the mountains. Soon, the path disappeared, leaving only rugged terrain, dense forests, and scattered fallen leaves, a true wilderness.
Along the way, they encountered Hou Ping’s group of monkeys, but he didn’t stop to greet them, instead passing by from a distance.
After travelling over forty miles, Hou Ping slowed down. He circled halfway around a large mountain to the right, passed a steep cliff at the mountainside, and arrived at the valley’s entrance.
Lu Zheng raised an eyebrow. “A valley hidden in the cliffs, this place is really hard to find.”
“Fairy, Young Master Lu, this is it, we’re here!” Hou Ping called back, then eagerly entered the valley.
Stepping into the valley’s entrance, Lu Zheng’s eyes lit up. The valley was dotted with green trees, free from the winter chill outside. It wasn’t large, and there were no hot springs or pools visible, suggesting either the terrain’s influence or underground geothermal veins.
“Not a bad place,” Lu Zheng praised.
“Hehe!” Hou Ping grinned proudly. “Though it’s small, it’s warm in winter and cool in summer. Most animals can’t get in, so it’s a great spot for us.”
Hou Ping swung from the last tree like a swing, letting go and soaring over twenty metres before landing at the base of a vine-covered cliff. “This is it.”
Lu Zheng looked and saw a dark cave opening on the cliff, surrounded by dense vines, though the vines at the entrance had been cleared.
The monkey troop, seeking shelter from rain, naturally kept the entrance tidy.
Hou Ping pushed aside two hanging vines and strode in confidently.
Lu Zheng and Shen Ying reached the entrance. Lu Zheng ducked and followed inside.
Shen Ying, lifting her skirt with both hands, followed at the rear.
“It really is a man-made cave.”
The entrance was small, the passage short. After less than seven metres, it opened into a spacious cave.
Though there were no torches, with Lu Zheng’s current cultivation, the faint light from the entrance was enough for him to see clearly.
The cave was an irregular circle, about fifteen metres across and over seven metres high. The ground was littered with countless pebbles, and in the corner stood a pile of stones, both large and small, forming a small hill.
As Hou Ping had said, the cave’s inner walls were covered with humanoid figures and densely packed writings.
“It really is a cultivation technique,” Lu Zheng said after a quick scan. “It refines qi and nurtures the body, also cultivating the soul. It’s not very powerful, somewhat like the *Midday Static Breathing Technique* I practised before, more like a health-preserving method.”
The breathing technique spanned over three thousand words, nameless. Since it wasn’t powerful, the lack of a name didn’t matter.
Shen Ying looked at Hou Ping. “But for you, it’s enough. It can help you cultivate true qi and aid your demonic energy practice. If you have questions while training, you can come to Peach Blossom Ridge to ask me.”
“Really? Thank you, Fairy!” Hou Ping was overjoyed, then looked at them expectantly. “Is it helpful for you, Fairy and Young Master Lu?”
Lu Zheng and Shen Ying exchanged a glance and nodded with a smile. “It offers insights by analogy, quite helpful.”
“That’s great!” Hou Ping clapped happily, then started somersaulting in the cave.
*Thud!*
Carelessly, Hou Ping’s foot kicked the stone pile in the corner while somersaulting.
The pile, over three metres high, was built with large stones forming the framework, filled with smaller ones. Over decades, the monkeys had scattered lighter stones while playing, but the larger ones remained unmoved.
Thus, the pile had stayed largely intact for decades.
But Hou Ping, having consumed a Biluo Fruit and successfully transformed, was no ordinary creature. Even a weak demon is still a demon. His accidental kick dislodged a large stone, causing the pile to wobble and partially collapse, revealing something inside.
“Huh?” Lu Zheng’s eyes sharpened as he spotted a skeleton. “The owner of this technique?”
Shen Ying nodded. “Probably.”
The collapse was loud, startling Hou Ping, who froze and then saw the skeleton among the rubble.
“This is…”
Lu Zheng said, “Likely the master of this technique, your teacher. Pay your respects with a kowtow, then collect and bury his remains properly.”
“Yes, yes, yes!” Hou Ping quickly agreed, immediately kowtowing to the skeleton.
After nine resounding kowtows, Lu Zheng and Shen Ying helped collect the remains.
Over the years, the skeleton’s clothes and hair had turned to dust, leaving only dry bones. Hou Ping removed his robe, carefully gathering the bones and wrapping them in it.
*Clink!*
As Lu Zheng moved a stone, a palm-sized gourd rolled out.
