Chapter 54: Mountains and Forests (I)

Rustle, rustle, rustle.

A gentle breeze blew, spreading the scent of blood.

Many things, once one becomes accustomed to them, simply become commonplace.

Previously, after killing someone, Lin Zheyu would be unable to stop his body from trembling and would suffer from nightmares all night long.

But now, after dealing with twenty people in one breath, he merely let out a soft sigh, lamenting how human life was as cheap as grass.

There was no great fluctuation in his heart.

He turned to look at Xing Jinglong. This fellow was physically strong, and having had some of his strength neutralized by Qiao Quan's previous attack, he had not yet died after taking Lin Zheyu's full-strength blow.

"Can you still speak?"

Lin Zheyu walked to Xing Jinglong's side, crouched down, and asked indifferently.

"Who... who exactly... are you?"

"It... it can't... be..."

Xing Jinglong's eyes were somewhat vacant, his speech broken and incoherent; he was not far from death.

He couldn't understand why this had happened.

He was clearly just capturing a little fellow from the Bone Tempering Realm and had made such ample preparations, yet he had still fallen!

What he expected even less was that this fellow, whom he had looked down upon as merely having a bit of talent, had transformed into a Blood Qi Realm martial artist!

*Pfft—*

The blade pierced into Xing Jinglong's chest, crushing his heart, and the light gradually faded from his eyes.

Xing Jinglong continued to mutter unintelligible words, but Lin Zheyu did not continue to question him and ended him directly with a single strike.

He had originally wanted to ask why they had been targeting him so relentlessly, but in Xing Jinglong's state, it was clearly impossible to get an answer.

"The Xing family is powerful, and Xing Jinglong died outside the city while pursuing me. Even if I didn't kill him, they will certainly trace it back to me."

"But so what? As long as there is no evidence, with Sect Leader Xu and the City Lord in the city, they won't dare to act recklessly."

"Outside the city? Heh, I'm just afraid they won't come!"

Lin Zheyu thought for a moment and felt relieved.

As long as those sent by the Xing family to hunt him were not martial artists at or above the Blood Qi Realm, he would not be intimidated.

Certain great families might have old monsters in the Marrow Refining Realm, but a Blood Qi Realm martial artist was considered a top-tier expert in Songyi City.

The persona he showed to the world was merely a minor character in the Bone Tempering Realm; surely the Xing family wouldn't send a Blood Qi Realm martial artist to kill a minor character like him?

He crouched down and carefully searched everyone, but he didn't find much of value.

Aside from the weapons in their hands and the various medicinal powders and poisoned darts carried by Zhao Wude, there were no valuable items.

The silver on all of them combined amounted to less than one tael.

They were all out on business; no one would carry too much silver when traveling.

"Are these things all poisonous?"

Lin Zheyu looked at the dozen or so small bottles taken from Zhao Wude, as well as the darts wrapped in cloth and several leather pouches containing red and white powders.

He carefully packed the items away, then found a hidden spot protected from the rain, dug a hole, and buried them.

He did not recognize these medicinal powders or poisoned darts; using them recklessly might harm himself.

Lin Zheyu did not plan to bring them into the city, fearing they might contain some special powder used for tracking.

In the end, he only took eight hundred copper coins, placing everything else into the hidden hole he had dug.

He made a mark on the map so that he could return to retrieve them if needed in the future.

"I need to find a stream to wash up; I must change these clothes as well," Lin Zheyu thought to himself.

His body might still carry the scent of white zinc powder; he needed to wash thoroughly to remove the odor first.

Even though he had taken off the coat carrying the white zinc powder, the Wind-Chasing Gray Mink could still distinguish the scent on him.

Fortunately, he had brought an extra set of clothes for this trip. Originally intended to prevent his clothes from being stained red by blood during combat, they were now put to good use.

Before leaving, he checked the corpses one last time to ensure no identity was exposed, then dragged them into the bushes, discarding them in the wilderness.

From the outbreak of the battle to his departure, less than ten minutes had passed in total.

This place was remote, and no one else had come by.

As the scent of blood permeated the air, the corpses would soon be discovered and devoured by wild beasts.

He took out the map and struggled to identify his location.

The map had been purchased through the Flying Rainbow Gang's channels and was the most detailed map available in Songyi City.

Even so, many places on the map were drawn somewhat vaguely; only the official roads and some major paths were clear.

"There is a small stream not far from here. I'll wash up, change my clothes, and then head to Lion Valley," Lin Zheyu thought.

Lion Valley was a necessary passage to the Central Plains and a major transportation hub in this area.

To bypass Lion Valley, one would have to take a very long detour through narrow paths, high mountains, and miasmic lands, fraught with danger.

Therefore, the official road near Lion Valley was the mandatory route for merchant caravans traveling to and from the Central Plains.

This was also why many bandits gathered in Lion Valley.

Lin Zheyu walked through the forest, where the wild grass grew as tall as a person.

The mountain paths were winding; if they were not traveled frequently, they would be overgrown with bushes and trees, making them difficult to navigate.

