Bounty Mission

"What a coincidence."

Lin Zhao stared at the wanted poster, stamped with vermilion ink, and thought to himself: Recruiting a low-level Entering Martial Master with superb archery skills, and the reward is a bottle of Pangolin Dragon Essence. This job is practically tailor-made for someone like him who is short on medicine.

But then he had doubts: Pangolin Dragon Essence is currently banned by the Warlords, and it's extremely scarce within Northern Garrison City. This bounty has been posted for seven days, and no one has applied. Could there be a trap?

Before he could think further, the person who posted the bounty quickly walked up to him.

Lin Zhao looked up and almost burst out laughing. It was none other than Zhao Zhong, the Bounty Hunter who had secretly sold him Pangolin Dragon Essence last month.

"So, the source of Dragon Essence was with you all along," he sighed inwardly at the strange turns of fate. On the surface, however, he remained impassive, still wearing that Mystic Iron Rakshasa Mask.

Zhao Zhong clearly didn't recognize him and said gruffly, "Did you read the bounty requirements carefully? This job of mine has high demands on the accuracy and power of your archery—ordinary Martial Masters' arrows can't penetrate the target's armor."

Over the past few days, more than a dozen Martial Masters who claimed to be able to "shoot through a willow leaf at a hundred paces" had come to him, but they all turned out to be frauds. They couldn't even pierce the Mystic Iron target, and he had long lost his patience.

"Whether I succeed or not, you'll know after a try," Lin Zhao said calmly, without a hint of fear.

"Follow me." Zhao Zhong dropped the words and turned, leaving the Xuanyao Tavern and heading out of the city.

Lin Zhao hesitated for a moment, then finally followed—Dragon Essence was within reach, there was no reason to give up.

The two left the east gate of Northern Garrison City and arrived at an open, desolate area outside the city. Zhao Zhong took three half-grown Mystic Mane Young Wolves from the mule cart and said in a deep voice, "Let me test your archery first—these wolf cubs run faster than rabbits. If you hit two, you'll be considered qualified."

He pulled open the bamboo cage, and the three Mystic Mane Young Wolves shot out in three different directions, disappearing into the withered yellow grass within a hundred paces.

Zhao Zhong stood with his arms crossed, not holding much hope in his eyes. It was already difficult for an ordinary Martial Master to hit even one. To hit the second one after killing the first, without disturbing their Internal Breath, would be as difficult as climbing to heaven even for the Garrison's archery instructor.

However, the next moment, he froze in place. Lin Zhao didn't aim deliberately at all. He drew the Mystic Iron bow from his waist, nocked an iron arrow infused with Internal Breath, and shot directly at the young wolf fleeing towards the bushes.

He didn't even wait to see where the arrow landed. With a flick of his wrist, he drew the bowstring again and shot another arrow towards another wolf a hundred paces to his left.

"Thwack! Thwack!"

Two soft sounds were heard in succession, and two Mystic Mane Young Wolves fell to the ground, their arrowheads piercing their skulls.

As for the third one, Lin Zhao didn't shoot again—passing was enough; there was no need to reveal all his cards.

Zhao Zhong came back to his senses and shouted in admiration, "Excellent archery! You truly have skill! Since you meet the requirements, I will tell you the details of the mission." He paused, cupped his hands, and said, "My name is Zhao Zhong, and I make a living as a bounty hunter. May I know your name?"

"You can call me Rakshasa. I'm just a wandering Martial Master," Lin Zhao replied. A wandering Martial Master was a common identity in the Great Ming's martial arts world. It wouldn't expose his identity as a Centurion from Lin Family Fortress, nor would it arouse suspicion.

Zhao Zhong understood: looking at "Rakshasa's" demeanor, and the short tunic mixed with mystic silk he wore, he was no ordinary rogue martial artist. He was likely a nobleman's son who preferred to remain anonymous, or perhaps a descendant of a retired Martial Path Battalion Commander.

But he didn't ask further. As long as the archery skills were usable, it didn't matter who he was.

Zhao Zhong led Lin Zhao to a small courtyard he had purchased in a corner of the garrison city. As soon as they entered the courtyard, they saw three Martial Masters already standing there:

- A burly man, eight feet tall, with a broad back and muscular build, clearly trained in Hard Qigong. Beside him stood a Mystic Iron shield weighing over a hundred pounds, with several claw marks on its surface that went bone-deep. It was evident he was a tough fighter who often battled strange beasts.

