At the Golden Ape Martial Hall, the Senior Disciple, Li Jinshan, stood at the very front of the team, dressed in black martial attire and wearing a belt with a beast-head buckle.
Behind him were over a dozen horse-drawn carts loaded with supplies. Large and small boxes and sacks were all tightly secured with ropes. There were cart drivers, servants, and dozens of unfamiliar Outer-Sect disciples all gathered there.
Su Yan was also in the group. Ma Shengming led a large, date-red horse with subtle scales on its neck and shoulders.
"Junior Brother, ride this horse."
Su Yan took the reins. Ma Shengming said: "This is a Scaled Horse, a crossbreed between a Savage Beast and an ordinary horse. We bought it from the Lin family; it's much more durable than a normal horse."
The mounts of the inner-sect disciples and the horses pulling the carts were all Scaled Horses.
Su Yan's gaze swept over the group and he asked: "Senior Brother, weren't only the inner-sect disciples supposed to go?"
"You mean them?"
Ma Shengming glanced at the sturdy men, then said: "They're different. Although they have trained at the Martial Hall, they only serve as guards now."
Guards?
Ma Shengming continued to explain: "Things like the Treasure Ground hunt and profit shares have nothing to do with them; they only receive a monthly salary."
He left some things unsaid: some Outer-Sect disciples, even if they learned the Golden Ape Piling Technique, would remain in the Skin Refining Realm their entire lives.
Many of these 'Outer-Sect disciples' hired as guards were in their thirties or forties. At that age, with slow progress, they were simply looking for employment.
A job that allowed them to live slightly more comfortably than when they were just collecting herbs, fishing, or chopping wood.
With twenty or thirty taels of silver a year, plus a few other small incomes, their lives were better, though becoming rich was impossible.
However, if they could save up more money and resources, and give their children a slight foundation from a young age, perhaps a powerful martial artist could emerge.
As for the inner-sect disciples' monthly salary of two taels, that was just the minimum guarantee, which they received even if they did nothing.
The real money came from working for the Martial Hall: teaming up to hunt in the Wild Mountain, gathering herbs, or participating in a Treasure Ground hunt and finding valuable items. These were the major sources of income.
The guards, on the other hand, could only perform the tasks assigned by the Golden Ape Martial Hall.
Li Jinshan glanced at Su Yan, nodded, and showed a hint of goodwill.
Given Su Yan's extremely rapid progress during Bai Changlin's assessment, he was naturally happy to befriend a talented Junior Brother like him.
"Move out."
The team assembled, and they rode their horses toward the Yun Ling Mountain Range.
Su Yan followed the team out of the city. The route Li Jinshan and the others chose was different from the path he usually took when entering the mountains.
This was a wide, yellow-dirt road that extended directly into the mountains. Shrubs and wild grass grew on both sides, as if the endless mountains were trying to swallow the road.
Su Yan followed the team, crossing several hills and traveling about thirty or forty li of mountain road. Now, the surroundings were filled with dense, old forests, thick with vines, and the tangled grass reached out onto the road like countless ghostly hands.
This road seemed like a world apart from the surrounding forest, where strange sounds echoed.
They were incompatible, yet there was a peculiar harmony between them.
After traveling for half a day, they arrived near a rocky shoal formed by a mountain stream.
The shallow stream ran on the right side of the shoal, with a cliff face farther beyond. The mountain road they had traveled lay on the other side.
Li Jinshan looked at the scorching sun. The people and horses were exhausted. The mountain road itself was difficult, not to mention they were bringing in supplies this time.
"Rest at the rocky shoal for half an hour."
It would take about a day and a night to reach the true Wild Mountain boundary, and the latter half of the mountain road would become increasingly difficult, requiring more time.
Therefore, most teams would stop at the rocky shoal for a brief rest when entering the mountain.
"Yes, Senior Disciple."
Everyone dismounted and parked the carts to the side. They did not unhitch the horses but instead had the guards fetch water for them to drink and quench their thirst.
Su Yan joined Gao Zheng and the others to tidy up by the stream.
Gao Zheng scooped up water and splashed it on his face; the cool stream water washed away some of his fatigue.
"We will reach Wawanshan (Tile Bowl Mountain) before dark, rest for the night, and then head to the Tiger God Temple."
"Tiger God Temple?"
