Her Name Was Bai Ling

Su Ming was very nervous. The sensation of blood and energy radiating from the burly man before him far exceeded that of Lei Chen, suggesting a cultivation level around the fifth or sixth layer of the Blood Condensation Realm.

To Su Ming, such a person was impossible to resist. If the man harbored any ill intentions, it would be difficult for him to avoid disaster. Yet, he desperately needed a large quantity of Luoyun Leaves, and to obtain them, he had to possess a significant number of Stone Coins.

Thus, he had no choice but to take the risk. Ever since he had hunted Yu Chi through the jungle, he felt as though some of his thoughts had shifted. The knowledge described in the Beast Skin Books he had studied under Grandpa over the years was now deeply etched into his mind.

He vaguely felt that if he could not suppress the other party with cultivation, he would have to rely on other means to keep the man suspicious and hesitant to act rashly.

That was why, before coming here, he had chosen to conceal his appearance and bring a wild beast along—all to serve as a deterrent at the appropriate moment.

It seemed the effect was quite good, yet Su Ming's tension did not relax in the slightest.

In truth, it was not only Su Ming who was nervous inside the leather tent; the One-Eyed Man was even more anxious. Every time he glanced at the spot where the beast had died, looking at the pile of bone fragments, his heart would hammer against his ribs—not from excitement, but from terror.

To the One-Eyed Man, the figure wrapped in animal skins before him was filled with an unfathomable mystery. This sense of mystery, combined with the shocking scene from earlier, exerted a pressure on him that far surpassed the tension Su Ming was feeling.

This person is sophisticated in his actions, calm in his speech, and ruthless in his methods. He must be some reclusive Evil Barbarian from the nearby mountains... But judging by his words just now, he seems quite reasonable... It's just this strange medicine; I doubt it will have much effect. As the One-Eyed Man felt uneasy, footsteps sounded outside the tent. A burly man lifted the flap and stepped inside.

The man had a dull expression. He entered the tent without a word, standing to the side to await the One-Eyed Man's orders.

The moment the man stepped in, Su Ming swept a casual glance over him. The man's blood and energy were not dense; he was at the second layer of the Blood Condensation Realm, just like himself.

"Eat this, and this too!" The One-Eyed Man did not hesitate. He took the Medicine Stone from his hand and handed over a stalk of herb, signaling for the man to consume them together.

The man's expression remained unchanged. He took them, chewed a few times, and sat cross-legged to circulate his blood. Soon, however, his expression shifted, looking quite surprised. Before long, he opened his eyes and stared at the One-Eyed Man in confusion.

"There is no real effect... I only feel a bit more sensation than when I usually swallow this Spirit-Decision Grass... about one layer's worth."

Upon hearing this, the One-Eyed Man's pupils contracted sharply, his heart pounding uncontrollably. He knew exactly what that extra layer meant. If it were an ordinary herb, the effect might not be obvious, but if it were a medicine used by someone above the eighth layer of the Blood Condensation Realm, its value would be immeasurable.

An ordinary herb might be worth ten Stone Coins, and this item would be worth at most one. But if it were a herb worth a hundred or even a thousand Stone Coins, then this increase of one layer... The more the One-Eyed Man thought, the more excited he became, though he was unsure if the item would be equally effective on high-grade herbs.

It's a pity I don't have many Stone Coins left on me... After a moment of contemplation, he suppressed his inner excitement, dismissed the man, and stood respectfully before Su Ming with a forced smile.

"Senior, this medicine is truly profound. How about this: this junior offers thirty Stone Coins for one, how does that sound?" The One-Eyed Man dared not offend Su Ming, as he believed Su Ming to be an Evil Barbarian who was clearly no ordinary person to possess such medicine.

"Thirty Stone Coins?" Such a price made Su Ming's heart race, but his voice suddenly turned cold.

"This... Senior, thirty is already my limit. Besides, it is still unclear if this item is equally effective on high-grade herbs." The One-Eyed Man spoke hurriedly, but before he could finish, Su Ming interrupted him.

"Regardless of what herb you consume, this item can increase its effect by one layer out of thin air. If I didn't need to trade for a Barbarian Artifact, I would never sell it."

The One-Eyed Man struggled for a long time before gritting his teeth and nodding. "How many does Senior have?"

"Including the one you wasted earlier, there is only one left!" Su Ming said, taking a small bottle from his robes containing one dose of Dust-Clearing Powder.

Hearing this, the man felt a wave of dizziness and heartache. Just as he hesitated, he saw Su Ming stand up and tuck the bottle away. Su Ming raised his left hand—the same one that had turned the beast into a mist of blood—and revealed a chilling gaze from within his leather-clad disguise. The man immediately recalled the dose he had used for his experiment and spoke quickly.

"Senior, Senior, this... fifty Stone Coins!! That is truly my limit!!"

Su Ming did not wish to linger here too long. His eyes flashed, and he spoke decisively: "Fine. Including the one from before, one hundred Stone Coins in total!"

