Reclamation

Heaven and earth were pitch-black. Over ninety percent of the explored lands had no Fire Springs; it was truly a boundless, perpetual night. The flying ship *Shanhe* cut through clouds and mist, cruising at high speed. It lacked the cold sheen of metal, appearing dusty-gray with an understated, antique simplicity, yet its sleek lines made clear it was no relic of the past. This was a new model, mass-produced only in the last two months, boasting extraordinary speed and reliable safety. Intricate runes were interwoven across the hull, holding up a soft protective barrier. This Great Reclamation was marching all the way west! Yu Gensheng stood on the deck and said, "The immortal path leads the way, supported by the Newborn path and the esoteric sect. Our main goal is to broaden your horizons. A grand era has arrived. Others have already embarked on expeditions, and you cannot simply sit back in comfort watching from the rear." Qin Ming listened quietly. Beside him stood Xin Youdao, who had once claimed top honors in the Eighty-One Cities tournament. In truth, those aboard the ship were not limited to practitioners of the Newborn path; anyone originating from Shanhe Academy qualified. Behind them, ship after ship taking off from Kunling carried disciples of their respective academies or sanctuaries. As for the purely Newborn path forces, they set out from their ancestral grounds—institutions like the Yinyang Daoist Temple, the Rulai Sect, and the Pure Yang Palace were all taking part. Many disciples aboard the ship kept glancing at Qin Ming. Ever since his true identity and part of his battle record had been revealed, his fame in the Newborn path had soared, and he was regarded as possessing patriarch-grade natural talent. Apart from Liu Hanya, "Money-Grubber" Qian Chuan, Tang Jun, and the others, there were also many seasoned cultivators aboard. "Senior Brother, you answered the call as well?" Qin Ming spotted Jin Xiang among the crowd. Jin Xiang chuckled. "Hey, even though your senior brother hasn't made much of himself, as an outstanding graduate from twenty years ago who lives right in Kunling City, when the summons came, of course I responded immediately." Qin Ming genuinely admired him. Unbothered by the strange looks of others, Jin Xiang had spent twenty years in Kunling pulling carts in his true form, tempering his heart in the mortal world with remarkable composure. Jin Xiang was no longer in his golden ram form, which was sturdier than an ox or horse; he had assumed human shape, with a head of long golden hair framing two blade-like horns, looking strikingly rugged and martial. A middle-aged man among the crowd spoke up, "Old Jin, don't be modest. In our graduating classes, you ranked first in combat. Tempering your heart for twenty years was also twenty years of honing your blade. The moment you prepared to draw it, I knew you had gathered enough momentum. Your sharp edge will finally show, and you will soar to the heavens!" Jin Xiang waved his hands dismissively at once. "Don't talk nonsense. I never rose to prominence to begin with, so what's this about soaring to the heavens? I was ordinary all along, and faded into the crowd ages ago." As the group chatted, Qin Ming got to know many members of the older and middle generations—all experts who had graduated from Shanhe Academy. The west—the world's edge. Qin Ming had been here before, fighting desperate, bloody battles against demons on the Plain of Divine Demise. This place was the frontier of the Great Reclamation. The flying ship made a brief landing here to rest and regroup. When they took off again, Qin Ming noticed something: why were there fewer supply ships trailing behind? Not only that, but ships from other academies and sanctuaries in Kunling had also left some vessels behind. "The Great Reclamation isn't that simple. Contingencies and thorough preparations are needed for everything," Yu Gensheng said. Although he said no more, everyone's expressions changed. Instantly, they stopped taking things lightly and treated this journey with the utmost gravity. Yu Gensheng smiled. "Don't be nervous. It's just standard procedure." An old man yawned as he walked out of the cabin, saying, "They call this an immortal path reclamation, but in the early phase, I think they're just doing archaeology. To be blunter, it's really just grave-robbing, not yet a true Great Opening." He was Wu Chengwang of Shanhe Academy. In his youth, he had frequently entered ancient tombs and dug up a mutated version of the *Golden Cicada Classic*. He possessed formidable strength, and his skill at "archaeology" was even greater. Qin Ming knew him. Qin Ming had willingly played the fat sheep, letting Old Wu fleece him so he could resonate with the manuscript and acquire the *Golden Cicada Classic*. Wu Chengwang added, "Of course, once we cross the 'world's edge' and head deep into the night mist world, anything can happen. A chapter of blood and fire might erupt