Selling the Black-Patterned Leopard

Half an hour later, at the town gates.

The pedestrians entering and leaving the town saw Lin Fan rapidly approaching from afar, carrying a massive Black-Patterned Leopard in one hand. Their pupils shrank as they hurriedly moved aside, their faces filled with shock.

An ordinary martial artist might never hunt a true Ferocious Beast in an entire lifetime, yet this youth had carried a whole Black-Patterned Leopard here alone in one hand. Fresh blood still stained the leopard's body. It had clearly been killed not long ago. This youth had to be a martial artist of profound cultivation.

Lin Fan kept his gaze straight ahead and walked with unhurried steps into the town. He passed through street after street until he arrived before the familiar Su Family Shop.

The moment he stepped through the door, a maid inside recognized him at once. Her expression changed slightly, and she hurriedly discreetly moved an ornament on the wall to send a message.

Lin Fan set down the Black-Patterned Leopard corpse he carried. After waiting a moment, Su Qingwei slowly descended from upstairs, dressed today in a lotus-purple silk dress. The pearls by her ears trembled lightly with each step. The young woman's bearing was clear and gentle, her skin lustrous and fair as jade.

As she came down the stairs, Su Qingwei's gaze fell upon the Black-Patterned Leopard corpse lying on its side beside Lin Fan. A flash of extreme shock instantly crossed her calm, tranquil eyes.

Her steps paused slightly. She walked around the counter and quickly approached him. "Young Master Lin... this is a Black-Patterned Leopard Ferocious Beast?!"

Su Qingwei carefully examined the Black-Patterned Leopard on the ground. Its fur was jet-black and glossy, the dark patterns across its body wholly intact. Other than one spot above its head, there was not the slightest damage anywhere on its body. It could practically be called flawless from head to toe.

"Indeed. I went into the mountains this morning and casually hunted it. Its pelt is fairly intact, and its quality is decent enough. I imagine the Su Family Shop would be willing to take it," Lin Fan replied.

Su Qingwei crouched down, her slender jade-like fingers lightly brushing over the Black-Patterned Leopard's smooth, taut fur. The powerful aura lingering on its body deeply revealed that it was a Ferocious Beast. "This Black-Patterned Leopard Ferocious Beast that you hunted is of such perfect quality..." Su Qingwei softly praised.

The Ferocious Beasts hunted by ordinary martial artists either had their hides torn open by weapons or their tendons and bones shattered by brute force. Their pelts were mostly damaged and incomplete, their value slashed by more than half. But this Black-Patterned Leopard hunted by Lin Fan had no wounds anywhere apart from the spot above its head. It had obviously been killed in a single blow, displaying the hunter's superb strength.

What was even rarer was that Black-Patterned Leopard Ferocious Beasts had beautiful lines, with naturally matte, ink-black glossy patterns in their fur. Clothes and bags made from their pelts were beloved by many wealthy ladies and female martial artists, making them exceedingly sought after. Even items made from the fur of ordinary wild leopards could fetch a good price, let alone a Ferocious Beast leopard. It would likely sell for an astronomical sum.

Su Qingwei composed herself and smiled gently at Lin Fan. "Young Master Lin, this Black-Patterned Leopard is of top-grade quality. An ordinary damaged Black-Patterned Leopard Ferocious Beast usually sells for around fifteen hundred taels on the market. But yours has an intact pelt, abundant essence blood, and not the slightest damage. It is exceptionally rare."

Su Qingwei then pondered briefly. "The Su Family can offer you the highest price—two thousand six hundred taels of silver."

The maid standing nearby felt her heart tremble. A hunter from an ordinary mountain village outside the town could not save even a hundred taels of silver in an entire lifetime, yet Lin Fan had sold this one Black-Patterned Leopard for a sky-high price of nearly three thousand taels.

"Alright." This price was much higher than Lin Fan had expected.

