Chapter 233: Monster Hunting (Extra Chapters 69 & 70)

"My lord! You, you really mean to go alone?"

Sophia watched the stubbornly determined Herbert with worry and could not help urging him once more.

"Please wait a moment! I won't hold you back—allow me to go with you!"

The centaur girl was at a loss.

Just now, Herbert had suddenly, without any warning, announced that he would be going out alone.

The casual way he looked doing it was exactly like some old grandfather strolling outside with his hands clasped behind his back.

But outside was very dangerous!

"Don't worry, I'll be fine."

"But… ah."

Sophia gave a soft snort and stared resentfully at the palm Herbert had withdrawn.

Herbert shrugged easily, and under Sophia's gaze, patted her rear once more, completely not taking her warning to heart.

"Alright, stop trying to talk me out of it."

In Herbert's view, such obstruction was indeed meaningless.

Before Sophia had arrived, he had always moved freely through the Misty Mountains just like this.

Mm, though that statement was a bit of an exaggeration—he mostly relied on the legendary pressure of the Hungry Dragon and the mermaid to intimidate others by association.

But even without their help, Herbert was confident he could traverse the outer reaches of the Misty Mountains.

In the end, although Sophia stepped aside, she still asked with some unwillingness: "My lord, wouldn't Lady Fu Leimei try to stop you?"

"I've already spoken with her, so you can stop thinking about sneaking off to report."

Herbert raised his hand and patted her shoulder as he passed the centaur, then gestured for her to lower her head.

"Mm?"

Sophia blinked, obediently lowered her head, and then had her nose gently pinched by Herbert.

"Mmph—"

She instinctively wanted to raise her head, but immediately realized she couldn't do that, so she could only stay bent over, letting Herbert pinch her nose and shake it side to side.

Herbert admired her flustered appearance, chuckled lightly, and released his fingers: "Know your place. Ask what you should ask, don't ask what you shouldn't. Understand?"

"Mmph! Mm—understood." The centaur Young Lady covered her nose and rubbed it, obediently lowering her head.

He glanced back, somewhat regretfully not seeing any sign of the mermaid Young Lady.

Fu Leimei had not come out to see him off; she was currently exploring the underwater temple, hoping to find some resources within.

Fortunately, with Nie Nasha's assurance, Herbert could confirm the underwater temple held no danger, so he let her find something to do.

As for Shi Diwen… that fellow had taken quite a shock yesterday.

After a night of thought, having barely accepted the current situation, he had calmed down considerably, and was now sitting quietly in front of the wooden stake inscribed with the blood wings, lost in thought.

Such a vast domain, and only Sophia, one loyal retainer, is willing to see me off!

A loyal and worthy general indeed.

A pillar of the realm indeed.

Herbert, sighing inwardly, beckoned to Sophia once more.

"Come here."

And this time, Sophia's reaction was clearly much more intense than before; she gave a sudden, violent shudder.

Mm!?

She hesitated visibly, sniffed, and only then bent over and, somewhat hesitantly, came to stand before Herbert.

Then she voluntarily thrust her proud nose toward him.

Here—

With her eyes nervously half-closed, looking as though she was ready to be manhandled at any moment.

"Heh."

Herbert was amused by her appearance, shook his head, and instead of pinching her nose, gently pinched her cheek.

"Alright, I'm off. You should head out too and prepare to welcome the guests."

"…Yes."

Sophia dazedly touched the cheek he had just lightly pinched, feeling somewhat bewildered, her heart also stirring.

She watched Herbert's figure disappear into the mist, slowly lowered her head, then raised it again with high fighting spirit.

For some reason, her morale had risen by several degrees, and she strode boldly out toward the mountains.

Herbert this time was not acting on impulse the way Sophia imagined.

On the contrary, he had actually been wanting to do this for a long time.

Herbert did not want to keep hiding under the shelter of others; deep down he had always hoped for a chance to train himself to his heart's content.

And now, the greatest danger in this area had been eliminated. The remaining monsters, while they could give Herbert some trouble, could not threaten his life.

A very suitable trial difficulty.

Herbert did not draw his longsword, but strolled through the forest at his ease, walking leisurely through the mist, humming a melody he had heard from the mermaid Young Lady.

"Hm~"

The mist that could easily devour life for others posed no obstacle to him; instead it became a barrier protecting his figure.

He headed toward the Mist Phantom Wolves he had marked last time, preparing to repeat the trick—once again using the old method to find the wolves' main pack.

And so, within the silent mist, a figure flickered in and out of sight, accompanied by a faint, barely-there humming.

"Hm~ hm~"

In a different setting, such a figure and song might have been refreshing and uplifting, secretly stirring feelings of admiration.

But in this desolate, mist-shrouded mountain range, such a sound suddenly rang out… hehe.

This scene alone could make one's hair stand on end.

But Herbert didn't care what others thought.

As his mood improved, he walked more cheerfully, humming louder and louder.

