Mr. South Guo

Lu Chuan followed them without showing his intentions.

Most of these people were brawny men in their twenties and thirties, tall and sturdy. He was only sixteen, and looked much smaller and thinner than they did.

Before long, the group left Chaoge and assembled outside the city gate.

By the time Lu Chuan finally came out, three thousand armed soldiers were already lined up in neat formation, standing in perfect order behind Huang Feihu.

The three thousand men wore black dark-iron armor. Standing there, they seemed like a single entity, and an almost imperceptible aura of ferocity emanated from them.

A large banner stood nearby, its borders black and a prominent Huang character emblazoned in the center.

At the head of the formation, a man clad in golden armor sat majestically astride a Five-Colored Divine Ox, which was even larger than a steed.

The man had tiger-like eyes and a short beard. He was tall, with bronze-colored skin, and the crimson cloak behind him added to his imposing presence.

Lu Chuan knew at a glance that this man could only be Huang Feihu.

Then he shifted his gaze to the three thousand soldiers behind Huang Feihu and marveled inwardly. As expected of a tiger-and-wolf army! Huang Feihu truly lives up to his reputation!

As the saying went, insiders appreciated the finer points, while outsiders watched for the spectacle.

Ordinary commoners could sense the army's imposing presence, but since they didn't understand what it meant, they simply watched it all as a spectacle.

Lu Chuan was different. He could clearly sense that the soldiers' blood and qi were five or six times stronger than those of the brawny men helping out nearby.

Calling these three thousand men "fierce as wolves and tigers" would hardly be an exaggeration.

As for ordinary big men, though they looked strong, five or six of them would likely be no match for a single soldier if they actually fought.

If the entire Yin Shang army consisted of soldiers this formidable...

"The Flying Tiger Army! The Martial Accomplishment King has brought out all three thousand of his elite Flying Tiger Army."

Lu Chuan was still pondering in surprise when he suddenly heard someone in the crowd exclaim with delight.

"That's right, it's the Flying Tiger Army! I can't believe the Martial Accomplishment King brought out his Flying Tiger Army this time. That beast is as good as dead!"

At the sight of the three thousand soldiers, even the commoners grew excited and animated, full of confidence in the coming hunt.

"The Flying Tiger Army?"

Lu Chuan's expression shifted, then he shook his head with a smile. So they were Huang Feihu's elites. Otherwise, they really would have given him a fright.

If the entire Yin Shang army were made up of such a tiger-and-wolf force, who in the world could stand against it?

There might only be three thousand of them, but if they surrounded him right now, he could do nothing but run. It was fortunate he had the Five Elements Escape Technique; otherwise, he wouldn't even have a chance to flee.

"Who is willing to follow me into the mountains?"

Once the three thousand soldiers had assembled, Huang Feihu turned his Divine Ox around and asked the commoners gathered outside the city.

"Me!"

"Me!"

Answers rang out from the crowd, and soon nearly a hundred and eighty people had stepped forward.

Lu Chuan moved quietly into their midst.

"Hyah!"

Behind Huang Feihu rode two generals. One of them, a short-bearded man, frowned when he noticed Lu Chuan.

He squeezed his legs against his horse's flanks, rode over, and reined in before Lu Chuan. Looking down at him, he asked, "Kid, how old are you?"

"Sixteen," Lu Chuan replied.

The man looked him up and down, then grinned. "Kid, get this straight. We're going to deal with a ferocious beast. A beast that eats people, understand? You're so small and skinny that you'd only be throwing your life away. You'd better go home while you still can..."

Lu Chuan looked at the man. His blood and qi were powerful yet restrained, far surpassing those of many Flying Tiger Army soldiers. Clearly, he was an expert.

"General, if I were afraid, I wouldn't have come," Lu Chuan said calmly.

Ferocious beast?

He spoke as if Lu Chuan had never seen one before.

Are tigers not fierce? They are. I've even seen a ferocious tiger with wings that ate monsters, and you're asking me about ferocious beasts?

The general was taken aback. He gave Lu Chuan a strange look, then turned his horse and rode off.

He had meant well. Lu Chuan looked too young, and the general was afraid he would go only to die in vain. But since Lu Chuan wouldn't take the advice, so be it.

"Who among you knows the mountain paths well?" Huang Feihu asked again.

Everyone was taken aback. Then one man respectfully replied, "Your Highness, we commoners have lived in Chaoge since childhood. Many of us make our living hunting and gathering firewood in the mountains. How could we not know them?"

"You all know them?" Huang Feihu's gaze swept over the crowd.

Everyone nodded together. Lu Chuan joined in, playing the part of Mr. South Guo and nodding along as if he knew what he was doing.

In truth, he had only been in Chaoge for a few months. He spent his days cultivating and had no time to leave the shop. He barely knew the area around Chaoge South Gate where he lived, let alone the mountains.

"Everyone, we are unfamiliar with the mountains and their paths, which makes searching extremely difficult. We need your help to guide us."

Huang Feihu gathered up his reins and cupped his fists. "This time, I need three hundred people. Are there any more townsfolk willing to lend us a hand?"

The commoners who had come out to watch looked at one another, but no one spoke.

After all, they were going to face a man-eating beast. One mistake, and they could lose their lives...

"Big brother, all the courageous men in the city have already come forward. Those who didn't step up earlier surely won't come out now."

Seeing the situation, the general who had spoken to Lu Chuan rode forward and lowered his voice. "As the saying goes, a big enough reward brings out brave men. In my view, all you need to do is offer some silver."

"Your words make sense, my worthy brother!"

Huang Feihu nodded, then turned and called out, "Guide us there, and you'll receive ten taels of silver when we return. Any injuries will be compensated separately."

He had four Great Generals, two of whom he had brought with him today.

This man was one of them: Zhou Ji, who was not only famed for his strategic ability but also highly skilled in martial arts.

"Ten taels of silver?"

At those words, the crowd burst into excitement.

They could go into the mountains a hundred times and still not earn ten taels, but today they only had to go once...

What did ten taels of silver mean?

An ordinary family of three spent only about one tael a month. Ten taels of silver was nearly a year's wages, and injuries would be compensated separately.

Sure enough, once the reward was offered, many people in the crowd eagerly stepped forward.

Huang Feihu exchanged a glance with Zhou Ji and nodded approvingly. "Worthy brother, go and choose enough people to make three hundred."

Zhou Ji accepted the order, stepped forward, and picked out another hundred or so able-bodied men, bringing the total to three hundred.

Then Huang Feihu led everyone out, heading toward a sprawling mountain seven or eight li beyond the city.

He rode his Five-Colored Ox at the front. Behind him were Zhou Ji and another of his Great Generals, Long Huan. Both men were around thirty, with Zhou Ji slightly older, but they were both in the prime of life.

The three hundred commoners, Lu Chuan among them, were sandwiched between the three thousand Flying Tiger Army soldiers.

The journey was uneventful.

Still, Lu Chuan gave some thought to why Huang Feihu had assembled three hundred people. Three hundred guides?

He couldn't be planning to split the troops into groups and have each of us lead a few soldiers in search of the beast, could he?

Before long, Lu Chuan peered at Huang Feihu up ahead, his face full of suspicion. If that really was the plan, he'd be in trouble. He didn't know these mountains at all—not even their name...