Chapter 54: Vanguard? Looking for someone? Kratos, Lightning Mink

Inside the military tent, the atmosphere was suffocatingly oppressive.

Chiliarch Fan's face was contorted with rage, veins bulging on his forehead as his eyes blazed with fury. He gripped the teacup so tightly that his knuckles turned white. Suddenly, with a crisp crack, he crushed it into shards right in his hand!

"Damn it! We were that close! Exactly who had the audacity..."

"Could it be that brat surnamed Xia?"

His expression shifted instantly, growing dark and uncertain.

It was not that he had never suspected Xia He.

However, Xia He had only recently begun practicing martial arts—all things considered, merely a few months. No matter how monstrous his innate talent might be, at the absolute most, he could only have reached the Minor Accomplishment realm of Blood Refining.

With such strength, how on earth could he have practically wiped out the Spirit Serpent Martial House?

With early spring fast approaching, the hundred-odd military households in the garrison would soon be mobilizing for campaign.

If he could secure military merit this time, his official rank would undoubtedly rise to the next level.

The crucial part was breaking through to Organ Refining; the barbarians' method of refining "Golden Thread Blood Salt" was his only chance!

At this thought, an intense wave of jealousy toward Xia He inevitably welled up within him.

"Forget it. This boy is slippery and far too talented... If he cannot be made to serve me, he will be a major trouble. Before the elite-selection officers of the Four Great Camps arrive and we mobilize after the spring thaw, I must make him the vanguard to test his loyalty."

Musing to himself, Chiliarch Fan's eyes gleamed with a cold light, his expression turning increasingly ruthless and merciless.

...

...

"Old Zhou, the person has been found?"

Xia He wore a look of surprise.

That the woman brought back from the pleasure house by Old Zhou's son was a spy was now an unquestionable certainty.

Yet ever since she went missing that day, she had vanished as if into thin air, never showing her face again.

"Yes, Xiao He, and speaking of which, it's all thanks to that unfilial son of mine!"

"He said he spotted a figure in town that looked strikingly similar to that woman, but by the time he chased after her, she was gone."

"He wanted to hide it from me, but I saw him listless and acting like a fool, so I tricked him into talking. I never expected he would spill everything."

Whenever Old Zhou mentioned his son, anger flared within him, nearly driving him to a torrent of abuse, though it was mostly fueled by exasperation at the boy's failure to live up to expectations.

"Could that woman truly be so bold as to sneak back here?"

"There is no time to lose, Old Zhou. Take me to see her right now. If it really is that woman, she might not have left yet."

After a brief consultation, knowing the urgency of the situation and not daring to delay even for a moment, the two hurried back into town.

Twisting and turning through the alleys along the way, they unexpectedly found themselves approaching the black market.

As luck would have it, Xia He's original plan had been to visit the black market before nightfall anyway.

The few pounds of Flame Cloud Falcon jerky Uncle Wang had found for him were far too scarce and simply not enough to eat.

He knew that if he wanted to rapidly accumulate attribute points, he would have to rely on hunting in the mountains himself.

Yet, bagging a spirit beast was no easy feat.

Coming here just happened to be a good way to gather some information.

"How could she not be here?"

Half an hour later, they had searched almost every stall and alley entrance in the entire black market, yet came up completely empty-handed.

Old Zhou's face turned livid.

"Could that unfilial wretch have been playing me for a fool? Xiao He, I..."

"It's fine, Old Zhou. If that woman really did return to town, she must have other motives and won't leave easily."

"I'll have the neighbors keep an eye out these next two days. A lone, unfamiliar woman trying to find a place to stay is bound to be noticed."

"I suppose that's all we can do..."

After parting ways with Old Zhou, Xia He made a detour to inquire about the thunder mink, unexpectedly finding a lead.

In front of a tavern, a group of people had gathered, chatting animatedly and gesticulating wildly.

As he drew slightly closer, their booming voices came through clearly.

"Yesterday—no, the day before yesterday, in the direction of Tiger Cave, Master Kui came this close to catching the thunder mink!"

"But that thunder mink is truly no ordinary creature. Master Kui has been chasing the beast for nearly half a year; it catches wind of things from dozens of meters away, crackles with lightning all over, and runs faster than a rabbit!"

"Still, one thing is certain: this beast ran to Tiger Cave to give birth! It definitely hasn't run far!"

"Really? ... That thunder mink is a spirit beast, you know."

"Let me tell you, Wang the Scabby, Master Kui put out the word himself: whoever provides the location of the thunder mink will be heavily rewarded, with a minimum payout of five taels of silver!"

Hearing of such a hefty reward, the surrounding crowd gasped sharply, already believing seven or eight tenths of the tale.

Unhurriedly, Xia He ordered a pot of fine wine, gently picked up his cup, and took a small, careful sip.

By now, he had grasped the gist of the conversation.

This "Master Kui" frequently mentioned by the crowd was a prominent and highly prestigious figure within the black market.

Not only did he command a large following, but his black market ventures were vast and backed by immense wealth.

He was a man of considerable strength; in his younger days, he had been fortunate enough to enter a certain sect, where he mastered a unique skill—taming spirit beasts.

凭借着这项绝技，他四处探寻各种珍稀异兽的踪迹，并将其收归己用。 (Wait, translating previous line mentally: Relying on this unique skill, he hunted for the traces of various rare spirit beasts everywhere and took them for his own use.)

Yet this was hardly surprising, as the fur and flesh of spirit beasts possessed tremendous nutritional value, usable in medicinal brews to nourish the blood, and every part of their bodies could command astronomical prices.

Therefore, leaving aside Master Kui, even an ordinary hunter who managed to bag a spirit beast would not only have a tale to boast of for a lifetime, but would never have to worry about food or livelihood for the rest of their days.

"Since others are vying for it, I'll have to act quickly. Tiger Cave, is it..."

Xia He had already resolved to venture into the mountains tomorrow.

After finishing his wine and settling the bill, Xia He left the black market and prepared to head home.

"Lan'er, I'm back."

With a soft call, Xia He stepped across the threshold,

a smile beaming across his face as he said, "I'm starved! All the way back, from far away, I could smell the fragrance of our home-cooked meal wafting out. I reckon the neighbor's kid is going to cry his eyes out from the temptation!"

Praising as he spoke, Xia He pushed open the inner door and walked in.

Before he even had a chance to sit down, he caught sight of an unfamiliar woman sitting in the room.

The woman possessed delicate and pretty features, but at the moment, her eyes were swimming with tears and clear tear tracks lingered on her cheeks, showing she had recently been weeping.

Meanwhile, his wife, Li Huilan, sat quietly right beside her, offering gentle, soothing words of comfort.

Seeing Xia He return, Li Huilan hastily rose to her feet.

"Do we have a relative visiting?"

To Xia He's utter astonishment, Li Huilan shook her head without the slightest hesitation, then took a deep breath and spoke as if having made a monumental decision: "Brother He, I've been thinking... How about you take a concubine?"

Xia He had just raised a bowl of water to his lips. Hearing Li Huilan's words, he nearly dropped the bowl, and the mouthful of water he had just taken almost sprayed out directly.

"Take a concubine? Good heavens, what kind of play is this?"

Xia He stared wide-eyed in sheer disbelief at his wife, then glanced sideways at the woman who kept stealing furtive glances at him, temporarily at a loss for how to respond.