"After dark, it's best to detour along the official highway rather than passing through Beast Roar Mountain ahead. The mountains aren't peaceful at night," Ma Wangcheng cautioned.
Though rather vigilant, he was good-natured at heart. Having confirmed Lin Zheyu was no villain, he took the initiative to warn him of precautions.
"Oh? Has a powerful fierce beast appeared in Beast Roar Mountain?" Lin Zheyu asked curiously.
He pulled out his map and searched for Beast Roar Mountain's location.
Once he crossed this mountain, the next one was Beast Roar Mountain.
Beast Roar Mountain was teeming with vicious beasts, wild predators roaming everywhere.
The mountain forests frequently echoed with the colossal roars of ferocious beasts that shook the heavens, which was how it earned its name.
However, so far as he knew, the beasts on the outer perimeter of Beast Roar Mountain were not very strong, making it a favorite hunting ground for local hunters.
"No. The beasts on Beast Roar Mountain's outer edges aren't strong; the most formidable fierce beast I've encountered was roughly comparable to that Azure-fanged Bear from earlier.
"It's just that a while ago, someone in Beast Roar Mountain dug up a corpse. The corpse came back to life and slaughtered many people.
"Whenever darkness falls, that living corpse emerges to hunt and feed," Ma Wangcheng said.
Living corpses only ventured out at night when yin energy was heavy, hiding away to slumber during the day.
As long as no one provoked it, a living corpse would generally not attack unprovoked during daylight.
"A living corpse!?"
Lin Zheyu's eyes widened at those words, brimming with curiosity.
After learning of the power of living corpses from Jia Yanyong and the others previously, he had specifically gathered information about them.
Living corpses were similar to the jiangshi of his past life, possessing bronze skin and iron bones, but they did not merely bite—they devoured people, especially favoring blood food brimming with vigorous qi and blood.
A living corpse's joints were not stiff like a jiangshi's; they moved much like a normal person's.
Their bodies were dense with yin fiend power. If bitten or scratched by their nails, one would be infected by yin fiend poison, which was exceedingly difficult to cure.
"What sort of strength does this living corpse possess? Have you encountered it, Brother Ma?" Lin Zheyu asked.
"No. If I had run into it, I likely wouldn't have made it back.
"The living corpse is exceedingly strong—impossible to contend with unless one is a Qi and Blood Realm martial artist.
"Even a Qi and Blood Realm martial artist must proceed with extreme caution. If scratched or bitten by mistake and invaded by the yin fiend poison, it requires a long period of convalescence to recover," Ma Wangcheng said.
"Many thanks for the warning, Brother Ma."
Lin Zheyu cupped his hands to Ma Wangcheng, turned, and dashed into the mountain forest. This time, Ma Wangcheng did not call him back.
Watching Lin Zheyu's receding figure, Ma Wangcheng remained silent.
He twitched his nose, and only after confirming the young man had traveled far did he let out a full sigh of relief.
Lin Zheyu did not appear particularly strong—seeming to be roughly around the Bone Tempering Realm. Yet his words and bearing radiated quiet confidence; clearly, he had something to rely on.
Ma Wangcheng was not in good shape right now. If a conflict had truly broken out, he likely would have come off worst.
"Who would have thought this Azure-fanged Bear would be so tough? Losing so much blood and still possessing such strength—I nearly capsized in a ditch," Ma Wangcheng muttered.
He produced a small vial containing medicinal powder and carefully treated the wounds on his body.
During his struggle with the Azure-fanged Bear earlier, he had been grazed several times by its razor-sharp claws, but fortunately they were only light scrapes.
"Time to keep chasing. A fierce beast this formidable can fetch a handsome sum of silver."
Ma Wangcheng picked up his arrows and crossbow from the ground and tracked along the blood trail in pursuit.
...
*Does my body really smell of Red Mountain Incense?*
Lin Zheyu moved through the mountain forest at a leisurely pace.
From time to time, he sniffed at himself, but smelled nothing at all.
Ma Wangcheng had not seemed to be lying; on the way here earlier, Lin Zheyu really had passed an area dense with fiery red blossoms.
