"I'll help you!"
Su Yan's gaze was like a sharp arrow. Seeing the Gray Spike Wolves trying to rush the line, he drew his bow and fired.
The arrow's power was no less than what it had been during the day. With a puchi sound, it sank into the body of a First-tier Early-stage Gray Spike Wolf.
Gao Zheng spread his arms, breaking the back of the Gray Spike Wolf that lunged at him. He saw Su Yan's shot and shouted: "Good shot!"
The two of them killed enemies separately, and the remaining disciples also reacted, raising shields and swinging sabers. Inner-sect disciples used the Monkey Leap Step to maneuver and engage.
For a moment, the camp was plunged into battle, with firelight and human figures ceaselessly intertwined.
Su Yan moved through the crowd, his mind calm as water. The bow in his hand constantly loosed cold, stern arrows.
Every shot was timed perfectly. Whenever a Gray Spike Wolf gained the upper hand or exposed a weakness, an arrow would fly in.
He was like a ruthless sniper controlling the entire field, and it was precisely this action that minimized the casualties for the entire team.
'Quasi-Tier-one, First-tier Early-stage... at most First-tier Mid-stage. Fortunately, the Gray Spike Wolves aren't too strong.'
Just then, three Gray Spike Wolves charged at Su Yan.
Beasts have low intelligence, but their ferocity is boundless. Their hunting instinct led them to target this constantly moving individual.
"Be careful!"
Dian Jing rushed over, intercepting one Gray Spike Wolf. He used the Fierce Ape Three Forms and Monkey Fist in broad, sweeping motions, wrestling the beast to the ground.
He was at Skin Refining Great Completion, but the Gray Spike Wolf was First-tier Early-stage—their strength was comparable.
The remaining two Gray Spike Wolves charged straight for Su Yan.
Die!
A sharp glint flashed in Su Yan's eyes. Without fear, he used the body of his refined steel longbow to deflect an incoming Gray Spike Wolf's attack, breaking its lumbar spine.
The Gray Spike Wolf on his flank opened its bloody maw, snapping at Su Yan's inner thigh.
Su Yan's face held a cold light. He used the Fierce Ape Three Forms—a move called Suppressing the Sea. His Qi and Blood gathered, and he punched out, smashing the wolf's head entirely.
He snatched an arrow from his quiver and threw it like a flying dagger, instantly piercing the Gray Spike Wolf that was entangled with Dian Jing.
Dian Jing pulled away and solemnly thanked him. At this moment, a thunderous crash arrived.
The two looked in the direction of the sound. The Rock-Tiger Fiend had its carapace pulverized by Li Jinshan, and its head was ripped clean off.
The remaining Gray Spike Wolves were now contained and began to retreat in fear.
Suddenly, Su Yan's expression changed. Information was relayed from the Velvet Fire Scorpion.
His eyes flickered, but he didn't immediately chase after them.
"Who's there!"
He suddenly shouted loudly, then fired an arrow in the direction where the Velvet Fire Scorpion had sensed something wrong.
He used a clever technique on this arrow, subtly adjusting the tail feathers to make the sound of it tearing through the air much louder than usual.
Li Jinshan's expression drastically changed. He fiercely looked toward the dense forest in that location, and sounds of frantic escape were already heard.
During the fight, he had been held up by the Rock-Tiger Fiend and hadn't noticed anything immediately.
But now, recovering his senses, how could he not know what was going on?
Instantly, rage boiled in his heart. His eyes were like a tiger's, and he leaped into the forest.
Sounds of fighting came from the woods. After just a few breaths, Li Jinshan emerged, covered in blood, striding over the shrubs.
In his hands, he dragged two half-dead men, dressed in martial attire, their bones visibly broken.
Li Jinshan threw them onto the ground, where pain made them wail ceaselessly.
"The Little Mountain Gang and Seven Sabers Martial Hall scum!"
The rage of the Golden Ape Martial Hall members instantly erupted.
"Kill them!"
"Avenge us!"
Everyone was stirred up; who wouldn't be furious after being ambushed in the middle of the night?
However, Li Jinshan's gloomy gaze swept over them: "Quiet!"
He was furious inside but knew they could not fight a full-scale battle.
