Chapter 21

The two soon arrived at the edge of the great forest, but found the mist growing thicker around them, making it difficult to see far ahead.

"It's getting late. Why don't we start from under that big tree?" Zhang Ren pointed to a tall wild jujube tree about forty meters away. The tree, with its branches still bearing many wild jujubes, stood out prominently.

Hunting in an unfamiliar forest at night, finding a good landmark is crucial. If they used this jujube tree as a central point and hunted within a few miles around it, they wouldn't get lost no matter how late it got.

Qin Yu casually nodded, but he was thinking, "Jin Wei from Yiyang and Zeng Yinyin from Linxiang, both mentioned by Master as famous figures from Jingnan, how could they both come to this small town in one day?"

After Qin Yu decided to start a business in Wuling, Zhang Xun had specially introduced him to the strong figures in the Southern Jingzhou. Although the Jiangnan region was not as rich in history as Jingxiang, it still had many experts at the Dark Realm level. Of course, only four or five posed a significant threat to Qin Yu.

Unfortunately, the Zeng Yinyin and Jin Wei he had just encountered were two of them.

This highly unlikely coincidence made Qin Yu start to speculate wildly.

"Senior Brother, I'll go left, you go right?" Zhang Ren handed a quiver to Qin Yu, looking at him with doubt.

Qin Yu nodded, took off his crane cloak, folded it, and put it in the quiver. Then he took out his hunting bow, put on the quiver, and picked up an arrow.

"Great!"

The two entered a hunting state, each quietly flanking to the left and right, moving silently.

...

According to legend, the Shennongjia is where the Chinese ancestor, Emperor Shennong, built a scaffold to gather herbs and treat the people's illnesses. He "built a ladder of wood to aid in climbing," "built a house of wood to shelter from the rain," and finally "built a platform of wood to ascend to heaven on a crane." Thus, it has a long history, rich resources, but also many fierce beasts.

Fortunately, they were at the edge of the great forest, where humans often appeared, and there were some clear paths to walk on, so they didn't need to hack through the undergrowth.

After walking for about half a mile, Qin Yu could no longer sense his junior brother's aura, knowing he had gone far. He focused his mind and began searching for prey.

This year's climate was unusually cold, and the cold weather had made everything wither and the beasts hibernate. At night, there were very few animals running around outside. After passing two small hills, they had only gathered some herbs and hadn't encountered any prey worth shooting.

Looking at a small squirrel about ten meters away, climbing up and down a pine tree to collect pine cones, Qin Yu put down his bow in frustration, thinking, "A fat wild chicken would be nice!"

Suddenly, he heard a rustling of branches and leaves from a distance, interspersed with the screams of monkeys.

Qin Yu's spirits lifted. "Something's happening." The sound came from no more than thirty meters away, perhaps a tiger or leopard passing by, whose scent had alarmed the monkeys.

He bent his waist and quickly moved towards the sound.

Just as he was moving, a sudden warning signal shot through his mind, piercing his forehead and consciousness.

Qin Yu froze.

His current strength was at the peak of the Bright Realm, but due to long-term practice of the half-step breathing technique, his mental perception was particularly sharp, comparable to that of a top-tier Dark Realm expert.

The alarming feeling made it seem as if a boiling oil flower had exploded in his mind, making his body feel both numb and hot.

Very dangerous!

Qin Yu crouched in the grass, not daring to move, cold sweat breaking out on his forehead. He thought, "Why is it more terrifying than when I encountered Xi Zhilan's night attack? Such a bone-chilling aura, could it be another Dark Realm expert?"

Suddenly, from about ten meters away, a voice sighed from the shadows of a bush, "Deng Jingfu, our old grudge was settled three years ago. Why are you now acting unrighteously, hiding in the forest to ambush me?"

The man spoke in a gentle and refined manner, each word slow and deliberate, but as Qin Yu listened, a chill ran through his heart.

"You... cough! cough! ... cough!" A sudden cough interrupted, and the other person, who had been trying to hold back, finally couldn't help but speak, only to start coughing even more violently.

