Teammate Killed, Grinning While Grinding.

After jolting along in the carriage for a full hour, Wei Xuanfeng finally arrived at the foot of Wumeng Mountain.

He did not go with the others. Instead, he found a secluded trail and headed up the mountain.

Once inside the mountain, he tied the vest to his leg in advance, then stuffed the Strength Pill into his collar.

This was to ensure that if anything unexpected happened, he could use these two life-saving items at the first possible moment.

The density of demonic beasts in the outer regions was low, making it fairly safe, but that also created a problem—it took a great deal of time to find demons.

Once he was prepared, he stepped over dead branches and fallen leaves, making his way deeper into Wumeng Mountain for the sake of efficiency.

On Wumeng Mountain, trees and bamboo grew side by side, while waist-high weeds sprawled everywhere.

This environment provided excellent living conditions for Soft-Boned Rabbit Demons, but it also made Wei Xuanfeng's journey somewhat troublesome.

Every few steps, he had to use his embroidered spring saber to hack through thorns and brambles. Unknowingly, his stamina drained quickly.

"This feeling really is familiar."

Leaning against a tree trunk, Wei Xuanfeng lifted his waterskin and gulped down mouthful after mouthful.

When he looked up, the sunlight was blocked by the towering branches, with only specks of light and shadow filtering down.

A whole morning of travel made him feel as though he had returned to the days when his enemies had hunted him down, forcing him to hide in the mountains.

That time, he had stayed in the mountains for a full half month.

Suddenly, a rustling sound broke his recollection. He instinctively gripped his embroidered spring saber tightly and turned around.

There, in the grass, a pair of dusty gray eyes stared fixedly at him.

A Soft-Boned Rabbit Demon?

Based on the original owner's memories, Wei Xuanfeng recognized the demonic beast hiding in the grass at a glance.

But according to experience, weren't these demonic beasts born timid, fleeing for their lives at the slightest stir of wind or grass?

How did it dare take the initiative to come out?

Before Wei Xuanfeng could think further, the rabbit demon suddenly exerted force with its hind legs and slammed toward him like a cannonball.

Fast, but not threatening.

His battle instincts allowed him to make a judgment and react in an instant.

Wei Xuanfeng flashed aside. As the rabbit demon brushed past him, he threw a vicious punch.

Bang!

The rabbit demon's charging trajectory was forcibly knocked off course by that punch. Its entire body flew three or four zhang sideways, only stopping when it smashed into a tree. It hung there for a second or two before slowly falling to the ground.

Wei Xuanfeng looked at the motionless rabbit demon with a puzzled expression.

"Ha, it's dead already? That's way too weak."

Although Soft-Boned Rabbit Demons were the weakest among servant-level demons, this was still far too weak.

Alarmed, he cautiously approached the rabbit demon. The beast was lying belly-up, its eyes tightly shut.

Its chest did not rise in the slightest.

It looked deader than dead.

Wei Xuanfeng sighed in relief, drew his blade, and was about to deliver a finishing strike when the rabbit demon suddenly opened its eyes.

The next second, the beast shot straight into the air from where it lay as if a spring had been installed on its back, its two powerful hind legs driving straight at Wei Xuanfeng's chest.

What a rabbit kicking an eagle!

Fortunately, Wei Xuanfeng had drawn the red trait Heaven's Motion. Its tremendous attribute boost allowed him not only to react in time and dodge sideways, but also to sweep the embroidered spring saber in his hand horizontally.

Slash!

The rabbit demon's body collided head-on with the embroidered spring saber in midair.

Wei Xuanfeng felt no resistance at all as the rabbit demon split into two sections and flew three or four zhang away.

[Successfully killed one servant-level demonic beast. Gold +100]

Hearing the notification, Wei Xuanfeng was delighted.

He quickly walked over to the rabbit demon's corpse, cut off its left ear first, then used his embroidered spring saber to skin and butcher the body.

As expected of a weapon produced by the Demon Suppression Directorate, the embroidered spring saber was far sharper than the official saber issued by the county yamen.

Not only could it slice through tough beast hide, it could even sever rabbit demon bones in a single stroke, leaving smooth cuts.

After gutting the rabbit demon, he first sucked its blood, then directly tossed its organs into his mouth.

Don't find it disgusting. Out in the wilderness, these things could quickly replenish water, salt, and energy.

Of course, they tasted far worse.

Wiping his mouth, Wei Xuanfeng threaded the prepared lean meat onto vines and carried it in his hand.

This would be tonight's dinner.

Next, Wei Xuanfeng continued deeper into the mountains.

Along the way, he came across several dozen Soft-Boned Rabbit Demons...

No, that wasn't quite accurate. It should be said that several dozen Soft-Boned Rabbit Demons came across him.

Almost every few steps Wei Xuanfeng took, a chill would run down his spine, his instincts screaming a frantic warning.

He had no idea whether that sharp intuition was a hidden bonus from Heaven's Motion or an innate gift of this body.

In any case, it was extremely accurate.

Without exception, every creature that tried to ambush him was a Soft-Boned Rabbit Demon.

And Wei Xuanfeng's way of dealing with them was simple.

Turn sideways, sweep his saber.

