Wait… I’m a Druid in a Cultivation World?! - Chapter 21

Not long after Boss Gao began helping Qi Ping search for spirit beasts, Qi Ping and Nan Jie quickly gathered the rest of their ordinary supplies.

Though it was still early in the day, they decided it would be safer to head back sooner rather than later.

Nan Jie had only given Qi Ping a brief, surprised look when he mentioned buying a spirit beast to Boss Gao. After leaving the merchant guild, she didn’t bring it up again.

If Qi Ping didn’t volunteer an explanation, she wouldn’t ask.

Clearly, Qi Ping had his own secrets or plans, and if he wasn’t sharing them, it meant he didn’t want to discuss them.

This was an important aspect of forming friendships among rogue cultivators—being sincere and supportive while respecting each other’s privacy.

Prying into another’s secrets was a major taboo in the cultivation world.

After all, every cultivator had their own hidden cards, even rogue ones—especially when it came to their last-resort techniques.

Only when both parties willingly shared their secrets did it mean their relationship had reached a truly close level.

Someone like Lin Chaoyang—a carefree young master from a wealthy family—was a rare sight in the cultivation world, practically an oddity.

Qi Ping knew this well. Nan Jie was a sharp and trustworthy woman, which was why he hadn’t hesitated to discuss purchasing a spirit beast in front of her.

Of course, it also wasn’t something he needed to hide too carefully. The truly important secrets, he would never reveal under any circumstances.

…..

At the entrance of the Greenstone Market, Qi Ping and Nan Jie gazed at the road ahead, their expressions tense with worry.

“Xiao Qi, we need to be extra careful on the way back. My spirit sense feels uneasy—like there’s something bad coming.”

“Nan Jie, they say a woman’s intuition is the sharpest. Don’t scare me like this—you know I’m easily frightened.”

Cultivators sometimes had inexplicable premonitions of impending danger—a restless heart, an agitated spirit.

The more perceptive a person was, the more sensitive they became to such warnings. Nan Jie was clearly one of those people.

Old Man Zhou had mentioned before that Nan Jie had foreseen several crises in the past, and thanks to thorough preparation, she had always managed to survive them.

“Xiao Qi, I’m not joking. We should prepare. Did you bring any poison?” Nan Jie’s expression was grave as she looked at Qi Ping.

“I did.” He nodded solemnly.

Seeing her seriousness, Qi Ping knew this was no laughing matter.

Fortunately, he had been cautious this time—he had brought most of his Golden Marrow Bees with him. Aside from the hundred on his person, another five to six hundred were hidden in the distant woods outside the Greenstone Market.

After feeding on honey infused with a higher concentration of Blood Ginseng, these bees had grown significantly stronger.

The thought of them eased some of Qi Ping’s unease.

“Good. I brought plenty too. Let’s find a spot and plan how to use them.”

A short while later, the two crouched in a secluded corner outside the market, sorting through their poisons—powders, liquids, and more.

After a long silence, Nan Jie finally spoke:

“Xiao Qi, we’ll divide these into sixteen portions—eight each. We’ll apply them to our hands, feet, and weapons.”

“I also have a few needle-type artifacts. We’ll coat them with the most potent poison. If the enemy gets distracted by the powder, we’ll strike immediately with the needles.”

“If the enemy is too strong, stay behind me. I’ll engage them first while you look for an opening to use the poison.”

Nan Jie meticulously explained every detail of their poison tactics, even rehearsing them with Qi Ping several times.

By the end, Qi Ping was stunned.

Poison could be used like this?!

With Nan Jie’s methods, even a first-level Qi Refining cultivator like him could potentially injure a mid-level Qi Refining expert if caught off guard. The odds weren’t high, and timing was crucial—but Nan Jie would create that opportunity for him.

After all, even mid-level Qi Refining cultivators couldn’t maintain high-intensity spiritual shielding indefinitely—the energy drain was too great.

And if their defenses wavered even slightly, needle artifacts could pierce through.

Against someone of the same level, Qi Ping estimated that if he faced Nan Jie unprepared, his chances of being poisoned would be at least eighty percent!

Her poison techniques were terrifyingly unpredictable.

Old Man Zhou had once mentioned Nan Jie’s skill with poisons, but Qi Ping hadn’t fully grasped it until now.

Compared to her, he was a complete amateur!

This also served as a stark reminder—the dangers of cultivation combat were far more brutal than he had imagined.

He was still painfully inexperienced. From now on, no matter what, he had to proceed with extreme caution.

…..

After a few more practice runs to ensure no mistakes, the two finally set off with utmost vigilance.

For extra safety, they even took a less-traveled path.

But this did little to ease their nerves.

Premonitions of danger were like erratic warning instincts—sometimes accurate, sometimes not.

Changing routes or delaying their return might help them avoid danger—or lead them straight into it.

The threat could be on the main road, the side path, or even lying in wait if they stayed overnight and left the next day. Or it might not come at all.

There was no discernible pattern.

The only thing they could do was exactly what Nan Jie was doing—prepare for everything and stay alert.

On the road back, the two moved cautiously, avoiding spots that seemed ideal for ambushes.

They barely spoke, fearing conversation would distract them and leave them open to hidden attacks.

Meanwhile, Qi Ping discreetly directed his Golden Marrow Bees to scout the area ahead.

They made it through most of the journey without incident, allowing them a small sigh of relief.

Just a little farther, and they would reach the Misty Cloud Mountains.

As one of Qingstone County’s key resource zones, the mountains were regularly patrolled by guards from the Green Valley Sect and the three great families. Most bandit cultivators wouldn’t dare act there—any fight could quickly draw unwanted attention.

But their relief was short-lived.

As they entered a forested stretch of the path, Qi Ping suddenly sensed something wrong.

Yet Nan Jie noticed nothing, and his scouting bees hadn’t detected anything unusual either.

But Qi Ping knew his perception was heightened in wooded areas, thanks to his Druid of the Grove profession.

In the forest, he could doubt many things—but never the instincts of a druid in their natural domain.

Without hesitation, he quietly summoned his bees, readying them for battle.

At the same time, he grabbed Nan Jie’s arm, stopping her mid-step.

“Nan Jie, something’s off!” His eyes flashed a warning.

Though she sensed nothing, Nan Jie trusted him and halted immediately, her guard rising to its peak.

She knew Qi Ping wouldn’t act like this without reason.

While she didn’t understand how he had detected anything, some cultivators did possess unexpected talents—herself included.

Now wasn’t the time to question it.

Just as she was about to ask for details, two figures—previously undetectable—burst from the undergrowth in a lethal blur!