Su Yan was puzzled. If it was just meat, despite the need to hunt, mountain people weren't short of it, even at the Mountain Market. But since Song Qi had suggested it, the place must be special.
"That butcher shop is exclusively for the city's martial artists and wealthy families. They sell the meat of Desolate Beasts. One jin of Desolate Beast meat costs one tael of silver. If they have something that tastes better, like the Purple Flower Civet Pig, the price will be even higher."
"One jin for one tael of silver? Which family can afford that kind of expense?" For an ordinary mountain-man, one tael of silver might be their monthly budget. At one tael per jin, consuming one jin a day would cost thirty taels of silver a month.
"What did you expect?" Song Qi merely smiled. The high cost of training was no secret among martial artists.
Su Yan's eyes showed curiosity, and he was more interested in the Desolate Beasts mentioned earlier. "What exactly are these Desolate Beasts?"
"Desolate Beasts are exotic beasts that have ranked up, transcending ordinary wild animals. They are what some mountain people call Precious Beasts or Treasure Beasts." Song Qi asked, "Do you remember the Black Claw Tiger that wreaked havoc down the mountain a few months ago? That was a First-Order Late Stage Desolate Beast, equivalent to a Blood Circulation realm martial artist."
"I remember hunters' steel forks couldn't pierce it, and even powerful crossbows struggled to break its hide."
"You have quite the imagination," Song Qi sneered softly. "Even a First-Order Early Stage Desolate Beast is equivalent to a Skin Refining realm martial artist. Its skin is like three to five layers of cowhide, and its strength can reach thousands of jin. How can an ordinary person fight it?"
"Desolate Beasts can only be killed by martial artists."
Song Qi then subtly changed the subject: "Of course, there are some weaker Desolate Beasts, those on the verge of ranking up or those who have just ranked up. This is why you occasionally hear of someone successfully hunting a Precious Beast, though martial artists still call them Desolate Beasts."
"If you want to build a strong foundation, you must use good supplements and also supplement with meat, or the faster your progress, the quicker your body will break down." Song Qi's warning was firm, but practical advice.
Su Yan's eyes suddenly narrowed. Hundreds of mountain peaks on the outer side of Cloud Ridge Mountain were monopolized by forces like the wealthy families and the Small Mountain Association. The inner mountains, with their dozens of peaks, were likely partially occupied. People constantly moved through these areas, yet there were few signs of Desolate Beasts, but this butcher shop could maintain a steady supply.
He looked up and asked, "Are these Desolate Beasts, perhaps, from the Great Desolate Mountain in the depths of Cloud Ridge?"
"That's right. Areas rarely visited by people are where the Desolate Beasts run rampant. The Cloud Ridge Desolate Mountain is one such place, and it's intentionally preserved." Song Qi stopped there, realizing he had said too much. He merely glanced at Su Yan: "You've only just initiated Skin Refining. Don't think about entering the Desolate Mountain. Even the inner mountains may not be safe for you to walk alone." Even the wild beasts there, though not ranked Desolate Beasts, possessed the terrifying strength of the Skin Refining stage, just lacking the strange, spiritual properties. Furthermore, scattered Desolate Beasts also roamed the inner mountains, albeit in smaller numbers. The inner mountain region was not safe either.
"How could a person with my meager ability dare to enter the Desolate Mountain? I was just curious."
"Even with curiosity, don't go. If you can enter the inner door of the Golden Ape Martial Academy, you will naturally have a chance to go; someone will lead a team." Having said that, Song Qi took a sip of tea, leaned back to eat his pastry, and began to dismiss him: "Time to go mountain-trekking. Your silver won't last long for training."
Su Yan packed his things, politely bowed out, and was about to leave. He suddenly heard Song Qi's voice: "Be careful when mountain-trekking. Don't travel at night. That wanted man the yamen is after, Pang Tianfeng, is not someone to be trifled with. Don't lose your life."
