Greetings, fellow brothers of the Jianghu.
Just as Zhang Rongfang was carefully examining his surroundings, one of the members of the Zhengming Society jumped onto a large White Stone, stood up straight, and looked directly at the crowd.
"I Zhengming Society Wen Shaodong, and I am honored by the respect shown to me by my fellow martial arts friends. Today, I will lead a team to explore this Yin Huai Forest."
"This operation has two objectives."
"First, find my Zhengming Society, the brothers and sisters who were previously missing."
The thirteen of us who went in before, including Senior Brother Yun, also chose a safe time to enter, but we haven't heard from them since.
"Secondly, we need to find the daughter of Senior Chen Abyssal Constant Saber."
"I have been entrusted by my senior to search for you. I would be grateful if you could assist me. Please let me know if you have any leads. I thank you in advance." He clasped his hands in a fist and bowed to the crowd.
"So it's the second-in-command of the Zhengming Society in person. How has Elder Kunxu Sword been lately?"
"Since Senior Wen has spoken, we will naturally give him face."
"Senior Wen the Second reached the Eighth Grade several years ago, and his cultivation level is probably even higher now. In that case, we are sure to be safe."
First Squad of people recognized him, they immediately rushed over to greet him and flatter him.
Wen Shaodong's expression remained unchanged, but his eyes held a hint of distance as he greeted only the most powerful and acquaintances.
Then he turned around and handed over the matters to the people of the Zhengming Society.
As soon as he introduced himself, many people around him took the initiative to approach him.
For the sake of his beloved daughter, Old Master Chen of Abyssal Constant Saber offered a huge reward, betting almost all of his life savings on it.
It has now attracted many people who want to get a piece of the pie.
Before long, Wen Shaodong led his men to prepare to enter the forest.
He didn't seem to care that anyone was following behind him. He carried a large bundle on his back and walked ahead.
Before long, he led more than ten members of the Zhengming Society into the forest.
Even in broad daylight, torches were lit in that dark forest to make it brighter.
Next came the other small teams, and even Rogue Person.
The condition given by Old Master Chen of Abyssal Constant Saber was that anyone who could find even the slightest clue about his daughter could come to him to collect a reward.
This has attracted many people to come and try it.
Zhang Rongfang glanced at the others who had followed, and then took the initiative to follow as well.
He wore a special leather mask made by the Golden Wing Tower, disguising himself as a middle-aged man with sallow skin.
At this moment, following behind a group of people, along with a dozen or so Rogue Person, he appeared completely inconspicuous.
Among the Rogue Person, there were several burly men like him.
After all, among martial arts practitioners, very few are not strong.
Aside from the Rogue Person, there were two other teams accompanying the Zhengming Society.
Both teams were formed temporarily.
The team consists of six people, led by the renowned bounty hunter Zhao Dihu.
Zhao Dihu is a professional hunter in Wu Mountain who makes a living by collecting bounties.
Many people present recognized him.
This person is not particularly strong, but he is quick-witted and highly alert, and has survived many dangerous missions.
So gradually, it gained fame.
The other team was led by a tall woman with ordinary looks and dark skin.
The woman's Lin Huan. She had bright eyes, carried a straight knife on her back, and wore a tight black outfit. Her chest seemed to be forcibly bound by something, so her curves were not very visible.
Zhang Rongfang paid a little attention to the two people.
The reason is that among this group, only a few people have slightly better footwork and seem to be quite strong.
He could only make a slight judgment about others based on their footwork.
Often, you can't know your opponent's strength until you actually fight them.
The total number of people exceeded fifty.
They had been walking for quite a while.
The light inside the Yin Huai Forest grew dimmer and dimmer; although it was daytime, it felt like nighttime.
After being blocked by layers of leaves, only tiny, scattered spots of light fell down.
This became the only source of light in the Yin Huai Forest.
"Everyone beware of poisonous insects and miasma. Those carrying extra insect repellent sachets should stay on the outer perimeter," Wen Shaodong shouted to the group.
If the group continues like this, the majority of the bounty will Zhengming Society be claimed by the Zhengming Society at the front.
Seeing that nothing had happened after so long, the other two teams also turned in other directions.
They come here to take risks in order to make money.
Therefore, it's impossible for them to follow the masters of the Zhengming Society forever.
The two teams silently dispersed.
Rogue Person also face the choice of whether or not to disperse.
Zhang Rongfang glanced at the others around him but didn't move. He remained with the Zhengming Society.
He sized up the group of Zhengming Society members along the way and could tell that they seemed to have come prepared.
Clearly, Wen Shaodong likely knows some inside information.
Soon, after the two teams separated and left, they took some of the Rogue Person with them.
The remaining people continued to follow the Zhengming Society's procession.
Zhang Rongfang wasn't actually following the Zhengming Society. Rather, it was intelligence he obtained from the Golden Wing Tower that indicated that Shadow in the Forest, known as the Iron Taoist, was most likely to be encountered by taking this route.
Everyone else came looking for survivors, but he was different; he came specifically to find the Shadow in the Forest.
Now that he has broken through to the Tenth Grade, he is confident that even if he cannot defeat the opponent, with his improved movement technique, it is unlikely that anyone can catch up with him.
Unless the opponent becomes as powerful as Heavenly Maiden.
'Shadow in the Forest' licked his lips. If he could get Super Grade clue from this guy, he could quickly rise to the top.