without warning. After all, what lies ahead is vast beyond measure, with no end in sight. Don't be surprised by whatever happens. Kids, keep your wits about you." Yu Gensheng nodded and said, "Compared to the depths of the night mist world, the territory we inhabit is likely just a small corner. The expanse ahead is simply too profound and boundless. A patriarch once ventured out to explore and traveled for many years. When he returned, he left a few brief instructions, saying he had to reach the very end. Yet centuries have passed, and he has never been seen again." Xin Youdao inquired earnestly, "Rumor has it that in extremely distant territories ahead, there may be Lion Camel Ridge, the supreme royal court of the demon race, and even kingdoms of evil gods. Diverse alien races exist, and near-immortal creatures can be seen. Is that true?" Yu Gensheng hesitated for a moment before finally nodding. "Judging from available records, it's likely true—and may be even more astonishing than what we know." All of this had been gathered during reclamations across generations, heard from the mouths of great migratory races from beyond the borders after brief encounters with predecessors. Yu Gensheng said, "In those legends, civilizations of all sizes are scattered like stars, dotting the pitch-black depths of the night mist. Some are... Well, there's little point in talking about that now. After all, we haven't seen them ourselves or verified them." Wu Chengwang took a sip of tea brewed with purple-gold wolfberries and remarked, "That's why reclamation is a double-edged sword. You can win ten times, but if you lose on the eleventh, you lose everything." Yu Gensheng said, "Our civilization once suffered a severance. If we wish to understand the truth of this world, our only choice is to search outward. That is why archaeology—well, digging up ancient tombs—along with reclamation, seeking out other human kingdoms, and making contact with diverse foreign civilizations, are vital pathways for exploring the true nature of this world." Dark mist churned. Even high up in the vault of heaven, not a sliver of light could be seen. Several days later, the *Shanhe* was already untold tens of thousands of li beyond the world's edge. Along the way, everyone aboard remained on high alert. Even though they had coordinates for the path ahead and the main force of the immortal path had already blazed the trail, they remained extremely cautious. During the journey, the ship paused periodically while designated personnel surveyed key landforms and meticulously recorded them. "High-grade Fire Springs!" someone exclaimed. Through the pitch-black night mist, speckles of firelight could be seen on the land below, and up ahead, a luminous river snaked across the surface. "A territory like this is bound to have cities, or powerful individual entities dwelling here." "Not necessarily!" As the ship flew past, the few who had mastered special eye techniques were quite astonished. Beside the high-grade Fire Springs grew cluster after cluster of glowing flora, their petals dense and layered. A few experts grew excited and said, "Spiritual flowers in full bloom, blanketing the ground in vast swaths! The auspicious glow they emit reaches right into the sky, and each bloom looks the size of a millstone. Could this be rare supreme medicine?" "Extremely dangerous! Do not go near them under any circumstances!" an elder warned. "What are they?" Qin Ming couldn't help asking. The elder replied, "Soul-luring flowers. They grow only by high-grade Fire Springs and emit a wondrous substance—a fragrance of the spiritual domain that no one can resist smelling. Anyone who catches its scent inevitably has their consciousness pulled from their body, drawn into the flowers to be digested and absorbed." What made it worse was that they were utterly useless. Powerful experts had severed the flowers to study them, only to find that once detached from the root, the petals emitted an unbearable stench that clung to one's spiritual field for months without fading. Several elders stepped out of the cabin to warn everyone that the uninhabited zones of the night mist world harbored all manner of bizarre species, and that they had to maintain vigilant guard at all times. The next day, on the pitch-black earth, what looked like a gigantic, blood-red eyeball stared up at the high heavens. Many looked down, observing closely. "It's a colossal mouth with Fire Springs surging inside. This thing is deeply uncanny. If you call it a living creature, its body seems to be the earth itself, completely motionless. If you call it a natural phenomenon, it's far too bizarre." Wu Chengwang explained that from the surface, one couldn't make out its full shape because it was simply too enormous, easily mistaken for a basin with flowing Fire Springs. If migrating tribes unwittingly wandered inside, it would swallow them whole. Everything seen along the way broadened the young disciples' horizons