The next day, the sky was dim.
Chen Jianghe went out with the gun and walked through the mist in the mountains toward the southeast of the Green Rock Mountain Range.
Twenty miles of mountain road was nothing to him now. Phantom Shadow Steps spread out, and his figure flew quickly among the rugged mountain roads. In just one stick of incense, the familiar valley mouth came into view.
The cliffs on both sides are still steep, the wooden fence at the entrance of the valley is still strong, and the simple wooden house next to the fence still stands there.
It's just that things are different and people are different.
Chen Jianghe stopped for a moment - it was here that he met Sun Hongyao for the first time.
The arrogant Golden Pivot Court female steward, with her two disciples, bossed him around and made things difficult for him in every possible way.
Later, she died at Black Wind Cave.
Chen Jianghe looked away and walked towards the wooden house.
When they got closer, they saw four figures already lining up in front of the wooden house, waiting for them.
The four of them were all dressed in the elegant attire of their respective departments. When they saw him approaching, they all clasped their fists and bowed, their expressions were reserved and awe-inspiring.
The leader was a man in his early thirties, with a stocky build, a dark face, and muscular arms. He was wearing a Flame Chen Court outfit and had a thick machete hanging from his waist.
He took a step forward, cupped his fists and saluted with a respectful gesture. "Flame Chen Court disciple Wang Tiesheng, who has achieved great success, has met Deacon Chen!"
The man on the left side behind him was also dressed as Flame Chen Court. He had a slim figure and a strong face, but his eyes were somewhat calm. He cupped his fists and said, "Flame Chen Court disciple Liu Qingshui has transformed his strength and met Deacon Chen!"
Standing on the right is a woman, in her late twenties, with a delicate face, wearing Cangming Court plain and elegant clothes, with a sword at her waist. Her cuffs moved slightly when she cupped her fists, revealing a fair wrist. "Cangming Court disciples Li Yumei, Minor Completion of Transforming Force, have met Deacon Chen!"
The last person was the youngest, about twenty-five or six, with an upright face, wearing Golden Pivot Court's fancy clothes, and holding a standard spear. His posture was slightly stiff when holding his fists, and his voice was a little lower. "Golden Pivot Court disciples Zhou Xiaowei, Minor Completion of Transforming Force, have met Deacon Chen."
The four of them stood upright, and when their eyes fell on Chen Jianghe, they all showed a bit of restraint and awe that could not be concealed.
They naturally knew the record of the young deacon in front of them.
When Black Wind Cave became the master of Huajin, he escaped from the pursuit of Gangjin bandits. Caoshui Ferry single-handedly picked off the six Huajins of Caoshui Gang with one shot. Martial Sharpening Platform defeated Golden Pivot Court's five peak Huajins in thirty seconds. After one and a half years of entry, he entered Gangjin from Minor Completion of Transforming Force----
Any of these achievements would be enough for an ordinary disciple to brag about for a lifetime.
And the person in front of me is only nineteen years old.
Wang Tiesheng secretly weighed the weight of his great strength in his heart, his Adam's apple rolled, and his attitude became more respectful.
Chen Jianghe glanced at the four people and nodded slightly. "Thank you for your hard work."
Just four words, but all four of them breathed a sigh of relief.
Wang Tiesheng put a smile on his face and turned sideways to lead the way, "Deacon Chen, you have been working hard all the way. Please come in and have a rest! Hot tea has been prepared in the house. It is wild tea from the mountains. Although it is not as refined as the one in the door, it is still refreshing and relieves fatigue."
"No hurry." Chen Jianghe interrupted him, looking beyond the wooden house to the dense fir forest deep in the valley entrance, "Let's talk about the situation here first."
Wang Tiesheng was startled for a moment, then nodded quickly. "Yes, yes, the deacon said it is."
He cleared his throat and said sternly, "What the deacon doesn't know is that this Hunting Ground No. C-7 has been vacant since --- since that incident. The sect only lifted the ban last month and was re-assigned to the jurisdiction of the Mission Hall. Because it was a reopened place, the rewards given by the sect were 30% greater than elsewhere, so the few of us took the initiative and asked to be transferred here."
He paused and smiled bitterly, "But after I came here, I realized that this job is not that easy."
Chen Jianghe looked at him and said nothing.
Wang Tiesheng continued, "Our No. 7 Arena is next to Grade C-6 in the east and Grade C-5 in the west.
The deacon of Field No. 6 is Flame Chen Court's Feng Yan Senior Brother Feng, Initiation of Gang Force; the No. 5 Grounds's deacon is Cangming Court's Song Qi Senior Brother Song, also Initiation of Gang Force."
