Madman's Deal

Don't mess up! Don't chicken out! The Pig Demon being slaughtered must never be revealed, no matter what!

He forced himself to lower his head, avoiding the Snake Demon's ice-like vertical pupils. His voice was tinged with just the right amount of nervousness and fawning: "Lord Pig... after collecting the tribute that day, he said... said we served him well enough, so he... he took a few more with him, saying... he was going to find a secluded spot for a feast. Later... later, we didn't know. Perhaps... perhaps he ate his fill and is resting somewhere?"

The Snake Demon's cold vertical pupils were fixed on Wang Quan's face, as if trying to bore through his skin. Wang Quan felt as if those eyes were ice blades, scraping his face raw. The cold sweat on his back had long since soaked through his inner garments. His entire body was tense, he didn't dare to breathe loudly, his heart pounding wildly in his chest, terrified of revealing the slightest slip-up.

After several long breaths, the Snake Demon suddenly retracted its tongue and let out a series of hissing, strange laughs, as if it believed him, or perhaps didn't care at all: "Damn it, eating well behind our backs... Fine, I'll go find out where this fat pig hid the good stuff in which rat hole."

With a flick of its thick snake tail, it turned to leave. Before it went, it twisted back, its vertical pupils sweeping over the five of them one by one, hissing, "Consider yourselves lucky, you two-legged sheep. Next time you see me, remember to show respect, Grandpa Snake! If you dare to be disrespectful again, I won't be able to resist tasting your flesh to see if it's even more tender than those fools in the village..."

With that, the three Snake Demons slithered away into the darkness of the tall grass, disappearing from sight.

The patrol in the latter half of the night was eerily quiet. The ghostly, whimpering murmurs and the flickering gray-white shadows in the eastern grasslands did not reappear. The only encounters were with two or three Half-Corpse creatures, recently tainted by Corpse Qi, stumbling as they walked—their flesh was bruised and rotten, their eyes cloudy and lifeless. They lurched towards them, no comparison to the ferocious beasts from the previous night.

Wang Quan didn't even bother with his sword techniques. Relying on the solid, weighty feeling from the introductory level of the Turtle Snake Coiling Dragon Strength and his much-improved reflexes, he casually hacked and slashed a few times, efficiently severing their necks or piercing their hearts. The feeling of the blade cutting into flesh was still a bit rough, but the newly generated strength within his body circulated, making his movements smoother and saving him effort.

[Killed a half-formed Corpse Tribe member, gained 1 Skill Point]

[Killed a half-formed Corpse Tribe member, gained 1 Skill Point]

[Killed a half-formed Corpse Tribe member, gained 2 Skill Points]

A total of 4 Skill Points were added to his account.

As dawn broke, the night patrol team trudged back, their bodies feeling like they were about to fall apart. On the training grounds, other teams also returned one after another, everyone with weary, lifeless expressions.

Commander Chen, still hunched over, squinted as he took roll call. When it was Wang Quan's team's turn, Wang Quan stepped forward, cupped his fist, and said in a deep voice, "Commander Chen, last night while patrolling the east, we encountered three Snake Demons, and... we may have also encountered a Nightmare."

His voice wasn't loud, but it was clear enough on the quiet morning training grounds. Many people looked over, their eyes filled with surprise.

Commander Chen raised his eyelids slightly, his cloudy gaze lingering on Wang Quan's face before sweeping over the pale-faced new recruits behind him. The wrinkles on his face deepened, and he showed no expression, only a hoarse "Mm" from his throat. "Understood. The east... is not peaceful. Be vigilant." He then waved his hand, signaling them to disperse. He asked not a single word about the Snake Demons' interrogation regarding the Pig Demon's whereabouts or the humiliating groveling, as if he didn't care at all.

However, Wei Dayong, standing not far away, visibly changed his expression upon hearing the words "Snake Demon." He subconsciously tightened his grip on his sword hilt, a flash of unconcealable panic in his eyes.

Wang Quan said no more and dispersed with the crowd. Returning to his dilapidated living quarters, he had no desire to sleep. He sat cross-legged on the cold, earthen kang. The Turtle-Snake Force in his Dantian remained obediently in place, emitting a faint warmth that resisted the morning chill.

