Xiao Tuheng stood in the middle of the clearing, staring at the lifeless wolves scattered around him. The forest air smelled of blood and the earthy scent of the trees. It had been a quick battle, but a victorious one. Bao Liang's laughter broke the silence.
"Congratulations for winning your first fight, Brother Xiao!" Bao Liang said, wiping the blood from his hands. His eyes gleamed with pride, but his voice carried a playful tone.
Xiao Tuheng glanced at him, grateful but tired. "Thanks, Brother Bao," he replied, trying to keep his voice steady despite the adrenaline still coursing through his veins. "So, what now?"
Bao Liang clapped him on the back with a grin. "We gather the cores, of course! You can feel them if you concentrate, but if you can't, they're usually in the stomach. Just dig in a little."
Xiao Tuheng chuckled, though his stomach lurched at the thought. He eyed the nearest wolf carcass.
"Right," he muttered to himself, wondering how he would handle this. He turned to look for Feng Mei, hoping she might have a knife or something sharp enough to get the job done.
Feng Mei was already working on her kills with a precision that almost seemed surgical. She moved calmly and efficiently. Xiao Tuheng approached her with cautious steps.
"Can you let me borrow a knife, or something sharp enough to cut open the wolf's stomach?" he asked, his voice low.
She glanced up at him "After I finish," she said, her tone as clipped as ever. It wasn't cold exactly, but it wasn't warm either.
"Thanks," Xiao Tuheng said, nodding. He settled back and observed her, trying not to stare too obviously. 'How did she do it so quickly? It wasn't just skill, it was the effortless way she worked. She seemed... so practiced.'
She sliced open the second wolf's belly with a swift, fluid motion, her knife not hesitating for even a second. In no time, she extracted the core and tossed it aside, moving on to the next one.
"Where did you learn to do that so fast?" Xiao Tuheng couldn't help asking after a beat.
"Experience," was her terse reply.
Xiao Tuheng raised an eyebrow, but decided not to push.
When she finished, she handed him a knife without a word and walked off to join Bao Liang. Xiao Tuheng took the blade and walked over to his first wolf. It wasn't long before he had to pause, steeling himself against the wave of stomach-churning odor that hit him as he cut into the beast. He managed to suppress his gag reflex but couldn't help wrinkling his nose as the guts spilled out in a grisly mess.
"Ugh," he muttered under his breath, quickly digging for the core, 'Did I puncture the stomach, or does it just always smell this bad?'
After what felt like an eternity of gutting wolves and trying not to vomit, Xiao Tuheng finally walked over to Bao Liang, feeling somewhat defeated but mostly proud.
Bao Liang caught sight of his pale face and burst into laughter. "HAHAHA! How was your first looting, Brother Xiao? I saw you nearly lose your lunch after the sixth-layer one!"
Xiao Tuheng shot him a glare. "You laugh now, but I'm curious what your first reaction was," he muttered, though a small grin tugged at the corner of his lips.
"So, what do we do with the cores?" Tuheng asked, trying to steer the conversation back to business.
Bao Liang's smile faded into a slightly more serious expression. "Keep them. You killed the wolves, so the cores are yours. We'll keep ours, too," he said with a shrug.
Xiao Tuheng nodded, thinking to himself that he might be able to upgrade his Stone Skin Technique with these. That was a promising thought.
"And what about the confirmation of killing the Alpha? Should we take its ear or tooth?" Xiao Tuheng asked, suddenly remembering the task at hand.
Bao Liang looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "Why? We've got its core. We don't need anything else."
Xiao Tuheng blinked. "Right. So do we go back now?"
Feng Mei, who had been silent up until now, spoke up. "Yes, we should hurry. We need to check if the coachman is still alive."
The trio set off at a quick pace, heading back toward the carriage. The journey back felt quicker, almost like the forest itself was guiding them, the trees parting as they passed. Soon enough, they arrived, and to their relief, the coachman was still alive, sitting on the driver's seat with a weary expression.
Xiao Tuheng approached him cautiously. "Were there any problems while we were away?" he asked, concern coloring his voice.
The coachman looked up at him with a bemused smile. "It's good to see that someone cares about this old man," he chuckled. "No, there were no problems."
Xiao Tuheng blinked, his mind catching up. 'Now that I think about it, I don't even know his name.'
He cleared his throat. "What is your name?"
The coachman's smile widened. "Mo Tianhe. But you can call me Old Man Mo if you like."
Xiao Tuheng raised an eyebrow. 'He's... odd,' he thought but didn't press further. "Can we stop in a town instead of a forest on the way back?"
Mo Tianhe nodded with a thoughtful expression. "Shouldn't be a problem, but it will take a slight detour. Would you prefer a small town or a bigger one?"
"Which one is nearer?" Xiao Tuheng asked, his curiosity piqued.
"The nearest would be Ironvale Town. It's a small town, but it specializes in blacksmithing," Mo Tianhe said.
Xiao Tuheng's heart skipped a beat. 'A blacksmithing town? Perfect. I need a weapon... even if it's just a mortal one for now,' he thought. "That sounds good."
Bao Liang, who had been listening in, leaned over with a smirk. "What's this? Brother Xiao wants to buy a weapon?" he teased.
He then turned to Bao Liang with a slightly hesitant look. "Hey, do you want to buy a 4th Layer core from me? I need some money."
Bao Liang looked at him, puzzled. "What for?"
Xiao Tuheng sighed, rolling his eyes slightly. "I don't have a weapon yet, and we'll be passing through a blacksmithing town. I'd like to buy one for practice, but I don't have any money."
Bao Liang's face lit up with laughter. "Haha! You should've just asked me sooner, Brother Xiao! I'll give you some money. My family still sends me some, though I don't really need it in the sect."
Tuheng's eyes brightened with curiosity. "Your family? If you don't mind me asking, who are they?"
Bao Liang shrugged nonchalantly. "I'm the third son of the leader of a Merchant House. They're doing quite well these days. Sometimes, they even trade mortal goods with the sect."
Tuheng blinked, processing the information. 'A Young Master, huh?'
"So you're rich?" he asked, half-amused.
Bao Liang chuckled. "I'm rich by mortal standards, sure. But cultivators have their own currency, you know?"
Xiao Tuheng couldn't help but grin. "Well, it's nice to have rich friends."
Bao Liang tossed him a small pouch filled with coins, and Tuheng nodded gratefully. "Thanks," he said, heading for the carriage.
As they all climbed aboard and the wheels started turning, Tuheng settled into his seat with a small smile. 'My first weapon... things are looking up.'