Soul Hunter Squad! A Job for Ten Gold Soul Coins!

Lan Tian thought it over, then nodded. "All right, I'll take the job. Go back and let Grant know. I'll wait for them at the east city gate tomorrow at dawn."

"Great!" Louise saw that he had agreed and stood up happily. "I knew you'd say yes! Then I'll go deliver the message right away. Don't forget to bring everything tomorrow!"

With that, she rushed out in a whirlwind.

Lan Tian watched her figure disappear around the street corner, smiled, then turned and went back to the rear courtyard to prepare what he would need tomorrow.

Scalpel, tweezers, suturing needle and thread, herbal powder for stopping bleeding, anesthetic powder made from dreamgrass—he kept all of these on hand on normal days, so he just had to pack them into the small medical kit he carried with him.

He also took a few bottles of clean water and some dry rations, stuffed them into a backpack, and everything was ready.

Before dawn the next day, Lan Tian got out of bed, dressed himself, put on all four weighted rings without missing a single one, slung his medical kit and backpack over his shoulders, locked the clinic door, and walked toward the east city gate.

When he arrived, four people were already standing at the east city gate.

The one in the lead was a man in his thirties, broad and powerful, with a faint scar on his face and a hand axe hanging at his waist. One look was enough to tell he was the sort of person who made a living on the edge of danger all year round.

Seeing Lan Tian approach, he looked him up and down a few times, then strode over and held out his hand with a hearty smile. "You must be Doctor Lan, right? I'm Grant. That girl Louise has mentioned you to me several times."

"You're too polite, Mr. Grant." Lan Tian shook his hand.

Grant then introduced the others beside him.

"This is Logan, the scout in our team. Sharp eyes, fast feet."

A lean young man nodded at Lan Tian.

"This is Baron, our main damage dealer. Strong as an ox."

Baron was a burly, bald man with broad shoulders and a thick waist. He grinned, revealing a mouthful of white teeth.

"This is Wesley. He's in charge of support and backup."

Wesley looked a bit more refined, and he carried a crossbow on his back.

Finally, Grant pulled over a boy of seventeen or eighteen and patted him on the shoulder. "And this is Harry, the star of this trip. It's the kid's first time entering Soul Hunting Forest, so we'll all have to look after him."

Harry's face carried a mix of nervousness and excitement as he bowed properly to everyone. "I'll be troubling you all. I promise I won't hold you back."

Lan Tian sized Harry up. Though the boy still looked young, he was solidly built, and his gaze was fairly steady. It was clear he had trained before.

"All right, everyone's here. Let's move out."

With a wave of Grant's hand, the five of them, plus Lan Tian, set off as a group of six, stepping out through the east city gate and heading toward Soul Hunting Forest.

On the road, Grant walked side by side with Lan Tian and casually struck up a conversation.

"Doctor Lan, I heard from Louise that you've gathered herbs around the outskirts of Soul Hunting Forest before. You should know the terrain around there a little, right?"

"Not much," Lan Tian said honestly. "I've only wandered around a small area on the outskirts. I do know where there's water, and which places have dense vegetation where soul beasts can easily hide."

Grant nodded. "That's enough. We won't be going deep this time. We'll be operating in the eastern part of the outskirts. The soul beasts there are mostly ten-year ones. Occasionally a hundred-year soul beast appears, but they basically won't take the initiative to attack people. Logan will scout ahead. If we run into anything wrong, we'll go around it."

"Prudent." Lan Tian did not say much else.

An hour later, the group arrived at the edge of Soul Hunting Forest.

Dense treetops blocked out the sky and sun, and the light suddenly dimmed. The air was filled with the damp scent of grass and trees, along with a faint, intermittent stench of wild beasts.

Grant made a hand signal, and the six of them lightened their steps, filing into the forest one after another.

Logan opened the way about twenty steps ahead, as nimble as a mountain cat. From time to time, he would stop and crouch close to the ground or press near a tree trunk to observe for a moment before continuing forward.

The others followed close behind. Grant stayed in the middle and coordinated the formation, while Baron and Wesley moved on either side. Lan Tian and Harry walked in the center of the group.

The outskirts truly were not too dangerous. After walking for the better part of an hour, they had only encountered a few timid forest rabbits and a spotted wild boar that hid the moment it saw people from afar. They had not even seen the shadow of a soul beast.

