Five taels and five qian.

The makeshift long table was splattered with blood, rendering it utterly unfit for a meal. The students who had survived the ordeal had little appetite left; each time their eyes fell upon the severed limbs around them, they retched anew, some so violently that they nearly brought up bile.

The yamen runners and soldiers piled the corpses together and set them ablaze, making sure to burn everything thoroughly to prevent the outbreak of disease.

“General, what should we do with these people?”

Yang Qi, who had been chosen by his fellows to act as the headman for now, stepped forward and saluted, beside him knelt the innkeeper’s family.

“Noble official, we truly had no choice in the matter! The bandit chief took my daughter, threatening to ruin her if we didn’t obey.” The innkeeper—who also served as the chef—knelt and knocked his forehead against the ground until it bled. “I beg for your mercy, great sir. I am willing to die to atone for my crime, but I beg you to spare my family.”

Sun Shen looked to the elder with the purple beard.

Zhu Xianzhen heaved a long sigh, tilting his head back to gaze at the sky. Drought and flood had already brought chaos; bandits roamed the waters and mountains in increasing numbers. How could one expect the common folk to live in peace? When the time truly came for the people to prove their mettle, it would surely mean the nation’s end was near. “It is not your fault, but ours. Ours, indeed!”

“Captain Sun.”

“Here, sir.”

“Go on, then.”

With that, Zhu Xianzhen looked at the innkeeper and then gestured to Sun Shen, “Take him to the bandits’ camp and let him rescue his daughter.”

“My lord…”

Zhu Xianzhen shook his head slightly. “Be at ease, they are more than capable of protecting me.”

Sun Shen turned to the innkeeper without further words, “Can you ride?”

The innkeeper nodded.

“Then let’s go. Make haste and return quickly!”

Sun Shen grabbed the innkeeper, swung him onto a horse, and mounted another for himself.

“Hyah!”

The innkeeper clearly had little riding experience; he clung to the horse’s neck with all his strength, refusing to let go despite the pain from the jolting ride.

“We bow to you, great sir.” The old man, his energy spent, led his family in weeping gratitude.

…

Almost at the same time—

The flames in the hall atop Dragoncliff Mountain had yet to die down when Sun Shen burst through the gates of the bandit camp and immediately sensed something amiss: corpses littered the ground.

Entering the main hall, the stench of blood overwhelmed him. Several women were ravenously devouring the leftover food on the table, but at the sight of an intruder, they shrank back in fear.

“Where’s Xiaoxiang? Where is she?”

The innkeeper anxiously searched among the huddled women, growing ever more desperate.

A timid voice from within answered, “The one you’re looking for may not be here.”

“Where is she?”

“In the chieftain’s quarters at the back.”

The innkeeper hurried away.

Sun Shen revealed his official status. “I am a government officer.”

Once he had calmed the terrified women, he questioned them, “What happened here? Why are they all dead?”

Everyone began speaking at once, explaining the chaos.

“A great monster stormed in and slaughtered all the bandits?”

“What did it look like?”

…

“It was that creature!”

Sun Shen’s surprise was tinged with realization. So, the monster had not only killed all the bandits but had also pursued them to their lair. It acted less like a beast and more like a chivalrous hero seeking justice.

…

Night had not yet fully fallen.

A black cat, bundle in its mouth, returned to the camp.

“Uncle Cat!”

Cheng Yan quickly stood up, just in time to see the old cat open the bundle and reveal a whole roast chicken, a braised duck, and even a jug of cloudy wine.

Cheng Yan had no idea where the old cat had hunted such delicacies, until he noticed a tattered suit of dark green armor within the bundle—then his suspicions were confirmed.

Huibao snatched up the roast chicken and began gnawing at it.

“Eat with us, Uncle Cat.”

The old cat rubbed his belly to show he was already full.

Cheng Yan didn’t stand on ceremony either; he hadn’t eaten much that evening and was famished.

The aroma lured Zhou Changcai and Wu Agui from their tent as well. Though they had prepared jerky and dry biscuits, nothing compared to real meat and wine. Cheng Yan grinned, “Everyone, come enjoy some. Brother Lü, don’t refuse—after a day of hunger, some rich food will do us good.”

