Boss, look! Magic Core !!! "
Suddenly, a mercenary shouted excitedly, standing up with a bloodshot, white ice crystal core in hand.
First-tier red ice snakes weren't considered powerful among magical beasts, so finding a single crystal core from these ten was considered quite a stroke of luck. After all, it wasn't uncommon to return empty-handed after suffering heavy casualties while hunting magical beasts in the wild.
This man's shout naturally attracted many glances, and everyone gazed enviously at the magic core in his hand.
"Be careful !!! "
Yan Qingshan, who had just been instructing a trainee on bandaging a mercenary, suddenly sensed a hint of danger. He immediately raised his crossbow, which was already cocked and on the safety. He held it with his left hand while releasing the safety, adjusted his aim with his right, and quickly pulled the trigger.
The auxiliary calculation function was activated, and his vision continuously updated wind speed, distance, the attacker's speed and path, calculating his next trajectory, as well as the angle and path he needed to aim.
With a whistling sound, a wolf-fang crossbow bolt whizzed past, barely grazing the mercenary's cheek. Just as Yan Qingshan unleashed his arrow, the bushes four steps behind the mercenary suddenly stirred, and a green figure leaped from the canopy, striking the mercenary's back with bared fangs and claws.
Its emerald fur, its elongated form resembling a forest wolf, though smaller and more agile, its movements more nimble. Its long, stinking mouth, fangs gleamed coldly and dripped with saliva, its scarlet tongue covered in thorns.
The cunning fox, a first-tier wood-attributed magical beast, was of medium size but highly intelligent. It was extremely cunning and difficult to kill, specializing in sneak attacks in the forest. It moved with the swiftness of the wind, retreating swiftly after a single strike. It rarely attacked proactively, but this time, it was clearly targeting the demon core.
Yan Qingshan's shout was so sudden that most people didn't even react before the wolf-fang crossbow bolt had already been unleashed. The bolt arced past the mercenary's cheek and pierced the gaping maw of the cunning fox, piercing its throat and piercing its body, nearly piercing the entire fox.
Bang...
The cunning fox, struck by the wolf-fang crossbow bolt, continued forward due to inertia, striking the stunned mercenary on the back, sending him stumbling to the ground. The emerald green fox's limbs twitched, blood oozing from the corners of its mouth. It soon fell silent.
"Get up!"
Mangba shouted, reaching over to the nearly terrified mercenary and pulling him to his feet. After a careful inspection, he confirmed that the mercenary was merely frightened and nothing else, and then pushed him away.
Mangba pinched the back of the fox's neck, stretched out his hand and pinched the tail feathers to pull out the entire wolf tooth arrow. After confirming that the monster was dead, he inserted two fingers into the fox's mouth, and after exploring the fox's upper jaw for a while, he shook his head in disappointment, turned around and carried the corpse towards Yanqing Mountain.
"It's a pity, Qingshan, that we didn't find the magic core for this cunning fox. But your arrow was truly powerful, piercing its throat and internal organs without damaging its fur at all. Such a complete cunning fox fur is worth as much as a magic core."
Mangba placed the cunning fox's corpse next to Yan Qingshan and wiped the blood off the wolf-tooth arrow with a rag. "This wolf-tooth arrow is indeed quite good, but there are very few who use it well like you do. This arrow is almost undamaged and can still be used again."
"Not bad!"
Yan Qingshan took the wolf-tooth arrow, glanced at the cold, bloody wolf fang on the tip, nodded, and put it back into the quiver. That day, the Green Wood Wolf was brought back to Wanyaozhai. After Yan Qingshan regained consciousness, he entrusted the Green Wood Wolf to someone else for disposal, keeping the magic core for himself to heal his wounds and cultivate.
He entrusted the Green Wood Wolf's fur, flesh, bones, and claws to someone else, which actually brought him some extra wealth. He had someone make a pot of wolf-fang arrows, and spent a fortune finding a powerful crossbow capable of injuring the beast. After so much practice, he'd become quite skilled.
"But your eyesight and alertness are truly remarkable. I didn't even notice the cunning fox. Luckily, you reacted quickly. He's the only pillar of the Yang Wu family, and he doesn't have many brothers. The kid isn't even ten yet. If he were to..."
Mangba helped Yan Qingshan clean up the cunning fox's corpse, preserving the fur's value. He subconsciously muttered a lot while he was doing it, but suddenly stopped at the end and glanced at Yan Qingshan worriedly, as if he'd said something wrong.
"Be careful when you're out and about!"
Yan Qingshan simply shook his head. The situation Mangba described with Yang Wu was a common occurrence in Qingshan Town. The Yan family had been in a similar situation, if not worse. The two years since his father's death had been difficult for Yan Qingshan. If it were his original self, the memory would have truly brought him grief.
Yan Qingshan wiped the arrows in his quiver with a piece of rough leather, his peripheral vision scanning for danger.
Mangba had been right about his vigilance. He was indeed far more aware of danger than most. Dawn grants a variety of previously unimaginable abilities, including extreme perception and observation, operating on a principle similar to amplifying safe distance.
