The savage beast gave a dreadful, prolonged howl. Its voice was deep and muffled like a covered drum, yet carried a strange, piercing quality that made the listeners’ eardrums throb as though they were about to burst.
At the same time, the creature began bucking violently. Its back arched high, its enormous head swung from side to side, and its four hooves pounded furiously in an effort to throw the person riding it!
But Ban Lianshan was crouched firmly on the beast’s back, pressed against its hide as though she had been glued there. No matter how wildly it leapt, she remained immovable. Blood dripped from the broken horn clutched in her hands, quickly staining a broad patch of its hide crimson.
Meanwhile the other four attacked. One seized the creature’s long tail, while two closed in from either side. Their hands unleashed powerful bursts of force that shattered all four of its legs.
The last was Tai Jun, the Innate martial artist. He leapt high into the air and struck with his elbow, smashing the beast’s spine and sending it collapsing helplessly to the ground!
The savage beast had died at their hands in the space of a few breaths.
Although their movements had begun in sequence, the five coordinated with perfect precision. They needed no further communication to kill the creature together.
Clearly this was nothing new to them. They had done it countless times and dispatched the beast with almost no effort at all!
Watching from the side, Xu Ziqing felt genuine admiration.
These martial artists possessed inner force. Although they could not overturn rivers and seas like higher-level cultivators, they had often honed their martial techniques to extraordinary depth, and their methods were by no means weak.
With his current discernment, Xu Ziqing could see that this series of movements had been refined through innumerable repetitions. That was why their actions flowed so naturally, without a single superfluous motion.
He could not help clapping softly and praising them. “What wonderful skill!”
Having dispatched a savage beast successfully, the Qianwu Squad maintained their gathered strength. Hearing Xu Ziqing’s words, they relaxed their guard toward him a little. They might not have grown fond of him, but at least they no longer felt the distaste they had for earlier cultivators.
As squad leader, Tai Jun replied politely, “Our little tricks are mere firefly glimmers, hardly worth mentioning.”
Xu Ziqing smiled and did not prolong the exchange of courtesies.
Next, the Kou brothers began butchering the beast’s carcass.
Each unfastened a long knife from his waist, its blade glinting coldly. Kou Yuan began skinning the beast, while Kou Ye sliced open its abdomen, reached inside, and fished out a red bead the size of a pigeon’s egg. This was the savage beast’s inner core.
They quickly cut apart the hide and flesh and severed the head. After collecting the useful fatty meat, inner core, horn, and pelt, they discarded the remaining entrails and refuse.
When they finished, Tai Jun turned to Xu Ziqing. “We’ve finished processing this beast. Immortal Master Xu, is there anything you’d like? Please don’t hesitate to say so.”
Xu Ziqing was taken aback. “I contributed nothing. How could I reach out and claim a share?”
Now it was Tai Jun and his companions’ turn to be astonished.
When ordinary martial artists joined the squad on attachment, naturally only those who contributed received any share. Yet when the newcomer was a cultivator, they usually demanded a portion regardless of whether they helped.
Though this rankled, the squad had no choice. A cultivator who remained alive possessed limitless possibilities for future advancement, whereas even the strongest martial artist could reach only the Innate Realm. The latter simply could not compare in status. Worse, if the attached cultivator happened to possess a powerful backer, these mortal martial artists might offend them unwittingly and later die without even knowing why!
And today, to their surprise, someone had arrived who actually understood what was reasonable.
The five squad members looked at one another. Tai Jun asked tentatively, “Are you certain you don’t want anything, Immortal Master Xu?”
Xu Ziqing shook his head. “Quite certain.”
At those words, the formerly strained atmosphere suddenly eased. Xu Ziqing noticed that the wariness in their expressions had diminished even further. After a moment’s thought, he understood why.
He sighed inwardly. So he had won their trust quite by accident.
Now that the five members’ attitudes had improved, the journey that followed was considerably more relaxed.
Xu Ziqing never struck a blow. He simply watched them launch their attacks and slay savage beasts, observing with great care.
Although he had come to the Savage Beast Plains, he knew little of the creatures’ habits and weaknesses. By watching the actions of these most ordinary soldiers, he could learn both.
That was his first objective.
After watching them move and fight for a while, Xu Ziqing soon noticed several things.
A savage beast’s horn was sharp, but at its base ran a fine, dark line that offered a point of attack. Its four hooves struck with tremendous power, but each leg had a crease three fen above the hoof; a precisely placed blow could sever it. Its hide was thick, yet a soft point lay at the end of the spine. Piercing it could kill the creature instantly!
Elio’s Notes: A fen is a traditional Chinese unit of length equal to one-tenth of a cun. Here it specifies the narrow point just above a savage beast’s hoof.
Ordinary ferocious beasts often had vulnerable eyes. Savage beasts, however, were different. A flexible yet tough membrane covered their eyeballs, and it was harder to penetrate than even the hide on the rest of their bodies.
