Seeing Jiang Heng pocket the silver, Sly Zhao exhaled quietly.
“Congrats, Brother Jiang, on your meteoric rise! The world’s yours now. Why not join me at camp? I’ve got aged wine stashed—let’s celebrate your triumph!”
Zhao laughed, all enthusiasm.
“No drinks, thanks for the offer. I’m headed to the county office to claim my hunter status.”
Jiang Heng smiled, shaking his pack.
Zhao’s heart tightened, his caution vindicated.
This kid killed a spirit beast?!
To slay one so soon after reaching hunter-level strength was no small feat.
As Jiang Heng strode off, Zhao’s lackeys gaped.
The boss invited him for drinks, and he just walks?
Their emotions churned.
The boss respects this guy now. No more “kid”—it’s “Lord Jiang” from here on!
In Great Qing, strength ruled.
With hunter-level power, Jiang Heng had soared from the gutter, untouchable compared to his mountain dweller days.
“A filthy peasant, lowest of the low, now a hunter in days—an upper-class citizen with a boundless future. It’s like a damn storyteller’s tale!”
“Unbelievable!”
When Jiang Heng and Zhao clashed, the town’s streets had emptied, not a soul in sight.
Now, with the fight over, people crawled out of hiding, buzzing with chatter.
They’d watched from the shadows.
“Those tavern tales of heroes rising from nothing to glory? This kid’s living it!”
“Mark my words, his bones scream destiny!”
“Days ago, at Wen’s Apothecary, I spoke to him. Damn, should’ve asked if he’s married!”
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The crowd’s fervor darkened Zhao’s face.
If Jiang Heng was the hero of a storyteller’s saga, what was he?
The fool for laughs?
“Jiang Heng…” Zhao growled, fists clenched. Today’s shame, I’ll repay. In a few years, with the Witch Clan’s treasure, I’ll break through to martial cultivator. Then we settle this.
Meanwhile, Jiang Heng, silver in hand, headed for the cart station, his heart uneasy.
Truth be told, clashing with Zhao had rattled him.
Zhao knew martial arts.
His moves were polished, precise.
Jiang Heng’s raw strength outstripped Zhao’s, but his fighting lacked finesse.
In a deathmatch, the outcome was anyone’s guess.
Still, he held an edge.
With [Godspeed], if he couldn’t win, he could outrun Zhao.
By his heart’s desire, he’d have slaughtered Zhao on the spot.
But a truce worked for now.
With [Qi Devouring] fueling his treasure hunts, his growth was meteoric. Zhao couldn’t keep up.
Give him a bit more time, and next time, killing Zhao would be child’s play.
Martial arts…
If only he had them.
His physique crushed Zhao’s, but without martial arts, his strength was raw, unrefined.
A pity.
“With my five taels plus this thirty, I’ve got thirty-five. A bit more, and I’ll hit fifty!”
Fifty taels could buy a martial arts manual.
Low-grade, sure, but better than nothing.
With it, his strength would soar again.
Beyond buying, Great Qing offered other paths to martial arts—through the government.
Hunters could complete imperial bounties for rewards, even manuals.
Another perk of the title.
If memory served, some bounties tasked hunters with slaying spirit beasts or even demon beasts.
He was already scouring the mountains for treasures. As a hunter, he’d snag imperial rewards too—a perfect double win.
Martial arts would be his in no time.
Jiang Heng boarded an ox cart to Clear River County.
He wasn’t alone.
Since non-hunters couldn’t ride horses, small merchant caravans often used ox carts.
His companions were silk traders, and their young master, Tanner Xie, had heard of Jiang Heng’s street brawl with Zhao. He sought him out.
“Brother Jiang, your deeds precede you! Heading to the county office for hunter status, I presume? What a coincidence—I’ve bagged a spirit beast myself. We’re kindred spirits!”
Tanner Xie grinned.
“You killed a spirit beast too?”
Jiang Heng wasn’t shocked. Despite Tanner’s refined air, his steady breath and powerful movements betrayed formidable strength.
No surprise there. As a merchant heir, Tanner had gorged on medicinal meals since childhood, building a stellar physique.
With wealth, martial arts were a given.
Add a posse of servants, a paid mountain pass, and hired hunters, and a group could easily take down a spirit beast.
“Haha, my prize was a gale mink, famed for speed. It moves like a yellow whirlwind—deadly! We hunted it on a pitch-black, stormy night…”
Tanner was chatty, bursting with pride over the mink.
As Jiang Heng suspected, Tanner hadn’t killed it alone. He’d hired an old hunter to seal the deal.
Jiang Heng kept his tale brief.
“Just some nameless bird spirit beast. Nothing special.”
In truth, that peacock wasn’t just a spirit beast—it was a Hellseed, wielding miasma with divine might, far outclassing the mink.
“I see… No need to feel down, Brother Jiang. Any spirit beast counts for the county. You’ll get your status.”
Tanner’s tone was consoling, but a flicker of smugness crossed his eyes.
To him, Jiang Heng’s reticence meant his beast was weak.
Clearly, my gale mink makes me the real hero.
