Next Day
Fu Yang woke up from his sleep, washed himself, changed into clean clothes, picked up his coins, and gathered the small things he had collected over the past fifteen days. Without delay, he went straight to the market to trade for anything that could benefit him.
The market was completely different from before. Huge tents stood in rows, merchants shouting loudly as they sold their goods. They traded with villagers for food, clothes, and other necessities. Beast skins, teeth, claws, horns, and spiritual plants were also being exchanged.
Standing at the entrance, Fu Yang looked at the bustling scene. Even though it was still early morning, the market was already crowded.
He took a round, scanning the stalls to see if anything useful appeared. But because he was just a child dressed in sloppy clothes, no one paid attention to his questions.
"Hey brat, leave right now! Don't disturb me if you're not buying anything," a merchant barked at him.
Fu Yang said nothing and walked away. At another stall, he asked politely, "Sir, do you know if anyone is selling the hide of a wolf or tiger—or any predator beast?"
The merchant looked at him, then glanced at his shabby clothes, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.
"Boy, do you belong to any faction?" he asked curiously.
Fu Yang instantly understood what the man meant.
In this world, people loved to talk about equality. But who were those people? They were the weak and the poor. Why would the strong want to be equal with the weak? Why would the rich want to be equal with the poor? Equality was nothing more than a tool used to tame the powerless.
So he lied.
"Yes, sir. I belong to the Tian Faction. Please don't judge me by my clothes—I only wore my training outfit because I came in a hurry to see the market," Fu Yang said in an elegant tone.
The merchant's attitude shifted immediately.
"Ah, so it's Young Master Tian! Welcome, welcome. If you need anything, I will see that it's prepared at once."
Fu Yang replied calmly, "No, I only asked about beast hides, sir merchant."
The man laughed nervously. "Hahaha! If Young Master is looking for hides, then forgive me. Every type of predator beast hide has already been bought by your clan."
Fu Yang's face darkened. Without a word, he turned and left. The merchant called after him, but he ignored it.
Later, at an inn, he sat alone, deep in thought.
(Wait… am I missing something? No. But why is the clan buying all the beast hides? This never happened in my past. Didn't they already store them for the academy students?)
It didn't take him long to guess. The beast hides were most likely sealed inside one of the spiritual frogs he had stolen. But he didn't know which frog contained them. And he had planned to use them only one or two years later. Opening even one frog now could cause the other treasures to burst out, wasting them—or worse, getting him caught.
And he could never approach the clan. They would never give predator beast hides to someone like him, or to any villager.
Food was served, but Fu Yang stared blankly at the table, lost in thought. Passersby looked at him and muttered that he seemed like a fool, but his mind was already occupied with plans. Stealing again crossed his thoughts, but after the bamboo building incident, everyone was on guard. There was only one option left in his mind:
"I have to go deeper into the forest and get a beast hide myself."
But then he remembered—he had only one Dig-Skin Insect, something he had begged for and purchased long ago. To perfectly extract the skin of a predator beast, he needed at least three more.
After eating, he left to find insect sellers. Bargaining hard, he traded five spiritual leaves, some mortal coins, and sixty grams of spiritual sand for three more Dig-Skin Insects. Then he bought some dried meat, a kitchen knife, and returned to his dorm.
"Mmm… everyone is busy right now. This is the best time to leave. It's time to abandon comfort and take a risk," he whispered.
Packing his things, he quietly slipped away.
There were five ways to enter the forest:
From the burned bamboo building, though guards were digging there.
Through the main gate.
By the river.
The area near the Mo Faction.
Or the dumping grounds where villagers threw their waste.
He chose the fifth path, since the guards avoided the site due to the stench.
By noon, Fu Yang reached the dumping area. He blended in with others disposing of trash, and no one noticed him slipping past into the forest.
Deeper and deeper he went, searching for beasts. But the forest was vast and empty; even finding a wild boar was difficult. Hours passed, and he finally spotted boars and snakes, but none suited his needs. Snakes were small and useless.
Evening came, and the forest grew darker, as if it could devour anything. Fu Yang sighed helplessly and set up camp. He sharpened a wooden stake into the shape of a crude spear.
He didn't sleep—he sat motionless, eyes closed, waiting.
Rustle… rustle.
The bushes shifted. Something hid within.
Glowing green eyes fixed on Fu Yang. Slowly, a wolf emerged—larger than an ordinary wolf, its aura heavy.
Fu Yang opened his eyes and smiled coldly.
"Heh… what luck. A spiritual black wolf. And an old one too. Looks like it was kicked out of its pack. But no matter… hehe…"
This was the opportunity he had been waiting for.
The wolf growled, its fangs glinting under the pale moonlight. Its breath was heavy, carrying the stench of blood. Its fur shimmered faintly, proof of its spiritual nature. The forest itself seemed to grow silent, as though acknowledging the predator's dominance.
Fu Yang's grip tightened around his crude spear. His heart pounded, but his face remained calm. He had been waiting for a beast of this level. The black wolf was strong, but it was alone and weakened by age. To Fu Yang, this meant one thing—it was both, dangerous and also easy one.
Step by step, the wolf advanced, circling him. Its eyes glowed like lanterns in the night, filled with killing intent. Fu Yang lowered his stance slightly, breathing evenly. His mind calculated every possibility: the wolf's speed, the angle of attack, the escape routes. He was prepared to throw away his life if it meant obtaining the hide.
"Good… come closer… just a little closer," Fu Yang muttered, barely audible.
The wolf snarled and lunged.
Fu Yang's body moved in that instant.