Seeing how straightforward he was, Su Qingwei's heart warmed slightly. Smiling, she added, "Young Master Lin's cultivation is formidable. If you capture other Ferocious Beasts in the future, the Su Family Shop would be willing to purchase them from you at the highest price."

After saying that, she looked toward the maid beside her. "Fetch two thousand eight hundred taels of silver in full and count it out for Young Master Lin." The maid hurriedly acknowledged and left in haste.

The shop fell silent for a moment. Only Lin Fan and Su Qingwei remained.

For some reason, the atmosphere in the shop became somewhat subtle.

Su Qingwei raised her eyes to look at the youth before her. He stood tall and straight, his bearing steady. Though he was clearly still so young and possessed such powerful cultivation, he remained calm and indifferent, without the slightest trace of arrogance.

Her eyes flickered slightly as she spoke softly. "Young Master Lin's strength has improved so quickly that every time Qingwei sees you, I am even more astonished. At such an age, you can slay a Black-Patterned Leopard Ferocious Beast alone. Within a hundred li of this town, no one can compare to you, Young Master."

Lin Fan's face reddened at her words. "Miss Su flatters me."

It was truly the first time someone had praised him so highly, and Lin Fan was still somewhat unaccustomed to it. He could only keep his eyes on his nose and his nose on his heart, not daring to look at Su Qingwei again.

Before long, the maid returned with several Su Family servants. Lin Fan finished counting the silver, wrapped it in a bundle, and slung it over his shoulder. He gave Su Qingwei a slight cupped-fist salute.

"Miss Su, I shall take my leave first."

Su Qingwei smiled faintly, her brows and eyes gentle as water. "Young Master Lin, be careful on the road. Take care."

Watching the youth's tall, carefree figure step out of the shop, Su Qingwei stood where she was for a long time without moving. The composure she had shown during their conversation gradually faded away. The young woman lowered her eyes, her long lashes trembling lightly, while a faint blush quietly spread over the tips of her ears. It had clearly been only a transaction, yet the image of the youth kept surfacing in her mind again and again. It was as though something had lightly struck her heart. Her tangled thoughts quietly grew, and she gazed at the street outside the door through which he had just departed, unwilling to look away for a long while.

Deep within the town, inside a luxurious courtyard, a burly middle-aged man sat in a grand chair, chatting with someone beside him.

Before the hall, a gang member hurried over.

"Gang Leader, we have learned that Lin Fan entered the mountains alone today and returned after half a day. He killed an intact Black-Patterned Leopard Ferocious Beast with a single strike! He has just sold it at the Su Family Shop for the high price of two thousand eight hundred taels!!"

That burly middle-aged man was the leader of the White Ram Gang, as well as the White Ram Gang's only Bone Tempering Realm expert. He was at the middle stage of the Bone Tempering Realm. After learning of Lin Fan from Fang Steward, he had ordered people to begin investigating Lin Fan.

The burly man known as the gang leader frowned. A Black-Patterned Leopard was a Skin Tempering Realm Ferocious Beast. Its hide and flesh were tough, and it was incredibly fast. Even ordinary Sinew Tempering martial artists could do nothing against one. Yet that youth named Lin Fan had entered the mountains and, in less than half a day, killed a Black-Patterned Leopard Ferocious Beast with one blow. Since when had such a genius martial arts expert appeared in this town?

After hearing Fang Steward's analysis and the matter of the opportunity Fang Steward had mentioned, the middle-aged man was tempted as well. If he could seize it, then after obtaining it, he might have hope of breaking into the Bright Force Realm.

But he himself was only at the middle stage of the Bone Tempering Realm. If he acted alone, it would still not be secure enough. The middle-aged man pondered. "I should contact more Bone Tempering Realm experts and head to Small Mountain Village together to surround and kill this youth."

At this moment,

Lin Fan, who had just obtained more than two thousand taels of silver and was eagerly hurrying toward Small Mountain Village, remained completely unaware that danger was quietly closing in on him.