Capturing the Witch God Cult

"But we agreed, you have to pay for the materials yourself."

Niu Gai counted on his fingers: "Fifty-year-old Purple Gold Bamboo, plus other precious materials, will cost at least fifty taels."

"How much?!"

Chen Sanshi gasped.

"Do you think mutant Purple Gold Bamboo is easy to find?"

Niu Gai said frankly: "Actually, if you ask me, the Six-Seven Stone Bow is good enough. If we're really going to war, we have ballistae, why bother?"

"Keep the Tiger Bone here for now."

Chen Sanshi wasn't going to change his mind: "Make the bow after I get the Exotic Beast Tendon."

It seemed he really had to find a way to get that White Deer.

Exotic beasts were rare and expensive. If he could get the White Deer, he wouldn't be short of fifty taels for materials.

After bidding farewell to the craftsman, Chen Sanshi returned to the military camp.

After the morning drills, he patrolled the city in the afternoon.

During a break, he went to buy medicinal herbs and saw that the "Yunhe" pharmacy sign had been taken down and replaced with "Cloud Crane".

Did the Young Master of the Academy get completely swallowed by his uncle, or what's going on?

"Sir was not here yesterday, so you wouldn't know."

Xu Wencai, who had joined the onlookers, saw his confusion: "The Young Master of the Cloud Crane Martial Arts School recently broke through to the Bone Tempering realm. Last night, he launched a surprise attack, killed his uncle, and reclaimed his family property."

"Broke through?"

Chen Sanshi recalled that everyone said the Young Master of the Cloud Crane Martial Arts School had mediocre talent and might be stuck in the Bone Tempering realm for his entire life.

How long has it been since his uncle usurped his family property until now? He broke through so suddenly?

Was he hiding his strength, or is there another explanation?

Fortunately, the Cloud Crane Pharmacy resumed normal business. It didn't raise prices after successfully reclaiming the family property and still offered a 20% discount.

"Two sets of Nine Revolutions Vitality Soup."

Two paper packets tied with string were handed over, costing fifty taels of silver.

Most of the silver he earned from killing the tiger was gone before he could even warm his hands.

Martial arts schools are truly... profitable!

But since it was an investment in himself, he couldn't be stingy.

After buying the medicine, it was time to switch shifts and return to the camp.

"Mr. Xu."

Chen Sanshi found the old scholar: "Do you have any books that record rare and exotic beasts?"

"Yes!"

Xu Wencai busied himself looking for a book.

His wooden plank bed was small, with more than half of it piled high with books, leaving only a tiny space for sleeping.

Xu Wencai didn't even need to search; he accurately pulled out a book, precisely the one that recorded rare and exotic beasts.

"I haven't finished the previous one yet. I'll return them together later."

Chen Sanshi thanked him: "Thank you for the trouble, sir."

"Why are you being so polite, sir? Just come and take any book you want to read!"

Xu Wencai was extremely solicitous.

"..."

Chen Sanshi knew this guy was afraid he'd be kicked out for being useless. He had been calling him "sir" affectionately lately, and there was no stopping him, though it was completely unnecessary.

He took the book home and started flipping through it while waiting for his meal to be ready.

This book was titled Travels of Mountains and Rivers, a record of the sights and sounds of a traveler who enjoyed visiting mountains and rivers over a thousand years ago.

"Three hundred li east, there is a mountain called Li Mountain. It has many waters but no grass or trees. There is a fish there, shaped like a cow, with..."

The way the content was recorded was similar to the Classic of Mountains and Seas that Chen Sanshi had read, and some of the creatures were even the same.

"Three hundred li west, there is a mountain called Xian Mountain... It has many Chiming Snakes. They look like snakes but have four wings, and their sound is like striking stone. If one is seen, its city will suffer a great drought."

"It's all silver!"

Chen Sanshi was engrossed.

He flipped a few more pages and finally found what he was looking for.

"One hundred li south, there is a mountain called Tiger Mountain. There are White Deer there, with four horns on their heads, ears that hear in all directions, they love to eat Treasure Mushrooms, their meat is slightly sour, and it is greatly invigorating."

White Deer.

It seemed the Tiger Head Mountain Range really had them.

