Chapter 60: Entering The Mountains
Golden Ape Martial Arts School, Li Jinshan wore a black strong suit with a beast-head belt around his waist, standing boldly at the front of the team like a great horse with a golden saber.
Behind him were more than ten carts of supplies, large and small boxes and sacks all tightly bound with ropes; the cart drivers, servants, and dozens of outer disciples whom he had never met were all here.
Su Yan was also among the team. Ma Shengming led over a reddish-brown large horse with fine scales on its shoulder and neck.
“Junior Brother, ride this horse.”
Su Yan took the reins. Ma Shengming said, “This is a scaled horse, a crossbreed of a feral beast and an ordinary horse, bought by the Lin Family. It’s more durable than ordinary horses.”
The mounts of inner disciples and the cart-pulling horses were all scaled horses.
Su Yan’s gaze swept over the team and he asked, “Senior Brother, didn’t you say only inner disciples were going?”
“You mean them?”
Ma Shengming’s gaze swept over those burly men, then he said, “It’s different. Although they have trained at the martial arts school, they are now just equivalent to guards.”
Guards?
Ma Shengming continued to explain: “Treasure Land hunting and industry profit-sharing have nothing to do with them; they only get a portion of the monthly salary.”
He did not say some things explicitly. Some outer disciples, even after learning Golden Ape Stance Training, would spend their whole lives only at the Skin Refining Realm.
These ‘outer disciples’ hired as guards included many in their thirties or forties. At that age, with slow progress, they were just seeking a livelihood.
To live a bit more comfortably than when mountain hunting, fishing, or chopping wood.
Twenty or thirty taels of silver a year, plus some other income, allowed them to live a little better, though getting rich quick was naturally impossible.
But if they could save more money and resources, and give their children a slight foundation from a young age, perhaps they could produce a powerful martial artist.
As for the two taels monthly salary of inner disciples, that was just the minimum guarantee, obtainable without doing anything.
If working for the martial arts school—forming teams to enter the desolate mountains for hunting, mountain hunting, or Treasure Land hunting, and finding treasure—those were the main sources of income.
Whereas guards could only do their own jobs according to the Golden Ape Martial Arts School’s arrangements.
Li Jinshan’s gaze swept over Su Yan and he nodded, showing some goodwill.
In Bai Changlin’s examination, Su Yan had progressed extremely quickly. He naturally wanted to befriend such a talented junior brother.
“Depart.”
The team assembled and rode toward the Yunling Mountain Range.
Su Yan followed the team out of the city. The road chosen by Li Jinshan and the others was different from the one he usually took into the mountains.
This was a wide yellow mud road that extended directly into the mountain valley. Shrubs and weeds grew on both sides of the road, as if they wanted to swallow the road along with the countless mountains.
Su Yan followed the team over several mountain peaks, traveling about thirty or forty li of mountain path. By now, the surroundings were full of dense old forest, vines everywhere, and weeds stretching onto the road like countless ghostly hands.
This road was like two different worlds from the surrounding dense forest resounding with strange noises.
Out of place, yet with a unique harmony.
After traveling half a day, they arrived near a rocky beach formed by a mountain stream.
To the right of the rocky beach was a shallow stream; farther on was a mountain wall, and on the other side was the mountain path they had traveled.
Li Jinshan looked at the blazing sun. The people and horses were tired, and the mountain path was inherently difficult, not to mention bringing supplies this time.
“Rest at the rocky beach for half a shichen.”
Entering the true desolate mountainous area would take about a day and a night, and the second half of the mountain path was even more difficult, requiring more time.
Therefore, almost all teams would rest temporarily at the rocky beach when entering the mountains.
“Yes, Senior Brother.”
Everyone dismounted and parked the carts to one side, without untying the reins. Instead, they had the numerous guards fetch water for the horses to drink and quench their thirst.
Su Yan, together with Gao Zheng and the others, also went to the streamside to tidy up a bit.
Gao Zheng cupped some water and splashed it on his face; the cool stream water dispelled some of his fatigue.
“We’ll reach Wa Shan Pass before nightfall, rest there for a night as well, and then head to the Tiger God Temple.”
