Chapter 4

"My name is Ye Shang, Lin Sijie, you're too polite." After hearing Lin Qiao's words, Ye Shang felt a bit more at ease, which proved that these few people were straightforward and responsible.

"Let's not talk about it, let's drink." Seeing the tension between Lin Qiao and Ye Shang ease, Yang Sen smiled and said.

After the four of them drank the wine, Zhang Xuanzong started coughing, "What kind of wine is this? It tastes good, but it's too strong."

Yang Sen and the others also had red faces.

"It's brewed by an uncle in our village." Ye Shang drank a large bowl of wine as if it were water.

"Ye Shang, you haven't eaten anything. Let's change places; you eat first, and then we'll set off." Yang Sen was a bit impatient.

"No need. Seeing that you all are in a hurry, let's find the Black Python first." Ye Shang said.

"Alright, then we'll trouble you, Brother Ye." Yang Sen nodded.

After leaving the teahouse, Yang Sen and the others got on their tamed beasts, but Ye Shang didn't have a tamed beast; his tamed leopard had been killed by the Black Python.

"Brother Ye, would you like to ride with me?" Lin Qiao asked with a smile.

Ye Shang blushed; he had never been close to a woman, let alone ride with one.

"Sister Lin, don't tease Brother Ye. Come ride with me." Du Chong waved at Ye Shang.

Ye Shang jumped onto Du Chong's tamed lion.

Ye Shang led the way, and the group moved quickly.

As they chatted, Ye Shang learned that the four of them were from Chiyang City, serving as the deputy city lord's guards. They had come to obtain the Black Python's gallbladder.

"Brother Ye, when you get to Chiyang City, if you need help, come to the deputy city lord's residence. We can help with small matters." Du Chong, who had a good impression of Ye Shang, said.

"Thank you, Brother Du." Ye Shang did not refuse Du Chong's offer.

The tamed lion moved quickly, and in a day and a half, they arrived at the place where Ye Shang had been attacked by the Black Python.

"Brother Zhang, you lead the way. Ye Shang, you stay here." Yang Sen said, looking at Zhang Xuanzong, who had already found the Black Python's trail.

Ye Shang nodded, knowing that this was not something he could or should be involved in.

After drinking a few sips of wine, Ye Shang waited under an ancient tree.

A short while later, the sound of a fierce battle echoed from a distance. Ye Shang knew the battle had begun. The Black Python was so large that it couldn't have run far; its lair was likely nearby.

The intense battle lasted for a full fifteen minutes before it ended.

After the battle, Lin Qiao came over, "We killed that beast. I didn't expect it to be a high-level second-stage creature."

"Are you hurt?" Ye Shang asked, seeing the blood on Lin Qiao's body.

"Brother Du was responsible for blocking the entrance to the beast's lair and was hit by its tail. Let's go over there, rest for a bit, and then head back." Lin Qiao said.

Following Lin Qiao, the two of them arrived at the base of a cliff. The Black Python, about twenty feet long, was still twitching, but its head had been cut in half, and it was struggling without consciousness.

Du Chong was sitting on the ground, his right arm wrapped in cloth, clearly injured.

Ye Shang poured a bowl of wine for Du Chong.

"Haha, this is good." Du Chong laughed.

While Ye Shang and Du Chong were talking, Yang Sen started to cut open the Black Python. After a short while, he obtained the gallbladder, then removed the Black Python's fangs and the scales from its neck, which were the most valuable materials on its body.

"Let's tidy up, rest for a bit, and then head back." Yang Sen said.

"What a waste of the python's meat." Ye Shang really wanted to take the Black Python back to the village, but it was hundreds of miles away, and it wouldn't be right to delay Yang Sen and the others.

"Cut off a few pieces." Lin Qiao took out a long sword and cut off a few pieces from the Black Python.

After resting for a while, they set off again. This time, Ye Shang and Yang Sen rode the tamed beasts, as Du Chong's arm was broken and it was inconvenient for him to carry Ye Shang.

The four of them had large and powerful tamed lions, which moved very quickly, and they soon returned to Gunan Town.

At the inn, Yang Sen helped Ye Shang get a room, and everyone went to rest.

Ye Shang slept soundly, knowing that his journey to the Medicine Valley would be much easier. Chiyang City was more than halfway to the Medicine Valley. As for Yang Sen and the others, Ye Shang believed that although they hadn't had much interaction with the outside world, they had a lot of experience with hunting, and he could sense their kindness and sincerity, which had become his instinct.

Ye Shang got up early and practiced a bit in his room, as he couldn't practice boxing in the courtyard of the inn.

After washing up, Ye Shang saw that Yang Sen and the others were already packed and ready.

"You're up. Let's eat and then set off." Yang Sen was in high spirits, having obtained the Black Python's gallbladder, their mission was complete.

"Alright." Ye Shang nodded.

After eating, the group set off again, with Ye Shang riding with Yang Sen.

Tamed beasts were not easy to obtain; they either had to be trained from a young age or tamed. Many beasts would rather die than be tamed. Yang Sen and the others' tamed lions were raised by tamed beast masters and bought by the group.

The tamed lions moved quickly and smoothly, and the group chatted casually as they traveled.

Through their conversations, Ye Shang learned more about the outside world. Chiyang City was under the jurisdiction of the Medicine Valley, with the city lord and deputy city lord being disciples of the Medicine Valley elders, managing the city on their behalf.

Ye Shang did not hide his intentions and mentioned that his destination was the Medicine Valley's Dan Ding Mountain.

Through Yang Sen, Ye Shang learned that without a good foundation, it would be difficult to join the Medicine Valley. Yang Sen also suggested that if things didn't go well, Ye Shang should return to Chiyang City and find them.

Regarding his foundation, Ye Shang felt a bit helpless. Old Man Ye had always wanted Ye Shang to be an ordinary person and had not taught him to cultivate mystic arts, which involved true qi, only teaching him boxing for physical fitness.

Upon learning that Ye Shang had not cultivated mystic arts, Yang Sen taught him the basics of gathering and storing qi.

During the day, they traveled, and at night, Ye Shang practiced the methods Yang Sen had taught him, gathering and storing qi. To the surprise of Yang Sen and the others, Ye Shang felt the qi within a day and was able to gather it in his dantian the next day.

"You're a good candidate for cultivation. Although you started a bit later than normal, it's not a big deal." Du Chong encouraged Ye Shang during a rest.

The journey was monotonous, but Yang Sen and the others shared many stories with Ye Shang, broadening his horizons.

On the way, they crossed mountains and forests, encountering many wild beasts and monsters, but Yang Sen and the others easily dealt with them. Lin Qiao's attitude toward Ye Shang also improved.

After nearly twenty days, they arrived at Chiyang City. By then, Ye Shang had made significant progress, advancing from no foundation to the second level of qi cultivation.

Cultivators were divided into many levels based on their cultivation, including qi cultivation, essence gathering, core formation, spirit division, void questioning, Heaven's Will, and the Saint Realm. Yang Sen and the others were at the high level of essence gathering.

Monsters, like humans, were divided into seven stages based on their cultivation. The Black Python was a second-stage monster approaching the third stage. If Yang Sen and the others had encountered it alone, they would have had to run. At the same cultivation level, monsters were generally stronger than humans.

"Brother Yang, Brother Du, Brother Zhang, Sister Lin, thank you for your care during the journey." After entering the city, Ye Shang did not intend to continue bothering them.