Chapter 68: Chapter 68: Returning to the City
In the dense forest, the sun was completely obscured.
The group descended the mountain, having dug up the bear meat, and grew even more cautious.
Fortunately, the Li family’s Mountain Entrance Map was extraordinary, and no Demon Beasts blocked their path along the way.
Or perhaps the demonic aura left behind by the black bear’s passage had not yet completely dissipated, making other wild creatures wary and keeping them from approaching.
The only creatures they encountered were a few stray beasts on the verge of becoming Demon Beasts.
Sensing that the group’s Spiritual Qi was concealed, the beasts became greedy and blocked the path, only to meet their doom.
"A good chance to show Alchemist Bai what we’re made of!"
Ma Bozi was always the first to act.
He shot out a fine dart, nailing it into the trunk of a tree, and a steel net trapped the beast against it, unable to struggle free.
Only then did he charge forward, find a vital spot, and kill the beast.
They ended up with a few more fine pelts along the way!
"It should be safe from here on out."
"Cultivators are constantly coming and going on the mountain, and they’ve swept the area ahead so clean you can’t even find a medicinal sprout."
Lanshan said.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
Their hearts had been in their throats the whole way back, terrified of being eaten alive.
"Hold up!"
As they were walking, Ma Bozi suddenly raised a hand.
With that, he jutted his chin toward the side of the path.
The group fell silent, following him through the trees.
"Move! Hurry up!"
A few shouts rang out, tinged with an air of arrogant triumph.
"Ha! After this trip, I wonder what reward the boss will have for us..."
"We lucked into a huge opportunity. None of the other managers dared to snatch it. The boss really favors us!"
More than twenty Cultivators with pale, miserable faces, dressed in hemp clothes, walked up ahead.
Two burly men were laughing wildly in the rear, holding long whips and large sabers.
At a glance, they looked like shepherds driving a flock of sheep.
The bushes rustled and swayed.
Lanshan’s tall figure emerged, with Ma Bozi and the others standing beside him, their kills slung over their shoulders.
The two men’s eyes lit up.
"It’s a Demon Hunting Team leaving the mountain, Big Brother. Should we..."
The twenty-some Cultivators also showed looks of joy, tightening their grips on their weapons.
"No..."
The man called Big Brother suppressed the impulse.
"Everyone, back off! These people aren’t fat sheep. They look fierce. We can’t touch them!"
With that, he cracked his whip in the air, creating a loud SNAP.
"Move! Get a move on! If you delay the boss’s business, I’ll skin you alive!!"
Watching the group avert their gaze, Bai Mo knew they meant no good, even if he couldn’t hear what they were saying.
Ma Bozi said in a low voice,
"Damn it all! The full moon is almost here. What family is so rich they can send people into the mountains to die at a time like this?"
Lanshan shook his head. "They’re probably here to scout a path. We got close before they noticed us. Their strength is lacking. These servants are doomed."
"Unless they actually manage to scout a route!"
That would mean another Mountain Entrance Map.
However, Bai Mo wasn’t optimistic.
On the next stretch of the path, they encountered more Cultivators, all heading into the mountains.
Occasionally, an acquaintance among the Cultivators would come over to chat, their faces filled with envy at the group’s healthy, glowing complexions.
One Cultivator saw Bai Mo and asked hesitantly in a low voice,
"Are you guys still taking jobs escorting people into the mountains? What’s the going rate?"
Hearing this, Lanshan, Ma Bozi, and the others chuckled and waved their hands dismissively.
The man instantly realized his blunder, gave an apologetic smile, and hurried away.
Bai Mo looked puzzled and asked,
"There are Demon Hunting Teams that take those kinds of jobs?"
Qin Ying quickly explained.
"There are! But people usually hire well-established Demon Hunting Teams, and the price is extremely high!"
Bai Mo asked again, "What reasons do the clients have for going into the mountains?"
"To find things, to cultivate... all sorts of reasons."
"But unless a client is extremely confident in their own abilities, Demon Hunting Teams are reluctant to take the job."
"If something goes wrong, the client’s connections can target you, leading to endless trouble..."
As they spoke, the group strolled casually into the city under the envious gazes of the guards, heading for a tavern.
