Chapter 74: Chapter 74: Two Tigers Fight on Egret Mountain_1
"Strange, why are the Ghouls so active today?"
「The next morning」 Wang Linchi took a walk around the foot of the mountain and encountered about ten Ghouls, ranging from destitute scholars to young ladies from prestigious families. The variety was quite impressive.
He now had a large number of Ghouls floating in his Soul Soup Bowl, waiting to be refined.
It would probably take three days to refine all the Ghouls. With the Soul Soup they would become, he wouldn’t have to worry about resources for the next month and a half, allowing his strength to improve at a rapid pace.
Upon seeing such a substantial resource boost, Wang Linchi even considered completing the Secret Realm task so he could take the Soul Soup Bowl with him.
But that was just a fleeting thought; he needed to prioritize his own survival first.
"This isn’t a good sign; it’s better to leave first." Wang Linchi didn’t think it was his good luck to encounter Ghouls as soon as he left. It was likely because the Evil Tiger had dispersed its Ghouls; something significant must have happened.
Being any greedier at this point wouldn’t be wise.
Dressed in his Rain Gear, with a sharp Slay Evil Long knife at his waist, he looked like a close-combat expert at first glance.
As for the Soul Soup Bowl, he had tossed it into his Storage Soul Device. Since the bowl refines Ghouls automatically, there was no need to keep it in hand.
Judging by my educated guess, I should be on the southern route to Egret Mountain as marked on the map.
Calling it an educated guess was an understatement. It was a location Wang Linchi had carefully deduced through a process of elimination.
He was in the mountains, so other areas were excluded. Since these weren’t large mountains, major ranges were also ruled out. This significantly narrowed the possibilities.
There were some special markers on the map, which he suspected were danger zones marked by the Xing Far Dart Bureau during their escorts.
He then identified two nearby markers, one indicating a mountain—most likely his current location.
The reasoning was that, besides the Evil Tiger in this mountain, the Desolate Grave Old Ghost was also nearby. Judging from the behavior of these Dart Masters, they initially had no intention of provoking this Desolate Grave Old Ghost. They only fought back when it pursued them.
After further elimination and screening, Egret Mountain seemed the most plausible location.
Determining he was in the south was simple; he could still distinguish the cardinal directions using common sense.
About ninety kilometers south of Egret Mountain, there’s a village. Wang Linchi painstakingly calculated the map’s scale. There were notations on the map, but since it wasn’t drawn by a professional cartographer, many details were haphazard and likely only clear to its creator.
Ninety kilometers was quite a distance for him. If he weren’t in the Secret Realm but in Great View, it wouldn’t be an issue at all.
But in the Secret Realm, an undeveloped region, the roads were difficult and fraught with various obstacles. Furthermore, the map’s inaccuracies meant he might get lost or encounter non-existent paths. He couldn’t be sure when he would reach the village.
Moreover, even if he reached the village, many problems would need solving, such as how to settle down peacefully or prove his identity.
As an outsider, he had no identification, was unfamiliar with local culture and customs, and lacked relevant local knowledge.
He had kept his distance from the Dart Masters, so his true nature hadn’t been exposed. If he were to stay for long, his flaws would inevitably surface.
It’s a pity the Rooster Crow Temple isn’t marked on the map,
Wang Linchi lamented internally regarding the map’s deficiencies.This was understandable; why would a group of Dart Masters mark a temple on their map?
A temple wasn’t a bandit’s stronghold nor a typically dangerous place.
Experienced Dart Masters would memorize routes after a few journeys; this map was primarily for the benefit of newer ones.
ROAR!
After traveling about three kilometers, Wang Linchi heard two Tiger roars from the mountain.
"Two Tigers? They’ve started a fight!"
Only then did Wang Linchi realize why so many Ghouls were active: a battle had broken out.
One was likely the local Tiger, the other undoubtedly an intruder.
The roars were followed by the sounds of intense combat and trees crashing down.
From a distance, Wang Linchi could see dust billowing up the mountainside.
Fortunately, he wasn’t greedy and hadn’t considered hunting the Tiger; otherwise, he might have ended up as prey for the two beasts.
These were no ordinary Tigers; they were likely spirit beasts.
Otherwise, an ordinary tiger couldn’t control Ghouls, especially not in such numbers.
"At least they’ve got Mountain Copper Level strength," Wang Linchi mumbled to himself, observing the commotion.
Against these two Tigers, Wang Linchi could perhaps kill one. However, he wouldn’t have the strength for a second strike after that. It was also possible he couldn’t kill either. After all, his spiritual power was limited, and the might of his Soul Seed Page—Fanciful and Fickle—also had an upper threshold.
The battle raged for nearly half an hour before finally subsiding. Wang Linchi, however, didn’t look back, nor did he consider scavenging.
By noon, he finally took a break by a small stream. The morning’s journey had been long, mainly due to the rugged and difficult path.
Since he didn’t focus on cultivating his Physique, he was rather disheveled by now.
Just as he was about to sit and rest, he sensed a gaze upon him.
"’In this mountain, for a stranger like you to appear... truly amusing," a magnetic and deep voice resonated.
From the bushes behind him, a massive figure gradually approached.
Sensing the aura emanating from the approaching figure, Wang Linchi felt a slight sense of suffocation.
It was a Spotted Tiger, covered in numerous injuries. The wounds were deep and gaping, a terrifying sight even though the bleeding had stopped.
Notably, a massive gash stretched across nearly half its face, blinding one eye.
This was the victorious Tiger from the mountain. He hadn’t expected it to follow him... Though perhaps it didn’t, he mused. It probably just came here for water.
Water sources were crucial for animals, and he happened to be near a small stream. Coming for a drink after a fight—quite leisurely indeed.
It had taken Wang Linchi a whole morning to reach this spot. But for this Tiger, agile and seasoned by years in the wilderness, such difficult terrain was commonplace.
Thus, it was perfectly normal for it to have caught up to him.
The Tiger seemed to notice Wang Linchi’s wariness. It casually approached the stream, lowered its head, and began lapping up water.
Wang Linchi wasn’t sure if this was the local Tiger or the intruder. He leaned towards the latter; if it were the local one, he’d likely already be its meal.
The local Evil Tiger used Ghouls to lure prey for itself; it wouldn’t have approached so calmly for a drink.
Then again, it might be planning a game of cat and mouse. Felines often indulged in such cruel amusement.