Even with amplified perception, the average person's range is only about one meter. However, some powerful individuals in his past life perceived everything within their reach. Even with their backs turned, they could perceive with a clarity ten times greater than that of an average person.
Upon waking, Yan Qingshan discovered that his mental power, or rather, his perception, far surpassed that of ordinary humans. Everything within ten meters was visible, and even what he couldn't see was clearly perceived through his five senses, thanks to the wind, smell, and other factors.
This was why he chose to venture into the mountains despite the difficult conditions to search for the cliff cave. He felt that with his unique perception, and with enough time and effort, he would always be able to find some clues. When he became more capable, he wouldn't waste more time searching.
The attacks by the red ice snake and the cunning fox were only the beginning. This cool jungle was filled with numerous magical beasts, and the constant dangers created a considerable unease.
Of course, most of the magical beasts, upon seeing the commotion caused by Yan Qingshan and his companions, simply fled rather than confront them. Of course, some stubborn ones chose to confront the mercenaries head-on.
After several mercenaries surrounded and dispatched a snake-tailed leopard, they finally stopped and established a simple camp to rest.
This small forest didn't require much space for a team of over a hundred to rest and recuperate, and there was no need to resort to extremes. Clearing a small area on the outskirts to drive off some of the monsters would suffice. A truly relentless slaughter would attract high-level monsters, and even a second-level beast would be beyond their reach.
The carriage stopped beneath the canopy of a large tree, and Yan Qingshan slowly dismounted. The bumpy ride had been quite uncomfortable.
While he had to feign injury, walking to stretch his muscles was still natural.
Walking alone, Yan Qingshan could sense the shifting looks from the mercenaries around him. In a world where strength was the key to status, displaying impressive prowess earned respect. It was a simple, straightforward rule.
He had killed a cunning fox with a single arrow. Whether it was luck or not, his actions and prowess were recognized, a boon for the upcoming mission.
Around the simple camp, a dozen mercenaries were spread out on guard, while the others sat down, recovering the strength they had expended on the journey.
The apprentices in the herbalist team were searching for herbs around the camp, and some mercenaries were following them, seemingly hoping to learn some skills.
These apprentices didn't chase others away, as they were not strong enough. The Demon Beast Mountain Range was full of dangers, and having mercenaries around would provide a helping hand in case of danger.
Yan Qingshan walked out of the crowd, vigilantly sensing his surroundings. After exiting the small dense forest, he was faced with a rather steep cliff. Standing on the top of the cliff and looking into the distance, he saw a lush green forest in the distance, which was quite beautiful.
Yan Qingshan's eyes roamed around the cliff, scanning constantly, but if someone observed closely, they would find that most of his eyes were focused on the bottom of the cliff, as if he was searching for something.
"Qingshan, what are you worried about? Have you read too many novels and travelogues and are planning to jump off a cliff to find your fortune?"
A hearty laugh suddenly broke out from behind him. Yan Qingshan stiffened, his expression changing as he turned with a smile. "Uncle Mangba, what are you talking about? I'm looking for medicinal herbs, aren't I? It's a pity that this white orchid fruit isn't ripe yet!"
Yan Qingshan smacked his lips, touched his nose, and pointed to a nearby herb. At the edge of the cliff, in the direction Yan Qingshan pointed, a plant with pale white flowers was slightly opening its buds. In the center of the buds grew half-red, half-green fruits, with a faint fragrance.
This plant was hidden in the grass, surrounded by similar white wildflowers. From a distance, this one looked only slightly larger than the others, and was inconspicuous among the flowers. If you didn't look closely, you wouldn't really notice the difference.
"It really is the White Orchid Fruit, a mid-level medicinal herb that usually only grows on the edge of a cliff. Although the yield is quite high, this herb is the favorite food of birds and magical beasts. Usually, it is eaten by magical beasts as soon as it grows out. It is a rare mid-level medicinal herb."
Mangba did not come alone. In addition to him, Xiao Yixian also came. When she heard Yan Qingshan talking about the White Orchid Fruit, she took three or two steps forward, walked over Yan Qingshan, and bent down to observe in front of the white flowers.
The Little Medical Fairy looked at it for a long time, then looked up with some disappointment and said, "What a pity! It 's not ripe yet. If it were a ripe Bailan fruit, the fruit would have turned completely red. A ripe Bailan fruit is a mid-level medicinal herb. It would cost at least four thousand gold coins in Wanyaozhai!"
"What! How much? Four thousand gold coins!"
Mangba and the other mercenary's eyes widened when they heard this. They pointed at the Bailan fruit and said, "It's just such a small thing, and four thousand is so expensive!"
The Little Medical Fairy pouted and said, "A ripe Bailan fruit is a mid-level medicinal herb that many alchemists are looking for. It's especially suitable for cultivating magical beasts, so of course the price is very high. It's a pity that this one is not ripe yet, so it's useless if we pick it."