He lowered his voice and a hint of helplessness flashed in his eyes. "These two brothers are both old deacons. They have been operating in the business for many years. We have just arrived, so we will have to suffer a little bit——"
He didn't finish speaking, but the meaning was clear.
Chen Jianghe's expression remained unchanged.
He has seen this kind of thing a lot. Within the sect, there are many factions, and various houses are fighting openly and secretly. These Hunting Grounds, medicine fields, and mines have also become a wrestling field.
When a newcomer comes, it is normal for him to be overshadowed by the senior staff.
"There's one more thing." Liu Qingshui said, frowning, "In the past half month, weird things have happened one after another between No. 7 Arena and No. 5 and No. 6 next door."
Chen Jianghe eyes fell on his face.
Liu Qingshui said, "The strange beasts raised in the field are often frightened for some reason. They are fine during the day, but at night, they roar from time to time, hit the fence, and rush into the boundary markers, making it very troublesome. The four of us took turns to watch the night, and after half a month, we did not sleep a sound sleep."
"How's the damage?" Chen Jianghe asked.
"The fence has been repaired three times." Li Yumei said softly, his voice gentle, but showing a bit of exhaustion, "Especially East District's side, it was repaired three times last month, but every time it was torn apart a few days after it was repaired."
She paused, and a trace of doubt flashed in her eyes. "It's strange, when those strange beasts are frightened, they always hit the East District fence. West District is quiet there, and there has never been any trouble."
Chen Jianghe's brows moved imperceptibly.
East District is where he originally captured the fourth and fifth sons of Black Mountain Five Bandits.
At this moment, there was a sound of footsteps coming from the bottom of the mountain road.
Two figures, one behind the other, climbed to the mouth of the valley through the morning dew.
The man walking in front was about thirty-five or six years old, with a slender figure, wearing a Flame Chen Court red outfit, with a stern face, and a somewhat condescending arrogance between his brows.
The man following him was about the same age, wearing Cangming Court blue robes, with a gentle face, a faint smile on his lips, and a pair of eyes that were bright and restrained, looking at people with a sense of scrutiny.
When the two of them walked to the wooden house, their eyes fell on Chen Jianghe.
"Hey, this is the new Grade C-7 deacon?" The man in Flame Chen Court's well-dressed clothes said, his voice not high, but with a natural arrogance, "Chen Jianghe Junior Brother Chen? I have admired you for a long time."
He cupped his fists, his posture was extremely perfunctory, and the corner of his lips curved into a smile that was not a smile, "Flame Chen Court Feng Yan, Grade C-6 Deacon. Congratulations to Junior Brother Chen for taking the post. This No. 7 Arena has been vacant for a long time, and finally someone dares to take it. Junior Brother is so brave."
Finally, the words "so courageous" are emphasized particularly hard.
The Cangming Court man also clasped his fists, smiling gently and appropriately, but the light in his eyes revealed some indescribable meaning. "Cangming Court Song Qi, Grade C-5 Deacon. Junior brother Chen is young and promising, and he has broken through the power in one and a half years. Brother Yu has never heard of such an entry in the sect for twenty years. No. 7 Arena If you need it in the future, just ask, we neighbors should take care of each other."
Chen Jianghe looked at the two of them, his expression unchanged, and he cupped his fists and returned the greeting. "Senior Brother Feng, Senior Brother Song, you're welcome."
Feng Yan raised his eyebrows, seeming a little surprised by his neither humble nor overbearing attitude.
He took a step forward, looked past Chen Jianghe, towards the dense forest deep at the mouth of the valley, and suddenly said, "Junior Brother Chen, have you heard about the recent frightened beasts?"
Chen Jianghe nodded. "I just heard what some junior brothers said."
Feng Yan said "Hmm", with a casual tone, but with a condescending "prompt" meaning. "This matter is not simple. In the past half month, on the 5th, 6th, and 7th, there were strange beasts roaring and charging every night. Brother Yu and Senior Brother Song checked several times, but they couldn't find out the reason."
He paused, turned to look at Chen Jianghe, and the smile on his lips deepened, "Now that Junior Brother Chen is here, our three Hunting Grounds deacons have finally gathered together. If there is another change in the future, we have to ask Junior Brother Chen to take more care and share the burden for us."
Song Qi also laughed and said, "Senior Brother Feng is right. No. 7 Arena is in the middle, just stuck in a key position. If there is a small disturbance, No. 7 Arena will bear the brunt. Junior Brother Chen is young and promising, Initiation of Gang Force, I think he will be able to protect this three-acre land."
