Chapter 51: Hunt

Jin Meng heard it and immediately understood; he went straight to the clan leader's resting place.

Feng Yan watched the dwarves' way of resting and was stunned; they didn't use any wood or anything to build a shelter, they simply lay down in the forest and fell asleep!

After Jin Meng's notice, the clan leader began slowly gathering the dwarves; when they heard the adventurers arrive, they became excited, their previous despondency and fear vanished, and they converged from all directions of the forest, eventually standing in neat rows before Feng Yan and Chen Hao, perhaps they are born warriors, or perhaps this is their true form!

"Now, let the prophesied savior of the dwarf tribe, the adventurers, speak!" the clan leader could not contain his excitement and shouted.

Chen Hao and Feng Yan, upon hearing that, were extremely flustered; they had never spoken before so many people, they kept yielding to each other, and finally resorted to a game of rock‑paper‑scissors to decide who would speak.

The crowd watched Feng Yan and Chen Hao's actions, unsure what they were doing; at last, scissors beat paper, and Feng Yan was reluctantly pushed up by Chen Hao to speak.

Pairs of eyes stared at Feng Yan, making his scalp tingle; he opened his mouth to speak but no sound came out. Finally he gathered courage and shouted, "I am an adventurer, seeking happiness for all peoples of the Dream Continent; adventurers only help the weak! You will be the first race that Chen Hao and I aid; the goal is that you will no longer be persecuted, no longer hunted by him, the Red‑clothed Devil, or similar beings. What will you do?"

"Resist!" the dwarves chorused.

"Very good, you have finally reclaimed your courage; this is the first small step to success, but some things cannot be achieved by courage alone; we still need to make preparations."

The Dwarf Clan Leader stepped forward and asked, "Adventurer sir, what must we do?"

Feng Yan smiled and said, "It's simple: tomorrow Chen Hao and I will seize the Li Country treasure; your task is to watch their soldiers from behind, and once our forces clash with theirs, you may charge straight into Wanggong!"

The dwarves fell silent at once, seeming frightened; some even began to slip away quietly.

"This will kill people!" a frightened dwarf said, his voice trembling.

"I know, but we are adventurers—must we save you just because of your prophecy? Because your seer's prediction made Chen Hao and I your saviors, you think we are obliged to rescue you? Without your own effort, relying only on us, no one would acknowledge you. You once depended on the gods' protection, but the gods vanished and you grew fearful. Now we adventurers have appeared and can help again, but only temporarily; you must eventually shoulder some responsibility. That is also what your main god wishes to see you become!" Feng Yan, burning with anger, tried to restrain his excitement and said.

"It seems you're a bunch of cowards; dwarven bravery, unafraid of hardship, now looks like a joke!" Jin Meng stepped forward and scoffed.

"On what authority do you say that!"

"You're just a bounty hunter; get out of the dwarf settlement!"

"Get out!" the dwarves shouted louder, pointing their weapons outward at the person who had been protecting them.

The clan leader barely held back his voice, but the dwarves stared at Jin Meng as if he were their father‑killer's foe.

Feng Yan saw them pause, their voices fading, sneered, and then mocked, "Ha, you lot. When your main god was present you could survive by relying on him, but now your main god may have fallen into disaster. He gave you protection, yet what have you given him? Only trouble, and you don't even notice. He sacrificed his own life for you; though a god's lifespan is long, after he left what did you become? What were you before? Ah, answer me—Jin Meng was sent by me to protect you; you didn't see how much effort he put in, thinking he only works because he took adventurers' money? Li Country is a place where a single coin can defeat a hero; if not forced, who would take such a dangerous job? And you, just because he told the truth, want to expel him! It truly cannot be saved!" Feng Yan could no longer contain his fury, shouted loudly, then turned and left, Chen Hao following, the dwarves fell silent, watching their backs.

A thud was heard; Feng Yan turned and saw the clan leader, the half‑aged dwarf, kneeling before the departing two, then shouted, "Adventurers, please help my dwarf tribe reclaim freedom!"

Feng Yan still could not bear the kneeling elder, sighed and said, "Stand up; I will help you."

Feng Yan helped the dwarf clan leader to his feet and addressed the dwarves behind, "Remember, just because a prophecy exists doesn't guarantee it will happen, but fulfilling a prophecy is hope, the result of our joint effort. Do you understand?"

A deafening roar echoed through the silent night forest, scattering the birds; satisfied, Feng Yan said, "When I need you, I'll send a signal: my sword will fly over this forest and then return to my hand. Now, we must go."

The dwarves watched them walk away into the still‑black night, and someone asked, "Are they truly the people foretold by the seer?"

The clan leader replied, "Yes, they are the ones spoken of in the seer's words." He said it aloud, but his heart trembled, for it was only a prophecy, just a prophecy.

Through the black night they passed the golden avenue, bribing the gate soldiers again with gold coins; after a while, the soldiers saw Feng Yan and Chen Hao and reached out, knowing the heavy gold was inevitable.

They returned to the residence and prepared to sleep.

Feng Yan looked at Wang You, her sleeping face, smiled, and she opened her eyes and asked, "Why did you become an adventurer?"

Feng Yan was first startled, then puzzled by the question, then at a loss, and could only reply perfunctorily, "For the people I love and who love me, to create a world where everyone can be treated gently."

Elsewhere, in the bounty‑hunter building, the first‑through‑sixth ranked assassins had gathered. The black‑clad assassin, whose previous attempt had failed, said, "This time the Prince offered an unprecedented price, but in my view we should unite to deal with this person."

"Who is that person?" asked the eighth, a short man standing on a chair.

"An adventurer, Feng Yan!" the first said.