"Hum~ hum~ hum~"

"Hum-hum-hum! Ha! Hmm! Hum-hum-hum~"

…

Just as Herbert strolled casually through the mist, preparing to seek out the mist ghost wolf's stronghold,

At the same moment, another group was slowly advancing deeper into the mist, cautiously.

This was a five-person squad composed of one Holy Knight, two Wu Seng, and two nuns.

And all five of them had reached the Gao Jie!

Yet even with such strength, their current state was far from relaxed—instead, they were utterly disheveled.

Though their movements were light, they were fleeing in panic.

"Our Lord above, how could we be so unlucky!"

The tall Wu Seng in the squad, as he pushed aside a fallen tree ahead, muttered complaints nonstop.

"If only we'd listened to me and returned right after killing that ox, we wouldn't be in this mess, Zhal—don't you agree?"

Beside him, the slightly shorter Wu Seng, Zhal, silently shook his head, signaling him to stop speaking.

Zhal, the thin Wu Seng, had two loops of black cloth wrapped tightly around his mouth.

The Silent Vow—a Wu Seng's cultivation method.

The complaining tall Wu Seng looked somewhat overweight, yet every movement carried immense physical energy.

The Wu Seng's cultivation method resembles that of the Holy Knight: making grand vows to gain the Heavenly Dao's blessing.

The two Wu Seng led the way, followed by two slender, delicate twin nuns.

They were like two twin blossoms sprouting from the same holy flower, identical in appearance.

In perfect unison, they pressed their scriptures to their chests, walking while softly chanting, continuously bestowing blessings upon their teammates.

Unlike other Punishment Nuns, they had no direct combat ability.

Yet their presence was like an invisible wellspring of power within the team—skilled in every form of enhancement: shields, attack speed, strength.

Their divine arts always enabled their teammates to fight with greater power!

Bringing up the rear, responsible for guarding and covering their retreat, was a Holy Knight whose face looked weak.

He walked at the very back, like a silent Dashan, using his broad back to shield his teammates from dangers behind.

His armor emitted a faint crimson glow within the mist; in his hand he held a strangely shaped short sword.

Or perhaps, it shouldn't even be called a short sword.

It was more like the product of a failed reforging—a long sword melted and then re-solidified…

"Fa'ao, are you alright?"

One of the nuns turned her head, glancing at Fa'ao with concern, whispering: "Your condition shouldn't have allowed you to join this 'Monster Hunt'."

Fa'ao shook his head slightly, speaking slowly: "Don't worry—my body is fine."

The Monster Hunt was the most lively event each month at the Mist Monastery.

Everyone, without exception, felt a burning desire to compete, seeking a chance to meet the Grand Abbot.

Logically, they shouldn't have invited Fa'ao—someone of decent strength but clearly unwell.

Yet in the end, they agreed after Fa'ao's repeated requests.

And Fa'ao's earlier performance hadn't disappointed them: the squad worked together, relying on their still-unfamiliar chemistry, successfully killing three Gao Jie monsters!

This was no easy feat—each Gao Jie monster, especially in the Mist Mountains, possessed unique powers capable of easily destroying an ordinary adventuring team.

Previously, the highest record in Monster Hunts was five Gao Jie monsters.

If they killed two more, they would tie the seniors' historical best.

And if fortune favored them further, they could set a new record!

Unfortunately, perhaps fate was against them—it always loved to strike when people were most confident.

Just as they confidently sought their next prey, an accident occurred.

They did encounter the fourth Gao Jie monster—the Mist Giant Lizard—at its mapped location.

But they were too late.

The lizard had already been claimed!

A Gao Jie Mist Ghost Wolf had forcibly invaded the lizard's territory and killed it in a mutually destructive clash!

The lizard dead, the ghost wolf severely wounded!

This seemed the perfect chance to eliminate both—easily securing two Gao Jie monster proofs.

With these two proofs, they would break the historical record and earn the chance to meet the Grand Abbot!

But while the others rejoiced, Fa'ao sensed something was wrong.

Monsters leaving their territories to fight other monsters was an extremely unusual signal.

Fa'ao immediately recalled the warning he'd heard before.

The forest was stirring!

At that moment, Fa'ao did not act rashly—he ordered his teammates to retreat immediately.

Soon after they left, Fa'ao's decision proved correct.

For there, it wasn't just one Gao Jie ghost wolf—it was two.

Another one, partially ethereal, had been hidden in the mist—and it was hiding right near them!

This cunning demon had spotted them long ago; the other one was feigning grave injury to lure them closer!

Next, the five of them endured the most torturous battle of their lives.

The two ghost wolves weren't particularly strong—they weren't invincible—but their harassment tactics were truly chilling.

The ghost wolves appeared without warning from the mist, snatched a mouthful of flesh, then vanished soundlessly back into the fog.

They were like favorites of this mist.

After resisting for a long while, Fa'ao finally seized an opportunity to sever one ghost wolf's foreleg, driving them back in alarm.

The team gained a moment to breathe, managing to put some distance between themselves and the two ghost wolves.

