The Dead

Ever since Xiang Tingchun announced the plan for next spring, discipline at the Thousand Household Office had become much stricter.

Daily drills had doubled, and anyone leaving camp had to request leave in advance.

Even the several Hundred Household Commanders were no longer permitted to spend all day eating, drinking, and making merry. They too had to join the drills.

Yet the military households were all obedient.

Because they had achieved a life where they could eat their fill and dress warmly.

Those pursuing martial arts could also drink more Blood Replenishing Soup to advance their cultivation.

For ten days straight, Chen Sanshi practiced martial arts in the Military Colony.

Technique: Basic Soldier Spear Technique (Minor Accomplishment)

Progress: 550/2000

Effect: Spear force swift and fierce, astonishing endurance, abundant qi and blood, Blood Manifests Anomaly

Tiger Heart and Tiger Meat had long since been eaten, and the Nine-Turn Blood Replenishing Soup had been drained dry. Fortunately, his proficiency had improved greatly.

Buying Medicinal Materials was much cheaper now as well.

The Military Camp also had Nine-Turn Blood Replenishing Soup now, and it sold for only fifteen taels of silver.

But it was still a money furnace.

"Looks like I have to go hunting again."

"What a bottomless pit!"

If not for martial arts, Chen Sanshi would probably have become a wealthy man long ago.

"White Deer!"

If he caught a White Deer, then after setting aside what he needed for himself, he could still sell it for several hundred taels.

Not only would he have enough resources for Minor Accomplishment in Blood Refining, but his bone refining would also more or less be taken care of.

It was just that White Deer were not so easy to catch.

Travels of Mountains and Rivers was a book from a thousand years ago. After it was written, who knew how many people had rushed headlong into the Tiger Head Mountain Range to capture one? It was already fortunate that they had not gone extinct.

He had asked around. Apparently, even Tailei Martial Arts School had searched for half a month without finding one.

Chen Sanshi arrived at the pharmacy. "Does the Military Camp sell spirit mushrooms?"

White Deer loved to eat precious mushrooms.

Officer Jiang quickly fetched a brown spirit mushroom from the storeroom. "A 20-year-old Black Spirit Mushroom. Ground into powder and added to medicinal soup, it can improve the effects of Essence Replenishing Soup. Ten taels of silver."

"Do you have any fresh ones?"

Chen Sanshi could tell that this spirit mushroom had been dried for a long time.

"Heh, you're lucky. We actually do."

Officer Jiang took out another box. Inside lay a fiery red spirit mushroom. "Yunhe Martial Arts School delivered this one just this morning. A 30-year-old Crimson Cloud Spirit Mushroom, twenty taels. But it's for treating injuries, so it won't help much with improving qi and blood."

Chen Sanshi said, "That's fine. As long as it counts as a precious mushroom."

"Precious mushroom?"

Officer Jiang shook his head. "It has to be at least a hundred years old. One stalk is worth fifty taels. A twenty-year-old spirit mushroom can't be called a precious mushroom. We don't have Medicinal Materials that expensive at the garrison for now. You'll have to buy them outside."

"Fifty taels?"

Chen Sanshi was stunned by the price.

The bait alone was worth fifty taels, and there was no guarantee he could even catch a White Deer.

That was why Tailei Martial Arts School's reward had to be so high for those disciples to be willing to spend so much trying to catch one.

For the time being, Chen Sanshi truly could not come up with that much silver.

He decided to try his luck first. If that failed, he would think of another way.

Having made up his mind, Chen Sanshi asked Wang Zhi for leave, then left the Military Camp with his bow and arrows on his back.

"Stone!"

As he passed near Yanbian Village, Zhao Qiao caught up with him.

"Uncle Zhao, you're not going up the mountain to hunt?"

Chen Sanshi was somewhat surprised.

Once the harsh northern winter arrived, heavy snow would seal off the mountains, making it difficult to catch anything.

Hunters should have been at their most diligent in late autumn.

Zhao Qiao wore a bitter expression. "It's not that I don't want to. It's that I don't dare!"

"You don't dare?"

Chen Sanshi asked, "What happened? Is someone bullying you?"

"It's the Witch God Cult!"

