Before the morning mist had fully dissipated, five people had already gathered at the edge of the marketplace.
Tiger Wang stood at the front, his build stocky and his face covered in rolls of flesh.
He scanned the group, his gaze lingering on Lin Zhou for an extra moment, then grinned to reveal yellow teeth.
"Everyone's here, let's go. We'll head out and back quickly—no reason we can't get rich and save someone at the same time."
To his left was a lean man named Chen Ye, at the Third Layer of Qi Refining, with shifty eyes.
To his right was one of yesterday's injured, Zhao Xun, at the early stage of the Fourth Layer of Qi Refining; his arm was wrapped in blood-stained bandages, and his face was still somewhat pale.
Along with Old Man Wu and Lin Zhou, this made up the entire party for the trip.
The five left the marketplace and stepped into the vast mountain forest.
Initially, there were paths trodden by woodcutters, but the further they went, the denser the trees became and the more tangled the vines grew, until only the faint tracks of wild beasts remained.
After walking for about half an hour, the sun rose higher.
Tiger Wang slowed his pace, exchanged a look with Chen Ye and Zhao Xun, and turned to Lin Zhou with a smile:
"Brother Lin, you look like a new face. You don't head into these mountains often, do you?"
Lin Zhou didn't stop, replying casually:
"I'm a newcomer just trying to make a living. I can draw a few Talismans, but it's nothing worth mentioning. On the other hand, I've heard much of Boss Wang's great reputation; I hear you brothers often find fortune in the mountains and are very experienced."
This flattery sounded natural.
A flash of pride crossed Tiger Wang's face, but then he feigned a sigh:
"Sigh, what fortune? It's just living on the edge of a blade. The Yao Beasts in these mountains are cunning; sometimes they look like First-Order Low Grade, but once you actually fight them, you realize they're deadly."
He pointed at Zhao Xun's arm. "See? We suffered a great loss this time."
Lin Zhou's gaze swept over the wound on Zhao Si's arm; the bandaging was careless and crude.
He remained unfazed and followed the conversation:
"Boss Wang, you're well-traveled. In your opinion, why would that Iron-skinned Mountain Boar suddenly become so much stronger? Could it have eaten some Heaven And Earth Treasure, or... is there some other mystery?"
Tiger Wang's eyes flickered imperceptibly, and he laughed:
"Who can say for sure what happens in the mountains? Maybe it was about to rank up, or maybe we just misjudged it. However..."
He lowered his voice, sounding a bit mysterious. "There are many oddities in these mountains. Sometimes what looks like a Yao Beast is actually... another Opportunity."
"Oh?" Lin Zhou showed an appropriate amount of curiosity.
Chen Ye chimed in from the side, his tone encouraging:
"Brother Lin is a sensible man. It's not easy for us Loose Cultivators to earn Spirit Stones. What can you save up just by hunting those stupid Yao Beasts? If you really want to get rich, you need courage and a sharp eye."
He licked his lips. "Some 'jobs' pay much faster than killing Yao Beasts."
Zhao Xun added in a muffled voice, "The risk is also great. Without real skill, it's easy to lose your life."
The three went back and forth, seemingly chatting, but their words were laced with baiting and testing.
Old Man Wu followed behind, only half-understanding what he heard. Concerned only for his son, he couldn't help but interject:
"Boss Wang, how much further to that cave? Big Ox, he..."
"Soon, soon."
Tiger Wang waved his hand impatiently.
"Old Man Wu, what's the rush? Your son is perfectly safe in the cave; that beast can't get in. We need to be fully prepared so we don't end up losing ourselves instead of saving him."
Lin Zhou took everything in, the cold sneer in his heart growing stronger.
He had been observing carefully throughout the journey.
Tiger Wang and his two companions seemed rough and boisterous, but their movements were actually quite disciplined, and they were overly familiar with this mountain forest.
Upon closer inspection, Zhao Xun's wound looked more like a puncture from some narrow blade rather than a tear from a Yao Beast's claws.
The testing and hints in their speech were completely out of place with the atmosphere of a simple beast-hunting rescue mission.
Lin Zhou confirmed his previous suspicion.
Old Man Wu's son, Great Ox Wu, might already be gone.
They used the excuse of hunting a Yao Beast to trick one or two Loose Cultivators into coming along, only to kill them and steal their treasures once they were deep in the mountains.
They did indeed hunt some low-level Yao Beasts as well—firstly to deceive others and maintain their "hunter" image, and secondly because Yao Beast Materials could be exchanged for Spirit Stones.
It was a trick that combined truth and lies, making it hard to distinguish between the two.
Lin Zhou's mind whirred. He followed their lead, occasionally asking about "ways to get rich," making Tiger Wang and the others feel he was "on board" while preventing them from gauging his true depth for the time being.
As the sun moved west, the depths of the mountain forest grew increasingly dim.
He estimated they were already a hundred miles from the marketplace; the surroundings were filled with towering ancient trees, with no sign of human life.
"We're here!" Tiger Wang suddenly stopped, pointing to a clearing in the woods ahead.
