CHAPTER 39: CHAPTER 39: THE POSSIBILITY OF RECLAIMING THE GREAT BEAST ONCE MORE

Wiping away the nonexistent sweat on his forehead, Xu Guang landed and arrived outside the forest.

Having learned from General Wei that no one was coming, Xu Guang relaxed.

Expending such great effort to enhance his body technique naturally meant something important was at hand.

He needed to track Wang Ran and that scion of the Wang Family, Wang Chong.

The former was for self-preservation, to understand why Wang Ran wanted to kill him; the latter was for the turtle shell on his neck.

He suspected that it was the same as the one he got from Wei Shuangnian.

During the day, with many eyes watching, if he were to demand that item, it would attract the attention of the interested. Best to wait for the quiet of night to have a heart-to-heart with that Mr. Wang.

As for Wang Ran...

A glint of coldness flickered in Xu Guang’s eyes.

Once Eighth Grade, I’ll personally kill him!

Xu Guang enjoyed these tracking endeavors, treating them as a way to hone his body technique and gain beggar experience.

...

The Liu Family sought refuge with the Iron Armor Sect; the matter of warhorses was known by the Wei Family, who naturally did not mind informing the Iron Armor Sect.

Much like the Wei Family, the Iron Armor Sect regarded Qingshuo County as their private preserve and were very displeased with the Liu Family’s act of ’eating inside and climbing outside’. However, Liu Yu had shown kindness to Xu Guang with a meal.

Now with Dharma Protector Xu’s Great Beast growing again, Xu Guang’s position within the Iron Armor Sect was elevated. They would not offend Xu Guang over this matter.

The Wang Family was a cautionary tale.

The Liu Family’s situation might be difficult, but no one dared to deliberately make it difficult for them.

In the early morning, there was a knock on the door. Opening it, Xu Guang saw Liu Yu waiting at the door, accompanied by two maids holding food boxes.

"Miss Yu’er? What is this?"

Blush appeared on Liu Yu’s face, and she softly said, "My father heard that Brother Xu has no servants at home, and Aunt Wang from the street makes your meals, so he sent me to help Brother Xu with cooking from now on."

Xu Guang’s expression was peculiar, and he immediately understood Liu Guang’s intention. Although he wasn’t well aware of the Liu Family’s situation within the Iron Armor Sect, he assumed it wasn’t good.

Liu Guang’s initiative was simply to bind the Liu Family more deeply to himself.

If he weren’t worried about angering him, he’d likely offer Liu Yu to marry him.

In this world, although there are extraordinary martial artists, due to women’s innate physical limitations, they are still not as strong as men in the same realm. Most women, especially those from great families, end up in arranged marriages.

Thinking it over, Xu Guang did not refuse.

Considering Liu Yu willingly offering him food during his days as a beggar, he felt grateful.

This was the first time he ate meat since he had fled Taizhou after transmigrating.

"Well, Miss Yu’er, I’ll rely on you in the future then."

Xu Guang smiled as he accepted the lunchbox from Liu Yu’s hand.

Accepting Liu Yu’s goodwill, joy instantly appeared on Liu Yu’s face.

Xu Guang remained calm internally; the future of the Liu Family had nothing to do with him.

As for them exploiting his name in their endeavors...

Having experienced the Wang Family incident, he believed Liu Guang wouldn’t dare.

Arriving at the Martial Arts Academy where Han Song was, prepared for signing in, Xu Guang noticed quite a few boxes piled up in the corner, names affixed to them, smiling and speaking to Han Song.

"Asong, is it that time of year for entry tests again? You’ve gathered quite a few things here, leaving them just lying about. Aren’t you worried someone will try to take them?"

"Tch, Qingshuo County has plenty of wealthy individuals."

Han Song rolled his eyes, "Dharma Protector Xu, you’re joking. These were sent to you by others. Since you have no household servants and rarely step out, those giving gifts have no place to send them. Thus, they’ve been handed over to me."

Xu Guang was stunned, "What do you mean?"

Han Song smiled slightly, "The matter between the Liu and Wang Families made quite a splash. Dharma Protector Xu’s benevolence is well known around town. These are contributions from the wealthy households in town to General Wei."

While speaking, Han Song lowered his voice, "They’re just hoping to make good relations with you. You can accept them; those who gifted won’t expect much, certainly not for you to do anything specific."

Xu Guang exhibited a peculiar expression, surprised by this turn.

His act for Liu Yu wasn’t a move to craft a persona.

It was simply by coincidence. He hadn’t anticipated that in this disrupted era, a good reputation could bring such benefits.

Reflecting on historical events from his past life, he could understand to some extent.

...

Black Market.

The burly Sheep General looked at the boxes before him, hesitation flashing in his eyes.

"Workshop Master, is spending so much to win over this young man worth it?"

Three thousand taels of silver, even an eighth-grade martial artist wouldn’t easily earn so much. Just giving it to Xu Guang seemed senseless.

"Then go kill him now; the three thousand taels of silver will be yours."

Su Yan, wearing a bronze mask, exuded an aura of authority.

"I..."

Sheep General was speechless. Killing Xu Guang wouldn’t be difficult; with his strength, he could eliminate him with a flick of his finger. But under the protection of the Great Beast...

Somewhat difficult for him.

Thinking about the three thousand taels of silver, he still felt somewhat reluctant, "This boy, can he be trusted?"