Su Yan was slightly surprised to hear the name.
"It's a transfer point in the Wild Mountain, the end of this road. Beyond it, the paths leading to the various family peaks are roads they've repaired themselves, and they're extremely difficult to travel."
A road this extensive for entering the Wild Mountain could not have been built by a single family.
The road was built by everyone, but farther inside, the paths to each family's peaks were different and were their own responsibility.
No one knows who built the Tiger God Temple. Over the years, the ruined temple, originally abandoned, became a gathering place for martial artists traveling in the Wild Mountain, making it a crucial spot that is both a melting pot of people and indispensable.
It's a place where not only martial artists from the local families gather, but also many independent martial artists from the Jianghu (martial world).
"Pah, lackey."
Li Shun watched Su Yan socialize with Gao Zheng and the others and cursed under his breath, his eyes filled with envy.
Why was Su Yan able to enter the inner courtyard as soon as he joined the inner-sect? Was it really because of his unparalleled talent?
It was nothing more than a bit of talent combined with knowing which side to join.
Li Shun vented his silent frustration, signaling a few inner-sect disciples he knew to sit down and rest.
Su Yan, who was focused on cultivation and didn't spend much time at the Martial Hall, naturally attracted envy.
While they were resting, a flurry of birds suddenly scattered from the distant forest, their wings flapping loudly.
Li Jinshan instantly stood up, his gaze focused intently on that direction.
Not just him, but almost every slightly experienced disciple had already drawn their weapons and straightened up.
"Something's coming."
This area was now officially entering the Wild Mountain territory, where fierce wild beasts, and even Savage Beasts, frequently appeared. Who wouldn't be afraid?
Dong dong dong (a heavy thudding sound)
They only heard the sound of hurried hoofbeats, and the dense forest shook violently. Two striped, massive tigers burst out of the woods one after the other, leaping into the area by the mountain stream.
"Tigers!"
The tigers charged extremely fast and seemed unafraid of the crowd, looking ready to collide with the group.
"You brute!"
Li Jinshan snorted coldly. His body shot forward and was already in front of the two tigers.
The tiger, as if intimidated by his aura, roared in terror, then lunged and bit at him.
Li Jinshan's arm instantly became as clean and white as jade. He reached out with a massive hand and pressed down on the tiger's head.
With a shake of his powerful torso, he exerted seemingly no great force, yet with a light press of his hand, the tiger was pinned to the ground, struggling desperately but unable to break free.
The remaining tiger, awed by his imposing presence, dared not continue the challenge. It turned its head and crashed into the crowd.
Whether by luck or instinct, it just so happened to charge toward the area where Li Shun and his companions were gathered.
'A good chance!'
Li Shun, Li Ying, and Ma Xiaodong, seeing the tiger charging toward them, felt fear but also realized this was an opportunity.
Su Yan had gained fame by fighting a tiger; they were all at the peak of Skin Refining and had cultivated the Golden Ape Jade Body Art. How could they not fight a mere tiger?
They flashed past the pouncing attack, brandished their weapons, and began to fight.
But as they fought, they were startled; this tiger was incredibly powerful.
They naturally didn't know that the tigers from this mountain area, even those not yet designated as Savage Beasts, possessed a different level of strength than those outside.
Working together, they gained the upper hand but couldn't defeat it decisively and quickly.
Su Yan remained motionless, showing no intention of stepping forward. This tiger was merely Quasi-Tier-one; although it had the strength of the Skin Refining stage, it couldn't overcome the entire team.
Suddenly, he felt a chill down his spine. His eyes snapped toward the forest, and an arrow shot out rapidly, flying directly toward him.
Su Yan's hearing and sight were acute, and he felt a great alarm. He raised the sharp knife in his hand and slashed. With a clang, the sudden arrow instantly split into two, and the remaining momentum drove the pieces into the ground.
"Who is it!"
Li Jinshan suddenly exploded into action, resembling a ferocious tiger, staring intently into the forest.
"Hahaha, my mistake, my mistake! I meant to shoot the tiger, but I missed."
Someone in the woods laughed loudly. As the trees swayed, over a dozen people emerged from the forest, watching the group fighting the tiger and Li Jinshan with amusement and provocation.
"Little Mountain Gang, Seven Sabers Martial Hall!"