CHAPTER 37: CHAPTER 37: MYSTERIOUS ELDER, ENEMY ATTACK!

Gu Yuan couldn’t help but envy those who came from influential families. Once they started training in martial arts, they had medicinal meals at every meal, and even spirit pills to assist their cultivation. Just this advantage alone put them ahead of common martial masters like him by an immeasurable distance.

No wonder, in the martial world, the martial masters who came from famous families comprised the majority.

Indeed, not to mention the advantages of martial arts techniques and guidance from mentors, but just in terms of diet, common martial masters like him could hardly get enough to eat, let alone talk about advancing in cultivation?

How could one practice while starving?

If you can’t keep up with eating and drinking, your energy and blood will be depleted, and to practice forcibly would be seeking death!

"Luckily, although I am a common martial master, I can be considered half a ’pay-to-win’ player."

Gu Yuan stopped, took out a piece of several decades-old Yellow Spirit from his bag, washed it, and started to munch on it.

This thing doesn’t taste good, but its effects are quite remarkable.

When a warm current rose inside his body, he drew his long sword and began practicing "Spiritual Snake Swordsmanship" again.

He kept at it until late at night, then lay on the bed exhausted and fell into a deep sleep.

The way of martial arts cultivation is like rowing upstream, if you do not advance, you will retreat.

Although Gu Yuan progressed rapidly with the talents bestowed by the Spirit Pet System, including Iron Teeth and Snake Coiling, he did not lose himself and relied only on the Spirit Pet System.

The system is the system; he, too, needs to cultivate steadily, even if progress is slow, the benefits are tangible and more solid!

Moreover, no matter how slow the progress, when water drops wear through stone, there will always be rewards.

...

Crunch, crunch—

In the morning, Gu Yuan awoke to a slightly piercing sound.

Beside him, Ah Huang was enthusiastically gnawing on a piece of iron it had stolen from somewhere, the hard iron block covered in bite marks, leaving one with a toothache just from looking at it.

However, the sound of Ah Huang’s teeth scraping against the iron was really quite grating.

The big mouth was coiled around Gu Yuan’s arm, looking innocent, its bright eyes staring at Gu Yuan with a hint of cuteness, the gray-white body coiled like a rope.

As for Ah Wu, because of its larger size, to avoid being discovered, Gu Yuan had it stay in the stable outside.

Gu Yuan ignored the two small ones and got up to wash up.

Although he had trained late into the night and was exhausted, after a night’s rest, he now felt refreshed and full of energy, with vitality surging throughout his body.

When he went downstairs for breakfast, Gu Yuan found that Yang Han, Xia Xiuxue, Yang Jianfei, and others had already returned and were having breakfast together.

Gu Yuan glanced over, unsurprised, and chatted with Zhou Zhong while eating breakfast.

After breakfast, at the inn, the caravans were loaded with goods, and the coachmen took out fodder and soybeans to feed the horses, preparing to set off back to Beiliang County.

However, as the caravan was about to depart, Gu Yuan quickly noticed something unusual.

The carriage in which Xia Xiuxue was supposed to ride was already occupied.

But inside was not Xia Xiuxue, but an elderly man with graying hair and beard.

Though aged, the elder’s face was ruddy, eyes bright, exuding a faint medicinal fragrance, coupled with a spotless white robe, he had a somewhat ethereal and otherworldly demeanor.

The elder’s expression was calm, and he made quite an impression, with a pair of servants attending to him.

Moreover, Yang Han, Xia Xiuxue, and others were exceedingly courteous, even reverential, addressing him as ’Old Mo.’

Having her carriage occupied, Xia Xiuxue was not angry; instead, she directed two maids to serve the elder well, and she joined Yang Han and others, riding on horseback.

Gu Yuan merely glanced at the white-robed elder, who seemed to sense it immediately and looked over.

Gu Yuan was alarmed and hurriedly lowered his head.

Seeing it was just a lowly martial master, the white-robed elder, referred to as Old Mo, didn’t mind, waving his hand for the boy beside him to close the curtain, blocking everyone’s view.

"To have Yang Han and others treat him with such respect, and with the terrifying acuity to sense others’ gazes, who is this old man? He seems quite extraordinary..."

Gu Yuan pondered but was certain that this elder was absolutely a formidable expert!

Not only Gu Yuan, but Zhou Zhong and the elder Guo Jin were also somewhat puzzled, wondering about the old man’s identity.

However, Yang Han and others naturally wouldn’t explain ’Old Mo’s’ identity to Gu Yuan, Zhou Zhong, and the others. After announcing the departure, the caravan started moving slowly, leaving Cyan Willow Town.

After the caravan left, several figures also emerged from Cyan Willow Town, sneakily trailing behind the merchant group.

...

"Hmm? Someone’s following?"

Shortly after leaving Cyan Willow Town, Gu Yuan had a strange feeling.

Following the merchant group, Ah Huang had already sent him the message through mental connection.

Out of the three small ones, Ah Huang was the smartest and could express itself most clearly, so Gu Yuan specifically had it follow the merchant group.

From Ah Huang’s description, Gu Yuan could barely discern that a few people were sneakily following the merchant group, keeping a distance initially without any intent to catch up.

But now, as the merchant group moved farther from Cyan Willow Town into the wilderness, these people suddenly sped up.

Gu Yuan secretly focused his mind, heightening his vigilance while outwardly appearing to idle away chatting with Zhou Zhong.

Shortly after, when the merchant group passed a bend.

Suddenly,

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

Arrows shot out from the dense forest on the right side, many directly hitting members of the merchant group.

With screams, some were pierced through the body or limbs.

Unlucky ones had their heads pierced, dying instantly without a sound!

This unexpected scene left the whole merchant group momentarily stunned before they reacted.

"Enemy attack! Be careful!"

Yang Han, enraged, flicked his fingers, easily deflecting some incoming arrows, and shouted to alert everyone.

However, Gu Yuan felt that while Yang Han appeared angry, his eyes were calm and composed, showing no sign of surprise, as if he had anticipated this!

Clang, clang, clang—

All members of the merchant group were armed, and upon regaining their senses, they drew their swords and sabers, hiding behind the carriages and getting ready.

With preparedness, the threat from the arrows was significantly reduced.

Bam!

Gu Yuan turned his wrist, easily slicing an incoming arrow with his long sword, taking cover behind Zhou Zhong and the carriage.

This guy was large, making him an excellent meat shield!

Zhou Zhong glared at him but had no time for words, gripping his short axe nervously, sweat appearing on his palms as he eyed the forest ahead.

Moments later, the barrage of arrows finally ceased.

A group emerged from the forest and divided into two, subtly surrounding the entire merchant group.

```