Precious Beast!

“Junior Brother, watch closely!”

“This move, 『Cloud-Seizing, Heaven-Intercepting』, is all about striking second to seize the upper hand, using the weak to defeat the strong!”

Xu Chuan thrust his arms upward, his joints popping like crackling beans.

“If an enemy pounces from the air or fiercely attacks your upper gate, you use the ‘intercepting hand’ to strike their wrist joint directly, breaking their momentum!”

“Immediately after, your claws leverage that force, soaring into the heavens like a mystic eagle to lock onto the enemy's throat or crown, dragging them down from midair and smashing them to the ground. That is ‘cloud-seizing’!”

Shen Xiuhan listened intently, nodding slightly in deep thought.

He then stamped his foot, sinking into a stance as he quietly circulated his blood qi.

Sinking his body slightly, he curved his five fingers into hooks. A sharp claw-strike tore upward, unleashing a piercing sonic boom in the air!

Though his movements were not as seasoned as Xu Chuan's, he had already begun to display the overbearing intent of 『Cloud-Seizing, Heaven-Intercepting』.

Xu Chuan clapped his hands repeatedly, his eyes filled with astonishment.

“Junior Brother Shen... your talent for combat techniques is truly extraordinary, just as Master said!”

“To master the nuances of the 『Heavenly Mystic Eagle Force』 to this extent after only half a day of sparring makes me, your Senior Brother, feel utterly ashamed!”

“Second Senior Brother, you praise me too highly.”

Shen Xiuhan withdrew his stance and gathered his breath, clasping his hands in a solemn, deep bow.

“It is all thanks to your excellent guidance.”

Over the course of the half-day, Xu Chuan had broken down and thoroughly explained every crucial detail of the 『Heavenly Mystic Eagle Force』, from the mechanics of exerting force to tactical variations against opponents.

He had even used his own powerful, peak Bone Tempering Rank body as a shield, allowing Shen Xiuhan to personally experience the impact and transitions of the counter-force.

He had truly taught everything he knew without holding back the slightest bit.

Thus, Shen Xiuhan's expression of gratitude came straight from the heart.

“Hahaha! We are brothers of the same sect, there is no need for such polite distance!”

Xu Chuan laughed heartily and slapped Shen Xiuhan hard on the shoulder.

“First Senior Sister went to the prefectural city a few days ago. When she returns from her business and sees that the inner courtyard has gained such a highly talented Junior Brother, she will surely be absolutely delighted!”

A tall, heroic figure in form-fitting robes flashed through Shen Xiuhan's mind.

She was likely the woman who had led him to the back courtyard when he first entered the martial arts hall.

But this supposed trip to the prefectural city... was probably just a cover.

Shen Xiuhan pursed his lips, his mind clear on the matter.

Mei Shuangfeng was an alchemist and had obtained the Silverback Fish from him.

At this moment, First Senior Sister was most likely in a secret chamber, undergoing closed-door cultivation to make a breakthrough!

...

The sun gradually began to set.

Shen Xiuhan finished his cultivation, washed up in the bathhouse, and bid farewell to Xu Chuan.

As evening approached, he pushed open the wooden gate of his fenced courtyard.

After greeting Madam Zheng,

he took some dried mountain goods he had obtained from the Gold-Tailed Rat's cave, cut a pound of smoked pork belly from the kitchen, and walked toward Uncle Chen's house.

“You want to enter the Dali Mountains?”

Uncle Chen was in the middle of dinner. Hearing this, he set down his bowls and chopsticks, asking in surprise:

“Dalang, didn't I hear the neighbors saying that you were preparing to go out on the lake?”

"Going out on the lake" was local jargon among the master fishermen of Changyun County.

It meant heading out to Cloudwater Lake to make a living by fishing.

Madam Zheng had not gone to the textile mill for odd jobs for several days in a row.

When the neighborhood aunts and women came over to chat, they had spotted her weaving fish baskets and fishing nets.

Consequently, the rumor that the eldest son of the Shen family was preparing to go out on the lake spread like wildfire.

“I will certainly go out on the lake...”

Shen Xiuhan fished out two strings of coins, slid them onto the low table, pointed to the dried goods he had brought, and fabricated a lie:

“However, a couple of days ago, I found some dried mountain delicacies on the outskirts of the Dali Mountains. I sold them at the East Market and managed to scrape together enough to pay back the Bai family and you. That's why I have a bit of breathing room now.”

Hearing this, Uncle Chen showed a look of sudden realization.

Since the Shen family had paid off their debts, the neighbors had been speculating endlessly in private over the past few days. Some said they had sold their youngest daughter, while others claimed they had taken out high-interest loans.