- A rare female Martial Master, her petite figure wrapped in tanned mystic beast leather armor, accentuating her graceful curves. Her black hair was styled in a "falling horse" bun, and she wore two short knives at her waist, exuding a heroic aura. In this era where men were superior to women, noble families rarely allowed their daughters to practice martial arts, making female Martial Masters ten times rarer than male ones.

The last one was a middle-aged man holding a twelve-foot-long spear. He was squatting by the stable, adding fodder to a Western Frontier Snow-Treading Colt. His movements were neat, and his knuckles were covered in calluses, indicating he was a veteran spearman.

"Esteemed Rakshasa, allow me to introduce your companions," Zhao Zhong said with a smile. "This is Zhou Xuan, who practices 'Bedrock Hard Qigong'; this is Xie Hongling, skilled in 'Twin Absolute Blades'; and the one feeding the horse is Li Cangying, who wields the 'Pear Blossom Spear' with divine skill. We have gathered five Martial Masters for this mission to ensure its success."

"What exactly is the target?" Lin Zhao pressed. Zhao Zhong had been beating around the bush, and he was getting impatient.

Zhao Zhong smiled without answering and led him to the warehouse in the back courtyard. He suddenly lifted the heavy wooden door—inside, a massive military-grade Divine Machine Crossbow was mounted!

The crossbow arm was as tall as a person, its string woven from ox sinew mixed with mystic iron wire. In the groove lay a Mystic Iron crossbow bolt as thick as a forearm. Legend had it that such a Divine Machine Crossbow could penetrate three layers of armor and even blast holes in rammed earth walls, making it a heavy weapon used by garrison troops to deal with strange beasts.

"The target this time is a second-tier 'Mystic Armored Pangolin Dragon'," Zhao Zhong said in a deep voice.

Lin Zhao turned to leave upon hearing this.

Hearing that they were going to hunt a second-tier Mystic Armored Pangolin Dragon, Lin Zhao's expression changed drastically. An adult Mystic Armored Pangolin Dragon was a second-tier strange beast, its armor harder than Mystic Iron, making it impervious to blades and spears. Even a Peak Martial Master might not be able to win in a one-on-one fight.

Even with five low-level/mid-level Entering Martial Masters gathered, along with this Divine Machine Crossbow, there might be a slim chance, but it was only a "might."

If anything went wrong, they would likely lose their lives in the wilderness.

Lin Zhao did need Pangolin Dragon Essence to refine his secret medicine, but it wasn't as if he couldn't cultivate without it. It would just take several times longer.

He was only sixteen. If he could break through to Peak Martial Master before the age of thirty, his talent wouldn't be inferior to his father's.

At his age, why should he risk his life?

People often said, "Fortune favors the bold," but in his opinion, it was just self-consolation for gamblers.

He disliked gambling the most and always sought a sure thing in his actions. With the Proficiency Panel, he could slowly hone his techniques and blacksmithing skills. What was the rush?

Seeing him turn to leave, Zhao Zhong quickly took two steps and shouted, "Esteemed Rakshasa, please wait! Since you dare to set your sights on the Mystic Armored Pangolin Dragon, we naturally have complete preparations!

I've been tracking that beast for three years. A month ago, it fought with a Warlord's Grandmaster Warrior. Although it drove the opponent away, it was also severely wounded. Its armor cracked in several places, and its self-healing ability was greatly reduced!"

He paused and added, "For this matter, I specifically spent five hundred taels to borrow this Divine Machine Crossbow from the garrison, and I've invited three truly capable Martial Masters. With such preparations, I dare not say a hundred percent certainty, but seven out of ten should be there!"

Seeing Lin Zhao's steps didn't stop, Zhao Zhong gritted his teeth and upped the ante, "How about this, after the mission is successful, I'll give you two bottles of Pangolin Dragon Essence!" He had finally encountered someone with truly superb archery skills and couldn't let him go—Lin Zhao's accuracy was the most crucial part of hunting the Mystic Armored Pangolin Dragon.

