Chapter Four: Spirit Fruit
The system notification sounded in his mind, and Hao Tian was overjoyed. However, he did not check the system immediately. Instead, he turned around and walked quickly toward Tie Han, who was still sitting on the ground in a daze.
At this moment, Tie Han's mouth was wide open, big enough to fit an egg. He stared intently at Hao Tian with his wide, bull-like eyes, as if he were seeing this friend for the first time.
"Tian...Brother Tian?"
Tie Han stammered, as if trying to confirm whether the person in front of him had been possessed by some powerful being.
Hao Tuan sheathed his longsword, a smile appearing on his face. He extended his hand: "What? Don't you recognize me? Aren't you getting up?"
Seeing those familiar hands and smiles, Tie Han finally realized what was happening.
"Wow! Brother Tian, you're amazing!"
With a loud laugh, Tie Han completely forgot his injuries and leaped up from the ground. Instead of grabbing Hao Tian's hand, he opened his two arms, as thick as bear arms, and gave Hao Tian a bear hug.
"My God! Two sword strikes! You chased those two bastards away in just two moves! That was so satisfying! So awesome!"
Tie Han was so excited that he was incoherent, and the enormous force he exerted made Hao Tian's bones crack.
"Cough cough...Stop! Stop!"
Tie Han's body is naturally very strong, and just his physical body has strength of more than a hundred pounds, and when he hugged with such strength, this made Hao Tian almost faint, and his face instantly turned red.
"Idiot! Let go of me!"
Hao Tian struggled to free half his head from Tie Han's tight embrace and cursed irritably:
"If you don't let go, believe me, I'll beat you up too! Let go, or you'll strangle me to death before Zhang Hu."
Upon hearing Hao Tian's words, Tie Han finally realized his mistake. He quickly let go, scratched the back of his head, and chuckled foolishly, which aggravated the wound on his lip, causing him to wince in pain.
"Hehe, I'm just too excited... Brother Tian, you really broke through? Doesn't that mean no one will dare to look down upon you anymore?"
Seeing Tie Han's sincere and simple smile, Hao Tian felt a warmth in his heart. He gently patted Tie Han's shoulder.
"That's right, I will never be bullied again or endure any kind of shame, even if it is Zhang Hu; I will not step back."
Seeing Hao Tian like this, Tie Han's eyes flashed with admiration. He secretly swore that he will be strong, just like Brother Han, and won't let anyone bully him.
"Tie Han, tell me honestly, although Wang Yinghu and Zhao Yan are usually arrogant and domineering, they wouldn't ambush you at the foot of the mountain for no reason. Those cowardly bullies wouldn't go to such lengths without a substantial incentive. What is it for?"
When Tie Han heard Hao Tian's question, his expression became evasive, his eyes darting around, as if he had great concerns.
"It's because... because I owed them a few spirit stones a while ago..." Tie Han stammered, his voice so low it was like a mosquito's hum.
Hao Tian paused, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Tie Han, we are brothers. If you don't want to talk, I won't force you. But if there's a problem or you need my help, just ask me once."
Tie Han suddenly felt very guilty for lying to Hao Tian, and he hurriedly spoke.
"I'll talk! I'll talk!" Tie Han suddenly became anxious, grabbed Hao Tian's sleeve, looked around to make sure no one was around, and then lowered his voice, and his expression became extremely solemn.
"Brother Tian, it's not that I'm trying to hide it; it's just that this matter… is too big. If it gets out, it would be very dangerous." Tie Han swallowed hard, leaned close to Hao Tian's ear, and said in a trembling voice, "I've discovered a… Crimson Flame Spirit Fruit."
"The Crimson Flame Spirit Fruit?" Hao Tian was slightly startled upon hearing this.
In the Great Desolate Continent, spiritual herbs are divided into nine grades, with one being the lowest and nine being the highest. Although the Crimson Flame Spiritual Fruit is only a first-grade spiritual herb, it is a treasure for disciples in the Martial Origin stage! It contains extremely pure fire-type spiritual power. If one can consume it, it can increase the cultivation realm by one level without any side effects. Moreover, it also has the miraculous effects of cleansing the marrow and bones and widening the meridians.
In the market, a single Crimson Flame Spirit Fruit can sell for at least two hundred low-grade spirit stones! For an outer sect disciple who can only receive three spirit stones per month, this is undoubtedly an enormous fortune.
"How did you find out?" Hao Tian asked in a deep voice.
"Just three days ago, to raise some money for my family, I risked my life to gather herbs at the edge of the Purple Mist Forest behind the mountain. You know, it's dangerous there, but you can occasionally find some good stuff." A hint of fear flashed in Tie Han's eyes. "To escape an Ironback Wolf, I hurriedly scurried into a hidden cave. Deep inside that cave, I smelled a strange fragrance… There was a Crimson Flame Spirit Fruit Tree there, with a fruit on it. Judging by its color, it would be fully ripe in two days at most!"
At this point, Tie Han gritted his teeth, a hint of hatred flashing in his honest eyes. "Originally, I planned to go after it when it ripens completely. Who knew that today, those two bastards, Wang Yinghu and Zhao Yan, somehow heard rumors that I had found treasure and insisted on forcing me to hand it over? I refused, and then they..."
Hao Tian nodded, understanding dawning on his mind. "A common man is innocent, but possessing a treasure is a crime." In this dog-eat-dog world of cultivation, a weakling with no real power who possesses the secret of a treasure is guilty in itself.
"Brother Tian," Tie Han suddenly raised his head, looking intently at Hao Tian with a hint of pleading and determination in his eyes. "Actually, the reason I refused to tell them even at the cost of my life wasn't because I was greedy for the spirit fruit to exchange for money. It was for my father!"