The two sang and sang in harmony, clearly using No. 7 Arena as a shield.
Chen Jianghe looked at them, his face as calm as water.
"Two senior brothers, don't worry." He said slowly, "Junior brother has accepted the position of deacon and should fulfill his duties. Junior brother will take care of No. 7 Arena's matters."
Feng Yan and Song Qi looked at each other with a hint of surprise in their eyes.
They thought that this young junior would be frightened, push the envelope, and ask them for help.
After all, this is a new arrival, and facing two veterans, anyone would feel guilty.
But this kid is so calm?
"Okay." Feng Yan looked away and clasped his fists, "Brother Yu, let's wait and see what Junior Brother Chen is capable of."
He turned around and strode down the mountain road.
Song Qi also turned around, walked a few steps, and suddenly stopped and turned around, his smile still gentle and decent, "By the way, Junior Brother Chen, Brother Yu has a quick reminder: It's probably not an accident that the strange beast was frightened. When patrolling at night, be more careful."
He paused, glanced at Chen Jianghe, and his smile deepened, "After all, No. 7 Arena is a place where no one can die."
After that, he turned around and left, his figure quickly disappearing into the morning mist.
Chen Jianghe stood there and watched the two figures disappear.
Wang Tiesheng came forward and lowered his voice. "Deacon Chen, don't take it to heart. Those two have always behaved like this."
Liu Qingshui also nodded, with a trace of dissatisfaction flashing in his eyes. "They were talking nice about neighborhood care," but something really happened and they ran faster than anyone else. Last time West District the fence was knocked open and we went to ask for help. Senior Brother Feng said that there was also a strange beast in Field No. 6 and couldn't get away; Senior Brother Song was even more outrageous and just disappeared behind closed doors."
Li Yumei said softly, "With Deacon Chen here from now on, we will have a backbone."
Zhou Xiaowei stood on the outside, his lips moving, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he did not speak.
Chen Jianghe glanced at him.
This young disciple of Golden Pivot Court was silent from beginning to end, and there seemed to be something hidden in those eyes.
But he didn't ask.
"Let's go." Chen Jianghe raised Abyss Settler Spear, "Inspect the fence."
East District Fence. This is the place where Chen Jianghe originally came. At that time, he patrolled with Xu Tian and Liu Yu. When he came here, he encountered a sneak attack by Black Mountain Five Bandits. Now that he has returned to the old place, his mood is completely different.
Chen Jianghe walked slowly along the fence, his eyes slowly scanning the bowl-thick hardwoods. Most of the fences were still intact, with only a few places slightly loose.
He was about to move on when Li Yumei suddenly said, "Deacon Chen, look here."
Chen Jianghe followed the sound and saw Li Yumei squatting in front of a fence, pointing his slender fingers at the root of the wooden pile.
There were several deep claw marks there, extending from the outside of the fence to the inside, tearing several cracks into the hardwood.
Chen Jianghe squatted down and looked carefully. The claw marks were so deep that they almost tore the wooden stake apart at the waist. But the strange thing was that the edges of the claw marks were uneven and of different depths. There were several claw marks, and the edges were too neat. It didn't look like the marks of animal claws tearing apart, but more like...
Chen Jianghe squinted his eyes and reached out to touch the traces lightly.
It felt smooth to the touch, without the burrs that would inevitably occur when animal claws were torn apart. A thought flashed through his mind, but he remained calm.
"When was this fence repaired?" he asked.
Li Yumei replied, "Return to the deacon, three days ago. The disciple made it with his own hands."
"Did anything unusual happen at that time?"
Li Yumei thought for a moment and shook his head, "No. The disciple checked carefully when repairing the fence. There was nothing abnormal inside or outside the fence. It's just...
She paused and pointed to the claw marks. "It's just that this claw mark, the disciple clearly remembers it, was facing inwards. Looking at it now, several of them seem...
She didn't finish speaking, but Chen Jianghe already understood.
The direction of the claw marks has changed. The claw marks that were originally facing inwards are now facing outwards, as if something is tearing from the inside of the fence, and then something is tearing from the outside...
Chen Jianghe stood up and looked towards the deep forest inside the fence. The forest was silent except for the occasional chirping of birds.
He was silent for a moment, then turned and walked towards the wooden house. "Tonight, we will take turns on duty. If there is anything unusual, report it immediately."
Late at night, Chen Jianghe was sitting cross-legged in the wooden house, with Abyss Settler Spear lying across his knees in front of him.
He didn't sleep. Those claw marks today were always lingering in his mind. Those marks that were too smooth, those claw marks that changed direction...
