Horned Lizard

At daybreak, Li Yuan pushed open the wooden door.

After taking the Fiend Essence Pill last night, he had cultivated until the latter half of the night. The lingering fiend qi had nearly completely dissipated, and the spiritual power in his Dantian had grown much fuller.

He Shou was already outside, a long saber slung diagonally at his waist. Xu Mao and Lin Xiaowu emerged from the neighboring room as well.

"Let's go to the station and replenish some supplies first."

Besides the main station, the Guard Squad had several other stations. The nearest one lay less than two li north of here, far larger than their patrol post. More than twenty wooden huts formed a loose square formation, with a firm, level clearing in the middle. A shed had been erected on the western side, several wooden crates stacked beneath it.

Around a dozen guards came and went through the camp.

The Guard Squad's organization was much more complicated than the Patrol Squad's, though there was little real distinction between the various divisions. So long as it concerned the market's safety, the Guard Squad handled every kind of work.

Most of the time, however, their patrol areas differed. The South Line patrolled by Li Yuan's group was closer to the market and less dangerous.

He Shou led the three straight toward the supply shed. After greeting the guard on watch, he collected two bottles of Healing Medicine and some basic supplies, then distributed them among the group.

"Some of the larger Patrol Team units are even equipped with storage bags. But the captains of those patrol teams usually have enough money to buy their own storage bags anyway. The issued ones just aren't that large."

He Shou casually explained while collecting the equipment.

Out of the corner of his eye, Li Yuan spotted the other side of the camp.

Fang He was squatting outside a wooden hut, sharpening his blade. He had broad, sturdy shoulders, an old pale scar across his cheekbone, and a half-new guard uniform.

When he saw Li Yuan, Fang He raised a hand in greeting.

Li Yuan nodded but did not go over to chat.

Once they had collected their supplies, the four left the station and headed south along the South Line patrol route.

He Shou walked at the front, his pace unhurried as his eyes continuously swept over the bushes and ground on either side of the road.

After walking for a while, He Shou stopped before a patch of roadside shrubs and beckoned them over.

"Look at this."

The three gathered around. At the roots of the shrubs was a small patch of whitish residue in the mud. It was dry and peeling, unlike the dark, damp soil around it.

"Droppings." He Shou crouched and pointed at the pale patch with his saber sheath. "They turn white when they dry. The surrounding soil is still wet, so this was left at least two or three days ago."

He Shou pointed again at several short blades of grass nearby, where white fragments remained.

"When it splashes onto grass and dries, it forms flakes. This is how you distinguish Demonic Beasts from ordinary beasts—Demonic Beast droppings retain traces of spiritual energy, and you can sense it if you get close. Ordinary beasts just stink of pure musk."

Lin Xiaowu leaned closer and took a sniff. His brows furrowed, and he retreated half a step.

"Musky. Ordinary beast." He Shou rose and patted the dirt from his knees.

"The shape of the droppings can also reveal the species. Lizard droppings are dry, hard, and broken into chunks. Beast droppings are strip-shaped, while snake droppings are loose and mushy. Combined with claw marks and stride spacing, you can roughly determine what passed through."

After they continued onward for some distance, He Shou spoke again.

"The aura of a Demonic Beast is far more obvious than that of a cultivator. Cultivators can restrain their spiritual energy, but Demonic Beasts cannot. Their spiritual energy radiates from within, and the higher their rank, the more intensely it spreads. A Low-grade First-Order one can be sensed within thirty zhang, while the range for a First-Order Mid-Grade one is even greater. When you encounter a Demonic Beast in the wild, most of the time you sense it before you see it."

Li Yuan committed every detail to memory.

The patrol route was not particularly long, yet the four walked for nearly two hours.

Along the way, they encountered several groups of cultivators.

The first group consisted of two Rogue Cultivators. They were far away, carrying large packs and bundles on their backs, their steps hurried as they came from outside the market.

