As the scent of blood spread through the air, wild beasts would soon discover the corpses here and pick them clean.
Lin Zheyu took out his map and struggled to determine his bearings.
He had purchased the map through Feihong Gang's channels; it was the most detailed map available in Songyi City.
Even so, many places on it were drawn vaguely, with only the official highways and a few major roads clearly marked.
*There's a stream not far off. I'll wash up and change my clothes before heading to Lion Valley,* Lin Zheyu thought.
Lion Valley was the essential route leading to the Central Plains, serving as the vital traffic artery in this region.
Bypassing Lion Valley required taking a long detour along winding sheep paths through towering, rugged mountains thick with miasma and fraught with danger.
Consequently, the official highway near Lion Valley was the only viable path for merchant caravans traveling to and from the Central Plains.
This was also why many bandits gathered in Lion Valley.
Lin Zheyu walked through the woods, where weeds grew as tall as a man.
The mountain paths were twisting and winding. Left untrodden for years, they became overgrown with shrubs and trees, making progress difficult.
Wooo—
Rustle, rustle.
Walking in the forest, he could occasionally hear the low growls of beasts and the rustling sounds of large vicious beasts moving through the woods.
Deep in old mountain forests, even martial artists dared not wander carelessly.
In these primeval forests rarely trodden by human feet dwelt formidable mutated beasts, some of which could easily swat a Qi and Blood Realm martial artist to death.
The hunters who ventured into the mountains stuck to woods explored by their ancestors for generations, where overly powerful vicious beasts did not roam.
Lin Zheyu moved carefully through the forest, encountering numerous large snakes, wild beasts, and brightly colored little insects along the way.
Following the route on the map, he pushed forward for about an hour before finally catching sight of the stream.
The water was clean and crystal clear, allowing him to see swimming fish and aquatic weeds on the bed at a glance.
Although it was winter, Songyi City lay in the south where winters did not freeze, and plenty of fish and shrimp could be seen swimming in the stream.
The water was very clean. Lin Zheyu cupped some in his hands and washed his face.
Seeing that no one was around, he stripped off his clothes and jumped in to wash thoroughly.
Splash.
The stream was bone-chillingly cold, and wisps of steam rose from his body.
With his qi and blood circulating within, his entire body was scalding hot; this bit of cold was nothing to him.
*Like this, there shouldn't be any lingering scent left on me, right?*
Once he was done washing, Lin Zheyu changed into a clean set of martial attire.
He checked the direction toward Lion Valley and resumed his journey.
After crossing a mountain, he occasionally spotted an herb gatherer or hunter along the way. Every one of them was exceedingly cautious; catching sight of Lin Zheyu, they would cast a distant glance before quickly making themselves scarce.
In times like these, most of those who dared venture into the mountains to gather herbs or hunt were seasoned, capable old masters.
A few were driven by desperate circumstances, forced into the mountains to gamble for a way to survive.
After plunging deeper into the mountain forests, discerning directions grew even harder, and it was easy to lose one's way.
Lin Zheyu happened upon a few hunters and shouted questions to them from afar before regaining his bearings and finding his way out.
In this era without satellite navigation, asking a passerby for directions was often far more useful than consulting a map.
Once drawn, maps were seldom updated. Aside from the broad official highways, minor paths and goat tracks were quickly swallowed by undergrowth over time.
Except for the highways, the trails marked on the map were rather vague; some had long been choked off by brush and trees.
Others had branched out as travelers forged several new trails, making things quite confusing.
Taking the official highway would have been much easier.
The highway was used year-round by merchant caravans and well maintained, making travel very convenient. But if war truly broke out, the highway was the most dangerous place to be, as rebel troops and bandits congregated mostly near it.
Furthermore, to facilitate the passage of large contingents, the highway wound back and forth, requiring two to three times as long to reach one's destination.
Lin Zheyu's main purpose on this trip was to familiarize himself with the environment outside the city, mapping out the surrounding terrain and paths to prepare for the future.
He had therefore deliberately chosen the trails to get used to the geography and environment of the mountain forests.
Crossing another mountain, he arrived at the foot of yet another peak and once again found himself uncertain which path to take.
"Which way should I go?"
Lin Zheyu looked at the three trails before him, studying his directions against the unhelpful map.
The trail shown on the map was nowhere to be seen, while these three paths had all been newly trampled out by people.
"This one, then!"
In a few nimble moves, Lin Zheyu climbed to the treetop of a nearby large tree, checked his bearings, and picked the middle path.
If the path was a dead end, he could simply forge one himself.
As a great figure in his past life had said, there was originally no path in the world; as more people walked, a path was formed.
After traveling about five hundred meters, Lin Zheyu realized the path was leading uphill.
He had no choice but to climb another treetop, recheck his bearings, and blaze a trail on his own.
After confirming his direction, Lin Zheyu advanced several hundred more meters when beast roars echoed from ahead.
Thud, thud, thud!
Roar!
Tremendous sounds of collision mingled with beast roars issued from the woods, startling birds all around into scattering in fright.
"The sound is deep and forceful; its strength seems quite decent. What vicious beast is this?"
Piqued by curiosity, Lin Zheyu moved his feet and dashed toward the origin of the noise.
The closer he got, the louder the commotion became.
Advancing two to three hundred meters, he finally saw the vicious beast locked in combat.
Fighting there was a beast about two and a half meters tall, built as burly as a giant bear. It had a massive head, a protruding snout, and two sharp fangs.
Its opponent was a middle-aged man.
The man was in his forties and solidly built.
He wore animal skins on his upper body, his muscles bulging all over with a vigorous aura, possessing a cultivation around the mid Viscera Tempering Realm.