"Ugh!" A strange sound.

"What's wrong? Deng Jingfu, I, Shi Huang, have always treated you with kindness and fairness, and for three years, I have sold grain and weapons to the nobles at a low price, never mistreating you. Are you coughing up blood because you feel guilty towards me?"

"Cough... cough! Ugh! Cough! Ugh!" The "Deng Jingfu" kept coughing, and slowly, almost every cough was followed by a spurt of blood.

"Fine, since you won't talk to me, I'll leave first!"

"Pan... pan... cough! cough! Ugh!"

"What pan?" Shi Huang's voice changed, suddenly becoming fierce.

"My husband means to ask Lord Shi to leave the divine bell behind before leaving," a woman's voice said softly, with a hint of helplessness.

Qin Yu inwardly groaned, "I just said I didn't want to encounter a Dark Realm expert, and now three appear. Deng Jingfu, what a strange name! Shi Huang... Shi Huang, this name sounds familiar."

In his perception, Shi Huang's aura was the strongest, overpowering the two top-tier Dark Realm experts, the Deng couple.

Suddenly, he remembered and his face darkened, inwardly groaning, "It's actually him?"

Zhang Xun had also mentioned this Shi Huang, the unofficial king of Southern Jingzhou, at the peak of the Dark Realm, said to be just a step away from the Transformation Realm. He also held an official position as the governor of Cangwu County in Jiaozhou, with great power and influence.

This person, with both power and strength, could be considered the top-tier expert in Jingnan.

Zhang Xun's assessment was: Do not provoke him within ten years.

"How did I run into him? I really didn't mean to provoke him!" Qin Yu's body hair stood on end, and he tightly controlled his cold sweat, not daring to let it out, for fear that Shi Huang might accidentally smell it. This person was different from Jin Gongzi; if he really turned against him, it would be a matter of life and death, and no one could save him.

He thought, "This Deng Jingfu is coughing up blood but still dares to oppose Shi Huang; he's not an easy opponent. And this woman, her aura is also terrifying. Could it be...?" He had some suspicions but couldn't be sure.

Just as he was pondering, he heard a light shout, and the surrounding killing aura suddenly intensified, startling Qin Yu.

"Nonsense! How could the Panhu Bell be in my hands?" Shi Huang released his imposing aura, full of official authority, "Madam Deng, I have always respected you, so don't speak nonsense."

"Then it must still be with your son," Madam Deng sighed, "Alas! Lord Shi has always treated the Wuling tribes well, and I have always been grateful. But your son seduced my young daughter and stole the divine bell, which is not the behavior of a good friend."

Shi Huang hummed, seemingly at a loss for words, and fell silent.

The Deng couple also remained silent.

Silence!

A suffocating silence lasted for nearly five seconds.

"Ahh!" A惨叫 suddenly rang out, and Shi Huang's voice came from about ten meters to the northwest, "You... I'm poisoned?"

Madam Deng's voice was low and soft, "My husband's essence and blood are distributed around here. Our Heart-to-Heart Charm can only be used once... Lord Shi is so powerful, we had no choice."

"Heart-to-Heart Charm?" Even as Shi Huang scolded the Deng couple, his voice was calm and gentle, but now it carried a hint of panic, "You... How could you use such a wicked charm? Quickly give me the antidote."

"This charm feeds on our essence and blood, and has already formed a golden silkworm soul charm. There is no medicine in the world that can cure it. The only way to detoxify is with the divine bell!" Madam Deng said softly, with a hint of pride, "If Lord Shi returns the divine bell, I can use it to remove the golden silkworm charm from Lord Shi's body."

" Dream on!" Shi Huang shouted.

"Then you will die!" A low, hoarse voice suddenly sounded, followed by a light thud as two auras collided. Madam Deng let out a low cry, "Husband?" and suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood.

...

PS: It's Monday, it's Monday, let's have some fresh votes! We finally got a strong recommendation, so let's have a good meal. Everyone, please give enough votes, okay? Don't worry, I'll definitely update three times today!