Storms over Linshan Town

"Once you head into the mountains, don't get greedy and push too far."

"There've been a lot more unfamiliar martial artists in town lately. Watch yourselves."

At the western entrance to Linshan Town, the militia squad leader tucked a piece of silver into his pocket and waved them through. As they passed, he added a couple of warnings for Qin Meng and the others. Having received a little something, his tone had softened considerably.

Qin Meng thanked him, then led the group into town.

Li Tiezhu and Wang Tieniu still looked stunned. While being questioned at the town gate, they'd unexpectedly heard some news:

The owner of Hongyun Gambling House had been slaughtered at his estate the night before last. Nearly twenty people had died.

The killer was said to be vicious, specializing in chopping off people's heads. According to the survivors, he was a bandit who called himself Song Jiang, Song Gongming of Liangshan Marsh.

Even Leiming Martial Hall had suffered a loss: one of its Body Forging Realm martial artists had been killed.

The massacre had left the whole town on edge, and the county had already sent more people to investigate.

The reason Li Tiezhu and the others were so shocked was that they'd seen it with their own eyes—

Just a few days ago, Shopkeeper Lin had conspired with someone and led men to Luming Fort to collect a debt. And now, in the blink of an eye, he'd met such a gruesome end.

"Good riddance." Li Tiezhu glanced at Qin Meng up ahead and muttered under his breath.

"Exactly," Wang Tieniu blurted out, unable to keep his voice down. "My grandpa always said that man had done every rotten thing under the sun. He deserved to die!"

"Keep your voice down." Qin Meng looked back at him. "Don't go poking into other people's business. Take Xiaoshan to the pharmacy first. We'll sell the game, then head back to the fort."

"Once you've got money, buy more medicinal herbs and work hard at your martial training. Build up your strength as soon as you can. This winter may not be so simple."

"Got it." The others hurriedly answered, then fell silent.

The group picked up the pace. On the town's stone-paved streets, a heavy stink of blood spread with the dull rumble of the sleds scraping over the road.

Qin Meng led the way, holding a hemp rope in one hand. With his experience, he knew the branches and thatch covering the sled concealed most of what was on it.

But the sled behind him, hauled by Li Tiezhu and Wang Tieniu, was piled high. The wolf tails and deer antlers sticking out were more than enough to draw stares from passersby.

Quite a few sharp-eyed people caught sight of the wolf heads and tails and let out cries of surprise.

Fierce wolves in the mountains were no easy prey, and there were eight or nine of them on the sled. Qin Meng, Li Tiezhu, and the others wore ragged, bloodstained clothes. Onlookers stared at them in awe and trepidation.

No street toughs or idlers dared cause trouble.

They might have been after easy pickings, but they weren't looking to get themselves killed.

What sort of people could make a living in the mountains and fight wolf packs? They were hardly pushovers. In the borderlands of the northern frontier, strength spoke for itself more often than not.

Qin Meng's senses were keen. He noticed a few deeply hidden, hostile gazes, but paid them no mind. A handful of petty crooks weren't worth worrying about.

Amid the murmurs and whispers, the group crossed half the street.

Suddenly, horns sounded from the north, followed by the clatter of hooves and wagon wheels.

People stopped and moved aside to look.

"A northern frontier caravan?"

"That's just the advance party. The main group's still behind them!"

The northern-bound group's arrival quickly stole the spotlight from Qin Meng and his companions.

Wang Tieniu's eyes lit up, and he explained excitedly, "Brother Meng, the northern frontier caravan's back from beyond the pass. There'll be a big market here in a few days!"

Qin Meng's memories of the caravan were hazy. Since Wang Tieniu knew about it, he asked him to explain. The caravan was backed by Prince of the North and the imperial court.

It was a trading party made up of martial artists. They hunted wild beasts and traded goods, buying medicinal herbs, furs, and materials from wild beasts beyond the pass...

By now, the caravan had entered town.

There were around two hundred people, yet their presence was imposing. Every one of them was tough and seasoned, with rough, dark skin and eyes sharp as an eagle's. They bore the marks of wind and frost, along with a faint Killing Intent.

They wore matching dark leather outfits, rugged in style. Their horses were tall and powerful, far beyond ordinary warhorses. Most unsettling of all, short tusks glinted from the lips of some of the lead horses.

Many bore signs of recent combat. Bulging bundles and leather bags were strapped to their saddles, quite a few stained dark red and giving off a jumble of strange smells.

Dozens of huge wagons covered in oiled cloth were pulled by Exotic Beasts. Their wheels rumbled under the weight.

The guards were especially fearsome, their vital energy surging and their Killing Intent solid. They far surpassed the disciples of Leiming Martial Hall in town, and Qin Meng instinctively sensed danger.

The whole caravan moved in silence and perfect order, with only the clatter of hooves and wheels breaking the quiet.

As the savage, battle-hardened air of the wilderness swept over them, the whole street grew noisier. Awe and envy filled the onlookers' eyes.

Qin Meng stood still, watching, his heart stirring.

