Novel Full Chapter 66 - 65: The Guard Team
Chapter 66: Chapter 65: The Guard Team
Li Yuan didn’t head back to his residence. Instead, he went to the wasteland outside the market square.
The scroll for the Fire Escape Skill was still on him, so he went ahead and equipped it.
The next moment, a long, intricate yet clear set of instructions flooded his mind.
The Fire Escape Skill worked differently from the Fireball Technique and the Fire Arrow Skill. Instead of shooting fire outward, it involved spreading flames beneath one’s feet and using the resulting explosive force to dash forward.
The exact sequence—which meridian to activate first, which acupoint to follow up with, even how much Spiritual Power to press into the soles of his feet—was all crammed into his head at once.
Li Yuan closed his eyes, taking a moment to process the information.
As the night wind blew, the hem of his robe swayed gently. Spiritual Power coursed down the meridians in his legs.
HISS.
A line of fire scraped across the ground as Li Yuan shot forward, covering more than thirty feet in an instant. The wind whipped at the corner of his robe, making it shudder.
Li Yuan dug in his heels to force a stop, his soles dragging a half-foot-long black mark across the ground.
’The activation speed isn’t bad.’
’A bit faster than I’d estimated, even.’
Li Yuan turned around and tried it two more times.
He had it down by the third try. When the fire erupted from under his feet, the thrust was more focused, not scattered like it was at first. The "Swift Cast: Fire Magic" trait had also taken effect, significantly reducing the Fire Escape Skill’s inherently slow startup.
He dashed forward again.
A line of fire shot across the ground, and Li Yuan was propelled forward by a wave of heat, arriving at his own courtyard gate in the blink of an eye.
[Magic: Fire Escape Skill - Entry (0/200)]
Li Yuan let out a breath and stopped practicing. He raised his right hand, palm up, and a Fireball quickly condensed into shape.
This time, the Fireball formed with noticeable speed.
The moment he drew upon his Spiritual Power, its fiery essence slid through his meridians. The fire in his palm appeared almost instantly, its color purer—a brilliant, translucent red.
With a flick of his wrist, Li Yuan sent the Fireball smashing into a waist-high boulder.
With a dull BANG...
...the boulder exploded, sending shards of rock flying everywhere.
Li Yuan walked over for a closer look.
’It’s more powerful now.’
He then brought two fingers together and pointed, unleashing the Fire Arrow Skill at another rock.
The thin line of fire was faster than usual. It had barely left his fingertips before it plunged into the rock, leaving behind a charred black hole.
The Fireball Technique, the Fire Arrow Skill, and now the newly-learned Fire Escape Skill.
With all three Fire Element spells, and amplified by his Flame Marrow Physique, they were all slightly stronger than before. For the same amount of Spiritual Power, the increase in power was nearly twenty percent.
...
The next morning, before the sky had fully brightened, Li Yuan hurried to the guards’ garrison.
A medley of smells hit him the moment he walked through the gate. The stench of blood, the scent of medicinal herbs, the smoke from cooking fires, and the charred aroma of roasted Demon Beast flesh all mingled in the air.
Some men were strapping on greaves, others were sharpening their blades, and a few were carrying away the Demon Beast carcasses that hadn’t been fully butchered the night before. The crisp sound of a cleaver chopping through bone echoed through the yard.
He Shou stood in the middle of the courtyard, his head bowed over a roster. He only looked up at the sound of footsteps.
"You’re here."
Li Yuan handed over his waist token.
He Shou took it, glanced at it, and chuckled.
"So they really did transfer you." He tossed the wooden token back. "Perfect. Saves me the trouble of training another greenhorn."
Li Yuan caught the token. "So I’m on your squad?"
"Yep. You’ll be vice-captain for now. The title is temporary, but the work isn’t." He Shou gestured toward the courtyard with his chin. "We’ll be running around outside for the next few days. Don’t expect to be resting inside the walls."
He rolled up the roster as he spoke, continuing as they walked.
"The guard squads are normally divided by duty. Some stand watch at the gates, some clear out Demon Beasts, some patrol, and some run escorts. But when things get busy, those divisions don’t mean much. We basically plug holes wherever we’re needed."
