Front Line of the Beast Tide, Part 1

A month later, Yinlan City regained its calm.

Everything had concluded, and only those hidden behind the scenes knew the covert, bloody storm the city had endured that month.

The Abyssal Void’s hidden lines were almost entirely uprooted in this purge.

Su Qing also received the Sword School’s transfer order.

Their auxiliary team had completed its mission and could officially proceed to the beast tide front lines to rendezvous with everyone.

Before leaving, the six of them went to Madam Qian’s wonton shop again and each ate three bowls of wontons.

Bayin sat beside Su Qing. After finishing her wontons, she cupped her bowl and blew, drinking the hot noodle soup.

White steam rose from her head. The wound on her forehead had scabbed over, and the bandage had been removed.

The military doctor said that as long as it didn’t touch water, there would be no scar.

She had recuperated in the military for a month and had gained a little weight.

Su Qing kept her by her side, and even Yan Yan got to know her. Bayin was sensible, meticulous, and brave.

Yan Yan liked her, so she temporarily kept her in the military until her injuries healed, after which she would enter the Yan family martial arts hall to learn spear techniques.

If she learned well, she would likely join the Yan family army and become the Batal she had always dreamed of being.

After years of wandering in the Old Temple, she finally had a place where she could rest in peace and a clear future.

Although Bayin was happy, she always had a faint worry.

Sometimes she would look into the distance with a wistful expression, as if waiting for someone to come.

She was already a precocious child, and with a frown, she appeared even more thoughtful.

Xiaocao saw she had finished eating and was about to give her more.

She shook her head, “No more, I’m full, Big Brother Xiaocao.”

She was a polite child, calling ‘Big Sister’ and ‘Big Brother’, which was the most endearing thing about her.

It was fine when she didn’t speak, but when she did, Xiaocao’s eyes lit up. “Can you say that again?”

Bayin honestly repeated, “I’m full.”

Xiaocao’s eyelashes curved as he looked at her expectantly, “It’s Big Brother Xiaocao!”

“…Big Brother Xiaocao.” Bayin hesitated for a moment, but eventually called out softly.

This call made Xiaocao beam with joy. He expressed his liking by giving people more food. Su Qing brought her own bowl over, pushing Bayin’s bowl away, “Add to mine. She’s full.”

Sometimes, she really wondered which of Bayin and Xiaocao was older.

One had only lived for a little over ten years but sighed frequently, was full of worries, and was very precocious.

The other had lived for thousands of years, yet his mind was as blank as white paper, his mental age perhaps the same as Bayin’s actual age.

After the group finished their meal, Su Qing walked back with Bayin. Today was her last day in Yinlan City; tomorrow, she would set off for the beast tide front lines with the others.

In this past month, Su Qing had searched all over Yinlan City with Yan Yan, but did not find any trace of Ye Mingshi.

They speculated that if Ye Mingshi came for the demonic bone, she should probably be heading to the depths of the Myriad Beast Forest, which was the true burial place of the demonic bone.

Bayin took out a wooden box and carefully handed it to Su Qing. Su Qing opened the box, and inside were several red dragon scales, some broken, some complete, and some stained with blood.

These were from Ye Mingshi’s body; Bayin had collected them from various places over the past month, gathering them into this box.

Su Qing poked these scales with her fingertips.

She vaguely sensed the faint demonic energy lingering on them.

She put away the wooden box, bent down, and stroked Bayin’s head, “I will find her.”

Bayin nodded heavily and said seriously, “I will also study spear techniques well.”

Su Qing smiled, “Good, it’s a promise.”

From Yinlan City to the beast tide front lines, one had to pass through Yinlan City’s main city, the outer subsidiary city, and then to Zhenyao Pass.

The outer subsidiary city and Zhenyao Pass were separated by thousands of miles, and walking thousands of miles beyond Zhenyao Pass would only bring one to the entrance of the Myriad Beast Forest.

From the main city to the outer subsidiary city, there were carriages and mule carts for transport, but once outside the outer subsidiary city, if one didn’t have a horse, one could only walk on two legs.

Upon arriving at the Inner Subsidiary City, Su Qing encountered horse traders.

The horses for sale were half-demon horses mixed with demon beast blood, priced at two hundred spirit stones per head.

The horse trader shouted, “Such a long journey! Wouldn’t walking on foot wear out your shoe soles? Besides, you always need livestock to transport goods.”

“If you don’t buy from me, others further ahead will sell them for three hundred spirit stones per head!”

Although his words made sense, thinking of those two hundred lovely spirit stones, and then looking down at her own feet, she still felt that her two legs weren’t entirely useless.

Doing business with Sword School students was truly choosing the wrong target.

When Su Qing heard that they could be sold for more further ahead, she really wanted to buy all these horses on the spot and sell them further ahead, but her rationality stopped her.

Indeed, the horse trader hadn’t lied.

When Su Qing and her group reached further ahead, people were asking three hundred spirit stones. “These are good horses! Buy from me! If you go further, it’ll be even more expensive!”

Everyone exchanged glances but remained silent. Su Qing sighed, “Knowing you could buy it for two hundred spirit stones, you definitely don’t want to spend three hundred.”

This made perfect sense.

