Li Tongya had finished attending the funeral and had changed out of his white robe when he realized that it was about time for the market at Moongaze Lake to open. He packed up the leather of demonic creatures and materials he had gathered in recent days and headed north.0

Patrolling the reeds a few times, he had hoped to seize the moment and gather a wisp of River Pure Qi in the river. To his dismay, he was greeted by a dry, withered landscape, forcing him to leave… empty-handed and disheartened.1

“After months of drought, the rivers have dried up, and the once vibrant reeds have turned yellow. There’s no chance of finding any River Pure Qi in the river,” he muttered to himself in disappointment.0

Leaving the reeds behind, Li Tongya rode the wind toward Moongaze Lake. The waterline had receded about thirty miles, revealing fish carcasses covered in maggots and many small...0