Chapter 28: Cold Moon Mountain! Rabbit

“Senior Brother Shan?”

Tie Feng froze, then hurriedly bowed. “Greetings, Senior Brother Shan.”

Zhang Lingshan asked in surprise, “You live in the Feng Family Compound too?”

“My father is a herb-gathering guard for the Feng Clan Pharmacy.”

“I see. So your father is Uncle Tie.”

Zhang Lingshan nodded, acknowledging the information.

No wonder Tie Feng had such good things like tiger meat jerky back then; it seemed his father had given them to him.

“Take care, Senior Brother Shan,” Tie Feng said respectfully.

Watching Zhang Lingshan’s retreating figure, his gaze was incredibly complex.

He remembered how he used to give Zhang Lingshan pointers on practicing the Zhenyang Stance, treating him like a little brother.

He never expected that in just a few short months, while his own Hunyuan Zhenyang Stance was still unmastered, Zhang Lingshan had already succeeded in the Skin-Grinding stage.

Not only that.

Once he achieved Skin-Grinding, he was actually personally recruited by the Sixth Young Master, Feng Shaolong, joining the Feng Clan Pharmacy directly as a herb-gathering guard, just like Tie Feng's father.

The gap between him and the other boy was growing wider and wider—a gap of an entire father's status.

“Sigh.”

Tie Feng sighed inwardly.

In the past, whenever he heard storytellers talk about how geniuses were so and so, he would empathize, believing that he too was destined to be one of them, just waiting to awaken.

But looking at it now, he couldn't even touch the hem of a genius's robe.

Zhang Lingshan was the true genius.

Suddenly, Tie Feng felt a flicker of relief.

Fortunately, he had proactively returned the two taels of silver to Zhang Lingshan after the boy's breakthrough, even including interest. Otherwise, seeing him today, he wouldn't have been let off so easily.

***

“Dad, I'm back,” Tie Feng called out as he entered the herb-gathering guard courtyard.

“Xiao Feng is back. Today, the Sixth Young Master brought a young man along. He seems a bit younger than you and is also from your Hong Clan Martial Arts Hall. I saw that the Sixth Young Master holds him in high regard. You two are fellow disciples, so make sure to build a good relationship with him,” Uncle Tie said earnestly.

Tie Feng could only respond with a bitter, silent smile.

***

At the Hong Clan Martial Arts Hall, they only provided free medicinal baths for the Skin-Grinding stage prior to reaching the Cowhide stage. Once one reached the Cowhide stage, they had to find their own medicinal bath materials.

Thus, joining the Feng Clan Pharmacy had an added benefit: medicinal materials could be purchased at a discount, sold to them at cost.

Furthermore, as long as one held a herb-gathering guard's token, they could purchase medicine at the Feng Clan Pharmacy with corresponding discounts based on their rank.

The token Zhang Lingshan had received was a brass token.

Meanwhile, the token held by Tie Feng's father, Uncle Tie, was merely wooden.

This meant Zhang Lingshan's rank was one level higher than Uncle Tie, who had served in the pharmacy for many years.

If Tie Feng knew this, he would surely have suffered an even greater breakdown.

Comparing oneself to others truly was enough to kill a man with frustration.

“The brass token gives a twenty percent discount. Are there higher levels?” Zhang Lingshan asked the pharmacy clerk.

The clerk replied, “Those at higher levels don't buy their medicine from us, so I wouldn't know.”

“I see. Then give me four taels worth of Spirit Root Grass,” Zhang Lingshan said.

Previously, four taels of silver could only buy four taels of Spirit Root Grass; now, he could buy five.

Before, one tael of Spirit Root Grass required five or six days of consumption to be absorbed and converted into one unit of energy; now, it only took three days.

His strength increased, while his silver, time, and effort were all saved.

No wonder the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.

The strong grow even stronger.

Zhang Lingshan couldn't help but feel a sense of profound realization, which only fueled his drive.

As his strength increased, the benefits he reaped grew even greater. What reason was there not to work hard?

Over the next few days, aside from his routine of skin-grinding, eating, and drinking Four-Harmony Soup at the martial arts hall, he spent his spare time sparring with the guards in the Feng family's herb-gathering courtyard.

Sometimes with fists, sometimes with weapons.

In this manner, his combat experience and his proficiency with the axe were slowly improving through practice.

***

One day.

Feng Shaolong suddenly gathered everyone and announced, “We have a mission tomorrow!

“Everyone get prepared. We will assemble at the herb-gathering guard courtyard at the hour of Chen (7:00 AM) when dawn breaks. Bring your weapons, get plenty of rest tonight, and make sure you are in peak condition.

“Though there are fewer beasts in winter, it doesn't mean there is no danger. If we encounter anything sinister, we must work together with one heart. Understood?”

“Understood!” the crowd shouted in unison.

Feng Shaolong nodded. “Then go home.”

***

The next morning.

Early in the morning, Zhang Lingshan arrived at the herb-gathering guard courtyard and took the slab axe from the weapon rack.

The heavy weight of the slab axe brought a sense of security to his heart.

After all, they were facing wild beasts.