immensely. Over the next few days, they also passed lush regions that could be called splendid landscapes of mountains and rivers, where Fire Springs gurgled through mountain crevices and fiery rivers wound through plains. Such territories were inhabited by primates, but they were not human—they were towering minotaurs, each standing over five meters tall, with thick heads of green hair. Yu Gensheng said, "We know of this tribe, but haven't had deep contact with them. They count as a somewhat stronger foreign race in our neighboring regions. Their presence allows us to monitor any disturbances from the outer realms. If they are ever wiped out, the lightning sparrows we deployed will send an immediate warning, meaning a powerful foreign race has arrived at our doorstep and a major war is upon us." The young disciples were lost in thought. The minotaur tribe effectively served as sentinels guarding human territory; their rise and fall acted as an early warning system. An elder said, "In truth, what's most dangerous is the vast land stretching beyond the Plain of Divine Demise. There should be actual gods there—they've even formed a 'Godkin Society.'" Qin Ming naturally knew of the Godkin Society. Back on the Plain of Divine Demise, he had fought a bitter battle against the leader of one of their small outposts. Back then, the Godkin Society had provided intelligence to the demons, and he had nearly died because of it. "Don't underestimate the Godkin Society. It spans vast, mysterious regions across the night mist world. On our human side, the Three-Eyed Cult worships the Three-Eyed God, which might well have been founded by a deity of the Godkin Society, though they behave themselves reasonably well within our borders." *Rumble!* Down on the ground, in a primeval forest, Fire Springs had gathered into a lake. Suddenly, it erupted as an enormous tongue of fiery light lashed into the night sky, trying to lick the ship right out of the air! "What kind of monster is that?!" Everyone was shocked, struck with horror. They were cruising at an altitude measured in thousands of meters. For such a colossal, fiery-red tongue to reach up here, how gargantuan must its body be, and what did it look like? Fortunately, though the terrifying blast of air surged like an overturning sea, dispersing the night mist across the sky, the tongue still fell well short of reaching the ship. For a brief moment, dead silence fell over the high sky. Everyone had received a fright, breaking out in cold sweat. Yu Gensheng comforted everyone, saying, "It's fine. The notes for this route warned of this. Flying at this altitude won't cause issues." "This..." Many were speechless. Just a moment ago, the entire ship had nearly been licked clean. This unknown, pitch-black realm was truly perilous enough to make one's hair stand on end. "What in the world was that?" Even the outstanding graduates from Shanhe Academy who had finished school ten or twenty years ago had never learned or encountered anything like it. Yu Gensheng said, "Probably some mysterious and terrifying 'natural phenomenon.'" He hesitated slightly before offering another conjecture: "There is another possibility. It might be a lingering calamity left by a major figure of the esoteric sect who ventured into the depths of the night mist world to break through a bottleneck, but met with an accident and failed." Hearing this, everyone grew solemn. They thought of the widely circulated adage: in the night mist world, there are all manner of unknowns; not understanding them is normal, but if something is understood, that's when a truly grave problem arises. For behind understanding often lurks a far deeper, catastrophic danger. "If it was a major figure of the esoteric sect, they must have been a patriarch, right?" Xin Youdao murmured with furrowed brows. He walked the Newborn path and was also a practitioner of the esoteric sect, cultivating both paths. The esoteric sect possessed a well-developed system consisting of six realms: Wisdom Light, Spirit Capture, Inner Landscape, Plumbing the Nether, God-Perception, and Solemn Rites. Even among those walking the divine path, there were several branches. Though their realm names were identical, their methods of cultivation differed entirely. In one branch, when reaching the fifth realm, "God-Perception" meant reverently seeking audience; facing various mysterious phenomena, one showed utmost reverence and would even kowtow before true gods. And at the sixth realm, the so-called "Solemn Rites" naturally meant worshiping with absolute piety, almost like an act of pilgrimage. The other branch was completely different. Its "God-Perception" meant perceiving the god within oneself. As for its "Solemn Rites," anyone who understood them would be left dumbfounded. Throughout their solemn rites, disrespect ran rampant; it was practically about subjugating special terrain formations and "phenomena." In the eyes of practitioners of the former