Chapter 153: Chapter 108: Lodging for the Night

A Demon had appeared!

For months, Qin Fang had heard so much about these Demons that he was sick of it, but he had never actually seen one.

But now...

He’d seen one!

It was enormous. Its open mouth was two or three meters wide, and in front of it, the fishing boat looked like a mere snack!

’...This is a Demon?’

He was stunned at first, but his senses quickly returned. Seeing the now-calm surface of the river, Qin Fang didn’t hesitate for a second. He immediately grabbed the oars and paddled frantically for the shore!

’...God knows if that Demon is gone or not.’

’If it’s still here and it spots me... I’m a dead man in this river!’

’With a Physique that massive, I doubt my Darts could do any real damage to it.’

Fortunately, he had been drifting downstream without venturing into the middle of the river, so he was close to the bank. He reached it quickly.

But the bank was a relatively steep cliff, a full four or five meters above the water.

Of course, this was nothing for Qin Fang. He grabbed his bundle, scooped up Xile, and with a sudden burst of strength, leaped onto the steep cliff!

After finding a stable foothold on the cliff, he finally turned to look back at the river.

His small sampan continued to drift downstream, getting smaller and smaller in the distance.

But the river remained quiet. There was no sign of the Demon...

Qin Fang pressed his lips together. Not daring to linger, he turned and left.

He now found himself in a virtual wilderness. There was no path ahead, only a thicket of thorns. Fortunately, he had a blade in hand and hacked his way forward.

He had only taken a few steps when Xile, nestled in his arms, seemed to sense something and began barking furiously in a specific direction.

Qin Fang stopped in his tracks and peered intently in that direction.

The trees ahead grew in a tangled mess, and with it being nighttime, he couldn’t make out a thing.

But Xile was barking its head off, its fur standing on end. There was clearly something there.

Qin Fang decided to trust Xile’s judgment. He made a slight detour, choosing a different path forward.

As he moved, he kept glancing back in that direction, trying to see if anything was actually there...

After just a few more steps, Qin Fang suddenly froze and let out a soft hiss...

He saw it then. Right where he was about to walk, there was a large pit in the ground. And near the pit, several snakes were coiled!

’If I’d kept going, the pit is so well hidden I probably wouldn’t have noticed it before stepping right in... I’d be in that snake pit right now.’

At this thought, he couldn’t help but stroke Xile’s head...

’This little guy... he’s not completely useless after all.’

"I’ll give you an extra treat later,"

he whispered.

He proceeded with even greater caution...

Even though he was an Anjin master, this place was like a primeval jungle, filled with hidden, deadly dangers.

It was early summer, the most active time for poisonous insects and snakes.

Luckily, he had Xile. The dog seemed to have an innate Perception for these dangers, reacting and warning Qin Fang whenever there was a potential threat ahead.

This allowed Qin Fang to navigate the relatively primitive mountain forest shaken, but unharmed.

Eventually, Qin Fang found a muddy mountain path.

The path was muddy, but it made Qin Fang breathe a sigh of relief...

A path meant people passed through here often, which naturally meant the danger was significantly lower.

He got his bearings and then followed the mountain path downstream.

A journey that would have taken just over an hour by water ended up taking him nearly two hours on this mountain path.

And that was even after he had already drifted on the river for more than ten minutes.

Otherwise, the journey would have been even longer.

At the foot of the mountain, by the river, Qin Fang finally saw a market.

...This Wanshui Market was about the same size as Fisherman City. As such, the market was pitch-black at this hour, with only shacks and a few adobe houses standing silently.

Gazing at the quiet Wanshui City before him, a glint appeared in Qin Fang’s eyes.

He had, in fact, considered going straight to Old Ox Back and settling there.

But after thinking it over, he temporarily dismissed the idea.

It was too dangerous.

’I’m seriously injured right now. Even though I’ve just reached the Anjin level and have the basic ability to kill a Giant Bee, that’s only if there’s just one.’

’Last time, I was lucky and only drew out one... but what if my luck is worse next time and I draw out several?’

’In my current condition, if I face Giant Bees... and my luck is bad, I won’t even be able to escape.’

’By contrast, with my Anjin Cultivation, I’m practically invincible in these small market towns.’

...He planned to head to Old Ox Back only after his injuries had healed.

He had to go to Old Ox Back.

The Bee Meat was his best bet for getting stronger quickly.

’...It’s even more effective than a Qi Blood Pill.’

’And the Poisonous Thorns are a devastating weapon...’

’Thinking back, that monster that burst out of Wang Hu’s body... why did it just twitch a couple of times and then stop moving?’

’The only possibility I can think of is... it was killed by the Bee Venom!’

’If I’m inevitably going to face monsters like that again, then having more Poisonous Thorns can only be a good thing.’

With these thoughts in mind, Qin Fang started down the mountain.

First, he needed to find a safe place to stay.

And as for a safe place...

From his high vantage point, his gaze soon locked onto a large compound.

...The compound was situated on higher ground than the rest of the market, and it was the largest one.

It was most likely the residence of the Gang Leader who controlled this market.

He remembered Monkey telling him about the situation here in Wanshui City. There was only one gang, the Nanhe Gang. Their Gang Leader was supposedly a man named Jiang Xin, a Mingjin Martial Artist.