The people from the Seven Sabers Martial Hall had cleanly covered their tracks. They only caught these few guards from the Little Mountain Gang and Seven Sabers Martial Hall.
Even if they took them to the opposing faction, the ones who performed the ambush weren't their leaders, so they couldn't definitively pin the crime on the other side.
If they started a full fight here, the Golden Ape Martial Hall would be pressured by other factions the very next day.
"Pack up the goods. We'll deal with this when we are deeper in the mountains."
He spoke through gritted teeth. In the mountain hunt, life and death are fate. The losses they suffered tonight would be repaid later.
"Bang!"
The crowd felt stifled, kicking over things in front of them, but helpless.
As the crowd slowly dispersed, Li Jinshan noticed Su Yan walking toward him.
Su Yan twitched his nose, then crouched down and began searching the two captured men.
"Junior Brother, what are you doing?"
Su Yan groped around and suddenly pulled two small bottles from the men. He opened them, sniffed, and tossed them to Li Jinshan.
"The main ingredient is Azure-Delirium Flower; I can't identify the rest, but this stuff can attract Savage Beasts and stimulate their ferocity."
Li Jinshan instantly understood. His eyes flashed with cold light: "Those bastards used this to lure the Rock-Tiger Fiend!"
"Return the favor in kind," Su Yan prompted from the side. Since the opponents made the first move, the Golden Ape Martial Hall shouldn't be polite either.
"If they can use Savage Beasts as weapons, why can't we?"
Li Jinshan was tempted.
"That's right, Senior Brother. We should go too," Gao Zheng added.
"Fine, Gao Zheng, you come with me. Tell Zhou Gao to stay here to guard against the unexpected. Tonight, we'll make Yin Ruguang pay the blood debt."
Li Jinshan only selected Gao Zheng, Ma Shengming, and Zhao Bao, then instructed Su Yan: "You stay here at the camp with Zhou Gao. I'll credit you for the trip to Green Tooth Valley."
Su Yan had discovered the hidden enemies and identified the medicinal powder, so crediting him with a share of the merit was natural and deserved.
However, Su Yan had his own plans: "Senior Brother, I want to go as well."
"Junior Brother, you haven't reached the Muscle and Bone Realm yet; you are only in Skin Refining. It would be dangerous if you accidentally got into trouble."
But no sooner had Li Jinshan finished speaking than a thunderous tiger and leopard roar emanated from Su Yan's muscles and bones, and his aura solidified.
"I am also in the Muscle and Bone Realm."
His eyes burned brightly: "That arrow today was aimed at me."
Li Jinshan's eyes widened. Su Yan had entered the Muscle and Bone Realm in just over two months. Such talent was likely unmatched in the Golden Ape Martial Hall, perhaps even in the entire Yun Cang Town.
He pondered for a moment, having somewhat figured out Su Yan's temperament, and nodded: "Alright, you can come, but safety is paramount."
The group quickly packed their things, quietly changed their clothes, covered their faces, split the two bottles of beast-luring powder, and hurried toward Green Tooth Valley.
They were all driven by revenge, and their speed was phenomenal. The four-to-five li of mountain road should have taken at least an hour, but they arrived near Green Tooth Valley in less than thirty minutes.
"Set up the powder, each of you lure some Savage Beasts, conceal your positions, and retreat immediately once the Savage Beasts invade."
"Understood."
Outside Green Tooth Valley, the four split up, finding different directions to set up the powder.
Su Yan chose the east. As he quickly moved forward, the shrubs rustled, and the Pale Bone Venomous Centipede emerged.
"The Seven Sabers Martial Hall and the Little Mountain Gang are truly greedy and reckless. It serves you right to lose more men today."
A cold glint flashed in his eyes. Calling Li Jinshan to take revenge was a spur-of-the-moment decision and a way to borrow a knife to kill.
If it were only the Pale Bone Venomous Centipede, it would still feel insufficient, but now they had something fun to play with.
First, send them a wave of Savage Beasts, then make other plans.
He lightly patted the Pale Bone Venomous Centipede's head. The centipede immediately submerged into the earth, stealthily tunneling forward.
Though it couldn't burrow deeply, this kind of underground ambush was enough.
He was ready to start attracting the monsters.