Best let Ox Hand cool off tonight. We'll check on him tomorrow," Dan Hu advised.
Han Yu smirked. "Oh, I wouldn't dream of disturbing the great Ox Hand while he's sulking over his losses."
As the three of them laughed, Han Yu couldn't help but wonder just how much trouble he was about to get himself into.
They played for a few more hours, reveling in their victories and defeats, and even had the Winter Carp cooked by the tavern's cooks.
"This is so good!" Fat Kui said, stuffing as much fish into his mouth as physically possible.
"Hey, fatty! Eat slower! At this rate, you're going to swallow the bones too!" Dan Hu warned.
"Yeah, leave so for us!" Han Yu protested, not about to let his hard-earned catch be devoured without getting his fair share.
"Can't you just catch more?" Fat Kui asked between bites, his mouth still full.
"You think catching them is a joke?" Han Yu shot back. "It took weeks before I managed to catch one! This is the fruit of my blood, sweat, and tears!"
"Whatever." Fat Kui remained thoroughly unconcerned and singularly focused on eating.
Despite the competition, Han Yu still managed to snatch half the fish for himself and savor its flavor.
"Mm mm," he humd in delight. 'While not as potent as beast at in terms of energy, it still tastes fantastic,' he thought to himself.
A short while later, after they were fully satisfied, Han Yu stood up.
"You're leaving already?" Dan Hu asked.
"Yeah, play a few more rounds with us," Fat Kui pleaded.
"I can't. I should get so rest," Han Yu replied. "We've got a big day ahead of us, after all."
"Hmm... that's true," Dan Hu agreed. "I'd better warm up and stretch first thing in the morning."
"Why? Are you training now?" Fat Kui asked, looking confused.
SMACK!
A swift slap landed on Fat Kui's head.
"Ow! What was that for?" he yelped.
"You idiot! You'd better warm up too," Dan Hu scolded, frowning. "If things go south, we'll need to be able to run as fast as we can."
"Oh." Fat Kui blinked slowly, realization only half-dawning on him.
"Unless, of course, you *want* to have your legs broken by Ox Hand," Dan Hu added with a smirk.
"DAMN! I FORGOT!" Fat Kui's expression instantly morphed into sheer dread.
Regret washed over him like a tidal wave—why had he agreed to this again?
"If I manage to get the pill from Ox Hand, I'll even throw in a bonus for you guys," Han Yu tossed them so bait.
"Really?" Fat Kui perked up imdiately.
"You? Offering money?" Dan Hu raised an eyebrow in shock. "Your miserly fingers are actually willing to part with coins?"
"I've got so saved up," Han Yu admitted. "Besides, if I really do get recruited by the sect, this little bit of money will be nothing to . I'll be playing with spirit stones after that!" he said, grinning wide enough to show all his teeth.
"Already dreaming big, huh? But I'll take it!" Dan Hu agreed.
With that, the trio parted ways, each heading ho.
Han Yu, however, made a detour to the market.
'I need so extra tricks up my sleeve,' he thought as he visited a vegetable vendor, a stone rchant, and a weapon store, carefully selecting a few peculiar items.
Once his preparations were complete, he returned to his hideout and flopped onto his mattress.
"I won't be sleeping here much longer," he muttered, excitent buzzing in his veins. "And this little baby will be my key."
He held the pearl up, admiring its smooth surface before securing it around his neck. Patting his chest where it rested, he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.
anwhile, thousands of kiloters away from Oak Head Town, a vast mountain range lood.
Jagged peaks jutted into the sky, resembling the fangs of a beast poised to bite into the heavens. This was none other than the Ending Spine Mountains—one of the most dangerous regions on the continent and ho to the Twin Leaf Peak Sect.
Deep within this treacherous expanse, a hidden domain lay shrouded in a dense mist, stretching for hundreds of kiloters. Countless deadly spirit beasts road the area, making it a death sentence for any unworthy intruders.
Yet, the sect had chosen this very place as its sanctuary.
At the heart of the misty domain, towering peaks rose, their slopes adorned with grand palaces, elegant pavilions, vast courtyards, flourishing orchards, and fields stretching as far as the eye could see. To an outsider, it would seem more like a grand imperial city than a perilous mountain stronghold.
This was the Twin Leaf Peak Sect.
In the middle ring of the sect's territory, residential areas sprawled across the land. So were standalone courtyards, while others were communal housing ant for multiple disciples. This was the Inner Court Disciples' district.
Within one such courtyard, two figures sat facing each other.
One was an elderly man, at least sixty years old, with a gaze sharp enough to cut stone. The other was a young woman in her early twenties, her expression a mix of reluctance and frustration.
"Master, do I really have to go this ti?" the young woman, Xu Qing, groaned.
"Xu Qing, you've already skipped out on the last four recruitnts," her master said sternly. "You cannot delay it any longer."
"But Master, can't I take another mission? Sothing that isn't purely based on luck?" she pleaded.
The old man sighed. "You need rits, and this is your best chance to earn them. The sect values new talent, and if you discover even one promising disciple, your standing will improve."
Xu Qing crossed her arms, pouting. "Hmph. So I'm supposed to wade through a bunch of hopeful bumpkins in so backwater region, all for the chance of finding soone decent?"
Her master raised an eyebrow. "Are you saying you doubt your own judgnt?"
"...Of course not," she grumbled.
"Good." He nodded. "Now go prepare. You leave at dawn."
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