Xu Qi An slowly swept his gaze across his colleagues’ faces and said solemnly, “This is saltpeter.”
The term “saltpeter” was unfamiliar to the martial practitioners present, who lacked relevant knowledge due to their limited education.
Song Tingfeng exchanged glances with his colleagues and frowned, asking, “Saltpeter?”
Xu Qi An carefully explained, “Let me use another term. You might be more familiar with ‘niter’. It’s the main ingredient in making gunpowder.”
Everyone present couldn’t help but change their expressions.
Gunpowder was a secret technique of the Great Feng, one of the means to intimidate the four seas and various countries. All formulas and materials related to gunpowder (mainly saltpeter) were strictly controlled by the Great Feng.
Even the Night Watchmen only had a vague understanding of gunpowder’s components.
Dahuang Mountain had discovered a saltpeter mine… and there were signs of mining… Song Tingfeng’s face no longer held any trace of a smile, becoming extremely serious. “We must return to the capital immediately and report this matter.”
Compared to the chaos caused by supernatural creatures, the discovery of a saltpeter mine was the more crucial issue.
Lü Qing stared at the gray-haired village head and ordered, “Tie him up and take him with us.”
The existence of a saltpeter mine in Dahuang Mountain and the village head claiming to know nothing about it? Regardless, he had to be taken back for questioning.
Two constables took the ropes from their waists, bound the village head’s hands behind his back, and escorted him out.
The village head probably didn’t know about this, otherwise he wouldn’t have brought us here. It doesn’t make logical sense… And analyzing his body language and other details, he doesn’t seem to be someone in the know. An uneducated old man couldn’t possibly be such a great actor, could he? Is the reason supernatural creatures are driving away the gray households related to the saltpeter mine?
Hmm… That’s unlikely. We’d need professionals to determine when mining of this saltpeter deposit began before we can make any judgments.
Xu Qi An was sorting through various thoughts when, just as he stepped out of the cave holding a torch, he heard Lü Qing’s shrill cry: “Watch out!”
At the same time, he heard a whistling sound cutting through the air. A black shadow shot out from the side, too fast for him to react in any way.
Bang!
The bronze gong on his chest cracked. Xu Qi An felt as if he had been hit head-on by a high-speed train. The powerful impact sent him flying, and his consciousness instantly plunged into darkness.
The sudden attack caught everyone off guard, and they each responded differently.
The three constables from the government office drew their swords and took out their military crossbows.
Zhu Guangxiao swept his leg, kicking the village head into the stone cave. Song Tingfeng drew his sword and shouted, “Get in there and don’t come out!”
On the side of the massive boulder, a monster about two zhang long was crouching. It resembled a salamander, its body covered with thick armor plates.
A sharp horn protruded from its forehead, and its amber-colored vertical pupils gleamed with cold, brutal ferocity.
Its forelimbs had four toes.
Its cheeks were puffed out as if hiding a hidden weapon ready to be fired at any moment.
“Poof!”
A black shadow, almost imperceptible to the naked eye, shot out, heading straight for Song Tingfeng.
His eyes narrowed, his body reacting faster than his mind. Instinctively, he leaned back, avoiding a strike to the heart.
Lü Qing stepped forward in a bow stance, continuously crushing stones underfoot and kicking up stone dust. She gripped her sword with both hands and slashed.
Hum hum… The blade vibrated at a high frequency.
“Ding ding ding…”
Amidst a series of teeth-grinding sounds, the blade struck sparks against the creature’s tongue tip.
Only then did everyone see that the monster’s long tongue was covered with a layer of fine scales.
The creature seemed to feel pain and retracted its long tongue. It stood on the huge rock, supporting its massive body with its four limbs, looking down at everyone from its high vantage point.
Its cheeks bulged, and it opened its bloody maw, letting out a deep roar.
The roar startled the wild birds in the forest, causing them to take flight en masse.
Song Tingfeng and the others instantly felt dizzy, as if someone had struck the back of their heads with a mallet.
Essence Cultivation realm… His heart trembled as he fought against the vertigo, striking his chest with the sword hilt.
Clang…
The crisp sound of the bronze gong, like the evening drum and morning bell, counteracted the sound waves and brought clarity.
Once both sides had shaken off their daze, they immediately took action.
