Chapter 57: Tracking, the Cave, and the Appearance of the Lightning Marten!

Following the faint and elusive traces, Xia He and Fatty chased relentlessly all the way until they finally arrived at a crystal-clear stream.

Just as they were looking around, they unexpectedly ran into the group of hunters who had gone up the mountain earlier.

Xia He enjoyed quite a reputation among the town's hunters.

There was no other reason for this than the fact that despite his young age, almost every creature he managed to capture was a terrifying, legendary "beast."

Therefore, when this group of people saw Xia He appear, they all eagerly and warmly came forward, vying with one another to greet him.

"Brother Xia, you're here too."

After a brief exchange of polite pleasantries, everyone began to pay attention to the surrounding environment.

One of the hunters rolled his eyes, secretly speculating whether Xia He had also come for the sake of the precious lightning marten.

So he pretended to ask casually, "Brother Xia, seeing you in such a hurry, could it be because of Lord Kui's instructions..."

"Lord Kui? What instructions? I have no idea."

Faced with such probing, Xia He merely smiled faintly and said nothing more.

"I still have matters to attend to, so I won't travel with you all."

Without any hesitation, he cupped his fists in salute to the crowd and turned to leave.

Watching Xia He's receding figure, the remaining hunters stood in place, their gazes following the direction he had just pointed out.

The distant mountain peak was completely barren, almost completely exposed without any cover, and it looked extremely desolate and bleak.

According to the usual habits of marten species, they would typically choose to inhabit beautiful and resource-rich environments such as high-mountain forests or dry, cold plateaus. How could they possibly settle down in such a barren place?

Besides, this location was in an entirely different direction from the Tiger Cave where the lightning marten had previously been spotted.

"It seems he really doesn't know."

"That's good. If he were to meddle in this, would there be anything left for us?"

"Ha! Listen to yourself. Are we any less capable? Who's to say this kid's luck in the past few times wasn't just a fluke?"

"That's true..."

Thinking of this, the hunters could not help but breathe a sigh of relief, dispelling their inner doubts.

No longer dwelling on the matter, they turned and strode quickly in another direction.

After parting ways with the group, Xia He and Fatty headed straight for the mountain ridge.

Along the way, they proceeded with the utmost caution.

Indeed, they did not see the shadow of even a single prey.

"Don't rush, we're almost there."

After about a quarter of an hour, they successfully reached the summit.

Standing atop the peak, Xia He gazed far into the distance, and his eyes were soon drawn to a huge rock in the distance.

There was a patch of dark scorch marks on it, extremely difficult to notice, as if it had once suffered a violent lightning strike.

"The guidance was right indeed!"

Xia He thought to himself.

The reason extraordinary beasts could be called "extraordinary" was not merely because of their unique bloodlines, but more importantly, because they possessed a fairly high level of intelligence. Compared to ordinary wild beasts, these extraordinary beasts were vastly superior.

This kind of extraordinary creature, the lightning marten, particularly loved to find a high point on a mountain peak during thundering and rainy nights, and then stand quietly there, attracting the lightning from the sky directly into its body.

Perhaps this cunning lightning marten had long since sensed that someone was pursuing it, and the traces it left behind in the Tiger Cave earlier were very likely deliberate acts meant to confuse its pursuers.

Thinking of this, Xia He could not help but curse inwardly: "This damned beast is far too clever!"

As he spoke, he continued forward for several dozen steps. Sure enough, on a tall tree branch, he keenly spotted an extremely fine hair.

Without careful observation, it would have been nearly impossible to detect its existence with the naked eye alone.

Following this clue, Xia He and Fatty tracked it all the way.

At intervals of about fifty steps, a few such hairs would be successively discovered. In this manner, the two followed the trail left by the hairs, tracking all the way from the front of the mountain to its back.

Finally, after a grueling search, they successfully found a hidden cave entrance located on a steep cliff, tightly concealed by dense vegetation.

Xia He looked up to observe, and finally confirmed that the lightning marten was right here!

"Brother He, you're truly miraculous. You actually managed to find it?"

Fatty wore a look of utter excitement and shock.

The corners of Xia He's mouth curved up slightly as he softly said, "Fatty, hurry up and take out that blood ginseng for me."

Whether this lightning marten truly loved being struck by lightning was something perhaps no one had ever witnessed.

However, its fondness for blood ginseng was a well-known fact to all.

The reason Lord Kui had been able to discover the lightning marten's tracks earlier was precisely because he had painstakingly transported a batch of precious blood ginseng from outside the town, intending to sell it on the black market for a handsome profit.

Never had he expected to be waylaid by this lightning marten halfway; all the blood ginseng was plundered, resulting in heavy losses.

Ever since then, Lord Kui had resolved to capture this beast to exact revenge for the grievance.

Hearing Xia He's instruction, Fatty hurriedly reached into the bamboo basket on his back, fumbled around for a moment, and finally withdrew an exquisite sandalwood box.

Opening the lid gently, a rich medicinal fragrance instantly wafted into the air. The box contained a decades-old stalk of blood ginseng, shaped much like a human, with dense roots and glowing a vibrant red throughout—clearly a rare and precious find.

Gazing at the costly blood ginseng before him, Xia He could not help but smack his lips and mutter, "A full twenty taels of silver... it truly breaks my heart!"

Yet, despite saying this, he knew very well that without paying a certain price, how could they possibly lure that cunning lightning marten into the trap? As the saying goes: nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Carefully burying the stalk of blood ginseng into the soft soil, he and Fatty quickly found a concealed spot to hide. They smeared some damp mud onto their bodies and gripped the sharp javelins at their waists.

Xia He held his breath, not daring to make the slightest sound. His eyes remained fixed on the patch of earth where the blood ginseng was buried, quietly waiting for the lightning marten to appear.

Although the lightning marten had always been cunning, it was currently facing a mountain-wide manhunt, fleeing and hiding everywhere. Moreover, it was in its gestation period, meaning food was scarce. Driven by hunger, it would surely lower its guard to some extent.

After waiting for a full half-hour, a nimble figure—dark gray with a hint of azure—quietly appeared.

It scaled the steep cliff face as if walking on flat ground!

Sniffing the air, it quickly discovered the blood ginseng buried in the earth.

Seeming extremely eager, it scrambled down at a blazing speed.

Yet, as it drew closer, it grew cautious again, its bean-sized eyes darting about as it sniffed the surroundings.

Seemingly too tempted to resist, and detecting no unusual human scent, it finally inched closer, preparing to feast to its heart's content.