Another Ferocious Beast

The morning mist had yet to disperse when the Martial Suppression Office's centurion courtyard was already bustling with noise.

The broad courtyard was paved with bluestone. Racks of weapons lined both sides, holding all manner of blades that gleamed with chilling light, while black Martial Suppression Office banners snapped sharply in the cool wind.

Including Lin Qing, every Martial Suppression Office martial artist who had received the order had assembled here. They all wore fitted black uniforms, standard-issue sabers at their waists. The fabric was tough and durable, with many marks of wear at the edges from years of training and combat.

The ranks stood in neat formations, their presence solemn and murderous.

This operation was led by Zhao Feng. Under his orders, he was to select fifty men to carry out the mission, and Shen Lie's squad, which included Lin Qing, was among them.

Before long, Zhao Feng emerged from the room. His sharp gaze swept across the orderly ranks in the courtyard, and the somewhat noisy yard instantly fell silent. Everyone held their breath and waited for him to speak.

With his hands behind his back, Zhao Feng slowly climbed the steps before the formation. His resonant voice pierced the morning mist and rang clearly in everyone's ears.

"Everyone has been summoned today by order of the Thousand Commander to handle the ferocious beast disaster in Azure Sun County."

Expressions shifted among the crowd. Ferocious beast disturbances had always been perilous, and a trace of gravity flashed through many eyes.

Zhao Feng began explaining the mission intelligence.

"Yesterday, the Martial Suppression Office in Azure Sun County sent an urgent report. Another high-tier ferocious beast has appeared in the Azure Sun Mountains. Following an initial investigation by the local Martial Suppression Office, it has been determined to be at the Early Third Tier."

"Xiao the Centurion, who had been stationed in Azure Sun County, had already reached the Third-Tier Peak in cultivation and recently formed his Blood-Qi River. Several days ago, he departed for the Martial Suppression Office in the Imperial City to receive a Fourth-Tier cultivation method. He is currently not in Azure Sun County."

"Therefore, Lord Qin Cang has ordered me to lead a team to eliminate the ferocious beast."

Zhao Feng's tone was stern, and his face grew increasingly cold.

"The news of this Third-Tier ferocious beast has not yet spread through the surrounding regions. Thus, we need not deal with other factions this time. We need only focus on slaying the beast."

"Everyone, immediately prepare your packs. We depart in half an hour. There must be no mistakes!"

"We obey the Centurion's order!"

The fifty martial artists answered in unison, their orderly voices echoing throughout the Martial Suppression Office.

Everyone swiftly returned to their rooms to pack. There was nothing more than dried rations, water, medicine for wounds, and their personal weapons. Before long, the team assembled once more.

After the headcount was completed, Zhao Feng swung onto his horse and tugged the reins. The black steed raised its head and neighed, then took the lead out through the Martial Suppression Office gates, followed closely by fifty black-clad mounted martial artists.

Along the wide official road, a group of black-clad martial artists galloped at full speed, the fierce wind whipping up their robes. Traveling merchants and commoners on the road hurriedly moved aside when they saw them.

The group endured wind and slept under the stars, spurring their horses onward day and night. Three days later, they entered Azure Sun County.

By the time the party arrived at Azure Sun County's Martial Suppression Office, dusk was approaching. The setting sun hung over the western hills, bathing all of Azure Sun County Town in a dim yellow afterglow.

Zhao Feng ordered the team to rest for the night at the Azure Sun County Martial Suppression Office and recover their strength. At dawn the next day, they would head directly into the Azure Sun Mountains to search for the Third-Tier ferocious beast's trail.

Lin Qing's circumstances differed somewhat from the others. When ordinary martial artists traveled, they merely needed to stop cultivating their methods, and their consumption of qi and blood would fall to the level of an ordinary person.

But Lin Qing had no wish to halt the circulation of his various cultivation methods. Every moment spent cultivating was precious beyond measure. Besides, the Second Tier was within reach. How could he wait?

Uninterrupted cultivation meant that his consumption of qi and blood far exceeded that of others.

Without drawing attention, he took a small jade bottle from within his close-fitting clothes. It held dozens of plump, round, crimson pills—the Third-Tier Blood-Qi Pills.

He had specifically asked Wang Qingwan to find someone to purchase them earlier, precisely to handle sudden situations like this, when it was inconvenient to consume ferocious beast meat.

However, Blood-Qi Pills offered extremely poor value for money.

Refining a single Third-Tier Blood-Qi Pill required not only one jin of Third-Tier Ferocious Beast Meat and over ten supplementary ingredients, but also a great deal of time for grinding, extraction, and a series of other complicated processes.

Yet the pill eventually condensed contained only as much qi and blood energy as half a jin of ferocious beast meat.

