"Last month, there were rumors that a five-year-old Jade Lingzhi had appeared in the Martial Academy, but a mysterious buyer bought it before we could act. It seems that buyer was someone from the Sun Family.
Go investigate whether the Sun Family has been short of funds lately and whether they've been selling off any properties. If possible, buy them up cheaply..."
Storm clouds gathered over the County Town, but none of that could affect Zhao Er, who had already entered the Mountain Range.
By now, he had ventured deep into the Mountain Range, heading straight northeast.
The intelligence placed the swamp a hundred and eighty li to the northeast, but once he entered the Mountain Range, finding it was still extremely difficult, even with a confirmed direction.
Besides, White Marten wasn't leading the way this time, so he couldn't avoid certain dangers.
Fortunately, martial artists frequently explored this stretch near the County Town, and he encountered no particularly formidable variant beasts.
As for the wild beasts he met along the way, Zhao Er avoided them whenever possible. Those he couldn't avoid, he dispatched in passing.
Unfortunately, ordinary wild beasts had few valuable materials, and he couldn't possibly carry them along or turn back just for some meat.
So by the time Zhao Er finally found the swamp, the only addition to his bundle was a tiger whip.
"Finally found it... You've been playing the whole way here. Isn't it time you scouted ahead? Go find a hollow—the kind full of water!"
Looking at the swamp before him, Zhao Er took White Marten off his shoulder and gestured with his hands, clearly asking the little creature to help find the hollow.
"Ya, ya, ya~~"
But White Marten clung tightly to Zhao Er's arm, wheedling incessantly and refusing to enter