Council Hall

After lunch, Lu Shaolin was truly bored, so he had Ma San go to the new village chief's house to borrow a bow and arrows.

Ma San nodded. He was well familiar with this sort of thing.

Before long, Ma San returned carrying a bow and arrows.

Lu Shaolin took Ma San and Feng Tie hunting, instructing the remaining three to teach Li Cai how to ride. Since they had nothing else to do, he might as well learn early so he could be useful when it mattered.

Once they entered the forest, the three chatted as they searched for signs of prey.

Two hours later, Lu Shaolin called off the hunt.

The three descended the mountain with prey of all sizes.

Chen Family Ravine truly deserved its location deep in the mountains; the mountain was teeming with game. Lu Shaolin had even shot a mountain leopard, which Feng Tie was carrying over his shoulder.

After returning to their encampment, Feng Tie and Ma San began preparing the game.

The others were also quite delighted. They could have a feast that night.

After cleaning the pheasants, wild rabbits, and leopard meat and handing them to the cook, they waited for the meal.

Li Cai paid out of his own pocket to buy two jugs of rice wine from the villagers.

Once the food was ready, the seven gathered around the stone table to eat, drink, and chat, enjoying themselves immensely!

After eating, Lu Shaolin went straight to sleep. Feng Tie and Ma San would discuss and settle the matter of the night watch themselves.

If they encountered trouble they could not handle, they would naturally notify Lu Shaolin.

The night passed without incident.

The next morning, after breakfast, Lu Shaolin greeted the six men and headed straight for the county seat with the pelts and the weasel ears.

Riding at full speed, he did not reach the county gates until noon.

Lu Shaolin did not even dismount, riding directly to the entrance of Qiu Fur Shop.

After jumping down from his horse, Lu Shaolin entered the shop with the leopard pelt and weasel pelt.

The clerk looked up and immediately smiled. "Are you here to sell furs, sir?"

"Is Qiu Shopkeeper here?"

Lu Shaolin asked with a smile.

"He is, he is. Please wait a moment, I'll fetch him right away!"

The clerk replied repeatedly before ducking into the back room.

Before long, Qiu Shopkeeper emerged. He still wore his round cap and goat beard, with a smile on his face.

"Hmm? This customer looks rather familiar!"

Qiu Shopkeeper blinked and carefully examined Lu Shaolin.

"Qiu Shopkeeper, I'm Lu Shaolin!"

Lu Shaolin replied with a smile.

"It's you! The Lu family boy!"

Qiu Shopkeeper's eyes widened in disbelief.

"It has only been half a month, yet your physique has changed so drastically. It's truly astonishing!"

Qiu Shopkeeper said in surprise.

"I joined the Blackwater Gang and began practicing martial arts, so the changes have been considerable."

"I see. Joining a gang is good too. You can train your body through martial arts and earn an income."

"Qiu Shopkeeper, I got two pelts this time. Just name a price as you see fit."

Lu Shaolin handed over the pelts.

Qiu Shopkeeper accepted them, first examining the mountain leopard pelt. He nodded and set it aside.

Then he picked up the weasel pelt. The longer he looked, the tighter his brow furrowed. At last, he put it down and looked at Lu Shaolin. "Boy Lu, what kind of animal did this pelt come from?"

"A weasel."

Lu Shaolin replied with a faint smile.

"A weasel? How could a weasel be this large? It's nearly the size of an ordinary gray wolf."

Qiu Shopkeeper was astonished once again.

"Heh heh, this weasel had become a spirit, so I slaughtered it!"

Lu Shaolin said with a chuckle.

"No wonder its fur is so smooth and soft. It's practically comparable to marten fur."

Qiu Shopkeeper said as he stroked the pelt.

"How about this? Twenty taels of silver for the weasel pelt, and five taels for the mountain leopard pelt. What do you think?"

"Of course I trust Qiu Shopkeeper's word."

Lu Shaolin nodded.

Qiu Shopkeeper then brought out twenty-five taels of silver, and Lu Shaolin reached out to accept them.

"Boy Lu, if you get any more pelts like this weasel's, be sure to bring them here. I certainly won't short you on silver."

