Green Mountain Town

On the broad yellow dirt road, a young man slowly walked along, dressed in white, untouched by dust.

The young man was naturally Lin Qingyun. He had left one step ahead of Xiao Yan, and after following the main road for two or three days, he was already nearing the small town up ahead.

Green Mountain Town was the only small town close to the Monster Beast Mountain Range. Here, most people made their living by hunting monster beasts, and so they had opened up quite a few safe passages through the Monster Beast Mountain Range. Because of this, even some mercenary groups from Wutan City would choose to enter the Monster Beast Mountain Range from Green Mountain Town.

After walking straight ahead, with Lin Qingyun's foot speed, it took only about an hour before he saw the stone stele engraved with the three large characters "Green Mountain Town."

Walking along the street paved with bluestone, the most numerous people were those mercenaries who spent their days licking blood from the edge of a blade. They traveled in groups, arms hooked around one another, spittle flying as they talked loudly in the street without the slightest restraint, discussing which women in town had the most flavor, where the strongest liquor was, where the most ferocious monster beasts could be found...

A dashing young master in white looked rather out of place among this crowd. Especially after seeing that Lin Qingyun was alone, in no time at all, Lin Qingyun sensed quite a few tails hanging behind him.

This kind of thing was extremely common in Green Mountain Town, and Lin Qingyun was truly helpless about it. He quickened his steps a little and soon vanished at the end of the crowd.

Nor did he have any desire to wander around Green Mountain Town. Before long, Lin Qingyun arrived at another exit of the small town, and this place was also the entrance to the Monster Beast Mountain Range.

Within the Monster Beast Mountain Range, monster beasts roamed freely and danger lurked everywhere. A person walking alone inside was the easiest to be attacked by monster beasts. Therefore, mercenaries entering the mountains, apart from a few bold experts, mostly went in groups.

Perhaps Lin Qingyun could also be counted as one of those bold experts, but toward the unknown situation within the Monster Beast Mountain Range, he was still quite cautious. At the very least, Lin Qingyun did not think he had the ability to charge recklessly through the Monster Beast Mountain Range.

At the town exit, quite a few mercenaries had already gathered together, forming small groups one after another. Their shouts rang out as they continually called to lone mercenaries who wanted to enter the mountains.

The mercenaries in the small town could roughly be divided into three kinds. The first kind were mercenary groups that had already formed tight organizations. There were only three such mercenary groups in Green Mountain Town, each with more than a hundred members. Most of their members' strength was above Dou Zhe, and it was said that the leaders of the three mercenary groups were all Dou Shi-level experts. They could be considered one of the strongest forces in Green Mountain Town.

The second kind of mercenaries were some temporary mercenary teams. These teams usually disbanded after completing one mission, and their trust in one another as well as their tacit cooperation was far inferior to that of formal mercenary groups.

The third kind of mercenaries were those who acted alone. These people were all, without exception, quite powerful and capable of protecting themselves on the outskirts of the Monster Beast Mountain Range.

At this moment, the mercenaries shouting loudly at the town gate belonged to the second kind.

As for the choice of mercenary group, Lin Qingyun did not really care. He only wanted these people familiar with the Monster Beast Mountain Range to take him to a relatively safe place.

Just as Lin Qingyun was about to make a decision, however, a sudden commotion broke out at the town gate. An excited shout rang out: "Myriad Medicine Pavilion is entering the Monster Beast Mountain Range to gather herbs! Xiao Yi Xian will be traveling with them too! There are only fifty spots, and strength must be above Two-Star Dou Zhe! Everyone, hurry!"

The shout made the noisy town gate fall slightly silent. A moment later, everyone looked at one another, and those mercenaries who believed they met the requirements instantly rushed toward the middle-aged man dressed in Myriad Medicine Pavilion attire, scrambling to be first.

"Xiao Yi Xian? Heh heh, history really is astonishingly similar." Lin Qingyun froze for a moment, then also squeezed his way in.

It was not because of Xiao Yi Xian's reputation.

He simply wanted to see what Xiao Yi Xian looked like.

(Readers: Drink, ptooey, you old lecher.)

Xiao Yi Xian's name made the registration area especially crowded. The fifty spots almost had everyone fighting until their heads broke. However, relying on his powerful cultivation, Lin Qingyun directly forced back those who were squeezing in and slipped to the front all at once.

"There's still one last spot!" The middle-aged man smilingly waved the parchment scroll in his hand and said to the crowded mass with a grin.

"Me!" A slightly immature voice rang out in front of the middle-aged man.

"Huh?" Looking at the delicate-looking youth before him, who seemed to be only sixteen or seventeen, the middle-aged man was stunned. He immediately smiled and said, "Little brother, our condition requires Two-Star! Dou Zhe!" The middle-aged man specially emphasized the last four words, clearly not believing that a youth barely in his teens could meet such a condition.

Moreover, the gaze with which he looked Lin Qingyun up and down was filled with suspicion, as though this was yet another pampered young master who did not understand the ways of the world.

"Where did this little brat come from? Your hair hasn't even grown in, and you're already out wandering around!"

"Kid, hurry up and get aside. If you want to play, go play in those brothel places. Don't waste us big men's time."

Seeing that the last spot had actually been snatched by a young man, the mercenaries on the outside immediately shouted and cursed.

As if he had not heard these curses, Lin Qingyun slowly released his Dou Qi.

The milky-white Dou Qi slowly condensed over the surface of his body into a thin gauze robe.

The clamor instantly came to a stop. Everyone stared, dumbfounded, at the layer of Fighting Energy Gauze Robe on the young man's body.

Then they all retreated dozens of steps.

"This should be enough, right?"

Lin Qingyun tilted his head and looked at the middle-aged man with a soft laugh.

