Ever since Xiang Tingchun announced the campaign for next spring, the discipline within the Thousand-Household Division had grown far stricter.
Daily drills were doubled. Anyone leaving camp now needed prior approval.
Even the Hundred-Households were no longer allowed to spend their days drinking and gambling—they had to join the training too.
But the soldiers had no complaints.
After all, they could finally eat their fill and wear warm clothes.
Those pursuing martial cultivation could now afford more Blood-Replenishing Soup to strengthen themselves.
For ten consecutive days, Chen Sanshi had been training diligently in the camp.
[Technique: Basic Spearsmanship for Infantry (Minor Achievement)]
[Progress: 550/2000]
[Effect: Spear strikes fierce and swift; endurance extraordinary; qi and blood vigorous—Blood Manifestation Awakens]
He'd already eaten all the tiger heart and tiger meat he'd stored up, and the Nine-Turn Vitality Soup was long gone—but his proficiency had improved greatly.
Medicinal herbs were much cheaper now, too.
The garrison even sold Nine-Turn Vitality Soup—priced at 15 taels of silver per bowl.
Still, that was a money pit.
"If not for martial training," Chen Sanshi muttered, "I'd probably be a rich man by now."
He sighed. "Guess I'll have to go hunting again."
'This path really is a bottomless pit.'
If he could manage to hunt a white deer, he could make hundreds of taels even after keeping some for himself.
That would cover not only the resources for his tempering blood cultivation but also what he needed for tempering bone.
But white deer were notoriously hard to catch.
The Travels of Mountains and Rivers, a book written over a thousand years ago, had recorded their existence. Since then, countless hunters had scoured the Tiger Head Mountain range for them. The fact that the species wasn't extinct was already a miracle.
He'd even heard that Tailei Martial Hall had spent half a month searching without success.
Chen Sanshi went to the apothecary. "Do you have any lingzhi mushrooms for sale?"
White deer loved to eat spirit mushrooms.
Medical Officer Jiang rummaged through the storeroom and soon brought out a brown lingzhi. "This is a 20-year-old black lingzhi. Grind it into powder and mix it into medicinal soup—it'll boost the vitality effect. Price: 10 taels of silver."
"Do you have any fresh ones?"
Chen Sanshi frowned at the dry, sun-cured specimen.
"Heh, you're in luck—we do."
Medical Officer Jiang took out another box. Inside was a fiery red mushroom. "This is a 30-year-old Red Cloud Lingzhi, delivered this morning by Yunhe Martial Hall. Price: 20 taels. But this one's mainly for healing wounds—it won't help much with qi and blood."
Chen Sanshi said, "That's fine. As long as it counts as a spirit mushroom."
"Spirit mushroom?" Jiang chuckled and shook his head. "You'd need at least a 100-year-old one for that. A single stalk would be worth 50 taels or more. A 20-year-old lingzhi doesn't qualify. That kind of rare herb—our garrison doesn't have it. You'd have to buy it outside."
"50 taels?"
Chen Sanshi was stunned by the price.
Just the bait alone cost 50 taels, and even then, there was no guarantee he'd catch a white deer.
No wonder Tailei Martial Hall had offered such high bounties—only their disciples, desperate for the reward, would spend that much just to try.
As for Chen Sanshi, he couldn't afford that kind of luxury right now.
He decided to try his luck first—and if that failed, he'd think of another plan.
After making up his mind, Chen Sanshi asked for leave from Wang Zhi, then slung his bow over his shoulder and left the garrison.
"Shitou!"
As he passed near Swallow-Edge Village, a familiar voice called out. Zhao Qiao came running toward him.
"Uncle Zhao? You're not out hunting?"
Chen Sanshi was surprised.
By late autumn, northern hunters were usually busiest. Once winter snow sealed the mountains, prey would become scarce.
But Zhao Qiao just wore a bitter expression. "It's not that I don't want to—it's that I don't dare!"
"Don't dare?"
Chen Sanshi frowned. "Why? Someone giving you trouble?"
"It's the Witch God Sect!" Zhao Qiao's voice trembled with anger and fear. "These last ten days, people have been disappearing every day in the countryside. Especially hunters. Many went up the mountains and never came back."
