Chapter Eighty-Eight: The Rules of the Martial World

When Fu Tu spoke, Lu Ming’s eyes lit up.

A giant beast?

If it could be called a giant beast, and if it had inflicted such heavy casualties on the martial world, then it was certainly something that had cultivated spiritual intelligence.

Its flesh and marrow would be a tremendous tonic for martial artists. They could greatly strengthen the body and even help spur advancement. It was the kind of treasure every martial practitioner dreamed of.

And something like that, by its very nature, contained abundant energy, making it an ideal sacrificial offering as well.

It was just that creatures of this sort usually lurked deep in remote mountains and old forests, nearly impossible for ordinary people to find. And even if someone did, survival in front of such a thing was unlikely. For that reason, they seldom appeared in the public eye.

After a moment’s thought, Lu Ming asked Fu Tu, “Do you know the exact location?”

“Yes,” Fu Tu replied. “After I got the news, I spent some money and found the one surviving poacher. I bought the secret from him.”

“You did well. Get a car ready and wait for me at Villa Twenty-Seven by Returning Heart Lake,” Lu Ming said gravely.

“Yes, Mr. Lu. Should we bring more people?” Fu Tu asked.

Lu Ming said, “No need. People like that are useless if they go. I’ll just take you and Yezaki Miyu.”

“Understood. I’ll be there at once.”

Lu Ming ended the call, a smile spreading across his face. Fate had truly delivered what he sought without the least effort.

Just moments ago he had been worrying about where to find an offering in exchange for something to heal Qin Lan, and now a giant beast had appeared. Lu Ming felt that ever since his last fortunate encounter, even his luck had somehow improved.

At that moment, Yezaki Miyu, who had been massaging him, said, “Master, where are you taking us?”

“To go hunting. Interested?” Lu Ming asked with a smile.

Yezaki Miyu said excitedly, “Anything that concerns you, Master, interests me.”

Being taken along by him was proof of his recognition. How could she possibly not be interested?

A little later, Huo Yutong personally brought up a large platter of roasted meat. It was half a rack of ribs from a young calf, roasted to a golden, crisp finish and drizzled with a rich, fragrant sauce. One glance was enough to stir the appetite.

Lu Ming did not stand on ceremony. He set aside the knife and fork and tore into it with his hands.

What should have been enough for five people disappeared into him like a storm sweeping through the land, finished cleanly in a little over ten minutes.

Watching Lu Ming eat with such hearty satisfaction, even Huo Yutong could not help secretly swallowing a mouthful of saliva.

Only after he had finished did Lu Ming look at Huo Yutong and ask, “Aren’t you going to eat?”

Huo Yutong smiled. “We already had a little pastry this morning, so we weren’t very hungry. But seeing the way you eat, I’ve gotten a bit hungry.”

“Then hurry and eat. I’ll be taking Yezaki Miyu out to handle something in a moment,” Lu Ming said.

Hearing that, Huo Yutong nodded.

Lu Ming and Yezaki Miyu both had another identity. Since they had said they were going to handle business, it was clearly important, so she did not ask further.

A sensible woman should never be too talkative. That was what Huo Yutong’s mother had taught her.

Huo Yutong went outside to give an instruction. Soon, servants brought steak and fruit. Since Yezaki Miyu knew they were going out to do something, she did not hold back and began eating.

After the two of them had finished, Lu Ming said to Huo Yutong, “All right, I should be going. Someone is waiting for me outside.”

With that, he led Yezaki Miyu outside.

Huo Yutong clenched her teeth, then lightly took hold of Lu Ming’s arm.

Lu Ming paused, then smiled and said nothing.

Thus the three of them went downstairs, crossed the hall, and emerged from the villa.

The people in the hall were stunned once again.

That intimate scene between Huo Yutong and Lu Ming almost confirmed their suspicions. This man really was President Huo’s partner.

But who exactly was this ordinary, even somewhat shabby-looking young man, to have won President Huo’s affection?

Outside the villa, Fu Tu was already waiting in a Hummer SUV. After getting in and waving goodbye to Huo Yutong, Fu Tu drove straight into the depths of Mount Jiuhua.

