First-Rate Expert, Desert Saber Gao Li Falls Flat

After waiting for about three days, Desert Saber Gao Li finally arrived.

He was a tall, rough-skinned middle-aged man, carrying a thick saber in his arms, looking travel-worn and dust-covered.

His clothes were not particularly bright or splendid either; instead, they had a distinctly desert style.

Lu Xingshi sized him up. The man's Physical Constitution was certainly inferior to his own, and there was also a gap between him and the Bearman.

But his strength could not be underestimated. Physical Constitution represented one's starting point and efficiency, not one's ultimate strength.

The calluses on his hands showed that he was an old hand with the saber. Then there was his Inner Force—Lu Xingshi estimated that it was at least above 100 points.

That meant the cultivation method he practiced was of no low quality, and he had also trained diligently. He was no mere hanger-on.

Then there was his burly build, which showed that he cultivated both internally and externally. If they truly fought, the Bearman was indeed no match for him.

A First-Rate Expert was truly beyond Lu Xingshi's expectations.

However, Gao Li had most likely not come specifically to eliminate the Bearman, but for the bandit scourge in Youping County. He had merely happened to encounter the Bearman.

After arriving at Que Mi Village, he spoke with the Village Chief, then hurried into the mountains.

Killing a bear-headed monster was nothing major.

Once he understood the situation, he could act.

Lu Xingshi remained calm, but Feng Gu was extremely excited. He kept circling Gao Li, saying he wanted to serve him like a horse before the saddle and a servant after it. Gao Li, however, politely declined.

To become a First-Rate Expert in the martial world, one needed not only formidable strength, but also sufficient experience and worldly knowledge. Gao Li handled Feng Gu with great finesse. Even after being rejected, Feng Gu showed no dissatisfaction and instead kept trying to ingratiate himself.

In the end, they could only helplessly watch Gao Li enter the mountain forest alone.

Lu Xingshi did not see what happened during the process, but he saw the result.

Gao Li returned gravely wounded. The sunken imprint of a bear paw on his chest was horrifyingly clear.

He had forced himself to make it back on one last breath, then collapsed at the village entrance and was carried back by the villagers.

After the village physician examined and treated him, he could only say there was nothing he could do.

"Th-this... That Bearman is so terrifying? Even Great Hero Gao..." Seeing this, Feng Gu looked as if his Dao Heart had shattered.

Lu Xingshi could not find anything to say in consolation. When Gao Li returned, he had even lost that thick saber.

He suspected Gao Li had underestimated his opponent. The Bearman was not particularly large, and even with the Village Chief's cautions and warnings, it was possible to lower one's guard upon seeing it. This Mutant Bearman's disguise was simply too deceptive.

"Cough... I was merely tricked by that beast." As it happened, Gao Li woke from his coma. He truly deserved to be called a First-Rate Expert—despite such severe injuries, he could still rise.

In just a few motions, he reset and realigned his own bones.

"That Bearman is indeed incomparably cunning. I was careless for a moment." Gao Li did not shift the blame, but instead acknowledged his own failing.

"But that beast did not have it easy either. I sliced off half its bear paw, stabbed it three times in the chest, and severed one of its leg tendons."

"It is gravely wounded now as well. Inform the Village Chief and quickly bring the village's skilled hunters to seize this chance and kill the Bearman."

"If we delay, that beast may recover. It is a Mutant, after all. Once it recovers, it will surely become a great scourge."

The moment Gao Li woke, he spoke this long stretch of words. Once he finished, he began gasping for breath, clearly having injured his internal organs.

Yet hearing him say this, everyone was astonished. The Bearman had suffered such grave wounds and could still recover—it was simply unbelievable.

Feng Gu immediately went to notify the Village Chief.

"May I ask, what exactly is this Mutant? How can it be so powerful?" Lu Xingshi asked.

"I do not know." Gao Li took several bottles and jars from his bundle. After selecting among them, he swallowed some medicine and applied some externally.

Then he circulated his inner cultivation to heal his injuries.

He was so busy he could barely keep up, only stopping when the Village Chief arrived.

"Great Hero Gao, please describe the place where you fought the Bearman. I will lead men there to hunt down that grievously wounded beast," the Village Chief said as soon as he arrived, getting straight to the point without any pleasantries.

Unlike Feng Gu, the Village Chief was not overly afraid of the Bearman. Perhaps it was because there was strength in numbers.

Gao Li described the approximate location, then repeatedly urged the Village Chief to make sure to bring back his thick saber.

Weapons were practically tied to a martial artist's wealth and life. It was not as exaggerated as "the sword lives with its wielder, and when the sword breaks, the wielder dies," but among those who lost their weapons, very few could escape danger.

Had Gao Li not returned in time, who knew what else the severely wounded man might have encountered on the road?

"Everyone, please let Great Hero Gao rest properly," the Village Chief said, signaling for everyone to leave.

Lu Xingshi understood and left directly. Feng Gu was reluctant, but in the end he followed.

After they left the room, the Village Chief spoke to Lu Xingshi. "Young Hero Lu, I ask that you lend us a hand in this matter."

What he meant was that they were afraid as well and needed Lu Xingshi's help.

As he spoke, he brought over a saber. This saber was far better than the ones carried by the Peaceful Merchant Company guards.

"If Young Hero is willing, this saber will be gifted to you for self-defense." The Village Chief was not asking Lu Xingshi to act with empty words alone.

If Lu Xingshi accepted the saber, then when they fought the Bearman again, he would have to serve as the main force.

A fine saber like this was not easy to obtain. Lu Xingshi could also tell that this world's forging techniques were truly rather mediocre.

With a Ribbed Steel Bar, he could sweep aside a whole swath of Precious Saber and Sword.

"This... very well. I will go with you." Lu Xingshi considered it. He would soon leave anyway, but beating a dog that had fallen into the water was something he had to get involved in somehow.

Besides, there was also the saber.

In truth, he did not know how to use a saber, but that did not stop him from using one to chop people.

He lacked technique, but he had brute strength.

"Many thanks, Young Hero." The Village Chief also breathed a sigh of relief.

It was a good saber, but it was of little use to them. They were ordinary villagers whose main work was farming—what use did they have for such a saber? It usually just sat there.

Besides, if the Bearman was not eliminated, then once it recovered and came to harass them again, they would be the ones affected. Lu Xingshi and the others would eventually leave, but the villagers could not.

"I should be the one thanking you." Lu Xingshi exchanged the pleasantry as well. It was like the other party had issued a quest and he had accepted it, except the reward had been paid in advance.

"Then time is of the essence. Let us enter the mountains at once, lest that beast escape." The Village Chief did not continue with pleasantries, but directly asked Lu Xingshi to act with them.

"Go quickly and return quickly!" Lu Xingshi did not object. He also feared that delay would breed new complications.

There was no need to worry about manpower. Before coming in, the Village Chief had already arranged for someone to notify the village's strong young men.