Chapter 49: Brothel

Swish, swish, swish!

The sharp whistle of iron swords tearing through the air never ceased.

Boge swung his iron sword at incredible speed, so fast that it left behind multiple afterimages.

The new hawk vision granted by the potion significantly enhanced his long-distance sight and also improved his dynamic vision.

Under his focused gaze, the gray wolves’ lunges slowed to a crawl—the contraction of the hind leg muscles of the female wolf to his left-front, the drool dripping from the alpha’s right-rear mouth—these details converged in his mind, forming a map of impending slaughter.

The first wolf to charge had its front paw cleanly severed at once; then, just as he had practiced countless times on the training ground, he spun and slashed through the throat of the second wolf behind him.

Blood splashed onto the moss-covered earth, instantly staining it dark red.

Afterward, he seemed to transform into a streak of light, darting ceaselessly through the pack of wolves.

His swordplay was not profound, but it was precise and swift—each strike targeted the wolves’ eyes, throats, and other vital points from different angles.

Often, before the wolves’ claws or fangs could touch Boge’s leather-armored body, the iron sword, slicing through the air, took their lives.

Only a few dozen seconds later, several gray wolves lay motionless on the ground, wailing pitifully as they awaited death, their wounds bleeding steadily, the air thick with the heavy stench of blood.

The lone remaining alpha wolf, upon witnessing this, turned without hesitation and fled deep into the dense forest.

Boge picked up the bow and arrows from the ground, drew an arrow, and nocked it onto the bowstring slick with gray wolf blood.

Thwack!

The arrow shot like a meteor, striking the alpha’s rear end with perfect accuracy.

The force was so great that only the arrow’s tail remained visible protruding from the wolf’s backside.

Howl! Howl! Howl!

The alpha wolf leapt wildly, like a clownish dancer, its cries so horrific that even Xia Mingyu, perched in the tree, felt a chill run down his spine.

After leaping several times in midair, the poor alpha finally collapsed onto the ground, its life slowly fading away.

So gruesome.

Having completed this series of killings, Boge, drenched in wolf blood, sheathed his bow and iron sword, then turned and bowed gracefully to Xia Mingyu in the tree like a gentleman.

Then he picked up his iron sword again and pinned each of the howling gray wolves to the ground.

At the same time, the white “Hunter” mark above his head began to change, a streak of emerald green swirling within it.

“Wind Demon Mark.”

Using the Wind Demon Mark to reduce gravitational potential energy, Xia Mingyu leapt down and landed safely on the ground.

“My Lord, my father told me that hunting is only for taking lives; a proper hunter does not torment prey, but gladly grants them release.”

Boge explained his act of pinning the gray wolves to Xia Mingyu.

“. Are you sure?”

Xia Mingyu looked at the alpha wolf, its eyes still wide open in death, and doubted.

He had never before witnessed such a gruesome death.

“Cough, cough—my father also told me that no matter what, the success of the hunt comes first; when prey turns its back to flee, shooting that spot is the best choice.”

Boge awkwardly scratched his head—he should’ve shot its hind leg instead; now he’d tainted his Lord’s eyes.

“What abilities did becoming a Hunter grant you?” Xia Mingyu asked.

“One is the upgraded gaze—now it’s Hawk Eye; the other is sensory enhancement, which, when activated, sharpens all five senses.”

Boge answered, using the reflection in a blood-puddle on the ground.

“Excellent. A superb ability.” A hint of approval flashed across Xia Mingyu’s face.

He knew well that in combat, escape, or tracking, the five senses were critical factors.

Then, looking at Boge—drenched in blood, resembling a deranged serial killer—Xia Mingyu snapped his fingers lightly.

In an instant, Boge felt as if he’d been tossed into a washing machine—all the wolf blood clinging to him was instantly repelled from his body and landed on the empty ground nearby.

“My Lord, what was that?”

The boy stared in shock at his now-clean leather armor, repeatedly examining himself.

“Just a little trick.” Xia Mingyu smiled faintly.

“Your power is truly beyond my imagination.” Boge exclaimed with deep reverence.

“My Lord, shall we return to Langbao now?”

“Nah, it’s rare to get out—let’s find somewhere to wander.”

Xia Mingyu stretched out with full force.

Now that he had ascended to True Magician, he was no longer as powerless as before.

Added to that, the Crown of the Humble concealed his identity, and he had Boge, a powerful supernatural retainer—so his mindset naturally relaxed; he no longer needed to be constantly on edge.

At least on this land of Langbao, he could now say he was reasonably safe from harm.

“My Lord, the Ore Town isn’t far from here—would you like to visit?” Boge asked after a moment’s thought.

In Langbao, there were three towns and fifty-one villages. The villages aside, the three towns were Ore Town, Langyazhen, and Yingguo Town.

Among them, Ore Town, rich in ore, attracted many traveling merchants and was the most prosperous town in all of Langbao.

“Go.”

Ore Town.

Houses built of stone or raw logs were scattered like stars across the landscape.

Along both sides of the streets, countless stalls lined up tightly, selling fresh red fruits, bread, textiles, pottery, furs, salt, and more.

“Surprisingly lively!”

Xia Mingyu stared in surprise at the scene—it reminded him of visiting the vegetable market as a child.

“My Lord, this stall’s fruit is excellent—try it; this one’s bread is good; this one pays the fairest price for furs.”

Boge, like a tour guide, led Xia Mingyu along the street, listing the stalls with the familiarity of someone who knew them all.

“Boge, do you come here often?”

“Yes. Every time I hunt, I come to Ore Town to sell furs. And since I’m the only hunter in the village, every time the village needs supplies, Uncle Luo Bote entrusts me with the task.”

As if recalling some memory, Boge’s lips curled slightly into a smile.

“I see. By the way, what’s that building over there?”

Xia Mingyu noticed, several hundred meters away, a lavish building that stood out grotesquely against its surroundings, with a crowd gathered at its entrance.

“That’s… a brothel.” Boge’s smile instantly turned awkward.

He had never been to such a place—even the village boys who joked about going there were beaten senseless by Village Chief Luo Bote.

This world actually has brothels?

No—rather, in a world resembling the medieval era, the absence of brothels would be strange.

Xia Mingyu pondered.

“Something seems to be happening there—let’s go take a look.”

In the center of the crowd, a girl was being dragged toward the brothel by several thugs.

The girl was frail, dressed in tattered linen, struggling desperately, her bleeding fingers dug deep into the soil as she was dragged along.

A fresh bruise marred her right eyelid—clearly from her recent resistance.

“Tch, how many is this today? Old Huo must be making a fortune!”

“They say this year, a Klae merchant has been scamming villages, so now many are in debt to Old Huo. They don’t even think—Old Huo’s debts double every week! Impossible to repay!”

The onlookers whispered among themselves.

(End of Chapter)