"It's around here. The cave is just ahead at the foot of the cliff."
Everyone stopped to look.
Ahead was a slightly open slope with sparse trees and a thick layer of decaying leaves on the ground.
At the end of the slope was a steep cliff with vines hanging down, but no obvious cave entrance was visible.
"Where's the cave?" Old Man Wu craned his neck and asked urgently.
Tiger Wang didn't answer. He, Chen Ye, and Zhao Xun slowly turned around to face Lin Zhou and Old Man Wu.
The layer of feigned impatience and worry on their faces receded like a tide, replaced by a cold, predator-like scrutiny.
Without anyone noticing, the positions they stood in had formed an encirclement.
"The cave?" Tiger Wang sneered, taking a long saber from his Storage Pouch and gripping the hilt.
"Old Man Wu, your son was quite strong to actually be able to injure Zhao Xun. As for now... he's probably lying in some dirt pit somewhere."
Old Man Wu was struck as if by lightning, his whole body trembling as he pointed at Tiger Wang:
"You... you people! Big Ox... what did you do to him?!"
Chen Ye had already drawn his bow and notched an arrow, aiming it at Lin Zhou as he teased:
"old thing, don't worry. We'll send you to see him soon."
Zhao Xun took out a Medium Grade magic sword, his cold gaze locking onto Lin Zhou:
"Kid, you can only blame your bad luck for running into us at this time. Since you seem somewhat clever, hand over your Storage Pouch obediently, and we'll leave your corpse intact."
The three didn't pay much attention to Old Man Wu, simultaneously locking onto Lin Zhou.
The situation became clear in an instant.
The so-called beast-hunting rescue was nothing but a trap.
Great Ox Wu was likely dead, Old Man Wu was being used to lure in more "fat sheep," and Lin Zhou was the new prey they had chosen for today.
Facing the weapons pointed at him, Lin Zhou's face showed no great panic.
He sighed softly, his gaze sweeping over the three of them:
"The three of you went to such great lengths to put on this show all the way here, just for the meager net worth of a Fourth Layer of Qi Refining Loose Cultivator like me?"
Tiger Wang grinned savagely. "Even mosquito legs are meat. Besides, you don't look ordinary; maybe there'll be a surprise."
He paused, a flash of greed and cruelty in his eyes.
"In this world, how many years would it take to reach Foundation Establishment by honestly hunting beasts and gathering herbs? Killing and looting is the fast lane! Why do those great Sect disciples and Family Cultivators get to have resources piled up for them? If we Loose Cultivators aren't ruthless and poisonous, we deserve to be trampled into the mud!"
His words voiced the twisted sentiments of low-level Loose Cultivators in their despair.
With resources scarce and the path ahead dim, human greed and brutality broke free from their cages in the deep, ancient forests.
From the first nervous robbery to later becoming well-practiced;
From only stealing wealth to taking lives to eliminate future trouble;
From doing it occasionally to making it a profession.
They were "rebelling" against this unjust world in their own way, but they had also slid completely into the abyss.
Chen Xun said impatiently, "Brother Hu, why waste words with him! Let's finish this quickly; we have another job back home."
Lin Zhou said no more, only silently sighing at their bad luck for having encountered him.
Tiger Wang gave a violent shout, his thick-backed saber carrying a fierce wind as it hacked down toward his head!
Chen Ye's arrow left the string at the same time, aiming straight for Lin Zhou's throat.
Zhao Si crouched low, his magic sword like a venomous snake emerging from its hole, stabbing toward Lin Zhou's lower abdomen.
The three coordinated perfectly; clearly, this was not the first time they had done such a thing.
A Peak Fourth Layer of Qi Refining, a Third Layer, and an early-stage Fourth Layer joining forces to attack a "Fourth Layer" young Loose Cultivator was, in their eyes, a guaranteed victory.
Old Man Wu was so terrified that he collapsed limply to the ground.
However, Lin Zhou moved.
His feet seemed to step on a cool breeze; with just a flash of his figure, he dodged all the attacks by a hair's breadth.
His swift and agile movement technique far exceeded Tiger Wang and the others' understanding of the "Fourth Layer of Qi Refining"!
At the same time, Lin Zhou held his right fingers together like a sword, and a crimson spiritual light suddenly appeared at his fingertips.
He wasn't performing any complex Spell, just the simplest Fireball Technique, which he had already Cultivated to Perfection!
Three fireballs, condensed as if solid and only the size of a fist but a blindingly bright white, shot out in rapid succession!
They were too fast; the three couldn't dodge in time.
"Boom!" "Boom!" "Boom!"
Three explosions sounded almost as one! Scorching flames instantly engulfed the three men.
Two dead, one injured!
Taking advantage of the gap, Lin Zhou's figure drifted back several yards like a ghost, creating distance.
He didn't move forward—who knew if Tiger Wang had some trump card!
Nor did he continue to kill, just watching quietly.
He had to leave one alive to give Old Man Wu an explanation.
After all, he was very covetous of that Secret Technique.