Yunshui County is an upper-tier county with a complete core power structure, including several positions such as County Deputy, County Captain, Chief Clerk, Registrar, and Educator. Among them, the County Captain oversees three squads of officers: the Black Squad for ceremonial duties and punishments, the Swift Squad for arrests and investigations, and the Strong Squad for guards and enforcement. The Swift Squad officers were the ones who initially came to Peach Blossom Village to detain the rioting refugees, while the corrupt tax collectors known as "ghost feet" belonged to the Strong Squad. These violent enforcement agencies are often controlled by the influential families within the county, weaving a complex and dense network that tightly covers all of Yunshui County.
County Magistrate Liang, as the county head and an immortal, naturally did not want to be controlled by these forces and had to make a bold move to test the waters. The title of immortal official was like a floating "big pancake" that could win many surrenders; moreover, the three great families were not a united front. Liang gently waved his sleeve, causing the mist on Spirit Mountain to surge, and calmly said, "Spirit Mountain harbors a spiritual beast named the Nine-Colored Spirit Deer. This autumn hunt, whichever faction can bring back the spirit horn of the Nine-Colored Spirit Deer wins. The time limit is seven days."
Spirit Mountain is a resource of the county seat, and for him, if he could not gain full rights over it, its value would be limited. Clan Leader Zhao narrowed his eagle-like eyes and said, "Very well!" If the warriors representing the Zhao family secured the Nine-Colored Spirit Deer, it would be a huge blow to Magistrate Liang’s prestige. The other side would no longer interfere with the nails the three families planted in the county seat, effectively rendering the magistrate a powerless figurehead, completely hollowed out by the three families.
"Fortunately, we are the neutral faction." Li Pingcan exhaled slightly, looking at the green ribbon on his arm. Whether managing the eight clans in the county or the immortal officials, the smallest neutral forces were never unduly troubled. As long as they maintained an average level in the autumn hunt, they would not attract unwanted attention.
He glanced at the retreating teams. According to the assigned numbers, each group retreated from the same position after a certain period, minimizing later resource disputes. "Outside that Spirit Mountain, the real challenge isn’t the spirit deer or beasts, but rather our own kind," Brother Shen thought with some melancholy. No one fights where no one is; it seemed this had been an unchanging truth since ancient times.
Du Dongfu’s voice was deep: "Try to keep distance from my team, especially those representing the eight clans and the magistrate’s team." Everyone nodded in agreement.
After another two incense sticks’ worth of time, the announcer finally called out their assigned number. Du Dongfu took the lead, leading the team into Spirit Mountain.
"Such dense spiritual energy!" As soon as Du Dongfu entered, he felt his whole body wrapped tightly by spiritual energy. In the past, he had to wait until early morning when heaven and earth first opened to catch a few streams of spiritual energy at the mountaintop; outside of that, a few streams of spiritual energy wandered freely. In the Druid’s perception, the vibrant, flourishing vitality of Spirit Mountain stretched out freely, truly embodying the feeling of "all creatures competing for freedom under the frost sky." If he could cultivate immortal arts here through meditation, the efficiency would be far higher than on Peach Blossom Mountain.
Judging by Magistrate Liang’s confident demeanor, the spiritual energy of Spirit Mountain was also average and extraordinary to him, who enjoyed even better spiritual veins. Those immortal officials really had no money!
Suppressing the urge to absorb the spiritual energy, Brother Shen looked at Brother Xiao and the other warriors. Although they all felt the air was fresher and more pleasant than other places, there was no other significant reaction. The treasure-seeking bees were assigned positions. "You, White Tiger skill is weak, lead from the rear. Du Dongfu’s Azure Dragon Hand is agile and versatile, so let him press the front line."In a team, the safest positions are not the vanguard or the rear guard. He assigned Shen Xiaotian to the rear because he did not fully trust the other two martial arts hall leaders. Shen Xiaotian’s close relationship with them made him the most suitable candidate. Lei Zhenshan and Lin Fengwu understood this well but had no objections since they did not have to bear high risks.
Everyone formed their formation carefully and proceeded cautiously. Li Pingcan stepped on the moist, soft withered grass, and layers of frost mist quickly coated his shoes. Fortunately, Lady Qin had thoughtfully purchased a pair of cowhide shoes modified for him in advance, which were both fitting and comfortable. He thought of his mother and then another matter—the treasure-seeking bees.
To be safe, he did not intend to use the Treasure-Locating Technique or expend destiny energy to search for treasure beasts, as that would only add uncertainty. After more than a year of breeding, except for the queen bee, the worker bees had transformed into treasure-seeking bees. Although their accuracy in locating treasures was not as good as the queen’s, they had a general target range, greatly improving search efficiency.