Now, the ghost wolves seemed frightened by Fa'ao's sword strike; though they didn't abandon pursuit, they dared not approach within a hundred meters, only lingering far behind.

Like parasites clinging to their bones, they followed relentlessly.

The other nun turned back, fixing her gaze on Fa'ao's silent expression, frowning and shaking her head: "Fa'ao, we're companions now—you must tell the truth!"

The two sisters specialized in healing divine arts—how could they not understand Fa'ao's current state?

"…"

But Fa'ao merely remained silent, hesitating, and ultimately gave no explanation for the real reason.

He waved his hand, gripping his longsword tightly, glanced at his four teammates, and nodded slowly: "I'm fine. Don't worry about me. Trust me—I will bring you all back to the monastery."

"Sigh!"

The two sisters sighed together—this was not the assurance they wanted!

"What are you thinking? You're like this…"

Just as the atmosphere grew increasingly awkward, the tall Wu Seng spoke up to change the subject: "Ahem! Fa'ao, I don't care about the rest, but why are we taking this path?"

He stared at the road leading deeper into the mist, sucked his teeth, and grimaced:

"You suggested this route, and we agreed—but now you won't say a word, and it's making all of us deeply worried."

Freed from the tension, Fa'ao nodded gratefully at him and said in a low voice:

"I know a route. It's longer, but the beasts there were just cleared out by a powerful figure—they haven't been claimed by other demons yet."

"It's an open swamp. If they want to approach us, they'll have to reveal themselves. But there, we can rest for a while."

The place Fa'ao mentioned was naturally where they had hunted the bog wild boars.

Their lord had been killed by Herbert; no new demons would migrate there soon. They could rest undisturbed on this unclaimed land.

And as Fa'ao had predicted, they reached the swamp without incident.

"Phew! Finally, we can catch our breath."

The tall Wu Seng wiped sweat from his brow; his eyes still held traces of recent tension, while the shorter silent Zen Wu Seng gripped his weapon tightly.

They took turns keeping watch.

"Zhal, stop being so tense—you can relax a little now."

The elder twin nun exhaled and said: "The ground here is much flatter—we'll have more room to maneuver."

They had been restricted in the forest and couldn't fully unleash their power; now on open ground, they could finally fight properly.

The two placed their books together, clasped hands, and silently chanted.

"I praise you, for your glory protects us from foreign enemies."

Hum—

Soon, a giant hemispherical barrier ten meters in diameter sealed around the team.

With this dome of protection, the team members visibly relaxed.

Divine Art: Ten-Meter Protection

With this, they could detect attacks the moment they came, possessed limited defense, and gained precious reaction time.

Once basic safety was assured, the five quickly moved, pulling out dried rations and water bags from their packs and shoving them into their mouths.

They had fought too long—they urgently needed to restore their strength.

Just as Fa'ao and the others devoured their food, two figures silently emerged in the distance.

The two ghost wolves that had trailed them all along stood at the swamp's edge, disdainfully shaking their paws.

They stared with haunting eyes at the protective barrier, then slowly retreated, vanishing once more into the mist.

Seeing the ghost wolves temporarily retreat, the group finally let out their breath.

Though these creatures, by their kind's nature, would never truly give up, the five now had at least some breathing room.

As they relaxed, the tall Wu Seng suddenly grew curious and asked: "By the way, Fa'ao, I've always wanted to ask you something."

"When I asked before, you didn't answer—why did you insist on joining this demon hunt? With your strength, you could easily join next month's expedition after resting."

They all knew Fa'ao had escorted a group of stranded adventurers back to the monastery, and had been badly injured himself—he should have rested properly.

Yet after being treated, he didn't wait to fully recover—he rushed back here again. What hidden reason drove him?

This wasn't just one person's curiosity; the other three were equally intrigued, all now watching Fa'ao with expectant eyes.

Under such gazes, Fa'ao sighed helplessly and shook his head: "There's no hidden reason you imagine. I simply… wish to follow in the footsteps of a my lord, and repay his kindness…"

"Follow?"

The others blinked in surprise, stunned.

They hadn't expected Fa'ao had come back into the Mist Mountains for such a reason.

And with Fa'ao's current strength, only a legendary powerhouse would be worthy of his devotion.

"Wait—you mean that my lord is…"

Just as they wondered about his identity, Fa'ao suddenly stood, raised his sword, and roared: "Watch out!"

!?!

Only at this moment did the other four suddenly realize something was wrong.

At the edge of the fog beyond the barrier, at some unknown point over a hundred Mist Ghost Wolves had already appeared, slowly closing in on them!

Moreover, upon realizing their tracks had been exposed, those things suddenly darted forward.

Baring their razor-sharp fangs, they charged toward them at full speed.

And this was not what left Fa'ao most desperate…

Because only at this instant did he suddenly notice that the two high-rank Mist Ghost Wolves had already silently leapt right above their heads.

Crack, crack, crack…

CRACK!!!

(End of chapter)