"Yes, it's me, Bo Chow," Long Huang announced, his smug smile spreading across his face as he leaned casually against the counter. Noticing the confident grin, Bo Chow's eyebrows twitched, signaling his amusement. "Since you've become quite the eye candy," he teased, "how about we head to the red district? I bet we'll score some free services." His laughter filled the air, light and unworried.
"You do know I'm only 14, right?" Long Huang replied, a hint of seriousness in his voice. Bo Chow raised an eyebrow, clearly enjoying the banter. "Who would believe that? You don't look your age and sometimes carry the demeanor of an old man," he remarked, his tone both playful and mocking.
"Besides," Bo Chow continued, grinning deviously, " With your looks, I can guarantee they wouldn't even care about your age. Some might be even more excited about it!" The wicked grin on his face was almost contagious.
"Okay, enough of that," Long Huang cut in decisively. "I need some clothes."
"What are you looking for?" Bo Chow replied, still chuckling.
"Some briefs and robes, preferably in black," Long Huang specified, his tone shifting to businesslike.
"It'll take some time, and I need your measurements since I don't have anything in stock. You're the only one who requests briefs around here," Bo Chow explained, crossing his arms with a shrug.
"Stop with the excuses. I know you've probably stolen my design and are already selling them. Just hand over five briefs one size larger than my last, and five of your large robes, mostly black. I doubt you have a full set of all-black robes anyway," Long Huang insisted, his confidence unwavering.
"Can't hide anything from you, huh?" Bo Chow admitted, exasperation edging his voice. At that moment, the employee nearby chuckled at the exchange. "Hmph! What are you laughing at? Go fetch our customer what he wants," Bo Chow commanded, his authority restoring order.
After a few minutes, the girl returned, arms loaded with items. "Hmm," she began, glancing at the list of items in her hands, "I have two all-black robes, two cherry blossom black robes, a black and gold robe, and the five briefs you requested," she said, presenting the items with a flourish.
Bo Chow's eyes lit up as he calculated the total price on a small ledger. "That will be twenty silver coins."
Long Huang furrowed his brow, irritation creeping into his expression. "Can it be a little cheaper?" he asked, his voice laden with urgency.
A faint smile played on Bo Chow's lips, an understanding passing between them. "Fine, I'll give you the absolute lowest price—eighteen silver coins."
"Fifteen! I'm low on funds right now, but as soon as I get more, I promise to double the amount and repay you," Long Huang stated with sincerity, his eyes earnest.
"Fifteen coins? That's quite low; there's hardly any profit in that for me..." Bo Chow trailed off, realizing the challenge of maintaining a fair exchange while catering to his friend's needs.
Long Huang gazed intently into Bo Chow's eyes, sensing a genuine sincerity there. As he bit his lip, he replied cautiously, "Fine, I hope you adhere to your promise. The Azure Lotus Sect's territory is not too far from here, and I intend to make some noise if I don't receive my due."
Bo Chow chuckled and said with a warm smile, "I'm only joking! Since your brilliant ideas have significantly boosted my business, you really don't have to pay me."
"Thank you," Long Huang replied, feeling a wave of gratitude wash over him. Bo Chow appreciated Long Huang's polite demeanor, especially when it came to transactions. However, unbeknownst to him, Long Huang harbored ulterior motives.
He was already concocting plans to undermine Bo Chow's business, feeling that the shopkeeper was ungrateful for essentially appropriating his innovative concepts. After completing his purchase, Long Huang exited the shop. The employee, who had been thoroughly disregarded during this interaction, watched his retreating figure with wide eyes. "Wow, he is so attractive! I wonder if he has a romantic interest. If he did, I would do anything to be her," she mused internally.
Now, Long Huang possessed everything he required but was left with hardly any money.
"Hopefully, this won't lead to failure…" Long Huang murmured to himself as he stepped out of Blossom City.
Teng!
Once he was out of the bustling city, Long Huang attempted to utilize the Wind Deer Steps technique to glide swiftly, but to his dismay, he stumbled and fell. Grateful that no one was around to witness his embarrassment, he switched to running at a normal pace, which was still remarkably faster than that of most ordinary horses.
Two hours later, Long Huang finally reached his destination: the imposing Archdevil Mountain Range, specifically aiming for the renowned Sky Cloud Forest.
The Sky Cloud Forest, expansive and majestic, was the largest woodland within the Archdevil Mountain Range, spanning an area ten times greater than Blossom City itself. Due to its vastness, the forest was teeming with perilous wild beasts, and deep within its heart lay formidable "demon beasts."
