Chapter 259

Hearing Fang Yue's words, Niu Niu paused, thought for a moment, then forced a laugh: "... uh, I think the new girl who just joined my group buy is pretty cute too—she's got a childlike face, only twelve! Still in middle school!"

"Niu Niu, minimum three years, maximum death penalty, show some self-respect."

"Shut up!! What did lolicon do wrong? Why is everyone in the world targeting lolicons!? Even if I'm buried underground, nailed inside a coffin, I'll scream with my decaying voice: Loli is number one!"

Fang Yue's face darkened: "Pervert, show some self-respect! And get the hell out! We Lang Fu doesn't welcome lolicons!"

"Fine, I'm leaving—wait till I get close to the new little sister, then I'll flaunt her right in front of you every day!"

Niu Niu grunted twice, turned to leave, then suddenly stopped, sending a message with obvious reluctance.

"Ye Ge, is Ni Dongmei really hundreds of years old?"

"I don't know—I made that up. But her background isn't simple; she's an Elder of the Extreme Ice Sect, a major sect's Elder. Plus, this game has a lifespan system—living a few hundred years is plausible."

"Damn it! Why does a cute old lady have to tempt me?! I can't control my beastly instincts!"

This guy…

His nouveau riche vibe is getting stronger—comfort breeds lust, so capitalist!

Ignoring Niu Niu's message, telling him to scram, Fang Yue continued preparing to leave the village.

He'd already prepared nearly everything he needed; what remained seemed to be only…

"Ye Ge!"

Tian Dan Zhi Yuan Wu appeared at the door.

"I found the location of the Tail."

Yes, the information Fang Yue had been waiting for was Tian Dan Zhi Yuan Wu's.

She and the Tail were alumni in real life, so naturally they exchanged intelligence.

Originally, because the Tail had been spending all his time with Ni Dongmei, Tian Dan Zhi Yuan Wu felt neglected and resented him.

Now that she knew Ni Dongmei's true identity—Elder of the Extreme Ice Sect—

and that the Tail had effectively received a Hidden Task to join the sect,

Tian Dan Zhi Yuan Wu naturally understood.

If it were her, suddenly offered a chance to join the Extreme Ice Sect as a Disciple, she'd bury herself in the task too—no time to care about anything else.

"The Tail's location is in this area of the Maple Leaf Forest; she won't leave for now because her Trial Mission doesn't seem complete. But the wilderness is too dangerous, and with the Yang Void Strange colony and 【Giant-Headed Blood Dog】 unrest, she's currently trapped."

Not finished the Trial Mission yet…

Fang Yue felt a pang of regret.

Judging by Ni Dongmei's attitude, she favored the Tail; if the Tail successfully joined the Extreme Ice Sect, her future prospects would far surpass those of ordinary players relying on village-level resources.

Moreover, Fang Yue knew the Tail personally—having her as an inside contact could grant deeper insight into the sect, and later, if he wanted to join the Extreme Ice Sect himself, he'd have a channel.

But right now, Fang Yue hadn't even reached the Maple Leaf Forest, let alone resolved 【Grief-Know】, so time was still ample—the Tail had plenty of time to complete Ni Dongmei's Trial Mission.

After thinking, Fang Yue asked: "Did the Tail say what Ni Dongmei's Trial Mission actually entails?"

"No."

Tian Dan Zhi Yuan Wu shook her head, frustrated: "She said she doesn't know the exact mission—only after completing one stage does the next become visible. Right now, she's just running errands from location to location, but the clues suggest it's tied to a Hidden Ruin."

"Ruin? What ruin?"

"I don't know."

Tian Dan Zhi Yuan Wu spread her hands: "Anyway, the Tail's situation is dangerous right now—Ye Ge, you need to get to the Maple Leaf Forest and rescue her soon. The outside is so perilous; only you can bring her back."

Hearing this, Fang Yue's eyelid twitched.

What do you take me for? Do you really think the wilderness is somewhere I can stroll into casually? Even for me, stepping outside is deadly!

But to kill 【Grief-Know】, I have no choice but to risk it.

After calming Tian Dan Zhi Yuan Wu's emotions, Fang Yue told her to wait safely in the village.

