That much was true.

The meat of an uncastrated wild boar like this has a strong, gamy taste and requires careful preparation to be palatable.

This was why Wu Liangchen chose to roast the meat instead of stewing it.

Roasting would force out some of the blood, minimizing the gaminess.

From the massive boar, Wu Liangchen took only the tenderloin from its hindquarters. First, he sliced it thinly, then meticulously rubbed the pieces with fine salt. For those who liked spice, a little chili powder could be added.

While the pork marinated, Wu Liangchen found a large stone slab, washed it clean with water, and propped it over the fire to heat up.

Once the slab was scorching hot, he wiped it with a piece of fat from the boar to prevent sticking, then laid the marinated meat slices on top.

The pork slices SIZZLED as they rendered their fat, their aroma filling the air. They were ready to eat once they changed color and curled slightly at the edges.

Despite the simple seasoning—just a pinch of fine salt and some chili powder—the freshness of the meat made it taste exceptionally good. Even Erya, who wasn’t fond of meat, ate several pieces.

After the father and daughter finished eating, Wu Liangchen carved off a few more pieces of meat from the hind leg, seared them briefly, and began to eat heartily.

This wild boar meat was rich in vitality. After just a few bites, a notification appeared before Wu Liangchen’s eyes.

[Life Fire +2 wisps]

Wu Liangchen had now accumulated nearly a hundred wisps of Life Fire, but he hadn’t found a use for them yet.

After killing the Seventh Village Chief, Cong Bo, Wu Liangchen had expected to find some loot, but the results had been deeply disappointing.

Those bastards were all craftier than the last; they always hid their important belongings securely instead of carrying them.

That was why, even now, Wu Liangchen hadn’t found a single Martial Arts Cultivation Technique.

However, his progress in the Martial Arts Realm was swift. He was already over forty percent of the way there. In just a few more days, he should be able to break through the blood-exchange bottleneck and reach the Minor Fourth Realm.

And if he had a little more time after that, reaching the peak of the Fourth Realm would be well within his grasp.

Only then would he truly possess the strength to establish himself in this land and face any power as an equal.

Just as Wu Liangchen was contemplating the road ahead, a sudden premonition struck him, and he immediately lifted his head to gaze into the distance.

He saw only the distant, rustling woods, with nothing out of the ordinary.

But Wu Liangchen’s expression grew grim, and his eyes slowly narrowed.

"Erya!"

"Hm?"

"Have you learned how to use the hand crossbow I gave you?"

Just after leaving the city, Wu Liangchen had given Erya the hand crossbow he had confiscated from Mo Daoyuan, teaching her how to use it for self-defense.

Although she didn’t know what was happening, Erya could tell from Wu Liangchen’s serious expression that something was wrong. She nodded at once. "I do!"

"Good. Now, you and your father get back in the carriage. Don’t come out unless I say so. If someone approaches you suddenly, don’t panic. Use the crossbow on them."

"Mm!" Erya’s face was pale, but she still nodded firmly. Then she pulled her father, who was still oblivious to the situation, back into the carriage.

Once the carriage curtain fell, Wu Liangchen stood up, slowly drew his saber, and stared ahead with a grim expression.

"Since you’re here, why not show yourselves?"

His only answer was the mournful wind in the woods and the rustling of leaves. Despite it being summer, the air held a sinister chill.

Wu Liangchen sneered. "Enough with the theatrics!"

As he spoke, he pulled a handful of stones from his robes and flung them.

Wu Liangchen had become increasingly adept with this stone-throwing technique. Though he seemed to exert little force, the stones let out a sharp whistle as they cut through the air, rocketing toward the woods opposite him.

With a series of CRACKS, trees snapped and bushes exploded.

Three figures then dropped to the ground.

The trio consisted of a man and two women. The women were identical twins.

The man was young and had an ordinary face.

But all three shared one trait: their expressions were utterly emotionless. Their eyes, in particular, held none of the feelings a person should have.

Without a word after landing, they drew their swords and charged at Wu Liangchen.

The swords they wielded were highly unusual. The tip was extremely narrow, like an awl, while the blade itself was tri-edged. A sinister blue light glinted on them, a clear sign of a potent poison.

Although their Martial Arts Realm didn’t seem high, Wu Liangchen didn’t underestimate them.

He knew a Martial Artist’s realm wasn’t always directly proportional to their combat strength.

These three, for instance, were clearly trained killing machines.

CLANG!

Sparks flew as Wu Liangchen parried a direct thrust from the man, but the other two swords stabbed at him like phantoms from unexpected angles.

It was clear the three had trained together countless times; their coordination was flawless.

One attacked from the front to draw his attention while the other two ambushed him.

It was a blatant, undisguised killing technique.

Any other Martial Artist would have been struck by this first exchange—wounded, if not killed.

But Wu Liangchen reacted in a flash. He had already retreated from his spot the instant the two swords lunged, then his saber flashed out, a bolt of light sweeping toward the twin sisters.

Instead of retreating, the sisters advanced, not a hint of fear on their faces as their swords stabbed toward Wu Liangchen’s throat and groin. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

It was a blatant life-for-a-life tactic.

Wu Liangchen snorted. With a flick of his blade, he blocked both swords, but at that exact moment, the man attacked from behind.

Wu Liangchen knew the trio would be tough, but he hadn’t expected them to be this relentless.

Their reckless, suicidal fighting style—aiming to trade a life for a life—was particularly unsettling.

But Wu Liangchen adjusted quickly, suddenly executing a swift retreat.

The three pursued him closely, but as Wu Liangchen unleashed a volley of stones, their speed was inevitably hampered.

He soon put some distance between them.

At the same time, Wu Liangchen sheathed his saber, grabbed the Wind Shock Bow from his back, and in one fluid motion, drew the bow and nocked an arrow.

Seeing him draw his bow, the three assassins immediately split up, charging forward in a serpentine pattern.

But it was useless. Wu Liangchen’s archery had become so instinctive that footwork alone could not evade his shots.

In the blink of an eye, a feathered arrow pierced the man’s throat. The tremendous force sent him flying backward before he collapsed to the ground, dead.

Before the twin assassins could even react, Wu Liangchen had already nocked another arrow.

This arrow pierced straight through one of the women’s foreheads, spraying white matter from the back of her skull.

Seeing this, the other woman let out a beastly, mournful shriek and charged forward, roaring in fury.

But in the next instant, a feathered arrow ended her life.