Chapter Seventy-Six: Heeding Advice and Eating One’s Fill (With gratitude to the esteemed ‘*Ben Yin’ for the generous Silver Alliance reward)

“Are Bearfolk really that formidable?” Zhang Xiaorou blinked her large eyes and suddenly interjected, directing her question at Zhang Shu.

She sneaked a glance at Xiao Nan, unable to shake off a peculiar feeling. After all, the very person who had experienced it firsthand was standing right here…

Zhang Shu, apparently unaware of the television news, recounted only what he’d heard from others, oblivious to the fact that he himself had been present at the time. In the eyes of outsiders, Xiao Nan had always been an exceptionally powerful high school student, but just how strong was he?

“Of course they’re formidable,” Zhang Shu exclaimed, growing animated. “Once a Bearfolk reaches adulthood, they’re a force to be reckoned with! The Warrior Association has even classified them… Hunting a single Bearfolk can earn you an E-rank hunter status, letting you take on more official missions and gain access to resource allocations.”

“E-rank hunter? Isn’t that equivalent to the second-tier Muscle-Refining level?” Zhang Xiaorou said in surprise. She was more well-informed than most, and explained to Xiao Nan, “The Warrior Association is actually a global organization, though it’s more of a loose alliance for handling tasks. Warriors can join or leave at any time—they’re not bound by it—and they can exchange completed tasks for resources. I’ve heard that their points can be redeemed for quite a few good things, even secret techniques and ultimate moves.”

“That’s right. Someone like me is hardly worth mentioning. Forget E-rank—I’m not even an F-rank hunter. Wu Gang, who died tragically last night, was F-rank. That’s why he gathered so many underlings, hoping to use their numbers to tackle E-rank missions. Ah, these days, even high schoolers are astounding… Only the great clans can nurture students of such caliber. It’s a pity I didn’t get in back then—missed my chance, missed a lifetime.”

For once, there was a note of wistfulness in Zhang Shu’s voice. After making a solemn promise, he urged Zhang Xiaorou to hurry back to school. Seeing her dressed in combat gear, sword at her side, his heart thumped uneasily. With skills as meager as hers, she dared to venture outside the city? Was she not afraid of courting disaster?

…

“Uncle-in-law,”

“Just call me Xiao Nan.”

“Oh—Xiao Nan, let’s go. I’ll introduce you to a few teammates. We’re about to set off, and they’re already waiting.”

Zhang Shu gestured, and they saw, on one side of the distant plaza, three people looking their way with barely concealed impatience.

“You have teammates?”

“Yes. Every time we leave the city, we usually form groups of three or five—it’s safer and we reap more together. Most of the time, though, it’s just a temporary team. I don’t have an official hunting squad.” Zhang Shu nodded.

It seemed Wu Gang had been more capable than he appeared. While his strength wasn’t particularly impressive, his organizational skills were. He could gather subordinates willing to fight and die for him—a talent in its own right. Wu Tie had once said his brother was well-known among the warriors of Yuanjiang; clearly, he hadn’t been lying.

…

“The one with the longsword is Han Zhang, our temporary captain for this trip. He’s a veteran F-rank hunter, already reached the level of Skin and Flesh Reinforcement.

His strength is considered top-tier among first-rank warriors and he’s likely to break through to second-tier Muscle-Refining and reach E-rank soon.” Zhang Shu introduced them as they walked, his tone tinged with envy.

He didn’t seem as dull as before; perhaps his slow-witted clownishness only showed around those close to him. In social situations, he was rather dependable.

“The other two—Ge Feipeng, the one with the blade, has a foul temper. Just ignore him. Zhou Cheng, the one with the bow, is taciturn to the extreme.”

Soon they reached the group. Zhang Shu greeted them with a cheerful smile.

“Captain Han.”

“Enough, save the chit-chat for the road. We’re short on time, but there’s one thing you all need to remember.”

“What is it?” Zhang Shu’s face fell.

“On this journey, all actions are to follow orders—no arguments. I don’t care if you brought a burden along, but if anyone messes things up, don’t blame me for being harsh,” Han Zhang said, his brow furrowed in stern authority.

