Chapter 13: The Imperial Secret Bureau’s Thunder Technique

Regardless of how exactly Uncle He Qi negotiated with the village elders, Ye Lu clearly sensed a shift in the villagers’ attitudes toward him.

The first to change were the two shamans. Master He remained composed as ever, but Master Shi became noticeably more exaggerated—his already gentle smile softened even further, leaving Ye Lu and the Ghost Scholar somewhat speechless.

He Qi maintained a neutral expression and even had the heart to comfort them: “It’s normal. Shamans need to cultivate using strange foods too. Master Shi came to our village because of the Qing Mi grain offerings. Your laurel tree has a promising future in plain sight. If he ever wants to trade for laurel fruit, he’ll have to be more courteous.”

“Trading’s possible too. Master Shi comes from a good background and holds many valuable items.” Later, He Qi pulled Ye Lu aside to whisper some advice.

These conversations happened during the caravan’s stops for supper, hunting, and chatting. Everyone still slept inside the carriage because outside was too dangerous, full of eerie creatures. The carriage walls were inscribed with runes etched in oil clay to ward off attacks from these entities. Even so, the guards took shifts, patrolling in three groups throughout the night.

Besides that, the favored hunter—Ximing—received better treatment and more meat rations.

In fact, Ximing truly preferred dried meat and would snack on it whenever he could. At first, Ye Lu and the Ghost Scholar worried about him eating recklessly, recalling a past incident when Ximing, driven by curiosity, knowingly consumed spoiled food to see if it would kill him, nearly dying in the process.

When Ye Lu asked him about it—he asked while the Ghost Scholar pondered the implications—Ximing blinked and, faced with Ye Lu’s threat of “say one lie and you’ll be sent to the fields,” answered honestly: “I just wanted to eat it. It was delicious, and I felt good afterward.”

After observing for a while, Ye Lu and the Ghost Scholar confirmed the dried meat did no harm; Ximing’s strength was gradually increasing, and he understood these snacks truly benefited him.

On the third day, Ximing awakened.

That day, the Ghost Scholar was driving.

As soon as Ye Lu opened his eyes, he caught sight of Ximing grinning cheekily not far inside the carriage. This time, though, the smile seemed genuinely heartfelt.

“What’s up?” Ye Lu leaned against the carriage as the ox cart moved steadily forward, asking lazily.

“I’ve awakened a cultivation technique.”

Ye Lu turned to him, eyebrow raised.

“Earth Treasury Thunder Technique,” Ximing said.

The name puzzled Ye Lu—it sounded strange. He looked at Ximing, trying to ask about the technique’s origin and meaning.

“I don’t know either,” Ximing shrugged, cocking his head as if understanding Ye Lu’s question and speaking first.

“But I know this—” He stretched out his hand, revealing a pulsating orb of accumulated light in his palm, crackling with thunder, reflecting Ye Lu’s intrigued expression. Ximing whispered, “It’s strong. Stronger than what I practiced in the Star Network.”

“The only problem is I need more eerie energy to cultivate it.”

Ye Lu could clearly sense the power within the lightning. He stared intently at the glowing orb, confident that with this power and Ximing’s skill, he could easily dispatch the head-like eerie creature they had encountered before.

And Ximing had just awakened this technique.

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“You want to join the guard?” Ye Lu understood what Ximing meant.

Ximing nodded: “I asked the guards. The dried meat we eat comes from hunting eerie beasts, mostly prepared back in the village. These beasts are dumber than other eerie creatures, and some are edible. The only requirement is to join the guard to have hunting opportunities.”

“Master, I want to go.”

“Are you sure?” A calm voice came from outside the carriage—it was the Ghost Scholar, who had been listening all along. “Isn’t this just a whim?”

“Besides meat, I need weapons, and only the guards have those.” Ximing puffed out his cheeks. Despite his tall stature, this childish gesture didn’t feel out of place; rather, it was somewhat endearing given his strikingly handsome and deep-set features.

Ye Lu rubbed his forehead. This brat, gifted as he was, was already itching for a fight.

Outside, silence reigned—clearly, the Ghost Scholar understood too.

“What do you think, Master?” The Ghost Scholar, after a moment’s thought, asked the group’s usual decision-maker. His tone already expressed his stance.

Ximing looked at Ye Lu expectantly.

Indeed, Ximing needed weapons, and the advantage was he could craft them himself. Ye Lu’s instinct told him these weapons might be gruesome, likely made mostly from eerie creatures. But could he really stop Ximing from going out?

Ye Lu remained silent, contemplating.