"Dou... Dou Shi!" The middle-aged man's throat moved as he swallowed a mouthful of saliva. His voice trembled slightly as he said excitedly, "My lord, withdraw your divine... I take back what I said just now. Please!"

The middle-aged man did not know what to say, and was even somewhat incoherent. A Dou Shi was a supreme big shot in Green Mountain Town. A small fry like him could not afford to offend one.

"My lord, are you from the Misty Cloud Sect? Heh heh, I'm afraid only the Misty Cloud Sect could nurture a genius like you." As he guided Lin Qingyun, the middle-aged man said with a chuckle.

From the corner of his eye, he kept glancing at Lin Qingyun, sizing up this young master who was clearly from elsewhere.

"Heh heh, you overpraise me. Compared with those senior brothers, my strength is insignificant." Lin Qingyun said with a faint smile, though a trace of arrogance also showed in his expression.

"You are too modest, my lord. On this trip, we will still need my lord to look after us a little. When we return, Myriad Medicine Pavilion will certainly offer a generous gift in thanks." The middle-aged man chuckled. Looking at the young master beside him, he was already certain that the person before him was definitely from the Misty Cloud Sect. Otherwise, in the entire Jia Ma Empire, it would probably be impossible to find such a young Dou Shi. At the thought that he might be able to make connections with a favored son of heaven from the Misty Cloud Sect, he formed a few plans in his heart.

"Heh heh, I still do not know my lord's name. May you tell me?" the middle-aged man said, his words carrying a measure of respect.

"Lu Xun!" Lin Qingyun said calmly.

"A fine name!"

In the silent forest, the large group moved quietly. Pairs of vigilant eyes continually swept over the dark areas among the surrounding trees, while hands tightly gripped the weapons at their waists, ready at any moment to deal with any sudden situation.

As mercenaries who spent years moving about the Monster Beast Mountain Range, even when cooperating for the first time, they could still maintain a basic tacit understanding. When their eyes met, they could also identify certain signals of danger and safety from the other party's gaze.

Lin Qingyun, however, walked with ease. When he was respectfully brought into the group by the middle-aged man and briefly introduced, he immediately became an honored guest.

A Dou Shi, and a genius from the Misty Cloud Sect at that. Wherever he went, he would be treated with respect.

Surrounded by many mercenaries, Lin Qingyun also saw head-on for the first time the woman whom countless people in Green Mountain Town called Xiao Yi Xian.

If one used the words of ancient poets from his previous life to describe her, then it would be:

Clouds recall her garments, flowers recall her face; the spring breeze brushes the railing as dew makes the blossoms rich. If she were not seen atop the Jade Mountain, she would be met beneath the moon on the Jade Terrace.

Yet this delicate beauty also happened to straighten slightly, the back of her hand gently wiping the beads of sweat on her forehead. Her lightly panting appearance, paired with that soft and beautiful cheek, truly made pity rise in the hearts of those who saw her.

Seeing Xiao Yi Xian reveal such an appearance, some of the mercenaries around immediately had the urge to carry her all the way to the destination on their backs. However, they also knew that even if they wanted to carry her, Xiao Yi Xian would only smilingly decline.

As everyone's gazes gathered on Xiao Yi Xian, a rather handsome young man walked out from the guard team at the side with a face full of smiles, lowered his head, and said something to the panting Xiao Yi Xian.

After the two conversed for a while, Xiao Yi Xian smiled and shook her head, then continued hurrying forward.

Having been refused by Xiao Yi Xian, that young man's face showed not the slightest anger. He only smiled faintly, then walked toward Lin Qingyun's direction.

"Haha, Brother Lu, are you feeling all right? If you feel unwell, we can stop and rest." As soon as he came over, the young man addressed him extremely warmly and said.

"No need!" Lin Qingyun said calmly.

The young man did not mind the former's coldness at all. However, when he saw Lin Qingyun's gaze remain fixed on Xiao Yi Xian, his expression changed slightly.

But he immediately smiled and said, "In that case, I will take my leave."

After saying this, he quickly walked to the front, waved his large hand, and shouted loudly, "Wolf Head people, all of you pay attention! We're about to enter the Monster Beast Mountain Range now. Don't capsize in the gutter!"

"Yes, Young Group Leader!"

Hearing the young man's shout, the dozens of burly men around immediately responded in unison. Their orderly voices drew repeated sidelong glances from everyone, and even Xiao Yi Xian, who was moving ahead, glanced back.

Very satisfied with this reaction, the young man smiled slightly, then quickened his steps again and walked shoulder to shoulder with Xiao Yi Xian, guarding her at close range with extreme attentiveness.

"Damn it, it's like this every time. Isn't he just relying on his father being the leader of the Wolf Head Mercenary Group? Does he really think that's enough to win Xiao Yi Xian's heart?" Seeing that young man who could go up and chat with Xiao Yi Xian, a mercenary man beside Lin Qingyun immediately cursed in a low voice.

Lin Qingyun also looked at that young man and saw the blue one-eyed wolf emblem on his chest, which represented the Wolf Head Mercenary Group, one of the three great mercenary groups of Green Mountain Town.

The mercenary man's cursing soon drew quiet agreement from some mercenaries.

After all, most of the people present held a certain fantasy toward Xiao Yi Xian, and that fantasy also fed into their emotions.

Lin Qingyun merely smiled.

The journey through the Monster Beast Mountain Range begins. Everyone, take a guess—what reward will appear from checking in within the Monster Beast Mountain Range?

Also, to explain why the protagonist can release a Fighting Energy Gauze Robe: it was mentioned in the first few chapters as well. Although the protagonist only has the strength of a Dou Zhe, the amount of Dou Qi stored in his body is equivalent to a Dou Shi's, so he also possesses some of a Dou Shi's basic methods.