"Let me see—what cultivation level was this Yellow Weasel?"
Su Xian checked the record in the Demon Strategy.
It turned out to be nothing more than a Yellow Weasel at the early Tendon Refining Realm.
Su Xian shook his head. A Yellow Weasel at the early Tendon Refining Realm,
in Blackwater County, could indeed be considered an expert.
As long as it did not run into those three Viscera Nourishing Realm martial artists or some late-stage or even perfected Tendon Refining Realm martial artists,
it could remain safe and sound.
Unfortunately, the one it had sought out tonight was Su Xian, at the early Bone Tempering Realm.
With a single slash, Su Xian ended its life.
"Not bad, I suppose. At least it provided me with 138 years of lifespan!"
Su Xian nodded, a trace of a smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.
Now that he had gained another 138 years of Demon Lifespan, his Demon Lifespan had returned to 672 years.
"But this meat probably can't be eaten."
Su Xian shook his head as he looked at the lump of minced meat by the doorway.
"I still have to clean up these traces!"
Helpless, Su Xian spent the entire night cleaning the traces from the doorway.
After Su Xian exterminated the Yellow Weasel,
no one else around his home died during the days that followed.
However, people were still dying in Blackwater County.
Every few days, Su Xian would see someone dead in a narrow alley.
Su Xian also began wandering around Blackwater County at night, hoping to lure the Fox Demon into attacking, but he never encountered it.
During the day, Su Xian would occasionally visit the Blazing Sun Martial Arts School, as well as the various teahouses.
He gathered information in several places and became increasingly familiar with the forces within Blackwater County.
Throughout Blackwater County, the imperial government was weak, nearly nonexistent.
The most powerful force was the Black Tiger Gang. They had ties with the Lord of Azure Dragon Mountain and were practically lawless in Blackwater County.
The second most powerful was the Azure Cloud Medical Hall.
Although it was suppressed by the Black Tiger Gang, even the Black Tiger Gang did not dare cause trouble for the Azure Cloud Medical Hall.
As for the Blazing Sun Martial Arts School,
Su Xian had also learned some information. The school master was nearing the end of his lifespan, and probably did not have many years left to live.
That day, Su Xian went to the County Yamen to look at the bounties.
"This Liu Family is still alive? They can even issue a bounty?"
Su Xian was somewhat surprised as he looked at the Liu Family's bounty.
Had the Black Tiger Gang really made no move over the past few days?
If he were the Black Tiger Gang's leader, he would have taken control of the entire Liu Family long ago.
If they refused to hand over the Fierce Tiger Descending Mountain Map passed down through the Liu Family, the entire Liu Family would die!
"Could it be that the Black Tiger Gang's leader is afraid the Liu Family will damage the map?"
Su Xian made a guess. Perhaps the Liu Family had some hidden means.
Or was the Black Tiger Gang's leader simply not in a hurry?
Su Xian shook his head, casting the thoughts from his mind, and continued looking through the bounties.
At last, he found a bounty to escort someone to Lingyun County.
There was not much time left before the date he had agreed upon with the Black Market stall owner.
Su Xian planned to use this opportunity to first get a feel for the situation in Lingyun County.
Su Xian accepted the bounty and headed toward a residence in Blackwater County.
The bounty had been posted by a wealthy merchant from Blackwater County!
Before long, Su Xian arrived outside the residence.
After displaying the bounty token, he was respectfully ushered inside.
A servant led him into the residence.
In the main hall, a portly merchant sat in the center.
Several martial artists sat on the chairs on either side, their auras quite impressive.
Su Xian also saw a familiar face: Deng Lin, who had gone up the mountain with him from the Azure Cloud Medical Hall, a martial artist at the early Muscle Forging Realm.
Looking at Deng Lin, Su Xian could not help curling his lips into a smile.
It had only been a few days since they parted.
Who could have imagined that he had already leaped upward and become a powerhouse at the Bone Tempering Realm?
Since Su Xian had changed his appearance and build, and he had never revealed his appearance back at Green Dragon Mountain,
Deng Lin had no idea that he was Ye Fan from back then.
He merely watched Su Xian enter with a curious expression.
"I didn't expect someone else to come as well?"
After Su Xian entered the main hall, the wealthy merchant in the center looked at him with a smile.
"May I ask the warrior's name and cultivation level?"