"First, I'll improve my cultivation. Once I reach Minor Accomplishment in Blood Tempering, I'll head up the mountain to find the White Deer."

Chen Sanshi closed the book.

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, it was October.

The weather in the Northern Border grew increasingly cold.

For ten consecutive days, Chen Sanshi lived his life according to a strict routine.

Practicing martial arts, eating, and patrolling the city.

As for the Witch God Cult, it was said that the captured cultist had a tough mouth. Despite being tortured for seven days, he didn't utter a single word. Finally, he found an opportunity and bit off his own tongue to commit suicide.

The lead went cold, and the search of the city continued.

Chen Sanshi wasn't in a hurry.

The later he got the information, the more advantageous it would be for him.

In the training ground.

After drinking a bowl of Nine Revolutions Vitality Soup, Chen Sanshi felt a heat spreading through every pore of his body.

The effect of the Vitality Soup was twice that of the Blood Replenishing Soup.

He cupped his fists and said, "Officer Xu, I'll have to trouble you today. Go all out."

"All out?"

Xu Bin, holding his saber, was taken aback. "Are you sure?"

"Sure."

Chen Sanshi nodded.

At the same cultivation level, his opponent could no longer put any pressure on him.

"Alright!"

Xu Bin didn't refuse.

He had wanted to go all out for a long time.

It wasn't that he wanted to win, but rather that with the same vital energy, this brat was simply too terrifying.

In front of the young man, he felt like a training dummy, completely unable to pose a threat. He could only rely on his years of saber techniques to hold on and avoid being too embarrassed.

"Watch my saber!"

Xu Bin roared, his Minor Accomplishment level vital energy erupting. He charged forward and slashed down, like a ferocious wolf descending from the sky!

Chen Sanshi also unleashed his full power, channeling his vital energy into both arms. His Willow Leaf Spear turned into an illusion.

"Clang clang clang clang clang—"

Metal clashed against metal.

Xu Bin was astonished to find that.

Even with his full strength, he couldn't suppress the young man. The latter's Proficient Blood Tempering realm showed no inferiority to him in terms of pure strength, let alone endurance.

Within ten exchanges, Xu Bin's tiger mouth went numb, his vision blurred, and he could no longer determine which direction the young man's spear would thrust from. His stance became increasingly unstable and messy, and he finally fell to the ground with a plop.

"Stop, stop, stop! I'm not fighting anymore!"

He quickly shouted.

"Clink!"

Chen Sanshi retracted his spear, stepped forward to help him up, and said, "Thanks, Brother Bin!"

Vast Exhalation Breathing Technique, the advantage of a long weapon, swift spear momentum, abundant vital energy...

With one advantage after another stacked up, he could indeed easily defeat someone at Minor Accomplishment Blood Tempering.

"You... are you about to reach Minor Accomplishment?"

Xu Bin noticed something was wrong. "It's only been a few days?"

"Maybe I've been eating a lot of tonics."

Chen Sanshi looked at his system panel.

[Cultivation Technique: Basic Soldier Spear Technique (Proficient)]
[Progress: (910/1000)]
[Effects: Swift spear momentum, astonishing stamina, abundant vital energy]

It was just as he predicted. He would break through to Minor Accomplishment within half a month.

The dozens of taels of silver had not been spent in vain.

"I won't be able to spar with you anymore."

Xu Bin wiped away his cold sweat.

This was too terrifying.

It wasn't just about the tonics.

If it were him, no amount of tonics would allow for such rapid progress; instead, he might even be poisoned.

This kid has a high chance of becoming a Viscera Refining Martial Artist in this lifetime, or even higher!

"Brother Bin, you've worked hard. I'll treat you to drinks tonight."

Chen Sanshi knew that being a sparring partner wasn't an easy job.

"Deal!" Xu Bin didn't stand on ceremony.

"Bzzzz--"

Just as the two were preparing to leave, the assembly horn sounded without warning.

A herald, riding a swift horse, galloped between the barracks and the military colonies, his voice booming.

"All 300 guards assemble!"

"Witch God Cult activity has been detected in Poyang County. Assemble for a purge, assemble for a purge--"