*Whoosh—*

*Rustle, rustle.*

Walking through the forest, he could occasionally hear the low growls of wild beasts and the rustling sounds of large, ferocious creatures moving through the woods.

In the deep, ancient forests, even martial artists did not dare to wander aimlessly.

In those deep forests where humans rarely set foot, powerful exotic beasts lived; some could even easily crush a Blood Qi Realm martial artist.

The hunters who went into the mountains were usually exploring forests that their ancestors had explored for generations, areas where no extremely powerful beasts resided.

Lin Zheyu moved carefully through the forest, encountering many large snakes, wild beasts, and various brightly colored small insects along the way.

Following the route on the map, he traveled for about half an hour before finally seeing a small stream.

The stream water was crystal clear, allowing one to see the swimming fish and the aquatic plants at the bottom at a glance.

Although it was winter, Songyi City was located in the south, so the water did not freeze; many fish and shrimp could still be seen swimming in the stream.

The water was very clean. Lin Zheyu cupped the water and washed his face.

Seeing that no one was around, he stripped off his clothes and jumped in to wash himself thoroughly.

*Splash!*

The stream water was bone-chillingly cold, and plumes of mist rose from his body.

With his blood qi circulating, his body was burning hot; this bit of cold was nothing to him.

"Like this, there shouldn't be any lingering scent on my body, right?"

After finishing his wash, Lin Zheyu changed into a set of tight-fitting martial attire.

He determined the direction of Lion Valley and continued his journey.

Crossing a mountain, he occasionally encountered individual herbalists or hunters. Each was extremely cautious; upon seeing Lin Zheyu, they would glance from a distance and quickly depart.

At this time, those who dared to enter the mountains for herbs or hunting were mostly experienced and powerful veterans.

There were also those forced by life to enter the mountains to seek a livelihood.

After entering the mountain forests, determining direction became even more difficult, and it was easy to go the wrong way.

Lin Zheyu happened to encounter a few hunters; after asking them loudly from a distance, he was able to re-identify his direction and move forward.

In this era, there was no satellite navigation; asking a passerby for directions was often more effective than looking at a map.

Once maps were drawn, the frequency of updates was very low. Aside from the major official roads, small paths and narrow trails would be blocked by vegetation after a period of time.

In addition to the official roads, the markings for small paths on the map were somewhat unclear; some were blocked by plants over time, while others had become messy because people had carved out new paths.

Traveling via the official roads would be much easier.

The official roads were used by merchant caravans year-round and were well-maintained, making them very easy to traverse. However, if war actually broke out, the official roads would be the most dangerous, as most rogue armies and bandits gathered near them.

Furthermore, to facilitate the passage of large groups, the official roads were built with many bends and turns, requiring two to three times as much time to reach a destination.

Lin Zheyu's main purpose for this trip was to familiarize himself with the environment outside the city and grasp the nearby terrain and roads to prepare for the future.

Therefore, he specifically chose the small paths to get used to the terrain and environment of the mountains.

After crossing a mountain and arriving at the foot of another, he once again found himself unsure which path to take.

"Which way should I go?"

Lin Zheyu looked at the three small paths before him, comparing them with his unreliable map to study the direction.

The paths on the map were no longer visible; these three paths were all recently trodden by people.

"This one then!"

Lin Zheyu climbed up the branches of a nearby large tree in a few quick movements, identified the direction, and chose the middle path.

If it proved impassable, he would simply forge his own path.

As a certain great man from his previous life once said, there were no roads in the world; it was only when many people walked upon them that they became roads.

After advancing about five hundred meters, Lin Zheyu discovered the path was heading uphill.

Thus, he could only climb up the tree again to re-identify the direction and forge his own way through.

After confirming the direction was correct, Lin Zheyu traveled another few hundred meters before the roar of a beast reached his ears.

*Boom! Boom! Boom!*

*Roar!*

Massive collisions, interspersed with beastly roars, echoed from the forest, startling the surrounding birds into flight.

"The sound is powerful and vigorous; its strength seems quite good. What kind of ferocious beast is this?"

Curiosity piqued, Lin Zheyu moved his feet and rushed toward the source of the sound.

The closer he got, the louder the commotion became.

After advancing two or three hundred meters, he finally saw the ferocious beast in combat.

The combatant was a beast about two and a half meters tall, with a physique as stout as a giant bear. It had a massive head with a protruding snout and two sharp tusks.

The other party was a middle-aged man.

The man was in his forties and had a sturdy build.

He wore animal skins on his upper body, his muscles were bulging, and his aura was strong; his strength was around the middle stage of the Viscera Refining Realm.

He held a machete in his hand, its blade exceptionally sharp.

The saber is the king of all weapons; saber techniques primarily focus on chopping, hacking, blocking, stabbing, and slicing. The moves are concise and easy to learn, making them easy to master. Among the martial artists Lin Zheyu had seen, those who used sabers were the most numerous.