“Tiger God Temple?”
Su Yan was suddenly surprised to hear this name.
“It’s a transit point in the desolate mountains, also the end of this road. Beyond that, the paths to each family’s mountain peak are built by themselves and extremely difficult to traverse.”
The road into the desolate mountains was such a project that no single family could accomplish alone.
The road was built by everyone, but further in, each family’s mountain peak had its own section, which was their own affair.
Who built the Tiger God Temple was now unknowable. Over the years, the ruined temple had gone from abandoned to a gathering place for martial artists traveling the desolate mountains, becoming an indispensable place teeming with all sorts of people.
There were not only martial artists from various families, but also more wandering martial world guests gathered there.
“Pah, lapdog.”
Li Shun saw Su Yan getting along well with Gao Zheng and the others, cursing darkly with eyes full of jealousy.
Why could Su Yan enter the inner courtyard right after joining the inner sect? Was his talent really that exceptional?
It was nothing more than a bit of talent plus knowing how to pick sides.
Li Shun sulked inwardly and called over a few inner disciples he knew to sit together and rest.
Su Yan focused on cultivation and did not spend much time at the martial arts school, naturally drawing envy.
While everyone was resting, suddenly countless birds flew up from the distant mountain forest, flapping their wings noisily.
Li Jinshan abruptly stood up, his gaze sharpening as he stared in that direction.
Not just him—almost every disciple with some experience had already drawn their blades and stood straight.
“Something’s coming.”
This place was already gradually entering the desolate mountainous area, where fierce wild beasts, even feral beasts, frequently appeared. Who wouldn’t be afraid?
“Dong dong dong”
Only the sound of urgent hoofbeats could be heard approaching, with shrubs and old forest shaking nonstop. Two striped tigers burst out of the forest one after another, leaping into the mountain stream area.
“It’s a tiger!”
The tigers charged extremely fast and seemed unafraid of the crowd, heading straight toward the team.
“Vile beast.”
Li Jinshan snorted coldly, his figure leaping forward to confront the two tigers.
The large tiger seemed intimidated by his presence and, in terror, erupted and bit toward him.
Li Jinshan’s arm instantly turned white as jade. His large hand reached out and pressed down on the tiger’s head.
With a shake of his tiger-back and wolf-waist, without visible exertion of great strength, he lightly pressed down, pinning the tiger to the ground where it struggled desperately but futilely.
The remaining tiger, awed by his aura, dared not continue the challenge and turned to crash into the crowd.
Whether by luck or instinct, it charged straight toward the position where Li Shun and the others were.
‘Good opportunity!’
Li Shun, Li Ying, Ma Xiaodong, and the others saw the large tiger charging over. Though fearful in their hearts, they realized this was also an opportunity.
Su Yan had gained fame for fighting a tiger; they were all at Skin Refining Great Accomplishment and had cultivated Golden Ape Jade Body Skill—how could they not engage in combat?
Thus, they dodged the pounce and each raised their weapons to fight it.
But in this fight, they were startled—the tiger had tremendous power.
They naturally did not know that tigers in these mountains differed in strength from those in the desolate mountains, even if neither was yet a feral beast.
Though the several of them fought together and held the upper hand, they could not overwhelm it decisively for the moment.
Su Yan stood motionless, with no intention of stepping forward. This tiger was merely quasi-ranked; though it had Skin Refining strength, it could not threaten the team.
Suddenly, a chill ran down his spine. His gaze snapped toward the forest as a long arrow whistled speedily toward him.
Su Yan’s senses were sharp, and with great alarm in his heart, he raised the dagger in his hand and slashed. With a clang, the suddenly arriving arrow split in two instantly, its remaining force embedding it in the ground.
“Who is it!”
Li Jinshan suddenly surged forward like a fierce tiger, staring intently at the forest.
“Hahaha, a miss, a miss. I meant to hit the tiger but shot astray.”
Someone in the forest laughed loudly. As the trees swayed, more than ten people walked out, looking mockingly at those fighting the tiger and at Li Jinshan and his group.
“Little Mountain Association, Seven Blades Martial Arts School!”
