Chapter 7: Gathering

In the dark night, Xu Qing moved like a cat, proceeding with agility and stealth.

He occasionally raised a hand to cover his mouth, suppressing the urge to cough. At first, this wasn't a significant issue, but as Xu Qing continued to move and repeatedly suppressed the urge, his lungs gradually felt like they were on fire, making his face grow increasingly pale.

Fortunately, his residence wasn't far, and the camp itself wasn't very large. Thus, it wasn't long before Xu Qing spotted Captain Lei's small courtyard. He didn't rush directly towards it. Instead, he stopped, took a deep breath, trying his best to appear normal. Only then did he slow his pace, approaching calmly and deliberately.

Pushing open the bamboo courtyard gate, Xu Qing's gaze swept around as he slowly walked into the small house. The moment he entered the dwelling, Xu Qing could no longer hold it in and spat out a mouthful of blood. The black blood hissed as it hit the ground. With the expulsion of this poisonous blood, Xu Qing's complexion, which had been pale, returned somewhat to normal. He sat there, breathing heavily, and began to meditate cross-legged, regulating his breathing.

It was a while later before he opened his eyes, his face having fully recovered.

"What potent poison!" Xu Qing murmured.

The last puff of poisonous mist from Fatty Mountain contained extremely potent toxins. However, if Xu Qing had dodged in that situation, the opponent would have immediately fled and called for attention, drawing notice. At that point, dealing with the situation would have become complicated. Furthermore, even if he had feigned injury, it would likely have been difficult to deceive the cunning Fatty Mountain. Ever since realizing he was being tracked, the opponent had acted very methodically. His only miscalculation was an incorrect assessment of Xu Qing's strength.

Therefore, at that critical moment, Xu Qing chose to trust the recovery power granted by his purple crystal, enduring the toxic mist's assault to charge forward, swiftly ending the fight and killing the opponent with a single blow. Looking back now, his choice was correct. The purple crystal indeed possessed strong recovery properties against toxic attacks. The trembling and urge to cough in his lungs during his journey was actually the recovery power at work.

"Scavengers are truly not simple," Xu Qing muttered to himself inwardly. "I reckon if I hadn't acted swiftly and given Ma Si no time to retaliate, he would have been quite difficult to deal with as well." He began to review his shortcomings from this encounter.

After a long while, Xu Qing took a deep breath, lowered his head to look at his leather pouch, a peculiar glint appearing in his eyes.

"The reason Fatty Mountain was alone," Xu Qing deduced, "was because he coveted one of Ma Si's items. So he intended to hunt me in reverse and take Ma Si's item from me."

Xu Qing opened his leather pouch, took out all of Ma Si's belongings, including the spirit coins, and laid them out before him. His gaze swept over the items, and Xu Qing meticulously examined each one. Eventually, he eliminated the other items and looked at the metal block. His brow furrowed, a hint of uncertainty in his expression.

In truth, Ma Si's belongings were all quite ordinary. This metal block could only be described as somewhat out of place and mysterious compared to the other items. "Is it this item?" he wondered. "But it doesn't seem particularly special. Could it be a very valuable material?"

Xu Qing thought for a moment, then carefully put it away, planning to find an opportunity later to investigate its origin.

Next, he took out Fatty Mountain's leather pouch and inspected it. There were no White Pills inside, but a good number of spirit coins and many seemingly poisonous bottles and jars. Xu Qing, not skilled in toxicology, dared not open them easily. Finally, he took out the cracked amber, recalling how Fatty Mountain had clutched it before his death.

"What is this item..." Xu Qing mused. "It seemed like that guy was trying to crush it before he died." Puzzled and feeling that he lacked relevant knowledge, he put it away after some thought.

Having finished these tasks, he closed his eyes and resumed his cultivation. In recent days, Xu Qing had discovered that after reaching the second level of Qi Condensation, he didn't need as much sleep as before; often an hour or so was enough to restore his energy. Therefore, most of the time, he was immersed in cultivation.

Moreover, since he didn't need to go out on surveillance today, he cultivated for even longer. An entire day passed, and as night fell once more, Xu Qing seemed to sense something, opening his eyes and looking towards the dwelling's door.

The moment he looked, Captain Lei's voice came from outside.

"Kid, come to the courtyard."

