Black Demon Bear

The next day, by the time Shen Xiu arrived at a run-down inn in town, Cao Hongzhuo and the others were already fully equipped and ready to depart.

Shen Xiu gave the group a quick look. There were eight people in total. Aside from himself and the fat man, Cao Hongzhuo, who had invited him yesterday, the rest were all adult men in their thirties and forties.

Shen Xiu's comparatively young appearance immediately drew their probing gazes.

This time, Sifang Medicine Workshop was hunting Black Demon Bears primarily for their spinal bones.

Their spinal bones were not only costly materials for refining weapons, but also key medicinal ingredients in certain important pills.

There were also bear gallbladders, bear blood, and the like.

They were highly sought after by some alchemists in Shanglin City.

Given the Black Demon Bears' strength and the special nature of the location, those recruited for this expedition naturally could not be too weak.

Martial Artists who had not entered a realm would be useless there and might even hold everyone back. Body Tempering was already considered the minimum requirement.

Since Shen Xiu had appeared here, he was clearly a Martial Artist who had entered a realm, at the very least in the Body Tempering realm. Yet that was uncommon at his age.

Still, these older men had seen plenty in their day. They merely gave him an extra glance before going about their own business.

After waiting outside for a while, a middle-aged man dressed in fitted martial attire stepped out of the inn, his face cold and stern.

Expressionless, the man swept his gaze around before saying, "I am Steward Chen, the leader of this expedition. Everyone already knows Sifang Medicine Workshop's objective this time: to encircle and hunt Black Demon Bears.

"A few days ago, Sifang Medicine Workshop discovered a place where Black Demon Bears gather at the end of the Shadowy Forest west of town. I hope everyone will work together this time and not let down their guard."

As he spoke, his gaze lingered briefly on Shen Xiu. This was the helper the young workshop master had just recruited.

Cao Hongzhuo had told him about the boy's strength, but it had not dispelled his doubts.

He admitted that Shen Xiu might possess decent strength, but he questioned whether he had sufficient experience. Killing Black Demon Bears, whose bodies were as hard as iron, was not merely a matter of wildly hacking with a saber.

Still, since Shen Xiu could use such a fine blade, he surely had something to rely on.

Shen Xiu said nothing. He simply wiped down the Hundred-Refined Saber in his hand, familiarizing himself with its feel.

At that moment, quite a few people cast their eyes his way, their faces full of envy.

To a saber wielder, a good blade was no different from a second life—more important even than the girls in the brothels who depended on them for support.

The others around them all carried ordinary broad sabers. Only Steward Chen and several other leaders from Sifang Medicine Workshop seemed to wield better weapons; everyone else used, at best, Ten-Refined Sabers.

After Steward Chen gave his final warnings, the group set out in full gear and headed straight for the west side of town.

Cao Hongzhuo was among them, carrying a long, narrow chopping saber. His body proportions were rather peculiar, but he moved with surprising agility, making for a somewhat comical sight.

Shen Xiu noticed that Cao Hongzhuo's eyes held even more excitement than his own.

After leaving town, the group crossed a shallow ford to the west and gradually disappeared into a forest. The road ahead became increasingly twisting and difficult to traverse.

Along this stretch, the group shed its earlier relaxed air and gradually became alert to their surroundings.

Cao Hongzhuo had said they were entering a Black Demon Bear stronghold this time. There were at least eight or nine Black Demon Bears inside, and if they were the slightest bit careless, their cart might overturn in the gutter.

Although they were still some distance from the expected Nether Valley, who knew whether some other unexpected situation might arise?

Unlike the others' vigilance, Shen Xiu grew increasingly excited inside.

To him, those were not little piles of money, but walking heaps of satiety and soaring proficiency.

As the group ventured deeper, the path wide enough for them to pass through narrowed. Weeds grew thick, and the ground was buried beneath layers of fallen branches and leaves, stretching without end.

Even the sky seemed to darken.

But if one looked up, one would find that the sky had not actually darkened. Rather, the dense branches overhead had grown ever thicker, squeezing out the light that fell through the gaps.

"We're here!"

