For five days straight, Su Xian had spent most of his time at Blazing Sun Martial Arts School,
and every so often, he showed off his progress with the Pure Yang Stance.
At the same time, he had been asking the many disciples at Blazing Sun Martial Arts School for news.
After making inquiries, Su Xian had gotten a rough idea of the school's makeup.
Aside from Zhao Lie, the Viscera Nourishing Realm master, there were more than ten disciples,
but only the eldest disciple, Cui Hao, had reached Perfection in Skin Grinding Realm. The rest were in Muscle Forging Realm or Tendon Refining Realm!
As the eldest disciple, Cui Hao had the lowest cultivation,
but because he was warmhearted and kind to others, he was unquestionably Senior Brother to all the disciples!
Aside from them, the rest were people like Su Xian, who had paid to learn martial arts.
He had also found out a few ways to earn silver.
After becoming proficient in martial arts, people generally either became guards for the various lineages,
or worked as escorts, protecting merchants as they traveled from place to place to sell their goods.
But that was rather dangerous. After all, no one knew where a member of the Demon Race might suddenly appear!
And it wasn't just the Demon Race! Bandits also ran rampant across the mountains!
Aside from those two options, there was another way: taking on bounties to kill demons.
If a lineage encountered a member of the Demon Race and couldn't deal with it using its own strength,
it would post a bounty with the authorities, asking martial artists to take care of the problem.
As for why they didn't ask the authorities?
The realm was in chaos, and the authorities could barely look after themselves. How could they possibly take care of these lineages?
The fact that they could help post the bounties in other counties was already a huge favor!
Besides, the County Yamen took a twenty-percent cut from each bounty!
This was another way for martial artists to earn extra money, but it was extremely dangerous,
after all, who knew how strong a member of the Demon Race might be if even those lineages couldn't deal with it?
It would be awkward if they couldn't win!
According to what Su Xian had learned, several Tendon Refining Realm martial artists in Blackwater County had died this way.
Su Xian pondered which path he should take to earn some money. Otherwise, he wouldn't have enough to spend at the Black Market!
He couldn't just go to the Black Market and rob the robbers, could he?
Su Xian wasn't strong enough for that yet. If he reached Viscera Nourishing Realm, he'd go rob the robbers at the Black Market without a second thought.
Just then, a commotion rose from the nearby courtyard, where the disciples were practicing martial arts.
"Have you heard? In three days, Azure Cloud Medical Hall is organizing a group to go up Green Dragon Mountain and gather herbs!"
"I heard they're recruiting martial artists to clear the way!" one person said in a hushed, mysterious voice.
"Doesn't Azure Cloud Medical Hall have martial artists serving as Attendants? Why would they need to hire more?" someone asked, puzzled.
"You don't know? There's been a huge disturbance on the outskirts of Green Dragon Mountain lately! Two Cat Demons at Second Grade Perfection, along with three Cat Demons at First Grade Early Stage, have been killing humans all over the place!"
"The herb gatherers from Azure Cloud Medical Hall have suffered heavy casualties lately!"
"Then why doesn't the hall master just go and wipe out those Cat Demons?" someone else asked.
By rights, the hall master of Azure Cloud Medical Hall was a Viscera Nourishing Realm expert. Dealing with a few Cat Demons shouldn't have been a problem, right?
For that matter, sending a single Tendon Refining Realm martial artist might be enough to take care of them.
"How would I know? How could I understand what those important people are thinking?" The man shrugged.
"Anyway, Azure Cloud Medical Hall is recruiting martial artists to enter the mountain this time. Thirty taels of silver for Skin Grinding Realm, one hundred and fifty for Muscle Forging Realm! And a whopping five hundred taels for Tendon Refining Realm!"
"Five hundred taels to fob off a beggar? Would anyone in Tendon Refining Realm even care about that?" someone said disdainfully.
"Who knows?" The man shrugged.
"This time, it's free money! Azure Cloud Medical Hall is sending two martial artists in the early stage of Tendon Refining Realm to back us up. As long as we're careful, it shouldn't be a problem!"
Everyone around them was tempted when they heard this. They were all martial artists in Skin Grinding Realm, and a month of training at Blazing Sun Martial Arts School cost five taels of silver!
One trip into the mountains would earn them thirty taels!
And they'd have two Tendon Refining Realm martial artists backing them up!
There was some risk, but it was worth a try!
Su Xian had heard their discussion from a distance, and his thoughts stirred.
The disturbance on the outskirts of Green Dragon Mountain was probably his doing.
He had killed that young Cat Demon, so its parents had gone berserk!
They had started taking their other children and wildly retaliating against humanity!
"Second Grade Perfection?"
Su Xian thought to himself that a Demon at Second Grade Perfection was equivalent to a human martial artist at Perfection of Muscle Forging Realm!
At this point, he should be able to handle one of them!
But if two attacked together, he could only run away first.
"If I can kill a young Cat Demon first, its Remaining Lifespan should be enough to let me break through to Tendon Refining Realm!"
"Then, even if both Cat Demons at Second Grade Perfection attack together, I should be able to deal with them!"
After thinking it over for a while, Su Xian decided to join in. His Demon Lifespan had just run out!
If he could kill the whole Cat Demon family,
he would undoubtedly replenish a huge amount of Demon Lifespan!
Inside Azure Cloud Medical Hall, in a secret chamber,
the hall master's face was dark as he looked at his son. "How did it go? Have you spread the word?"
"I have! We should be able to recruit some martial artists!"
"Mm! Good! Once those people enter the mountain and stir up some commotion,"
"go to this location and take a look at the fruit's shape and color."
"Remember, you can only observe it from a distance. Don't go near it! Then come back and report what you saw!"
The hall master stroked his graying beard and slowly nodded as he handed a map to his son.
"Yes!" His son took the map and turned to leave.
After the hall master's son left, he was alone in the secret chamber!
The hall master looked toward Green Dragon Mountain, his expression dark as could be!
"Damn you, Lord of Azure Dragon Mountain! Once that fruit ripens and I consume it to break through my bottleneck, I'll make you pay!"
The Lord of Azure Dragon Mountain was a Sixth Grade Demon, equivalent to a human martial artist in Aperture Opening Realm!
That was the realm beyond Viscera Nourishing Realm! It possessed terrifying power!
For dozens of miles around Blackwater County, he was the strongest being!
He kept the many martial artists of Blackwater County under such pressure that they could barely breathe.
Even the Azure Dragon Gang of Blackwater County had struck a deal with the Lord of Azure Dragon Mountain, occasionally sending Blood Food into the mountains!
When he had gone into Green Dragon Mountain to gather herbs, he had encountered the Lord of Azure Dragon Mountain and been gravely wounded by a single move!
It had taken him a long time to recover!
Afterward, he had established Azure Cloud Medical Hall and, with the help of the many herb gatherers,
had finally found a Spirit Fruit in a secluded spot—one that could let him break through from Viscera Nourishing Realm to Aperture Opening Realm!
It hadn't ripened yet, but he could afford to wait!
By his calculations, it wouldn't be long before the Spirit Fruit ripened!
As it happened, a disturbance had recently arisen on the outskirts of Green Dragon Mountain, so he was going to use the opportunity to turn the situation to his advantage!
He would use silver to spur some martial artists into the mountains and draw attention away.
Then he would have his son check on the state of the Spirit Fruit.
Before you continue