"Damn it! If I didn’t have ties holding me back, I’d go into the mountains myself and earn a few Spirit Stones to spend!"
A guard spat on the ground and said in a low voice.
His companion shot him a sideways glance and said disdainfully,
"What a joke. If you and I had that kind of skill, would we still be stuck here guarding the gate?"
The entrance to the tavern was still crowded.
From a distance, Bai Mo could see a waiter standing at the entrance, bowing to welcome customers.
"Hey! Shopkeeper Bai! The mighty Lanshan has arrived!!"
"Quick, please, come in!"
The waiter enthusiastically ushered the group inside.
"There are still seats on the second floor!"
Just then, a Cultivator was leaving. He glanced at the meat hoisted on the group’s shoulders as he passed by.
The vacated seats were enough for three tables, just right for the group.
The waiter efficiently wiped the tables and poured tea.
Before they could even take a sip, a greasy, middle-aged Cultivator in an apron strode over.
He first glanced at the beast meat without a word, then walked directly up to Bai Mo and squeezed out a smile.
"You must be Alchemist Bai, I presume? You truly have the air of a Grandmaster!"
Bai Mo knew his own situation. ’The air of a Grandmaster? I don’t have anything like that.’
"You flatter me. It’s just a title, I’m not worthy of such praise!"
"Hey!" The middle-aged Cultivator waved his hand dismissively.
"To come out of Celestial Barrier Mountain looking so clean and fair is something no ordinary person can do. If you don’t believe me, just look at Lanshan!"
"My boy has just started Qi Refining. If he needs pills in the future, I hope Alchemist Bai can help him out..."
Since the tavern’s owner, a fellow Cultivator, was going out of his way to be accommodating, Bai Mo naturally had no reason to refuse.
"Of course, of course!"
Lanshan, who had been slandered for no reason, subconsciously rubbed his jaw, then tapped on the table.
"Stop bothering Shopkeeper Bai and come give us a price estimate!"
Ma Bozi heaved the bear meat onto the table and slapped it, making the white fat jiggle.
"This is Demon Beast meat! Take a look and name your price!"
The middle-aged Cultivator glanced at him and sneered.
"This is bear demon meat."
"But gentlemen, the quality of this bear meat... isn’t that great, is it?"
Lanshan’s expression didn’t change.
"High-quality bear meat comes from a top-tier Tier One Demon Beast. It’s full of Spiritual Qi. Even I would benefit from eating it!"
Ma Bozi wouldn’t be outdone.
"Don’t think you can push us around just because we’re regulars!"
The middle-aged Cultivator didn’t even spare them a glance.
He reached out, picked up a piece, and weighed it in his hand.
"If it were really that good, there wouldn’t be less than six hundred jin of it left."
"Out of respect for Alchemist Bai, I’ll give you two Spirit Stones per jin."
Ignoring Ma Bozi’s bulging eyes, he sniffed the piece of meat and muttered, "What happened to this bear?"
"I remember you paid five Spirit Stones per jin for that Mountain Bear!"
Ma Bozi protested loudly.
"You also know it was a Mountain Bear. How many of those are hunted in Immortal Arrival City in a year?"
The middle-aged Cultivator beckoned for the waiters to come and weigh the meat.
"That was a creature that could have become a Tier Two Demon Beast. Only a handful of Demon Hunting Teams can take one down..."
Watching several hundred jin of meat being taken away, Bai Mo was secretly astonished by the tavern’s immense wealth.
’I wonder how many Cultivators they employ for security.’
Seeing there was no room for negotiation, Ma Bozi quieted down, sipping his warm tea to soothe his throat.
Then, Lanshan followed the middle-aged Cultivator downstairs.
Qin Ying immediately started doing the math.
"According to the rules of a Demon Hunting Team, the leader with the highest cultivation takes an extra ten Spirit Stones, and the rest is split evenly among everyone else!"
"After deducting the cost of supplies for entering the mountain, there should be over fifty Spirit Stones left, which is enough for our cultivation needs."
Ma Bozi chimed in at the right moment, "Alchemist Bai contributed the most in the cave. You should get the leader’s share."
Bai Mo nodded.
"Alright."