branch, this was utter blasphemy against the gods. In truth, by present times, the latter branch had become the mainstream. It placed the "self" at the center, regarding oneself as the one true god, ultimately aiming to tear apart the shackles of mountains, rivers, and earth veins, transcending gods and outstripping patriarchs. The ship journeyed onward, traversing the boundless world of night. Along the way, they saw boundless grasslands nourished by Fire Springs, where creatures resembling heavenly horses galloped, as well as vast mountainous forests and sweeping, deathly silent uninhabited wastes. "Situation ahead!" called out the lookout aboard the *Shanhe*. Amid the night mist, a vast horde of creatures appeared up ahead. "That is the winged race. Don't panic, there's no danger—they're in the middle of a great migration," an elder said. In the night mist, it was a massive flock of strange avian beasts. They bore slight resemblances to humans, possessing human-like faces and arms, but most of their features were avian. In dense swarms, they headed from north to south. They carried bundles on their backs and gripped spears, bone blades, and the like in their hands. The ship steered clear of them without competing for the right of way. Several leaders among the foreign race looked toward the vessel. However, as the other ships from Kunling caught up one after another and a grandmaster extended his aura outward, the winged race swiftly moved away without making any hostile moves. On the thirteenth day, they approached their destination. This was a desert—not the pitch-black, boundless "wasteland" filled with wondrous "phenomena." Although yellow sands stretched everywhere across this land, it was not so lifeless. Deep within the desert lay numerous oases accompanied by abundant Fire Springs. Ruins like immortal tombs and divine graves lay deep within this great desert. Jin Xiang said, "Something's off about this place. Fire Springs aren't scarce here, so how did it become a boundless desert?" "If this was caused by a great war, that would be terrifying. And the presence of so many massive tombs might make sense then," said Wu Chengwang, the "archaeology" master aboard. However, these were all ancient matters from long ago, bearing little relevance to the present era. The *Shanhe* not only had an accurate route map to their destination, but also guides and lightning sparrows taking flight periodically to keep in contact with the vanguard, ensuring they never veered off course. They were not in a rush, maintaining a moderate pace. On the fourteenth day, they reached their destination! In the deepest part of the desert lay an enormous oasis covered in dense forest, where Fire Springs bubbled ceaselessly and rivers and lakes abounded. Its outer region was cloaked in thick white mist; stepping inside felt as if the interior and exterior were two entirely different worlds. Here, flowers were fragrant, birds chirped, the air was fresh and pure, and the moisture was abundant—free of the dryness of the desert outside. The forested area was vast, far exceeding the typical concept of an oasis. Within the dense primeval forest, the scenery was exceptionally beautiful: Fire Springs murmured softly, various trees hung heavy with fruit, and climbing vines bore fragrant blossoms bathed in flowing rosy light. There were no murky, shadowed places; everything was bathed in a gentle, hazy glow. Five-colored deer showed no fear at the sight of humans, and white rabbits with ruby eyes hopped right up to visitors, as if straight out of a fairy tale. Several sun elves were on patrol, bowstrings drawn as they aimed toward the newcomers. "They're our people!" Immortal path members stationed here quickly called out to the foreign clan to explain. Evidently, the Newborn path and the immortal path shared a "tacit understanding" this time. Ultimately, all the ships landed outside a mountain city. The immortal path force had arrived nearly half a month ahead of them. Many humans could be seen entering and leaving the city, and Qin Ming even spotted a few familiar faces. Yu Gensheng announced, "You may look around, but don't cause trouble. It's best to return to the ships to sleep at night. If you don't plan on returning, report it in advance." With over a dozen ships from Kunling touching down, a large crowd surged toward the city, eager to take in the foreign scenery. "Brother Ming, I'll go with you," Xin Youdao stepped forward. Qin Ming nodded in agreement, then looked toward Jin Xiang. "Brother Jin, care to join us?" "Sure!" Jin Xiang gladly agreed. The three entered the city together. Built against mountains and waters, the city even had spiritual vines creeping over its walls. Inside and outside the city stood glowing spiritual trees, which, combined with lakes and graceful knolls, formed a city of magnificent natural beauty. Qin Ming remarked, "The sun elven race here totals only a few hundred thousand, right? Even so, they can produce