[Old Li froze for a moment. "What do we need the cubs for?"]
[You looked at him without speaking.]
[This brainless fool had actually mocked you for buying the Evergreen Art.]
[You looked at Old Woman, and sure enough, she understood. She slapped her thigh. "Good idea! With their cubs in our hands, the adult leopards will have to jump into the trap even if they know it's there!"]
[Only then did Old Li understand, his eyes lighting up. "Right, right! Azure-Patterned Leopards protect their cubs. If the cubs are taken, they'll go mad looking for them. All we have to do is set our ambush. If one comes, we kill one; if two come, we kill the pair!"]
[You added, "We kill them in batches, not fight them head-on."]
[Old Woman nodded and began working things out. "Then we need to find their den first, and figure out the adults' movements..."]
[Old Li thumped his chest. "Leave finding the den to me! After all these years at Gathered Worthies Manor, I know exactly what's on every hill!"]
[You watched the two of them launch into an animated discussion, silently picked up your bowl, and finished the last mouthful of noodles. Old Li might have been brainless, but his cooking really was beyond reproach.]
[Three days later, you found the Azure-Patterned Leopards' den.]
[You crouched on the hillside opposite the cave for a full day and night, finally getting a clear picture of the situation.]
[There were four adult Azure-Patterned Leopards in total, two males and two females. Every dawn and dusk, two went out together to forage, leaving two in the den to guard the cubs.]
[There were six cubs in total, so recently born that their eyes had yet to open.]
[The plan was a great success. You were all seasoned demon hunters, so carrying it out naturally took no effort.]
[Old Woman was naturally the best choice to steal the cubs.]
[She lived up to expectations, successfully carrying all six cubs back. You immediately split up, placing the cubs where you had laid the traps and waiting for the Azure-Patterned Leopards to come to their deaths one by one.]
[You disposed of the first Azure-Patterned Leopard almost effortlessly. But once the scent of blood spread, the second leopard seemed to smell danger and grew wary. It took a great deal of effort before you killed the second leopard as well.]
[The third followed right after. You stood on the flank, unleashing the Changfeng Fist again and again until you were nearly spent. Old Li and Old Woman were exhausted too. When the third Azure-Patterned Leopard crashed to the ground, all three of you slumped onto the ground, gasping for breath.]
[Old Li wiped the blood from his face and grinned. "Just one left. Once we finish it off, we can call it a day! Eight thousand taels of silver! That's eight thousand taels of silver, plus six cubs! With this windfall, we'll never have to hunt demons with our heads tied to our belts again for the rest of our lives."]
[At dusk, the last leopard finally arrived.]
[It sniffed along the way, seemingly still searching for traces of its cubs.]
[You crouched on a tree branch and exchanged a glance with Old Li, who gave you a look that said, "No problem."]
[Thirty paces. Twenty paces. Ten paces-]
[Boom!]
[The trap sprang, and a large net shot up from the ground, dropping over the Azure-Patterned Leopard's head.]
[At the same time, you and Old Li leaped down from the trees while Old Woman circled in from the flank. The three of you formed a three-pronged formation, cutting off every retreat.]
[The Azure-Patterned Leopard roared in fury, tearing at the net with its sharp claws and ripping an opening in just a few swipes. But that brief moment was enough. Old Li's Mountain-Suppressing Fist hurtled toward its eyes.]
[You seized the opening to attack, severing the Azure-Patterned Leopard's hind leg with a single sword stroke.]
[Although you knew no martial techniques for it, swinging a sword was no problem. An acquired-realm Martial Artist already possessed immense strength, and the Azure-Patterned Leopard was completely unprepared. In an instant, blood sprayed!]
[The Azure-Patterned Leopard let out a shrill howl and made a desperate final struggle, twisting around to swipe a claw at you, the closest person to it.]
[Fortunately, your reactions were extremely fast. In an instant, you darted several zhang away.]
[You had only just breathed a sigh of relief when you saw a streak of fist-light hurtling straight toward your chest! Its appearance was unmistakably... Old Li's Mountain-Suppressing Fist!]
[Your pupils contracted sharply. You could scarcely believe your eyes!]
[His timing was perfect. You had just dodged the Azure-Patterned Leopard's dying counterattack and had yet to steady yourself. There was no time at all to dodge again.]
["Xiao Rong-!"]
[You heard Old Woman let out a heart-rending cry and saw her rush toward you, but she was too far away to do anything in time.]
[You fell backward, spraying a mouthful of blood over the withered yellow leaves in a shocking splash. Unable even to scream, you struck the ground heavily, twitched twice, and lay still.]
[You were dead.]
[You were pretending.]
[At that critical moment, the Cloud-Treading Crossing Old Woman had given you saved your life.]
[You had indeed been unsteady, but falling backward was certainly no problem.]
[As a superior-grade mortal-tier martial technique, Cloud-Treading Crossing ran on a single principle from beginning to end-staying alive!]
[This knack for lying down anywhere and everywhere was precisely what you had developed over the past two years of practicing Cloud-Treading Crossing.]
[The force of that punch looked as though it had struck you, but it had actually skimmed past your chest. As for the blood...]
[You were an acquired-realm Martial Artist. How hard could forcing out a mouthful of blood be?]
[You kept your eyes open and lay motionless, looking every bit like someone who had died with her eyes still open. Over the past few years, you had dealt with no shortage of demons and monsters in human guise. Add in your memories of the previous simulation, and your acting had reached the realm of the sublime.]
[Old Li noticed nothing amiss. He stood three zhang away, still holding his punching stance, with that same simple, honest expression on his face.]
[He withdrew his fist, dusted nonexistent dirt from his hands, and sighed. "Old Woman, don't blame me for being ruthless. It's just... this deal is too big. Splitting it between two is better than splitting it between three."]
[Old Woman opened her mouth, but it was as though cotton had been stuffed into her throat. She could not squeeze out a single word.]
["That boy from the Zuo Household is offering eight thousand taels." Old Li smiled. "Someone else will buy those six cubs, at this much apiece."]
[He held up one finger, his smile growing even brighter. "One thousand taels per cub. Six cubs make six thousand taels. Old Woman, work it out. How much is that?"]
[The Azure-Patterned Leopard had lost too much blood from its severed leg and had already fallen silent.]
[Old Li glanced at it, then turned back to Old Woman. He sighed, his tone carrying that concern unique to family, just as when he usually urged you not to practice the Evergreen Art. "What does that girl know besides one move of the Changfeng Fist? Hasn't she been relying on the two of us for everything? I'm perfectly willing to share this silver with you, but why should she get any?"]
[You heard Old Woman remain silent for a long while before finally saying, "Old Li, skin them and go turn in the job."]
[Old Li stared at Old Woman for a long while, his expression shifting several times before he finally revealed that familiar, simple, honest smile. "Old Woman, I really underestimated you."]
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