Chapter Sixty-Five: Returning Home Once More

As for the green aura within Hu San’s inner breath, it was most likely related to the cultivation method he practiced. He hadn’t understood the significance of cultivation techniques before, but after his encounter with Black Bear, he learned of their differences. Now, given the chance, he naturally wished to switch to a superior method.

Yet after sifting through what the old scholar provided, Hu San found none as distinctive as his own “Greenwood Scripture.” Of course, it wasn’t long before he found the “Greenwood Scripture” among the old scholar’s collection, but was told it was a useless text; cultivating with it would never yield inner energy.

With a moment’s thought, Hu San understood at last who the spies truly were between Bow Zhang and the mountain bandit surnamed Zhong—they were Black Bear Stronghold’s agents. To win their loyalty, Black Bear Stronghold painted a grand picture and gave them a scripture that could not actually be cultivated. It ended up in Hu San’s hands, and by sheer luck, with the help of the warm current inside his body, he managed to succeed where others could not. The whole affair was indeed bizarre.

Remembering this, Hu San still could not help sighing with emotion. Compared to his swift progress, Lin Hu and the others were painfully slow in their cultivation—the slowest of all being Zhao Feng, who was the oldest.

According to the old scholar, Zhao Feng’s meridians had long since solidified with age. No matter how ideal his circumstances, he would struggle to reach even the second level in his lifetime. Lin Hu and the others, though their progress was also slow, were young and thus full of possibility—at least as far as reaching the second great realm and becoming second-rate experts, as the old scholar put it.

In the blink of an eye, winter was upon them. Across the land, the trial teams had halted their battles and instead prepared for the impending monster forest beast tide. Each trial ended with this drama—always the final campaign.

Yet this war had little to do with Hu San’s group. With their bandit equipment, they could hardly play a meaningful role; it was safer to remain hidden in their mountain stronghold. If anyone were to participate, it would be Hu San alone, in his personal capacity.

Speaking of Hu San, ever since advancing his inner energy to the fourth level in late autumn, reaching the stage where it could be projected outside his body, his previously stalled cultivation surged ahead once more. With his physical strength reaching that of eight men, the warm current within now did little to further strengthen him—ordinary food could not provide enough quality or quantity to fuel further growth. Beyond the strength of eight men, further advancement would demand years of effort.

Still, the warm current greatly accelerated his inner energy cultivation. Hu San now devoted eighty percent of the energy he gained from food to advancing his inner energy, leaving only twenty percent for gradual physical enhancement, hoping that time would bring cumulative results.

This decision caused his inner energy to progress at a breakneck pace. In just over two months, his fourth-level inner energy had passed the mid-stage and was nearing the high stage—almost at its peak. However, the higher the level, the more refined the inner energy became, and the harder it was to make breakthroughs. Advancing to the fifth level in the short term seemed unlikely.

While Hu San was immersed in arduous cultivation, the midwinter beast tide erupted again. It was as though the wild beasts sensed the kingdom’s trial in the Qilian Mountains, for this year’s monsters were fiercer than ever. Beast Kings—equivalent to top human experts—appeared frequently, and even monsters said to take human form were rumored to have been seen. Such creatures, having formed a demon core, were powerful enough to cross into the Earth Aperture Realm—a level of cultivator that could shatter the ground itself.

Yet such matters were far removed from Hu San’s world. He knew little of the cultivation realm, and in the martial world, he had only barely reached the beginning of the second great realm.

Rumors aside, what most mattered to Hu San about the winter beast tide was the quality of the wild beasts’ flesh. Eating a piece of this meat was worth ten pieces of ordinary fare; the stronger the beast, the more potent the energy he could extract from its flesh.

Having tasted the benefits, Hu San joined Wuzang’s army, fighting alongside the military’s martial experts against the Beast Kings. Over several months, though he faced danger more than once, the rewards at the end of the beast tide were enormous. Not only had he pushed his inner energy to the peak of the fourth level, but the abundant consumption of precious beast meat had also brought his physical strength close to that of nine men.

When the beast tide receded and winter gave way to spring, Wuzang’s forces chose a few elite bandits and departed, leaving only Wuzang’s merchant caravans to help build the new Wolf Fang Stronghold.