patriarch-grade figures—and seemingly more than one. This race has formidable natural gifts!" Great trees stood everywhere in the city. Beyond standard buildings, there were also many wooden huts nestled directly in the branches. Xin Youdao commented, "If the immortal path wanted to wipe them out, it would be effortless. It seems there won't be much unrest this time; this place is too peaceful. They call it a Great Reclamation, but it's likely just excavating tombs—er, archaeology-focused." Jin Xiang shook his head. "We've technically taken our first steps into the depths of the night mist world. Anything can happen. A terrifying, bloody war might break out at any moment. We can't let our guard down!" Knowing Yu Gensheng as he did, things were likely not so simple. Most importantly, it seemed the immortal path had actively invited the Newborn path and the esoteric sect to follow, which was rather intriguing. Qin Ming nodded. "Right. In a foreign realm, we must never be careless. We should treat this as though a true war of pioneering lies ahead." "Oh? An acquaintance!" He quickened his pace. Ahead, a sun elf stood out from the rest, wearing a hat. Although his back was turned, Qin Ming recognized him at a glance. "Guang Yu, long time no see! I've missed you dearly!" Qin Ming drifted down the street like a ghost, silently coming up behind him and patting his shoulder. Guang Yu jumped in fright. Spinning around and seeing who it was, he nearly caught fire on the spot, his eyes bulging. He desperately wanted to snap: *Who asked you to miss me? You're like a lingering ghost—it's only been a month and here you are again!* He still couldn't let it go. In their duel, not only had his Duke of Thunder pure land been shattered, but he had also had his head shaved bald. "Don't get agitated. I have an immensely important letter here that must be delivered into the hands of Grandmaster Qionghui or Liguang." Qin Ming shoved it into his chest with lightning speed. Then, putting on a stern expression, he added, "You must not delay this matter!" Guang Yu was thoroughly bluffed. Sensing that the matter seemed exceedingly grave, he swallowed down the fury that had already surged to the tip of his tongue. Without a word, he turned and hurried off with the letter, wanting no further interaction with this dragon-like youth. Xin Youdao commented, "Brother Ming, you have acquaintances wherever you go." "Some acquaintances are better left unseen!" Qin Ming remarked. The three waited in place, advancing no further. Qin Ming's letter was simple: he offered warm regards to Qionghui and Liguang, and then mentioned that he hoped they could arrange a safe and reliable guide. When Liguang received the letter, she was astonished. This "slave master" was like a haunting spirit, actually pursuing them all the way to their lands! Qionghui frowned and said, "He wants our sun elven race to serve as free muscle, or rather, he needs bodyguards!" Although Qin Ming hadn't stated it outright, a subtle hint was more than enough. Qionghui knew full well that the immortal contract had not been completely severed; that was the crux of the matter. In the sun elven mountain city, Tang Jin appeared. Catching sight of Qin Ming, she said, "You dare come here too?" Beside her stood Ling Yu and the purple-eyed crow. Qin Ming felt annoyed. Why wouldn't he dare come? He smiled and said, "Old Tang, if you can come, why can't I?" Tang Jin had a graceful figure and an oval face, now frozen in sheer shock. What was this brat calling her? She hated having anyone call her old, mostly because her nemesis Jiang Ran called her that all the time. "Have you gotten cocky, or are you drunk?" In truth, she was only two or three years older than Qin Ming. Now thoroughly displeased, she rolled up her sleeves to reveal fair, slender hands, jade-like fingers glowing. "Senior Sister, he's just joking!" Ling Yu hurriedly held her back. Master Wu spoke up: "Little Tang, hold your hand. Your master said that while away from home, you listen to me. Hmm, I think young Qin is a fine lad. It's not too late for me to accept an apprentice on Master's behalf. The Grandmaster—no, Patriarch—will surely be pleased." "Hm?" Qin Ming was surprised. Had that grandmaster who cultivated both the Newborn path and the immortal path become a patriarch prior to the Great Reclamation?! Regarding this matter, Tang Jin had been reprimanded by her master, who believed it was not too late to bring the youth into their fold. Now that Master Wu brought it up, Tang Jin felt thoroughly uncomfortable, left tongue-tied. "Thank you for the high regard, Master Wu. I'll consider it carefully," Qin Ming said, though somewhat bewildered. He figured he'd have to find someone reliable later to get the full story. At that moment, two sun elves—a man and a woman who looked about forty—approached. Both were experts. They sent a mental transmission to Qin Ming, stating that they would serve as his "guides" from here on. "Experts. Both