Hearing this, Xu Qing sat up, quietly walked out, and saw Captain Lei in the courtyard. A large table was set up in the courtyard, laden with meat dishes and wine. There were six chairs and six sets of bowls and chopsticks. Captain Lei sat at the table, beckoning Xu Qing.

Xu Qing glanced at the table and dinnerware, a suspicion forming in his mind. He walked over lightly and sat beside Captain Lei.

"Have you gotten used to the camp these past few days?" Captain Lei asked Xu Qing casually, looking out beyond the courtyard.

"More or less," Xu Qing replied, his gaze sweeping over the food on the table. Perhaps it was due to a full day of cultivation, or perhaps the enticing aroma of the food, but Xu Qing's stomach soon rumbled.

Captain Lei, sitting beside him, heard it and chuckled. "Don't rush, wait for the others."

"Are they members of the Thunder Squad?" Xu Qing, who had already suspected this, asked.

The old man nodded, just about to speak, but seemed to sense something and looked outside. At the same time, Xu Qing also felt something and looked over.

Outside the courtyard, on the dim street, the figure of a burly man appeared. This man's physique surpassed even that of Crippled Ox; he was like a small mountain, his muscles bulging all over his body, radiating an imposing aura. He carried a massive fine steel shield on his back and a spiked club as tall as Xu Qing in his hand, striding forward. Each step he took echoed with thudding sounds, growing closer and closer until he reached the bamboo gate. As the bamboo gate was pushed open, the burly man's astonishing frame stepped into the courtyard.

His appearance made the courtyard seem to shrink, and the imposing aura emanating from his massive figure spread outwards. Xu Qing felt as if he were facing a powerful exotic beast in the ruined city, and his pupils slightly constricted.

"Boss, I'm back."

The burly man grinned at Captain Lei, his voice muffled. His eyes lit up when they fell upon the food on the table. He took a step closer, took off his shield and tossed it aside, then dropped the spiked club he was holding to the ground with two loud thuds. Having done this, he immediately sat down, and the chair immediately let out a thrilling creak, as if barely supporting him. From beginning to end, he didn't look at Xu Qing, as if he didn't care much.

Captain Lei smiled, saying nothing. The burly man stared at the food, not reaching for it, waiting in silence. As for Xu Qing, he was looking at the shield and spiked club on the ground. From the sounds just now, he could roughly estimate that the weight of these two items probably far exceeded his own body weight.

Not long after, in the quiet of the courtyard, two figures appeared on the street outside the bamboo gate: a man and a woman. The man was young, carrying a longbow on his back, his posture tall and straight. A striking cross-shaped scar was on his face, as if forcibly carved onto him, while his eyes were exceptionally sharp. As for the woman, she appeared to be in her thirties with an ordinary appearance, but her figure beneath her tight leather clothing was voluptuous, exuding a primal allure.

The two walked into the bamboo courtyard. After greeting Captain Lei, they sat down on the chairs. The young man with the bow glanced at Xu Qing, seemingly scrutinizing him. The woman beside him, her eyes filled with curiosity and her voice somewhat alluring, spoke with a smile.

"Boss, how is it that after we went out, you suddenly have a child? You're certainly still vigorous, boss! Could it be that you called us back this time to tell everyone you secretly had a child outside?"

"The age isn't right," the burly man muttered.

Xu Qing said nothing, slightly shifting his left foot to allow the dagger strapped to his calf to be drawn more smoothly. He felt somewhat uneasy; the three newcomers each gave him a strong impression of power. They were even stronger than yesterday's Fatty Mountain. Especially the person with the bow, who even vaguely gave Xu Qing a prickling sensation, as if needles were pricking his back.

"Man Gui, Body Refining third level, naturally strong," Captain Lei said, ignoring their jests. He glanced at Xu Qing and pointed at the burly man. "Luan Ya, Qi Condensation third level, able to communicate with ferocious beasts," he continued. "Most of the stray dogs you see in this camp are her eyes and ears. Cross, Qi Condensation fourth level perfected, rarely meets a match in his realm," Captain Lei finished, explaining each person to Xu Qing. Then, in front of the three of them, he pointed at Xu Qing. "Kid, Body Refining second level."

As Captain Lei spoke, the three members of the squad became more serious. Xu Qing sat quietly, listening attentively.