There was both anger and fear in Zhao Qiao's voice. "For the past ten days, people have been disappearing in the countryside every day. Especially the hunters from nearby villages—many went into the mountains and never came back."

"Uncle Zhao, are you sure?"

Chen Sanshi said solemnly, "I personally took part in the mission to encircle Golden Bell Temple. Ninety-nine percent of the Witch God Cultists were cut down on the spot. Even if one or two fish slipped through the net, they absolutely couldn't stir up such a storm again.

"Could it be Great Worms, Black Bears, or something like that coming down the mountain to eat people?"

"Impossible, absolutely impossible!"

Zhao Qiao said emotionally, "There are no bodies, you understand, Stone? Not even bones can be found! Even if it was a Great Worm, it should have left some bones behind!"

"Uncle Zhao, don't get worked up."

Chen Sanshi comforted him. "Did you report it to the authorities?"

"We did. Of course we did."

Zhao Qiao said, "The officials in the county said they'd investigate and told us to wait, but nothing has come of it. Just yesterday, Little Li from the neighboring village risked going into the mountains to hunt a pheasant for his pregnant wife to build up her strength. He still hasn't returned!"

Chen Sanshi frowned.

Even if one or two Witch God Cultists truly remained, they could not possibly cause such a huge commotion.

There was clearly another group!

Could Golden Bell Temple have only been one of them?

But it made no sense for so many people to infiltrate Poyang at once.

And these past few days, he had not heard anything in the Military Camp about troops being dispatched to hunt down Witch God Cultists.

"Uncle Zhao, don't worry."

Chen Sanshi said, "When I return, I'll report this to my superiors."

"There's one more thing."

Zhao Qiao looked somewhat embarrassed, but he still said it. "Stone, could you let us follow you into the mountains?

"Winter is almost here. We still haven't gotten charcoal or winter clothes for the family, but with things like this lately, how could we dare go up the mountain? You know martial arts. You can even kill a Great Worm. If we follow you, we won't be afraid."

It looked like he had waited on this road for a long time.

Perhaps for several days, until he finally caught Chen Sanshi leaving to hunt.

"Of course."

Chen Sanshi agreed readily.

"Thank you, Stone."

Zhao Qiao was at a loss for words.

A month ago, Chen Sanshi had come to his door carrying grain and asked him to lead the way up Second Mountain.

A month later, he needed the young man's protection instead.

Before long, Zhao Qiao called Wu Da and Zhuang Yi over as well, and the four of them headed into the mountains together.

At the same creek as before, they went their separate ways.

Chen Sanshi instructed them, "Uncle Zhao, if you run into danger, fire a whistling arrow. The moment I hear it, I'll come running."

"Alright, Stone. You be careful too. Though... there's not much we can do to help you."

Zhao Qiao said.

Chen Sanshi turned and slipped into the forest.

So many people had died. Wasn't that a little too exaggerated?

It was making even him nervous.

But after walking two li forward, he found nothing amiss.

There were still many martial arts school disciples hunting.

The people from Tailei Martial Arts School were still searching for the White Deer.

"I'll tell Commander Wang when I get back and have him look into it."

Chen Sanshi focused and began searching for traces of the White Deer.

Unlike before, when Uncle Zhao could point him in the general direction of either Great Worms or Black Bears.

This time, he had to rely entirely on himself. Even with Tracking, it would probably be troublesome.

After all, the book did not record where White Deer lived. The Tiger Head Mountain Range stretched for thousands of li. Who knew how much time it would take to truly find one?

"I'll look deeper in."

Ordinary deer preferred to live in secluded places.

A White Deer was still a deer. Its habits should not differ too greatly.

Chen Sanshi began crossing mountains and ridges.

By afternoon, he had crossed two mountain peaks without seeing any trace of a White Deer. However, the trees and vegetation grew increasingly dense, until there was almost nowhere to set foot.

Looking into the distance, he could see a quiet, deep valley five li ahead.

"I'll take a look."

Chen Sanshi gathered his breath and hurried forward, preparing to investigate.

Before he could approach, several disciples in long robes rushed out and formed a human wall, blocking his path.

"Stop!"

"You are not allowed any farther!"