*Bang!*

The bear-like beast swung its massive claws toward the man, the wind whistling with terrifying force.

Lin Zheyu estimated the strength was at least at the peak of the Viscera Refining Realm.

The man did not dare to take the hit head-on; he retreated rapidly, his saber slashing diagonally upward to avoid the beast's thick arm and strike its chest.

The blade grazed the beast's chest, leaving a shallow wound. Blood flowed out, but upon meeting the fur, it coagulated into a mass, plugging the wound.

*Awooo!*

The beast let out a roar, lunged forward with a powerful kick, and opened its bloody maw to bite at the man's head.

The man twisted his waist and flipped his wrist, his saber whistling toward the beast's furry face.

*Hum!*

The beast's massive claw struck the blade, the immense force causing the metal to vibrate with a humming sound.

Unable to dodge in time, the man was slammed into by the beast, sent flying backward while spitting blood.

He rolled on the ground, picked up a crossbow, notched an arrow, and shot toward the beast's eye.

The arrow whistled toward the beast's eye, but the beast unexpectedly made a sharp turn and ran deep into the forest.

*Pfft.*

The arrow struck the beast's back, piercing through its fur defense and embedding itself shallowly into its body.

However, it did not penetrate deeply; as the beast ran, the arrow fell to the ground.

"Such strong defense!"

Observing from the shadows, Lin Zheyu couldn't help but admire.

The man's previous strike had unleashed his full strength, yet it had only managed to graze the beast's fur and leave a shallow wound.

The man looked at the fleeing beast but did not continue the pursuit; instead, he leaned against a nearby tree trunk, panting heavily.

His physical strength had been greatly depleted.

That beast was extremely strong, with thick skin and tough flesh that was nearly impossible to damage.

If it hadn't been for the fact that the beast had been caught in a trap and had lost a lot of blood, depleting much of its stamina, even if he had encountered it, he would have had no choice but to flee.

"A pity, it still got away," the man said, shaking his head in regret.

He had chased that beast all the way but still failed to slay it.

After recovering some strength, he shouted loudly toward the forest, "Since a friend has arrived, why hide in the shadows acting sneakily? Show yourself."

"Eh?"

Lin Zheyu was inwardly startled.

He had been discovered?

He had been running the Turtle Breath Technique at full capacity, his body as still as dead wood, emitting no aura whatsoever. He had also been approaching silently from the shadows without making a sound.

Yet he had still been detected by the man; such keen perception was truly astonishing.

"Is he just trying to bluff me?"

Lin Zheyu muttered to himself, not showing himself.

After killing Xing Jinglong's group, he had said similar words to the empty forest to see if anyone was hiding in the shadows.

"Friend, stop hiding. I've already spotted you."

The man looked toward the bushes where Lin Zheyu was hiding and said with a smile.

His right hand gripped his machete tightly, his eyes full of vigilance.

One reason the man had not continued the pursuit was that he had detected someone lurking in the dark.

"He really did see me!"

Lin Zheyu was amazed.

Since he had been discovered, there was no need to continue hiding.

The man before him was weaker than he was, and from the recent battle, it was clear the man was not an expert in using poisons and posed no threat to him.

"I just happened to be passing by and heard fighting. I came to see out of curiosity; I mean no harm," Lin Zheyu said, stepping out from the bushes with a smile.

"Oh!"

The man looked at Lin Zheyu, a look of surprise appearing on his face.

This person was too young, likely only sixteen or seventeen years old.

"This fellow is not simple!"

The man thought to himself, not showing any contempt despite Lin Zheyu's youthful appearance.

His eyes narrowed slightly, and he remained inwardly vigilant.

In these times of rampant banditry, no one who dared to venture into the mountains alone was easy to deal with.

"I see."

"Since you were just passing by and the beast has already fled, I wonder if you may leave now?" the man said.

"That is my intention."

"However, I am unfamiliar with this mountain forest and wish to ask you for directions. Could you tell me the most convenient way to reach Lion Valley?" Lin Zheyu asked.

"Lion Valley?"

"There are bandits everywhere near Lion Valley; it is not a good place to go."

"But since you intend to go, you must possess extraordinary strength and fear no bandits."

"If you wish to go to Lion Valley, proceed in this direction for about one mile until you see a small path. Follow that path to the end, where there are three forks. Take the leftmost path..."

The man showed goodwill, providing very detailed instructions and even using his blade to draw a rough sketch on the ground.

"Thank you, brother. If not for you, this trip would have taken much longer," Lin Zheyu said, cupping his hands in thanks.

"You're welcome," the man said indifferently, still not relaxing his guard.

His hand gripped the machete tightly; if things went wrong, he would strike without the slightest hesitation.

Lin Zheyu did not mind; he took out his map and marked the route.

Seeing Lin Zheyu take out a map to make marks, the man's expression softened. He did not look like a villain or a mountain bandit, and he felt a slight sense of relief in his heart.

He had just fought a beast and exhausted much of his strength; he had no desire to clash with the young man before him.