The Snake Demons' threat was imminent, and the Pig Demon's accomplice would sooner or later realize something was wrong. The "Nightmare" deep in the eastern grasslands was unpredictable.

He had to get stronger faster! He had to master more methods!

With 4 Skill Points remaining, it wasn't enough to advance the Turtle Snake Coiling Dragon Strength to minor completion. He thought of Madman Xu. Now, he needed anything that could rapidly improve his strength, even if it was poison. Without hesitation, he got up and headed straight for the west of the village.

Madman Xu's courtyard was piled high with bizarre iron tools, charred medicinal dregs, and the bones of unknown beasts. The air was filled with a strange mixture of rust, burnt odors, and the sweet, fishy scent of some medicinal herbs.

The door was not fully closed. Wang Quan pushed it open. It was very dark inside. A figure with hair as messy as a bird's nest and tattered clothes was hunched over a table so dirty its original color was indistinguishable. Under a small oil lamp, he was carefully filing a piece of pitch-black material that looked like an animal horn, muttering to himself.

"Madman Xu," Wang Quan said.

The figure paused, then slowly turned his head. His face was gaunt and emaciated, covered in dirt and a few fresh bloodstains. His eye sockets were sunken, but his eyes were terrifyingly bright, filled with a fanatical fervor. He sized Wang Quan up from head to toe, lingering particularly on the knife at his waist and his stance. He grinned, revealing a mouth full of crooked, yellow teeth. "What? Interested in the demon arm replacement I mentioned last time?"

Wang Quan walked to the table, met those fervent eyes, and got straight to the point: "I need the Cultivation Methods you've researched to enhance my physical strength. I also need a Cultivation Method for disguise, a Cultivation Method for tracking monsters, and a Cultivation Method to increase speed."

Madman Xu froze for a moment, then let out a series of hoarse chuckles, as if he'd heard the greatest joke. His shoulders shook, and his laughter echoed in the small room. "Kid, do you know who I am? Coming here to order around? Cultivation Methods... I have them, but what will you trade? Your meager Blood Tax rations? Or your worthless life?"

Wang Quan's expression remained unchanged, his voice steady but carrying the force of absolute certainty: "As compensation, I will avenge you."

The laughter stopped abruptly.

The frantic expression on Madman Xu's face instantly vanished, replaced by a cold, almost tangible scrutiny. He put down the beast horn in his hand and slowly stood up straight. Though thin, a dangerous aura emanated from him. "Revenge?" he sneered, but there was no amusement in his eyes. "Do you know who I want revenge on? You? A kid who just touched the threshold of being a Martial Practitioner and got lucky killing a pig, now thinking he's invincible?"

He leaned in abruptly, his bloodshot eyes fixed on Wang Quan. "The one you're going up against is the old snake in the Blackwater River! A Great Demon in the third realm of Core Condensation! What makes you think you can? That broken knife in your hand? Or this body of yours that barely qualifies as a Martial Practitioner?"

The air in the room suddenly became heavy. The flame of the oil lamp flickered, casting their shadows, distorted and uncertain, on the mottled walls.

Wang Quan met Madman Xu's demanding gaze, not backing down an inch, and said word by word, "With the knife in my hand, and because you and I are the same kind of people at heart—both madmen. To survive, I can do anything, I can gamble everything."

He paused, two dark yet fervent flames igniting in his eyes. "If I fail, it's just a worthless life, where I die doesn't matter. You lose nothing, at most... you waste a bit of saliva and a hope that never existed. But if I succeed, even if I only tear off a piece of its flesh, it will be more satisfying for you than you grinding bones here, won't it?"

"Madmen... kindred spirits?" Madman Xu repeated, his eyes flickering intensely with doubt, mockery, a tremor from his heart being struck, and a mixture of deep-seated hatred and madness about to erupt. His chest heaved, and he took a few deep breaths before suddenly laughing hysterically again, his laughter hoarse. "Good, a good madman! Direct enough, reckless enough!"