Investing, The Pig Demon Clan's Odd Aesthetic

Pu—

The cold blade sliced across the last bandit's neck, drawing a gush of hot blood.

The corpse slumped lifelessly to the ground, twitching a few times before falling still.

This gang, which had been rampaging outside Changle County, had now been completely wiped out.

"Hoo~ Done..."

Gu Cheng flicked the blood from his long saber and looked at the record on his status panel.

[Killed Body Tempering Realm evil cultivator, gained lifespan: three years]

[Killed Body Tempering Realm evil cultivator, gained lifespan: two years]

This group of bandits was nothing but a rabble, so the rewards were naturally very low.

But they made up for it in numbers.

With over fifty bandits combined, he had gained nearly seventy years of lifespan, which was a decent income.

The cleanup was finished.

Gu Cheng gripped his saber hilt and turned to face the masked figure in black robes who had revealed himself not far behind him.

"You've been watching from the shadows for so long. Why have you suddenly appeared now? What do you want?"

Gu Cheng remained vigilant, quietly sizing up the other person.

Judging solely by the distinctive Bronze Mask worn by Demon Hunters on their face.

The identity of this mysterious black-robed figure was most likely that renowned Demon Hunter.

"..."

The Female Demon Hunter didn't answer Gu Cheng's question. Instead, she walked directly to the mangled corpse of the Young Master Pig Demon.

After examining it carefully for a moment, she shook her head slightly, sighing regretfully.

"What a shame. This Pig Demon only recently broke through to the Qi Blood Realm. It didn't even manage to condense a complete Demon Core."

"If you had killed it a few years later, you might have obtained a high-quality Earth element Demon Core."

The voice from beneath the mask was clear and pleasant, like water flowing through a mountain stream, very soothing to the ears.

Judging solely by her voice, the other party couldn't be older than twenty.

Gu Cheng was somewhat surprised by her voice but didn't dwell on it. He shook his head and retorted, "There's nothing to regret. If this beast had lived a few more years, who knows how many more people it would have harmed."

"Besides, it's just a Demon Core. With so many demons in Black Wind Mountain, how could there be a shortage of Demon Cores?"

"Ha, well said!"

The Female Demon Hunter clapped her hands and chuckled, her gaze towards the youth filled with admiration.

"No wonder you dared to use yourself as bait to kill the demon. Your courage and resolve are truly admirable."

"..."

Gu Cheng was momentarily speechless.

How was he using himself as bait?

He had clearly been sold out by a traitor and was just fighting his way out of a desperate situation.

"Alright, enough small talk. Young man, let's make a deal."

The Female Demon Hunter reached for her belt, and as if by magic, a book appeared in her hand.

"I'm here on the request of the Chen Family patriarch to rescue his precious daughter."

"I owe that old patriarch a favor, and to keep up appearances, I must personally escort Miss Chen back safely..."

Miss Chen?

Gu Cheng was slightly taken aback, a flicker of embarrassment in his eyes.

Miss Chen was the wealthy young lady who had been kidnapped by the bandits, and also the unfortunate woman the Young Master Pig Demon had intended to make his bride.

Gu Cheng had been so focused on killing that he had almost forgotten the main task of rescuing the hostage.

But then again, his original mission was just to gather information. Now that he had killed all the enemies, did that count as exceeding expectations?

Gu Cheng pushed these chaotic thoughts aside, sheathed his saber, and asked the other party, "So, the deal you're talking about is to exchange what you have for my merits?"

"That's right. This saber technique manual is my compensation to you."

The Female Demon Hunter nodded and tossed the book forward.

As if guided by an invisible hand, the saber technique manual floated slowly towards the young man like a feather.

Gu Cheng marveled inwardly at the sight.

He reached out and took the booklet. After casually flipping through a few pages, new prompts immediately appeared on his status panel.

[Blood Essence · Wind Thunder Blade Technique: Uninitiated]

A Blood Essence realm blade technique?

Gu Cheng's eyes lit up.

"This is a very profound martial art. It would probably take ordinary people fifty to sixty years just to get started," the Female Demon Hunter said, gazing at the young man. She added, "But I believe with your talent, you'll be able to grasp it easily?"

"..."

Gu Cheng remained silent, his mind racing.

Previously, to avoid any further complications, he had been forced to kill the Young Master Pig Demon. This action, however, had earned him the deadly enmity of the notorious Pig Demon King from Black Wind Mountain.

Now, someone was willing to take the blame, draw the Pig Demon King's ire, and even gift him the Blood Essence realm blade technique he desperately needed.

Why would Gu Cheng refuse?

He readily agreed.

The fire in the camp raged on, quickly spreading to nearby houses. The towering flames seemed to illuminate the entire night sky.

The Female Demon Hunter chatted with Gu Cheng for a couple more sentences. Afterward, they searched the camp together and soon found where the Pig Demon had hidden his "Golden House Hidden Beauty."

The Female Demon Hunter entered a tent alone.

A moment later, when she emerged, a large, dark mass was slung over her slender shoulders.

Gu Cheng looked up, thinking she had captured another escaped Pig Demon, and instinctively reached for his blade.

But as he looked closer, he was stunned to see that the dark mass was actually a woman with fair skin and fine clothes. She was fast asleep on the Female Demon Hunter's shoulder, snoring loudly.

"Is... is she that Miss Chen?"

Gu Cheng was bewildered.

Judging by the standards of those online novels, this rich young lady could be described as "pleasantly plump." While she was quite fair-skinned and looked like she'd lived a life of luxury, with that physique, she couldn't possibly be described as "stunningly beautiful."

"Ahem, generally speaking, demons and humans have similar aesthetics. However, there are exceptions, and some have vastly different ideas about male and female beauty. I suppose these Pig Demons were like that," the Female Demon Hunter explained softly. Even with a weight of over 200 pounds slung over her shoulder, she showed no signs of strain.

"Oh, right, Young Hero Gu, please keep this token safe."

The Female Demon Hunter gently tossed a palm-sized token to Gu Cheng. He caught it and examined it closely. The token was entirely black, with a large character "Xu" imprinted in the center. It was made of a material that was neither gold nor jade, and it felt substantial and pleasant in his hand.

"What is this?" Gu Cheng asked curiously.

"This is a token from my family. If you ever have the chance to visit Yunzhou City, you are welcome to be our guest at the Xu family residence in the northern part of the city." The Female Demon Hunter, still carrying the "thousand-pound" young lady who slept like a log, nodded slightly at the young man.

She then took out a talisman, performed a hand seal, and a burst of white mist instantly enveloped them. When the mist dissipated, both of them had vanished from their spot.

Under the bright moonlight, a gust of hot night wind blew past, stirring up sparks. Gu Cheng looked at the spot where they had disappeared, his expression thoughtful.

Yunzhou City? That was the capital of an entire province. Its prosperity far surpassed that of a remote and impoverished county like Changle County.

In that case, this Female Demon Hunter's true identity must be a young lady from a prominent family. Was demon hunting merely a recreational activity for her?

Gu Cheng's gaze shifted. Combining this with her previous actions, he had a good idea of her intentions.

"This girl probably sees me as some kind of rising martial arts prodigy and is choosing to invest early, forging a good relationship?"

"No wonder he was so easy to talk to the first time we met, giving me this and that..."

Gu Cheng looked at the Wind Thunder Blade Technique and the token keepsake in his hand, feeling a mix of amusement and exasperation.

Martial arts prodigy?

What kind of prodigy was he?

What prodigy took over a hundred and fifty years just to break through to the first level of Qi Blood Realm?

At best, he was just a cheater who could gamble with his life.