He recalled the guard’s situation. Strictly speaking, he was familiar with it. His uncle and aunt held key positions there—Uncle He Si and Aunt He Lan, the latter being the captain. Providing dried meat to Ximing was clearly a sign of goodwill.

They needed influence within the village.

Ye Lu also considered another reason why the Ghost Scholar tacitly agreed. All three of them had just awakened new talents. Their voices in village affairs were limited; they couldn’t participate in important decisions, which was critical—especially for someone like the Ghost Scholar with strong control tendencies.

Ximing joining the guard sent a signal from their small family to the village: they were officially taking responsibility, becoming adults worthy of it.

Both aspects were crucial.

“Then go if you want!” Ye Lu rubbed his aching temples, sighing helplessly.

Ximing’s smile broadened immensely, clearly thrilled.

He happily ran outside to take over driving from the Ghost Scholar. Once he joined the guard, Ye Lu and the Ghost Scholar would share driving duties, increasing their burden. Of course, there was a benefit: Ximing could bring meat back regularly from the guard.

The caravan occasionally stopped to make fires and cook meals.

Ye Lu and the others had seen how other families with guards lived. Next door, Huang’s eldest son was in the guard—the same one who had loudly warned Ye Lu’s group to stay safe and not listen to rumors. Occasionally, he brought back fresh meat.

The fresh meat was still bloody but not dripping blood. At a glance, it appeared to be a hind leg, covered in gray-black scales.

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Ye Lu and his two companions shared a few small chunks. The taste was average, the texture tough and chewy. The only advantage was its rich eerie energy, which accelerated their recovery.

Their family’s grain supplies were already meager compared to others, and with three of them to feed, having Ximing bring back meat was a good choice.

Ye Lu slowly ate a cornmeal flatbread, a recipe the Ghost Scholar learned from Aunt Huang next door. It was ordinary cornmeal mixed with a bit of white millet—energizing and filling. Aunt Huang said her son could go all day without hunger eating these.

Ye Lu tried it and found it quite good.

Still, their grain supplies were only depleting more slowly, never stopping. Ye Lu sat cross-legged, frowning in thought. He didn’t want to ask outside relatives for grain; originally, their family’s food was sufficient. It was only because the three of them were together that it fell short. Since he had promised, he wouldn’t go back on his word or ask others for help.

Besides, it was a famine period—everyone’s rations were limited.

“Still thinking about food?” The Ghost Scholar entered the carriage, immediately seeing Ye Lu’s expression and understanding his thoughts. The grain container was visible; water was sufficient, thanks to Uncle He Qi bringing plenty for the three.

“Yeah.” Ye Lu leaned back against the carriage and closed his eyes briefly. “Too bad we can’t hunt or forage now.”

“Not possible for a while.” The Ghost Scholar was more optimistic. Sitting cross-legged, he propped up his chin. “Ximing’s still stressed; otherwise, he wouldn’t be so focused on making weapons and preparing for fights. He’s protecting himself. We haven’t left danger far behind yet. We can wait on food until after we escape.”

“And you? How’s your cultivation?” Ye Lu nodded, accepting the Ghost Scholar’s advice while inquiring about his progress. The lingering danger naturally worried him.

Among the three, Ye Lu and Ximing worried about the Ghost Scholar’s cultivation. Ximing chose to train hard for combat to protect his brothers, while Ye Lu asked directly. The Ghost Scholar himself was calm, radiating a fearless, almost lazy demeanor.

He smiled faintly: “Soon.”

“No rush. Didn’t Uncle He Qi say that this pace is normal for cultivation?” He even comforted Ye Lu.

Ye Lu made a thoroughly rude face. Seeing the Ghost Scholar like this annoyed him, yet he couldn’t strike him. Once they settled down, he vowed silently to bury this brat in the fields.

The two brothers exchanged private glances.

The next day, Ye Lu took Ximing to the guard and handed him over to He Lan, who had been waiting in the carriage. Upon seeing the lightning glow in Ximing’s palm, He Lan grinned widely. She even looked up at Ye Lu, asking about his own choice.

“Lu, do you want to join the guard? Aside from the danger, there are many perks. The guard is the village’s military force, holding influence within and access to resources outside. If it weren’t so risky, more would join.”

“Your talent is secondary, but I feel you’re more than that. Your mother was quite remarkable back then.” He Lan rubbed her chin, appraising Ye Lu up and down. Indeed, Lu’s appearance was extraordinary—by her years of experience, the first she’d seen.

His father was good-looking, but Lu surpassed him.

The young man’s black hair and pale skin were striking, noble, and composed. His aura was unique, saturated with eerie energy, calm yet vibrant beneath the surface.