"My father was seriously injured while hunting in the mountains a few days ago and is now bedridden. The doctor said...that unless there's a miraculous elixir, he won't survive the winter. If I can sell this Crimson Flame Spirit Fruit, then I will be able to buy any elixir to save my father."
As Tie Han spoke, his eyes were already red-rimmed. He gripped Hao Tian's hand tightly, as if grasping at a last straw: "Brother Tian, I'm only at the third level of Martial Origin right now. That Ironback Wolf usually roams around that cave; it is a mid-stage first-order demonic beast, and I might not be able to take the Crimson Flame Spirit Fruit under its watchful eyes with my own abilities."
"But Brother Tian, if you help me, then there will be a chance." As Tie Han said this, he became excited. "Brother Tian, the strength you just displayed... you've probably reached the fourth level of Martial Origin, right? As long as you're willing to help me, we brothers can definitely get the spirit fruit before they do! If we succeed, I only need a hundred spirit stones. The market price of Crimson Flame Spirit Fruit is at least two hundred spirit stones, and you can have the remaining hundred spirit stones. Brother Tian, please don't say no!"
Seeing the hopeful look in Tie Han's eyes, Hao Tian finally spoke.
"Alright." Hao Tian nodded heavily after calculating in his mind. "I've decided to help you with this."
If he can get the Crimson Flame Spirit Fruit and sell it, and it could give him one hundred spirit stones, then it will solve his biggest problem right now, which is paying back his debt.
Moreover, Tie Han was his friend, and he could not see his father dying like that, so he finally decided to help Tie Han. In any case, even if they fail, they can safely retreat.
"Brother Tian..." Tie Han's voice trembled, and tears of emotion almost welled up in his eyes. He wiped his face forcefully. "Alright! Since Brother Tian has helped me today, I, Tie Han, will forever remember this kindness."
...
Inside a rather luxuriously decorated courtyard in the outer disciples' residential area.
In the center of the hall stood a young man dressed in brocade robes, his face grim and filled with rage. He was tall and imposing, emanating a chilling oppressive aura, clearly indicating a very high level of cultivation. This man was none other than Zhang Hu, a powerful figure at the ninth level of the Martial Origin Realm and the number one Outer Door disciple of the White Star Sect.
On the ground in front of him, Wang Yinghu and Zhao Yan were kneeling, trembling, and not daring to lift their heads. Wang Yinghu's calves were wrapped in thick bandages, and blood was still seeping out; Zhao Yan's shoulders were swollen high, and his face was as pale as paper.
"Trash!" Zhang Hu roared. "Look at you two! Wailing like dying pigs. Who did this? Did you provoke an inner sect disciple?"
Wang Yinghu threw himself to the ground, kowtowing despite the pain in his leg. "Boss, it wasn't an inner sect disciple! It was... it was Hao Tian!"
"Who?" Zhang Hu narrowed his eyes, thinking he heard wrong.
"Hao Tian! That trash from the western corner!" Zhao Yan cried out. "We were just teaching that fool Tie Han a lesson, trying to get some info for you, Boss, when Hao Tian showed up. He... he had a sword. He broke my shoulder and snapped Wang's leg in one move!"
"Hao Tian?" Jian Hong, who had been silent, stepped forward, his face full of disbelief. "That's impossible. I beat him half to death this morning. His meridians were nearly shattered by a failed breakthrough. He was lying in his own filth when I left him. How could he even stand up, let alone fight? How dare you lie before Brother Zhang?"
"Jian... Brother Jian, we...we are not lying!" Wang Yinghu cried, kowtowing desperately as he tried to explain, "It's just that Hao Tian is too strange! He's not the useless Martial Origin Level 3 guy he used to be! His sword... his sword is terrifyingly fast, and his strength is extraordinary. In just one move... just one move, he crippled my leg! He must be hiding his strength, at least... at least he's at the peak of Martial Origin Level 4!"
"Peak of the fourth level of Martial Origin?" Zhang Hu sneered, his eyes full of disdain and contempt. "So what if he is at the fourth level of Martial Origin? In my eyes, he is still an ant that I can crush at will! This brat is incredibly audacious, daring to injure my people. This is a blatant slap in my face! If I don't cripple him, how can I maintain my standing in the outer sect?"
A malicious glint flashed in his eyes.
"Jian Hong!" Zhang Hu ordered coldly.
"Brother Zhang." Jian Hong responded, already knowing full well what Zhang Hu was going to say next.
Zhang Hu turned around and spoke with a malicious glint in his eyes, "Since that brat is courting death, then don't blame me for being ruthless. Jian Hong, you go there yourself. Whether he's at the third or fourth level of Martial Origin, I want you to break all the tough bones in his body and make him crawl to me like a dead dog!"
At this point, Zhang Hu paused, a cruel smile curling at the corner of his mouth: "Also, if he can't come up with those sixty spirit stones... tie him up and send him directly to the mines of my Zhang family. A young and strong cultivator, even if his cultivation is low, should still be worth those sixty spirit stones working as a laborer in the mines!"
Wang Yinghu and Zhao Yan, kneeling on the ground, couldn't help but shudder upon hearing this, completely knowing what kind of hell the Zhao family's mining area was.
Jian Hong cracked his knuckles as a cruel smile spread across his face.
"Don't worry, Boss. This morning I went easy on him because I wanted the money. This time... I'll make sure he regrets being born. A fourth-level trash thinks he can turn the sky upside down? I, Jian Hong, am at the seventh level. I will crush him like a bug."
With that, he grabbed a heavy steel mace from the weapon rack near the entrance, turned round, and strode away.