Lü Qing retreated while instructing her two colleagues at the peak of the Body Refining realm: “You two provide support with the military crossbows. Aim for its eyes, jawline, and mouth.”
These were all relatively soft areas.
Song Tingfeng took off his bronze gong and tossed it to Zhu Guangxiao: “You’re responsible for frontal distraction. Be careful.”
He had seen Xu Qi An’s bronze gong break and knew that one gong couldn’t withstand the creature’s tongue.
Thinking of Xu Qi An, Song Tingfeng felt a bit mournful. Although the bronze gong could withstand a full-force attack from an Essence Cultivation realm practitioner, the monster had caught Xu Qi An off guard with a sneak attack.
With no preparation, the residual force might have shattered Xu Qi An’s heart. To die so tragically after only one day on the job would be too cruel.
Song Tingfeng put aside his emotions, dragging his sword as he ran wildly to attack the monster from the side.
The salamander’s amber eyes moved as if about to turn and spit out its tongue. Zhu Guangxiao acted first, striking the gong’s face to disrupt the creature’s spirit.
At the same time, he infused his blade with qi, unleashing a powerful sword energy amidst a deep growl. The arc-shaped energy sliced through the air, causing high-temperature distortions.
The monster’s body was too large to dodge. It lowered its head, using its hard forehead horn to withstand the sword’s energy. Then it swung its tail, as if it had eyes in the back of its head, precisely whipping at Song Tingfeng.
Song Tingfeng blocked with his horizontal sword but was still sent flying.
On the other side, Lü Qing, who had been rushing in to attack, seized the opportunity and stabbed her sword towards the creature’s abdomen. But it avoided her strike as if it had foreseen it.
Martial artists and supernatural creatures at the Essence Cultivation realm possessed abundant spiritual energy that could radiate outwards, allowing them to perceive every detail of their surroundings in their minds.
Any track, ambush, locking on, or killing intent could not escape the perception of an Essence Cultivation realm martial artist.
This was a unique ability of the Essence Cultivation realm.
…
My goodness, I almost died before accomplishing anything. I finally broke through to Qi Condensation, still a virgin, and nearly died in the line of duty… Xu Qi An regained consciousness after a brief blackout.
Hearing the intense fighting in the distance, he didn’t get up. Instead, he crawled forward, reaching a vantage point without anyone noticing.
He took out the small jade mirror from his pocket, pressed the back, and poured out the military crossbow and bone-corroding poison given by Song Qing. Calmly applying the poison, he silently raised the military crossbow, aimed at the monster, and waited for an opportunity.
Clang…
Zhu Guangxiao struck the bronze gong, disrupting the creature’s spirit and clouding its perception.
Just as Xu Qi An was about to shoot, the creature suddenly flipped over, leaving Song Tingfeng and the others bewildered, unsure of its intentions.
…Damn it, sneak attacks don’t work on Essence Cultivation realm experts!
Xu Qi An, knowing the true reason, cursed silently.
The safest approach would be to continue waiting, letting Song Tingfeng and the others serve as tools to wear down and severely injure the creature, lowering its spiritual perception. Then he would have a chance to use this magical weapon crossbow capable of killing an Essence Cultivation realm being to deliver the finishing blow!
Soon, Xu Qi An abandoned this idea…
Lü Qing, agile as a female leopard, sprinted with her powerful long legs. With a fierce cry, she finally managed to plunge her high-frequency vibrating blade into the creature’s abdomen.
Fresh blood stained the blade, sizzling as if it had touched a red-hot branding iron, creating a steamy blood mist.
The creature roared in pain, tilting its head with bulging cheeks. A black shadow shot out at incredible speed.
Lü Qing’s face sank, fear flashing across her beautiful features. She couldn’t avoid this strike.
At that moment, a figure darted in from the side, embracing the female captain’s full, athletic body and rolling with her to the side.
Song Tingfeng’s support arrived immediately after, stabbing the monster’s soft underbelly. This forced it to halt its pursuit of his comrades.
Lü Qing felt herself embraced by a pair of strong arms around her waist, with a man’s heavy body pressing on top of her. Her breathing quickened for a moment as she looked up to see the man on top of her, exclaiming in surprise:
“You’re not dead.”
Xu Qi An grinned: “Almost.”
