At the same time, Tie Xiaosheng rode into the depths of the east docks of Xiu Shui City.
The situation here was much better than he had expected, with everything orderly and well-organized. The Iron Banner Gang's large iron flag stood tall in various places, fluttering proudly.
All the gang members were armed with swords and remained vigilant.
Upon seeing Tie Xiaosheng, they all showed joy on their faces and saluted him.
"Deputy Chief!"
"It's great to see you safe and sound, Deputy Chief."
"Fourth Master, you've finally returned!"
Tie Xiaosheng held the position of Fourth Master in the clan.
Hearing the word 'Chief', his spirits lifted, and he immediately accelerated his horse's pace, arriving at a giant ship. He then leaped from his horse onto the ship's foredeck.
The deck was empty except for a long table in the center, adorned with several dishes, mostly consisting of meat and wine.
Sitting on the north side of the table was a man with features similar to Tie Xiaosheng's—tall and burly, with a square face, large ears, and coarse short hair that seemed like straight spears pointing to the sky. However, he looked much younger, only in his mid-thirties.
He was currently enjoying a roasted pigeon with a wild and unrestrained aura.
Tie Xiaosheng walked over and also picked up a roasted pigeon to nibble on.Having spent five days in the Fire Bone Cave, he had grown tired of eating bird meat.
Although there were some fierce beasts in the cave, most of them were contaminated by the evil spirits underground and were inedible. They had survived on dried meat obtained by Chu Xisheng's quick wits.
After gobbling down a pigeon, Tie Xiaosheng looked up with dissatisfaction at the Iron Banner Gang's leader sitting across from him—the 'Iron Blood Butcher' Tie Kuangren.
"When did you return? Did you just leave your elder brother behind in the cave? Sixth Brother, are you waiting for me to die so you can inherit the family fortune I've saved up?"
"Family fortune? How much money have you saved in your pocket?" Tie Kuangren sneered disdainfully, "You might as well say I want to use you as a pawn and take control of the Iron Banner Gang by myself. Those two snakes from the Long family are waiting on the shore to ambush me. I'd be a fool to go to the Fire Bone Cave. Besides, three days ago, I sent some herb gatherers down to check. They said the Long family didn't catch you, and you were assisted by someone down there, turning the situation around. They said you were eating and drinking well. I thought it would do you some good to taste some bitterness, but with such meager skills, you dare to be careless and neglectful? Taking only a few trusted men to the Fire Bone Cave, and still getting drugged and having your iron armor stolen. Is this how you run the family in my absence?"
Tie Xiaosheng suddenly felt breathless, unable to respond.Tie Kuangren placed the bone rack in his hand on the table and asked curiously, "What kind of people were those herb gatherers said to be by your side, a man and a woman, who could rescue you from the Long family?"
Tie Xiaosheng answered truthfully, "The girl is only about fifteen years old, with a cultivation of seventh rank in elemental skills and proficient in both arts and martial skills. She refused to reveal her name, but based on her clothing and habits, she should come from a noble background and have an extraordinary origin. The man is called Chu Xisheng, and this boy—"
He squinted, "Although he is somewhat physically weak, he is a young hero, both intelligent and brave! You may find it hard to believe, but I saw him with my own eyes in the Fire Bone Cave, using only his ninth rank cultivation to slay thirteen Long family soldiers and three members of the 'Hengmen Eighteen Riders'. To be honest, I would like to recruit him into the Iron Banner Gang. With his talent, he will surely become a pillar of our gang in the future."
"Oh?" Tie Kuangren couldn't help but narrow his eyes.
Rarely did he hear his elder brother praise someone so highly. The affection and admiration in Tie Xiaosheng's words were simply overflowing.
At this moment, Tie Xiaosheng paused and looked around suspiciously, "If you didn't rescue me, why did you stay idle? We were ambushed at a gate of the Fire Bone Cave. Shouldn't we seek vengeance for this blood feud? This doesn't seem like you, Iron Blood Butcher."
"Of course, we can't let it go like this."
Tie Kuangren smiled sarcastically and drank a cup of wine coldly, "But we have to wait a bit longer. The situation in Xiu Shui County is not good. For the imaginary Reverse God Flag and the Martial King's Treasure, the situation is tense and unpredictable. We cannot act rashly. You probably don't know, but there are still people speculating that the Reverse God Flag is in our hands. Otherwise, why would we name our gang Iron Banner Gang when we came to Xiu Shui five years ago?"