With no path ahead, he had pushed right through the flowers, brushing against them and picking up their fragrance. That scent was very faint—detectable only when standing right amidst the flowers, vanishing completely once stepping two meters away.
For such a faint odor to be picked up from so far away showed just how astonishing Ma Wangcheng's sense of smell was.
*I'll have to pay attention to this sort of thing from now on. When I get back, I should find someone to learn about it from,* Lin Zheyu thought.
Just as Ma Wangcheng said, many experienced veteran hunters could catch the scent of Red Mountain Incense, showing it was a skill that could be honed through training.
This time, he proceeded with far greater caution, taking care to avoid brushing against plants and grasses that looked likely to leave lingering odors.
Following the route Ma Wangcheng had pointed out, Lin Zheyu soon crossed the ridge and arrived at the foot of Beast Roar Mountain.
Just as he reached the base, he heard the roar of beasts echoing from the peaks.
Beast Roar Mountain was massive—an endless stretch of mountain ranges rolling beyond the horizon.
The deepest reaches were places ordinary hunters and herb gatherers dared not venture recklessly; those bold enough had all vanished in the forest depths.
Not long after entering the mountain, he came across a five-man hunting squad.
Lin Zheyu observed them from a distance without approaching.
The five appeared robust and muscular. Though they had not reached the Bone Tempering Realm, they were still capable hands.
Beast Roar Mountain truly lived up to its name; all manner of fierce beasts emerged without end.
Even with hunters stalking them year in and year out, the beasts showed no sign of thinning out, as endless streams of wild creatures poured from the deep mountains into the outer rim.
*Rumor has it that living corpses look almost identical to living people. I wonder what the reality is like.*
Lin Zheyu was curious about what a living corpse's true strength was like, and whether he could overcome one with his current prowess.
However, caution was etched into his very bones, prompting him to suppress that curiosity firmly.
Though Qi and Blood Realm martial artists were reputed to be capable of dealing with living corpses, even they were hard-pressed against bronze skin, iron bones, and a toxic scratch that inflicted yin fiend poison upon contact.
Lin Zheyu was not inclined to take risks.
With his abilities, as long as he had enough time and money, he would quickly grow stronger. There was no need to plunge into danger over mere curiosity.
The primary purpose of this trip was to scout the terrain and familiarize himself with the environment outside the city; the secondary purpose was to lure out Xing Jinglong and eliminate him.
And if he ran into any blind bandits along the way, he could slaughter them in passing to rid the people of a menace.
*Rustle, rustle.*
*Sha, sha, sha.*
A gentle breeze swept through the woods, stirring up soft rustling sounds.
Lin Zheyu moved swiftly through the greenery, the occasional roar of beasts filtering through the trees.
*Whoosh!*
A vividly patterned snake, an inch thick and two to three meters long, abruptly darted down from a tree, lunging toward Lin Zheyu's neck.
*Hiss, hiss—*
Flicking its tongue, the serpent hissed viciously.
When the snake was twenty to thirty centimeters from his face, Lin Zheyu's right hand shot out with swift, deadly precision, instantly seizing it two centimeters behind its head and clamping down tightly on its skull.
The snake writhed, coiling tightly around his forearm.
Pinching its head, Lin Zheyu let the snake bite into the corner of his garment, then yanked sharply, tearing out its venomous fangs.
Next, he looped the defanged serpent a few times, tied it into a loose knot, and stowed it into his bundle.
Taking this snake back could still fetch a modest sum.
*If one has the skill, hunting in the mountains can bring in decent coin,* Lin Zheyu thought to himself.
He had encountered quite a few wild animals along the way.
All of them were exceptionally slick and difficult to catch, requiring a good grasp of hunting lore.
He estimated that a powerful, seasoned hunter like Ma Wangcheng could easily earn no less than ten taels of silver a month.
"Didn't they say bandits run rampant around here? How come I haven't run into any after walking for so long?"
Lin Zheyu muttered, scanning his surroundings in search of any sign of bandits.
He purely wanted to rid the people of a scourge, of course—definitely not for the silver on their bodies. He was just that kind of upright man who abhorred evil.
