Chapter 74: Damned! Must Rush Into Town Quickly!

Zhao Si's corpse lay on the ground, blood still gushing from his neck, staining the decaying leaves beneath his feet red.

Dead silence.

A dead silence even more oppressive than when the earlier band of thugs were deterred.

Twenty-one members of the Wang Family, including Wang Zhize and Wang Zhitao, all stared at Wang Shan. Their Clan Leader had just, without a flicker of emotion, executed a captive who had already begged for mercy.

That calm, that decisiveness made the hearts of some young clan members tremble slightly.

Wang Shan did not look at Zhao Si's corpse, as if he had merely swatted a bothersome mosquito. He wiped the bloodied Short Blade on Zhao Si's clothing, retrieved his storage bag, then turned, his gaze sweeping over the crowd.

"Did everyone hear?" his voice was not loud, yet it rang clearly in each person's ears.

No one spoke.

Wang Zhize moved his lips, and finally let out a low voice: "Yes, Clan Leader. The Wan family's bounty…" a faint, barely perceptible bitterness tinged his tone.

"Sky-High Bounty, huh." Wang Shan twitched the corner of his mouth, the curve cold, "The Wan family really does hold us 'remnants' in high regard."

An older clan member, Wang Boyan, Wang Shan's paternal cousin, could no longer hold back and spoke, his voice hoarse: "Clan Leader, that… that Heishi Town isn't it a dragon's pool, tiger's den? If we go there, what if…"

"What what, then?" Wang Shan looked at him, "What if we're discovered? What if we're besieged?"

Wang Boyan lowered his head: "Yes. Those loose cultivators, for the bounty, will probably act like mad dogs."

"Uncle Boyan, do you think we're safe just staying in this wild dense forest?" Wang Shan retorted.

Wang Boyan hesitated.

"That old dog Wan Tianjue, though we've temporarily shaken him off, will he simply give up? His Spiritual Sense at the Foundation Establishment stage, once his injuries ease a bit, will lock onto us again—it's only a matter of time." Wang Shan's voice deepened, "Not to mention the endless monsters, poisonous insects in this forest, and the bandits just now. How long can we hold out?"

The crowd fell silent. The experiences of these days, each incident felt like a massive stone pressing on their hearts.

"If we stay in the deep mountains, where will food and pills come from? How will we heal injuries? We'll only grow weaker, eventually die of confinement or starvation, or become the waste of monsters." Wang Shan's words bore no emotion, yet each cut to the heart.

"Heishi Town, a mix of fish and dragons, not under Da Yong Dynasty's direct control. That is precisely our chance." Wang Shan looked at the crude beast‑skin map, "Chaos makes it easier to hide. Danger also brings opportunity."

"As for the Wan family's bounty…" Wang Shan paused, "They want to trade our heads for riches, but they'll have to see if they have the skill, if they've grown those fine teeth!"

His tone suddenly sharpened: "Since the Wan family has cast their net here, it shows they're also in a hurry! The sooner we enter the town, the sooner we hide, the more likely we can seize a chance to breathe. If we delay, waiting for Wan Tianjue to recover, or for the Wan family to mobilize more forces to seal off this area, we'll truly have no way up to the heavens nor down into the earth!"

"Damned it! We must rush into the town!" Wang Shan barked low, as if to himself and also to cement the final resolve for everyone.

Wang Zhize stepped forward: "Clan Leader, we understand. But… we're unfamiliar with Heishi Town, and our party of over twenty people, the goal is still too big."

"You're right." Wang Shan nodded, "So we can't charge in so recklessly."

His gaze turned to the crowd, expression solemn: "From now on, everyone, Concealing Breath Art must not cease! Suppress your own aura as much as possible, especially those of higher cultivation. While moving, unless I order otherwise, no one may arbitrarily use Spiritual Power, lest we attract unnecessary attention."