"Let's eat first, we can talk while we eat." His gaze swept over the four of them, and Captain Lei said lightly, picking up a small piece of meat and eating it. "I called you back early this time because this year's spring harvest has been moved up," Captain Lei explained. "The camp master has issued a task: in addition to the original purchase price for Seven-Leaf Grass, the party that collects the most will receive an additional three Purity Pills, which are far more effective than White Pills!"

"The plot of land we have hidden in the forbidden zone can be harvested early," Captain Lei continued. "What are your thoughts?" As soon as he finished speaking, Man Gui and the other two had a gleam in their eyes. After exchanging glances, they all nodded.

Xu Qing had never heard of Purity Pills, but Captain Lei's words clearly indicated that these pills were more effective than White Pills.

"Since you all agree, prepare yourselves," Captain Lei said slowly. "This time, the kid will come with us into the forbidden zone."

"Him?" Man Gui and the other two looked at Xu Qing.

Cross's brow slightly furrowed. "Boss, Body Refining second level is too weak," Cross said. "It would be inconvenient if we had to take care of him while completing the mission."

"Everyone has a first time," Captain Lei said, glancing at Cross, then looking at Xu Qing. "Kid, it's your decision."

"I can do it," Xu Qing nodded. He still had five White Pills in his pocket, so his need for Purity Pills wasn't great. However, he understood that living in a scavenger camp meant he would inevitably have to visit the forbidden zone sooner or later. Since that was the case, going with an experienced squad would naturally allow him to learn more.

Cross fell silent, saying nothing further.

"You can disperse once you're done eating," Captain Lei said. "Tomorrow morning, meet here, and we'll depart!" With that, he rose and returned to his dwelling.

Xu Qing also picked up a large piece of meat, swallowed it, glanced at the three others, and quickly walked back to his room. He didn't want to stay there; Xu Qing's vigilance towards strangers was always present.

The night passed without incident. Xu Qing didn't have much to prepare, as his habits kept him ready to strike swiftly at any moment.

So, early the next morning, led by Captain Lei, the five of them walked out from inside the camp. The sky was azure, and the sun shone brightly. An eagle circled overhead, hovering around the camp, seemingly gazing down. Their figures also drew the attention of scavengers nearby. It seemed to be due to Man Gui's unusually tall stature, coupled with Luan Ya's graceful figure, that even people from the caravan that had arrived and stayed here a few days ago looked their way.

At the caravan, there were even more scavengers, uncharacteristically lining up as if waiting for something. Xu Qing hadn't gone out all day yesterday, so he didn't know what was happening there. As his gaze swept over it now, Luan Ya, who was beside him, spoke with a smile.

"Last night, I heard people say that this caravan is from the Purple Earth," Luan Ya explained. "And there's a healer among them whose medical skills seem very impressive. He even healed Crippled Jackal, that old pervert, yesterday, so a lot of people are lining up to see him for their injuries."

"That healer must have made a fortune," Man Gui muttered enviously, having overheard.

Xu Qing also felt envious. He glanced from afar, and the moment he withdrew his gaze, his eyes suddenly narrowed slightly. It wasn't just him; Man Gui and Luan Ya's gazes also sharpened instantly. Only Cross and Captain Lei maintained their usual expressions, but if one looked closely, a chill could be seen in their eyes.

Because ahead of their group, another squad was gathering its members. This squad consisted of about seven or eight people, both men and women, each radiating ferocity. Especially an old man among them, similar to Captain Lei, was surrounded by the others. He had disheveled hair and bloodlust in his eyes. At this moment, he sat on the carcass of a wild dog, gnawing on a raw dog leg, while speaking in a chilling voice.

"Go find those two bastards, Ma Si and Fatty Mountain, for me," he growled. "How dare they be late for departure? They must be tired of living."

It was the Blood Shadow Squad! The old man eating raw meat was clearly the captain of the Blood Shadow Squad. His spiritual energy brazenly surged outwards, causing Xu Qing, who heard his words, to slightly narrow his eyes, concealing the sharpness within them. When Luan Ya saw the meat in the Blood Shadow Captain's hand and the dog carcass beneath him, her eyes instantly filled with intense rage and killing intent. It was her dog.

At the same time, the Blood Shadow Squad also saw Captain Lei's group. The old man sitting on the dog carcass grinned and licked his lips at Luan Ya.

"Little slut," he sneered, "the dog you raised, its meat is quite good. I wonder what your flesh tastes like."