Speak of the devil.
Advancing another few hundred meters, as he passed a dense thicket, an arrow shot out from the woods.
*Swoosh—*
The arrow flew with blistering speed, hurtling straight toward Lin Zheyu's chest.
*Clack!*
A blade gleamed as Lin Zheyu gave a casual wave; with a crisp snap, the arrow was sheared in two, tumbling to the ground.
*Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh.*
The assailants had no intention of leaving anyone alive, and over a dozen more arrows whistled out of the trees.
Lin Zheyu shifted, deploying the Golden Goose Skill. The saber whistled and silver light flickered, cleaving every last arrow in twain.
"A tough mark! Retreat!"
Inside the dense grove, the burly leader's heart tightened upon witnessing this, realizing they had crossed an expert.
Decisive to the core, he discarded even the crossbow in his hands, leaping up to flee toward their preplanned escape route.
Hearing his call, the men holding crossbows beside him were equally panic-stricken, scrambling frantically behind their boss.
Earlier, they had spotted someone approaching who looked like a young master from the city, so they had casually released a cold arrow to dispatch him.
They never anticipated this newcomer would be such a hardened killer, effortlessly slicing through their volley of arrows with his blade.
Such strength definitely reached the Viscera Tempering Realm—far beyond what they could match.
"Ah!"
Before they had run more than a few meters, the brother trailing in the rear was struck by the razor-sharp edge. With a squelch, he was cleaved clean in half, blood splattering in all directions.
The burly leader's chest tightened in pure horror. *That guy is terrifyingly fast—he was behind us in the blink of an eye!*
*Whoosh—*
The man yanked two cloth pouches from his robes, whirled around, and hurled them furiously at Lin Zheyu, scattering white powder into the air.
At this moment, he could no longer care that his brothers were still behind him; saving his own skin took precedence.
*This trick again!*
Lin Zheyu's gaze hardened as he halted his advance.
Real combat was far more treacherous and vicious than the sparring Master Liang had taught; nobody was foolish enough to simply pit raw martial power against you.
Underhanded tricks, sniping from the shadows, and tossing poison powders were the most common tactics.
Yet even employing poison depended on one's cultivation!
Among these men, the strongest was merely at the Bone Tempering Realm. With such feeble strength, they could easily be dealt with without ever getting close.
*Whiz, whiz, whiz.*
Lin Zheyu drew five throwing knives from his pouch and snapped his wrist with power. The knives shot out with sharp whistles, piercing hard skulls and embedding themselves into the backs of the five men's heads.
"Aaaagh—"
Several wretched screams rang out. The five men pitched forward one after another, bodies convulsing until the light completely faded from their eyes.
"First business of the day... *cough cough*, no, ridding the people of a menace."
Looking at the six corpses on the ground, Lin Zheyu felt not a single ripple in his heart.
These scoundrels were vicious, desperate outlaws; no one knew how much blood of innocent, wretched souls stained their hands.
Waiting until the white powder in the air had dispersed, Lin Zheyu paused a little longer before wrapping his palms in linen and stepping forward cautiously to loot the bodies.
He felt more and more the necessity of learning about poisons. If he had known what kind of toxic powder that man had thrown, he wouldn't have to be this excessively cautious.
*As expected, none of these bastards carry any silver.*
Lin Zheyu searched thoroughly and found not a single tael.
When desperate outlaws like these went out to hunt others, capsizing in a ditch was a common occurrence.
Every time they left home, they were prepared to die, carrying their heads on their belts; why would they ever carry money on the road?
On their bodies, he did not turn up a single coin—only an assortment of small vials and colorful packets of powder: for treating injuries, curing ailments, and neutralizing toxins, a complete collection.
There were also a few poison-tipped concealed weapons and the like.
Aside from those, there was a small pouch of fresh wild medicinal herbs, presumably freshly plundered from some unfortunate gatherer.
"These goods aren't bad either, though they'll be tricky to fence. If I find the right channels, they could probably fetch a few taels of silver."
Looking at the messy assortment he had scavenged, Lin Zheyu noted that to survive, these men had certainly come thoroughly prepared.
Chapter 55