The second was a small team of three. They bore bloodstains that had not been cleaned away, their auras around the second to third level of Qi Refinement. They were likewise heading away from the market.

The third was a lone Rogue Cultivator. His aura was concealed and impossible to sense. A longsword was strapped to his back, and he moved so quickly he was nearly jogging.

All three groups were heading outward.

Watching the jogging Rogue Cultivator disappear into the distance, Lin Xiaowu asked, "Captain He, are there Cultivator Bandits around here?"

He Shou shook his head.

"This is too close to the market. The Guard Squad has people patrolling every day, so Cultivator Bandits won't act in this area. Generally speaking, their range of activity begins at least fifteen li outside the market. There are fewer people there and the roads are tangled, making it difficult for the Guard Squad to cover everything."

"But we can't simply ignore them either. If Cultivator Bandits frequently appear around a market, Rogue Cultivators will stop coming."

He Shou raised a hand and pointed toward the distant south.

"Within five li is basically safe. Between five and ten li carries some risk, though not much. Beyond ten li, you need to be careful. Our patrol range does not exceed five li."

The four continued south along the route, and the terrain gradually grew uneven. The flat Yellow Earth Road disappeared, while the shrubs on either side became denser and denser. In some places, the low brush reached waist height, obscuring most of their view.

He Shou's pace visibly slowed. Every few steps, he stopped and tilted his head, listening to the sounds around them.

Afternoon sunlight filtered through the branches and leaves, shattering into patches of light across the ground.

Li Yuan rested his fingers on the Spirit Detection Disk hidden in his sleeve, then saw He Shou take out a round disk as well.

Li Yuan slowly poured spiritual power into it, spreading out his senses.

The auras of the three beside him were crystal clear. Scattered throughout the bushes were the faint fluctuations of a few insects, while everything farther away remained still and silent.

Until—

Ahead and to the left, roughly thirty zhang away, a turbid fluctuation of spiritual energy appeared at the edge of his senses.

It was not strong, but its characteristics were obvious. Unlike the spiritual energy of cultivators, which was restrained and contained within, this aura spread outward, coarse and disorderly, like a pile of loose Spirit Stones with no bag to hold them.

"Ahead to the left, thirty zhang away. A Demonic Beast," Li Yuan said in a low voice.

He Shou halted and glanced sideways at Li Yuan.

"You three go. I'll watch from the side. It's a Low-grade First-Order one—a good chance to get some practice."

"Don't underestimate Low-grade First-Order Demonic Beasts. Many have strange and treacherous methods. One careless mistake, and you'll fall into their trap."

He Shou slipped away from the middle of the road and moved behind a clump of shrubs as he spoke.

Lin Xiaowu's hand settled on the Dharma Artifact at his waist, his fingertips tightening slightly. Xu Mao's expression remained unchanged as he removed the Short Sword from his back and gripped it in his hand.

Li Yuan took the lead, his left hand forming the seal for the Fireball Technique as spiritual power gathered in his palm.

The three lowered their bodies and advanced through the gaps between the shrubs.

After they had taken a dozen or so steps, the bushes ahead shook violently.

A dark-gray reptilian creature poked its head out from behind the low brush. Its head was flat and triangular, its vertical pupils dark yellow. A thumb-length short horn stood at the center of its head, its surface rough. Its four limbs were short and powerful, and tightly arranged dark-gray scales covered its entire body.

A Horned Lizard. Three to four chi from head to tail, Low-grade First-Order.

The Horned Lizard spotted them. Its vertical pupils suddenly contracted, its flattened body lowered, and its forelimbs braced against the ground as it hissed.

"Don't let it burrow into the brush." He Shou's voice came from the side.

Li Yuan released his hand.

The Fireball flew from his palm, the crimson sphere trailing a short tail of flame as it shot straight at the Horned Lizard's face. The Horned Lizard twisted its body left, and the Fireball grazed past its side before striking the bushes behind it, exploding into a burst of sparks.

