Sunset Mountains

After three rounds of drinks and five courses, the atmosphere grew increasingly lively. Ye Yun sat beside Yan Xiao Liu, watching him being surrounded and flattered by everyone, a smile on his own face. However, he keenly sensed that beneath Yan Xiao Liu's hearty laughter and toasts, a fleeting shadow of gloom seemed to pass.

As another wave of toasting surged like a tide, Yan Xiao Liu raised his cup, his smile unchanged, but a hint of gravity flickered deep in his eyes. He tilted his head back and drained the wine, setting the cup down with a sigh so faint it was almost inaudible.

"Sixth Brother, what's wrong? You've been promoted, gained rank, it's a momentous occasion, why the sigh?" an observant constable immediately asked.

At these words, the banquet quieted somewhat, and all eyes focused on Yan Xiao Liu's face.

Yan Xiao Liu surveyed the concerned faces around him and shook his head with a wry smile, "Brothers, this advancement... it's a good thing, but also a difficult thing."

He paused, his fingers unconsciously tracing the rough rim of his wine cup, his voice lowering, "You brothers only see me become a ninth-rank martial artist, basking in glory. But do you know? The path of martial arts, the higher you go, the more arduous it becomes. The resources required are simply a bottomless pit!"

He began counting on his fingers, "Ordinary meat to supplement Qi and blood is no longer enough. We need the flesh and essence of Demonic Beasts, which contain pure Yuan Qi, tonifying elixirs, medicinal baths for strengthening the body, and even specific cultivation techniques to guide internal energy... Each of these requires a mountain of silver! And the higher the rank, the greater the demand, and the more stringent the quality requirements! Take the Solid Foundation Pill, for instance. Even the most common one can't be obtained for less than a hundred or eighty taels, and they're often unavailable even with money."

Yan Xiao Liu's brow furrowed tightly, his eyes filled with worry for the future, "The spiritual energy in our humble region is thin, rare herbs are hard to find, and channels for trading high-level resources are even scarcer. My meager salary, plus my savings, might barely be enough to maintain the stability of the ninth-rank, let alone attempt to break through to the eighth. This is why there are so few ranked martial artists in our county. It's not a lack of talent, but rather... it's too difficult!" The last three words were spoken with immense weight, revealing the bitter struggles of martial artists from humble backgrounds.

A silence fell over the banquet. The earlier festive atmosphere had been significantly diluted by this stark reality. Most of the constables present came from ordinary families and naturally understood the importance of money. While talent and perseverance were indispensable on the martial path, without the support of vast resources, it was ultimately an illusion.

Ye Yun nodded with deep empathy. He thought of himself; if he hadn't confiscated that considerable sum of silver notes from the Second-in-Command of Black Wind Mountain Stronghold, exchanging it for precious cultivation resources, he wouldn't have been able to consolidate his realm in such a short time, let alone glimpse the threshold of the eighth rank. That "windfall" was the key that truly changed his martial trajectory. He interjected softly, "Little Sixth Brother speaks the absolute truth. On the climb of martial arts, wealth, companionship, methods, and location—the word 'wealth' being listed first is no mere saying."

A heavy atmosphere permeated the private room, the earlier clinking of glasses and feasting seeming like a distant phantom. Just then, Zhao Si, a constable sitting diagonally opposite Yan Xiao Liu, who was usually quiet and had a slightly sharp gaze, suddenly lowered his voice and spoke with a hint of mystery, "Sixth Brother, Brother Ye, all you brothers... Since we're talking about 'wealth,' I... might have a way to make money, perhaps... it could solve our immediate problem?"

"Oh?" Yan Xiao Liu's dim eyes instantly brightened, like a drowning man grasping a lifeline, "Zhao Si, speak quickly! What way?"

"Yes, Zhao Si, don't keep us in suspense. If there's such a good thing, why not share it quickly!" others urged, leaning forward unconsciously.

Zhao Si glanced around cautiously, as if fearing eavesdroppers, his voice dropping even lower, almost to a whisper, "Just outside our county town, in the Sunset Mountains!"

The Sunset Mountains? Everyone's hearts skipped a beat. Those continuous mountain ranges, covered in an impenetrable primeval forest, were considered a dangerous place by the common folk of Chun'an County. The outskirts were manageable, with occasional hunters and woodcutters venturing in. The further one went, the more desolate it became, rumored to harbor countless ferocious beasts, and even... more terrifying things.

Zhao Si licked his slightly dry lips, a glint of excitement mixed with greed in his eyes, "There are plenty of fierce beasts roaming the outer reaches of the mountain range, like Spotted Tigers, Iron-skinned Wild Boars, Green-furred Wolves... These beasts, though fierce, can be taken down by us martial artists with a few skilled individuals working together and being careful. A complete tiger skin, wild boar tusks, wolf sinews and bones... sent to the city's furriers or apothecaries, can fetch at least a hundred taels of silver!"