In his eyes, these people's vital energy blazed like furnaces. Any one of them would have been far stronger than Zhao Tie, whom he'd killed that night.

Demonic Beasts, martial halls, the rules of the border forts...

Challenges he'd once had to take seriously suddenly seemed like a tiny corner of the world beside this caravan, which spoke of a far wider realm.

The vast wilderness beyond the pass, rare and exotic beasts, powerful wild creatures, forces whose depths could not be fathomed...

Suddenly, Qin Meng's pupils contracted sharply. Black energy spilled from a carriage in the middle of the caravan, carrying a cold, evil aura. Even watching it from several dozen paces away made him shiver.

An inexplicable dread burst from deep within him. Qin Meng immediately looked away. There was something wrong with that carriage. Was it occupied by a foreign race, or something evil?

Unfortunately, the original owner's knowledge had been far too shallow.

A fierce longing and sense of urgency welled up, only to be pressed down by a deeper understanding. Calmly, he said to Li Tiezhu and the others, who were still excitedly watching:

"Let's go. Get to the pharmacy, quickly."

At the very moment Qin Meng looked away, an old man in black robes who had been resting with his eyes closed inside the carriage suddenly opened them, a flicker of confusion in his gaze. The carriage was dim, and two shadowy figures could just barely be made out...

Meanwhile, Qin Meng and the others stopped in front of Jisheng Pharmacy.

Li Tiezhu helped the still-pale Qin Xiaoshan down and went inside to find the physician. After examining Qin Xiaoshan, the physician confirmed that his injuries were stable. He'd lost a lot of blood, but, strangely, his vital energy wasn't as depleted as expected.

Qin Xiaoshan had been in poor shape at the time, so Qin Meng had made him eat a few pieces of Demon Salamander meat raw. The wounds on his leg and shoulder had quickly stopped bleeding.

The flesh and blood of Demonic Beasts truly were extraordinary.

The Demon Salamander was especially unusual, and its flesh worked wonders in helping injuries heal.

Qin Xiaoshan rested at the pharmacy while he waited.

Qin Meng and Li Tiezhu hauled the sleds piled with wolves and deer to the nearby Chen's Fur Shop. They sold all the Blue Wolves except the Blood Wolf Demonic Beast.

The shopkeeper was a lean, wiry old man. When he saw so many intact wolf carcasses, his eyes lit up.

After inspecting them and haggling over the price, he bought all nine excellent-quality Blue Wolf pelts for ten taels of silver each.

Wolf meat was tough, but it greatly replenished vital energy and was in high demand. Before they could even finish dealing with it, several restaurants and taverns that had gotten wind of the news came looking for them and started bidding right there in the back courtyard.

Li Tiezhu and Wang Tieniu handled the sale, including selling the venison as they saw fit.

Qin Meng called out to them, slung two Silly Roe Deer over his shoulders, and headed to Kexianju Restaurant.

"Oh, Brother Meng! I've been waiting for you!"

At the sound of his voice, Shopkeeper Hu hurried out, his face wreathed in smiles. The two Spotted Deer he'd bought last time had earned him a tidy profit when he sold the velvet antlers to Leiming Martial Hall. The wild venison had also drawn in plenty of customers, and business had been good lately.

The shrewd shopkeeper had naturally been hoping Qin Meng would bring him more game. As soon as he heard Qin Meng had arrived, he dropped his ledger and rushed out.

"Brother Meng, are you selling both roe deer?"

"Yeah." Qin Meng nodded and set down the game.

He kept the hearts and the roe deer hides, selling everything else to Shopkeeper Hu.

Seeing there was no one around, Qin Meng drew him aside and asked quietly, "Shopkeeper Hu, I killed a Demon Wolf today. Would you be interested?"

"A Demon Wolf? Of course!" Shopkeeper Hu answered without hesitation, then asked, "Demonic Beasts are rare, and they don't come cheap. What are you looking for?"

"A cultivation technique. If you have one that suits me, I'd trade for it." Qin Meng asked tentatively, hoping that maybe he'd get lucky.

"A cultivation technique?" Shopkeeper Hu froze, then shook his head with a wry smile. "Brother Meng, those are in the hands of the imperial court and the sects. I'm just an old man who keeps the books and works the abacus. How could I have one?"

"But..." He changed tack, a sly smile appearing on his round face.

"By the way, my companion hunted a Spotted Deer. I'll have him bring over half of it." Qin Meng gave him a sidelong glance and casually offered him a way to help.

"That'd be wonderful!" Shopkeeper Hu's eyes lit up. He lowered his voice. "A few days ago, a new place called Duobao Pavilion opened in the east of town. It's quite impressive. They do all sorts of business and have money to burn. I hear they have powerful backing. You could try your luck there."

"Good. Thanks."

Qin Meng took the money, promised to bring the venison over later, and turned to leave.

He was heading to Duobao Pavilion to try his luck and see if he could get a cultivation technique. If not, he'd have no choice but to go to the county seat, or even Yang Province Capital.