Demon beasts were creatures that had undergone significant transformations due to the influence of spiritual energy, evolving into fearsome entities far stronger than their regular wild counterparts. A small number of powerful demon beasts could easily obliterate an entire village; thus, only truly skilled cultivators stood a chance against them. To put things into perspective, the weakest demon beast was on par with cultivators at the Bone Tempering Realm.
Long Huang ventured into the Sky Cloud Forest, fully aware that his goal was not to engage in combat with these demon beasts; after all, he valued his life. Instead, he had a straightforward mission: to locate the elusive Red Tiger and perhaps engage in some hunting to earn a bit of silver and restock his provisions. Within the forest, numerous strong wild beasts possessed valuable furs and other materials.
For instance, a fully-grown bear could fetch a price of two to three hundred silver coins. However, this imposing creature's strength far surpassed that of a typical fifth-stage Skin Tempering cultivator, making it a target only for those at the seventh stage or above.
Long Huang's focus was not on tackling a bear or any large wild beast but rather on studying the elusive Red Tiger, classified as a demon beast.
"While large wild beasts are indeed valuable, their sheer mass poses a challenge," Long Huang reasoned. "My storage pouch can't accommodate such bulk, and I can't feasibly transport them back and forth on my own."
With his plans in place, Long Huang pressed on.
Teng!
His body felt light as a feather, and he expertly utilized the branches around him to propel himself upward. Soon, he landed atop a towering, hundred-foot-tall tree. From this elevated position, Long Huang gained an expansive view of his surroundings. The height made his heart race with a mix of exhilaration and trepidation, but he quickly composed himself.
Standing atop the tree, Long Huang surveyed the landscape, keenly searching for any signs of life.
Shuah!
In an instant, his vision sharpened, allowing him to perceive everything within a seven-mile radius with startling clarity. He focused first on the source of the noise he had heard, trying to discern whether it was a wild beast or a demon beast. Quickly, he took note of the situation and noted a total of twenty beasts that posed a potential threat. Luckily, only one of them was close and, fortuitously, none were demon beasts.
"Let's get this started," Long Huang declared softly, steadying himself with a deep breath. He broke off a sturdy branch and hurled it towards a target in the distance.
Shou-----
As he released the branch, it sliced through the air with a distinct thrum and struck a golden-spotted snake situated one hundred meters away.
Si!
The golden-striped snake recoiled, hissing angrily as if cursing the unknown assailant who dared to challenge it.
Yet, Long Huang's marksmanship was impeccable. He hit its head squarely, dealing a crushing blow that shattered its skull and obliterated its brain. The golden-striped snake thrashed helplessly for a brief moment before succumbing to its injuries.
"Golden-Striped Snake, a highly poisonous beast that can pose a deadly threat even to Meridian Tempering Realm cultivators if they are caught off guard," Long Huang thought, letting out a sigh of relief. In a direct confrontation, the snake's speed and venom could have easily spelled his demise, especially with only his fists as weapons.
However, he had now acquired valuable spoils from this encounter; the snake's teeth and liver were highly prized items in the market.
After successfully dispatching the golden-striped snake, Long Huang shifted his focus, scanning for new targets to pursue in this untamed expanse of the Sky Cloud Forest.
Shou----------
Suddenly, Long Huang heard a screech in the air.
A metal-mouthed eagle, with a wingspan of three meters, had effortlessly killed a wolf that could threaten a cultivator at the 7th stage of the Skin Tempering Realm.
Long Huang wore a solemn expression. The metal-mouthed eagle, known as the "Metal Pecking Eagle," was extremely famous in the Sky Cloud Forest. Its strength far exceeded that of an ordinary wild beast, its mighty wings allowing it to fly freely with almost no natural enemies.
"Metal Pecking Eagles are incredibly fast. Their feathers and defenses are also strong. Each one is worth about eighty gold notes," Long Huang thought as he fixed his gaze on the eagle. He climbed down the tree and approached the body of a golden-striped snake. As it was his first time killing anything other than an insect, his body began to react nervously. He took out the knife from his camping kit and harvested the snake's poison sack.
After climbing back up the tree, he broke a branch and coated it with the snake's poison.
With a quick motion, he pulled his hand back and threw the branch toward the Metal Pecking Eagle.
The branch tore through the air with a tremor, racing toward the eagle as it continued its hunt. It seemed as though the branch was a continuous meteorite, perfectly following the trajectory set by Long Huang's eyes.
"Screeeeech—"
An angry screech erupted from the eagle as it charged toward him, the branch still lodged in its stomach.
"Fuck! Not good!" Long Huang thought, realizing the danger he had just awakened.