It was the third day after he had killed Yu Zhe and Tian Erhu.
Before dawn had even broken, Shen Xiuhan had already finished washing up.
On the bed, Shen Momo was curled up in a tiny ball, fast asleep.
Madam Zheng, who was a light sleeper, woke up at the sound of movement. She hurriedly threw a coat over her shoulders and sat up.
“Dalang, why so early today? I will go light the stove in the kitchen and warm up some hot food to line your stomach.”
“Mother, there is no need to rush.”
Fearing he might wake his sister, Shen Xiuhan lowered his voice and fabricated an excuse:
“Yesterday, when I passed by Shallow Water Bay, I noticed some movement beneath the mudflats. I want to go early to try my luck and see if I can catch a couple of big fish.”
Madam Zheng understood and softly advised,
“The water's edge is slippery, so be careful. Don't forget to take the new basket with you.”
“I know.”
He pushed open the wooden gate.
Shen Xiuhan went to the kitchen, slung the new fish basket over his back, and walked out of the fenced courtyard.
Of course, he was not going to catch fish. He was heading out for the Precious Beast in the Dali Mountains.
Uncle Chen's warnings still rang in his ears, and he was well aware of the dangers lurking in the mountains.
Yet, in this world, no matter how venomous a wild beast's fangs and claws might be, they could never compare to the insidious nature of the human heart.
A Precious Beast was indeed ferocious, but it was far from the sheer pressure Ma Xianyang and the Tongbei Martial Arts Hall exerted on him.
For now, although Tongbei was locked in a fierce struggle with the Bai family and had no time to spare for him,
it did not mean Shen Xiuhan could sit back and relax.
The martial path was like sailing against the current; one either forged ahead or perished.
Only by doing everything in his power to gather blood qi and increase his strength could he protect himself and his family in this world.
The journey into the Dali Mountains was absolutely necessary.
Of course, even a lion must use all its strength when hunting a rabbit.
To ensure absolute certainty, Shen Xiuhan's mind stirred slightly:
【Daily intelligence has refreshed!】
【Intelligence 1: The 『Iron Bone Technique』 originates from a branch of the 『Dragon-Elephant Luminous Prison-Suppressing True Body』, a secret external cultivation method of the Longxiang Army, one of the five major armies of the Qi State. It was privately passed on to Tian Erhu by his younger brother, Tian Ping'an!】
【Tian Ping'an: Centurion of the Right Camp of the Longxiang Army, a battle-hardened veteran with Tendon Tempering Rank cultivation.】
“...”
Shen Xiuhan's footsteps paused slightly, his brow furrowing.
Yesterday, when he had searched Tian Erhu's home and found the 『Iron Bone Technique』, he had felt a vague sense of suspicion.
How could a mere street thug who hadn't even stepped into the Blood Tempering Rank possess an external cultivation technique?
As expected,
this technique had a notable origin.
“Tian Ping'an...”
“Heh, thank goodness his surname isn't Chen. Otherwise, I would have had to pack up my family and flee the borders of Cangzhou overnight.”
Shen Xiuhan ridiculed himself.
‘But I heard the Longxiang Army is stationed in the east all year round, guarding the border. So, there shouldn't be any trouble in the short term...’
‘Still, a Tendon Tempering Rank martial artist puts a lot of pressure on me...’
Shen Xiuhan sighed inwardly and firmly memorized this piece of intelligence.
【Intelligence 2: Ma Xianyang and Feng Xiaobao are already certain that Yu Zhe and Tian Erhu died by your hand! However, they are wary of acting rashly. They fear that a sudden assassination attempt might instead force you to hand over your fabricated 'secret method for trapping Precious Fish' to Mei Shuangfeng in exchange for protection. Therefore, the two have decided to bide their time and focus all their efforts on dealing with the Bai family.】
【Their restraint is merely a delaying tactic to lull you into a false sense of security. Once you let your guard down, they will strike with thunderous force and kill you!】
‘As expected, they know...’
Shen Xiuhan sneered in his heart.
At the time, he had stepped into the Mingjin Rank right in front of over thirty people in the outer courtyard, so the news could not be kept under wraps.
Hence, Shen Xiuhan had never intended to hide it from the start.
Since Yu Zhe and Tian Erhu happened to come to his door with threats, he had simply taken decisive action to eliminate these two eyesores first.