"It’ll get easier once reinforcements arrive in a few days."
He Shou paused, then turned to glance at Li Yuan.
"But until then, it’s business as usual."
As they spoke, the other members of the squad began to arrive.
Li Yuan had seen most of them before; they weren’t friends, but they weren’t strangers either. The guards seemed to have fewer formalities and more get-up-and-go than the patrol teams. As soon as everyone had gathered, they prepared to head out.
He Shou did a quick headcount. Six people.
"Same route as yesterday, the southeast line. We’ll sweep the base of the slope, then check the creek bed. We’ll also collect the two traps we set. If we run into something tough, don’t get bogged down in a fight. Call for backup first."
The squad grunted in acknowledgment and set off.
Outside the market square, the wind blew harder than it did inside the walls.
Li Yuan, holding the Spirit Detecting Disc, walked for a while before detecting a Spiritual Wave. He raised a hand to signal the others.
There was movement down the slope.
From a patch of waist-high withered grass came the low sound of snuffling and rooting, followed by the emergence of two black-backed boars. Both were large, with stiff manes and tusks jutting from their mouths. The one in the lead had a layer of grayish-black keratin plating on its back, marking it as at least a Tier One Middle Grade beast.
They had been rooting in the dirt, but upon seeing the humans, they snorted, sending two plumes of white steam from their nostrils.
He Shou spoke in a low voice, "Take down the smaller one on the left first. Li Yuan and I will handle the big one."
The words had barely left his mouth when the larger boar lowered its head and charged.
The ground trembled faintly under its hooves.
Li Yuan instantly raised his hand and launched a Fire Arrow.
HISS.
The line of fire shot straight for the boar’s left eye. The beast jerked its head aside at the last second. The arrow missed the eye socket but scraped across its cheek, searing a bloody, blackened gash.
It tossed its head in pain, its charge veering slightly off course.
He Shou seized the opportunity to close in from the side, sending a Wind Blade slashing at the boar’s front leg joint. But the beast kicked off its hind legs, pushing through the attack. The Wind Blade only left a shallow cut on its back as it continued its charge, its tusks aiming to gore Li Yuan in the waist.
A burst of fire erupted from under Li Yuan’s feet, and he instantly shot sideways.
The Fire Escape Skill covered the thirty-foot distance in a flash.
Li Yuan appeared behind and to the side of the boar, a ball of fire already formed in his palm. Compared to just a few days ago, this Fireball Technique formed faster; the moment he summoned his Spiritual Power, the fire was already compressed into a sphere.
BANG!
The Fireball slammed squarely into the boar’s ribcage.
The stench of burning flesh mixed with the sound of a violent impact. The boar’s entire body was thrown sideways, rolling a short distance. A black, bowl-sized crater had been blasted into its ribs.
He Shou, who had been about to move, paused and glanced back at him.
"Your fire Magic has gotten stronger again."
Li Yuan didn’t answer, simply raising his hand to fire another Fire Arrow.
This time, the line of fire shot directly into the boar’s open mouth.
The boar’s body went rigid. Its legs kicked a few times, and then it collapsed, completely still.
The smaller boar didn’t last much longer. Just as it was about to flee up the slope, two of the guard Cultivators cornered it, felling it with a spear and a blade.
The battle was over quickly.
The squad moved in to deal with the carcasses. He Shou crouched beside the larger one, pressing the edge of the blasted wound and clicking his tongue.
He Shou got up, dusting off his hands.
"Let’s drag them back. We’ll sell the pelts and divide the meat. A good start to the day."
The squad didn’t head back to the market square right away, instead sweeping along the creek for another pass.
Along the way, they ran into two more Tier One Low Grade Demon Beasts. One was felled by a Fire Arrow to the throat, and the other ran afoul of He Shou’s blade. Neither put up much of a fight. By the time the sun was high in the sky, the six of them were dragging three meaty carcasses, along with some worthless scraps.
When they returned to the guards’ garrison, the courtyard was even livelier than it had been that morning.