Qiu Shopkeeper specifically reminded him.

It seemed spirit beast pelts were quite valuable!

"Don't worry. Other than your shop, I don't recognize any others."

Lu Shaolin replied with a smile.

"Qiu Shopkeeper, I'll be taking my leave."

Lu Shaolin clasped his hands, walked out of the shop, mounted his horse, and kicked its belly. The black-maned horse trotted forward.

He casually found a roadside stall to settle his breakfast, then rode toward the docks.

He still had an ear to exchange at the External Affairs Hall!

When he arrived at the Water Fortress and entered the External Affairs Hall, he happened to run into Ouyang Sheng.

What a small world!

Ouyang Sheng gave Lu Shaolin a smug smile.

Smile at your mother!

A fire rose in Lu Shaolin's heart, and he added Ouyang Sheng to his must-kill list.

"How much silver can this be exchanged for?"

Lu Shaolin took out the weasel's ear and placed it on the counter.

The dark-faced man picked up the ear and examined it, then took out an illustrated guide to compare it against. "A spirit weasel. Twenty taels of silver."

"Tu Heizi, could you have mistaken it? In my opinion, this is just a wolf ear. You should be careful not to let this man deceive you! How could someone of his strength possibly kill a spirit beast?"

Before Lu Shaolin could speak, Ouyang Sheng cut in with a mocking tone.

As he spoke, he shot Lu Shaolin a sidelong glance.

"Young Master Ouyang, I cannot be mistaken. Besides, there is an illustrated guide for comparison."

The dark-faced man, Tu Heizi, replied gravely.

"Leave it here for now. We can discuss it after Steward Zhao, Deputy Hall Master Chen, and my father return from the Council Hall next door."

Ouyang Sheng said arrogantly, his nostrils raised toward the sky.

"That would be against the rules!"

Tu Heizi replied.

"What rules? You, Tu Heizi, are far too rigid."

Ouyang Sheng said angrily.

Lu Shaolin's fury flared as he listened. He said coldly, "You claim I lack the strength to kill a spirit beast. Then do you dare spar with me?"

"You... Hmph, I, Ouyang Sheng, am not a brute like you who knows only fighting and killing!"

Ouyang Sheng looked at Lu Shaolin's burly frame and snorted coldly.

"So you're a coward. As the son of a hall master, you don't even have the courage to spar. You've utterly disgraced your father—or perhaps your father is a coward too?"

Lu Shaolin mocked.

"You're courting death!"

Ouyang Sheng's face flushed red with rage. He drew his longsword and thrust it straight at Lu Shaolin's chest.

Disdain filled Lu Shaolin's eyes. In his view, Ouyang Sheng was far too slow!

Just as the longsword was about to pierce his chest and delight appeared in Ouyang Sheng's eyes, Lu Shaolin flicked his spear. With a clang, he knocked the sword aside.

Then his right hand shot out like lightning and seized Ouyang Sheng by the neck. His thigh muscles suddenly tensed as he bent forward and charged, using Ouyang Sheng as a shield to smash into the wooden partition behind him.

With a thunderous bang, wood chips flew everywhere. The double-layered hardwood partition was smashed through, and Ouyang Sheng and Lu Shaolin appeared in the Council Hall at the same time.

Only Lu Shaolin was standing, while Ouyang Sheng lay on the ground with blood at the corner of his mouth.

"Who goes there?"

An imposing white-haired, black-bearded elder seated on the throne at the head of the hall shouted.

As soon as his voice fell, an enraged roar rang out: "Sheng'er!"

Ouyang Zheng's eyes nearly split with rage. He looked at Ouyang Sheng lying on the ground, then at the calm-faced Lu Shaolin. With a clang, he drew his longsword, tapped the ground repeatedly with both feet, and charged at Lu Shaolin.

Lu Shaolin's gaze sharpened. This old bastard is fast. Is that lightness skill?

Ouyang Zheng's sword flashed as it stabbed toward Lu Shaolin's throat.

Lu Shaolin paid it no heed. His eyes instantly turned bloodshot as he entered the Berserk State, and his spear howled toward Ouyang Zheng's head.

A sword was nowhere near as long as a spear!