Immortal Cultivation: Starting from a Pharmacy Apprentice

Chapter 228: Chapter 228: Mountain Demon Beast

By the time the Cultivators of the Demon Hunting Team were settled, four days had passed.

On a bright and sunny day, Bai Mo and the others left the city, blending in with the crowd.

However, a group of unruly-looking men was clearly not a welcome sight. As they walked, pedestrians nearby gradually gave them a wide berth.

"Since when did Immortal Arrival City get so many pampered young masters and ladies?"

Qin Wen had been staying in the shop recently instead of milling about outside, so he had no idea the city had filled with so many new faces.

Lanshan, who was standing nearby, said dismissively:

"That’s something you wouldn’t know. Our Immortal Arrival City has wonderful scenery, and all kinds of Demon Beasts are for sale."

"And who knows? If you’re lucky, you might even be able to buy a few decent Demon Beast cubs."

"Naturally, that attracts plenty of people with time on their hands."

He grinned.

"Who knows if those cubs can even be raised. Once fattened up, though, they’d be great to eat with some wine."

The fact that Demon Beasts from Celestial Barrier Mountain couldn’t be raised was practically common knowledge among the locals.

And yet, there were always Cultivators who, upon seeing how cute the cubs were, would insist on taking them.

Of course, the Loose Cultivators would never refuse, happily accepting the windfall practically shoved into their hands.

To refuse a gift from heaven is to invite misfortune.

It wasn’t like they could be tracked down for trouble later, anyway.

Only after leaving the city did the group realize those other Cultivators were out for a "spring outing."

"The season’s wrong. What kind of ’spring outing’ are they having?"

"Still, the foot of our Celestial Barrier Mountain is full of spiritual energy, even if it isn’t exactly peaceful."

When they reached the mountain entrance, they bowed to the small shrine beneath a tree stump. After going through the motions, the group headed into the mountains.

Bai Mo, encircled in the center of the group, couldn’t help but draw a sharp breath as he looked at the sprawling mountain range before him.

According to both the word-of-mouth tales and written records of Immortal Arrival City, no local had ever crossed the entire, immense mountain range.

Just as he was getting lost in thought, a faint scent of incense suddenly overpowered the smell of the surrounding vegetation, jolting Bai Mo to attention.

"Sigh... that thing in the mountains... it doesn’t have much malice."

"It would be best not to resort to violence."

The aged voice faded, and the wisp of incense scattered on the wind.

Puzzled, Bai Mo glanced back toward the little shrine by the stump, a thoughtful expression on his face.

"What is it?"

asked Lanshan from beside him.

"It’s nothing."

Bai Mo shook his head. "Let’s head into the mountain."

"Oh, and if you sense the thing behind this, don’t do anything rash. Let me get a look at it first."

"Alright," Lanshan agreed.

"But if things get dicey, I can’t promise the men will be able to hold back."

It was a matter of life and death, so of course Bai Mo didn’t argue.

’That old senior living in the stump wouldn’t have warned me for no reason.’

’I’ll just have to do my best to manage it.’

A wave of damp mountain air washed over them.

The mountain flora seemed as if it hadn’t changed since time immemorial. The unique verdant scent of Celestial Barrier Mountain filled their nostrils, mingled with the faint, foul stench of something coppery.

The mountains teemed with a horrifying number of snakes and insects, and venomous creatures ran rampant.

The moment they stepped under the canopy and the sun was blotted out, the expressions and postures of the twenty-four members of the Demon Hunting Team transformed.

Blood pounded in their veins, turning them into leopards poised for the hunt.

They were all veterans on this trip. Upon entering the forest, they blended seamlessly into Celestial Barrier Mountain.

They were also a link in the mountain’s food chain. It was just that recently, thanks to Bai Mo’s Pills and Lanshan’s leadership, their position on that chain had risen considerably.

Each man had an iron net wrapped around his waist, studded with sharp, non-reflective black hooks.

Lanshan got his bearings.

"This way."

He led the group down a path that had obviously been cleared very recently.

The soft earth underfoot hadn’t been packed down yet and was riddled with holes bored by insects.

