Chapter 41

"Does this mean that if I am unwilling to go, I won't be able to buy the poison powder?" Wei He frowned.

"That's not the case. Why be so stubborn? Don't look at how tense things seem on the surface, but a real fight is still far off," Cheng Shaojiu shook his head. "Three years ago, Hong Family Fort had constant friction with the Seven Family Alliance. Everyone thought a fight was imminent and was very nervous, but it hasn't happened yet."

Wei He remained silent. He just wanted to come and go freely. In reality, Feiye City was becoming less and less a place he wanted to stay long-term.

Seeing his expression, Cheng Shaojiu knew he wasn't the least bit moved and could only wave his hand.

"Alright, alright. Since you're unwilling, I'll just give it back. I'll get the poison powder for you."

"Thank you, Brother Cheng." Wei He nodded solemnly.

"What are you and I, brothers, for talking like this?" Cheng Shaojiu dismissed it. "Practice, practice."

"Um."

Wei He returned to his position, where Ouyang Zhuang was already waiting.

He also began to carefully guide his techniques.

Time passed quickly.

In the blink of an eye, two months had passed. Wei He hadn't gone anywhere; he had just registered with a few small gangs in the city, eating some grain and meat each month, and mainly relied on the medicinal materials provided by Master Zheng to enhance his qi and blood.

Master Zheng had a type of meat called Red Earth Fish, which tasted extremely bad, almost like feces, but its medicinal effects were only slightly weaker than those of the flower branch deer meat. It was a rare and excellent qi and blood supplement.

Wei He accepted Master Zheng's conditions and truly became his most core disciple.

This was a true closed-door disciple, intended to be the successor of Huishan Fist Academy in the future.

During these two months, the three gangs and two sects, Hong Family Fort, and other small forts and large households had all tried to recruit Wei He.

The conditions they offered were all quite valuable.

Especially Hong Family Fort, the resources and benefits they offered were no less than what Jiang Yan had provided, but they also had a rule that required him to move his family to Hong Family Fort.

This was to ensure his loyalty.

After much consideration, Wei He still refused. He only chose to register with a few small gangs.

Additionally, on Old Master Zheng's advice, Wei He also agreed to serve as a guest elder for the Qingdu Sect among the three gangs and two sects.

This guest elder status was no different from the temporary employment qualifications of Yonghe Escort Agency.

It meant being kept on a retainer with a small amount of money, and when help was needed, they would hire him at a price.

It was like a dedicated mercenary.

After settling these matters, Wei He practiced diligently every day. His understanding of the techniques and their essence made good progress, after all, his thinking was advanced.

However, in terms of accumulating qi and blood, the results were minimal.

After taking the Red Earth Fish, the speed was faster than the silver-kissed black snake meat, as eating both together definitely accelerated the process of accumulating qi and blood.

But even with the increased speed, two months was still a slow progress. By now, the Breakthrough Pearl was only at one-fifth of its capacity.

As for the qi and blood, he had just formed the first red mark of the Nine Dawn Flower, and it still needed to solidify to be considered a successful completion of the first flower.

This was just the first flower, the easiest one, and it took this long...

Wei He finally understood why Old Master Zheng had said that this stage was very time-consuming.

As the situation became more complicated, Wei He was also quite dissatisfied with his progress in accumulating qi and blood.

To speed things up, he decided to find more qi and blood supplements.

However, each family's qi and blood supplements were unique and not allowed to be seen by outsiders.

Therefore, the only way to get supplements that didn't belong to others was to hunt!

Wei He knew the dangers outside the city, but not all areas outside the city were dangerous. Otherwise, those who transported vegetables and grain in and out of the city would all be dead.

He spent three days, going out of the city each day to scout the surroundings of Feiye City.

With his current strength and reaction speed, as long as he was careful, there was no real danger.

Then, he observed at the city gate for a few days and found an old hunter who often brought game into the city to sell for grain.

For the price of fifty pounds of mixed grain flour, he hired the old hunter to explain the surrounding situation and take him around the hunting areas near Feiye City to prepare for the hunt.

After experiencing several life-and-death battles, Wei He had gained some confidence in his abilities.

Relying on others was not as good as being self-reliant.

This was his thought.

...

...

...

To the south of Feiye City, ten miles away on the plains.

This was a rolling, light green forest called Shaoyang Mountain.

The forest was dotted with white stones, steep and rugged, with dense vegetation.

Although the mountain was not very high, it was rarely visited by people, with many venomous insects and fierce beasts. Even experienced old hunters dared not enter recklessly.

At the foot of Shaoyang Mountain, a middle-aged man wrapped in gray animal fur was followed by a tall, muscular young man in martial attire.

The two stood at the entrance to the mountain.

The entrance had a faint, overgrown path.

