On the plaza.
Jiang Yan walked quickly, with Ren Shurong hurrying after him.
"Jiang Yan, wait for me!"
"What is it?" Jiang Yan stopped. He might as well hear what this woman wanted. If it wasn't too much trouble, he could help her once.
Being pestered by a woman was a real hassle.
Ren Shurong stopped when she saw Jiang Yan waiting for her. She turned her snow-white neck and raised her chin slightly.
Jiang Yan had stopped and asked what she wanted, but now she refused to answer.
Tsundere!
The word popped into Jiang Yan's mind. His lips pressed together. This woman had a few little tricks and a touch of cleverness, but she was still an inexperienced young lady.
Her family had protected her well, and her heart was pure.
Seeing her like this, Jiang Yan shook his head. "Are you going to say it or not? If not, I'm leaving."
"You!"
Ren Shurong's cheeks flushed. She was a little helpless. This man really was a block of stone.
With a sigh, she finally admitted she couldn't play her usual tricks on Jiang Yan. "Yesterday, I already asked Chief Tang and Chief Fei."
"Did they agree?"
Jiang Yan asked.
He already knew the answer. How could old gang members like Tang Long and Fei Shan agree? Escorting Ren Shurong into the wilderness would offend Chief Ren, and who could be confident they'd keep her safe?
Even Ren Yuan, her older brother, wouldn't take her into the wilderness just to satisfy her curiosity, despite being a Body-Refining martial artist.
If they really ran into danger, it would only bring harm to everyone.
"They didn't agree to escort me, either."
"I really just wanted to see more of the world outside." Her voice grew low as she spoke, losing its usual liveliness and cheer.
Jiang Yan fell silent. "Do you know how dangerous the wilderness is?"
He continued, "There are Fierce Beasts, monsters, and treacherous places out there..."
"No matter what you run into, nobody can promise they'll be able to protect you."
When danger came, a martial artist might not even be able to protect himself.
Ren Shurong looked downcast, but Jiang Yan didn't comfort her. Curiosity didn't just kill cats; it could kill anything foolish enough to indulge it.
Better to let her feel gloomy for a while than give in to her request.
Still, he didn't leave. He was on duty, and if any team sent up a signal, he needed to be ready to provide support.
He had techniques and martial skills to spare, but he was short on Weird Value.
After a while, Ren Shurong raised her head. Her eyes glistened as she gave Jiang Yan a graceful bow and smiled sweetly. "I was wrong, Brother Jiang. I put you in a difficult position."
"I know everyone's only looking out for me."
Ren Shurong bowed properly, speaking openly and candidly. She didn't whine just because everyone had refused to let her go into the wilderness.
Jiang Yan clasped his hands and returned her bow.
He thought for a moment, then decided to indulge her a little. "I can't take you out to see the wilderness, but I can tell you about my experiences."
"Oh, I also know an older brother named Shan Renhu. He's had far more interesting experiences than I have."
Just as Jiang Yan was telling Ren Shurong stories, the Patrol Mountain Hall in the Dahe Gang's mining district received an urgent distress talisman from Qingshan Village.
"What? A Blood Sha may have infiltrated Qingshan Village!"
Blood Sha monsters corresponded to the final major realm of the Three Body-Refining Realms, the Blood Refining Realm. Given their uncanny nature, even a Blood Refining martial artist might not be able to defeat one.
To kill a Blood Sha with certainty, an Innate martial artist had to step in.
In the Patrol Mountain Hall's main hall, a group of chiefs and the deputy hall master discussed the matter with grave expressions. The monster in Qingshan Village had to be dealt with immediately.
The fact that they had sent a distress talisman meant that the chief of Qingshan Village's Patrol Team was no longer confident he could handle the monster that had infiltrated the village.
Even the officials stationed there had no way to deal with it.
"Since Qingshan Village can't handle the monster that infiltrated it, we have to send people to deal with it."
If it really was a Blood Sha and they didn't eliminate it immediately, then once it had consumed the entire village, no one dared imagine how powerful it might become.
"Even if it isn't a Blood Sha, judging by the description in the talisman, it's at least a Severe Sha. If it consumes a few more people, it'll probably become a Blood Sha."
"But the hall master isn't at the Patrol Mountain Hall today. He returned to Guihua City on business, and he's the only one in the hall at the Blood Refining Realm."
"Send a message to the hall master and tell him to come back immediately."
"Also, ask the other halls in the mining district for help. No one would dare refuse. If a Ranked Monster appears near the mining district, everyone knows what happens... That's not a disaster you can solve by throwing lives at it!"
"Finally, send orders to the two villages near Qingshan Village. Leave only the basic patrol forces behind; everyone else is to go to Qingshan Village."
Soon after, the Patrol Mountain Hall sent out messages in every direction.
Late afternoon, the setting sun cast its glow.
Not a single Whistling Arrow had been fired today, which meant none of the teams had encountered a monster.
A peaceful day.
Jiang Yan stood perfectly still. Though he seemed motionless, he was circulating the Golden Cloak External Cultivation. Before, whenever he activated the Golden Cloak, it felt as if his body were covered in a shimmering golden film.
It looked imposing and lent him an air of authority, but from another angle, it was far too conspicuous. It drew too much attention—something Jiang Yan, who wanted to keep a low profile, couldn't accept.
After activating the Golden Cloak countless times and adjusting his qi and blood, he had finally solved the problem.
Now, when he fully activated the Golden Cloak, a fine film covered every vulnerable part of his body.
The film was thin, but incredibly tough, like a thick layer of leather.
"Hmm... external cultivation techniques focus on different things. I wonder which part of the body my Vajra Body trains."
"But going by its name, it's also a defensive external technique."
"Why can't I find an external technique that directly increases strength? Then I wouldn't need a sword. One punch from me could knock down any enemy..."
As Jiang Yan practiced while letting his mind wander, Tang Long came running over, his face full of worry.
He called out to Jiang Yan from far away.
Jiang Yan turned. Seeing the barely concealed panic on Tang Long's face, his heart clenched.
"Something's happened. If Tang Long is this panicked, a new monster must have appeared, but..."
As he analyzed the situation, Jiang Yan walked toward Tang Long and looked up at the sky around the village.
No signal had risen. That meant no team had encountered a monster. So what was going on?
"Jiang Yan, hurry! Come with me to Chief Ren!"
Tang Long spoke at a breakneck pace, then turned and set off. Jiang Yan followed.
"What happened?"
Tang Long's panic had infected him. Jiang Yan's expression turned grave, and his voice grew low.
"I heard..." Tang Long drew in a deep breath, his face solemn. "A High-Level Monster has infiltrated Qingshan Village. The local Patrol Team can't handle it, so they've asked the hall for help."
"The hall has issued an order. We're to head to Qingshan Village immediately and provide support!"
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