"Yes, Clan Leader!" the crowd answered in unison, their voices now bearing resolve. Fear remained, but Wang Shan's words were like a tonic, showing them a direction to struggle in despair.

"Zhitao, handle these storage bags and weapons, drag the corpses farther, bury them simply, and leave no obvious traces."

"Yes!" Wang Zhitao immediately summoned a few young, strong clan members to start.

Wang Shan spread out the beast‑skin map, studying the route to Heishi Town carefully, while silently planning in his mind.

The system panel flickered in his awareness; after previous consumption and replenishment, Spirit Plant Points remained at 2,150. Planting the Spirit Blood Branch could not stop, as it was fundamental to their recovery and healing.

He pondered, then said to Wang Zhize: "Zhize, come over."

Wang Zhize walked to his side.

"From here to Heishi Town, the map marks it as fast two days, slow three to four days. We must strive to reach the outskirts of Heishi Town within two days." Wang Shan pointed to a spot on the map, "Our ultimate goal is Heishi Town, but before that we must first ascertain the situation inside."

After a brief rest and tidying up, the party set out again.

This time, everyone remained silent, heads down, pressing forward. Wang Shan led at the front, his Spiritual Sense cautiously spread, probing the surroundings. He kept the crude map firmly in mind, and combined occasional system Environmental Scan feedback to carefully avoid marked hazards, such as 'Black Wind Wolf Den' or 'Rotting Bone Flower Thicket'.

Even so, in this wild land, danger lurked everywhere.

After not much travel, a rustling sound suddenly came from the forest ahead, and several black shadows flashed by.

"Guard!" Wang Shan barked low, halting his steps.

The clan members instantly tensed, a few young ones instinctively gripping their crude weapons.

Soon, seven or eight entirely black beasts, resembling leopards but with longer fangs, their eyes flashing a faint green, a First Order Dark Shadow Leopard burst from the woods, subtly surrounding them.

"Again these short‑sighted things!" Wang Shan frowned slightly. Though these First Order beasts posed no direct threat to him, their numbers could be troublesome, and the clamor and scent of blood could attract stronger beings, or… other ill‑intentional people.

Before the Dark Shadow Leopards could strike, Wang Shan's figure flickered, slipping past like a wisp of green smoke.

"Puff!" "Puff!"

He didn't even employ Pishan Palm; relying solely on the bodily power of Refining Body Stage Eight Midphase and a deft technique, his palms fluttered, and wherever the palm wind passed, the Dark Shadow Leopards didn't even have time to scream before their innards were shattered, bones broken, and they fell softly to the ground.

In the blink of an eye, the seven or eight Dark Shadow Leopards were already dead.

The Wang Family members stared in stunned silence, then burst into suppressed cheers.

"Clan Leader, mighty!"

"Too… too fast!"

Wang Shan waved his hand: "Don't be careless, finish them off quickly, we'll keep moving." He didn't want to linger here any longer.

Wang Zhitao and the others immediately stepped forward, skillfully stripping useful materials from the beasts, mainly the hides and Spirit Cores. These items might fetch some spirit stones in Heishi Town.

The party pressed on, the atmosphere a bit lighter than before; Wang Shan's thunderous tactics undoubtedly bolstered their confidence.

Yet trouble seemed to arise unannounced.

After another half‑day, while drawing water at a stream, three poisoned short arrows suddenly shot from the side bushes, targeting two of the party's women and children on watch.

"Watch out!" Wang Shan's gaze hardened, his voice a sharp bark.

He reacted with lightning speed, swinging his large sleeve; a gust of force surged out, diverting the three short arrows mid‑air, which clanged 'clank clank clank' into a nearby tree trunk, the arrowheads jet‑black and clearly laced with deadly poison.

"Who are you? Get out!" Wang Shan's voice was like ice, his gaze striking the thicket like lightning.

The bushes rustled, and three ragged leather‑armored loose cultivators, wielding crude bows and crossbows, staggered out, cursing. Leading them was a cyclops dragon at Body Refining Fifth Layer, the other two at Body Refining Four.