Now, when thinking of the treasure-seeking bees, he did not plan to release them for the martial arts hall leaders to find treasures but wanted to keep two of these worker bees in Spirit Mountain. Through shared mental connection, they could map out a "treasure map"! Even cultivators would regard these worker bees as nothing more than ordinary killer bees, hardly attracting attention.
Spirit Mountain was vast and dense. Magistrate Liang was a mid-stage Qi Refinement cultivator whose divine sense could not reach far. How could he possibly detect a special killer bee? Currently, the Spirit Mountain’s restrictions could not be broken, but in the future, once he cultivated immortality, it might be possible. Ultimately, the restrictions were more like an illusion, not a great protective formation, meant only to guard against ordinary warriors and some poor scattered cultivators with opportunities to exploit.
First, let the treasure-seeking bees find treasures and map the treasure. Wait for the right moment to pocket all the treasures of Spirit Mountain! Even if some worker bees were lost accidentally, it was only the loss of two treasure-seeking bees. As long as the queen bee existed and there was enough time, more treasure-seeking bees could be continuously bred.
Although thinking this way, Li Pingcan did not rush to release the worker bees and decided to proceed steadily, observing for a while longer.
...
Night of the first day.
After a full day of looking at green trees and plants, everyone’s eyes were a little dazzled. The mountain situation was complex, and any rustle or movement attracted everyone’s attention. Excessive caution and excitement consumed too much energy. Except for Li Pingcan’s pretended stamina, most of the “followers” looked somewhat exhausted.
"I clearly saw that golden monkey; how did it get away?" Lei Zhenshan was a bit regretful. Their group’s purpose was treasure beasts, and they did not dare touch the spirit beasts.
"The golden monkey moves fast, can leap through trees, and is familiar with the environment; it’s normal not to catch it," Li Pingfu said. "Our target is the large terrestrial treasure beasts." Larger in size meant higher value and more flesh to share. Terrestrial beasts, unlike birds, are harder to break through ground encirclement, making hunting more successful.
"Ah!" Suddenly, a woman’s scream made everyone tense up sharply. Several sharp sounds of metal clashing sounded as everyone looked toward Lin Xiaowu, the source of the scream.
"A centipede is crawling on my foot!" Lin Xiaowu’s face paled in fright as she leaned into Li Pingfu’s arms, speaking in a coquettish voice, "Brother Pingfu, I’m scared!"
Everyone fell silent. A white centipede about the length of a finger stirred, quickly burrowing into the fallen leaves.
Originally, they thought it was a blood Qi species centipede whose bite was painful, but it clearly was an ordinary small centipede, posing no threat to warriors.
"How many times has this been today?" Li Yuan muttered unhappily. Lin Xiaowu screamed and fussed over even bugs the size of fingernail clippings just to get Brother Pingfu’s attention.
Li Pingfu calmly brushed Lin Xiaowu’s hand aside and warned, "Miss Lin, don’t startle everyone and waste the group’s rest time."
"I'm scared!" Lin Xiaowu blinked her watery eyes. "With Brother Pingfu here, I’m not afraid."
Everyone was speechless. Lin Fengwu was also silent. Years ago, she was strong-willed and had been lax in disciplining her daughter. The usual tantrums were one thing, but causing trouble at such a tense moment was truly foolish. She secretly regretted it. If not for the fact that Lin Xiaowu had some talent and a desire to get closer to Li Pingfu, she would have locked her at home. But now it was too late.
After this incident, no one dared let Lin Xiaowu keep watch at night; instead, she was allowed to sleep comfortably.
...
Morning of the second day.
The team continued eastward, going deeper as the forest thickened and the wild grass grew taller, limiting visibility. Li Pingcan’s footsteps paused as his passive Animal Affinity sent new information:
[Name: Purple-Tusked Boar]
[Mood: Frenzied]
At the same time, Lei Zhenshan pointed at a dark, mud-like object, "This is the feces of a large terrestrial beast."
He approached carefully, noticing ants and insects avoiding it. His expression grew excited. "It’s treasure beast feces!"
"Correct." Li Pingfu crouched low, spotting two rows of hoof prints in the decayed leaves. He whispered, "This is a hoofed beast. Judging by the marks on surrounding tree trunks, this beast is fierce and huge, probably weighing between three hundred to five hundred jin."
Li Pingcan admired them. Though he could obtain some information through Animal Affinity, his elder brother and Hall Master Lei relied on life experience to judge the ferocity and type of treasure beast, which was impressive. It seemed relying solely on skills could foster thinking inertia’s limitations. He quietly noted the treasure beast’s name and location in his brother’s palm.
