Chapter 6 –
The sun had not yet risen, but Chen Mo was already awake. His body trembled from fatigue, his ribs still aching from Garfield's claws the day before. Every night he told himself, Tomorrow I'll rest. Just one day… And yet every morning, when his eyes opened, he forced himself to stand.
Because if he didn't, Garfield would drag him out by the ankle.
He slid his door open and stepped into the yard—only to freeze.
The familiar courtyard was gone. His bare feet pressed into coarse sand, still warm from a sun that hadn't yet risen. The air was heavy, the sky endless and cruel. In every direction stretched a desolate wasteland.
Chen Mo's mouth went dry. "W-what…"
"Ah, you're up," a lazy voice said.
He turned sharply. Standing a few paces away was Wang Lai, hands clasped behind his back, looking utterly at ease.
"Officer Wang?!" Chen Mo cried. "Where are we?!"
Wang glanced around as if admiring the scenery. "Some desert. I asked Old Ao if he knew a good place swarming with monsters. He mentioned this one, so here we are."
Chen Mo's lips trembled. "M-monsters…?"
"Yes. Don't worry." Wang smiled, the kind of smile that made Chen Mo's stomach twist. "I moved the Nascent Soul ones to the afterlife. The rest should be perfect for you. Foundation-stage, peak level at most. Enough to break your bones, not enough to kill you."
"WHAT?!"
"Every morning, you'll train here. Survive eight hours. Fight, bleed, run—whatever it takes. By evening, you'll return to the house. Rinse and repeat until you break through. Simple."
Chen Mo's legs shook. "This… this is insane! I'll die!"
Wang chuckled. "Of course you'll die. A hundred times over. That's how training works."
Before Chen Mo could argue, Wang flicked his fingers. The world seemed to ripple—and Wang was gone.
Chen Mo turned slowly. Shadows moved across the dunes. Pairs of glowing red eyes appeared, dozens of them. A low growl rolled through the desert wind.
"...Master… I hate you…"
The first beast lunged.
—
Back at the River Town house, Garfield sat cross-legged on the veranda, sharpening his claws against a block of ironwood. His ears twitched as he heard faint echoes of Chen Mo's screams. He grinned proudly.
"Good. Master's merciful. If it were me, I'd toss the brat into a Nascent Soul beast nest. Break body, rebuild body—Murim training at its finest."
Ao Guang, sipping tea across from him, snorted. "Merciful, hm? Then why does that child crawl back each night looking like ground meat?"
Garfield puffed out his chest. "Because he's weak. The weak need to suffer."
Wang Lai appeared in the doorway, carrying a basket filled with herbs. He set it down with a sigh. "He'll thank me one day. Assuming Garfield doesn't kill him first."
Garfield grinned toothily. "He won't die. Not really."
"Not really?" Ao Guang arched a brow.
"Ah, well… maybe a little." Garfield licked his paw innocently.
Wang Lai rubbed his forehead. "You're impossible."
—
That evening, Chen Mo stumbled back into the house. His clothes were torn, his face streaked with dirt and blood. He barely managed to drag himself into the herbal bath waiting in the corner. The liquid hissed as he sank in, his wounds knitting together under the heat of priceless medicinal herbs.
He looked down at his hands, swollen and trembling, and for the first time felt it—a subtle change. A faint stirring of power beneath his skin. The barrier between Qi Refinement and Foundation Establishment wavered.
"Six months, he said…" Chen Mo whispered hoarsely. "At this rate… maybe even sooner…"
His eyes closed, his body sinking into exhausted sleep.
But even in his dreams, the monsters still chased him.
—
Meanwhile, in River City, the Chen Family's ancestral hall was ablaze with candlelight. The elders sat in a circle, their faces dark.
"Two elders gone. Their jade tokens shattered without warning."
"All near the frontier," another growled. "Specifically near River Town."
Whispers filled the hall.
"Could it be that boy… Chen Mo?"
"Impossible. His spiritual roots were crippled. Even if he crawled back to life, he is nothing more than a crippled mortal."
"Then explain why our men die silently? No battle marks. No traces of qi. Simply… erased."
The patriarch slammed his palm against the table, silencing them. "Send another elder. No—send one of our great elders. If something hides in that town, I want it uncovered. If Chen Mo still lives… bring him back. Alive or dead."
The order carried through the clan. By dawn, a great elder was already on the road to River Town.
—
Back in the peaceful town, Ao Guang strolled lazily through the market, enjoying the smell of roasted chestnuts. Mortals greeted him cheerfully, oblivious to the ancient power walking among them.
As he passed the gate, his eyes narrowed. He saw a figure in Chen Family robes, striding with arrogance.
A smile crept across Ao Guang's face.
"Ah… another little fish. Delivering itself to the dragon's jaws."
—
Cliffhanger:
That night, Chen Mo sat trembling in his bed, clutching the ancient sword he had found buried in the sand. His master's voice still echoed in his head.
"Totally cliché."
But outside, in the silent market streets, Ao Guang's shadow loomed larger and larger… as the Chen Family elder stepped into River Town.