"Are you sure, Uncle Zhao?"
Chen Sanshi's tone grew serious. "I personally took part in the siege at Golden Bell Temple. Ninety-nine percent of the Witch God Sect members were killed on the spot. Even if one or two slipped through, they couldn't possibly stir up trouble again.
"Could it be wild beasts? Maybe a tiger or a bear came down from the mountains to eat people?"
"Impossible—absolutely impossible!"
Zhao Qiao's voice shook with anger. "There aren't even bones left, you hear me, Shitou? Not a single bone! Even if it were a tiger, there should still be something left behind!"
"Uncle Zhao, calm down," Chen Sanshi said, trying to steady him. "Did you report it to the authorities?"
"Of course we did!" Zhao Qiao snapped. "The county magistrate said they'd investigate and told us to wait, but nothing's been done. Just yesterday, young Li from the next village went up the mountain to hunt a pheasant for his pregnant wife. He hasn't come back since!"
Chen Sanshi frowned deeply.
Even if one or two Witch God Sect members had escaped, they couldn't have caused this much chaos.
This had to be another group altogether.
Could it be that Golden Bell Temple had only been one branch of the sect?
But even then, it made no sense for so many people to infiltrate Poyang unnoticed.
Besides, in the past few days, he hadn't heard a single word from the garrison about sending troops to investigate any Witch God remnants.
"Uncle Zhao, don't worry," Chen Sanshi said firmly. "When I return, I'll report this to my superiors."
"There's something else," Zhao Qiao said, looking hesitant but finally speaking up. "Shitou, can we go up the mountain with you?
"Winter's almost here, and we still don't have enough firewood or warm clothes. But with what's been happening, none of us dare go up alone. You're trained—you even killed a tiger before. If we follow you, we won't be scared."
It seemed he'd been waiting on this path for quite some time, maybe even for days, hoping to run into him.
"Of course," Chen Sanshi agreed without hesitation.
"Thank you, Shitou."
Zhao Qiao's eyes glistened. Just a month ago, he'd gone to Chen Sanshi's door with food, asking for help to reach Second Mountain.
Now, only a month later, he was the one relying on the young man's protection.
Soon, Zhao Qiao gathered Wu Da and Zhuang Yi, and the four of them set out together into the mountains.
When they reached the small creek where paths split, they parted ways.
Chen Sanshi said, "Uncle Zhao, if you run into danger, fire a signal arrow. As soon as I hear it, I'll come right away."
"Alright, Shitou. You be careful too. We… probably can't help you much," Zhao Qiao replied, his tone heavy.
Chen Sanshi nodded and turned toward the forest.
So many people dead already… isn't that a bit too much?
Even he was starting to feel uneasy.
But after walking about two li, he still hadn't noticed anything strange.
There were still plenty of martial hall disciples hunting nearby.
Disciples from Tailei Martial Hall were still combing the area, searching for the white deer.
"I'll tell Hundred-Household Wang when I get back. He should send someone to investigate," Chen Sanshi muttered under his breath.
He refocused his attention and began searching for traces of the white deer.
This time, things were different.
Before, he'd always had Uncle Zhao to guide him, pointing out where the tigers or black bears might be.
Now, he was relying entirely on himself. Even with Tracking and Hiding, this wouldn't be easy.
After all, the ancient book never mentioned where white deer actually lived, and the Tiger Head Mountain range stretched for thousands of li. Searching blindly could take forever.
"Let's head deeper," he murmured.
Normal deer tended to live in secluded places.
White deer were still deer—their habits probably weren't that different.
Chen Sanshi pressed forward, climbing one ridge after another.
By afternoon, he had already crossed two mountain peaks, but still hadn't found a trace of the white deer. The forest grew denser and darker the further he went, the trees packed so close that it was hard to even set foot properly.
In the distance, about five li ahead, he spotted a valley—quiet and deep.
"Let's take a look."
Drawing in his qi, Chen Sanshi quickened his pace toward it.
But before he got close, several men in long robes suddenly rushed out of the trees, forming a human wall to block his path.
"Stop!"
"You're not allowed to go any further!"