White Deer

Finally, he didn't have to travel on foot anymore. Riding a horse saved energy and was much faster.

When the White Swan horse ran at full speed, it gave Chen Sanshi the feeling of its hooves not touching the ground, as if he were flying in the sky.

He must have traveled a thousand li in a day, right?

Before he could even estimate the time, he had already arrived at Yanbian Village. He called Zhao Qiao to join him and tied the horse in front of his house.

The mountain forest was rugged and there were wild beasts, so naturally, they couldn't ride horses up the mountain.

The group arrived at a small stream.

"Uncle Zhao, why don't we cross the river with Shi Tou?"

Wu Da said, unable to bear it any longer, "This mountain isn't theirs, why can't we go?"

"Uncle, I think it's fine too."

Zhuang Yi scratched his head and said, "If we follow Brother Chen, they definitely won't dare to do anything to us."

"No!"

Zhao Qiao's attitude was firm: "You're not allowed to cause trouble for Shi Tou."

He pushed the two of them away.

Chen Sanshi did not interject.

It wasn't that he was afraid of trouble.

In front of him, the people from the martial arts school indeed wouldn't dare to do anything to Zhao Qiao and the others.

But what about after they parted ways?

Chen Sanshi had to cultivate and fight battles; he wouldn't have the time to protect them all along.

Unless he could truly make the people from the martial arts school fear him from the bottom of their hearts.

Clearly, it wasn't time yet.

He parted ways with the group.

Chen Sanshi headed straight for the depths of the northern mountain.

He didn't stop when he encountered prey along the way. He continued until he reached the mountain peak, stood at a high vantage point, and observed the environment of the surrounding peaks.

Among them, a mountain peak that was entirely crimson stood out.

The mountain was covered with maple trees, resembling a vast sea of fire.

Generally speaking, deer should prefer to live in lush forests with abundant food.

However, exotic beasts are called exotic not only because of their peculiar bloodlines, but also because their living environment requirements might be different.

Since he had searched several green mountain forests without success, he might as well try there.

The two mountains were not far apart, about ten li.

As Chen Sanshi approached the maple mountain, he discovered that there were quite a few people from the Tailei Martial Arts School nearby.

Among them was Wei Xu, whom he recognized, and some other people who seemed to hold higher positions.

This group gathered here must have made some discoveries, indicating that he had not chosen the wrong place.

As expected, after getting closer, he heard them discussing.

"Yesterday afternoon, halfway up the mountain, Fifth Master almost caught the White Deer!"

"But that beast has amazing hearing. It sensed someone approaching from dozens of zhang away. It leaped several meters high and disappeared in the blink of an eye."

"But it's definitely still on this mountain."

"Fifth Master said that he doesn't need us to catch it. As long as we can help find its general location, there will be a generous reward."

"..."

Even though they lowered their voices, Chen Sanshi heard them clearly.

Leaping several meters high?

No wonder White Deer sinew could be used to make a Heavy Bow.

Since it had appeared, it must have left traces.

He could find even the slightest trace.

He immediately had a target and quickly headed for the mountainside.

"Why is he here too?"

Wei Xu's heart fluttered when he saw the armored youth: "Senior Disciple Brother, this is the one I told you about last time, the one who hunted and killed a Great Worm by himself and shot me with an arrow. This is bad, won't he find the White Deer before us?"

"Then what are you waiting for? Hurry up and search! Our immense fortune depends entirely on the White Deer!"

Just imagine, if they could really cure the Old Cult Master's injuries, and each of them was given a shop, they wouldn't have to worry for the rest of their lives.

Halfway up the mountain.

In the dense maple forest, red fallen leaves were everywhere.

Several arrows were stuck in the ground, clearly the result of a failed hunt not long ago.

Chen Sanshi bent down, searching the area around the arrows inch by inch.

Soon, he found a patch of snow-white fur on a red maple leaf.

Normal deer fur is rather stiff, about the thickness of a needle.

But the fur of a White Deer is as soft as cotton, even finer than down.

Every thirty paces or so, a few strands of this fur would appear.

