"Teacher, Principal, what's wrong?"
Chen Shu raised an eyebrow, seeing their peculiar expressions, and asked innocently.
"No... nothing..."
They shook their heads, increasingly convinced he had been hinting at something.
Just then, Zhang Dali, wearing a hospital gown, returned to atop Xiao Huang.
Dali tidied his gown and said with a smile,
"Uh... greetings to you two great lords."
Liu Feng nodded in response, then looked at Chen Shu and asked, "You're hunting Kings and bringing Dali along?"
Chen Shu shrugged and said,
"I kill and cook as I go, to ensure the absolute freshness of the ingredients."
"No way, Hei Shu Wang, you're eating that?!"
Liu Feng's mouth twitched; he could barely comprehend it, thinking they must be in the midst of a famine.
"Of course, who told it to provoke me! I wish I could skin it alive every day!"
Chen Shu said fiercely,
"This is just the beginning. Once I become King rank, everyone who has offended me will be dealt with one by one!"
"..."
The two exchanged a look and rode away on their contracted spirits.
"Hey, Principal, Teacher, why are you leaving?"
Chen Shu shouted loudly, "Listen to my 361 revenge plans!"
"..."
The two stumbled, nearly collapsing on the spot.
Three hundred and sixty-one? What kind of living Yama is this?
This guy was clearly trying to put psychological pressure on them.
Zhang Dali asked, "What's wrong with them?"
"No idea, maybe they have something urgent..."
A strange smile appeared on Chen Shu's lips. He then mounted Xiao Huang and headed straight for the [Living Wood Marsh].
Meanwhile, Qin Tian and Liu Feng turned to look at Chen Shu's retreating figure.
Sunlight spilled down, elongating Chen Shu's shadow. The character '悍' (Han, meaning fierce) on his back was particularly striking, leaving them momentarily stunned.
"I feel like this guy is going to turn the异空间 (Yi Kong Jian - Other Dimension) upside down."
Qin Tian murmured, then added,
"Old Liu, is it possible this guy really wants revenge on us..."
"How could that be?"
Liu Feng vehemently denied it, but a hint of hesitation crossed his face.
This guy was the South Jiang fierce bandit who never played by the rules.
He said with apparent righteousness,
"Brother Qin, it's alright. If he really comes for us, I'll take the brunt of it!"
"Okay."
Qin Tian replied concisely, without a trace of hesitation.
"..."
Liu Feng was stunned, his eye twitching as he said,
"According to the usual script, shouldn't you say you'll take the brunt of it? And then we'd have a back-and-forth, showing our camaraderie."
Qin Tian shrugged and said, "I find that too cliché. It's better to be genuine."
Liu Feng: "..."
...
Two hours passed.
Chen Shu had arrived at Qing City, where the Living Wood Marsh was located. As it was a small city, it wasn't particularly prosperous.
However, at the entrance of Hemp Wood Town, located in the suburbs of Qing City, Beast Tamers were already gathered.
Everyone wore expressions of dissatisfaction, saying,
"Why is the official preventing us from entering the Yi Kong Jian? I just paid the entrance fee and was immediately expelled!"
"Yeah, has anything major happened? Why has the [Living Wood Marsh] been suddenly sealed?"
"I have an eighty-year-old mother and a three-year-old son waiting for me to kill fierce beasts and make money!"
A man in military uniform stepped forward and said,
"Everyone, please be quiet..."
"The official will compensate for any losses. There is a reason for this, please understand..."
"Sister Li! No Sister Li for me!"
Someone shouted loudly, "At least give us a specific timeframe for the封禁 (feng jin - sealing)! Otherwise, are we just supposed to wait for nothing?"
The man waved his hand, saying,
"We can only say as soon as possible. Everything is for your safety."
The Spirit Guard of the Living Wood Marsh had received notification that Chen Shu would be hunting Kings. To ensure the safety of others, they had to forcefully expel everyone.
For battles of this level, not to mention Black Iron rank, even Silver rank could be instantly annihilated.
"What exactly is the reason? Can you give us an explanation..."
Some were still not convinced. They had prepared for many days, only to be forced to leave immediately after entering.
"Hmm..."
The man was about to speak when his gaze drifted into the distance, as if he had spotted something. He said,
"The explanation has arrived!"
Everyone's expressions stiffened, and then they turned to look back in unison.
They saw a massive yellow sphere floating in the sky, generating strong winds and heading rapidly towards Hemp Wood Town.
And standing atop the sphere was a man in a black trench coat, a smile on his lips, looking down at the crowd.
"Holy crap! The South Jiang Fierce Bandit!"
Everyone's bodies trembled, and they exclaimed in unison.
Then, as if they had realized something, their complaints instantly vanished.
With Chen Shu's current strength, the dangerous-level Yi Kong Jian was no longer suitable for his training. His purpose here was likely only one:
Hunting Kings!
"So the officials were actually looking out for us..."
Everyone felt a pang of guilt. This guy's combat style was always incredibly violent. If one were accidentally caught in the crossfire, their death would likely not be a pleasant one.
Chen Shu waved towards the crowd below, then swept past them towards the depths of the town.
Only when Xiao Huang's shadow enveloped everyone did they truly feel the immense size of this creature.
"Is that his trench coat, doesn't it have some character written on it?"
"It looks like the character '悍'..."
Everyone swallowed hard, their eyes filled with envy.
The unique Dragon Guard uniform coupled with the special blood-red arm patch made him undeniably the most dazzling figure in the country.
Just then, a Silver rank Dragon Guard from the depths of the town rode in on his contracted spirit.
"Brother Han Bandit..."
"Hm?"
Chen Shu nodded, looking at the Beast Tamer in front of him.
The man smiled and said, "Commander Wang has been waiting for a long time. Please follow me."
With that, they headed straight for the town's spatial passage.
"At least I don't have to pay the entrance fee anymore, that's great..."
Chen Shu muttered, then stepped through the passage with Zhang Dali.
"..."
The man turned to look, still concerned about the entrance fee even for someone so powerful.