Strongest Scammer: Scamming The World, One Death At A Time-Chapter 711: The Frost Bane Guardian Pill

A few days passed in near silence as Han Yu continued his journey toward Harrow Edge Town, putting deliberate distance between himself and everything that had happened within the depths of the Harrow Mountains.

He forced his mind into a disciplined stillness, suppressing stray thoughts the same way he suppressed wandering Qi during cultivation.

In a place like this, even a moment of distraction could become a fatal weakness. The mountains were not merely hostile. They were indifferent. They did not care whether one was cautious or arrogant, only whether one made a mistake.

Each day followed a strict routine.

Han Yu traveled during the brightest hours, keeping to routes where visibility was highest and retreat paths were always available. When the light began to fade, he sought shelter immediately, never allowing himself to be caught traveling during dusk or night unless absolutely necessary.

He avoided valleys where sound carried too well and turned into echos as well as cliffs where ambush predators could strike from above. His movements were smooth and measured, his spirit sense extended to its full range whenever his Qi allowed, sweeping the surroundings again and again until the terrain itself felt familiar.

The Harrow Mountains remained as dangerous as ever.

Beasts still prowled, and distant roars occasionally echoed through the stone corridors formed by the peaks. Yet Han Yu did not encounter any serious threats during these days. He killed only when necessary, conserving his strength and refusing to attract attention.

Most of his meals came from smaller beasts he hunted quickly and efficiently, cooking their meat with the spices he had purchased earlier.

The difference was remarkable. Even simple cuts of meat tasted rich when seasoned properly, and the Spirit Cinnamon Whiskey warmed him from the inside, dulling the edge of the cold without clouding his senses.

Despite his efforts to keep his mind empty, his thoughts occasionally drifted back to the Frost Bane Guardian Pill hidden carefully within his storage pouch.

He did not take it out nor did he even inspect it again. He knew its value too well to risk unnecessary exposure. From everything he knew, the pill could nullify or drastically weaken even the most extreme forms of ice Qi, including techniques wielded by Peak Dao Shell realm cultivators.

Against a Dao Treading realm cultivator, it would still provide protection, but only against the elemental aspect of their power. The Dao itself could not be blocked so easily.

That limitation was important. It reminded Han Yu that the pill was not a tool for victory, but a tool for survival. At best, it could buy time. At worst, it could become a false sense of security that led him into an unwinnable confrontation.

The pill’s effect was also temporary, lasting no more than one or two hours depending on usage. Against a truly powerful opponent, endurance alone would decide the outcome once the effect faded.

Even so, the pill represented something he had not possessed before. A margin. A chance.

And inevitably, that chance made him think of the Cold Silk Orchid.

At first, the thought came uninvited, slipping into his mind during meditation like a forbidden temptation. He pushed it away immediately, reminding himself of the Frost Wing Wyvern and the Nascent Soul realm beasts he had encountered before.

But the thought returned again and again, each time lingering a little longer. With every repetition, his resistance weakened.

Han Yu had never seriously believed he could obtain the Cold Silk Orchid before. The plant itself was rare, but rarity was not the true problem. It was the guardian. In places like the Harrow Mountains, spiritual treasures did not survive unclaimed unless something powerful was protecting them.

Han Yu had always assumed that the guardian would be at least Nascent Soul realm, possibly stronger. Before, such a foe would have meant certain death.

Now, the calculation was different.

He had fought Danqing Xun, a being whose existence was closer to a Nascent Soul realm entity than not. Even though he had not defeated it alone, the battle had proven something critical.

His soul skills worked. Against entities tied to the soul, his abilities were not merely effective. They were devastating. Even against corporeal Nascent Soul realm beings, his soul techniques could still interfere, disrupt, and create openings.

That realization changed everything.

Han Yu was not foolish enough to believe he could defeat a Nascent Soul realm guardian head on. But he did not need to. He only needed to survive long enough to take the herb and escape.

With the Frost Bane Guardian Pill, he could potentially ignore the guardian’s ice based attacks for a short time. With his Dancing Flame Arts, he had confidence in his ability to extract or sever the Cold Silk Orchid quickly without damaging it.

And with his improved soul cultivation, he believed he could disrupt the guardian just enough to create an opening.

But it was still incredibly dangerous. One mistake would mean death.

Yet... the potential reward was immense.

If he succeeded and brought the Cold Silk Orchid back to the sect, presenting it directly to the Peak Head of the Kidney Peak, the benefits would be immeasurable. Favor from a Peak Head was not something spirit stones could buy.

Protection, resources, guidance, and even future exemptions or privileges could follow. Compared to that, sacrificing a single defensive pill was a trivial cost.

Han Yu did not decide immediately.

He let the thought settle, turning it over again and again, examining every angle. He did not let ambition override caution. Instead, he resolved to make the decision only if the opportunity presented itself naturally. He would not go out of his way to search for the orchid. But if he encountered signs of it while traveling, he would not turn away.

For now, it remained a distant possibility. A calculated risk waiting for the right moment.

The mountains continued to stretch endlessly ahead of him, their snow covered peaks merging into the pale sky. Each step took him farther from Riverglade Town and deeper into isolation.

The wind howled through narrow passes, carrying with it the faint scent of blood and cold stone. Han Yu moved through it all with steady determination, his figure small against the vastness of the terrain.

In the Harrow Mountains, dreams were cheap and lives were not. Han Yu knew that better than anyone now.

For the moment, survival came first. Everything else could wait.