He passed through several forests, tracking from the mountainside to the other side of the peak, until the path ended at a sheer cliff.

Chen Sanshi lay down at the edge of the cliff and looked down.

The cliff wasn't deep, about forty to fifty meters.

Fortunately, there were enough footholds. Relying on his agility, as nimble as a swallow, he descended the cliff like a nimble ape, quickly and efficiently.

At the bottom of the cliff, everything returned from fiery red to the deep green of the forest. The surroundings were filled with birds, beasts, and a wide variety of plants and trees, teeming with life and vitality.

It seemed like a place a White Deer would inhabit.

Chen Sanshi opened the sandalwood box he had brought. Inside lay a lustrous black lingzhi mushroom shaped like a cloud.

A gentle breeze wafted by, carrying a special fragrance that made one feel refreshed and invigorated just by smelling it.

It truly was a good item.

He placed the Treasure Mushroom on a clear patch of ground, then hid himself in the dense woods about thirty meters away, nocked an arrow, and drew the bowstring taut.

The two-stone bow remained drawn, which would be a significant physical strain for an ordinary person.

Chen Sanshi did this because he knew White Deer had "ears that hear in all directions" and could likely hear the sound of the bowstring being drawn. The reason the Tailei Martial Arts School people failed was likely because they were detected in advance.

Combined with his breathing concealment technique, he seemed to have completely merged with the jungle.

Birds even landed on his shoulder to rest, treating him as if he were a log.

He didn't have to wait long.

About ten minutes later, a snow-white, agile figure quietly emerged from the cliff. It didn't need any footholds, running on the nearly ninety-degree cliff face!

It turned out to be living in a cave halfway up the cliff, no wonder it couldn't be found anywhere on the mountain.

The White Deer was clearly heading for the Treasure Mushroom.

It was fast at first, but as it got closer, it gradually became more cautious.

It would stop almost every step, but no matter how careful it was, it couldn't detect the hidden danger.

"Whoosh--"

Just as the White Deer was about to reach the Treasure Mushroom, it sensed something was wrong. In an instant, it leaped more than three meters into the air.

Unfortunately, before it could jump, the wolf-fang arrow had already pierced its head.

"Thump--"

The White Deer died mid-air and became a corpse when it hit the ground.

"Its reaction was really fast."

If Chen Sanshi hadn't drawn the bowstring in advance, he might not have been able to hit it.

After traversing mountains and crossing ridges several times, he finally got it.

The resources from one White Deer were enough to sustain him until he was close to Bone Tempering, saving a lot of time.

However, there might be trouble on the way down the mountain.

Carrying the White Deer down the mountain was like carrying a gold brick through a crowded marketplace.

At first, only one or two disciples from the martial arts school followed from a distance.

Soon, like jackals drawn by the scent of blood, they gathered, twenty-odd people following closely.

Unfortunately, Chen Sanshi was no "child."

Even with the gold brick right in front of them, no one dared to make a move.

"Even Fifth Master couldn't do it!"

Wei Xu looked at the hole in the exotic beast's head. "How did he shoot the deer?"

"Let's stop him first!"

Senior Disciple Huang Tao said, preparing to step forward.

"Senior Disciple, be cautious."

Wei Xu advised, "This person is petty and extremely murderous."

"What are you afraid of! Didn't you say he's just a squad leader? I've already reached Great Accomplishment in Blood Tempering, do I need to be afraid of him?"

Huang Tao shook off his junior disciple's arm and rushed forward to block the path.

Chen Sanshi's expression was blank. He asked knowingly, "Is something the matter?"

"Brother."

Huang Tao cupped his fists in greeting. "We've prepared the money to buy the White Deer. We'll pay market price, so you won't lose out. How about it?"

"Not selling."

Chen Sanshi said, preparing to walk past him.

"Stop!"

Huang Tao's tone grew heavy. "If you don't give us face today, you won't be leaving. I advise you..."

Before he could finish half his sentence, a cold glint suddenly flashed past his face.

With a "clack," something seemed to fall to the ground.