A hundred taels! This figure made many constables present gasp, their eyes shining. How much was their annual salary?

"That's not the main part!" Zhao Si's voice was seductive, "The truly valuable things are the Demonic Beasts that have reached a certain rank!"

"Ranked Demonic Beasts?" Ye Yun frowned slightly. He had heard that above ordinary fierce beasts were anomalies that had developed sentience and cultivated by absorbing the essence of the sun and moon or the world's Yuan Qi—these were Demonic Beasts. Once ranked, even the lowest, low-grade ones, possessed strength far exceeding ordinary fierce beasts, comparable to human ninth-rank martial artists, or even stronger, and they often possessed peculiar abilities.

"Yes! First-rank Demonic Beasts!" Zhao Si confirmed, "Their pelts, bones, claws, teeth, even flesh and blood, and inner cores (if you're lucky enough to find one) are treasures! Just one item, sold to knowledgeable merchants or martial artists in urgent need of materials for cultivation, starts at a thousand taels of silver! If you can hunt a rare species, the value will skyrocket!"

He paused, his voice filled with longing for wealth, "And! In the deep mountains and old forests, in places untouched by humans, how many rare flowers and exotic herbs are hidden? Hundred-year-old ginseng, the fiery red Vermilion Fruit, the Moon Viewing Grass that glows at night... These are all spiritual medicines that can revive the dead and restore flesh and bone! If we get incredibly lucky and stumble upon one... Heh heh, then we'll truly become rich overnight, worth more than ten thousand gold! It would be enough to support Sixth Brother's cultivation to the eighth rank, seventh rank, or even higher!"

The scene Zhao Si painted was like a scroll splashed with gold powder, slowly unfolding before everyone's eyes. Fierce beasts, Demonic Beasts, spiritual herbs... every word represented heavy silver and a ladder to a stronger martial path. The somber atmosphere, previously weighed down by resource constraints, was instantly replaced by a fervent desire for adventure.

"Let's do it! Fortune favors the bold!"

"Right! Rather than being trapped in a desperate situation, it's better to take a gamble in the mountains!"

"Sixth Brother, with your ninth-rank strength, you're perfect to lead the team! If we brothers stick together, what do we have to fear from those beasts?"

"With a ninth-rank expert like you in charge, we're bound to return with full hands!"

Everyone's emotions soared, their blood boiling, and they all looked at Yan Xiao Liu, their eyes filled with anticipation. Yan Xiao Liu was even more moved; the prospect Zhao Si painted perfectly struck the deepest desires and anxieties in his heart. If he could obtain resources from the mountains through his own efforts, wouldn't the shackles on his martial path be easily broken? Flames reignited in his eyes, and he slammed the table, "Good! Brother Zhao Si's news comes at the perfect time! I think this is feasible!"

Ye Yun raised his wine cup, but his gaze seemed to pierce through the amber liquid, returning to that rainy night of life-and-death combat with the Second-in-Command of Black Wind Mountain Stronghold. Sword light and shadow, flesh and blood flying, every breath carried the rusty scent of blood, every block sent a numbing shock through his arm, life hanging by a thread... It was precisely under that extreme pressure that he truly integrated his newly acquired strength, consolidated his realm, and even touched upon the opportunity for breakthrough.

Theoretical discussions are always shallow; the cultivation of martial arts ultimately requires tempering on the edge of life and death to truly make strength one's own and solidify one's realm like iron. These Sunset Mountains, though dangerous, might not be a bad whetstone. Moreover, resources... were indeed something both he and Yan Xiao Liu desperately needed.

Ye Yun looked up at Yan Xiao Liu and the eager crowd, his voice clear, "In martial arts, one either advances or retreats. The mountains are dangerous, but they also hold opportunities. Since Little Sixth Brother is willing, and we brothers are united, then let's do it."

"That's great! Then let's all work together, it's settled!" others chimed in enthusiastically.

Amidst the excited discussions and clamor about how to prepare tomorrow and when to depart, Ye Yun's gaze inadvertently swept across the face of the proposer, Zhao Si. The moment he agreed to join, the corner of Zhao Si's mouth seemed to hook upwards extremely quickly. It wasn't pure joy or triumph, but a fleeting, strange smile, like a predator finally stepping into a trap. It was so fast it seemed like an illusion, yet it inexplicably stirred a sense of unease in Ye Yun's heart, like a small stone dropped into a calm lake, creating ripples. This trip to the Sunset Mountains, he suspected, might be about more than just the visible fierce beasts and spiritual herbs.