Su Yan thought about the recent news she heard and shook her head; she didn’t believe there was such a person in the world. Xu Guang helped Liu Yu simply because he had that capability.

She didn’t think Xu Guang would repay that so-called meal kindness when knowing it meant certain death.

In the end, people are fickle; loyalty is merely a bargaining chip.

Over the years of managing the black market, Su Yan had seen too much intrigue and deceit, and the word "trust" was no better than the toilet paper in an outhouse.

She thought of that Great Beast, and couldn’t help but feel a twinge of envy at the bottom of her heart.

Compared to humans, wouldn’t someone like her trust such a giant creature more?

Forget it, capturing that Great Beast was impossible. It’s better to stick to the plan and try to win over Xu Guang as much as possible.

If possible, using those great bandits to get another Great Beast, hand it over to Xu Guang to tame, making it a strength under her command...

Thinking of this, she couldn’t help but blush a little.

Three thousand taels of silver is nothing, merely a stepping stone.

...

Night.

The observation of alchemy today had cost a lot of time. When Xu Guang walked out of Mr. Fang’s house, the bright moon was hanging high above.

But the street was still bustling; some idle people took advantage of the night’s cover to carry out what they called martial challenges.

Spring had begun a few days ago, and the stored grain from the winter had long been eaten. Even in a major grain-producing county like Qingshuo, food was gradually becoming scarce.

Hunger was making everything increasingly chaotic.

Fortunately, the emblematic General Wei made those fighting youngsters stop their actions, looking at him with eyes full of reverence.

Xu Guang did not bother those people, as he currently had little regard for experience from ordinary horizontal pressure. With the continuous improvement of his White Crane Ladder Cloud Soaring, if he wanted to run when no one was around, he could gain over forty points of experience within an hour.

Now, apart from going to the Martial Arts Academy every day to ’sign in’ and claim experience, he was too lazy to harvest those street punks.

Just as he turned a corner and was about to leave.

A tiny sound suddenly echoed.

"Is this Dharma Protector Xu from the Iron Armor Sect? My master would like to meet you briefly."

Xu Guang looked towards where the sound came from; the person did not intentionally hide from him, and the courtyard gate was wide open, with around ten people sitting or standing inside.

Aside from the leading woman, several people’s features were exceptionally distinctive.

Grassroots heroes, Green Forest good men.

Xu Guang knew quite a bit about the Green Forest.

During a previous escape from a famine, a companion mentioned wanting to seek refuge with a certain hero, or earlier in the Zhu Family, the young man from Song Clan cooperated with the Green Forest.

The disposition of Green Forest individuals was indeed quite evident.

Noticing Xu Guang’s gaze, the beautiful woman embraced by the crowd smiled at him softly and gestured politely.

Xu Guang recognized the woman as Su Yan, the Workshop Master of the Black Market.

He pondered for a moment and then asked General Wei to listen and observe the surroundings to see if anyone was around.

Soon, General Wei shared what he sensed with Xu Guang.

No one else was nearby.

"Dharma Protector Xu need not worry; seeking a meeting late at night is merely to discuss collaboration."

Su Yan looked up at Xu Guang on the back of the Giant Elephant and spoke.

"What could there be to collaborate on between Xu and Su, the Workshop Master?"

Su Yan gave a charming smile. This woman was truly alluring, perhaps the most glamorous, beautiful, and adept at using her physical advantages among the women Xu Guang knew. Every smile and gesture caught men’s attention.

When General Wei was brought to Qingshuo County, it was she who received him. Having seen the frenzied state of General Wei, she was aware of the true power General Wei could showcase.

It took Zhai Kong and three Seventh-Grade Experts working together to barely subdue him head-on, using countless sedatives to knock him out.

Now, under Xu Guang’s care, General Wei has advanced even further, and she couldn’t imagine at that moment what kind of expert it would take to subdue a frenzied General Wei.

"Of course, there are aspects to collaborate on, just like the collaboration between the Iron Armor Sect and Dharma Protector Xu. The chips we can offer from the black market will be even greater."

Xu Guang got a bit interested hearing Su Yan’s words.

He had heard some things about the black market in Qingshuo County, which was known for trading plentifully in items related to martial artists and many mysterious things. He was quite intrigued by these.

Su Yan noticed Xu Guang’s interest, her smile becoming even more captivating, "Now, the atmosphere in Qingshuo County, Dharma Protector Xu must have felt it too. It’s time to consider an alternative route."

After pausing, she looked towards General Wei, "Speaking of which, it was I who made the introduction for General Wei to reach the Zhu Family, although he doesn’t recognize me."

Xu Guang was taken aback, not expecting the true origin of General Wei to be purchased by the Zhu Family from the black market.

"Our black market backs the Thirty-Six Great Bandits, a powerful force. If the Iron Armor Sect falls, I can protect you, Dharma Protector Xu and your Great Beast. If the Iron Armor Sect wins, the black market will still exist, and we can provide Dharma Protector Xu with many rare treasures on the market—century-old great herbs, demon beast essence blood, martial arts inheritance, everything you need.

Even if given the chance, obtaining another Great Beast isn’t impossible..."

After Su Yan finished speaking, Xu Guang was moved.

Whether it was the treasures Su Yan talked about, or the chance to obtain another Great Beast...