"Ho-!!!"
An earth-shaking roar suddenly came from the direction of East District!
Chen Jianghe suddenly opened his eyes!
He grabbed Abyss Settler Spear and pushed the door open! Outside the wooden house, the four garrisoned disciples had also rushed out. Their faces were all pale, and their hands holding weapons were trembling.
"Deacon Chen!" Liu Qingshui's voice trembled, "It's Iron-Backed Bear! Listen to this roar, there are at least four of them!"
Wang Tiesheng's face was ashen. "And they are all comparable to the peak of Huajin! Iron-Backed Bear, the four-headed peak of Huajin, together, is comparable to Initiation of Gang Force! We... we...
He didn't finish his words, but the meaning was clear.
Don't dare to go up.
Chen Jianghe didn't look at them.
He picked up his gun and strode towards the direction of East District.
In the darkness of the night, the figure in green had a breathtaking edge. The four of them looked at each other, gritted their teeth, and followed him.
East District Fence.
The gap that I checked today has been completely torn apart at this moment, and four giant beasts are squeezing in through the gap!
Each head is more than ten feet tall, covered with pitch black hair, with a back as bulging as iron, and two front paws as thick as pillars, with the claw blades glowing coldly in the moonlight!
The adult Iron-Backed Bear has rough skin and thick flesh, and great strength. With the combined efforts of the four heads, even Initiation of Gang Force has to avoid the edge for a while!
At this moment, they squeezed through the fence, but did not rush out. Instead, they stood in the gap, their green beast eyes staring at the figure in green that was rushing towards them!
A low roar rolled out from deep in his throat, revealing unspeakable restlessness and madness!
Chen Jianghe stopped ten feet away.
He held Abyss Settler Spear and glanced at the four giant beasts.
Behind him, the four garrisoned disciples arrived panting, but they stopped thirty feet away and did not dare to take another half step forward.
"Deacon Chen, Chen..." Zhou Xiaowei's voice trembled, "It's too dangerous! Let's retreat first! Go back and report to the sect, and ask Senior Brother Gang Jin to come...
Before he finished speaking, Chen Jianghe moved. He took a step forward, and Abyss Settler Spear raised its head like a poisonous snake, with the tip of the gun pointed directly at the nearest Iron-Backed Bear!
That Iron-Backed Bear roared angrily, exerted force on all four legs, and its huge body rushed towards him like black lightning!
Thirty feet away, Iron-Backed Bear arrived in an instant, raised his right paw high, and photographed Chen Jianghe head-on.
Before the claws arrive, the wind has already started!
The power of this claw is enough to break gold and stone!
Chen Jianghe refused to retreat or avoid, Abyss Settler Spear suddenly rose!
"Clang-!!!"
The spears and claws collided, and sparks flew everywhere!
The huge impact made Iron-Backed Bear's right paw bounce high, and its entire forelimb trembled!
It let out a roar of fear and anger, staggered back two steps, and fear finally flashed in its green beast eyes!
Chen Jianghe is not moving at all.
The muscles in his arms were tense, and Gang Qi was rushing through his body!
"Death!"
Heaven Pivot Breaking Formation Spear The third type-one-Meteor Chasing the Moon!
The gun light skyrocketed three feet, tearing the air and letting out a piercing scream!
The other Iron-Backed Bear didn't even have time to dodge, the tip of the gun was already at the door!
"Pfft--!"
The spear light penetrated its body, penetrated from its lower jaw, and came out from the back of its head!
The blood mist exploded!
The huge body shook and fell to the ground!
The other three Iron-Backed Bear roared in unison, but did not dare to pounce again. Instead, they all took a few steps back!
Chen Jianghe drew the gun and shook off the blood beads on the tip of the gun.
He glanced at the three giant beasts and said slowly, "Get out."
The three Iron-Backed Bear roared repeatedly, but they did not dare to step forward.
They turned around, fled frantically from the gap, and quickly disappeared deep into the jungle.
Chen Jianghe put away his gun and stood up.
Thirty feet away behind him, the four stationed disciples were stunned.
They looked at the figure in green clothes, at the corpse of Iron-Backed Bear that fell to the ground, and at the three giant beasts that fled in a hurry...
Wang Tiesheng's lips trembled, and it took him a while to squeeze out a few words: "One, one shot... kill?"
Liu Qingshui swallowed and was speechless.
Li Yumei's clear eyes were full of shock and awe at this moment.
Zhou Xiaowei's hand holding the gun was shaking, but it wasn't fear, but excitement.
"Gang Jin... this is Gang Jin..