Beasts possessed sharp claws and teeth; since humans lacked such natural weapons, they had to rely on tools to compensate.

This was especially true for Cowhide-stage martial artists like them. Although they were stronger than ordinary people, their strength lay only in physical power and fist techniques, neither of which was particularly effective against beasts.

Only by combining the strength of a Cowhide martial artist with the sharpness of a weapon could they show a beast their true prowess.

“Everyone is here. Let's move!”

With a wave of his hand from Feng Shaolong, the group set off in a grand procession, with two horse carriages pulling various herb-digging tools and baskets.

Aside from Feng Shaolong, who had his own horse, everyone else sat in the two carriages.

No one complained about the dirt; they were all rough men and weren't particularly fastidious.

Sitting in the carriage was a way to conserve stamina.

The herbs were up on the mountain, so once they arrived, everyone would climb together.

The herb gatherers would carry the baskets and tools, while the herb-gathering guards would either scout the path or guard the gatherers to prevent any danger.

The carriages would be left at the foot of the mountain under the watch of two drivers.

The drivers were no simple characters; they were at least Cowhide-stage martial artists.

Since it was a short trip, there was no need for excessive horses, which would be eye-catching and wasteful.

But even for a short trip, they needed to make haste, as they might encounter strange or malevolent entities after dark.

Thus, everyone was very cooperative along the way. Whenever they encountered difficult terrain, they worked together to push the carriages.

In this manner, it took only an hour for them to reach Cold Moon Mountain.

Then, the group split into two teams, led by Feng Shaolong and Yu Mengyuan, respectively.

Feng Shaolong's team consisted mostly of veteran guards from the Feng family.

Yu Mengyuan's team consisted mostly of disciples from the Hong Clan Martial Arts Hall, so Zhang Lingshan was naturally assigned to this group.

“Uncle Zhao, Cold Moon Mountain is just sitting here, and anyone can gather herbs. How can we guarantee that we'll definitely have a harvest this trip?” Zhang Lingshan asked curiously as he followed Yu Mengyuan and the others up the mountain.

Beside him was an elderly herb gatherer.

Despite his age, his movements were not weak; he was even more agile than Zhang Lingshan.

Furthermore, he was clearly a frequent visitor to this mountain and knew the terrain intimately. He knew exactly where every tree branch was; not only was his memory strong, but his eyesight was also incredibly sharp.

At times, he could detect dangerous sinkholes or ditches that Zhang Lingshan could not see.

Following Uncle Zhao, Zhang Lingshan gained much insight, and he couldn't help but admire the man's vast experience.

“Hehe,” Uncle Zhao chuckled proudly. “Just follow me. The medicinal herbs we are looking for only mature in the depths of winter, and they grow in steep, hidden locations. Not just anyone can get them, and they require specific digging techniques. In any case, make sure you carry your ropes well; don't lose them. Without the ropes, this trip is a waste!”

“Don't worry, Uncle Zhao, I definitely won't lose them,” Zhang Lingshan promised.

“Stop!”

Yu Mengyuan suddenly raised his right fist and shouted in a low voice.

Zhang Lingshan and Uncle Zhao immediately fell silent, and everyone became alert.

*Skree!*

A strange bird let out a cry and fluttered away into the distance.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Yu Mengyuan said, “It was just a bird, but it's best not to chat for now. Especially you, Junior Brother Shan—this is your first time on the mountain. You aren't familiar with this place and haven't experienced danger here. So, observe more and speak less. Experience is accumulated slowly; do not be impatient.”

“Senior Brother Yu is right,” Zhang Lingshan replied, nodding heavily in agreement.

Yu Mengyuan was quite satisfied with Zhang Lingshan's attitude and nodded with relief, giving him a slight smile.

He had feared that a genius might be arrogant and refuse to follow orders, but it seemed he didn't need to worry about Junior Brother Shan causing trouble.

After all, the boy came from a poor background; he wasn't arrogant due to his talent and understood the wisdom of "listening to advice to stay fed."

Thus, as long as nothing went wrong, this trip seemed destined to be a success.

Yu Mengyuan had participated in such herb-gathering missions more than once or twice—he had done it over a dozen times, and they were almost always safe despite occasional scares.

This time would likely be no exception.

Soon, just as he expected, they reached their destination without incident.

It was a sheer cliffside.

Zhang Lingshan and the others bundled their ropes together and secured them around Uncle Zhao and another herb gatherer. Then, two people were assigned to hold the ropes, moving according to the gatherers' commands.

The others, under Yu Mengyuan's leadership, circled the perimeter, remaining vigilant of their surroundings.

At this moment, time seemed to stretch incredibly long.

Zhang Lingshan was responsible for holding the rope for Uncle Zhao. This was his first time doing such a job, and his heart was racing with nervousness and respect.

To think that Uncle Zhao, at his age, was not afraid of heights and was so bold as to gather herbs on the edge of a cliff.

If he had to go down with Uncle Zhao as the rope-holder, Zhang Lingshan would surely have died of fright.

Because he was afraid of heights.

Even though he wasn't going down yet, he was still trembling with fear, constantly worried the rope might snap, and he pulled it with extreme caution.