More than three hours later, the car had entered the Jiuhua Mountain scenic area.

The three of them bought tickets and continued driving. After another hour and more on the road, they arrived at the cableway station.

Beyond this point there was no road. Visitors either took the cable car or climbed on foot.

To save time, the three rode the cableway to the Sun Viewing Terrace at Golden Lock Pass, the last scenic point on Mount Jiuhua.

It was already somewhat cold here, and there were not many tourists, but the scenery was astonishingly magnificent.

From the mountain below, vapor rose upward like mist and illusion. The distant peaks showed only their crowns, and it felt as though one stood amid cloud and haze, light as if ready to ascend.

But they had not come to admire the view. After a brief glance, Lu Ming led the two of them to a secluded spot.

Seeing that no one was around, Lu Ming said in a low voice, “Fu Tu, lead the way. Let’s go.”

“Yes.”

Fu Tu answered, then leapt down along the steep slope.

Though Mount Jiuhua was famous for its perilous terrain, Fu Tu was already a master of internal cultivation, Yezaki Miyu had reached the Innate Realm, and Lu Ming needed no mention at all, his strength beyond fathoming.

The mountain paths were dangerous, but they were not enough to stop the three of them.

So they unfolded their movement techniques and, like great birds, bounded and flashed across the sheer cliffs.

In this manner, over the steep rock walls and through the deep forest, the three ran through the night until midnight before finally stopping.

Fu Tu took out a map, checked it, and said, “Mr. Lu, we should be there very soon.”

Lu Ming nodded, then looked at Fu Tu, who was already a little out of breath, and said, “All right, let’s rest here for a while. It wouldn’t be convenient to go at night anyway. At dawn tomorrow, we’ll go meet that thing.”

Naturally they had no objections. The three leaned against nearby tree trunks, lay down fully clothed, and rested to gather their strength.

So it was that, just as dawn broke the next morning, Lu Ming opened his eyes. Fu Tu and Yezaki Miyu woke at the same time. After straightening their clothes, they set out again.

Following the map, before long the three had emerged from the dense forest and reached an open area.

Not far away was a valley. According to the markings on the map, the giant beast’s cave was inside that valley.

Fu Tu looked at the map and said, “Mr. Lu, we’ve arrived.”

Lu Ming nodded. “Mm. But someone has gotten here before us. Let’s go take a look first.”

Fu Tu and Yezaki Miyu nodded, and the three slowly walked into the valley.

The news had long since leaked out, so it was entirely normal for people to come here.

A moment later, they entered the valley and saw, beneath a cliff on one side, two groups of people standing opposite each other.

One group numbered twelve or thirteen, led by an elderly man with white hair and beard. The other had only eight people, led by a middle-aged man in his fifties. The two sides seemed to be discussing something.

As Lu Ming’s party drew closer, the others noticed their arrival, stopped talking, and looked over.

When they came near, Lu Ming first saw a huge cave beneath the cliff, its entrance more than thirty feet high, fierce and terrifying. Inside, all was dark and impenetrable, like a hell that preyed upon the living.

Lu Ming stopped there. Matters like this had their own order of arrival, and he could not break that rule.

At that moment, the middle-aged man from the smaller group cupped his hands and said, “I am Wang Shixin of the Wang family from the Northwest. May I ask who you are?”

Lu Ming smiled. “Just an unknown nobody. My surname is Lu.”

“You’re also here for this ferocious beast?” Wang Shixin asked.

Lu Ming nodded, which served as his answer.

Seeing that, Wang Shixin said, “Then that is unfortunate. We arrived first.”

“I know the rules. Since you were here first, you may make the first move,” Lu Ming said.

He had already seen clearly that Wang Shixin was at the peak of the Innate Realm, and among the men he had brought, there was also one middle-aged man who had only recently entered the Innate Realm. The rest were merely at the internal-cultivation level.

Lu Ming judged that such a group was not sufficient to deal with this ferocious beast. However, beside them stood several large wooden crates, and it looked as though they had brought other things as well, clearly prepared.

On the other side, the old man was startlingly a Grandmaster, and behind him were two peak Innate experts, with the rest also being internal-cultivation masters. The lineup was formidable indeed.