He himself left Lang Fu and headed toward the village gate.

The sky was nearly dusk; beneath the twilight sun, Fang Yue carried his pack, a cold blade at his waist, dressed in crisp training gear, a black cloak draped over his shoulders, walking toward the village gate.

"Friend ahead, please wait!"

As Fang Yue neared the village gate, a five-person group standing by the roadside suddenly called out.

Fang Yue frowned at them briefly, then ignored them.

The five members were all very young, mostly sixteen or seventeen.

Their leader, a boy with short brown-yellow hair and a perpetually cheerful grin, spoke again.

"Captain Ye, please wait! We're friends of Blood Hunter."

Blood Hunter?

This time, Fang Yue finally stopped, glancing sideways at the five who had approached him.

The group was surprisingly disciplined—they gathered beside him without speaking, letting their leader handle the conversation.

"Thank you, Captain Ye, for stopping a moment. I know your style—I'll explain our purpose in just a few sentences."

The cheerful short-haired leader smiled: "We are the Xu Pai Hunting Team. Previously, Blood Hunter joined our team as Technical Consultant. But due to an incident we all know about, Blood Hunter suffered a disaster, and our team suffered heavy losses."

"Still, I want to go out and hunt 【Giant-Headed Blood Dog】—it's crucial to me."

"Before finding you, we spoke with Blood Hunter. We wanted him to resume his role as Deputy Regimental Commander and pass on hunting experience. But… he refused."

The short-haired boy sighed: "His refusal crushed me. Our team was already on shaky ground after this incident—we desperately needed a strong figure to stabilize us. Blood Hunter refused not out of disrespect, but due to his physical condition. At the same time, he recommended you, Captain Ye."

Recommended me?

Fang Yue frowned slightly.

He hadn't heard about this.

These guys must've gone back to Blood Hunter after he left.

Thinking it over, Fang Yue asked: "What did Blood Hunter recommend me for? I'm not a Hunter."

"It's like this... Ye Ge isn't a Hunter, but his strength is immense. I heard the Blood Hunter say you'll be leaving the village soon. We want our Hunting Team to follow you."

Fang Yue couldn't help laughing: "Follow me? You five Hunters haven't even entered the Martial Dao? You... aren't afraid of dying?"

"Ye Captain, although we can't wield martial arts, we still have our Hunting skills, and we know how to avoid danger. Whether it's reconnaissance, detecting traps, terrain changes, or sudden weather shifts, we Hunters have more experience than ordinary martial artists. I hear you've only recently been promoted to Captain—your experience handling wilderness situations must still be limited. With our Hunting Team accompanying you, many things would become much easier."

The short-haired boy said earnestly.

"That makes sense." Fang Yue nodded. As the others showed faint signs of relief, Fang Yue said expressionlessly: "Then, if I choose to take a Hunting Team with me, why wouldn't I pick one with more experience and greater strength?"

The short-haired boy fell silent. The four other members behind him exchanged uneasy glances.

One of the girls glared angrily at Fang Yue, but said nothing—because their Regimental Commander was still here.

"Indeed, if Ye Captain needs a Hunting Team, you could certainly choose from many others. But we have one advantage."

Saying this, the short-haired boy handed over a letter.

Fang Yue frowned as he took the letter, opened it, and read carefully—his heart immediately grew heavy.

The letter was written by the Blood Hunter.

In it, the Blood Hunter requested that Fang Yue take the Xu Pai Hunting Team with him when he goes out to capture the Great-Headed Blood Dog.

The Blood Hunter had already told Xu Pai and the others: in the wilderness, Fang Yue guarantees no one's safety—he merely permits their presence.

Second, if they hunt, half of all gains must be handed over to Fang Yue.

Third, if danger arises, Fang Yue may abandon them at any time, and they are forbidden from complaining or spreading any rumors detrimental to Fang Yue.

Fourth, if they capture a pup of the Great-Headed Blood Dog, they must hand it over to Fang Yue.

Of these, the fourth point was crossed out twice with a horizontal line, indicating it was a priority.

After reading the letter, Fang Yue looked at the short-haired boy before him—Xu Pai.

"I've read the letter. Can you accept its conditions?"