In his hand he held a broad chopper with an exceptionally sharp edge.
The saber was the king of all weapons. Saber techniques focused primarily on hacking, chopping, blocking, stabbing, and wiping; their forms were concise and easy to learn, making them accessible. Among the martial artists Lin Zheyu had seen, saber users were the most numerous.
Bang!
The bear-like beast swung its massive paw at the man, the wind howling with terrifying force.
Lin Zheyu estimated that its power was at least on par with the peak Viscera Tempering Realm.
The man did not dare meet it head-on. Retreating rapidly, he swung his saber diagonally upward, evading the beast's thick arm and slashing toward its chest.
The blade swept across the chest of the bear-like beast, opening a shallow gash. Blood flowed out, but upon touching the fur, it clotted into a clump that sealed the wound.
Roar!
The beast unleashed a roar, kicked off violently with its hind legs, and gaped its bloody maw to bite at the man's head.
The man twisted his waist and flipped his wrist, his saber whipping toward the beast's hairy face with a whistle.
Buzz!
The beast's giant paw struck the flat of the blade, the immense force rattling the weapon with a sharp buzz.
Unable to dodge in time, the man took the full brunt of the beast's charge and was sent flying backward, coughing up blood.
He rolled on the ground, scooped up a crossbow from the dirt, nocked a bolt, and shot toward the beast's eyes.
With a whistling screech, the bolt flew toward the beast's eyes, yet the beast made a sudden sharp turn and fled deep into the mountain forest.
Thwack.
The bolt struck the beast's back, piercing its hide and sinking shallowly into its flesh.
It did not penetrate deeply, however, and as the beast bounded away, the bolt shook loose and fell to the ground.
*What incredible defense!*
Watching from his hiding spot, Lin Zheyu could not help but marvel.
The man's earlier strike had unleashed the full force of his body, yet hacking into that beast had merely parted its fur to leave a shallow cut.
The man looked toward the fleeing beast and did not pursue, leaning against a nearby tree trunk instead, gasping for breath.
He had exhausted an immense amount of stamina.
The beast was exceptionally strong, thick-skinned and tough-fleshed; he simply could not do meaningful damage to it.
Had it not already stepped into a bear trap, bled profusely, and lost most of its stamina, he would have had to run the moment he encountered it.
"What a pity. It still got away."
The man shook his head with regret.
He had pursued that beast the entire way, yet still failed to slay it.
Having recovered some stamina, he shouted loudly toward the woods, "Since you have already come, friend, why hide in the shadows acting sneaky? Show yourself!"
*Huh?*
Lin Zheyu felt a twinge of surprise.
*I've been discovered?*
He was running the Turtle Breathing Art at full strength, his body like withered wood, without leaking the slightest trace of aura. Just now, he had remained hidden, approaching silently without making a sound.
Yet he had still been noticed by this man. Such sharp perception was truly astonishing.
*Could he be bluffing?*
Lin Zheyu muttered to himself and did not reveal himself.
After slaying Xing Jinglong's group, he had spoken similar words to the empty woods, intending to bluff and see if anyone was hiding in the dark.
"Friend, there's no need to hide anymore. I've already spotted you,"
the man said with a smile, looking directly at the patch of grass where Lin Zheyu was concealed.
His right hand gripped his chopper tightly, his eyes brimming with vigilance.
There was another reason he had not pursued the beast just now: he had noticed someone hiding in the dark.
*He really did spot me!*
Lin Zheyu was amazed.
Now that he had been discovered, there was no point in remaining hidden.
The man before him was weaker than he was, and judging from the fight just now, he was not an expert skilled in poison, posing no real threat to him.
"I happened to be passing by and heard the sounds of fighting. I came over out of curiosity to take a look, with no ill intent," Lin Zheyu said with a smile as he stepped out from the grass.
"Oh?"
The man looked at Lin Zheyu, surprise showing on his face.
This person was far too young, looking to be only sixteen or seventeen.
*This fellow isn't simple!*
the man thought to himself, not daring to underestimate Lin Zheyu simply because he appeared young.
His eyes narrowed slightly, guarding himself internally.
Nowadays, with bandits running rampant, no one who dared venture alone into the mountains was easy to deal with.
"I see."
"Since you were merely passing by, friend, and that vicious beast has already fled, would you mind taking your leave?" the man said.
"I intended to do just that."
"However, I am unfamiliar with this mountain forest and would like to ask you for directions, brother. Could you tell me the most convenient way to reach Lion Valley?" Lin Zheyu asked.
"Lion Valley?"
"Bandits are everywhere around Lion Valley; it's hardly a good place to go."
"Still, since you plan on heading there, friend, you must possess extraordinary strength and have no fear of those bandits."
"If you wish to reach Lion Valley, head in this direction for about one li, and you will see a trail. Follow it to the end, where you'll find three forks. Take the path on the far left..."
The man displayed goodwill, explaining in great detail and even drawing a rough sketch on the ground with his blade.
"Many thanks, brother. If not for you, I'm afraid this trip would have cost me quite a bit more time." Lin Zheyu cupped his hands in gratitude.
"Think nothing of it,"
the man said plainly, still not letting down his guard.
His hand remained clenched firmly around his chopper; if anything went awry, he would slash out without the slightest hesitation.
Lin Zheyu did not mind in the least. He took out his map and marked the directions on it.
Seeing Lin Zheyu take out his map to make notations with a genial demeanor—looking neither like a villain nor a bandit—the man felt a slight sense of relief.
Having expended a great deal of stamina battling the vicious beast just now, he had no desire to clash with this young man.
Chapter 54