“I didn’t expect Cheng to have hidden roast chicken and duck.”

“We’re certainly in luck!”

…

“Try some, Wu Gan.”

The group ate and chatted merrily.

Meanwhile, the old cat, Lu Xun, let his mind drift into a strange space, his eyes open but his attention elsewhere.

[Skull of ‘Ge Shun,’ gunner of the Dragoncliff Mountain bandits]
Type: Luo (Commoner—Human)
Quality: Ordinary
Magic: Heavy Weapons
Annotation: Born with great strength, fled to the cliffs after a life of cruel killing, a predator in the wilds.
[Slaughter, butchery, crushed to pulp.]
“Shatter.”

[Shattering skull of ‘Ge Shun’]
[Obtained bone ash: seven coins.]

[Skull of ‘Feng Ba,’ bandit chief of Dragoncliff Mountain]
Type: Luo (Commoner—Human)
Quality: Ordinary
Magic: Broadsword Arts
Annotation: Rose from the ranks, routed in the riverlands, took to banditry. The wealthy owe me money.
[Rob money, grain, and women—grow stronger.]
“Shatter.”

[Obtained bone ash: one tael.]

[Become the new chief in place of the old one.]
“Shatter.”

[Obtained bone ash: eight coins.]

“Share out the loot.”
“Shatter.”
“No more of this life.”
“Go to the Drunken Pavilion and lose myself in pleasure.”

“Drinking, whoring, gambling, violence and bravado.”
“Shatter.”
…

[Obtained bone ash: …]

After shattering the skulls of three who had recklessly cultivated internal energy, Lu Xun crushed a few more he had picked up, leaving none intact.

Those who had not cultivated genuine energy, no matter how strong, were worth only a few coins at best. The highest was five coins—he must have been close to awakening genuine energy.

His focus shifted to the bone ash he had amassed.

[Bone ash: five taels and five coins.]
[Would you like to enhance the Five-Pass Spirit ‘Mountain Lord’ skull?]

“Yes.”

[Magic: Summoning Generals] → [Magic: Summoning Generals (Advanced)]

“So it didn’t reach the next level of Waterplay.”

Though he had half-expected this, he was nevertheless disappointed that Waterplay had not reached a higher state. He recalled that last time, he used two taels of bone ash to enhance the old cat; now he could use the remaining ash to enhance another skull.

“Use it.”

[Not enough bone ash to enhance.]

Lu Xun focused his mind.

[Bone ash: one tael and five coins.]

“Four taels?”

He could only be grateful that he hadn’t wasted four taels enhancing Monkey Fist. It seemed Monkey Fist was a martial skill; if it reached the level of magic, perhaps it would refine his crude technique—certainly not a bad prospect.

It was clear that the consumption of bone ash depended on the skull’s quality. Fierce Tiger, though not a true spirit, was powerful enough to elevate the monkey dance into a magic art—proof that the strongest skulls, even without magic, held great value.

It was a pity that Fierce Tiger’s wishes had run entirely counter to his own.

Night fell.

Sun Shen returned to camp, leading a group of women who had been held captive at the bandit stronghold.

“Reporting, sir—the great monster beat me to it…” Sun Shen explained the situation to Zhu Xianzhen.

“A monster hero, who would have thought?” Zhu Xianzhen stroked his beard in astonishment.

He then reassured the women, arranged for them to stay temporarily at the inn under guard, and sent a message to Meilan County so the authorities could make proper arrangements.

The night passed without further incident.

At dawn, the convoy set out once more.

Sun Shen had one suspicion he kept to himself: he believed the great monster was hiding among the caravan. Even if not, it was surely shadowing them from afar—how else could it have appeared so timely, and after slaughtering the roadside bandits, pursued them to their lair for a final reckoning?

‘Could there truly be a monster in our midst, able to hide so flawlessly?’

His gaze, full of curiosity, swept over the company.

The old cat yawned and shifted into a more comfortable position, curling up atop the opened bundle. Huibao, now entirely unafraid, lay beside the old cat, still savoring the flavor of last night’s roast chicken.