Therefore, the further they went, the more impossible it became to buy the demon horses whose prices doubled to four hundred, then six hundred spirit stones.

Finally, when everyone stood in the yellow sand, with no village in front and no shop behind, looking at a sky that contained nothing but a large sun, Gu Zimou quietly said, “We should have bought a horse.”

This road never ends!

Bai Ying coolly said, “I didn’t see a horse, but there’s an armchair general right here.”

The Golden Peng bird on Hua Ling’s shoulder was so exhausted that its feathers drooped, and the entire bird lost its color.

Xiaocao’s spirits were also a bit low; after all, the desert was not an environment he enjoyed.

The only person glowing with health was Su Qing.

Walking was muscle training; the more she walked, the more she gained.

The desert wind cut like knives, perfect for body tempering. The mornings and evenings were surprisingly cold, ideal for practicing cold resistance, and the midday heat was astonishing, perfect for practicing heat resistance.

Combined, it was excellent for practicing hot and cold circulation.

Moreover, she hadn’t misjudged it: the knife-like wind coming from the Myriad Beast Forest, passing through the dunes, contained demonic energy. Although extremely faint, its power was considerable.

Over time, it could directly erode this terrain into sand dunes.

Gu Zimou and his group were all cultivators. Logically, even traveling shouldn’t be as tiring as it was now.

The reason actually lay in the wind; they were not only traveling but also being ravaged by demonic energy.

But for Su Qing, she could convert demonic energy into spiritual energy. For her, this was an excellent path of body refinement, from destruction to restoration.

Therefore, everyone saw Su Qing energetically traveling every day, becoming more spirited with each step.

Jiang Shuyi couldn’t help but quietly whisper, “Their Body School…”

Bai Ying nodded in deep agreement, “Their Body School is all like that.”

However, after they walked half the way, utterly exhausted, they also discovered the potency of this wind.

They had no choice but to take out many pills or spiritual plants from their storage bags to replenish their spiritual energy, which also indirectly completed their body refinement.

This journey, in a way, realized the Body School disciples’ dream of “grabbing all the Pill School, Artifact School, Array School, Talisman School, Beast School, including beasts, for body refinement.”

Even the longest road eventually ends. A month later, Su Qing looked at the Zhenyao Pass vaguely standing in the distance and sighed with a hint of loss.

Gu Zimou and the others, however, all wore expressions of impending relief and joy.

Just then, a fierce clatter of hooves suddenly sounded beneath their feet.

In the scattering dust ahead, figures on horseback were faintly seen approaching, about a dozen riders.

The several of them stepped aside, leaving ample room for the horses to pass.

Gu Zimou exclaimed, “That horse must be a thousand spirit stones?”

Jiang Shuyi scoffed, “That horse clearly looks better. At least two thousand spirit stones.”

Su Qing’s gaze fell on the horse, deep in thought.

The sound of hooves grew clearer, yet incredibly agile, carrying the figures that swept past like a whirlwind.

The person leading rode a crimson demon horse, clad in black armor, their face obscured.

Until he abruptly reined in his horse, stopping beside Su Qing and the others.

The rider snatched off his helmet, black hair cascading down like dark clouds, revealing a beautiful and heroic face.

Su Qing quickly recalled in her mind whether it was Yan Jin or Yan Yao; mistaking the person would be embarrassing.

She glanced at the jewels and golden pearls adorning his fringe, noticing they were more numerous and glittering. It was Yan Jin.

Yan Jin hadn’t expected to see Su Qing here. He suppressed a flicker of surprise and raised an eyebrow, “What are you doing here?”

Su Qing said, “Body tempering, traveling.”

After speaking, she couldn’t help but ask, “How much does your horse cost?”

“How much?” Yan Jin seemed somewhat amused, a hint of pride flashing in his eyes. “This is the son of the king of wild horses, captured from a herd. I personally raised it, and it recognizes no one but me. Someone once offered a million spirit stones just to ride it once, but I refused. What do you think it’s worth?”

A million spirit stones to ride once?

Gu Zimou and Jiang Shuyi simultaneously shut their mouths.

It was better for them not to always wonder if the emperor tilled his fields with a golden hoe or a silver hoe.

After Yan Jin finished speaking, he regretted saying too much.

He pursed his lips for a moment, then suddenly coughed nervously, “Do you want to come up and try?”

Su Qing flatly refused, “I just saw that this horse has extraordinary physique and is very well body-tempered. Trying it out is out of the question; I don’t have a million spirit stones.”

She refused decisively. Before Yan Jin could say anything, he heard an extremely inconspicuous Sword School youth beside him suddenly turn his head and ask curiously, “Bai Ying, why do you keep pushing me?”

Seeing everyone simultaneously turn to look at him, Bai Ying gave an awkward laugh, but his hand didn’t stop, forcefully pushing Jiang Xiaocao to the front.

Jiang Xiaocao inexplicably walked over to Su Qing and Yan Jin.

The proud, crimson horse, which allowed no one but Yan Jin to approach, suddenly lowered its head and licked him, making him sway.

It liked him; he smelled delicious.

Bai Ying, having accomplished his feat discreetly, tucked his hands into his sleeves, coughed, and said, “You all chat, you all chat.”