On an early spring morning, after Hu San devoured an enormous tiger by himself, his body suddenly trembled. The muscles on his body writhed like swimming fish. An excruciating pain pierced him, causing his teeth to chatter, but just as he was about to lose control, the agony vanished, replaced by a profound sense of comfort.

After the pain, Hu San felt a surge of vitality. Only then did he realize that, without noticing, his strength had broken through the threshold of eight men and reached that of nine—a truly formidable level.

“I wonder how my current self compares to the realms of martial artists? There are three great martial realms, and the difference in strength between each is vast. But with my formidable body, perhaps I could challenge those above my level.”

Despite this thought, reason told Hu San that fighting someone at the fifth level would be easy, a sixth-level opponent would pose little trouble, but against a true first-rate expert—someone who had just formed their Gang Qi in the third great realm—he would meet a tragic end.

Without Gang Qi, one could never be considered a true martial artist. Only by forming Gang Qi could human warriors stand against monsters or demons. Of course, Gang Qi was merely an entry-level tool for lower-level martial artists. Stronger experts had other means—like the immortal cultivators Hu San had encountered before, or the shamans mentioned by Black Bear. But that was another realm entirely.

After tidying himself, Hu San returned to Wolf Fang Stronghold, realizing it was already early spring. In the blink of an eye, two years had passed. Hu San was now a year older—thirteen in full years, or fourteen by traditional reckoning.

At thirteen or fourteen, a boy was no longer a child in the mountain villages; many could already help their families, no longer a burden on their parents. Some better-off families would already be arranging marriages, with meetings between parents to set things up, so that by fifteen, the wedding could take place.

That was how Hu San’s eldest brother’s marriage had been arranged. Back then, his brother was famous in the village for being handsome and strong—a prize sought after for miles around, and it was no wonder he married such a beautiful wife.

“It’s been so long since I’ve been home. I should go back and visit.”

With a quiet sigh, a trace of longing appeared in Hu San’s eyes. He summoned Lin Hu and Tan Yue, instructing them each to lead an elite squad and accompany him back to Langming Village.

For Lin Hu and the others, it had been about half a year since they began cultivating inner energy. Lin Hu and Tan Yue had both gained preliminary mastery—Lin Hu in particular, whose talent was outstanding, had already formed his inner energy, though he had yet to open all ten meridians and reach the first level. Still, he was very close.

With their growing strength and another year older, Lin Hu and Tan Yue, as Hu San’s trusted aides, had gradually won the respect of the other bandits and were now qualified squad leaders.

Hu San’s homecoming was good news for them—a chance to return in triumph, as the saying goes, and show off their accomplishments.

The two quickly gathered their belongings, picked elite squads, and, laden with gifts, set off with Hu San toward Langming Village.

Before their arrival, word had already reached the village, throwing it into a flurry of excitement.

The villagers didn’t know much but, from rumors, understood that the third son of the Hu family was now a personage on par with the chieftain of Langxin Stronghold.

The village elders’ family had been wiped out over the matter of the second son, and thanks to Hu San, the Hu family naturally inherited their position. Hu Dan Niu, Hu San’s father, had become the new village elder and, with the help of some sycophantic bandits, established the village’s first ancestral hall, honoring the family’s forebears—a true local gentry.

On hearing that Hu San was returning, Father Hu ordered the house to be cleaned, had everyone put on their best clothes, and summoned the village cook to prepare a feast of wild game.

The whole village was abuzz with excitement.

When Hu San reached the village entrance, his father was already there with the villagers to greet them.

“Welcome, great chieftain!”

The villagers bowed quickly. Although Father Hu did not bow, his trembling hands betrayed his nerves.

The young man before them now stood at one meter sixty, dressed in martial attire—broad-shouldered, narrow-sleeved, with a fierce tiger embroidered at the cuff. His bronze skin could not hide his natural vigor. Even silent, he exuded a presence that dominated the scene.

“My friends and neighbors, you are too polite. I have benefited from your care in the past and do not deserve such ceremony. I have returned today with some small gifts for everyone; please do not be shy.”

With a smile, Hu San broke the tense atmosphere.

At the mention of gifts, the villagers’ excitement grew.

Hu San then instructed his men to distribute several catties of meat, along with cloth and rice, to each household.

Everyone happily followed along.