The cyclops dragon saw Wang Shan's party, though disheveled, were numerous, and Wang Shan's earlier deflection of the poisoned arrows gave him some respect. He chuckled, flashing yellow teeth: "Friends, calm down, it's a misunderstanding! We brothers were hunting in this forest, the arrows missed sight, disturbed you all, please be lenient."

"Misunderstanding?" Wang Shan sneered, "Launching poisoned arrows at women and children, that's also a misunderstanding?"

The man beside the cyclops dragon muttered, "Who let them watch so they could be bullied…" before he could finish, the cyclops dragon glared at him fiercely.

The one‑eyed dragon's pupils rolled, his gaze wandering over the Wang Family members, lingering a moment on a few young women, a flash of greed passing through. He probably thought that although Wang Shan had a masterful fighter, the others looked exhausted, perhaps presenting an opportunity.

"Friend, we brothers are also making a living in this wilderness, it's not easy. We may have offended you earlier; how about this: you leave some passage money, and we keep our well water from contaminating your river, how does that sound?" the one‑eyed dragon said with a forced smile.

"Passage money?" Wang Shan seemed to hear something amusing, "Do you even deserve it?"

"Kid, stop giving face and not taking it!" the man beside the one‑eyed dragon couldn't help but shout, "Our elder speaks to you politely, don't be ungrateful! This wilderness is not a place for reasoning!"

The one‑eyed dragon also lowered his face: "Friend, though the three of us brothers have low cultivation, we're not soft, easy pickings. How many of you are there? When we actually strike, there will always be a few who will be sacrificed with us!"

Wang Shan shook his head, seeming a bit impatient: "I originally intended to spare you a dog's life, but since you're courting death yourself, I'll grant it."

Before the words finished, his figure vanished again from the spot.

The one‑eyed dragon only saw a flash before his eyes, a strong sense of danger surged in his heart; without thinking, he raised the short knife in his hand to block.

"Crack!"

A crisp sound.

Wang Shan's palm had already left an imprint on his chest.

The expression on the one‑eyed dragon's face froze; he looked down and saw his own chest collapsing inward, blood gushing wildly from his mouth, spewing fragments of internal organs.

"You..." his eyes filled with resentment and fear; before he could finish the sentence, he collapsed, dying on the spot.

The other two lone cultivators were terrified, their souls fleeing, and turned to flee.

"Now you want to run? Too late!" Wang Shan snorted coldly, his figure like a phantom catching up, both palms striking together.

"Bang!" "Bang!"

Two muffled thuds; those two lone cultivators followed the one‑eyed dragon's trail, not even managing a scream.

From the first move to the end took only three to five breaths.

Wang Zhize and Wang Zhitao and the others were already somewhat numb. The Clan Leader had killed more people in this period than they had ever seen in their lifetimes. Yet they also understood that in this man‑eating wilderness, showing mercy to the enemy is cruelty to oneself.

"Search their bodies and see if there's anything useful," Wang Shan ordered, while he looked back at the map.

The Bounty Notice of the Wan family hung above his head like an invisible sharp sword; he must quickly lead his clan to find a relatively safe foothold.

After these two minor setbacks, the team's march became increasingly cautious. Wang Shan almost used the 【Environment Scan】 function to its limit; no wind or rustle within several miles escaped his notice.

One and a half days later, at dusk.

The afterglow of the setting sun dyed the clouds on the horizon a gorgeous orange‑red.

Wang Shan led his exhausted clan members out of the oppressive primeval forest, and the view ahead opened up brightly.

Ahead lay a relatively gentle hilly area, the vegetation becoming sparse. In the distance, faint outlines of low buildings with rising cooking smoke could be seen.

"Clan Leader, is... is that Heishi Town?" a young clan member asked trembling, with a mix of hope and anxiety.

