Chapter 32

After hearing Wang Lishou's words, Lu Buqi not only did not feel happy, but was instead inwardly alarmed. If even Wang Lishou could see that he had great ambitions, then Wang Yingfu or Wang Bo might also have sensed it. Perhaps Wang Bo's desire to kill him was partly due to this.

The saying goes, "The tree that stands out in the forest will be the first to be broken by the wind." Lu Buqi carefully pondered and realized that what he had done in the northwest household was indeed too conspicuous, and that was not good!

Some might think that Lu Buqi was being overly cautious, but this was largely due to his previous profession. Apart from being a master of animal ecology, he had another, more significant profession: that of a butcher.

A butcher, in this context, is a killer, but not entirely a hitman. A professional butcher not only knows how to kill but also how to save lives. Like a hitman, a standard butcher always lives in the darkness, being a part of the dark world, where caution is their most basic trait.

However, Lu Buqi had already lived in this world for thirteen years, and some of his more extreme butcher-like traits had changed. Moreover, he was eager to change his current situation, so if he were to go back, he would still make those bold moves.

Even if it drew attention, he ultimately gained an opportunity. Compared to the latter, the former was not as important. He just needed to be more careful in the future, remembering that he was still just a lowly marsh slave.

"Master Wang, you're just teasing me. What great ambitions could I have?" Lu Buqi lightly pinched his nose, looking straight at Wang Lishou. "I just want to be like you and the others, to have a name that truly belongs to me, to have basic freedom and human rights, and to make my parents and relatives live better."

Wang Lishou grinned. "That's not a small ambition... Hehe, Buqi, no matter what you want to do, I will do my best to help you..."

Lu Buqi was silent, knowing that Wang Lishou spoke from the heart. Even if he had seen through something, he would not say it. Lu Buqi suddenly realized that many people in this world were actually quite good.

Lu Buqi diligently memorized the key points of the Bear King Drum Marrow Technique. Although he could not use it now, he believed that he would one day.

He was surprised to find that, unlike the thorough analysis of the human skeleton on Earth, in the world of martial artists, the human skeleton was divided into nine major parts: the skull, spine, shoulder and back bones, sternum, pelvis, left arm bones, right arm bones, left leg bones, and right leg bones.

The standard for the Bone Resonance Realm martial artists' cultivation levels was based on which of these nine skeletal parts they could simultaneously activate to release marrow energy.

Like Wang Lishou, he could currently only activate the marrow energy of six skeletal parts: the sternum, pelvis, left and right arm bones, and left and right leg bones. This did not mean that he had only cultivated his marrow energy to these six parts.

In fact, most Bone Resonance Realm martial artists, at the first level, had cultivated their marrow energy throughout their entire body, able to release marrow energy from each of the nine skeletal parts, simultaneously enhancing the strength and recovery ability of their bones. Once they found the feeling of the force technique and the resonance of the marrow energy, these were all natural progressions.

However, to reach the state where all nine skeletal parts, or the entire body, could simultaneously release marrow energy, was very difficult. Many Bone Resonance Realm martial artists remained at the sixth or seventh level.

In total, the two of them rested for three days. Lu Buqi's physical condition had recovered to about 90%, and his external injuries had scabbed over. Although Wang Lishou's injuries had not fully healed, the bindings on his body had been removed, and his left arm could move slightly. After removing the heart core and fur of the spirit beast, they left the pile of ape corpses and continued on their journey.

At this point, they were left with three spear guns, a broken-bladed decapitation knife, a crudely remade wooden bow, over two hundred arrows, and a silver needle whose toxicity was unknown.

With such equipment, it was indeed quite difficult to safely navigate out of the Guokan Dense Forest.

Fortunately, over the next ten days, Lu Buqi and Wang Lishou did not encounter any spirit beasts. Until this day, a piercing scream woke Lu Buqi from his sleep.

It was around the end of the first watch. Wang Lishou said sternly, "Buqi, that's a human scream!"

Wang Lishou's injuries had completely healed over the past ten days, and from his demeanor, it was clear that he had gained much from the life-and-death battle with the spirit ape.

Lu Buqi's eyes narrowed. "This is the time when the villages are conducting their spring hunts. It's likely that the marsh slaves camping overnight have been attacked by fierce beasts."

Another scream echoed, short and intense, clearly a death cry like the previous one. Lu Buqi's face changed. "Two people dead so quickly, it's probably a spirit beast. Old Wang, should we go or not?"

It was Wang Lishou who had asked Lu Buqi to call him Old Wang, to show closeness. He grinned. "Why do I hear a hint of calling me a coward in your question?"

"Then let's go!" Lu Buqi said, quickly packing up their gear.

They extinguished the fire and, in the dark, skillfully moved through the vines and palms, the screams growing louder as they approached the distant camp.

As they got closer, in addition to the piercing screams, the shouts of the crowd and the howls of the wolf pack were also heard. Clearly, this was a common wolf pack attack in the Guokan Dense Forest.

When Lu Buqi and Wang Lishou arrived, they couldn't help but draw in a sharp breath. Without even mentioning the blood and body parts scattered everywhere, the chaotic and brutal scene was enough to shock anyone who claimed to have seen it all.

The wolf pack likely had no fewer than two hundred wolves. Although the number of marsh slaves in the camp was greater than the number of wolves, it was clear that in the hasty night battle, the marsh slaves' morale and combat strength were greatly reduced, putting them at a clear disadvantage. However, these marsh slaves who participated in the hunt were all experienced hunters and could handle a single wild wolf without much trouble.

In the heart of the human-wolf battle, a scene of the most brutal slaughter was unfolding. A silver wolf, as large as a wild bull, was tearing and biting through the marsh slaves. Each time it pounced, a marsh slave was killed, and the screams were coming from this area.

"Rope! Rope! Lasso it, don't let it move! Da Dong, Da You, aim your arrows...!" A tall, muscular man in black lay half-reclined against a tree, the flickering firelight casting distorted patterns on his face. Clearly, he was a prominent figure in one of the villages. Blood flowed uncontrollably from his right thigh, but he ignored it, roaring commands to the others, his voice hoarse. "Damn it, surround it, surround it!"

At that moment, a marsh slave's rope lassoed the silver wolf's head. However, with just his strength of a few hundred pounds, the silver wolf's charge dragged him into the air. The wolf then leaped, its massive head swinging to bite the throat of the screaming marsh slave.

As the body fell, the silver wolf landed steadily, its blood-stained fangs terrifying. Faced with this monster that could not be stopped by human strength, every marsh slave felt deep fear. They did not run because they knew that running would mean a quicker death.

Just as the silver wolf pounced again, aiming for a young marsh slave, a roar echoed through the night: "Beast, come back here!"

Then, a scene that shocked all the marsh slaves unfolded. A large, unfamiliar figure suddenly appeared, grabbing the thick vine rope. Everyone thought this large man would be dragged into the air like the previous marsh slave, but the vine rope suddenly tightened, and the large man remained firmly on the ground.

The silver wolf, mid-pounce, was yanked from the air, stumbling and barely managing to stand. But just as it regained its footing, a spear gun flew from behind the large man, piercing the silver wolf's trembling abdomen and burying itself several inches deep.

"Awooo..." The silver wolf, in pain, suddenly used the rope's tension to pounce at the large man. It thought that even if this man was strong, his throat would be as vulnerable as anyone else's.