Steward Chen's booming voice came from ahead.

Only then did everyone realize that, without noticing, they had stepped out of the dense woods. Before them lay a small valley.

Seeing this, Shen Xiu could not help but sigh in admiration.

After walking this entire way, no one would have imagined that there was a valley hidden here. For Sifang Medicine Workshop's people to discover such a secretive place had truly not been easy.

Otherwise, even if they had found it, they would not have dared come alone. As a gathering place for Black Demon Bears, there would not be merely one or two inside.

Upon reaching the destination, everyone began pairing off according to the prior arrangement. Only then did Shen Xiu notice that the gazes of the others passed over him, directly skipping him.

Clearly, they still doubted his strength and did not truly believe in him.

"Dong Qi, from Xiaoshui Town."

Seeing Shen Xiu standing alone, a sturdy man in a gray martial robe approached with a smile and introduced himself.

"Shen Xiu, from Taixi City."

In the end, Shen Xiu formed a pair with the lean, wiry man named Dong Qi.

Following Steward Chen's instructions, they began slowly pressing toward the inner side of the valley.

Yet the later arrangements gave Shen Xiu pause, because he realized that his position was not with the main force, but at the side and rear of the valley to provide support.

Clearly, his earlier hope of tempering himself and raising his saber proficiency through real combat had come to nothing.

"Brother Dong, when we kill the Black Demon Bears, could I take the lead first while you hold the line for me?"

After thinking it over, Shen Xiu smiled and discussed it with the muscular man beside him.

Dong Qi was taken aback upon hearing this, and before long, displeasure appeared on his face.

He had chosen to partner with Shen Xiu because Shen Xiu still looked young and inexperienced. He had intended to lend him a helping hand.

But now, it seemed Shen Xiu did not appreciate the gesture and even appeared somewhat overconfident.

One had to know that even they would have to expend considerable effort to deal with Black Demon Bears. None of them dared be careless.

The situation in battle changed in the blink of an eye. No one knew what might happen the next moment. Who would dare take everything upon themselves so boldly?

Dong Qi's expression naturally could not escape Shen Xiu's notice. Shen Xiu smiled and added, "I've just never killed a Black Demon Bear before, so I want to have my fill of killing them and gain some experience."

Hearing this, Dong Qi's expression gradually eased. If that was the case, it was understandable.

When he had first been able to hunt mutated beasts, he too had been extremely nervous and excited. The fact that Shen Xiu had restrained himself until now already exceeded his expectations.

"Fine. You can take the lead when the time comes."

With an understanding look, Dong Qi patted Shen Xiu on the shoulder. He felt that once this young man ran into a bit of trouble, he would naturally learn how high the sky was and how deep the earth.

As time passed, the group gradually approached the valley. After continuing farther inside for some distance, they soon spotted a patch of deep, gloomy woods.

At that moment, Steward Chen waved his hand. The people behind him scattered apart, maintaining a suitable distance as they formed a small encirclement.

Then, at Steward Chen's signal, two men behind him stepped forward and cautiously approached the woods before disappearing into the darkness shrouded by branches and leaves.

Cao Hongzhuo, meanwhile, remained where he was, his eyes wide as he stared fixedly at the forest.

Wooooo~

Not long after, the branches and leaves within the gloomy woods suddenly shook. The next instant, a sound like ghosts wailing and wolves howling rang out.

As if it came from another world, it was especially chilling!

The two men who had entered earlier appeared in view, fleeing blindly from the woods in a frantic sprint.

They were far from as calm as before.

Behind them followed three figures wrapped in black mist, their forms impossible to discern.

There was no doubt that these were Black Demon Bears, their bodies like iron and their hides thick and tough.

Yet their appearance was vastly different from ordinary wild bears. They had changed considerably, looking almost like Ghostly Charms.

At this sight, everyone immediately tensed, their expressions turning solemn.

For a moment, silence fell as they quietly waited for the three Black Demon Bears to enter the encirclement.

Shen Xiu also drew the long saber at his waist, licked his cracked lips, and ran his fingers over the indentation in the hilt. Excitement gleamed in his eyes.