HCB Chapter 171 The Visitor is Not Friendly
Chapter 171 The Visitor is Not Friendly
As soon as Wang Zhaocai finished speaking, a dark shadow suddenly fell from the sky and landed right in front of them, startling everyone in the caravan so much that they dared not take another step forward.
"Besides its inner core, what other parts of this demonic beast are valuable?"
Tao Tao appeared behind Lu Bai without anyone noticing. The moment the voice rang out, Wang Zhao almost instinctively threw out his curved sword. Fortunately, Tao Tao was highly skilled and easily stopped it, then looked at Lu Bai with a cheerful smile.
"So it's Miss Yue, I'm sorry..." Having witnessed her prowess, Wang Zhao dared not provoke her and quickly stopped and apologized.
"It's okay, it's my fault for not telling you. I kidnapped this monster, can you take a look at it for me?" Tao Tao blinked, speaking as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Upon hearing this, Lu Bai walked towards the demon beast, examined it carefully, and said, "This demon beast is a Heavenly Illusion Tin Wolf, a third-tier demon beast. It can be said that its entire body is a treasure, especially its claws and skull, which can be used to refine medicine."
"Is that so? Then you guys help me break it down, and you can handle the rest yourselves."
After saying that, Tao Tao lifted his toes and darted into the depths of the woods, disappearing without a trace.
She appeared and disappeared without a trace, leaving everyone completely baffled. Wang Zhao was helpless and could only say that this was how experts were; they were simply incomparable to her.
"Young Master, this Miss Yue's cultivation level is probably not just at the ninth level of Qi Refining..."
"With our Qi Refining stage cultivation, we certainly can't see through her true strength, but this is also a good thing. With her there, crossing the Yan River will be more secure."
After acknowledging Tao Tao's abilities, Lu Bai did exactly what she asked, determined to leave a good impression so that she might be able to join the Chamber of Commerce in the future.
Tao Tao chased after the monsters all the way, and if anyone wasn't quick enough, she would catch them. Then, screams would be heard, and a monster's corpse would be thrown in front of Lu Bai and the others, asking them to help her dismantle it.
At first, the caravan members were shocked and found it unbelievable. Usually, they were the ones hiding from monsters, not the other way around. But gradually, they got used to it and the caravan members became ruthless dismantling machines.
However, Tao Tao reaped a great harvest in this way, and the others also got a share. There were quite a few extra treasures on a monster, and Tao Tao distributed the less valuable ones to the others.
Led by Tao Tao, the caravan passed through Qiyun Mountain safely. The road was unusually quiet, which relieved everyone.
Once you pass Qiyun Mountain, you can see the Yan River in the distance. This river is indeed a bit strange. Even before you get close, you can already feel a sense of danger. The river surface is always shrouded in a layer of black mist, making it look extremely eerie.
"This is the Yan River. Monsters roam the river, so we must be careful." Lu Bai waved his hand, and a boat appeared on the river. A deer head was carved on the bow, with red cloud beads embedded in its eyes, which could be used to ward off evil.
"Let's get on the boat."
At Lu Bai's command, the caravan began loading goods onto the ship. In the blink of an eye, the loading was complete, and Tao Tao boarded the ship with Lu Bai.
The ship had everything, including plenty of delicious food, which allowed Tao Tao to have a hearty meal and finally stop going hungry.
"Are there only monsters at the bottom of this river? Why can I sense an evil aura?"
With nothing to do, Tao Tao lay on the side of the boat, observing the gently flowing water. The water was very murky, and it was almost impossible to see what was in it, but it faintly exuded an evil aura. She had only ever felt this kind of evil aura from demonic cultivators before, except that the evil aura of demonic cultivators was far less intense than this.
"Because this river connects to the River Styx, which is said to be the source of the demon realm, nourishing all the demons and monsters. Its water is naturally extremely sinister. You must be careful, or you may be swallowed up completely if you fall into the River Styx."
"That's terrifying."
Tao Tao was startled, but he didn't know whether the Yan River or the secluded ravine was more terrifying.
"Actually, it's not too bad. Although there are many monsters in the river, as long as we don't provoke them, there shouldn't be any problems. What we should be more worried about is the thunderstorm later." As he spoke, Lu Bai looked into the distance. There, lightning was already flying through the clouds, and occasionally one or two bolts of lightning would strike the water, creating layers of electricity.
The weather on the Yan River is indeed unpredictable. One moment the sky is clear and blue, and the next it is covered with dark clouds and thunder and lightning. Anyone who wants to cross the river is in danger of being struck by lightning at any time.
Speaking of lightning strikes, Tao Tao is naturally not afraid. She has the Ice Lightning Sword and has also learned lightning magic. Lightning strikes can't do anything to her. At worst, she can just absorb the lightning with the Ice Lightning Sword. Compared to lightning strikes, she cares more about what's in the Yan River.
She didn't know if it was because the Demon-Slaying Pestle had entered her body, but when she came to the Yan River, she always felt a force calling to her, trying to pull her into the river. If it weren't for her strong willpower and Bai Yan's sealing of the Demon-Slaying Pestle, she would probably have already entered the water by now.
Seeing that Tao Tao's expression was off, Lu Bai assumed she was afraid of the thunderstorm and reassured her, "Don't worry, we'll handle the thunderstorm ourselves. You just need to keep an eye out for the monsters in the river."
"Do you have a way to avoid the lightning strike?" Tao Tao asked suspiciously, seeing that their cultivation level was only at the Qi Refining stage, how could they dare to force their way through it?
"I have a magic weapon called the Lightning-Avoiding Seal, which can block five lightning strikes. Unless something unexpected happens, we can get through it safely."
"So you used lightning-proof seals to cross the Yan River before?"
Are these things mass-produced? Otherwise, if one lightning protection seal can only withstand five strikes, wouldn't it be gone once it's used up?
"Yes, this seal was made by a senior member of our chamber of commerce, specifically to suppress thunder."
Speaking of this senior, Lu Bai looked very confident, which showed that this person should be one of the most valuable experts in their chamber of commerce.
Looking at any chamber of commerce, without the protection of a highly accomplished senior, it simply cannot go far and is likely to be swallowed up by its competitors.
"I see." Tao Tao nodded, then thought for a moment before asking, "So only your merchant guild can cross the Yan River?"
"That's not it. The world is vast, and there are many capable people. There are naturally other ways."
"So they're the capable people you were talking about?"
Suddenly, Tao Tao pointed to the left and tilted his head to ask.
Hearing this, Lu Bai turned his head in confusion. The clouds and mist were thick and gray, making it impossible to see anything clearly or tell if there were any other people there.
Could it be that they detected it using divine sense? Just as Lu Bai was about to release his divine sense, Tao Tao suddenly stopped him, "The other party is hostile, and there is a Foundation Establishment cultivator among them. If you release your divine sense, you may be attacked and your divine sense may be damaged."
"They're up to no good? Are we their target? Oh no, it's the people from Fanyun Village. They make a living by robbing caravans. I didn't expect they'd even come to Yanhe. Quick, lower the sails and we'll go around them!"
Lu Bai's expression changed slightly, and he immediately gave the order.