Su Yan's eyes focused, thinking of the grim portrait: 'Pang Tianfeng, eh?' He nodded and left the Hundred Herb Hall.
Clang! The teacup was set down heavily on the table.
Song Qi pulled at his beard: "When the owner picked me up, it took me half a month of desperate struggle to enter the threshold of Skin Refining. This kid is quite something. Even if he doesn't find the Blood Vein Flower, teaching him and building a good connection is an excellent investment. And the pastries from the Pan Family Restaurant are indeed quite good."
Su Yan left the Hundred Herb Hall shop without going to the Tianfeng Weapon Shop branch. With only two taels of silver left, forget buying a fine steel bow; he couldn't even afford a new hardwood bow.
He simply left the Mountain Market Town and strode toward Cloud-Front Village.
According to Elder Song, reaching a rank means being equivalent to a martial artist in the four stages of Body Forging. That means my Dark Water Centipede is equivalent to a Skin Refining stage martial artist.'
'No, I can't calculate it exactly like that. Even Desolate Beasts have their own strengths and weaknesses. It would be too arbitrary to judge purely by realm. In terms of physique, the Dark Water Centipede might be slightly inferior, but with its poison, even a Tendon-Bone stage martial artist might not survive.'
Su Yan assessed his situation. Cloud Ridge Mountain was a treasure trove, and he hadn't realized the Great Desolate Mountain held even more ranked Desolate Beasts. Currently, his Ominous Bug Cauldron had accumulated the required one hundred jin of Beast Blood Essence. He was just short of another near-ranked or First-Order Exotic Bug.
'First, I'll achieve Minor Accomplishment in Skin Refining, then I'll venture into the Inner Mountain with the Dark Water Centipede. With two Skin Refining level fighters cooperating, there shouldn't be much danger.'
Su Yan walked quickly, returning to the village. As he entered, he immediately heard a loud commotion.
"What are you doing!"
Xie Yuzhu's angry shout reached him. Su Yan's expression hardened, and he rushed toward the source of the sound.
He saw the villagers of Cloud-Front Village gathered outside his house, young and old, craning their necks to see what was happening. The noise came from within his own courtyard.
"Xie the Idiot, do you want to pay the debt for Su Dahe and his son?"
A curse followed, and a low groan was heard, after which the village head, an old man, shouted: "Don't you dare touch him! Zhao the Scabby, be careful or I'll report you to the yamen!"
"Heh, old man. Debts must be paid; it's the law of nature. Do you think the people of Cloud-Front Village don't have to pay what they owe?"
A contemptuous laugh followed. The villagers were speechless, their eyes shifting nervously. It wasn't their business. The Su family owed money. Even if they wanted to help, they couldn't justify it, and they certainly didn't want to get beaten like Xie Yuzhu.
Su Yan pushed through the crowd, his face cold. He saw four or five thugs standing outside his courtyard, holding short knives and staves. Xie Yuzhu was on the ground, clutching his chest and groaning after being kicked. Guo Yun and a few other trekking partners helped him up but dared not argue with the thugs who carried weapons. These were thugs working for Niu Han. Only four or five of them were present, but they were all young, strong, and proficient fighters. If anyone provoked them, Niu Han might bring twenty people next time, endangering their families.
"Brother Yan is here!"
Someone spotted Su Yan and whispered the surprise, which spread quickly, opening a path for him. The leader, Zhao the Scabby, squinted at Su Yan and smiled, like a hunter spotting his prey.
"Well, well, well, you've been hiding for days, and you've finally come out, kid." Several men surrounded him, showing off their weapons to intimidate him.
"It's the Nine-Out-Sixteen-Return loan. Your dead father borrowed ten taels of silver from our boss. By the rules, you now owe us seventeen taels and eight Qian of silver. A son must repay his father's debt. Pay up. We heard you found plenty of herbs and a Treasure Plant."
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