Zhang Shu glanced at Xiao Nan and quickly nodded. “Of course, Captain Han. We won’t drag anyone down.”

“I’m just making myself clear up front.” Han Zhang’s face relaxed into a smile, and he waved, “Let’s go.”

He took the lead, the other two glancing briefly at Xiao Nan before following. The blade-wielder curled his lip; the archer’s face remained expressionless.

“You didn’t mention there’d be other teammates, and they don’t seem to like you much,” Xiao Nan said softly as he followed, a glint in his eye. “If this is going to be difficult, I’d rather go alone. Sooner or later, there’ll be conflict.”

He was already beginning to regret it. What nonsense—he wasn’t here to join a team. He’d simply wanted to travel with someone who knew the area, to get a feel for the road. Now it seemed as if he were begging for a favor.

Zhang Xiaorou had called him “blockhead,” and she hadn’t been wrong…

Zhang Shu’s lack of social awareness was glaring—he couldn’t read the mood at all. Earlier, he’d seemed competent, but clearly, that had been a mistake.

“No way. If Aunt finds out I messed this up, she’ll kill me. Don’t worry, Uncle-in-law! With me here, it’ll be fine.”

Well, let’s see how it goes, Xiao Nan thought. Since Zhang Shu had said as much, there was nothing more to add.

So, the group set out through the west gate, heading straight for the wilderness beyond. For Xiao Nan, it was his first time outside the city. When he saw the ring of open land beyond, thick with flourishing trees and wild grasses, he felt a sense of novelty.

Vegetation seemed to thrive everywhere in this world—lush and vibrant, radiating vitality. Where plants flourished, herbivores would naturally multiply rapidly. And where there was abundant prey, predators would also thrive…

With such plentiful food and the bountiful energy of the world, beasts would evolve quickly. It was easy to imagine: compared to the previous world, the monsters here truly lived up to the name.

…

The path Zhang Xiaorou had marked on the map proved to be quite safe. Along the way, aside from a few foolish rabbits darting about—one of them nearly running into Xiao Nan’s legs—they encountered no danger. They all made good time, being martial artists.

The weakest was Ge Feipeng, the blade-wielder, but Zhang Shu said even he had reached the quasi-warrior level of 5.0.

Thus, the team’s overall strength was clear. Only one first-rank warrior—the leader, Han Zhang—who was close to breaking into the second rank. The rest, including Zhou Cheng and Zhang Shu, were all at the peak of ordinary human limits, likely to be stuck at this bottleneck for a while.

As for Xiao Nan, he didn’t count himself. His strength was hard to define…

Judging by Bearfolk standards, he could fight a second-rank Muscle-Refining opponent to a standstill. In terms of raw power, he was still weaker than Wu Gang, who’d just reached the first rank. His strength and speed might even have been slightly inferior to these quasi-warriors at their peak.

…

After walking for over half an hour, they reached a fork in the road. One path led straight ahead, broad and well-tended, with trees and grass trimmed on either side. The other was more desolate, a narrow track worn pale by footsteps, barely wide enough for three to walk abreast.

Han Zhang, however, led them straight onto the narrow path.

Xiao Nan paused, taking out the map covered in scrawled lines, and quickly realized this was the route to the Fragrant Lake. Thin, winding lines marked the way, with the word “snake” scribbled beside them.

This was a known danger zone. Why was Han Zhang taking them through it?

“That’s the wrong way,” Xiao Nan said abruptly, coming to a halt.

There’s an old saying: take advice, and you’ll never go hungry. Zhang Yi had gone to the trouble of sketching out this route. Being unfamiliar with the area, he wasn’t about to recklessly follow the others into danger.

“It’s not the wrong way. This shortcut will get us to Ten-Mile Meadow faster, saving us twenty minutes,” Han Zhang called back without turning.

“That won’t do. Fragrant Lake is dangerous, isn’t it?”

Even as he spoke, Xiao Nan felt a faint sense of foreboding, a wave of discomfort rising in his heart.

He stood his ground, more determined than ever.