It had not moved far, but it was enough to block the Horned Lizard's path deeper into the brush.

Xu Mao circled around from the right. His Short Sword chopped downward vertically toward the Horned Lizard's neck. The blade lodged in a gap between its scales, catching for a moment as dark blood seeped out.

The Horned Lizard roared in pain and whipped its long tail, striking Xu Mao's wrist and knocking him half a step aside.

Lin Xiaowu formed a hand seal at the rear. An Ice Spike shot forth and pinned itself into the Horned Lizard's back, shattering two scales.

Enraged, the Horned Lizard pushed off with all four limbs and charged toward Lin Xiaowu.

Li Yuan stamped down with his right foot and cut into the Horned Lizard's path. A second Fireball had already formed in his palm.

The Horned Lizard had no time to evade. It could only watch as the Fireball came hurtling toward it.

A dull boom rang out. The Horned Lizard's entire head snapped backward, its four limbs twitching twice before it toppled onto the gravel-strewn ground. Its long tail slapped the earth twice, then stopped moving.

Barely a dozen breaths had passed from beginning to end.

He Shou emerged from behind the bushes. He first kicked the Horned Lizard in the belly to make sure it was truly dead, then swept his gaze over the three.

"Xu Mao, you struck the right spot, but your force was lacking. The fact that you didn't sever its neck in one blow means your spiritual power infusion was a little weak. You were clearly somewhat afraid and held back. Be more decisive next time."

Xu Mao rubbed the wrist struck by the tail and nodded.

"Lin Xiaowu, your Ice Spike was accurate, but you were half a beat too slow. You were still forming your seal when the Horned Lizard charged you. Practice your casting speed more in the future."

Lin Xiaowu shrank his neck and repeatedly agreed.

He Shou looked toward Li Yuan and nodded once.

"The Horned Lizard is agile, and the Fireball Technique is a little slow. You could cast it when the Horned Lizard rears up, but your Fireball also served to block its retreat."

After finishing his instruction, the four crouched down to dismantle the Horned Lizard.

There was not much of value on a Low-grade First-Order Horned Lizard. Its hide was not large, though it was still fairly intact. Only the area Li Yuan had struck was charred black. The horn atop its head was a low-grade supplementary material for artifact refining and could be sold. Its bones were too fragmented and small, leaving only a few spinal bones that were barely usable.

"There are combat methods that preserve spoils more effectively, but since your combat experience is still too lacking, I won't teach them to you for now," He Shou added.

Once the dismantling was complete, He Shou spread the materials out on the ground.

Dividing them according to contribution, Li Yuan took the hide and most of the beast bones, while Xu Mao and Lin Xiaowu each received some broken bones. The Horned Lizard's horn went to He Shou.

Just as Li Yuan was about to roll up the hide and put it away, He Shou spoke.

"You can take these materials back to the market and sell them yourselves, but making the trip back and forth wastes too much time." He Shou tucked the Horned Lizard's horn into the cloth bag at his waist and glanced at the remaining hide and bones on the ground.

"The Guard Squad has its own purchasing channel, and the prices are fairer than those offered by the Rogue Cultivator stalls outside. I'll handle all the materials, then settle the Spirit Stones with you according to your shares."

Low-grade First-Order Horned Lizard materials were not worth much to begin with. The hide was of ordinary quality, and the bones were small and broken. Altogether, they would be lucky to fetch five or six Spirit Stones. If they brought them back to the market and found a Rogue Cultivator buyer themselves, the price might not be higher than the Guard Squad's channel, and it would waste time as well.

"Fine." Li Yuan handed over the hide.

Xu Mao and Lin Xiaowu had no objections either, handing over their portions.

He Shou gathered the materials and put them away, then made a rough estimate by eye. "We'll settle it together when we return to the station."

The four retraced their route.