The losing conversion ratio and cumbersome production process made Blood-Qi Pills more expensive than ferocious beast meat of the same tier, despite producing only half the effect.

For that reason, few martial artists in the martial world were willing to buy Blood-Qi Pills. They were an obscure type of pill with abysmally poor value.

Yet these useless pills that others scorned were presently Lin Qing's best choice, since he refused to stop cultivating.

Night descended. The martial artists sat in groups within the Martial Suppression Office, eating as they chatted quietly, driving away the monotony and exhaustion of their days of travel.

Shi Man, straightforward by nature, took two bites of food before he could not help asking:

"Everyone, I've never understood this. Xiao the Centurion went all the way to the Imperial City for further study. Was he not afraid something would happen in Azure Sun County?"

Lu Xuan, seated nearby, set down his bowl and chopsticks and gave a light laugh.

"What? Old Zhang and Old Wang are stationed at the Martial Suppression Office in the prefectural city. Do you think the centurion office in Azure Sun County lacks Old Li and Old Zhou?"

"These seniors usually remain hidden within the office and do not concern themselves with trivial affairs. But if some blind fool truly dares provoke the Martial Suppression Office's authority, these seniors will naturally show them why flowers are so red."

Shi Man scratched his head and nodded as though he understood, then furrowed his brow and continued.

"Still, the Azure Sun Mountains are far too cursed. It has not even been half a year since that Fourth-Tier Savage Beast caused trouble, yet now another Third-Tier ferocious beast has appeared."

"That Fourth-Tier Savage Beast drew many factions here last time, and a chaotic battle broke out in the end. Our Martial Suppression Office lost quite a few brothers. Who knows how many brothers will remain in those mountains after we enter them this time?"

"Shut your mouth! All you ever say is unlucky nonsense!"

Shen Lie immediately glared at Shi Man from the side.

As the squad leader, Shen Lie saw far more clearly than ordinary members. He set down his bowl and chopsticks and spoke to reassure them.

"The reason we suffered such grievous casualties last time was ultimately because news leaked out and attracted many outside factions. With multiple forces fighting in chaos, the situation spiraled out of control, causing such heavy losses."

"But this time is different. News of the ferocious beast has not spread widely, and no other factions will interfere. The danger is naturally much lower."

"When the time comes, Centurion Zhao will personally slay that Third-Tier ferocious beast. We only need to hold the perimeter, clear out wandering low-tier ferocious beasts, and remain wary of the local Demon Hunting Teams."

Shi Man scratched his head and pressed on.

"Lord Shen, there is something else I do not understand. Why do those martial world factions dare contend with our Martial Suppression Office? We suffered heavy casualties in the last melee. By rights, the court's authority cannot be violated. Why were they not held accountable and purged afterward?"

Shen Lie explained calmly.

"When martial artists cause disorder, use their strength to oppress the weak, and harm the common people, that is a man-made calamity and a grave crime against the law. The Martial Suppression Office will certainly suppress it with all its strength and never show mercy."

"But hunting ferocious beasts in the mountains is a contest for opportunities, where everyone relies on their own abilities. The Martial Suppression Office belongs to the court, but once we enter the mountains, we are merely one faction participating in the struggle for treasure."

"If, whenever an opportunity appeared, the Martial Suppression Office arrived and everyone else had to offer it up with both hands, then over time, it would inevitably provoke resistance from the entire martial world."

"After weighing the pros and cons, the imperial court tacitly accepted this rule. Thus, although the Martial Suppression Office suffered severe losses in the last melee, it was considered a normal battle between factions fighting for treasure, so naturally there was no subsequent reckoning or purge."

At this point, Shen Lie's tone suddenly turned stern as he solemnly warned everyone.

"After entering the mountains tomorrow, you must remember this well. Once you are in the mountains, those Demon Hunting Team members will not give a damn about the official uniforms on your backs!"

Everyone nodded in response. Ferocious beasts were not the only danger in the mountains.

The next day, before dawn had broken, the Martial Suppression Office's team had already assembled. Azure Sun County's Martial Suppression Office also sent over fifty men, all placed under Zhao Feng's command.

After a brief pre-battle speech, Zhao Feng ordered the team to depart.

Azure Sun County was less than half a day's journey from the Azure Sun Mountains. The group rode hard and arrived at the foot of Azure Sun Mountain around noon.

Ancient trees layered upon layer covered the sky and blotted out the sun. Chilling gusts swept through the mountain, carrying an ancient and perilous aura.

Zhao Feng raised his eyes toward the vast Azure Sun Mountains and gave the order with a cold expression.

"All personnel, enter the mountain! Search layer by layer, and do not overlook a single suspicious trace!"

As his words fell, squads of Martial Suppression Office martial artists entered the peril-ridden Azure Sun Mountains in neat and orderly ranks.