Li Pingfu understood, thought briefly, and devised an encirclement plan based on combat strength.
...
"Roar!"
The sound of snapping dry branches came faintly. About a hundred feet ahead, a brown-black wild boar with bristly hair like steel needles lowered its head to nibble mushrooms. Its raised back and two deep purple tusks at the mouth looked terrifying, like two tridents’ sharp spikes.
"A purple-tusked boar," Lin Fengwu’s face changed slightly. Her Flame Dance Movement Technique was most vulnerable against such a wild beast. Lei Zhenshan looked serious and glanced at the bow on Li Pingfu’s back. "For such thick-skinned treasure beasts, ranged weapons are almost useless unless you shoot the eyes." Shooting at a small target at long distance in complicated forest terrain was no easy feat; even an expert marksman might not hit precisely.
"Let’s try first; better than nothing." Li Pingfu took off the bow from his back, gripping it in his hands. "After I shoot, no matter what happens, Brother Shen, circle behind and block the retreat; Hall Master Lei, set up a net on the left wing; Hall Master Lin, support us! The rest block the iron net."
He pressed three fingers to the ground, signaling everyone to hold their breath and advance quietly. As they closed in, the purple-tusked boar seemed uneasy, snorting twice, then suddenly raised its head.
Now was the moment!
At a distance about to be discovered, Li Pingfu drew the bow into a full moon shape and shot an arrow. "Whoosh!" The arrow struck the boar’s eye dead center.
"He actually hit it," Lei Zhenshan said incredulously but felt somewhat used to it. After all, Li Pingfu always surprised him.
"Seize this opportunity and kill him while he’s down."
Without further words, the martial arts hall leaders rushed forward. Shen Xiaotian stepped lightly in the "Azure Dragon Nine-Fold Step," sliding along the rock wall to a hollow, readying his Cloud-Reaching Hand. Lei Zhenshan gathered White Tiger power in both palms, hair and beard bristling, fists and palms creating a terrifying momentum. Lin Fengwu held cold iron darts soaked in anesthetic powder, slowly shifting as the boar raised its head.
Suddenly, the crisp crunch of crushed leaves exploded!
The boar, hurt, charged violently. Its four hundred-jin body slammed like a cannonball at a gap in the encirclement where Li Pingfu stood blocking the way. The boar lifted its two front hooves high, the purple tusks shining fiercely, seemingly intent on trampling Li Pingfu to death.
Li Pingfu barely glanced at its eyes. Known for his strength, he did not advance but retreated instead. His footsteps swayed back and forth, creating afterimages. He lightly leaped, performing a diagonal cross step and spun to strike the boar’s lower back. His thick palm grabbed the right purple tusk, then pressed down on the entire pig’s head, forcefully pushing and twisting it!
The purple-tusked boar faltered. Its charging force twisted and changed direction. The massive body couldn’t stop, its hooves slipping like a runaway carriage, tumbling to the ground. Still with momentum, it slammed into four or five trees before finally stopping.
"Brother Li, well done!" Shen Xiaotian praised, seizing the chance to leap up, aiming his Azure Dragon Cloud-Reaching Hand at the boar’s neck. Unexpectedly, the beast’s ferocity did not diminish; it twisted and shook its head, its tusks scraping against the iron wrist guard, sparking a shower of sparks.
Seeing this, Li Pingfu lightly stepped aside around most of the boar’s head, swinging his arm with full force to strike the spine. The sound of bones cracking was clear as the boar twitched and groaned.
At that moment, Lei Zhenshan combined White Tiger inner strength with his fingertips, delivering a palm strike that tore out the purple-tusked boar’s heart.
"Don’t waste the vital blood!" Lin Fengwu tossed out a specially made copper pot. Lei Zhenshan precisely stabbed the heart chamber with a short knife to collect the blood. The group’s movements were skilled, like butchers cutting up a cow, carefully bagging precious materials.
"This harvest is exceptional." Du Dongfu’s face was full of joy. Rarity made items precious; spirit deer were already rare, and a huge beast like this purple-tusked boar growing on Spirit Mountain could be worth hundreds of silver taels. Among the seven martial halls, after edible parts were distributed, each person could get seventy to eighty jin of meat.
Smaller spirit deer were less likely to produce "rare treasures," but this pair of purple tusks, if crafted, would become powerful weapons!
Everyone relaxed with smiles.
Seeing the battle end safely and with the elder brother unharmed, Li Pingcan also loosened up slightly. Suddenly, his brow furrowed. According to Animal Affinity’s alert, someone was approaching!
