Corpse Wraiths Appear, Drawing a Big Pie

The next day, the sun shone brightly and the breeze was gentle.

Chu He pushed open the window. The noisy clamor of vendors and their cries poured in like an autumn wind, while figures surged through the street below in an endless stream.

There was no threat of wraiths here. The towering city walls kept out the harshness beyond, making everything seem so peaceful and full of life.

Chu He stretched lazily. It had been a rare good night's sleep.

His gaze shifted left toward several rows of tightly shut windows. His eyes narrowed, revealing a faint glint that was hard to notice.

Those were the rooms where Mo Qi and his group were staying. Something had happened this morning; they had suddenly left the inn early. Though they had moved quietly, they could not escape Chu He's keen ears.

Did they really go to the Misty Forest?

When Mo Qi had come to ask yesterday, Chu He had frankly told him about the enormous creature he had seen in the clouds that night. Although the other man had said nothing in the end, Chu He had read the answer from his movements.

That unknown giant beast was the Black Python Wyrm they had spoken of!

Mo Qi had not made Chu He answer for nothing. He had given him two taels of silver, though compared to Yao Yuzhi, he was far stingier.

After tidying himself up, Chu He went downstairs to have breakfast.

As he passed the stairway corner and looked up, he spotted a shifty-looking kid peering into the inn from the entrance.

The waiter had picked up a broom. As he swept the floor, he kept a wary eye on that sneaky fellow by the door.

"Hey, big brother!"

The moment he saw Chu He, Little Four immediately jumped into the inn. But he pulled at the wounds on his unhealed knees, making him bare his teeth in pain.

Seeing that he knew the guest, the waiter no longer watched him so warily. Besides, this was the honored guest who had worked the kitchen staff to the bone last night.

"Don't call me that. I never planned to take in any underlings."

Chu He lifted his eyelids and drew a clear line between them.

"Don't be like that, Boss. I'm following you from now on."

Little Four snatched the teapot from the waiter and eagerly poured Chu He a cup. "This time, I came with sincerity."

Chu He said nothing and merely took a light sip of tea.

"Well, hehe..."

Seeing that Chu He did not respond, Little Four smiled awkwardly. "After I went back yesterday, I finally found out why Chen Ze hadn't called Liu Yiyang over."

At this point, Little Four looked around. When he saw the waiter with his ears pricked up to eavesdrop, he turned and glared at him.

The waiter shrank his neck and, disappointed, dragged his broom elsewhere to continue sweeping.

"I heard some old hands from the gang say that the Misty Forest has started growing restless. Several villages have been wiped out one after another these past few days, and more corpse wraiths have appeared around Black River Town. Those wraiths are extremely troublesome. The Martial Tower suspects that the destruction of those villages may be connected to the growing number of corpse wraiths..."

After saying that, Little Four's mouth felt dry. Just as he was about to take a sip of tea—

Chu He pressed down the hand he was using to pour tea, his gaze sharpening slightly.

"Go on."

Hearing Chu He finally speak, Little Four was greatly encouraged. He hurriedly continued, "Liu Yiyang didn't come yesterday because the Martial Tower summoned him to discuss the specifics. He only returned home this morning, and as soon as he got back, he told us to keep our heads down lately. There may be some major moves from above."

A thoughtful look appeared on Chu He's face as countless thoughts flashed through his mind.

Come to think of it, he had encountered quite a few corpse wraiths himself. Not only the few wraiths in that village, but also that emaciated female corpse.

Corpse wraiths were a very special kind of wraith. In their phantom-soul state, they might not differ much from ordinary low-level wraiths. But once they occupied a corpse, they became corpse wraiths in the truest sense.

These wraiths often controlled corpses, multiplied rapidly, and moved in groups. In the end, they were like a tide of corpses, unafraid of death.

Encountering such a corpse horde outside was always a terrible headache.

Unfortunately, Chu He had barely encountered any.

"So Black River Town won't be peaceful for a while."

Chu He murmured softly. He suddenly sensed that beneath Black River Town's calm surface, an enormous upheaval was brewing, like wind and rain before a storm.

He turned to Little Four and suddenly said, "That information came at a good time. Next time you come, tell me directly if you have any important news."

"Next time..."

Little Four's face fell. "But, Boss, I..."

"For now, keep staying in your gang." Chu He felt that rather than keeping Little Four at his side to serve tea and water, it would be better to let him remain where he was and continue gathering intelligence for him.

"So, Boss, you don't plan to go after Liu Yiyang anymore?"

Hearing Chu He's words, Little Four's expression changed slightly.

"I don't have any deep-seated grudge against him. He hasn't actively provoked me either, so why would I deliberately go looking for trouble with him?"

Chu He rubbed the tabletop and said blandly, "I may be staying at the Armor Forging Hall for some time. I'll contact you myself next time."

"You're from the Armor Forging Hall?!"

Little Four caught an important piece of information and cried out in a low voice.

He had initially felt disappointed and regretful when he thought Chu He would not trouble Liu Yiyang. The reason he wanted to acknowledge Chu He as his boss was not only because of Chu He's cultivation; he had also hoped that when Chu He looted Liu Yiyang, he might get a sip of the broth for being the one who had shown him the way.

But after Chu He revealed that he was from the Armor Forging Hall, Little Four instantly changed his mind. His resolve to cling tightly to Chu He only grew firmer.

Unlike the Armor Forging Hall, the Martial Tower looked grand and impressive, but in truth, anyone with a bit of strength could join. They refused no one.

Aside from the Martial Tower's master and deputy master, along with their few capable branches, the rest were merely a motley rabble of mixed quality.

Liu Yiyang was one of them.

The Armor Forging Hall, on the other hand, was different. It only took in two apprentices every few years, and every one of them was both a martial arts expert and a master at making money.

Chu He touched his nose and remained silent.

Though his entry into the Armor Forging Hall was still nowhere in sight, that did not stop Chu He from drawing a big pie and giving Little Four beautiful fantasies.

In truth, Little Four's presence was neither here nor there to Chu He. What he valued was the mixed bag of people around Little Four. It was often in such environments that one could uncover the truest intelligence about Black River Town.

Clang!

With a casual reach, Chu He took out the two taels of silver Mo Qi had given him last night and tossed them onto the table. The two pieces of broken silver rolled over to Little Four.

"I won't have you gather information for nothing. From now on, I'll give you different rewards depending on how important the information you bring is."

Little Four had wanted to decline, but the silver was too tempting.

After only a brief hesitation, he waved his hand and accepted it.

"Fine, Boss. Leave these little matters to me from now on."

Little Four patted his chest and declared righteously.

He automatically ignored the question of why Chu He, if he were truly from the Armor Forging Hall, was dressed like a country bumpkin and so short of money that he had resorted to robbery.

Perhaps he had thought about all of that...

But did he dare question or contradict a Furnace Realm expert?

"Don't call me Boss. I won't take you on as an underling. We're only partners now. This kind of relationship built on mutual benefit is the most reliable." Chu He did not want too many entanglements with others.

Especially not with a turncoat like Little Four, who had a record of betrayal.

Looking at the sky outside the window, Chu He finished the tea in his cup. He then raised his head and looked at the disappointed Little Four before him. "I have something for you to do now. Go back and ask around carefully for any information concerning giant beasts nearby, or anything involving the Black Python Wyrm."