A wooden cart had just been pushed in, half a skinned Demon Beast leg lying on its bed. A temporary cooking shed had been erected in a corner. A black cauldron sat over a roaring fire, where two burly cooks were hard at work—one chopping bones, the other stirring the pot, both moving with practiced efficiency.
The cauldron gurgled, puffing out clouds of white steam. It was clear there was meat stewing inside.
Li Yuan paused.
’So the guards even have people to cook Demon Beast Flesh.’
He Shou followed his gaze and chuckled.
"What’s so surprising? The guards are out every day. We can’t sell all the Demon Beasts we bring back, so we eat some of the Demon Beast Flesh to replenish our Qi and Blood."
He Shou gestured toward the cooking shed with his chin.
"They’re not half bad. They know how to butcher and bleed the meat, and they use cheap herbs to get rid of the gamy taste. Sometimes what they stew up is more fragrant than what you’d get at the restaurants in the market square."
"They don’t have much variety, though. It’s basically either stew or roast."
Just then, one of the cooks lifted the cauldron’s lid. A wave of hot, savory, meaty aroma billowed out. Mixed with the unique energy of a Demon Beast’s blood, the smell was surprisingly appetizing.
"A lot of Demon Beast Flesh is too tough to cook through. You have to use Spiritual Power to break down the internal structure of the muscle first to make it tender, but without ruining its shape. At least, that’s how it’s supposed to be done. I don’t know how," He Shou said as he began portioning out the meat.
The butchering was quick. Valuable materials were stripped off first. They could either be registered and sold by the guards as a whole, or individuals could find their own buyers. The remaining edible meat was then divided according to the rules.
Li Yuan had contributed significantly today, so his share of the meat was noticeably larger than the other squad members’.
He Shou tossed a large cut of boar ribs onto a wooden platter and pushed it toward him.
"Your share."
Li Yuan took the platter. It was heavy in his hands—at least eight or nine pounds. Most of a Demon Beast’s parts were sold off, but there was still a good amount of meat left over.
"Thanks."
"Nothing to thank me for. You earned it."
With that, He Shou turned back to cutting up the other parts.
Instead of taking the meat back to his residence, Li Yuan gave half of it to the cook to be thrown into the pot.
Guards came and went from the two rows of crude wooden tables set up by the cooking shed. They ate, then went back to work. It was all very efficient.
Before long, a large bowl of stewed meat was placed in front of Li Yuan.
The chunks of meat were cut unevenly and the broth was reddish, with a thin layer of oil floating on top. Some herbs had been thrown in to cut the gaminess and add flavor. Li Yuan picked up a piece and put it in his mouth. The first sensation was heat, followed by the rich, meaty flavor.
The Demon Beast Flesh was much denser than ordinary meat, making it very chewy. Once he swallowed, a warm current quickly spread through his stomach.
It wasn’t the heavy fullness of a regular meal, but a warmth tinged with a fiery heat that spread from his stomach to his limbs. As he circulated the Red Fire Skill, that warmth even traced a gentle path through his meridians before sinking deep into his flesh and blood.
Li Yuan paused for a moment before picking up another piece.
’This stuff really is the right path for the Flame Marrow Physique.’
After finishing the large bowl of meat, the morning chill from the patrol was completely flushed from his body. He felt a warmth that seemed to penetrate to his very bones.
When the squad finished for the day that afternoon, Li Yuan was also given a piece of roasted meat to take with him.
Back at his residence that night, he cooked and ate the other half of the meat, leaving not even a drop of the broth. The warmth in his stomach built up, layer by layer, until even his breath seemed to carry a trace of heat.
The panel quickly appeared.
[Flame Marrow Physique Permanence Progress]
[Demon Beast Flesh Consumed: 10/50 jin]
[Fire Element Magic Learned: 3/5]
Li Yuan glanced at the panel before setting his bowl on the table.
He placed a hand on his still-warm abdomen and began cultivating the Nourishing Essence Skill.
’This guard duty gig is busy, and a little dangerous.’
’But the perks are much better than they were on the patrol team.’