The Great Worm (Seeking Follow-up Reads)

She then spoke directly: "Young Master Li, I trust Zhao Qin has already explained in his letter that inviting you here today is not for the sake of a matchmaking arrangement."

"I am well aware that my status is humble, and I am unworthy of a personage such as yourself."

She began by taking a step back to advance, assuming a very low posture as she gently flattered Li Yuan.

Only then did she cut to the main point: "I have invited you here because I have a favor to ask."

"My father was unfortunately injured by a black bear while gathering herbs on the mountain some time ago; his left arm was damaged, and he can no longer enter the mountains to forage."

"Our household is now short of herb gatherers, and with the recent signs of chaos, grain prices have begun to rise. It is inevitable that we might encounter those who enjoy stirring up trouble."

Su Wan paused, and seeing that Li Yuan offered no reaction, she continued:

"My request is that you help retrieve certain precious medicinal herbs, and furthermore, that you assist in resolving matters should any trouble come knocking at our door."

"I know you are a martial artist who requires quality goods to replenish your blood and qi. We truly cannot afford a Stone Skin Realm martial artist, but our family possesses several charts recording the growth areas of precious herbs."

"If you agree, I can give these charts to you, Young Master, as compensation."

Having said this, Su Wan watched Li Yuan quietly, saying no more.

She placed the choice entirely in Li Yuan's hands.

Listening to Su Wan, Li Yuan had to admit she was clever.

She knew that what he needed most right now were resources to replenish his blood and qi.

Sometimes, even with silver, one cannot necessarily buy good things—take, for instance, the Red Rhino Meat he ate last time, or the Black Paste from Yang Chong.

Would other martial artists be willing to sell such things, which they would rather keep for their own use?

Precious herbs would indeed help her cultivation, and going up the mountain to forage and hunt was a solid choice.

As for protecting the Su Family, to him, it was merely a matter of convenience.

Li Yuan looked at Su Wan, not agreeing immediately, but instead asking in return: "You tell me all this just like that—are you not afraid that once I take the charts, I will turn around and renege on the deal?"

Su Wan smiled faintly, her tone certain: "I trust the person recommended by Zhao Qin."

She did not trust Li Yuan; she trusted Zhao Qin's character.

Li Yuan nodded. This woman had a clear mind and acted decisively; he liked that.

"Fine, I'll take the job."

Seeing Li Yuan agree, Su Wan did not linger on words; she went into the room, retrieved a wooden box about a foot long, and pushed it toward Li Yuan.

"Since you have accepted, Su Wan will stand on no further ceremony."

"The shop is currently short of a few medicinal ingredients. Inside the box are the charts, marked with their approximate growth locations."

"Among them, the Blood Orchid is needed quite urgently; it would be best if it could be retrieved within five days."

Li Yuan opened the wooden box, which contained several charts.

He flipped through them and, besides the herb location maps Su Wan mentioned, he was surprised to find another, more detailed map.

"This is a map of the mountain forests for dozens of miles around?!" Li Yuan was somewhat astonished.

He examined it carefully and discovered that it meticulously marked the areas where fierce beasts frequently roamed, as well as paths on how to utilize the terrain to avoid danger. It was drawn with extreme care.

No wonder these herb gatherers dared to go up the mountain; as long as they followed the map and avoided the dangers, they could find the herbs they wanted with maximum efficiency.

With this map, he wouldn't have to waste time searching for fierce beasts. It would not only facilitate hunting but also allow him to find beasts to accelerate the progress of his fist techniques.

These charts were likely passed down through generations of herb gatherers; to the current Li Yuan, they were simply priceless treasures.

"Hoo~"

"Good thing I wasn't late this time; I've made a killing." Li Yuan exhaled, his heart settling.

After leaving Hundred Herb Hall, he found the small gang he was affiliated with and instructed them to keep a constant watch on the movements of Hundred Herb Hall.

Upon returning to his room.

Li Yuan carefully studied the map and soon discovered a mark not far from where the Blood Orchid grew. There, a few words were circled in ink suggesting the activity of a 'Great Insect' (tiger), and a simple tiger head was drawn next to it.

According to the diagram, it was in the mountain forest area about twenty miles outside of Wuxi County.