The One-Eyed Man hesitated for a moment before taking a leather pouch from his robes and handing it respectfully to Su Ming. Inside were two white Stone Coins.

Stone Coins were valued by their color: gray was the lowest, black was worth ten, and white was worth fifty. If there were purple ones, they would be worth one hundred.

"Give me black Stone Coins!" Su Ming glanced at them and spoke suddenly.

The One-Eyed Man was stunned but did not ask questions, instead producing ten black Stone Coins and handing them to Su Ming.

After taking the coins and putting them in his pouch, Su Ming tossed the small bottle to the man. He picked up his woven basket, did not spare the One-Eyed Man another glance, and turned to lift the tent flap and walk out. Once outside, Su Ming did not act rashly; instead, he wandered around the Tribal Market a few times. The moon was bright and the stars were sparse, and torches were everywhere, yet the number of people in the market had not decreased much. However, anyone trading at this hour was dressed much like Su Ming.

After circling a few times and ensuring no one was watching him, Su Ming moved at top speed to the spots he had scouted earlier that day and bought over sixty Luoyun Leaves. He then changed his attire in a secluded corner and hurried away. At the meeting spot, he saw Lei Chen waiting and gasping for air. Without a word, Su Ming walked past him.

Lei Chen was startled but followed suit without a word. The two moved one after the other, quickly disappearing into the night jungle. They sped along, with Su Ming changing directions multiple times without a moment's rest, until the sky began to turn gray the next morning. Only then did he stop, his face pale and lingering fear in his heart.

Lei Chen panted heavily. Though he was confused, he did not ask questions. Especially when Su Ming tossed five Stone Coins his way; after catching them, he immediately broke into a silly, excited grin.

After a brief rest, Su Ming stood up again, and the two sped off toward their tribe. This time, he did not stop, moving at full speed. His leaps were swift, and though his cultivation was not as strong as Lei Chen's, his speed left even Lei Chen clicking his tongue in amazement.

The harvest this time was quite significant... I had intended to buy five Luoyun Leaves to experiment with if the Medicine Stone didn't sell, but I didn't expect it to go so smoothly. Su Ming thought as he moved forward.

The One-Eyed Man must have been intimidated by me, but I cannot let my guard down. I must return to the tribe as soon as possible. Su Ming remained cautious throughout the journey. Even though they were far from the market, he continued to change directions and used his jungle experience to erase their tracks.

When the sun hung high in the sky and it was still some time before noon, Su Ming and Lei Chen saw their tribe in the distance. Only then did Su Ming truly relax, a smile appearing on his face.

"We're finally home. Su Ming, you still haven't told me, how did you know yesterday that Bai Ling was from the Black Dragon Tribe?" Lei Chen was gasping for air, and as Su Ming slowed his pace, he hurriedly asked the question that had been bothering him for a long time.

"Bai Ling?" Su Ming's mind conjured the image of the tall, beautiful woman—especially the moment she wrinkled her nose, her eyes flashing with a wild, untamed beauty.

"I didn't know she was from the Black Dragon Tribe." Su Ming smiled. The woman named Bai Ling was the most beautiful person he had ever seen in his life.

"Impossible. If you didn't know, how could you say it so confidently?" Lei Chen had pondered this for a long time without an answer. Seeing that Su Ming didn't want to talk about it, he grew anxious.

Su Ming looked at Lei Chen and laughed.

"Lei Chen, don't tell me you like her?"

"Nonsense!" Lei Chen shook his head vigorously and muttered.

"She's too thin, I don't like her. I like them a bit plumper..." He scratched his head. Since he was a child, he had always preferred the sturdier women of the tribe, and that remained true to this day.

Su Ming laughed as he ran toward the tribe with Lei Chen, joking along the way. That carefree laughter and friendship drifted away on the cold wind of winter.

"The three people following Bai Ling had the Black Dragon totem on their bodies. In this vicinity, the only ones who like to paint the Black Dragon on themselves are the Black Dragon Tribe." As they neared the tribe, Su Ming said with a smile.

Upon hearing this, Lei Chen gave a bitter laugh. He hadn't expected it to be so simple.

The journey back was uneventful, and Su Ming returned to the tribe with Lei Chen. Inside his own dwelling, Su Ming took out the Luoyun Leaf he had purchased at the Tribal Market, his eyes filled with anticipation.

"Mountain Spirit Powder—I wonder what effects it will have once I refine it this time! Grandpa told me not to go out much lately... I will go and return quickly; it shouldn't take too much time." Su Ming pondered, his mind made up.

At this very moment, in the Tribal Market far from the Wu Mountain Tribe, a monumental event was unfolding!

The root of this matter was none other than that spherical Medicine Stone!

After Su Ming had departed, the One-Eyed Man hesitated for a long time inside his leather tent. He stopped seeing any customers for trade, and in a fit of hesitation, he gritted his teeth, grabbed the small vial containing the Medicine Stone, and hurried to the outside of the massive purple leather tent where the master of the Tribal Market resided.