This risky move had actually turned out to be a blessing in disguise, buying him some breathing room.
Because what he lacked most right now was time.
【Intelligence 3: Within the Dali Mountains, Precious Beasts are numerous, and demon beasts roam the deep areas. Forced by the pressure of the 『Green-Eyed Wind Wolf』, a 『Blue-Spire Chicken』 was driven to the outskirts of the Dali Mountains. Last night, another Blue-Spire Chicken arrived to guard three unhatched 'Precious Beast Spirit Eggs' in its nest!】
When Shen Xiuhan saw this intelligence, his eyes lit up first, but then his brow furrowed deeply.
How did another one appear out of thin air?
Last night, there was clearly only one...
Could it be that when they were pursued by the Green-Eyed Wind Wolf, the male had voluntarily stayed behind to block the enemy, while the female fled in panic with the spirit eggs in her beak, and they had now reunited on the outskirts after escaping danger?
Shen Xiuhan's expression shifted as he made wild guesses in his mind.
This sudden variable had indeed disrupted his plans.
Against a single Blue-Spire Chicken, he could still put up a fight.
But against two... what if he couldn't defeat them?
Shen Xiuhan quickly weighed the pros and cons.
‘Should I... just head back to the martial arts hall, ask Master, or drag Second Senior Brother Xu Chuan along to hunt them together?’
‘No, there's no rush!’
‘I'll sneak over first, get a clear picture of the situation, and then make a decision!’
These Blue-Spire Chickens since they could be driven out to this place, they probably weren't that strong.
Even if he truly was no match, escaping with his current strength shouldn't be difficult.
Since those two beasts had to protect their eggs, they probably wouldn't dare to pursue him relentlessly.
...
The vast Dali Mountains lay across the edge of the sky like an ancient giant beast covered in frost and snow.
Carrying his fishing rod in hand and the fish basket slung over his shoulder, Shen Xiuhan walked seven or eight li before finally reaching the foot of the mountain.
Not far away, in a sheltered hollow, lay a scattered fishing village called Xiqi Village.
This area was rich in water bodies, directly adjacent to the high-water zone of Cloudwater Lake.
Looking out, not only were there bamboo rafts and sampans moored near the shore, but one could also occasionally spot a black-awning boat or two.
Clearly, life in Xiqi Village was much more prosperous than in Xiaojing Bay.
At this moment, dawn had just broken. The morning mist was thick, and the surrounding wilderness was so quiet that only the sound of the wind could be heard, with no early-rising villagers walking about.
Using the forest as cover, Shen Xiuhan plunged straight into the Dali Mountains.
After about a fifteen-minute walk, he crossed two snow-covered mounds and stopped in front of a fork in the road overgrown with withered grass and thorns.
Scanning left and right, he brushed aside the chest-high withered grass and stepped onto the rocky path on the right.
After walking for another cup of tea's time,
Shen Xiuhan stopped before a bumpy, uneven rocky beach.
‘Found it!’
At the end of his line of sight,
one large and one small faint golden light nestled silently in a pile of withered grass.
Shen Xiuhan lowered his body, picked up a few stones, and approached with bated breath.
But before he could get close—
Flap, flap, flap!
The sound of powerful flapping wings suddenly erupted!
The larger light in the withered grass rose from the ground, soaring straight into midair.
Shen Xiuhan finally saw what the Blue-Spire Chicken looked like.
It was a size larger than a common domestic chicken, its body covered in azure feathers.
Its comb was held high, and as its sharp beak opened and closed, a pair of dark yellow slit pupils stared straight down at him from above.
The most eye-catching feature was the completely mutated bunch of feathers at its tail.
Dozens of azure tail feathers, each about a foot long and incomparably sharp, gathered into a bundle. They looked like a cluster of inverted azure cones, glinting with a metallic cold light in the morning sun.
But Shen Xiuhan's eyes locked onto the left wing of this Blue-Spire Chicken.
The azure feathers there were messy, faintly revealing a patch of dark red.
“Is it... injured?”
Shen Xiuhan's eyes lit up, his heart instantly settling!
Swish, swish, swish, swish!
Before he could think further, this Blue-Spire Chicken actually struck first.
Four or five cone-like tail feathers cut through the air in azure blurs, thrusting toward Shen Xiuhan!
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