Chapter 171: Becoming Sentient (II)

The next day, deep in the forest.

Two tightly bound beasts were neatly laid side by side. One was at the second transformation of blood qi, and the other at the first. Lin Zheyu had even managed to encounter a fifth transformation beast, but he hadn't fully recovered at the time, so it had escaped.

As a beast itself, Little Black knew this region well and understood where the stronger creatures lurked. With it leading the way, hunting became much easier.

In just two days, Lin Zheyu had hunted more than two beasts of the Blood Qi Realm. Any that were below the first transformation were roasted and eaten by him and Little Black. Only these two remained.

"I'm heading back. See you in a few days," said Lin Zheyu to Little Black, who was lying on its back, belly up.

He took out a pouch of medicinal powder and rubbed some onto Little Black's fur, so he could find it again later. Little Black tilted its head in confusion. It seemed to understand part of what he said, yet not entirely.

Lin Zheyu didn't bother to check if it truly understood his words. After a glance around, he tapped his toe against the ground and leapt onto a tall tree more than ten meters high. He hollowed out a small cavity in the trunk, hid his Golden Scale blade inside, and marked the tree with a sign.

In Bafang City, unregistered warriors were not permitted to carry weapons inside the walls. The same rule was applied in Songyi City, but with Senior Brother Han Mo's help, he had gained permission to bear arms. However, here in Bafang City, he had few connections. The Feihong Gang had only recently arrived and hadn't yet established itself. Thus, he couldn't obtain official approval to carry his weapon.

After concealing his weapon, Lin Zheyu crouched down, hefted the two beasts over his shoulders, and prepared to leave. Seeing this, Little Black rolled upright and followed along. This time, Little Black followed him all the way to the forest's edge before stopping, standing silently on a branch, watching Lin Zheyu's figure fade into the distance.

At the market at the foot of the mountain, Lin Zheyu's arrival stirred a wave of exclamations.

"Unbelievable! Two more Blood Qi Realm beasts!"

"This senior's hunting efficiency is incredible. I doubt even the people from Wolf King Fort could match it."

"No need to doubt it. They really can't." Someone from Wolf King Fort spoke up from the side.

Wolf King Fort was famous for breeding wolf-beasts, whose assistance made them among the fastest beast hunters around. They were also the largest suppliers of beast meat in Bafang City. Yet even the veteran hunters of Wolf King Fort couldn't match this man's astonishing efficiency. His skill was terrifying to had caught several Blood Qi Realm beasts every few days.

Lin Zheyu placed the two beasts on the ground and called out clearly, "One second transformation beast, one first transformation beast. The highest bidder wins."

"350 taels!"

"380 taels!"

"400 taels!"

With each shout, the price climbed higher and higher.

"Senior, I'll pay 480 taels for both beasts," shouted the man from Wolf King Fort.

That was the highest bid yet.

"Deal."

After waiting a moment and hearing no further offers, Lin Zheyu sold them for 480 taels of silver. He had nearly recovered all the money he had spent on Golden Scale. With Little Black's help, hunting had become much easier. At this rate, earning 100 or 200 taels of silver per day would be no problem.

"Senior, our fort master would like to invite you to Wolf King Fort as a guest. Would you be willing to honor us with your presence?" asked the man respectfully.

"No time," replied Lin Zheyu curtly.

He accepted the silver and turned away without another word, leaving the Wolf King Fort man standing there, dumbfounded.

"This senior really has some personality," the man muttered helplessly, shaking his head in speechless disbelief. He had expected some excuse, but not such a blunt 'no time.'

The sun sank low, and dusk deepened. By the time Lin Zheyu returned to his small courtyard, the moon had already risen.

"Sir, you're finally back! I've been waiting here for two days!"

A thin, plainly dressed young man jumped to his feet in excitement when he saw Lin Zheyu and greeted him respectfully. He was one of the twenty errand-runners Lin Zheyu had previously hired.

"Did you find him?" asked Lin Zheyu, but he already guessed the man must have found someone. Only after finding the person would a runner wait this long, hoping for his employer's silver reward. He wasn't expecting much, but to his surprise, the man really had found him. He had long given up hope of finding his master, Liang Song. Yet unexpectedly, he had truly been located.

"Yes, sir," replied the young man respectfully.

"Tell me everything in detail."

Lin Zheyu pushed open the door and sat down at the stone table in the courtyard.

"Well, sir, yesterday, while I was looking around Tianxiang Pavilion, I happened to come across the person you were searching for. He was sitting alone by the window. I didn't dare approach him, so I found a nearby seat instead..."

The young man recounted what had happened in Tianxiang Pavilion that day. He had been there, but only caught the general situation; he wasn't sure of the details.

"You're saying someone was following him?" asked Lin Zheyu, frowning.

"Yes, that's what I believe. I followed them afterward and saw a man in a blood-red Daoist robe tailing the person you're looking for. But they moved too fast, and I lost them soon after," the young man admitted.

"You did well. Here's a tael of silver. Keep investigating, and report to me immediately if you learn anything new." Lin Zheyu took out a tael of silver and handed it to him.

"Yes! Thank you, sir!" The young man accepted it gratefully and bowed.

Lin Zheyu waved his hand, dismissing him.

Blood-red Daoist robes... That's the mark of the Forest Net Temple. Could Master's enemy be from there?

The few major factions that had made their name outside Bafang City were all formidable, none of which the Feihong Gang could compare with. Forest Net Temple, one of those well-known powers, was said to have several Marrow Refining Realm experts guarding it, making its strength truly formidable.

"Could Master's enemy really be a Marrow Refining Realm warrior?" Lin Zheyu muttered softly under his breath.

If that were truly the case, there was probably nothing he could do. Though he had never faced a Marrow Refining Realm expert before, they were an entire major realm above him. Lin Zheyu wasn't arrogant enough to think he could fight across such a gap.

The next morning, dawn was just breaking. The sound of air splitting echoed through the courtyard. Lin Zheyu moved at incredible speed, darting through the courtyard while channeling and exerting his blood qi to its fullest.

It was once again the day to push his limits and gain Origin Force. After nearly three hours of intense training, he once again experienced that exhilarating surge, the spiritual clarity that came from breaking through his limits.

Knock, knock, knock.

"Uncle Lin, are you back?"

Han Tianshun's childish voice sounded from outside. Having just caught his breath, Lin Zheyu rose and went to open the door. Seeing it was Han Tianshun, he smiled and asked, "Aren't you supposed to be at the private school today?"

"Today is that... uh... that day... I forgot, but anyway, it's the day for worship, so no school!" replied the boy.

"Mother cooked lots and lots of delicious food! She told me to check if you've come back. If you have, I'm supposed to invite you over to eat," said Han Tianshun excitedly. As long as there was no school, he was happy no matter what he was doing.

"All right, go on ahead. I'll change clothes and come right after," replied Lin Zheyu with a nod.