Upon hearing this, Tie Xiaosheng spurted out all the wine in his mouth.As Chu Xisheng, who had already returned to his own miscellaneous courtyard, saw this scene before him, another firework exploded.
The martial arts points in the illusory screen also increased by 4 points, reaching 23.Chu Xisheng's eyes lit up as he speculated about the source of these martial arts points, which was related to Tie Xiaosheng, as a remnant of the battle in the Fire Bone Cave.
At this point, he could already exchange for the 'Teleporting Feet of Star Shift'.However, Chu Xisheng didn't do that because he found something better in the martial arts treasury.The first stage of the "Chrono Shadow Body" allows one to move like a shadow, closely following time, doubling agility speed, jumping ability, flexibility, and coordination. It requires 35 martial arts points to exchange.
Compared to "Star-shifting Feet," another talent related to agility, "Chrono Shadow Body" offers twice the flexibility and coordination but comes at a higher cost of thirty-five points, even more expensive than Pure Yang Thunder Body.
This talent seems to extend beyond just agility. Could the doubled flexibility and coordination also benefit his swordsmanship?Chu Xisheng yearned for talents related to agility. In a world fraught with dangers, being quick with a blade was crucial, but being fast on one's feet was even more important.Only those who could run fast could live longer.However, after some hesitation, Chu Xisheng decided to wait. The 23 martial arts points he had earned were hard-won, and he didn't want to risk losing them.
Chu Xisheng then entered through the door. In the backyard, there was a knocking sound. Following the noise, he found Chu Yunyun chopping something by the stove.As he approached, Chu Xisheng realized she was chopping wild boar ribs. She wasn't using a specialized bone-cutting knife but a small and short kitchen knife. However, under her skillful hands, the tough pig bones shattered like bamboo shoots with each chop.
Curious, Chu Xisheng walked over. "Have you finished your escort mission so quickly? And where did you get these pork ribs from?"
"I haven't finished the mission."
Chu Yunyun shook her head and calmly turned to look at him. "The Long family found the Four-Links Escort Agency and said we're not allowed to work there. I had to hunt a wild boar in the Western Mountains, sold its meat and organs for four liang of magic silver, and these ribs are what's left."
Chu Xisheng couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. The Western Mountains, west of Xiu Shui City, were a range stretching for hundreds of miles. It was home to many demons and fierce beasts, and only the most skilled hunters dared to venture in.When they first arrived in Xiu Shui County, they relied on Chu Yunyun's hunting in the Western Mountains to make money.
But success there was dependent on luck. There were times when they went days without a catch if luck wasn't on their side.In this world, for some unknown reason, foul air pervades and roams between the mountains and wilderness. Once consumed by humans, the tainted wild beasts can cause anything from mild illness to madness.
And as for the Western Mountains, it's only slightly cleaner than the Firebone Caverns.Encountering demons in the Western Mountains poses a risk of exposing Chu Yunyun's strength and identity.Chu Xisheng's expression shifted slightly. "You went to the Firebone Caverns? And the young man with the Eagle Sword, did you... kill him?"
He had already learned the name of the youth with the sword from Iron Xiaosheng.He had been wondering all along, who had killed the young man with the Eagle Sword?Chu Yunyun was his prime suspect.Since the Long family had visited Four-Links Escort Agency, Chu Yunyun had every reason to believe he was in danger at the Firebone Caverns.
Chu Yunyun sized up Chu Xisheng.This guy's cultivation had indeed reached the lower ninth rank.She smiled. "I went into the cave and saw you with another girl who is proficient in martial arts and elemental cultivation, at the seventh rank. She was enough to keep you safe, so I left. That girl should be Miss Lu Luanli, right?"
"Exactly."
Chu Xisheng nodded, a hint of gratitude in his expression. "Thanks to her this time, otherwise I wouldn't have made it back alive to see you."Chu Yunyun continued chopping the pig bones, her expression puzzled. "This girl must be from a prestigious family background. Why would she be willing to accompany you into the Firebone Caverns?"
"I don't understand either." Chu Xisheng thought of Lu Luanli and smiled faintly. "But she has a good temperament. She's not as arrogant as those noble ladies, quite adorable—"
Before he could finish speaking, there was a loud bang.It turned out Chu Yunyun had chopped too hard, causing the chopping board to crack.