A Step into Danger

Three to four breaths later, Zhou Menglong caught up to the stream, looking down at the corpses of Xu Liang and Zhang Si, still bleeding. He roughly understood Cui Hao's plan, a mocking smile curling his lips.

In the face of absolute power, all resistance is futile.

Following the footprints—chase!

He pursued for about a mile through the uneven forest, and on the snowy ground, a human leg, severed at the thigh, appeared. The wound was bloody and still dripping.

Zhou Menglong's smile deepened. Such petty tricks. He would catch the brat before they ventured deeper into Second Mountain!

Next, Zhou Menglong saw Wang Gouzi's torso and head.

Slowly, Zhou Menglong's expression turned grim. The forest was difficult to navigate, but the environment was fair. Why couldn't he catch up to Cui Hao?

Moreover, they were already deep in Second Mountain, where they could encounter terrifying beasts at any moment. With the brat scattering body parts everywhere, the chances of encountering a beast increased significantly.

At this moment, Zhou Menglong felt a sliver of admiration for Cui Hao. For a mere book boy to reach this level, it gave him a hint of surprise.

But! Today, he would kill Cui Hao!

"Xiao Haozi," Zhou Menglong looked up at the dense trees ahead. "I know you're behind that tree. Join the Mad Wolf Gang and offer Su Yun to me, and I'll guarantee you a life of food and shelter."

Cui Hao heard Zhou Menglong's call but didn't reply, unwilling to fall for the bait.

"You can't protect Su Yun. Big Brother Zhou is doing this for your own good, helping you."

Cui Hao suddenly felt grateful to Da'an Dynasty and the Lord of Qingyuan City. Though the governance was poor, it at least maintained a semblance of order. Otherwise, Zhou Menglong wouldn't need to go through such trouble; he could have just barged in and taken her by force.

Creak...

Leaning against a large tree, Cui Hao faintly heard the sound of snow being stepped on. He stopped daydreaming and scanned the area ahead.

A Mountain Demon, entirely gray, with a ferocious appearance and cold eyes, slowly revealed half its body and one eye from behind a large tree not far to his front left.

It looked at Cui Hao as if he were already dead.

Cui Hao swallowed, then raised a heart in his hand, the meaning clear.

The Mountain Demon began to charge.

The distance was only six or seven steps. Cui Hao timely moved away from the tree's cover and threw the heart in his hand towards Zhou Menglong.

Just as Zhou Menglong was about to speak, he instinctively raised his hand and caught the heart steadily.

The Mountain Demon, burly and with strong teeth, charged towards Zhou Menglong, chasing the heart without a hint of hesitation.

Zhou Menglong casually threw away the heart, extended his fists, and unleashed the Subduing Devil Vajra Fist.

Bang! His fists collided violently with the charging Mountain Demon.

The Mountain Demon was sent flying backward, smashing through a tree as thick as a bowl, and died.

Unexpectedly, the Mountain Demon was so fragile. Cui Hao continued to run.

"Ha! Ha! Ha!" Zhou Menglong's laughter echoed through the forest. He had finally caught up to Cui Hao. He leaped into the air, swinging his fist. "Die!"

Sensing the punch, Cui Hao stopped abruptly and turned, Puff! He threw a handful of white powder behind him.

Zhou Menglong instinctively retracted his fist to block, but the distance was too close. He couldn't fully block, and his eyes burned with a searing pain, his vision blurring. He swung his fist in rage, but lost his aim.

Using 'Light as a Swallow', Cui Hao skillfully dodged the torrential, fierce attacks by using the trees for cover.

At the same time, he avoided the trees as thick as bowls that Zhou Menglong shattered.

His stamina draining rapidly, Zhou Menglong quickly calmed down.

No longer relying on his eyes, he used his senses, listening intently. Through the sound of Cui Hao stepping on snow and the direction of his breathing, his attacks became sharp once more.

Cui Hao's heart grew serious. He knew he couldn't delay any longer. Using Zhou Menglong's fist energy, he flew backward in mid-air, changing direction by kicking off a tree. He landed lightly, took down the iron-tipped bow from his back, and removed the cloth wrapping, revealing a gray-black bow body.

He drew an Iron Arrow from his quiver and nocked it.

"Hah!" Cui Hao deliberately exposed his position.

Hearing the sound, Zhou Menglong reacted immediately, attacking him directly.

He drew the bowstring to its fullest and released the arrow!

