Chapter 246: Supreme Strongman

"Get in the vehicle first; on the way, I'll explain to you."

Jiang Cheng nodded.

The off‑road vehicle drove out of the garage, followed the road, and headed toward the city gate.

Ye Ying spoke slowly.

"Every part of an Exotic Beast is valuable; its blood and hide are essential materials for Talismans, its flesh can be used to make Secret Medicine, its claws, teeth, and bones can be forged into weapons or Secret Treasure, certain scaled or thick‑skinned Exotic Beasts can be turned into Combat Suits, and the higher the tier of the Exotic Beast, the greater its value."

Generally, the purchase price for a single First-tier Exotic Beast is only a few hundred to a thousand yuan.

The purchase price for a Second-tier Exotic Beast ranges from as low as one or two thousand to several thousand, approaching ten thousand.

If it's a Third-tier, the price varies by several ten‑thousands.

Jiang Cheng frowned slightly at that.

The price for a whole Third-tier Exotic Beast is only a few ten‑thousands?

How long would it take to amass ten million by hunting Third-tier Exotic Beasts? "What about the higher ones? Like Fourth-tier, Fifth-tier?"

"Generally, a Fourth-tier Exotic Beast fetches a purchase price of a little over a hundred thousand, while a Fifth-tier commands much higher prices—some over two hundred thousand, some three hundred thousand. However, those beasts have physical defenses comparable to a Level 6 Original Force Warrior; even with a Heavy Sniper Rifle, unless you hit a vital spot, they're hard to kill."

Jiang Cheng did the math upon hearing that.

If we calculate using three hundred thousand and split fifty‑fifty, we would need to kill 66 Fifth-tier Exotic Beasts to reach the goal.

That number is still a bit high.

"What about even higher, like Sixth-tier, Seventh-tier?"

Ye Ying turned her head and stared at him quietly.

"The place we're heading to has no Exotic Beasts of that tier; even if there are, they're in the mountains, and with the sniper rifle you carry, you probably can't pierce the defenses of some Sixth-tier Exotic Beasts, let alone Seventh-tier."

Jiang Cheng couldn't help but smile wryly.

Seems that's the case.

A Level 6 Original Force Warrior is no longer much afraid of Heavy Sniper Rifles or Heavy Machine Guns.

At Seventh-level, one can even ignore them; equipping a mm Machine Cannon makes a kill possible, though only possible, since such a huge creature is visible as long as you aren't blind.

And Exotic Beasts' defensive power compared to those of the same tier is only comparable, neither superior nor inferior.

Ye Ying's voice sounded again.

"The purchase price for a Sixth-tier Exotic Beast ranges between three hundred thousand and five hundred thousand, for a Seventh-tier between five hundred thousand and eight hundred thousand, and for an Eighth-tier it can exceed one million. But with our two abilities, if we actually encounter one, we'd be more worried about how to escape."

"Got it."

Jiang Cheng replied.

He was just curious and asking around.

Actually going into the mountains is no different from courting death.

"By the way, Ye Ying, after we hunt a few Exotic Beasts, should we sell them at Wu Family Fortress?"

"Do you know Wu Family Fortress?"

Ye Ying's voice carried a hint of surprise.

"I've heard people mention it; they say you can buy a lot of Secret Medicine there, and the prices are cheaper than in the city."

Jiang Cheng laughed.

"Hmm, the prices are indeed much cheaper, but that place is dangerous."

Ye Ying squinted slightly.

"Not even a Senior Original Force Warrior, even a Grandmaster, can be found there, and…"

Her voice paused, and fear showed in her eyes.

"And what?" Jiang Cheng was seeing that expression from Ye Ying for the first time.

"And there might be a Supreme-level Strongman inside!"

"!"

Jiang Cheng's pupils dilated.

Inside Wu Family Fortress there is a Force Supreme? A being whose mere stomp makes the whole city tremble? No wonder Wu Family can monopolize the business of buying Exotic Beast materials outside Dongfang City. This is a hugely profitable trade; just sitting at home brings a steady stream of money, and even the White Pine Village we'll go to later is controlled behind the scenes by the Wu Family.

"What exactly is the background of this Wu Family?"

Jiang Cheng couldn't help but ask.

Ye Ying was right; it's not only the profit inside that's astonishing.

Moreover, since the Jiao Tribe arrived, all Yan Nation people have been forced to relocate to nine cities, prohibited from building houses privately outside.

Yet the Wu Family built Wu Family Fortress and also White Pine Village? He guessed such villages must be more than one.

"That story begins a hundred years ago."

Ye Ying organized her words.

"A hundred years ago, our Yan Nation declined, the Jiao Tribe arrived. Even then people could see those guys spoke of offering aid but were actually annexing the whole planet, so the Yan Nation people left on Morning Star split into three factions: the War Faction, the Peace Faction, and the Observer Faction."

"The details need not be elaborated; the outcome is clear: those who refused the Jiao Tribe were forced into the deep mountains, becoming the Rebel Army, while the Peace Faction and Observer Faction obeyed the Jiao Tribe, taking various positions to manage the Yan Nation for them."

"So, does that mean the Wu Family is a member of the Peace Faction?"

"No, they belong to the War Faction."

"What?"

Jiang Cheng was startled.

This answer was somewhat unexpected to him.

"Later, they betrayed the War Faction."

"They say the War Faction secretly plotted an ambush against important Jiao Tribe figures. For that operation, the War Faction dispatched ten Supremes, essentially staking everything, and among them was the Wu Family's Supreme."

"So, he betrayed the others."

Correct, originally it was the Ten Supremes who were to ambush, but they became the target of an ambush; except for the Wu Family Supreme, the other nine Supremes almost all died in battle. Afterwards, the War Faction was forced to retreat into the deep mountains, and along the way they naturally suffered relentless pursuit and heavy losses. That is why the Rebel Army hiding in the deep mountains hates us so much.

Jiang Cheng, upon hearing this, couldn't help but think of the old man he had met in the Poor District.

That person, on the other hand, was quite peaceful, not shouting for me to be beaten or killed.

Perhaps even the Rebel Army is divided into the Radical Faction and the Conservative Faction?

Having achieved such great merit, the Wu Family's treatment is naturally out of the ordinary—one can build a stronghold in the wilderness and even raise one's own army; not only the Wu Family, but several other clans are the same, and you would know this if you went to a few other cities.

Jiang Cheng nodded.

He roughly understood.

So, the Wu Family Supreme is inside the Wu Family Fortress?

Probably? I'm not entirely sure of the specifics.

Ye Ying thought for a moment and said: "Anyway, with our current strength, going there would be too dangerous. If you want to buy Secret Medicine, it's also available in White Pine Village, although the grade might not be high, but for a Second-level Force Warrior like you, it should be sufficient."

Saying that, she also glanced at Jiang Cheng.

Hmm, it should be enough.

Jiang Cheng gave a wry smile in his heart.

This is nowhere near enough.

All we can do is try our luck.

(End of chapter)