are in the fourth realm of the immortal path—Embracing Simplicity," Jin Xiang noted. Qin Ming glanced at him, realizing that this senior brother who had tempered his heart in the mortal world for twenty years was indeed no ordinary character. "Young Qin even has friends over here? Having sun elven experts accompany you no less," Master Wu said admiringly. Qin Ming merely smiled, guessing that the sun elves had held their noses and assigned two people to him. "We'd like to take a look at the immortal tombs," Qin Ming said. "Very well," the two sun elves nodded and took the lead. "Care to come along?" Qin Ming asked Tang Jin and the others. "Sure!" Master Wu and Ling Yu nodded immediately, and Tang Jin followed as well. Along the way, Master Wu began introducing various local circumstances. "What? The entire mountain city is built atop an enormous coffin board?!" Qin Ming was astonished. What an absurd state of affairs! After the main force of the immortal path arrived, they had not rushed to break the warding formations on the immortal tombs and divine graves. Instead, they had thoroughly investigated the surrounding terrain first. In the end, while excavating the mountain forests, they unexpectedly discovered a colossal coffin board underground supporting the entire mountain city. Hearing this, Jin Xiang and Xin Youdao were similarly dazed. How gargantuan must the coffin have been? Ling Yu said, "Unfortunately, there's only a coffin board, not the body of the coffin itself." The so-called immortal tomb area bordered the mountain city, located just ahead in the dense forest. From far away, Qin Ming could already see the necropolis—mainly because all the burial mounds were so immense, each resembling a mountain. If no one had told them, anyone coming here would surely have assumed it was a mountain range, numbering several dozen peaks. About a dozen of them were particularly tall, comparable to ordinary mountains. Among them, the highest stood grand and imposing, veiled in glowing mist so that it could not be seen clearly, already piercing into the clouds. The dozen-odd larger ancient tombs, like mountains, were likewise enveloped in immortal mist, appearing hazy and indistinct. When Qin Ming and the others drew near and saw the other dozens of slightly smaller, yet still hill-like giant tombs, they were struck dumb. Radiance dazzled the eyes; herbs covered the mounds from crest to base. More precisely, every single massive burial mound was teeming with spirit medicines! Upon arriving, Qin Ming spotted many familiar figures from the immortal path, such as Jiang Ran, Cui Chonghe, Pei Shuyan, Li Qingxu, and others. Master Wu said, "Do you want to give it a try? Some of the rare medicines and scriptures inside might be of great use to you on the Newborn path." Qin Ming shook his head. "I'm not on the immortal path. It probably won't work—they won't be willing." Tang Jin informed him, "The immortal path is quite open-minded this time. Now that people from the ancestral grounds of major Newborn path sects have arrived, the immortal path is willing to share and let others go in to try." Rather than forcibly smashing through the place, the immortal path had been steadily chipping away at it. For one of the dozen mountain-like tombs, they had managed to tear open a section of its outer ward. Qin Ming looked over. The dozen-odd tombs were second only to the primary tomb. On one of those mountains, a precious tree stood exposed, entirely golden, laden with radiant fruit. "Those are Vajra fruits, wondrous for the physical body," Jin Xiang said in surprise, recognizing the wondrous tree recorded only in ancient texts. There were many spirit medicines on the tomb, but this Vajra tree was the most extraordinary. Not far from the Vajra tree, upon a sheer precipice, faint inscriptions seemed to gleam and shine. An elder of the immortal path spoke up: "These herbs blanketing the mountains and the scriptures carved here are yours for the taking. It all depends on your own ability." This was meant as a generous bestowal to the younger generation. Qin Ming's expression turned grave. This expedition might not be merely "archaeology." Otherwise, given how monopolizing and overbearing the immortal path typically was, they would never share such a juicy piece of meat already in their grasp. Just then, several immortal seeds noticed the two sun elven experts trailing behind him and were taken aback; not even they enjoyed such treatment. "There is a mysterious scripture inside that suits every cultivation path. At present, even among the immortal seeds, hardly anyone has been able to comprehend it," Tang Jin said, shooting Qin Ming a glance that asked: *Do you want to try?* "Did you comprehend it?" Qin Ming asked. Tang Jin's expression stiffened. "For now, we've only deciphered parts. Perhaps the text itself is incomplete." "Meaning none of you have fully comprehended it?" Qin Ming was surprised, his interest thoroughly piqued.