Wang Shan squinted, gazing into the distance.

"It shouldn't be far," he said.

As they drew nearer, the lone cultivators and adventurers they met increased in number. These people came in groups of three to five, mostly armed, eyes vigilant; their gazes at Wang Shan's party were filled with unabashed scrutiny and probing, and some even showed a faint, lingering greed.

Wang Shan noticed that almost every stretch of road, there were suspicious individuals looking around, as if searching for something.

"It seems the Bounty Notice of the Wan family really has a market here," Wang Shan snorted inwardly.

He decided on the spot: "We can't keep moving together like this; the target is too large."

He led the clan to stop in a valley strewn with boulders, relatively concealed.

"Everyone rest here first, replenish food and water," Wang Shan instructed, "Zhize, Zhitao, and Wang Yong, Wang Fang, you four come with me."

The four named were among the clan's more clever and relatively higher‑cultivation youths (except Wang Fang, who is Body Refining Second Layer but very meticulous).

Wang Shan led them aside, lowering his voice: "We are about half a day's journey from Heishi Town. I decide that you few will go ahead, infiltrate Heishi Town to scout the situation."

Wang Zhize's expression hardened: "Clan Leader, rest assured, we will act cautiously."

"Okay," Wang Shan nodded, "Your mission: first, ascertain the current situation in Heishi Town due to the Bounty Notice, which forces are active, and the town's rules. Second, purchase essential supplies, especially clean water, non‑perishable food, and common medicinal herbs. Third, and most important, find a way within or near Heishi Town to lease or buy a remote, safe foothold—not needing to be luxurious, but must be concealed."

He took out some Lower Grade spirit stones and previously looted scattered valuables from his storage bag, handing them to Wang Zhize: "Take these, use them carefully, don't reveal your wealth. Switch to more ordinary clothing, suppress your aura, try to disguise yourselves as ordinary pioneers. Remember, safety first; if danger arises, retreat immediately, don't linger in battle."

"Understood!" Wang Zhize solemnly took the items.

Wang Shan turned to the other three: "You must fully cooperate with Zhize, listen and observe more, speak less, and discuss matters together when issues arise."

"Understood, Clan Leader!" the three replied in unison.

"Go, reach the town before nightfall, and bring back the news as soon as possible," Wang Shan patted Wang Zhize's shoulder.

Wang Zhize led the three, quickly changing into the relatively inconspicuous clothes stripped from those dead lone cultivators; after a simple disguise they silently left the valley, stealthily moving toward Heishi Town.

Watching their disappearing silhouettes, Wang Shan took a deep breath.

"Hope everything goes smoothly."

He returned among the clan, soothed everyone's emotions, arranged the watch, then sat cross‑legged on a massive boulder, his mind sinking into the system space.

In the spirit field, a new batch of 【Spirit Blood Branches】 had sprouted tender buds.

"Grow quickly, my lifeline..." Wang Shan muttered to himself.

He poured in over a thousand Spirit Plant Points he had accumulated, without hesitation, choosing to accelerate maturation.

Pale green radiance flowed above the spirit field, the Spirit Blood Branches growing, flowering, and bearing fruit at a visible speed.

Moments later, another fourteen mature 【Spirit Blood Branches】 were harvested, and Spirit Plant Points rose again.

But he did not stop, continuing to purchase seeds, keep planting, and accelerate maturation.

He needed more Spirit Plant Points, more resources. Heishi Town, sounding far from a kind place, without sufficient strength and leverage, would be hard to advance.

Time passed slowly, the valley fell into silence, only occasional insect chirps and the clan's suppressed breathing remained.

Wang Shan, while monitoring the spirit plant growth in the system space, remained alert to the surroundings.

He knew that when Wang Zhize and the others returned, whether they brought good or bad news, it would mean that their survival path on the wilderness's edge would face a new, possibly harsher challenge.

Heishi Town—would it be their haven, or another vortex that devours lives?