Zhou Menglong's expression changed. He heard the faint twang of the iron-tipped bowstring and, in the snowy forest, forcibly changed his direct charge, moving as far away from his original position as possible.

The next moment, the Iron Arrow pierced flesh. It should have hit his chest, but it only grazed Zhou Menglong's shoulder.

His actions not stopping, Cui Hao shot a second wooden-shafted, iron-headed Wolf Fang Arrow, followed by two more in quick succession.

Two were skillfully dodged by Zhou Menglong. The last one hit Zhou Menglong's thigh.

"Brother Cui Hao, I was wrong..." Supporting himself with a tree, subtly using it to shield his vital areas, Zhou Menglong closed his eyes and begged for mercy. "Spare me this time, and you'll be my own brother from now on!"

With the two-stone heavy bow, Cui Hao could shoot at most two more arrows. He slowly took out his last iron-shafted arrow and nocked it, sneering at Zhou Menglong, "I killed your two brothers."

Before he finished speaking, Cui Hao drew the bowstring to its fullest and released the arrow.

Hearing the cause of his two brothers' deaths, Zhou Menglong's mind instinctively faltered. It was too late to dodge. The Iron Arrow pierced through his chest, delivering a critical hit, tearing away a large chunk of flesh from his back.

Zhou Menglong swayed but, with astonishing willpower and immense strength, managed to stand firm. His eyes, burned by the lime, seemed to spew fire as he 'stared' intently in Cui Hao's direction.

Looking at Zhou Menglong, who was holding onto the tree but not falling, Cui Hao was shocked. The prowess of a Mortal Martial master at perfection was truly formidable!

"I've been to many places and seen many people," Zhou Menglong pressed his hand against the wound on his chest, channeling his internal energy to control his surging blood. "I've never seen anyone as treacherous as you. My two brothers didn't die in vain at your hands."

As Zhou Menglong praised him, Cui Hao, who had just joined Mortal Martial, didn't feel proud. Instead, he sensed a subtle strangeness in the air around him.

The wind stopped, and all the birdsong and ape calls in the forest vanished in an instant. A heart-stopping silence descended.

Every hair on Cui Hao's body stood on end! This primal fear, born from instinct, was no less intense than facing Zhou Menglong!

Without hesitation, he sprinkled the remaining Lime powder on himself, trying to mask his scent, to make himself unappetizing.

At that very moment, he caught a glimpse out of the corner of his eye. From the shadows of a withered bush less than three meters away, a Striped Tiger emerged slowly, like a ghostly Beguiler, its golden pupils locking onto them with icy coldness.

At this moment, Cui Hao's blood ran cold. His senses told him with certainty: he couldn't defeat it. He stood frozen in place.

The bearded Zhou Menglong, knowing he was doomed but also seeing an opportunity, suddenly let out a scream, unleashing his full qi and blood, and charged desperately towards Cui Hao!

The Striped Tiger, which had been ambling along, intending to eat the Mountain Demon, suddenly appeared behind Zhou Menglong as if by teleportation. With a single swipe, it sent him flying, and he landed, dead.

It then lunged towards Cui Hao.

Cui Hao decisively hurled the Two-stone Bow, bought with ten taels of silver, forward, while simultaneously diving to the side, using a large tree to evade the tiger's first pounce.

He sprinted, channeling his qi. I wish Cui Bao had given me two more legs! he thought.

But in these deep mountains and ancient forests, how could a human outrun a fierce tiger?

In just a few breaths, as he was about to be pounced on, Cui Hao leaped high, plunging into a fast-flowing, un-frozen river.

With a splash, he hit the water. The river was bone-chillingly cold, and his vision was obscured. Yet, Cui Hao smiled.

He was grateful to Mortal Martial for improving his hearing. He hadn't just run blindly in the forest; he had managed to jump into the water before his imminent death.

He was also thankful for the "Light as a Swallow" skill, a reward for "Stealth Novice." Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to outrun Zhou Menglong, let alone the fierce tiger.

The Striped Tiger watched the human in the water from the bank for a few moments before turning back into the forest.

His bow was gone, but he couldn't bear to discard his Chopping Knife. In the rapid current, Cui Hao swam desperately towards the bank. He drifted downstream for six or seven li before finally crawling ashore at a flat river bend.

Gasping for air, he surveyed his surroundings, his gaze settling on a strange Monster-like object not far away.