It turned out they had obtained such bounty from the mountains.

“So, you're thinking of going back into the Dali Mountains to try your luck again?”

“Precisely.”

Seeing Shen Xiuhan nod, Uncle Chen sighed and said with earnest concern:

“Dalang, entering the Dali Mountains is far more dangerous than fishing on Cloudwater Lake. You must weigh this carefully.”

“Uncle, you worry too much.”

Shen Xiuhan quickly waved his hand. “I only want to gather some dried goods to sell. I have no intention of hunting.”

“Even that is extremely dangerous.”

Uncle Chen shook his head, his expression gradually turning serious.

“Although there are water monsters on the lake, they mostly stay in the deep waters. The Dali Mountains are different. Even in the outer areas, Precious Beasts often appear.”

“Precious Beasts?”

“Yes! Precious Beasts!”

Uncle Chen explained:

“They are just like Precious Fish—spiritual creatures that have absorbed the essence of heaven and earth. They possess immense blood qi, which is of great use to the martial artist masters in the Inner City for tempering their muscles and bones!”

“But the difference between Precious Beasts and Precious Fish is that while most Precious Fish exhibit strange phenomena, they are merely stronger and slimmer than ordinary river catches, meaning we can still catch them with nets.”

“But those Precious Beasts...”

At this point, Uncle Chen lowered his voice:

“Their sharp claws, massive size, and sheer ferocity are far beyond anything a Precious Fish could match!”

“Years ago, I went into the mountains with five veteran hunters from Liang Village and Ding Village. In the end... we crossed paths with a black wolf.”

“That beast was as long as two or three water urns, and so fast that its movements were a blur. Blades and arrows couldn't even leave a scratch on its body...”

“Six veteran hunters who had spent half their lives navigating the mountains, and in the end, I was the only one who escaped alive!”

“Even the fierce hunting dogs that dared to tear into bears and wild boars couldn't make it out.”

“Since then, I have stayed on the lake, fishing to make a living until this very day...”

Uncle Chen babbled on, his every word urging Shen Xiuhan not to risk his life in the mountains.

Doing his duty on the lake as a master fisherman would at least keep his family safe.

Shen Xiuhan nodded in agreement from time to time, but his gaze drifted past the window toward the Dali Mountains.

A faint golden light shimmered slightly. It was not in the outer areas Uncle Chen spoke of, but rather...

the very outskirts!

It was very close to the village.

The intelligence could not be wrong. That "Blue-Spire Chicken" was indeed a Precious Beast.

Yet, instead of nesting and hatching its eggs deep in the Dali Mountains, it had come to nest right near human territory...

What did this mean?

It meant its strength was insufficient to establish a foothold deep within the Dali Mountains!

“Dalang, all these years, I haven't heard of a single hunter who dared to go deep inside. At most... when the martial artists from the city go in, they hire a few old hunters as guides...”

“I understand, Uncle.” Shen Xiuhan pulled his thoughts back and said solemnly, “I won't gamble with my life.”

“That's the spirit.”

Uncle Chen felt relieved.

Then, Shen Xiuhan shifted the topic, asking about Chen An, whom he hadn't seen in a while.

At the mention of Chen An, Uncle Chen's deeply wrinkled face lit up with an uncontrollable flush of pride.

“Chen An a few days ago, accompanied his Senior Brother to Changshui County and then to the Nanxiang prefectural city. It was a real eye-opener for him.”

“He handled the task beautifully. Not only did he receive a reward, but the martial arts hall also mentioned finding him a proper job that pays a whole tael of silver a month!”

“Adding that to what I usually make on the lake and his mother's earnings from laundry and sewing...”

“the family has been discussing hiring an agent from the brokerage house in the next few days to rent a cheap side room in the Inner City. We're moving out of Xiaojing Bay!”

Hearing this, Shen Xiuhan put on a look of surprise at the right moment, his tone tinged with envy:

“Then I must congratulate you, Uncle! The Inner City has high walls for defense and officers patrolling the streets. It is much safer than the Outer City!”

Uncle Chen's face was flushed with joy, yet he waved his hand with feigned helplessness:

“Sigh, we had no choice. In times like these, when decent families look to marry off their daughters, they all look at the groom's background and where he lives.”

“If we don't have a roof over our heads in the Inner City, who would be willing to marry their respectable daughter into these slums to suffer? Sigh... the world is going downhill, and people aren't what they used to be...”

Listening to Uncle Chen's boastful lament, Shen Xiuhan could not help but chuckle. He offered a few gentle words of agreement before standing up to take his leave.

Standing outside his own wooden fence, looking at the dilapidated courtyard and the drafty thatched house...

Shen Xiuhan thought to himself: