Mountain Lord

"Old Mountain Lord?" Lu Chuan's heart tightened.

He recalled hearing village old hunters mention in idle talk that tigers were lords of all beasts, with different names for different ages. From one to six years, they were called Big Cats; six to twelve, Striped Fierce Tigers; twelve to eighteen, White-Browed Great Worms. Only a fierce tiger that had lived past twenty-four years was worthy of the title Old Mountain Lord.

"Dad, when was the last time you saw it?" Lu Chuan's expression turned grave.

"Been a few years now." Lu Danian sank into memory. "That Old Mountain Lord has been holed up deep in Mount Erlong, a hundred li north of here, for at least a decade or more. It's claimed plenty of travelers' lives—word spread through all the nearby villages. Always heard it was ferocious, and... quite cunning."

Lu Chuan frowned. "That Old Mountain Lord's been around for over ten years, and no Martial Artist who's broken through the Blood Pass has gone after it?"

Tiger Bone was a fine thing. A decades-old Old Mountain Lord like that would have medicinal potency several times greater than an ordinary tiger. By common sense, some Martial Artist desperate for a breakthrough should have hunted it long ago.

"All these years... it's not like no one thought of getting rid of it. The nearby villages even pooled money to hire Martial Artists and organized several Tiger Hunting Teams up the mountain. But the strange thing is, every time they mustered men to surround the mountain, they came back empty-handed—couldn't even find a single tiger hair."

"Avoiding danger, predicting the hunt... Could this Old Mountain Lord have become an Exotic Beast?" Lu Chuan's interest spiked at that. If it truly was an Exotic Beast, its Tiger Bone would be even more valuable, but the danger was far beyond an ordinary tiger's.

"Hard to say." Lu Danian shook his head. "After all these years, there probably isn't anyone who truly knows that tiger's details."

After asking more specifics about Mount Erlong's terrain, Lu Chuan formed a rough picture in his mind. He didn't hesitate any longer and decided to head into the mountains.

No matter how fierce the Old Mountain Lord was, he had now broken through the Blood Pass and was a true Martial Artist—his Qi and Blood were full, his strength had surged, and he had Perfected Archery and Mysterious Iron Arrowheads to rely on. There was no reason to be afraid before even fighting.

"I'll make some more preparations," Lu Chuan mused. "This trip into Mount Erlong to hunt the tiger probably won't be over in a day or two. The terrain's complex, and that beast is cunning—I need to stock up on more things."

First on the list was medicine.

Hunting a beast like that meant injuries were inevitable. Buying some wound medicine was a safe bet.

He set off immediately for Renhetang Pharmacy.

Seeing Zhao Xuanhe, Lu Chuan didn't beat around the bush. "Brother Zhao, I'm heading deep into the mountains for a while. I need to stock up on some things."

Zhao Xuanhe saw his serious expression and knew it was important. "May I ask what Brother Lu is going into the mountains for?"

Lu Chuan paused briefly. "A senior brother I'm close with at the Martial Arts Hall has been stuck at First Qi and Blood Complete for some time. He urgently needs Tiger Bone as the main ingredient to break through to the Second Qi and Blood threshold. He's... failed once before. I often roam the mountains, so I thought I'd try to find an opportunity for him."

Zhao Xuanhe's face lit up with understanding and admiration. "I see! Brother Lu is going to great lengths for a friend, venturing into danger—truly righteous! Tiger Bone is indeed a Precious Medicine with miraculous effects for Martial Artists breaking through Blood Passes."

"Since Brother Lu is heading out, these preparations can't be taken lightly." He turned and walked behind the medicine counter, then pulled out several bottles of pills. "Brother Lu, take a look. This is top-grade Golden Wound Powder—excellent for stopping bleeding and regenerating flesh. And this is a Miasma Dispelling Pill, which wards off miasma and damp toxins. Both are essentials for traveling in the mountains."

"Mm, I'll take one of each."

As Zhao Xuanhe explained, Lu Chuan's mind was elsewhere. His archery was accurate, but against an Old Mountain Lord that might have grown cunning, it might not be enough.

He spoke up. "Brother Zhao, what I'm going after this trip isn't ordinary. Do you have any poison I can smear on arrowheads?"