From an onlooker's perspective, those rabbit demons seemed more like they were willingly seeking death.

An hour later, a bonfire rose in the depths of Wumeng Mountain, with rabbit meat roasting over it.

Wei Xuanfeng leaned against a tree trunk, eyes closed as he studied his system.

He had killed a total of fifteen Soft-Boned Rabbit Demons, and the system showed an amount of 1,500.

One draw cost 750, enough for two draws.

Wei Xuanfeng rubbed his hands together and devoutly made the sign of the cross over his chest.

"Amitabha, Supreme Lord Lao, bless me with another red trait!"

After muttering for a while, he began his double draw.

[Congratulations, Host. You have drawn the trait: Wisdom (White)—Comprehension +1]

[Congratulations, Host. You have drawn the trait: Unyielding (White)—Stamina +1]

At the sight of those notifications, Wei Xuanfeng's face twisted as if he were constipated.

Drawing the two worst white traits in a row truly left him depressed.

And besides...

[Host: Wei Xuanfeng.]

[Cultivation: Martial Warrior Realm, Level 5.]

[Attributes: Stamina 15, Strength 15, Speed 13, Comprehension 12.]

[Martial Arts: Black Dragon Grappling Hand (Minor Mastery), Grand Ancestor Saber Technique (Beginner)]

[Red Trait: Heaven's Motion.]

"What the hell is comprehension even for? It'd be better if you gave me some strength instead!"

Wei Xuanfeng stared at his panel and complained again.

Only when the rich scent of meat reached his nose did he open his eyes, pick up the roasted rabbit, and start chewing in huge mouthfuls.

Perhaps it was a side effect of Heaven's Motion, but his appetite had grown enormous. He ate three rabbits in succession before feeling even slightly full.

After all, a single Soft-Boned Rabbit Demon could yield five pounds of pure meat.

After eating and drinking his fill, he rolled up the sleeve on his left arm. A faint bruise marked his arm.

He had deliberately taken that hit in order to test the rabbit demon's destructive power.

It had almost healed already?

Wei Xuanfeng was somewhat surprised. When he had first been injured, his left arm had been blue and purple, nearly fractured.

After marveling at how damn awesome a red trait was, he silently calculated in his heart.

Using his own attribute values as a comparison, a full-force strike from a Soft-Boned Rabbit Demon was equivalent to a value of seven to nine.

And one Soft-Boned Rabbit Demon was equivalent to a Martial Warrior Realm Level 9 martial artist.

In other words, when it came purely to physical strength, he was invincible within the Martial Warrior Realm!

He was quite satisfied with that conclusion.

With a red trait on him, if he wasn't invincible, then wouldn't that red trait have come for nothing!

After making some simple adjustments, Wei Xuanfeng continued onward.

[Successfully killed a Servant-class demon beast. Gold +100]

[Successfully killed a Servant-class demon beast. Gold +100]

[...]

Instant kills—one after another, with no suspense whatsoever.

Against a cheater like Wei Xuanfeng, these Soft-Boned Rabbit Demons died without any suspense, and without any pain.

Later on, Wei Xuanfeng had become completely numb.

One slash per rabbit—then cut off the ears, skin it, drink its blood...

In just one afternoon, the pouch issued to him by the Demon Suppression Directorate had already been stuffed full of rabbit ears.

By eye, there were already more than thirty.

"No one should be faster than me at this rate, right...?"

After casually killing another Soft-Boned Rabbit Demon, Wei Xuanfeng muttered to himself.

He walked over to the rabbit demon's corpse, just about to cut off its ears.

Then he spotted a martial artist's corpse lying facedown in the grass.

Judging by the clothes on it, they were actually the same as his.

"A blade runner from the Demon Suppression Directorate... here for the lieutenant assessment too?" Wei Xuanfeng crouched beside the martial artist's corpse and casually tore off a sleeve to tie over his face. "Looks like he's been dead for three or four days."

Only then did he examine it closely.

From the signs of struggle nearby, as well as the wounds on the body—

Having killed plenty himself, Wei Xuanfeng could tell at a glance that this guy had been disemboweled by a demon beast while he was still alive...

"These bite marks... could it have been a wolf?"

After saying that, Wei Xuanfeng shook his head again.

According to the original owner's memories, Wumeng Mountain had no wolf demons—only rabbit demons, snake demons, and a small number of monkey demons.

Only White Lotus Mountain, a hundred li away, had packs of wolf demons.

It was said that the Wolf King over there was even Commander-class, equivalent to a peak Martial Sect expert among humans.

"Could wolf demons from White Lotus Mountain have come over to kill? That shouldn't be possible..."

Those wolves had a strong sense of territory. Over the past century or so, he had never heard of them leaving White Lotus Mountain.

After thinking for a while without figuring it out, Wei Xuanfeng simply reached out and began rummaging over the corpse.

Who cared how he died? What was done was done—loot the bag first.

"Not bad luck..."

Looking at the Strength Pill he had stripped from the corpse, Wei Xuanfeng revealed a satisfied smile.

Then he turned and left, continuing to grind monsters.

As for that corpse...

What did it have to do with him?

As the saying went...

A teammate gets killed—keep grinding with a grin!