Invitation

Shen Xiu's body suddenly stiffened. This seemed somewhat different from what he had expected.

Yet power had long gathered in his five fingers, and the saber he had drawn could no longer be pulled back. As he turned, the Hundred-Refined Saber pressed directly against the other man's chest.

A flattened dent appeared in the young man's chest. If Shen Xiu had not held back a little, he would likely have been pierced straight through the heart.

The somewhat plump young man jumped in fright.

A layer of cold sweat instantly sprang up across his forehead.

His body instinctively staggered backward several steps. Panic covered his fleshy face, and his complexion turned pale upon pale.

He was nearly scared pissless.

"Medicine? What medicine?"

Shen Xiu stared straight at him.

As he gazed at the fat young man's broad face, the corner of his eye contemptuously flicked toward the area below the man's waist.

At the same time, the Hundred-Refined Saber in his hand swayed downward.

If there was anything amiss in the man's words, Shen Xiu would not mind letting this fat fellow give his Hundred-Refined Saber its first taste.

Yet at Shen Xiu's casual glance, the fat young man felt a chill beneath his crotch at that very moment, as though bone-deep cold had risen from his tailbone.

Every hair on his body told him that this very young boy before him was dangerous.

It seemed that if he gave even one wrong answer, some unknown, great terror would immediately descend upon him.

Fine beads of cold sweat instantly emerged on his forehead. He nearly forgot what he was going to say next and did not know whether he ought to say it at all.

But judging from the boy's current state, it seemed he had no choice but to speak.

"Ahem... it's that medicine that's good for your body!"

The fat young man's tone was somewhat awkward, but he still coughed lightly and explained.

"Selling medicine?"

Shen Xiu froze for a moment, then his entire face abruptly darkened.

So the other party was selling medicine—this kind of medicine, at that!

But that was not the point. The point was that he actually thought Shen Xiu needed it.

Shen Xiu bared his teeth, wondering whether he should show this young man why flowers were so red, so that he might sharpen his eyesight next time.

Yet Shen Xiu's unconscious expression only made the fat young man even more flustered.

He could not quite understand it. With his eyesight, the other party was clearly, like him, a Martial Artist who had entered a realm, yet why did he inspire such inexplicable wariness in him?

However, upon hearing Shen Xiu's response, he immediately realized that he had probably said something wrong and struck the young man's sore spot.

Glancing at Shen Xiu's heroic aura, the fat young man's eyes lit up. Recalling his original plan, he promptly said, "Say, little brother, your cultivation seems quite good. There's a business deal—would you be interested?"

"What business?"

So long as they did not mention selling medicine, Shen Xiu was rather easy to talk to.

The fat young man continued explaining, "I am Cao Hongzhuo, the young master of Sifang Medicine Workshop in Shanglin City. In the next few days, I plan to gather some people to hunt Black Demon Bears in the outer region of Mount Da Wu. I wonder whether you are interested."

Shen Xiu raised an eyebrow.

Though Black Demon Bears were first-rank demonic beasts, their thick hides, tough flesh, and immense strength made them no less formidable than ordinary second-rank demonic beasts.

This was the first time Shen Xiu had heard someone speak so lightly and casually of hunting Black Demon Bears.

He had heard of Sifang Medicine Workshop. There was a shop in Taixi City, and his impression was that its medicine for bruises and injuries was quite good.

However, first-rank Black Demon Bears not only had rough hides and thick flesh, but also liked to live in groups.

To encircle and hunt such Black Demon Bears, they would need quite a few Martial Artists who had entered a realm, as well as at least two or three Second Realm Muscle Tendon Training Martial Artists as the main force.

Hearing that the other party was from Sifang Medicine Workshop and intended to hunt Black Demon Bears, Shen Xiu belatedly realized that he had underestimated that little medicine shop.

"Aren't you afraid I'll hold you back?"

Shen Xiu looked with interest at the fat young man before him, who called himself Cao Hongzhuo.

"Haha, brother, you must be joking. How could someone who has become a Martial Artist hold us back?"

The fat young man spoke with great certainty. Clearly, he believed he understood Shen Xiu's realm.

At this point, Shen Xiu also understood that the fat young man's basic eyesight was not bad, though it was still off by a little.

And after hearing the earlier invitation, Shen Xiu was somewhat tempted as well.

Black Demon Bears were rather tempting to him too.

It was not that he wanted to rid the people of evil. Rather, the Golden Cicada in his Dantian seemed especially fond of such fare.

The previous Mutated Wild Boar had already multiplied the Golden Cicada's progress in fullness by several times. As for Black Demon Bears, true demonic beasts that had entered the ranks, the fullness they provided would undoubtedly be even more abundant.

Though some demonic beasts were weak, they were not so easy to encounter. He could not enter places that were too dangerous, while the odds of encountering them in the wilderness were low.

And buying them cost far too much.

This invitation to encircle and hunt Black Demon Bears was plainly a perfect opportunity.

After all, if they could find Black Demon Bears and hunt down demonic beasts that ordinary people could not resist, then they clearly knew far more than he did about certain information.

He could not refuse such an opportunity.

Moreover, Sifang Medicine Workshop had always enjoyed an excellent reputation in Taixi City, so he did not need to fear being robbed and murdered when the time came.

"Fine, I accept your invitation. How will the payment be calculated?"

"For every one hunted, each person gets five taels of silver."

The fat young man extended five chubby fingers and said with a beaming smile.

Shen Xiu considered it briefly.

Ten taels of silver could already cover two months of expenses for a household in Taixi City. It was fairly reasonable, but what he wanted was not merely silver.

"I can forgo the silver. Can I exchange it for the corpse of a Black Demon Bear?"

Cao Hongzhuo frowned. The other man was not an alchemist who refined medicine, so what did he want those corpses for? Those were also the main things Sifang Medicine Hall wanted.

"This..."

"I can forgo the bear bones and internal organs."

Seeing the fat young man's thoughtful expression, Shen Xiu considered it and added another sentence.

The Golden Cicada's teeth were not good enough yet. It could only eat soft things, not hard ones. He had sold the bones of the previous Mutated Wild Boar for money.

Cao Hongzhuo figured that would leave one short. With the main bear bones retained, he immediately said, "Then if we hunt ten, I can decide to give you one. If there aren't enough, we'll cut it according to the amount."

Shen Xiu nodded. He had no further objections now.

Still, he was reminded that the shops in Taixi City were truly black-hearted. Their profits were outrageously high.

As for whether there would be any problems, that could wait until later. For now, he could trust Sifang Medicine Workshop's reputation.

After quickly agreeing on the time and place, Shen Xiu sheathed the Hundred-Refined Saber. The fat young man felt the terrifying pressure and chill vanish completely at that moment.

Cao Hongzhuo smacked his lips.

Somewhat puzzled, he scratched his head. He did not understand it. Although he had almost entirely relied on medicinal external aids to reach First Realm Body Tempering—

He had met quite a few Martial Artists who had entered a realm, so why had none of them made him feel as pressured as this one before him?

And the source of that pressure was so strange.

Still, he had found a decent helper just by taking a stroll through the teahouse, so he was quite satisfied.

As for whether there would be trouble, with two Second Realm Muscle Tendon Training Martial Artists behind him as the main force and support, what was there to fear?

Before leaving, Cao Hongzhuo still felt somewhat unwilling to let it go. Before stepping out of the alley, he tried to sell again.

"Want some Rejuvenation Pills? Take a small pill, and the effects last two hours! The medicine works especially well!"

Shen Xiu's face darkened again. He drew the Hundred-Refined Saber, flashing a streak of cold light. The fat young man immediately fled in panic.