Those weaklings whose life points are estimated to be no more than 20 can withstand the test of Super Grade secret technique, so it is naturally no problem for him, a super strong person with a life point of over 40.
As long as he adds the Super Grade Secret Art obtained through normal means, his physical fitness will definitely improve further and reach an even higher level!
It can also be used to conceal one's true breakthrough to the Tenth Grade.
Zhang Rongfang suddenly recalled the Heavenly Maiden's instructions.
He was asked to stay here for three years.
Given his progress and talent, the Heavenly Maiden most likely believes that he can reach the pinnacle of the Ninth Grade within three years.
Then, when that time comes, it will be just right to have Gong Shuyin provide this clue. After all, he will be here for three years.
Gong Shuyin was originally supposed to stay here for three years. What a coincidence!
***The other two bounty teams, one of which belongs to Zhao Dihu.
After separating from Zhengming Society, they quickly dispersed and searched the woods to the left.
Zhao Dihu gripped the curved knife in his hand tightly, drew it from its sheath, and cautiously surveyed his surroundings.
We dare not let our guard down for even a moment.
He is now over forty years old and not very strong, only at the Third Grade, but he always manages to survive to the end, thanks to his constant vigilance and meticulousness.
"Brother Tiger, why are you so nervous? There are so many of us, and Zhengming Society be at the forefront. What's there to be afraid of?"
Vice-captain An Shuanghong, standing to the side, smiled easily.
"Shadow in the Forest's actions are always methodical, and he rarely makes mistakes. We'll come in at a safe time, so nothing will happen. You can rest assured!" An Shuanghong was unconvinced by the Captain's caution.
"It's become a habit, it's been like this for years, I can't change it," Zhao Dihu said, shaking his head with a sigh.
His signature Pinching Flower Saber Technique, while seemingly grand and sweeping, is actually quite subtle and intricate, perfectly reflecting his personality.
This allows him to demonstrate combat skills comparable to a Fourth Grade soldier, despite being only Third Grade soldier.
"Brother Tiger, you're too tense. You don't usually get close to women. At your age, you've saved up so much money." Before An Shuanghong could finish speaking, she was interrupted by a scream from not far away.
Both of them were startled and quickly turned their heads to look in the direction of the sound.
Inside the Yin Huai Forest.
A tall figure dressed in a black Daoist robe was slowly pulling an iron sword from a person's chest.
Blood gushed from the wound, splattering a large area of the tree trunk and grass.
"It's Shadow in the Forest! Doesn't he stay indoors during the day? Isn't this a safe period?!"
"Run!!"
"Scatter and run!!"
"Why are you running? He's all alone, Black Recruit!"
Zhao Dihu roared and charged at the Iron Taoist with his sword.
His shout emboldened two men, who pulled out packets of poison powder from their waist pouches and threw them at the Iron Taoist.
Two muffled thuds.
The powder packet exploded, but it hit nothing.
The two men, one in front and one behind, were suddenly approached by the Iron Taoist, who wielded a sword and cleaved them into two Y-shapes from top to bottom.
"Fire Oil!! Where's the prepared Fire Oil! Sprinkle it!" An Shuanghong shouted in terror, pulling out an oil packet from her back and splashing it at the Iron Taoist.
She deliberately slashed the oil packet in mid-air, causing a large amount of Fire Oil to splatter out.
But even with this area-of-effect attack, the Iron Taoist managed to evade it.
An Shuanghong roared and swung her knife at the opponent with all her might.
She unleashed her swordsmanship, poised to deliver a fatal blow. This was in conjunction with Zhao Dihu's attack from behind, which ignited the flames.
She had only taken two steps when she was horrified to discover that Zhao Dihu, who had been rushing upwards, had vanished without a trace.
Pfft!
The Iron Taoist suddenly appeared beside her, pierced her waist with a sword, pulled it out, and went to chase after the rest of the people. Soon, most of Zhao Dihu's team, including the Rogue Person, were dead.
Only a few remained, fleeing towards the location of the Zhengming Society's group.
***What was that sound!?
Wen Shaodong paused, turning his head to look in one direction in the woods.
He came here this time with special weapons prepared specifically to guard against the Iron Taoist.
After his previous failed exploration, he racked his brains and finally came up with Secret Art that might be able to restrain the Iron Taoist.
Now, if we suffer this calamity, it will be the perfect time to avenge our fellow disciples!
Thinking of this, a sharp glint flashed in Wen Shaodong's eyes.
Under his arrangement, the Zhengming Society members quickly lined up and formed ranks, heading towards the direction from which the sound came.
Zhang Rongfang stood behind, also looking in that direction, lost in thought.
He is now at the Tenth Grade, and his five senses far surpass those of ordinary people, even more so than Wen Shaodong's perception.
At that moment, a heavy footstep could be clearly heard, rapidly approaching.
He slowly gripped the handle of the Wish Wheel on his back, his expression slightly grim. He was preparing to act.
The reason for not bringing Golden Wing Tower's men this time was that bringing too many people would only create unnecessary burdens and require additional protection.
Since having a large number of people was useless in the previous attempts, it means that Shadow in the Forest is probably not someone who can be subdued by sheer numbers.
All eyes were drawn to the direction from which the footsteps were coming.
Soon, Zhao Dihu and two other people came into view.
The three looked terrified, constantly looking back as they ran, as if they were hiding from something.
After the three of them had run a certain distance.
The crowd was finally able to see clearly what kind of person was chasing them.
It was a figure in a Daoist robe completely covered in iron armor.