Looking at these weaknesses, he understood that the five soldiers’ efficient attacks owed much to their careful choice of targets.
The more he recalled their coordination, the more exquisite he found it.
Xu Ziqing watched all day. By the time the Qianwu Squad had slain twelve one-horned savage beasts, dusk had begun to fall.
He had still neither taken the slightest advantage of them nor fought himself. When they decided to return to camp, he accompanied them back.
After agreeing to meet the squad the following day, Xu Ziqing returned to the stone house. Yun Lie was nowhere in sight, and he supposed his senior brother was tempering himself day and night rather than wasting time by returning.
He smiled faintly. Instead of dwelling on his senior brother, he sat down to meditate. He reviewed everything he had observed that day and mentally simulated similar situations with his spiritual sense, working out which techniques he himself might use to respond.
For the next three days, Xu Ziqing continued watching in silence and carefully memorizing everything the members of the Qianwu Squad told him about the Savage Beast Plains. Because he was neither talkative nor troublesome, the five gradually accepted his presence and began deliberately sharing more information with him.
Throughout those three days, Yun Lie never returned.
On the fourth day, they encountered two savage beasts traveling together.
The pair appeared to be mates. They were about one li away, rubbing affectionately against one another and looking entirely at ease, with little apparent vigilance.
The five soldiers hesitated. In the past they had encountered groups of three or four savage beasts, but because they were cautious by nature they generally attacked only lone beasts. Those were easier to kill and less likely to injure them.
This time, however, there were only two. They would have to work harder, but perhaps the danger was worth taking.
Just then, everyone was looking toward Tai Jun, awaiting his order.
Xu Ziqing spoke softly. “Why not leave one of them to me? I can hold it in place for a while. After you’ve slain the other, you can come and help me. What do you think?”
All five turned toward him at once.
Tai Jun frowned. “Are you confident you can do that, Immortal Master Xu?”
Throughout these days, Xu Ziqing had shown none of his abilities, merely followed the rules like an invisible presence. He had moved quietly, never making trouble.
Consequently, the Qianwu Squad assumed he was a low-level Qi Refinement cultivator with little real strength. His modesty and good manners had seemed proof that he knew his own limitations. Even though they considered him very weak, they had begun to feel some affection for him.
Now that he had volunteered, all five felt not only doubt but a measure of concern.
Xu Ziqing smiled faintly. “I came here to train, so sooner or later I must personally act. I believe I have a few methods up my sleeve. I should be all right.”
In other words, he was telling them plainly that he could handle a one-horned savage beast.
All the soldiers were hardened veterans. Ban Lianshan and the others thought his confidence rather excessive. Yet Tai Jun had paid more attention to him over the past few days. Beneath the youth’s gentle, friendly appearance, he seemed to possess considerable judgment. Perhaps he really did have some confidence. Tai Jun decided simply to slay one beast quickly and then go help him, thereby honoring the companionship they had developed over these days.
So Tai Jun said, “Very well. We’ll split up. If either side can’t hold out, the other will send reinforcements.”
This arrangement already allowed Xu Ziqing to save considerable face.
Xu Ziqing smiled and accepted the kindness.
Once the decision was made, he moved in a blur and concealed himself in the dense wild grass alongside the five soldiers, slowly approaching their quarry.
Tai Jun, as an Innate martial artist, was highly sensitive to nearby auras. Yet although Xu Ziqing was beside him, he sensed not a trace of his presence. It was as though the youth were merely another tuft of wild grass, with nothing unusual about him.
A thought suddenly flashed through Tai Jun’s mind.
But by then, they were drawing near the two beasts.
At a distance of only seven or eight zhang, they dropped flat and suppressed their inner force as thoroughly as possible, lest the savage beasts discover them.
Xu Ziqing also crouched low, keeping his gaze fixed unwaveringly upon one of the creatures.
Tai Jun whispered, “The one on the left is yours, Immortal Master Xu.”
“All right,” Xu Ziqing replied.
In the next moment, all six figures shot forward like lightning.
Break the horn, seize the tail, sever the legs, smash the spine!
The familiar sequence of attacks unfolded exactly as on previous days.
The five Qianwu Squad members swiftly dispatched the male beast. Without pausing to process its carcass, they immediately turned around, fervently hoping the Immortal Master had not met with harm in the meantime!
But the moment they turned, everyone froze.
The green-robed youth was drifting gracefully through the air, moving like willow fluff blown upon the wind, swaying this way and that yet entirely unhurried and at ease.
Then he extended two fingers. A beam of green light burst from their tips and struck the savage beast’s spine with extraordinary speed.
Bang!
With a sharp report, the spine of the still-fleeing savage beast snapped. Its knees buckled and it collapsed, motionless, to the ground.
Looking more closely at the carcass, they saw a neat, round hole directly at the most vulnerable spot of its spine, just before the long tail.
Blood welled steadily from the wound. He had struck the vital point with a single blow!