Despite the scorching weather, the path still exuded a chill.

"This is Shaoyang Mountain. The entire southern area of Feiye City, a vast expanse of forest, is all part of Shaoyang Mountain. Inside, there are bears, tigers, leopards, wild boars, and more. You can hunt whatever you want," the middle-aged man introduced.

"Can we still encounter large prey?" the young man in martial attire asked in a low voice.

He wore dark green clothes and trousers, with several small bags tied around his waist, a short knife on his thigh, and a long cloth bag on his back.

This was none other than Wei He, who had been preparing for several days.

The old hunter in front of him was Ding Hai, the one who had brought back the most game in recent days.

"Large prey? It depends on your luck. Nowadays, you have to avoid the various earth forts. Areas around the earth forts and places with signs are off-limits. Otherwise, you'll get into trouble."

Ding Hai walked forward, following the path, and began to cut down the overgrown grass with the short knife on his leg.

"Be careful and follow me. There are many venomous insects here. Recently, due to the continuous drought, there are fewer, but in the past, no one dared to come near."

Wei He nodded and followed, listening to Ding Hai as they walked.

"I don't know why you insist on hunting yourself, but if you want to catch something, first, you must be patient.

Bring enough dry rations, a water bag, a waterproof backpack, and medicines for injuries, snake venom, spider venom, and if possible, some bait."

"Bait?"

"Yes, something to emit a scent to attract prey when you can't find any." Ding Hai took out a black-brown meat-like object from his bag, about the size of half a palm.

"Also, bring some deodorizing powder, wild animal feces, and some ropes." Ding Hai continued.

He led Wei He along the path, and soon they reached a somewhat deep, withered forest.

The forest floor was covered with a thick layer of yellow leaves.

The trees were bare, with few leaves, and the air was dry.

"This place hasn't had rain for a long time, and many trees and animals have died. So, if you're lucky, you might find something. Whether it's a large prey or not depends on your luck," Ding Hai said softly.

"Alright."

Wei He watched as he squatted down and searched the ground. Soon, he found a trail left by an unknown animal under a large pine tree.

"Besides being careful of wild beasts, you also need to be cautious of people," Ding Hai stood up and followed the trail in a certain direction.

Wei He followed closely, listening carefully.

"Be careful of what people?"

"People around here." Ding Hai smiled. "Shaoyang Mountain is divided into the outer and inner areas. In the outer area, you often encounter skilled hunters. If you encounter them, run as fast as you can."

He walked to a tree trunk, confirmed the direction, and made a mark with his short knife.

"Also, there's a restricted area. If you come here to hunt, you must be careful not to come here at dusk."

"Why?" Wei He asked.

"Because, at dusk, it's the time when the Shaoyang Sect comes out to hunt. But... hehe." Ding Hai laughed coldly. "They don't hunt animals, they hunt people."

"!? People?" Wei He was stunned. "What do you mean?"

"In the city outskirts, you must follow the rules. In the morning to noon, it's the patrol time of Hong Family Fort, which is relatively safe. As long as you don't provoke their large groups, you'll be fine."

"From noon to dusk, Hong Family Fort's groups return, and it's the time for the two sects to be active. The Qingdu Sect and the Shaoyang Sect are also powerful in the city outskirts and often move around Shaoyang Mountain."

"The Qingdu Sect is fine. If you encounter them, stop immediately, bow your head, and don't speak or run. They won't bother you."

"But if you encounter the Shaoyang Sect, if they're in a good mood, they might let you go. If they're in a bad mood, you'll definitely be captured."

Ding Hai cut down the overgrown grass with his short knife and continued.

"However, the Shaoyang Sect doesn't capture everyone. They come out occasionally, and their numbers are not large. Unless you have very bad luck, you won't encounter them."

Wei He nodded slowly.

"What about at night?" he asked.

"At night?" Ding Hai looked at him with a strange expression. "At night, it's the time for wild beasts to be active. You can't see anything, and you dare to wander around with a torch?"

"I understand."

Wei He suddenly thought of his older sister Wei Chun and his parents' disappearance. Could it be related to the Shaoyang Sect?

"Brother Ding, do you know about the disappearance of a group of stone carvers outside the city two years ago?" he asked solemnly.

"Yes, I know. They were going to Mingde Temple. I even saw the group halfway. There were quite a few people," Ding Hai replied casually.

"What? You saw them!?" Wei He was delighted. "Do you know how they disappeared?"

"How they disappeared?" Ding Hai turned back, his face full of ridicule. "Do you know when I saw them? At dusk!"

"You mean, the Shaoyang Sect?" Wei He's voice rose slightly.

"I didn't say that, but it's the most likely. That day, I saw the white-robed members of the Shaoyang Sect wandering around. They were very conspicuous," Ding Hai replied.