Harry's nerves gradually eased a little, but he still tightly gripped the short blade at his waist, staying alert at all times.

"There's movement up ahead." Logan suddenly crouched and raised his palm.

The group immediately stopped.

Logan listened for a while, then turned back and lowered his voice. "About fifty steps to the front-left. There's the sound of water behind the bushes. Should be a little stream. Something over there is drinking."

Grant nodded. "What size?"

"Not large. About the same as an adult mountain hound. Should be a ten-year soul beast," Logan judged.

Grant glanced at Harry. "Let's go. We'll take you to have a look. Remember, if we confirm it's a suitable soul beast, do exactly as we discussed before. Don't panic, and don't act recklessly."

Harry took a deep breath and nodded hard.

The six of them crept silently toward the front-left.

After passing through a patch of dense low shrubs, they indeed heard the sound of the stream flowing.

On a gravel bank beside the stream, a gray-brown soul beast was lowering its head to drink. Its size was just as Logan had said, roughly the same as an adult mountain hound. It had a pair of small horns on its head and a thick, short tail.

It was a Stone Horn Deer.

A ten-year soul beast, relatively gentle in temperament, plant-eating, and not very aggressive. It was very suitable as a beginner's first soul ring.

Grant made a gesture, and everyone slowly spread out, forming a half-encircling formation that cut off the Stone Horn Deer's path of retreat.

The hand Harry held his short blade with trembled slightly, but his feet did not retreat.

Lan Tian stood at the rear of the group, his hand resting on the small medical kit at his waist, ready to respond at any moment.

Grant glanced at Harry and said quietly, "Go."

Harry gritted his teeth, then suddenly charged out from behind the bushes.

Startled, the Stone Horn Deer let out a short cry and tried to bolt, but its escape route was blocked completely by Baron's massive body. In its panic, it could only flee to the side.

Harry chased after it, found an opening, and swung his short blade. Though the strike was not fatal, it accurately cut into the Stone Horn Deer's hind leg.

The Stone Horn Deer stumbled, its speed dropping sharply.

From the side, Grant shouted, "Again! Aim for a vital spot!"

Harry steadied himself, and his second strike followed right after. This time his aim was much better, and the blade plunged deep into the side of the Stone Horn Deer's neck.

The Stone Horn Deer struggled a few times, then crashed to the ground and quickly went still.

A white soul ring slowly rose from the corpse, floating three feet above the ground.

They had succeeded.

Everyone let out a breath of relief. Baron grinned and said, "Good kid. Clean work for your first time!"

Harry panted heavily, his forehead covered in sweat, but his eyes were astonishingly bright. He looked back at Grant, and when Grant nodded, he sat down beside the Stone Horn Deer and began circulating his soul power to draw in the ten-year soul ring.

The entire absorption process lasted about half an hour. During that time, Lan Tian stayed beside him the whole time, while Blue Silver Grass quietly poked up from the ground, ready to deal with any sudden situation.

Fortunately, everything went smoothly. The soul ring slowly merged into Harry's body, and a ripple of soul power spread out from him. The young man abruptly opened his eyes, and the aura around him had clearly changed.

"I did it!" His voice cracked with excitement.

Grant walked over and patted his head, a rare gratified smile appearing on his face. "Not bad. From today on, you're an official soul master."

Lan Tian withdrew the Blue Silver Grass hidden in the shadows and smiled faintly as well.

Though it was only a ten-year soul ring, to this youth named Harry, it was the first step in crossing the ranks of life.

Back when he himself had broken through to rank ten, he had gone through the same thing.

Grant turned to him, took a money pouch from his robes, and handed it over. "Doctor Lan, your commission. Ten gold soul coins, not one less."

Lan Tian took the money pouch and weighed it in his hand. It was heavy. Satisfied, he tucked it into his robes. "Many thanks."

On the way back, the group's mood was clearly much more relaxed. Baron and Wesley chatted and laughed as they discussed how to celebrate once they returned, while Harry kept lowering his head to look at the white soul ring he had just obtained on his right hand, the corners of his mouth rising uncontrollably.

Lan Tian walked at the rear of the group, quietly listening to the laughter and conversation ahead. A breeze blew through the forest, carrying the fresh scent of grass and leaves.

Ten gold soul coins in hand. This trip had been worth it.