Patrol Mountain Hall

Jiang Yan and Ren Tao walked closer.

They could see a delicate-featured young man speaking in a cold voice. His voice was rather soft, though, and they could only hear him clearly once they drew near.

"The Dahe Gang certainly won't hand out cultivation techniques and resources for nothing. You have to put something in to get something back."

Everyone understood that. Just as they had to toil in the mines to earn their wages, anyone who wanted to practice martial arts and change their fate had to follow the Dahe Gang's rules.

They simply didn't know what price they would have to pay. Everyone wondered about it in silence.

But they soon found out. They were facing a choice.

The Dahe Gang worked quickly. In less than two hours, the tests were complete.

Those without martial talent were taken back by their squad leaders. The dark-faced middle-aged man stood on the stone platform and began explaining the Dahe Gang's terms.

First, join the Dahe Gang, and the gang would provide everyone with cultivation techniques and martial skills for the Martial Apprentice realm.

Second, newcomers would join the Patrol Mountain Guard, patrol the villages at the foot of the mountain, and protect them from danger.

Everyone exchanged glances. Joining the Dahe Gang was a given; it was the only way to obtain cultivation techniques.

As for joining the Patrol Mountain Guard, that didn't seem like something they couldn't accept. After all, the Dahe Gang surely wouldn't keep idle people.

Lost in the crowd, Jiang Yan's gaze flickered. He had a lot on his mind. The Dahe Gang wasn't some tyrannical force, but it wouldn't let people cultivate its techniques for free, either. His expression turned grave...

"Joining the Patrol Mountain Guard will probably be dangerous."

Thinking of the pitifully gruesome death of the man who had been possessed by Baleful Intent yesterday, he suddenly had a bad feeling.

He listened on. The dark-faced middle-aged man went on to explain some of the Dahe Gang's rules, but he only briefly mentioned the duties of the Patrol Mountain Guard.

As expected, everyone present chose to join the Dahe Gang.

It wasn't that nobody suspected joining the Patrol Mountain Guard might be dangerous. But the chance to practice martial arts was a crucial opportunity to change their lives. No one would give it up.

In the afternoon, at the foot of the mountain in the mining district, there was a small village.

The village had sprung up on its own, and was home to members of the Dahe Gang as well as the families of miners.

People usually called it Iron Mine Village.

With a creak, Jiang Yan pushed open the wooden door. He had changed into clean clothes, and there was a hint of youthful vigor in his features.

At the same time, the door directly in front of him opened, and a young man dressed much like him stepped out.

Their eyes met, but neither spoke. They simply stood silently in front of their respective doors.

The sound of doors opening rang out all around them. A quarter of an hour later, the spacious courtyard was filled with people.

It was a building much like a traditional courtyard house, with a large central courtyard surrounded by cramped single rooms.

After they came down from the mine, everyone had been assigned a room here. The Dahe Gang disciples had told them to rest for a while, then left.

Afterward, someone distributed daily necessities to them room by room and informed them that the head of the Patrol Mountain Hall would arrive that afternoon. They were told not to wander off.

Before long, footsteps sounded, and a thin young man walked in, followed by two middle-aged men.

Everyone could tell that the young man held a higher position.

Sure enough, the young man spoke first. His voice was a little cold. "Welcome, everyone, to the Patrol Mountain Hall. The Patrol Mountain Guard offers good pay, and it's easier to earn merit and get promoted. With merit, you'll never lack money, provisions, or cultivation techniques..."

The young head of the Patrol Mountain Hall spoke coolly, yet described it as one of the Dahe Gang's very best posts.

Cultivation techniques and provisions seemed to be there for the taking. They didn't know how much of what he said was true, but it eased some of their uncertainty about the future.

Some people were already smiling without even realizing it, as if they could see better days ahead.

At the end, the young man instructed them, "Tang Long and Fei Shan will explain the specific rules of our Patrol Mountain Hall."

He glanced at the two middle-aged men beside him, said no more, and strode away.

As soon as the young man left, the two middle-aged men straightened their slightly bowed backs.

Tang Long was a man with big eyes and no eyebrows. He looked somewhat unapproachable.

Tang Long stepped forward and spoke loudly. "Brothers, I'm Tang Long, and this brother beside me is Fei Shan. We're both currently squad leaders in the Patrol Mountain Hall and have the head's trust. From now on, all of you will be members of our patrol squad..."

Fei Shan spoke up as well. "It's getting late today. Tomorrow, we'll train you in the duties of the Patrol Mountain Guard and teach you the basics of martial arts. For now, gather your things. We need to reach Yuyang Village before dark and spend the night there. It'll be our permanent post from now on."

Another bustle arose as everyone picked up their meager belongings and followed the two squad leaders down the mountain.

They didn't know why the Dahe Gang's Patrol Mountain Hall had sent guards to protect the villages at the foot of the mountain, but that wasn't something they needed to worry about right now. They would find out eventually.

They had walked from the mine to Iron Mine Village, and now they were heading from Iron Mine Village toward Yuyang Village. As they gradually left the deep, dark mine behind, they felt themselves relax, even as the sun slowly sank and the sky grew dim.

They didn't know what tomorrow would bring, but surely even the worst of it would be better than digging in the mine in thin clothes.

That was what everyone thought. But once the sky began to darken, Tang Long and Fei Shan suddenly quickened their pace, as if they had grown anxious.

The others were puzzled, but that didn't stop them from hurrying to keep up.

The sun had set. Only a glimmer of light remained along the horizon.

As they walked down from halfway up the mountain, Jiang Yan suddenly felt a chill. He looked up and saw that it had grown dark all around them. If he stared at any one patch of darkness for too long, an involuntary shudder of fear crept over him.

He looked away. Up ahead, Tang Long had raised a glowing object. It wasn't a torch, because the wooden stick he held had a pale yellow talisman pasted to it, and the talisman was shining with a bright yellow light.

At the rear of the group, Fei Shan was doing the same, so they had one light at either end.

Tang Long's voice came from ahead, stern now. "Brothers, we're in the wilderness. You must stay close behind me and do your best not to leave the Talisman Path. If anyone gets lost, I'll have no choice but to abandon him."

His tone was stern and indifferent.

Not a single person in the group made a sound. They had clearly taken his words to heart.

The miners in the Dahe Gang's mining district had come from elsewhere to make a living. Most had left their homes because they could no longer get by, and some had even fled after strange creatures overran their settlements.

Not one of them was unfamiliar with the Talisman Path beneath their feet. The imperial dynasty had used countless people and resources to lay these paths, ensuring travel between regions. The paths also had a certain ability to restrain strange creatures.

They had all come to the mining district along one Talisman Path or another.

Out in the wilderness, especially at night, even the Talisman Path was extremely dangerous.

Jiang Yan stepped onto the path and stamped down hard. Its surface was solid, though the path was a little narrow.

He had been in this world for over a month, and had already learned many basic things.

As he hurried along the Talisman Path, he carefully observed the surroundings, unable to hide his curiosity.

He also edged closer to Tang Long without drawing attention to himself. In his view, anyone who had become a squad leader in the Patrol Mountain Hall had to be capable.

If he stayed by Tang Long's side, he might be able to turn danger into safety if they ran into trouble.