After two seconds of stunned silence, intense pain surged. Huang Tao clutched his profusely bleeding cheek and wailed, "My ear! My ear!!!"

"Are you... still buying?"

Chen Sanshi retracted his Reed Leaf Spear and said, word by word.

The speed of his attack was so fast that not a single drop of blood stained the tip of the spear.

"You lunatic, you absolute lunatic!"

The disciples of the martial arts school were horrified. "Our senior brother didn't do anything to you, so why did you injure him?!"

Didn't do anything to me?

Chen Sanshi sneered inwardly.

It's not that I didn't want to, it's that I had reservations!

This ear wasn't cut off in vain.

"I'll kill you!"

Huang Tao roared in fury. The perfected Qi and Blood that flowed through his entire body erupted instantly. Enduring the pain, he drew a long sword and lunged to slash at the youth's face.

"Stop!"

At the critical moment, a sharp shout rang out.

A man around forty years old sprinted over and blocked Huang Tao.

"Fifth Master!"

The disciples of Tailei Martial Arts School immediately gathered around him as if he were their backbone.

"Fifth Master, you've arrived just in time."

"This brat..."

"..."

"You must be Officer Chen Sanshi of the Elite Selection, correct?"

Ignoring the torrent of accusations, Fifth Master Song remained unfazed. Instead, he praised, "Good spear technique, good courage! Surrounded by so many people, yet you still dared to make a move."

"Fifth Young Master should see that your people tried to force a sale first. I was merely acting in self-defense."

Chen Sanshi surmised that this man was likely the fifth son of the Tailei Martial Arts School's Cult Master.

"It was their fault, they deserve to be humiliated."

Fifth Master Song said gravely, "However, Officer Chen, you may have heard that my father is injured and needs an Exotic Beast to recuperate. Would you be willing to sell me the Deer Heart? I am willing to pay far above market price in silver."

"Not selling."

Chen Sanshi refused outright.

He had inquired with the physicians.

The Deer Heart was the most beneficial part of the White Deer for cultivation.

It was essentially priceless.

No amount of silver could quickly procure a second deer.

He intended to use this opportunity to quickly reach perfected Blood Tempering and prepare for Bone Tempering. How could he possibly give it away?

He didn't need to worry about them making a move.

If they truly wanted to fight, they would have already seized it, not wasted so many words.

"Farewell!"

Chen Sanshi said, shouldering the White Deer and leaving.

Fifth Master Song stood watching, not obstructing him.

"Fifth Master!"

Huang Tao said in disbelief, "Why did you stop me? You should have let me teach this brat a lesson."

"Idiot, I saved your life!"

Fifth Master Song cursed. "You couldn't even react after losing an ear. Do you think you could have lasted a few rounds?!"

"He... isn't he just a Squad Leader?"

Huang Tao finally began to feel fear.

A Squad Leader could, at most, reach Minor Accomplishment in Blood Tempering; he himself was at Great Accomplishment!

"Trash!"

Fifth Master Song cursed angrily, "Dozens of people, all of them eating rice for nothing!

"You searched for a month and didn't even touch White Deer's backside, yet he went up the mountain and got it. Trash, all of you are trash!

"Pick up your ears, I told you to pick up your ears!"

"This is so frustrating!"

On the way down the mountain, Chen Sanshi felt depressed.

The reason he hadn't taken the lives of the Martial Arts School disciples was that he had noticed Song Lao Wu observing from not far away.

That guy was at the Bone Tempering realm!

On the surface, he hadn't suffered any losses on this trip.

But that was because the other party was wary of his identity.

In the end, they were afraid of Xiang Tingchun, afraid of the Governor's Mansion, and even afraid of Wang Zhi, but not afraid of him at all.

And.

This land belongs to the people, so why should hunting require them to curry favor with these people?!

Go into seclusion!

Only one's own strength is the foundation of everything.

This group of people from the Martial Arts School, like wolves, followed him around all day, making Chen Sanshi extremely uncomfortable.

The next time a similar situation arises, he would make the Martial Arts School people shed blood like a river!