Beast Hunt

"A pack of exotic beasts in the ore vein?"

Chen Han offered a faint smile. Trying to fool a ghost, are you?

Chen Han had already guessed seven or eight parts of the truth; someone was indeed lurking in the shadows, trying to lure him out.

This seemingly lucrative, high-reward job was nothing more than a trap set by that person. Had he taken the bait back then, he would likely be nothing more than dog food by now.

Chen Han felt a mix of relief and concern. He was relieved that he hadn't been blinded by greed, but concerned that someone had truly set their sights on him.

Furthermore, this person possessed significant background and power, capable of swaying the influential noble families within the city.

The disparity in strength was vast. Once he left a trail, it would be a death sentence; as a mere Transformation Force martial artist, he had no chance of survival.

Yet, despite being in such a precarious position, Chen Han did not panic in the slightest.

"You want to find me and catch me in a mistake? Then I simply won't show myself. No matter what hooks you cast, I won't bite."

"You can just play your little games by yourselves..."

With this thought, Chen Han departed the area.

However, he did not leave the city, but instead headed toward the Chen Mansion.

His only current weakness was Shen Yue and her family. If those people reached out to harm them, it would be a disaster.

Standing before the gates of the Chen Mansion, Chen Han faced the four guards, silent yet radiating an overwhelming sense of pressure.

The four guards were not the least bit intimidated. The Chen Family stood as one of the three great powers in the city, alongside the Black Mountain Gang and the city's noble families; who would dare provoke them lightly?

"What is your business here?"

One of the guards immediately asked in a deep voice.

Chen Han remembered this man. He had been difficult when Chen Han first brought Shen Yue's family to the Chen Mansion, but after Chen Han broke his leg, the man had avoided him like the plague ever since.

Seeing him from afar was enough to make the guard change his path, a sight that always brought Chen Han a sense of satisfaction.

"This Humble One is here to seek the Old Steward. Please, pass on the word."

The men exchanged glances. The last person to come looking for the steward had been Chen Han, and that encounter was still fresh in their memories.

This time, they couldn't help but feel a lingering sense of dread.

"Please wait here, sir. I will go report this immediately."

Chen Han did not speak, his silence serving as tacit approval, his demeanor simple yet overbearing.

Seeing this, the remaining guards felt a flicker of involuntary respect in their expressions.

Before long, the gates opened. The Old Steward stepped out with a slightly unsteady gait, supported by a young woman. Chen Han recognized her as Chen Huaiyu, a beauty of the clan who was on good terms with Shen Yue.

"And who might you be..."

Chen Han spoke in a disguised voice, "Old sir, if you don't mind, could we step aside for a moment?"

The Old Steward narrowed his eyes, sizing the man up. He saw only a black veil and a bamboo hat, concealing the man's features entirely, though his well-proportioned build suggested he was a practitioner of the martial arts.

"Whatever you have to say, say it here. These are all my own people; there is no need for concern."

"Chen Han asked me to bring you a message."

As soon as Chen Han spoke those words, the guards were startled. The Clan Head had been frantic over Chen Han's disappearance lately, and now, there was finally news.

The Old Steward's expression turned solemn as he stepped forward to face the messenger.

Chen Han understood the cue and leaned in to whisper, "Old Steward, I cannot reveal my identity to you just yet. I came to report that I am safe, and to ask that you look after Shen Yue and her family. I fear someone might target them to draw me out."

The Old Steward froze for a moment, staring at the blurred face hidden behind the black veil, and fell into a heavy silence.

After a few breaths, his expression returned to normal. "I understand. You may go."

There was no need for further words; the Old Steward had likely guessed much of Chen Han's predicament and chose not to press for more.

"Farewell."

With that, Chen Han turned and left.

That same day, back in the mountain cave, Chen Han swallowed the remaining half of the exotic beast's heart and, after enduring the agonizing process, began his cultivation.

Time flowed, seasons shifted, and in the blink of an eye, the sky was filled with heavy, goose-feather snow.

That day, the Chen Family organized a hunt due to a shortage of exotic beast meat.

In the main courtyard of the Chen Mansion, a group of Chen Family martial artists grumbled with dissatisfaction. "It's all that damned Red Spider. It's scared away all the exotic beasts in the surrounding area lately."

"Indeed, that Red Spider is truly a plague. Not only us, but even other exotic beasts avoid them at all costs."

"The reproductive rate of the Red Spider is terrifying. The real problem is that they always move in packs. For martial artists like us, running is the only option when we encounter them; there's no chance of hunting them."

"Exactly. A single Red Spider is half the height of a man and highly venomous. We could handle one in a fair fight, but once they swarm, we have no hope of victory."

"Silence!"

At that moment, the clan elder Chen Shanhe shouted.

His voice was resonant, and as a master of the First Step of martial arts and the head of the family, he carried a natural air of authority that silenced all the clansmen present the moment he spoke.

"What are you all bickering about? It is merely a mission to hunt exotic beasts; what is there to shout about? I have spoiled you all too much!"

In truth, the Chen Family dispatched personnel to hunt exotic beasts every year, and there were many benefits to doing so.

First, it tempered the younger generation, allowing them to realize early on what bloodlust and martial arts truly were, rather than spending their days practicing flowery, useless movements against wooden stakes, companions, or sisters.

Martial arts, after all, would always be a technique for killing.

Second, it alleviated the financial pressure on the clan to a certain extent, a point that needed no further elaboration.

However, the Chen Family was indeed facing a severe shortage of exotic beast meat this time; in fact, they were not the only ones, as many martial arts halls in the city were currently facing the same dilemma.

The Red Spider organization was growing increasingly large, and the exotic beasts in the surrounding areas had either been eaten by them, fled, or gone into hiding.

This was why the supply of exotic beast meat in the city could not meet the demand.

But a greater problem followed closely behind: the situation on the front lines was not optimistic, and it was predicted that the front might collapse entirely in less than half a year.

They were hoarding exotic beast meat now not only for the stable training of their juniors but also to prepare adequately for a future escape to another city.

The scale of this hunting expedition was unprecedented for the Chen Family, with nearly sixty percent of their strength mobilized.

"Sister Huaiyu, what do exotic beasts look like? They must be very fierce, right?"

Shen Yue stood side-by-side with Chen Huaiyu. After this period of training, Shen Yue had undergone a significant transformation; her face was thinner, her figure more balanced, and her complexion was often rosy and full of vitality.

Her natural talent and bone structure were quite good, and she had successfully broken through to the Mingjin stage in her second month of training, making her a bona fide Mingjin Martial Artist.

For this family hunt, she was only going to gain experience and handle logistical support; she would not be required to fight exotic beasts on the front lines at all.

Shen Yue suddenly asked Chen Huaiyu out of curiosity.

"Exotic beasts, huh? This young lady knows a thing or two about them. Some are carnivores and some are herbivores; most of them specialize in eating humans and their own kind, making them extremely fierce and brutal."

"Others are different, eating only ordinary animals, melons, or vegetables, and might even be startled and run away upon seeing a human."

"Just like that Red-Tailed Wolf raised by the Xuanyuan Family; it usually has no interest in people at all and prefers to eat cattle."

"Of course, most man-eating exotic beasts are stronger than the herbivorous ones, but that is not absolute; there are occasional exceptions."