"Perfect." Li Yuan's eyes lit up.

He had been fretting that his Five Animals Fist was progressing too slowly and that he couldn't find a suitable fierce beast to practice the Tiger Form Fist. This was truly a timely gift.

He did not delay any longer, tucked the map away in his pocket.

Then, he took his bow and arrows, a short blade, and some essential lime and paralyzing poison, and headed straight out of the city.

Twenty miles was not far for Li Yuan's current footwork, and he arrived before long.

Following the map's instructions, he gathered the herbs Su Wan needed without much effort.

Although the growth locations of these herbs were remote, for Li Yuan's current Stone Skin strength, it was an absolute breeze.

During this time, he even killed two venomous snakes that tried to ambush him; the snakes couldn't even break his defense, and they ended up shattering their own fangs.

After gathering the herbs, the sun was still high.

Li Yuan unfolded the map and compared it with his current location.

"Five miles to the northeast." Li Yuan cast his gaze toward the mountain hollow not far away.

He had not gone far when a faint scent of blood drifted over on the breeze.

Li Yuan picked up his bow and arrow, nocked the string, crouched down, and approached silently.

He pushed aside the dense shrubbery to see a massive, imposing tiger in a clearing ahead, its head lowered as it gnawed on a corpse that was already a bloody mess.

Judging by the shape, it was clearly some unfortunate soul who had been caught.

In these times, even wild beasts had turned to eating men.

That's a fierce one... Li Yuan watched the great beast, weighing his chances in his heart.

If he didn't manage to beat it, things would get interesting.

He touched his quiver, hesitating over whether to coat his arrowheads with anesthetic.

But then he reconsidered; he was here to temper his fist techniques, and if he used poison, the results might not be ideal.

Only a life-or-death struggle could best stimulate his potential.

Damn it, I'll risk it! I reckon I have two or three hundred jin of strength in a single arm now, and my Stone Skin defense has increased significantly; one swipe shouldn't be able to kill me. If I can't win, I'll just run.

If I can win, this will be a great sparring partner to train with every day. I'll finish it off once it's served its purpose.

Li Yuan made up his mind. High risk, high reward. He wanted to accelerate his cultivation progress; how could he expect to achieve that without paying a price?

Thinking of this, Li Yuan stopped hiding and deliberately stepped on a branch, causing it to snap.

The great beast, currently feeding, immediately raised its head. Its amber eyes locked onto Li Yuan, and a low, rumbling sound emanated from its throat.

It was warning Li Yuan not to come any closer.

Generally, once such a beast was full, it would have no desire to hunt for prey for a short time.

Li Yuan took a deep breath, assumed the opening stance of the Tiger Form Fist, and felt his blood and qi surge slightly. He moved his feet, walking toward it step by step.

"ROAR!!"

Finally, as Li Yuan entered its sensitive safety zone, the great beast flew into a rage, letting out a deafening roar.

Abandoning its food, it pushed off with its hind legs, lunging at Li Yuan with a foul, bloody wind, its speed incredibly fast.

Li Yuan dared not take the blow head-on; he shifted his footwork nimbly and dodged to the side.

The tiger missed, its claws carving deep furrows into the earth.

It reacted with lightning speed; the moment it landed, its thick, long tail whipped toward its rear like a steel lash.

Li Yuan dodged the tail swipe and seized the opportunity to step forward, his right fist clenched tight as he struck directly at the tiger's soft midsection.

"BANG!"

His fist landed solidly, but it felt as if he had struck tough ox leather, a jarring sensation.

The tiger felt the pain and let out an angry snarl, twisting its waist and swiping its front paw directly at Li Yuan's head.

Li Yuan hurriedly raised his arms to block, a faint grayish-white glow shimmering over them.

"SLAP!"

A massive force slammed into him; Li Yuan felt his arms go numb, and he had to retreat three steps before he could steady himself.

Good fellow, that swipe must have had three or four hundred jin of force! Li Yuan was secretly startled, but immediately felt a surge of joy. At least it's within my tolerance.

Having tested the approximate strength of the beast, Li Yuan felt completely at ease.

He stopped dodging and began to attack proactively, treating the great beast as the perfect target for his training.