If it weren’t for the heart-protecting mirror Song Qing gave me…
Lü Qing was about to speak when she saw the monster’s tail coming down on them from above. She quickly hugged Xu Qi An and rolled with him.
Bang!
The spot where they had been lying was deeply gouged by the tail strike.
“We’re even now,” Xu Qi An smiled at her. They separated and instinctively teamed up with Song Tingfeng to surround the monster.
The reason he abandoned the sneak attack and chose to join the battle was simple: three Qi Condensation realm practitioners were no match for an Essence Cultivation realm monster.
In the end, the monster wouldn’t have been worn down, and Xu Qi An would have been left alone.
Seeing their comrade hadn’t perished, Zhu Guangxiao and Song Tingfeng’s eyes lit up with hidden joy.
Xu Qi An took out the bone-corroding poison from his pocket, applied it to his blade, and tossed it to Lü Qing, saying, “Apply it to your blade.”
Lü Qing glanced at him, stepped back, and applied the poison. Then she tossed it to Song Tingfeng and Zhu Guangxiao.
Song Tingfeng was rather unlucky. While applying the poison, the creature targeted him, its long tongue grazing his arm and leaving his flesh torn and bloody from the scales.
Lü Qing slashed the monster, watching the wound quickly turn black and emit a foul odor. She looked at Xu Qi An with delight: “It’s working!”
With Xu Qi An joining in, four Qi Condensation realm practitioners surrounded and attacked the creature, while two Body Refining realm practitioners provided arrow support from the side. Their advantage was clear.
The monster was incredibly strong, with unparalleled tongue techniques.
However, its massive body size and physical structure meant it couldn’t maneuver as nimbly as human martial artists.
Its injuries became more and more numerous.
…
“Watch out!” Xu Qi An swung his sword, infusing it with qi to deflect the monster’s tail swipe, saving Lü Qing who had been trying to trade blow for blow.
His palm instantly split open, blood flowing freely.
He glared at Lü Qing: “Are you trying to get yourself killed? A woman shouldn’t be so reckless.”
Lü Qing gazed at him, showing a rare hint of feminine coquetry: “Mm.”
“Roar…”
The monster shook the air, once again unleashing a terrifying spiritual storm.
Xu Qi An and the others were prepared this time. They swiftly retreated, creating distance to avoid the long tongue attack.
Unexpectedly, after forcing everyone back, the monster turned and fled on all fours…
It plunged into the forest, violently knocking down trees one after another, carving out a clear, brutal path.
Lü Qing’s face paled: “Chase it! We can’t let it escape.”
Once the creature entered the water, it would be much harder to eliminate.
Song Tingfeng leaped up, moving from branch to branch like a martial arts expert with superb lightness skills.
He forcefully pushed off a tree trunk, soaring into the air to survey the entire forest. The muscles in his sword-wielding right arm bulged, tearing his loose sleeve.
“Ha!”
His sword shot out, tracing a silvery beam of light through the air.
A second later, the monster’s painful roar echoed from the dense forest.
Song Tingfeng, his strength spent, fell into the forest.
Zhu Guangxiao took over the pursuit. Though his lightness skills weren’t as good as Song Tingfeng’s, his explosive power was no less formidable. He sprinted close to the ground, catching up to the monster. With a mighty roar, he leaped skyward and slashed down fiercely.
Whap!
The monster, with a sword stuck in its back, swept its tail and sent him flying, then continued its escape.
Only Lü Qing and Xu Qi An were left in pursuit. The female captain, agile as a leopard, stubbornly kept pace behind the monster, neither falling behind nor catching up.
Soon they emerged from the forest. After a brief chase, a great river came into view.
“Splash!”
The monster plunged into the river, sending up a spray of water.
The valiant female captain looked on in disappointment. From the corner of her eye, she saw Xu Qi An leap high, taking a military crossbow from his waist. Without even aiming, he casually pulled the trigger.
The moment the arrow was released, a powerful qi fluctuation exploded.
The female captain couldn’t even catch a glimpse of the arrow’s shadow before she heard a “whoosh” as it entered the water.
A few seconds later, a miraculous scene unfolded.
The river’s surface turned red with blood, and slowly, a two-zhang-long monster floated to the surface.
Its cause of death was an arrow piercing through its head.
Lü Qing turned her head in a daze, looking at the young, upright Night Watchman.
Xu Qi An shrugged: “I’ve always been lucky.”