"Alert!" Li Pingfu sharply ordered upon receiving his younger brother’s secret signal. The martial arts hall leaders were momentarily stunned but quickly took their positions in a cooperative battle formation, formed by the tacit understanding from the fight.
After a moment, shadows swayed closer in the forest. Shen Xiaotian’s Azure Dragon Hand suddenly reached out, grabbing a short-statured warrior, shouting toward the hidden part of the forest, "Cowards hiding half their heads, show yourselves quickly!"
"Rustle rustle rustle."
Several figures no longer concealed themselves, revealing their forms. The leader held a large broadsword, wore soft armor, and had an arrogant, lofty gaze.
"This tiny Flat Peach Town, your warriors are sensitive, but hurry and release our people!" The captured short scout shouted, "We’re from the Zhao family; release your grandfather respectfully!"
Li Pingcan’s thoughts stirred. These warriors were well-equipped and arrogant, showing the unique pride of the powerful. Could they be core members of the Zhao family rather than recruited warriors? No wonder they had such confidence, daring to ambush and then openly demand release.
Shen Xiaotian showed a frustrated expression, looking at the "Zhao" embroidery on their clothes as if he had just eaten something disgusting. Having been influential in Flat Peach Town for half a lifetime, today he was threatened by inexperienced kids. But higher official rank always trumps, so what could they do if they refused to release them? Should they really start a conflict with the Zhao family? Power really is a good thing!
"Brother Shen, just release them," Li Pingfu said calmly, bowing to the Zhao family members. "We apologize for any offenses today and ask Master Zhao for forgiveness."
Zhao Yunbo’s lips curved into a satisfied smile as he glanced at Li Pingfu. He had been searching for the Nine-Colored Spirit Deer and found out they just killed a purple-tusked boar. He had planned a swift ambush to seize the treasure but, since they were discovered, that plan was lost. He didn’t want to waste effort on unrelated people.
"You’re a good kid. Here’s an opportunity: come to my Yunshui Zhao family and mention my name, Zhao Yunbo, to become the head bodyguard."
The Zhao family’s threshold was high; the head bodyguard position was coveted by ordinary warriors. He considered it a favor.
"Thanks for your kindness, Master Zhao." Li Pingfu responded with his usual humility, neither refusing nor rushing to accept, calm and polite.
This attitude made the Zhao members look favorably upon him, thinking this countryside boy was quite interesting. Too bad he wasn’t smart enough to present the purple-tusked boar to them, limiting his future prospects.
"Let’s go." Zhao Yunbo didn’t pay much attention, waved his hand, and seeing no profit, quickly led the Zhao clan members away.
...
"These Zhao family people are really too arrogant!" Shen Xiaotian complained in a low voice after Zhao Yunbo left a while ago. It was clear they were almost ambushed but avoided the invisible crisis thanks to Li Pingfu’s early alert.
"Thanks to Brother Li, with tiger-like eyes, no evil can hide!" Lei Zhenshan truly admired this after being pushed around by juniors for so long. If he had accepted fate reluctantly before, this time he was genuinely impressed.
Lei Yunyun looked at Li Pingcan with admiration: "Your brother is amazing!"
"Of course," Li Pingcan wholeheartedly praised his elder brother. Li Pingfu felt helpless. What was he amazing at? The real talent was the youngest brother, but that was not something to say out loud.
He changed the subject, "Let’s leave here first, then divide and eat the treasure beasts on the spot."
Lei Zhenshan agreed. They all planned to take it easy, not competing for the top ten spots. Dividing the treasure beasts on site was sufficient. This was also why Lei Zhenshan brought his peak Bone Realm young daughter. Being close to the water means getting the moon first; the benefits stay with insiders! The more transfers, the more unexpected troubles.
Everyone quickly changed positions, lit a fire, and roasted the pork. Li Pingcan bit into a piece of pork belly. His elder brother was skilled; even with a dagger, he could slice thin pieces that he rolled with slightly blanched wild vegetables. The meat was fatty but not greasy, full of fresh flavor. Just a slight sprinkle of salt made it much tastier than ordinary tavern fare.
He ate bite after bite with a huge appetite. The treasure beast’s flesh and blood gradually nourished his body, generating inner strength and surging power, making him feel warm all over.
For a while, only the sounds of ravenous eating filled the air. Even Lin Xiaowu, who usually tried to maintain a "lady" image, was biting into the treasure meat heartily.
The warriors, tired from half a day’s exertion, enjoyed this rare, peaceful, joyous feast.
After eating and drinking their fill, Shen Xiaotian suddenly looked at everyone and said, "In this hunt, Brother Li contributed the most. Should we give these purple tusks to him? Does everyone agree?"