If anyone had seen Lican in that state, they might have mistaken him for the beast. Blood covered his face, clothes, and hands as he stared down at the Night Panther, shaking his head before squatting beside the corpse to examine it carefully. He was still somewhat surprised that he had actually brought the monster down.
"Shit... how am I going to carry this back?"
A short laugh escaped him. The beast was enormous, nearly as large as him, if not larger, and his only real advantage was his height. Lican stared at the corpse for a moment longer before something clicked.
"I don't have to take all of it."
His eyes moved across the beast's body as he decided which parts would be worth carrying, then he rubbed his hands together.
"Time for work."
He glanced at the surrounding wilderness, knowing he had to hurry before the scent of blood attracted something else. Without wasting another second, Lican searched through the small bag he had made from the snake's skin. His fingers found the makeshift knife, which he pulled out and examined. The crude stone blade wasn't made for combat, and its edge was already almost blunt. Lican stared at it for a moment before letting out a quiet laugh.
"Guess you'll have to do."
Without giving it another thought, he began cutting. He started with the limbs, forcing the crude blade through the beast's tough hide and into the fleshy parts beneath. Each stroke was agonizingly slow, forcing him to put more strength behind the knife. Blood continued seeping from the wounds, but Lican ignored it and kept cutting, the stone scraping against flesh again and again until, finally, the last leg came free.
Lican exhaled heavily, tied the legs together, and hung them from a sturdy stick before resting it across his shoulders. Then he froze, his head jerking toward the southern part of the forest as his brows furrowed.
"I thought I heard something..."
He stood completely still, allowing his breathing to grow quieter. His ears twitched as he listened, but for a moment, there was nothing. Then came a rustle from the undergrowth, followed by another.
Rustle... rustle...
Lican's eyes narrowed. It wasn't an animal. Voices drifted through the trees, faint at first, their words impossible to make out, but the sounds grew clearer with every passing moment. Someone was coming, and judging from the direction of the voices, they were moving straight toward him.
"Shit!"
Lican turned toward the approaching voices, frustration crossing his face.
"Why do I always get surprises?"
He glanced at the legs hanging from the stick across his shoulders, then at the rabbit tied to his waist. He couldn't move quickly with all this weight, but he wasn't about to abandon his hard-earned hunt. The voices were only about five minutes away, so he had to make a decision quickly.
Lican's expression hardened. He wanted to observe the strangers first, but more importantly, he couldn't let them discover the cave. The fight with the Night Panther had probably attracted them, yet he had no idea who they were or why they had entered this wilderness. For all he knew, they could be more dangerous than the beasts. With that thought in mind, he turned and moved deeper into the forest.
Even exhausted and wounded, his movements remained surprisingly agile. He was beginning to understand how to move through the wilderness, learning where to step, which branches to avoid, and how to pass through the undergrowth without making unnecessary noise. As he moved, his stomach growled, reminding him that he needed food. Lican reached into his snake-skin bag and pulled out a piece of jerky. There were only five pieces left, and he stared at them for a moment before shoving one into his mouth.
I can't save these forever.
He ate as he moved, knowing his body needed energy. After going deeper into the forest, he spotted a dense canopy of leaves ahead and dropped low, slipping beneath it before scanning the surrounding ground. There were no footprints, no fresh droppings, and no signs that a beast had been using the area.
Good.
He carefully removed the Night Panther's legs and the rabbit from his shoulders and waist, then covered the meat with layers of leaves, making sure nothing obvious remained exposed. After looking around one last time, Lican was satisfied. He turned toward the path he had come from, but this time, he didn't run. Instead, he walked slowly and carefully, making every step deliberate. He was going back to see who they were.
Lican squatted low, carefully calculating each step as he approached the place where he had heard the voices. By now, the conversation had become clearer, and a deep voice echoed through the forest.
"What the fuck happened here, damn!"
"Such an unpleasant death. I pity the beast."
The second voice was croaky, almost unpleasant to listen to. Lican crouched lower and slowly peeked over the vegetation, his breathing automatically slowing, a habit he had developed over the past few days. Three men stood ahead, and the first immediately caught his attention. He was around six feet tall, broad and heavily muscled, with a long scar running down one arm and a large hammer-like weapon strapped across his back. The second man was tall and lean, the one with the croaky voice, while the third stood behind them, muscular but surprisingly short, barely taller than Lican himself.
What a weird stature.
Lican's eyes moved between the three men. He didn't stare at any of them for too long, instead studying their weapons, movements, surroundings, and expressions. He needed to know what kind of people had entered this place.
Then the muscular man spoke.
"Who do you think did this, Rhys?"
Lican kept his eyes on the lean man, who let out a slow, irritated groan.
"Dougal, why are you so damn stupid?"
Rhys barely glanced at Dougal, his expression remaining strangely calm.
"Weren't we together when we arrived? How the hell should I know who did this?"
His voice carried a dry edge of sarcasm, as though Dougal's question wasn't worth taking seriously. Dougal frowned, but Rhys simply looked back at the mangled remains of the Night Panther. The short man, whose short swords hung at his sides, finally grumbled.
"Now isn't the time for your argument. We came here looking for that Crimson Flame Python Beast Core. That thing should be worth a lot."
A grin spread across his face as he patted the pouch-like bag strapped around his waist.
"Especially if we add it to the rest of our hunts."
Lican's eyes immediately shifted to the strange pouch. He stared at it for a moment, confusion flickering across his face.
What is that?
He had never seen anything like it before, but he didn't dwell on it. His attention returned to the men as the conversation continued.
"Dougal, we have to be careful. The cause might still be out there, and this fight looks fresh. The blood is still a little warm."
Dougal crouched and ran his fingers through the blood on the ground. His expression tightened as he felt the lingering warmth, and he slowly stood before turning toward the short man.
"We don't want to get ambushed while dealing with the Crimson Flame Python."
This time, there was no trace of humor on Dougal's face, but Luoming merely waved him off.
"Chill, man. It's only a Level 2 beast."
He patted one of his short swords, a confident grin returning to his face.
"We're already at the Bone Marrow Cleansing stage," Luoming said proudly.
Lican's eyes widened. Bone Marrow Cleansing. That was equivalent to a Level 5 beast in terms of strength, and the realization made him study the three men more carefully. He knew a little about the cultivation stages beyond that, since his father had only taught him the basics, enough for him to understand the rough hierarchy of strength.
After the Bone Marrow Cleansing stage came the Qi Condensation Stage, and both stages were divided into three minor realms: Early Stage, Middle Stage, and Late Stage. Lican's gaze shifted back to the three men as the weight of what he had learned settled in.
So they're already at Bone Marrow Cleansing...
For the first time, he understood just how dangerous these strangers were.