Chapter 12: Qing Shan Town, Xiao Yi Xian

"A core…"

"That's my core?!"

The Amethyst Winged Lion King's bell-sized beastly eyes shifted from confusion to boundless horror.

Splurch!

An invisible hand seemed to seize its magical core, wrenching it from its body. For a magical beast, losing its core was like a human losing their heart—certain death.

"No…"

On the brink of demise, the Lion King unleashed its full potential. Its scales erupted in blinding purple light, blazing like a small sun.

"Amethyst Seal!"

At the peak of its radiance, the Lion King's deep roar echoed through the Magical Beast Mountain Range. A deep purple beam shot from its spiral horn, enveloping the area around its core, faintly revealing a blurry shimmer.

"This aura… soul force?"

The Lion King was stunned but quickly regained composure. Its Amethyst Seal was its ultimate trump card, capable of suppressing even a Dou Huang!

"Damn human, return my core—"

Bang!

The purple beam shattered instantly.

"I planned to leave you intact, but since it's come to this, you're done," the shimmer said, raising a hand in a distant grip.

The Lion King's massive body was sliced into countless fragments, then sucked into a storage space. The wisp of Yun Xian's soul returned to his body, carrying a trace of the sixth-tier beast's aura, startling the Thick-Winged Bird mid-flight into a frenzy.

"Eek!"

"What's happening?!"

The sudden turbulence jolted Nalan Yanran, Xiao Yu, and Xiao Mei.

"No worries. The bird's probably tired," Yun Xian said casually. "There's a town below. Let's rest there."

___

Qing Shan Town

Nestled at the foot of the Magical Beast Mountain Range, Qing Shan Town was a small, rugged settlement populated mostly by mercenaries who hunted magical beasts for a living. The arrival of the Thick-Winged Bird drew attention, with locals eyeing Yun Xian's finely dressed group as wealthy tourists.

Ignoring their mixed gazes—some laced with ill intent—Yun Xian led the three girls into a tavern.

"Boss, can you cook meat we brought?" Yun Xian asked.

"Of course!"

"Who in Qing Shan Town doesn't know Zhang the Butcher?" the tavern owner boasted. "No second-tier beast is beyond my skills!"

Mercenaries typically harvested cores and materials from beasts, leaving the flesh to be processed into food. While taste varied, the meat's rich nutrients bolstered physical strength.

"Here, can you handle this?"

Yun Xian flicked his finger, producing a segment of the Amethyst Winged Lion King's forelimb from his storage ring.

"This… this is…?"

Zhang's eyes widened. The limb was over ten meters long, several meters thick, encased in purple crystal scales, with four claws each the size of a human head. The beast it came from was unimaginable!

"Little Uncle-Master, where'd you get this meat? It's kinda scary," Nalan Yanran said, blinking curiously.

"Bought it at a Wu Tan City auction a while back. Forgot the species," Yun Xian lied smoothly.

Gulp.

Zhang swallowed hard, his gaze on Yun Xian now tinged with awe. His decades of butchering experience told him the meat was impossibly fresh—killed within the hour! Though he couldn't identify the beast, it was at least third-tier, possibly fourth or fifth—beyond his wildest guesses.

"Looks tasty!"

"Thanks for the treat, Little Uncle-Master!" Xiao Yu and Xiao Mei said, practically drooling in anticipation.

"Please, honored guests, try our tea and snacks first. This meat will take some time to stew…" Zhang said solemnly, calling several workers to haul the massive limb away.

The tavern's other patrons buzzed with curiosity about Yun Xian's group. Then, a commotion erupted at the entrance as a rowdy group of mercenaries, marked by wolf-head emblems, poured in.

"Wolf Head Mercenary Group!"

The patrons silently cleared seats, giving the group a wide berth.

It's her.

Yun Xian's gaze locked onto a white-robed girl at the group's center. Her beauty wasn't stunning, but she exuded a fresh, ethereal charm. Her slender waist, cinched by a green sash, was breathtakingly delicate.

"Little Uncle-Master?" Nalan Yanran noticed his stare, puffing out her cheeks in a pout.

"Her refined grace rivals Xun'er's," Xiao Yu remarked.

"Tch, skinny-waisted minx!" Xiao Mei scoffed, measuring her own waist, her defiance turning to envy.

"Hey, you folks look unfamiliar. Not from Qing Shan Town, are you?"

The lead mercenary, a young man, sized them up, his eyes lingering on Nalan Yanran, Xiao Yu, and Xiao Mei with a flash of admiration.

"I'm Mu Li, deputy leader of the Wolf Head Mercenary Group. May I have the ladies' names?"

Mu Li approached with feigned courtesy, a facade that drew silent sneers from mercenaries who knew his reputation but dared not expose him.

"Little Uncle-Master, your tea," Nalan Yanran said, ignoring Mu Li to focus on pouring for Yun Xian.

"Mm, Yanran's tea-making has improved," Yun Xian said, chuckling as he sipped.

"Another fool overreaching," Xiao Mei muttered, dismissing Mu Li's attempt.

Xiao Yu frowned, wary of the group's numbers but unwilling to escalate. "Sorry, we're just passing through Qing Shan Town. Please don't disturb us," she said coolly.

Ignored, Mu Li's face darkened. In Qing Shan Town, the Wolf Head Mercenary Group was the local tyrant—no one dared disrespect him!

As he prepared to lash out, the white-robed girl spoke. "Deputy Leader Mu Li, I heard you hunted a Fire Mastiff cub this morning. Is that true?"

Her question deftly shifted the focus, diffusing tension for Yun Xian's group. Nalan Yanran glanced at her, her impression softening slightly.

"Heh, since Xiao Yi Xian is curious, boys, bring up the cub!"

Mu Li, clearly eager to impress the girl, ordered his men to haul in an iron cage. They lifted the black cloth, revealing a fiery red beast inside.

"Roar!"

Though just a juvenile, the third-tier Ember Hound ferocity was undeniable, baring its fangs and growling at the crowd.

____

If you want advanced chapter and other stories: patreon.com/Caluem