Although the Divine Machine Crossbow was powerful, it had to be shot accurately—it needed to hit the cracks in the Mystic Armored Pangolin Dragon's armor to penetrate its defenses.

This was also why he had posted the bounty for seven days, specifically looking for an archery Martial Master.

But all he got were frauds. He had finally found someone genuinely skilled and was unwilling to wait any longer. The Mystic Armored Pangolin Dragon was robust, and if they delayed further, its wounds would heal, making it harder to deal with.

Lin Zhao's steps finally stopped. A hint of hesitation appeared on his face beneath the mask, "Heaven and Earth as my witness, is this true? Was that Mystic Armored Pangolin Dragon truly heavily injured?"

"By the heavens and earth above, if Zhao Zhong has spoken half a lie, may lightning strike me!" Zhao Zhong immediately swore.

In this world, most people believe "there are gods three feet above your head." Such an oath is far more credible than mere words, and certainly not a casual jest from a past life.

Lin Zhao chuckled inwardly—he hadn't actually intended to leave.

When he saw the Divine Machine Crossbow, he knew his risk was minimal if he just shot arrows from a distance. Turning back was merely an attempt to get more compensation.

Now that his objective was achieved, there was no reason to refuse.

"Fine, I'll state my terms clearly—I'm only responsible for aiming the Divine Machine Crossbow. If I encounter mortal danger, I'll retreat first," Lin Zhao declared in advance, leaving himself an escape route.

"No problem! You just need to hit the Mystic Armored Pangolin Dragon's wound. Don't worry about anything else. As for the Pangolin Dragon Essence, you'll get it after the job is done; I don't have any in stock right now," Zhao Zhong agreed readily.

"Alright, when do we start?"

"Tomorrow afternoon. Hongling still needs to refine the 'Mystic Armored Poison Paste' to coat the arrows, ensuring a one-hit takedown," Zhao Zhong replied.

"Okay." Lin Zhao finished speaking and turned to leave the courtyard.

"Lord Rakshasa! We'll meet outside the west gate of Northern Garrison City tomorrow and head to the Mystic Armored Earth Lizard's lair together!" Zhao Zhong shouted after his retreating figure until it disappeared at the alley entrance, then he withdrew his gaze.

"Hmph, he looks like a noble's son out for some experience, yet he's so afraid of death." Zhou Xuanwu wiped the claw marks on his Mystic Iron shield with a cloth, scoffing dismissively at the remark.

"I can smell the scent of young Blood Essence on him. Even though he's wearing a mask, he's definitely not old. He probably just broke through the low-level Entering Martial Master stage not long ago."

Xie Hongling puffed out her chest and stretched lazily, her curves beneath the leather armor particularly eye-catching. "However, to become an Entering Martial Master at this age, he's definitely not from an ordinary minor sect. At least he's the son of an Earl's family—if he's the eldest son, marrying him might make one the matriarch of an Earl's family."

"Zhao Zhong, are you really going to give that kid two bottles of Pangolin Dragon Essence? One second-tier Mystic Armored Pangolin Dragon can yield at most twenty bottles. He's just shooting a couple of arrows from afar without taking any risks, and he gets two bottles? Then I want four bottles! I'll be the one directly confronting that beast!" Zhou Xuanwu slammed his shield on the ground, grumbling indignantly.

"If that's the case, I'm responsible for luring the enemy, which is also quite risky. I want four bottles too!" Li Cangying said, putting down the horse fodder.

"Without my 'Mystic Armored Poison Paste,' even if you hit it, you might not be able to take it down! I want five bottles!" Xie Hongling said, crossing her arms and sneering, her tone leaving no room for argument.

Zhao Zhong, however, scoffed and waved his hand. "I was just trying to placate him for now. A lone noble rookie, why would I actually give him two bottles? As for you lot, don't get greedy—don't forget, only I know the location of the Mystic Armored Pangolin Dragon's lair, and only I can borrow the Divine Machine Crossbow. If you're not willing, feel free to leave. There are plenty of Martial Masters at Xuanyao Tavern eager to take this job."

Seeing his firm stance, the three Martial Masters didn't dare to argue further. For lone martial artists, making money wasn't easy, and they naturally didn't want to give up easily.

As long as the job was successful, the Pangolin Dragon Essence alone would fetch a hefty sum of silver. They had to grit their teeth and see it through.