Just as the group finished eating and drinking and prepared to set off.
"Everyone, my stomach's a bit upset. I think I ate something bad last night. You go on ahead, and once I've finished and rested a little, I'll catch up."
"Old Zhang, leave me a few marks along the way."
Zhao Han pretended to clutch his stomach, holding his breath until his face turned beet red.
"I can't hold it anymore. I've gotta go!"
In a flash, Zhao Han darted into the woods and began imitating the sound of someone taking a dump.
"Lazy people sure do have a lot of shit and piss!" Yang Li sneered, curling his lip.
"Old Zhang, who's that kid? I've been meaning to ask you for ages," Zhou Fei, another Skin Refining Warrior, asked.
The others were puzzled too, and turned to look at Old Zhang.
"Hey, how should I know? I'm only paid to lead the way. I never ask about my clients' backgrounds." Old Zhang took a sip of wine and answered casually.
"Hmph. If that brat dares hold us back, I'll chop him to pieces."
"Why bother with some green kid? He's probably scared out of his wits. We don't need to wait for him—we can just go on ahead."
"Exactly!"
The four packed up their things and set off, without waiting for Zhao Han.
In their eyes, Zhao Han was just some young brat who looked like he'd come to see the world.
Only after they had left did Zhao Han quietly follow.
With his strength at the Muscle Refining Realm, tailing them was child's play.
Walking at the rear, Zhao Han kept his eyes on the hunter.
The hunter had seemed fine yesterday, but today his back was already stooped, and he was panting as he walked.
At around eight in the morning, the group reached Gutter Cave.
"Everyone, Gutter Cave is dangerous. Fifty meters in, there's a fork. To the left is an Underground River, where Pythons sometimes appear. To the right is a stone chamber. I don't know who carved it out. I can only lead you as far as the fork."
"Old Zhang, enough chatter. Hurry up and lead us."
"Put down your packs and get your torches lit. Follow me!"
Seeing how eager they were, Old Zhang tossed his pack aside, wrapped some rags around a prepared torch, doused it with lamp oil, lit it with a Fire Starter, and led the way.
The other three did the same; they had all come prepared.
Only after they had gone more than ten meters inside did Zhao Han emerge. He didn't light a torch, instead lowering his body and following them.
With four people scouting ahead, there was no danger. There was no need to light a torch and risk being spotted.
They soon reached the fifty-meter mark. The temperature here was actually a little higher than outside, which explained why Pythons liked living here.
Pythons preferred warm, damp places. This cave fit the bill perfectly.
Yang Li surveyed the area and said, "Old Zhang, go wait for us in the stone chamber on the right. We'll head to the Underground River first."
He had clearly been here before. He knew there was a stone chamber on the right where they could rest. The last time he came with Old Zhang, the old man had waited for them in the chamber too.
"Then this old man won't accompany you any farther. I'll be on my way." Old Zhang nodded and headed toward the stone chamber on the right.
Only three of them remained. They carried their torches toward the Underground River.
When Zhao Han reached the fork, he heard the sound of flowing water from the Underground River.
He knitted his brows and glanced to the right, then looked to the left.
The left path should be close to the Underground River. Zhao Han wasn't in a hurry to kill the Python.
The stone chamber on the right, however, had made him intensely curious.
It was strange enough for there to be a stone chamber here. Could someone have once lived in seclusion in a place like this?
With that thought in mind, Zhao Han cautiously made his way to the right.
He hadn't expected the path to be so narrow.
After walking about twenty meters, he saw firelight ahead and stopped.
Old Zhang's voice came from the stone chamber:
"Mountain Lord, four more fools who don't know their place have come. Two of them are Skin Refining Warriors."
Zhao Han was startled, his brows knitting together. Who was Old Zhang talking to?
Mountain Lord? Why did that title sound familiar?
After thinking it over, Zhao Han realized what a Mountain Lord was.
Wasn't that what people called a tiger?
Was Old Zhang talking to a tiger?
Remembering that this world was home to the bizarre, Mountain Sprites, demons, and monsters, Zhao Han understood. There was nothing strange about a Mountain Lord existing, nor about one being able to talk. He had been making a fuss over nothing.
Then a low voice, clearly tinged with pain, sounded from within:
"Same as last time. Let them hunt the Python first. I'll have a Ghost Servant stab one of them in the back. Once they're all at the fork, you scatter poison powder over them. Then I'll show up and bite them all to death, turning them into Ghost Servants."
Old Zhang gave a thumbs-up and laughed. "Mountain Lord, your methods are brilliant. This old man is truly impressed. As for the reward..."
"You humans sure love to kiss tiger ass. That sort of thing won't work on me."
"What's yours is yours. I, the Mountain Lord, always keep my word."
After speaking, the Mountain Lord pulled a Pull Ring, and a Double Door appeared in the stone chamber.
As he went inside, the Mountain Lord thought scornfully, If that Willow Tree Demon hadn't gravely wounded me and eaten nearly all my Ghost Servants, I wouldn't have to rely on eating humans to recover!
Otherwise, hmph, would I need to work with an old man like you just to deal with a few ordinary Martial Artists?
Then came a creak, and no more sounds came from the stone chamber. Instead, Old Zhang began drinking his wine and eating peanuts.
Zhao Han thought it over. Old Zhang had probably made a deal with the Mountain Lord—in other words, the tiger that had become a spirit.
He brought people to Gutter Cave for it, and after they were killed, they became Ghost Servants.
Old Zhang, in turn, would receive a handsome reward.
Perhaps the one that had possessed the hunter earlier was a Ghost Servant.
"Sounds like this tiger is injured and hiding here to recover."
"I don't know what's inside. I shouldn't go in. I'd better meet up with the other three first, kill the Python, and then see what's going on."
Zhao Han didn't make a move yet. Instead, he quietly left the stone chamber and entered the Underground River on the left.
When he reached the Underground River, the three men were nowhere in sight. They had probably gone deeper in.
After walking another dozen meters or so, Zhao Han spotted them. The three were hunting a five-meter-long Python as thick as three fingers.
"Too small." Zhao Han shook his head and decided not to join in, merely watching from a distance.
The three worked together fairly well, using a Snake Hook and ropes to restrain the Python and keep it from thrashing about or escaping.
Then they repeatedly beat it with clubs, knocking it unconscious.
A live Python was worth considerably more than a dead one.
The three took this Python down with ease.
After all, five meters long and three fingers thick wasn't particularly big for a Python.
After dealing with the Python, the hunter was clearly exhausted and panting.
The hunter felt something was off. Why was he getting more and more tired? He sat on a rock and wiped away his sweat with his sleeve.
"Damn, why am I so weak today? I didn't use my hand last night. This shouldn't be happening."
He glanced at the other two. They weren't even short of breath, and still had plenty of energy. As expected of Skin Refining Warriors. They're worlds apart from ordinary people.
"When we split the money later, I'll probably only get two shares, while each of them gets four."
"Ah, it's my own fault for not training properly back then."
He struggled to his feet, and the three continued deeper into the cave.
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