Zhao Xuanhe paused, then turned and retrieved a small black jade bottle from deep in the cabinet. "If you're dealing with something fierce, take a look at this. Heart-Corroding Bone-Decaying Powder—its properties are insidious. It specifically ruins a creature's Qi and Blood foundation and meridians. Not just beasts—even a Martial Artist who's broken through Second Qi and Blood will have their Qi and Blood decay rapidly if they touch this."

He paused, then added, "But this stuff is troublesome to refine and uses precious ingredients, so the price isn't cheap. One pellet... costs ten taels of silver."

Lu Chuan's heart sank.

The stuff was exactly what he needed, but that price...

He had over twenty taels of silver on him, but that money couldn't be seen. Buying the Qi and Blood Pill for ten taels earlier could be explained as savings from hunting. If he now pulled out another ten taels for this poison, it would be too conspicuous. If someone noticed and linked it to Wang Kun's disappearance, he'd be in deep trouble.

Zhao Xuanhe thought Lu Chuan was troubled by the cost. He mulled it over, then smiled. "Brother Lu, are you short on funds? We haven't known each other long, but I trust your character, Zhao. How about this—take this bottle of Heart-Corroding Bone-Decaying Powder on credit. Use it first, and when you're more comfortable, come back and settle the bill."

Lu Chuan was somewhat surprised, lifting his head to look at him.

Zhao Xuanhe's smile grew a bit more sincere:

"Brother Lu, you'd spend your own money to stand up to the Black Tiger Gang for a neighbor, and now you'd brave the deep mountains for a fellow disciple—that's true loyalty."

"I, Zhao Xuanhe, genuinely admire a man like you. I don't believe someone of your character would let me take a loss."

His words gave Lu Chuan a way out, while also making it clear that it was Lu Chuan's integrity that earned him the credit.

This was the real benefit of a good reputation—sometimes more useful than silver.

Lu Chuan felt a warmth in his chest. He clasped his fists and said earnestly:

"Brother Zhao, I'll remember this kindness. I do need the medicine urgently, so I'll shamelessly take it on credit."

"Say no more." Zhao Xuanhe smiled and slid the small black bottle over, then wrapped up the previous medicines together.

"Golden Wound Powder, three taels; Miasma Dispelling Pill, one tael; the Heart-Corroding Bone-Decaying Powder on credit, ten taels. Total fourteen taels. I'll note it down."

"Brother Lu, the mountains are dangerous. Be very careful."

"Many thanks, Brother Zhao!" Lu Chuan took the medicine bundle and turned to leave Renhetang Pharmacy.

Back home, he carefully soaked the Heart-Corroding Bone-Decaying Powder and applied it to the Mysterious Iron Arrowheads.

As for the ordinary arrowheads, he didn't bother—the lesson from the Black-Scaled Iron-Thread Snake was fresh, and common arrows might not even break the skin.

The long blade was honed to a gleaming sharpness. Rope, flint, water flask, salt, jerky—everything was in order.

With all preparations complete, Lu Chuan bid his parents farewell.

Then he turned and strode out of the courtyard.

After several days of travel, Lu Chuan finally reached Mount Erlong by asking for directions.

The mountain was treacherous, the forests deep and shrouded in mist. Just standing at its foot, Lu Chuan could feel an ominous aura.

But that naturally didn't daunt a well-prepared Lu Chuan.

Once inside the mountain, he moved ceaselessly through deep woods and secluded valleys.

It was early spring, with lingering snow not yet melted. Relying on his Eagle Eye, he searched for any trace the Mountain Lord might have left.

Massive claw marks, distinctive signs...

But aside from a few old tiger tracks and the footprints of common beasts, he found nothing.

It was as if the Mountain Lord knew someone had entered the mountain to hunt it and had gone completely into hiding.

That evening, the sky was overcast.

Lu Chuan found a cave and decided to rest for the night.

Hunger gnawed at him. His gaze swept over a patch of withered grass outside the cave, where a gray shadow flickered.

He drew his bow, nocked an arrow, aimed—the motion was fluid and seamless.

With a swish, a plump hare crumpled to the ground.

He stowed his bow and was about to step forward to retrieve his dinner when a weak voice suddenly came from the nearby woods:

"Young... Young Hero... save... save me..."

Lu Chuan's movement froze instantly, his hand already resting on the hilt of the long blade at his waist.

In these deep mountains and dense forests, at the fall of night—how could someone suddenly cry for help?