A single step could sink your foot in up to the ankle.

Qin Wen’s stance was solid, so he had no trouble. He kept an eye on Bai Mo, ready to support him at a moment’s notice, and said:

"I never took this path to West Mountain before."

Without turning back, Lanshan tilted his head slightly, listening for any sound.

"Can’t take the old path anymore. Last time, we killed a Demon Beast and its blood dripped the whole way back."

"There’s no way in hell I’m going that way again."

Heaven knows what a trail of blood like that could attract.

Bai Mo, after all, wasn’t a Cultivator who focused on physical conditioning. He lacked their solid foundation and stumbled along, his steps uneven.

A light breeze drifted by, and for some reason, a sliver of panic pierced his heart.

Bai Mo’s expression darkened as he suppressed the instinctual panic welling up inside him.

"Is something coming?"

Lanshan gritted his teeth, his expression grim.

"This is what I’m talking about. We haven’t even been in the mountains for an hour."

"If we can’t deal with this, then we might as well give up making a living in the mountains. We’d be better off becoming fishermen on the Azure Dragon River!"

But Bai Mo was looking at the weeds by his feet. Among them were a few worthless herb seedlings that were nevertheless growing exceptionally well.

As he scanned the area, the vigorous growth of the vegetation seemed even more jarring to his Pill Master’s eyes.

Bai Mo tilted his head slightly and asked:

"Have there been any changes in the mountains recently?"

Surprised, Lanshan glanced back at him.

"Shopkeeper Bai, why do you ask? Nothing’s changed in the mountains, of course... aside from this new troublesome bastard showing up."

"No wonder Liu Yaozi refuses to come up the mountain anymore. After the beatings he’s taken, how could he not be scared?"

Bai Mo, however, saw things differently.

’The weeds and plants on the ground... they’re growing too well.’

’Even carefully tended and well-fertilized fields outside don’t show this much vigorous life.’

’A small environmental change wouldn’t be obvious on the ancient, centuries-old trees.’

’But on the wildflowers and weeds that live and die within a single year, it’s incredibly obvious.’

Qin Wen said in a low voice,

"The vitality of the mountains changes with the seasons. Maybe this is normal."

WHIR!

As he was speaking, a sudden metallic hum reached their ears.

Qin Wen’s expression didn’t change. Before he’d even drawn a breath after speaking, he shoved Bai Mo to the ground.

The next instant, a dark, bluish-green figure shot over their heads with a rush of chilling wind.

CLANG!

Its blade-like forelimbs clashed with the saber Lanshan had snatched from a companion, sending sparks flying.

A Mantis-like Demon Beast, taller than a man, leaped up and landed.

Its sharp, thorn-covered limbs dug into the trunk of a nearby tree, steadying its body.

The Mantis Beast stared coldly at the group.

Only after it landed did the putrid, greenish vapor from its passage drift into their nostrils.

Lanshan casually tossed the saber back, and its owner caught it securely.

"An old acquaintance."

He reached for his waist, and the coiled iron net dropped into his hand.

"Be careful, Shopkeeper Bai. This thing is fast. One of our brothers lost an arm to it—the arm he earned his living with."

Qin Wen’s expression turned grim. He had just taken a step to stand in front of Bai Mo when Lanshan cast his iron net.

THWACK! THWACK! THWACK!

The net spun through the air and, thrown with Lanshan’s full force, slapped against the tree, its sharp hooks biting into the wood.

But the Demon Beast had already leaped high into the air. The wing membranes on its back unfurled and began to beat rapidly as it charged the group.

Lanshan gave a cold bark.

"Ready the nets!"

FWOOSH! FWOOSH! FWOOSH!

The other men all unfurled the nets from their waists and, with a few sharp cries, began to swing them.

As the nets crisscrossed, they produced a rhythmic clang of metal on metal.

Bai Mo looked up to see the men linking the hooks of their nets together, weaving one massive net in mid-air.

"Hah!"

The Mantis Beast was still in mid-charge and couldn’t change direction in time as the men leaped up in unison, then dropped.

With a series of clanks, the Demon Beast was caught in the net, its body pierced by the sharp hooks.

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