Chapter 232: Simple And Crude (II)

Heavenly Blade Peak.

It lay roughly forty kilometers northwest of Wuling City. The summit rose more than thirteen hundred meters above ground. Fierce beasts roamed the mountains surrounding Heavenly Blade Peak, making the area perilous. Yet at this moment, many powerful martial artists had gathered there. Some were hunting through the forests, and others were heading straight for the base of the peak.

"Quick, over here!" a martial artist shouted from the woods, loosing a crossbow bolt that whistled toward a fleeing beast.

The arrow hissed through the air and struck the beast's neck with a sharp thud. Hearing the call, his nearby companion hurried over, examined the fallen creature, and showed an exasperated look.

"Don't shout like that and make sure of what you're shooting at first," the man said, annoyed. Suddenly, his expression changed.

Damn it!

He cursed inwardly, stepping back fast, but it was already too late.

From the dense underbrush burst a massive azure-furred beast over two meters long, tusks gleaming as it lunged forward with a monstrous roar. The man turned and fled in panic, but it was too late. A scream tore through the forest, followed by the sickening crunch of bones and flesh being devoured.

"It's a big one, fall back!" their leader roared, turning to flee without hesitation.

The dense forest was home to countless fierce beasts. Any who entered without sufficient strength were courting death. Yet the reward offered by Young Master Tang Ziqiu was so generous that these men were willing to gamble their lives for it. Scenes like this played out again and again in the mountains surrounding Heavenly Blade Peak.

Little Black was born with an extraordinary ability to conceal its aura. Combined with its superb speed and thick hide, it remained uncaptured even when surrounded. The only reason Lin Zheyu had caught it before was that it had been tempted by his roasted meat, misjudged his strength, and ended up outsmarted.

Elsewhere in the forest.

Hiss.

With a snarl, Little Black plunged into a thicket of thorns. Dozens of arrows whistled toward it, striking its back, but only cutting shallow gashes that barely slowed it down.

"Quick, inform the young master! We've found the Ink Fox!" someone shouted.

Soon, a signal flare streaked into the sky and burst above the forest canopy. They weren't strong enough to capture Little Black even after finding it, so they could only use the flare to alert nearby experts. The problem was that once fired, the flare could be seen by their rivals as well.

"

Haha!

They finally found it, and not far from us either. Uncle Chan, Uncle Wang, that Ink Fox is yours to handle," Lu Junyu said with a grin to the two middle-aged men beside him, who looked strikingly alike.

Leng Chan and Leng Wang were twin brothers of tremendous strength, both at the Marrow Refining Realm. As twins, their coordination was flawless, and when they fought together, their power was formidable.

"Yes, young master," the twins replied in unison. With a flicker of movement, they vanished into the forest. Their steps were so light that even the dry leaves beneath their feet made no sound, and in the blink of an eye, they were gone.

"Come on, let's follow them.

Heh

. Once I catch that Ink Fox, both Tang Ziqiu and Ji Qiming will owe me a favor each. When that time comes..." Lu Junyu chuckled to himself, already plotting what he'd make the two of them do.

Lu Junyu wasn't the only one who saw the signal. Everyone searching nearby did, and all of them rushed toward the location. Some were driven by curiosity, and others by greed, hoping to seize the opportunity amid chaos. Tang Ziqiu, Ji Qiming, and their followers were among them, for the three had made a wager over the Ink Fox. Whoever caught it first would win, while the losers would owe the victor a favor.

***

Wuling City.

On the street outside the Jade Tea Pavilion in the city center, Liang Yunhui watched the passing crowd, her face filled with worry. It had been two days already, and she still didn't know what had happened to Little Black.

"Maybe we shouldn't wait any longer. That day, Senior Zhao might have just happened to pass by. Besides, he probably goes out of the city often to check on Little Black. You don't need to worry so much," Liang Yuhan said upon seeing her daughter's anxious expression.

After learning that Little Black was on Heavenly Blade Peak, she had been paying attention to the news about the mountain. It was said that in mid-June, a saber intent would appear above the peak, radiating a terrifying aura like divine might. Many powerful martial artists had gathered there recently, so Little Black might have already been caught.

"No, let's wait a little longer. Maybe we'll run into Uncle Zhao soon," Liang Yunhui said firmly, blinking as she carefully scanned the flow of pedestrians.

Half an hour passed... then an hour... then two... but there was still no sign of him. Suddenly, Liang Yunhui's eyes lit up as she spotted a back that looked exactly like Uncle Zhao's. Not only the build, but even the way he walked and carried himself were identical.

"Uncle Zhao! Uncle Zhao!" Liang Yunhui cried out excitedly, hopping to her feet and running toward the man. Sitting nearby, Liang Yuhan looked surprised when she heard her daughter's voice filled with excitement.

She actually found him!

Liang Yuhan thought in mild astonishment.

She stood up and followed her daughter toward the man who resembled Zhao Hao. After finishing his Origin Force cultivation, Lin Zheyu had taken a short rest and gone out to buy medicinal herbs. Cultivating the Primordial Origin Technique {Modified} was too painful, so he needed to take a walk to unwind.

Hm? Yunhui's voice?

Lin Zheyu's expression shifted slightly in surprise. His current appearance only vaguely resembled his disguise as Zhao Hao, yet she could still recognize him?

"Uncle Zhao, I finally found—uh... you're not Uncle Zhao?" Liang Yunhui stopped before Lin Zheyu, breathing hard. But when she saw his face clearly, she froze. The man before her wasn't the Uncle Zhao she knew.

"Who are you? What business do you have with me?" Lin Zheyu asked, pitching his voice differently, pretending not to know her.

"I'm so sorry... I mistook you for someone else," Liang Yunhui apologized, her face showing both disappointment and urgency.

Lin Zheyu looked puzzled. What was wrong with this girl? She seemed to be in a hurry. He turned to the slower-approaching Liang Yuhan, who was studying him with a trace of suspicion.

"

Haha

, I was just teasing you. I really am Zhao Hao. So, tell me, what's the matter?" Lin Zheyu said with a smile.

Liang Yunhui's expression was full of urgency, so it was clear she had been waiting to find him for something important. Lin Zheyu, however, was curious how they knew he would pass this way. Could it be that they had seen him last time when he returned from buying medicine?

"You really are Uncle Zhao?" Liang Yunhui asked skeptically, turning back to scrutinize him. His face looked somewhat similar, but on closer look, it was still quite different.

"

Hmm

, wait here," Lin Zheyu said.

He turned into an empty alley, rubbed his face a few times, and adjusted his facial muscles slightly, restoring his original disguise as Zhao Hao. When Lin Zheyu emerged from the alley looking like Zhao Hao again, Liang Yunhui's eyes lit up at once, her face breaking into a look of delight.

"Uncle Zhao, I finally found you! Please, go save Little Black. It's been discovered and is trapped on Heavenly Blade Peak. It's in great danger!" Liang Yunhui said anxiously.

Heavenly Blade Peak? Little Black?

Lin Zheyu froze slightly. He had clearly instructed Little Black not to wander around, yet the creature had run off to Heavenly Blade Peak? He had heard of that place before. Every mid-June, a terrifying saber intent appeared above the peak, attracting large numbers of martial artists. If Little Black had truly gone there, it was indeed in grave danger.

"Thank you for letting me know. I'll take my leave now. If you're still here two days from now at noon, I'll meet you at the Jade Tea Pavilion," Lin Zheyu said, nodding politely to Liang Yuhan before quickly heading out of the city. He was short on silver and needed Little Black's help to hunt spirit beasts. He definitely couldn't let the creature get captured.