Sobbing echoed through the damp cave, a raw, broken sound that bounced off the wet cave walls.
In the faint light filtering through the entrance fo cave, a naked girl knelt on the cold ground, her shoulders shaking as she gathered her discarded clothes.
Tears tracked down her dusty cheeks, carving pale paths through the mud and signs of wounds. Her fingers shook as she pulled the coarse hemp robe over her shoulders, folding the faded collar across her chest.
The rough linen caught against her scraped collarbone, and she fumbled blindly to tie the fraying sash around her waist when footsteps scuffed at the cave mouth.
Ji Ma Ko stepped inside, his silhouette lean and sharp against the daylight.
He was a middle-aged man, so thin his bones seemed to press against his skin, but there was a coiled tension in his frame that spoke of hidden strength in his soul. His eyes, dark and hungry, fixed on the girl.
"Leaving so soon?" he said, his voice a dry rasp.
The girl flinched, clutching her clothes tighter to her chest. She didn’t answer.
He crossed the space between them in three quick strides. Before she could move, he grabbed her chin, his fingers digging into her jaw. He tilted her face up and kissed her, a wet, disgusting press of his lips against hers, his tongue pushing past her teeth. She gagged, tried to turn her head, but he held her firm.
When he pulled back, he grinned, showing yellowed teeth. Then he brought his other hand down hard on her buttock. The slap echoed in the cave, sharp and mean.
"Tell your village head," he said, still gripping her chin. "Send the girls early and make sure they are virgins just like you. No used goods, no runts. Fresh. Understand?"
Tears welled in her eyes again. She nodded, a jerky movement.
"Good." He released her, giving her a little shove toward the entrance. "Now get out. And remember, if the tribute is not upto my satisfaction, I’ll come collect myself. Your village won’t like that."
The girl stumbled out of the cave, her sobs fading into the distance as she disappeared into the forest with a man, who was waiting for her.
This man was none other than the girl’s father, who had to send his daughter to this monster, so he won’t come and kill them all. The man looked empty, as if he didn’t have capacity to even be sad.
Ji Ma Ko watched her go, then turned his gaze to the wolves resting outside. Five hundred of them, maybe more, a sea of grey fur and yellow eyes spread across the rocky clearing.
They were his, every last one, bound to him. He was a beast tamer path spirit master, and this pack was his strength.
He walked to the cave mouth and picked up a bucket of raw meat. With a casual flick of his wrist, he tossed chunks into the air. The wolves lunged, snapping and snarling, a frenzy of teeth and hunger.
"Eat up," he murmured, a cruel smile playing on his lips.
He thought of the Dong village beauty that he had seen while hunting with his wolf pack the other day. She was a rare sight among mortals. Fresh, untouched, with skin like moonlight and hair like black silk. This chapter was copied from novelping.com without permission.
Ji Ma Ko licked his lips. "This is just a light snack before I eat a huge meal," he said aloud, to no one but the wolves.
One of the larger beasts, a blood wolf with a scar across its muzzle, lifted its head and growled softly, as if in agreement.
Ji Ma Ko laughed, a dry, hacking sound. "Mortals are like cattle. They exist to serve us. To feed us. It doesn’t matter If I impregnate hundred or thousand mortal women, as long as it doesn’t disrupt the supply of food to the clan, they won’t bother with these mortals."
He threw another piece of meat, watching the wolves fight over it. His mind drifted back to the beauty, her delicate wrists, the curve of her body, the way she’d trembled when he looked at her.
"Tomorrow," he repeated, savoring the word. "Tomorrow, another fresh girl."
He was Ji Ma Ko, the spirit master who terrorized these mountains, who demanded tribute from every mortal village within his reach. He took what he wanted, when he wanted it. And what he wanted now was mortal beauties from all around the mountain.
The sun began to set, casting long shadows across the clearing. Ji Ma Ko retreated into the cave, leaving his wolves to their meal. He settled onto a pile of furs, his thin frame almost disappearing into the pelts.
He closed his eyes, imagining the girl’s face.
Ji Ma Ko smiled in the darkness. "Enjoy your rest while you can, little fairy," he whispered. "Starting tomorrow, such peace will be forever beyond your reach."
***
Deep within his spiritual soul, Hua Ke floated gently above the quiet surface of his spirit essence. Because he was currently in the middle stage of Rank 1, the essence below him was thin, colorless, and completely watery.
He knew that as his rank increased, this spiritual essence sea would gradually become incredibly thick and radiantly colorful. Right now, however, it was turbulent and unstable.
In the outside world, a rich green aura violently pulsed around his physical body. He sat with his legs crossed on the bed, a precious Jade stone gripped tightly in each of his palms.
*Crack!*
A sharp sound broke the total silence of the room. The glowing green stones in his hands shattered into useless gray dust, all their spiritual energy completely drained.
Hua Ke did not even pause. He immediately grabbed another pair of stones and resumed his deep meditation.
If any sect elder saw this display, they would cough up blood in sheer anger. Jade stones were highly valuable resources. While they were not exactly rare, using them purely to restore spirit essence during a brute force cultivation session was absolute madness. New chapters come out on g.com first.
Most cultivators knew that rushing the cultivation was foolish. Without supreme talent or a special heaven born spirit, absorbing raw energy this fast was entirely wasteful.
Cultivation was not a race, and Jade stones were strictly meant for emergency recovery, not continuous burning.
*Crack!*
The next pair of stones shattered into fine powder.
Hua Ke gasped heavily, his eyes snapping open. Sweat poured down his pale face, completely soaking through his robes. The physical and mental exhaustion of rapidly draining and refilling his spirit essence was an agonizing torture.
There was a strict limit to how much a spirit master could endure, and he was dancing right on the very edge of it.
"This is the fourth set of Jade stones," Hua Ke muttered through gritted teeth, his breath incredibly ragged. "I can feel the barrier holding me back. I am nowhere close to forcing my soul into the Rank 1 upper stage!"
He reached out with trembling fingers, desperately grabbing another two stones.
Outside the wooden window, Cui Cui stood watching. Her delicate face was twisted in deep sorrow.
"Young master..." she whispered softly to herself, nervously biting her lower lip. "You are still severely injured, yet you are torturing yourself like this."
In her mind, the situation was extremely clear.
This noble cultivator was using a dangerous forbidden method to heal and grow stronger and heal quickly, and he was doing it entirely to protect her and her village. The sheer agony clearly visible on his face made her heart ache terribly.
"I must help him," she resolved silently.
Cui Cui quickly turned away, rushing off with quiet steps. A few moments later, she returned carrying a wooden basin filled with cool water and a soft dry cloth.
She carefully pushed the wooden door open and slipped inside the room. The oppressive green aura made it hard to breathe, but she bravely stepped closer to his side. She looked at his heavily breathing, drenched body and felt her face grow incredibly warm from the sight.
She gulped loudly, her hands trembling slightly as she dipped the cloth into the water.
"Please don’t force yourself, young master." she muttered in a voice barely above a whisper. "Doing this all for our sake...for my sake."
What Hua Ke didn’t realize was that it wasn’t just him and Cui Cui who were observing this whole scenario. There was another woman hidden inside Hua Ke’s soul, floating and watching him try to break the wall of cultivation.
"My inheritor... you are doing it wrong. You are a lust path cultivator, not a normal one... so Jade Stones are not your most valuable resource. It is your penis, just like my vagina was to me," the woman muttered with a smile, knowing it was time to make her appearance clear not with words, but with actions.