"Su Fan, early Tendon Refining Realm!" Su Xian replied calmly.
"A Tendon Refining Realm expert!"
The wealthy merchant was startled. He rose at once and said respectfully,
"Expert, would you mind showing us a little of your skill?"
"I'm going to Lingyun County to transport some goods."
"There will be bandits harassing us along the way. As far as strength goes, it's best not to exaggerate, or trouble may arise!"
The wealthy merchant looked at Su Xian solemnly.
"Sure. Who would like to test me?" Su Xian nodded.
"I will!" A burly man stepped out from behind the wealthy merchant.
"Warrior, this is Yang Wu, my family's instructor. He is also a martial artist at the early Tendon Refining Realm!" the wealthy merchant introduced.
"How about one punch?" Yang Wu carefully sized up Su Xian and made the suggestion.
"Very well." Su Xian nodded.
With a thunderous boom, their right fists collided, and both were shaken!
Yang Wu staggered back ten steps, each foot crushing a deep footprint into the marble floor beneath him!
In the end, he smashed into the tables and chairs behind him, breaking them apart. His right arm trembled slightly.
He looked at Su Xian with a trace of astonishment in his eyes.
Su Xian merely pretended to retreat eight steps, his expression calm.
The might of that single punch caused the martial artists seated around them to rise one after another, staring at the two men in shock.
"So strong!" the surrounding martial artists cried out inwardly as they watched the scene.
As expected of a Tendon Refining Realm martial artist!
A single punch already possessed such tremendous power!
"Hahaha! That was satisfying!"
Yang Wu laughed heartily and shook his somewhat numb right arm before returning behind the wealthy merchant.
Seeing this, the wealthy merchant's eyes nearly narrowed into slits from smiling.
"Excellent, excellent! Warrior Su's strength is formidable! Our journey is all the more secure now!"
"Six hundred taels of silver. I'll pay half in advance. Once you escort me to Lingyun County, I'll pay the other half!"
The wealthy merchant smiled at Su Xian as he spoke, then pulled a stack of silver notes from his robe.
"That works."
Su Xian nodded. After all, he was only escorting someone to another county.
It was far less dangerous than entering Green Dragon Mountain. Six hundred taels was already enough.
Besides, Su Xian had not come for the silver in the first place.
He simply wanted more people with him, since traveling to Lingyun County would be a little safer that way!
Nearby, Deng Lin looked at Su Xian enviously.
He was only receiving one hundred taels for this trip, so there was no way he could compare with Su Xian.
"Warrior, rest here for a while. We'll set off at noon!"
The wealthy merchant looked at Su Xian respectfully.
Su Xian nodded. A Muscle Forging Realm martial artist beside him hurriedly rose from his chair and respectfully said to Su Xian,
"Lord Su, please sit here."
Su Xian glanced at the martial artist and nodded slightly.
Then he paid it no mind and sat directly in the chair.
The wealthy merchant and Instructor Yang Wu withdrew from the main hall.
Inside a room,
the wealthy merchant looked at Yang Wu and asked, "What do you think of that Su Fan's strength?"
Yang Wu nodded solemnly and shook his still-numb right hand.
"He's very strong! At the very least, he's a late-stage Tendon Refining Realm martial artist!"
The wealthy merchant nodded slightly upon hearing this. He had said that Instructor Yang Wu was at the early Tendon Refining Realm,
but in truth, he had concealed one level of cultivation. Instructor Yang's cultivation had long since reached the middle Tendon Refining Realm!
"Do you know this man? I don't seem to have heard of anyone like him in Blackwater County," the wealthy merchant asked.
Yang Wu shook his head. He had never heard of anyone named Su Xian in Blackwater County.
Moreover, neither his appearance nor his height matched any of the late-stage or even perfected Tendon Refining Realm martial artists he knew.
Unless he was a Bone Tempering Realm martial artist capable of changing his height,
an ordinary Tendon Refining Realm or Muscle Forging Realm martial artist could easily be recognized by other familiar martial artists even after changing his appearance.
Before long, noon arrived.
During this time, the surrounding martial artists came over one after another to make small talk with Su Xian.
After all, although traveling to Lingyun County was not particularly dangerous,
if trouble arose, having an expert like Su Xian by their side would undoubtedly greatly increase their safety!
Before you continue