"Just being allowed to accompany Ye Captain on this journey is already great fortune. We don't expect anything else," Xu Pai said seriously.

As for Hunting, Fang Yue truly knew nothing—even after the Blood Hunter's explanations and instruction, he still hadn't understood much.

If there were ready-made Hunters and a Hunting Team, then if he encountered a pack of Great-Headed Blood Dogs or a pup, it would be far easier—and capturing the Great-Headed Blood Dog would no longer be difficult.

But... this trip had a mission.

If he didn't eliminate the Deceitful Knowledge, his troubles would be immense.

As for capturing Great-Headed Blood Dogs—that was something to consider only after securing his own safety.

After thinking for a moment, Fang Yue still shook his head slightly in refusal.

"So... even this won't change Ye Captain's mind..."

Xu Pai stared into Fang Yue's eyes, then sighed.

He could see that when Fang Yue made his decision, there was not the slightest hesitation.

"I understand. Ye Captain has concerns—we won't disturb you further."

Saying this, Xu Pai led his team away.

To be honest, having such a Hunting Team follow him wasn't bad at all—but this mission was crucial, and Fang Yue didn't want to be distracted by caring for others.

He continued toward the village gate, greeted the Guard Team members at the entrance, then left Mo Cun with his pack, his figure quickly vanishing at the horizon.

Watching Fang Yue's back, the Guard Team members at the gate couldn't help feeling admiration and envy.

"No wonder he's a Captain... he heads into the wilderness alone."

"I envy his strength so much—if I had that power, I could roam the wilderness without fear of anything strange!"

"Ye Captain is so strong! Our Guard Team needs over ten people just to patrol around Mo Cun, yet Ye Captain dares to venture far from the village alone..."

"It's already dusk—Ye Captain choosing to enter the wilderness now is unwise... I hope he doesn't meet with misfortune."

Having guarded the village gate for so long, they naturally knew many rumors and pieces of news.

They had witnessed countless people leave the village, only to die in the perilous wilderness and never return.

They had also seen villagers wailing beside the corpses brought back, utterly heartbroken.

The wilderness was like a lurking beast in the dark—once given the chance, it would instantly devour people whole.

Night gradually deepened.

Insects chirped, rising and falling in chorus.

Human Soul fires ignited, casting the only light at the village gate.

Extending outward from that glow was endless darkness.

Night.

After parting from Fang Yue, the Xu Pai Hunting Team gathered again before the Blood Hunter's bedside.

"Blood Hunter, Ye Captain didn't agree to let us follow..."

Xu Pai said, somewhat self-reproachful.

After all, the Blood Hunter had given them the recommendation letter and spoken well of them—they had thought it was certain, yet things had turned out this way.

"Sigh, I was just taking a gamble. Ye Ge refusing is understandable. Don't lose heart. Although I declined to become your Deputy Regimental Commander, I know many excellent Hunters. When I return to Gu Yue Cun to recuperate, I'll contact them and recommend your Hunting Team."

Looking at this group of young Hunters, the Blood Hunter couldn't bear to see them crushed—but he himself had no desire to reignite his glory within a Hunting Team with his broken body.

"Also... although Ye Ge refused you on the surface, he didn't shut the door completely."

At the Blood Hunter's words, the five previously dejected members instantly raised their heads.

"What do you mean, Blood Hunter?"

"A chance encounter can sometimes be a good test. Hurry after Ye Ge while he's still nearby—you still have a chance. The areas around Mo Cun are the least dangerous. If Ye Ge enters the Ruoyun Stone Ground, there will be no more opportunity."

Xu Pai paused, stunned, then his expression turned thoughtful.

After thinking for a long while, he suddenly rose, thanked the Blood Hunter, and called out the other four members.

"Xu Pai, are we really going alone into the wilds to find Captain Ye?"

"No, we'll hire at least a few martial practitioners to protect us. But our ultimate goal is still to find Captain Ye and seek his protection. Once we're in the wilds, he can't possibly ignore us when we're in danger—the Blood Hunter said Captain Ye isn't a heartless man. It's a bit underhanded, but I want to exploit this: force Captain Ye to protect us and help us hunt the Giant-Headed Blood Dog."

(End of Chapter)