Once they reached a stable position, he immediately looped the rope around a large tree to prevent himself from losing strength or the rope snapping from friction.

“Switch!”

At noon.

Yu Mengyuan let the outer guards eat their meals before rotating them with Zhang Lingshan and the others.

As for Uncle Zhao and the others, they carried their own dry rations; being a bit hungry was no big deal.

High-altitude work was the priority; gathering herbs was more important.

The sooner they finished, the sooner they could go home.

Time passed.

Another hour quickly slipped by.

“Alright, pull me up! A bountiful harvest, hehe!”

Uncle Zhao's joyful voice drifted up.

With such a harvest, his commission would be substantial, enough to let him live comfortably for several months. How could he not be happy?

The other herb gatherer was equally satisfied.

Soon, the group pulled them up.

Everyone stowed the ropes, and the guards each shouldered a full basket of herbs, walking happily down the mountain.

Just as they were about to descend the mountain.

Suddenly, a sharp shout came from the distance: “Vile beast, how dare you harm the Sixth Young Master!”

“Protect the Sixth Young Master, quickly!”

The frantic cries immediately caused the muscles in Zhang Lingshan and the others' bodies to tense up.

Something had happened!

Nothing had happened on their side, but something had gone wrong with Feng Shaolong's group.

This was the worst-case scenario.

If something happened to them, the Feng Clan Pharmacy would only need to pay sufficient compensation; they wouldn't take it out on others.

But if Feng Shaolong died here...

The consequences were unimaginable!

One should not underestimate the power of the Feng Clan Pharmacy.

Even if Zhang Lingshan and the others had the Hong Clan Martial Arts Hall behind them, there would certainly be no shortage of trouble.

Therefore, Feng Shaolong absolutely could not be harmed.

Zhang Lingshan's mind raced through these thoughts in an instant.

But in truth, he didn't even need to think; Yu Mengyuan had already shouted, “Drop the herb baskets! Go help Shaolong!”

With that, he had already charged forward at the first opportunity.

His tension was not an act.

It was clear the two had an excellent relationship, like brothers.

Seeing this, Zhang Lingshan and the others immediately dropped their baskets and ropes, drew their weapons, and followed.

No one retreated.

Because everyone knew the consequences of retreating.

Furthermore, a crisis is an opportunity within danger; now was the time to prove themselves. If they exerted themselves to save Feng Shaolong in this battle, wouldn't Feng Shaolong show some appreciation when they returned?

He would definitely add extra money!

Thus, amidst the tension, the group felt a surge of excitement as they rushed toward Feng Shaolong's battlefield.

“Shaolong, are you alright?”

Yu Mengyuan was the first to arrive, asking anxiously.

He saw that Feng Shaolong's face was slightly pale. He shook his head and said, “I was hit by a palm strike in a sneak attack. It's not serious, but I can't circulate my Qi to fight. I'll have to rely on you now.”

“Don't worry,” Yu Mengyuan said heavily, then asked, “What exactly was it that injured you? Where did it go?”

Feng Shaolong said with a solemn expression, “It was a rabbit.”

“A rabbit?”

Zhang Lingshan and the others arrived just in time. Hearing that a rabbit had injured Feng Shaolong, everyone looked at each other in disbelief.

Are you sure you're not joking?

A rabbit is so tiny; how much force could a single palm strike have to actually injure a Stone-Skin martial artist like Feng Shaolong?

Do you think Stone-Skin martial artists are common vegetables that can be tossed around by a rabbit?

“Could it be...”

Yu Mengyuan frowned, about to speak, when his expression suddenly changed. He shouted, “Everyone, be careful! The rabbit has appeared!”

“What!?”

Everyone hurriedly raised their weapons in front of them, staring wide-eyed and nervous.

They saw.

In the center of two trees not far away, a massive figure with glowing red eyes was scanning them. And on that figure's head, there were indeed two upright ears.

“It really is a rabbit?”

“When a rabbit stands up, it's this big? It's almost the same size as us martial artists!”

“You call that a damn rabbit!?”

Zhang Lingshan was stunned.

This wasn't a rabbit; it was clearly a burly man in a rabbit costume.

“It's a Demon Rabbit!”

Feng Shaolong explained loudly. “Be careful not to be hit by it. Its hands carry demonic Qi. If that Qi enters your body, it will disrupt your blood and Qi. I was hit by one strike, and now I cannot exert force.

“But don't worry, there is only one Demon Rabbit, and its demonic Qi is weak. I landed a punch on it when it tried to sneak attack me, so it's currently targeting me out of spite.

“Use me as bait. Protect me, then find an opportunity to cut it down.

“The meat of a demon beast is a top-tier tonic. As long as we eat its meat, everyone's martial cultivation will surely make great progress. It's a massive profit!”

Feng Shaolong incited the crowd.

As soon as these words were spoken, not to mention the others, Zhang Lingshan was already quite excited.

He suddenly understood something.

The meat he had eaten with Hong Zhengdao at the Hong Clan Martial Arts Hall—could it have been demon beast meat?

One meal of that was worth more than ten meals of ordinary meat.

Such a good thing must be secured!