Immortality Begins with Breathing Exercises-Chapter 66 - 55: The Mountain Forest (Part 2)

Chapter 66: Chapter 55: The Mountain Forest (Part 2)
"No, if we had encountered them, we probably wouldn’t be coming back."
"The strength of the zombie is formidable, and one must be a Martial Artist of the Qi Blood Realm to contend with it."
"Even for a Martial Artist of the Qi Blood Realm, caution is needed. If you’re inadvertently scratched or bitten, and the poison of Yin Sha invades, it will take a long time to recover," Ma Wangcheng said.
"Thank you for the warning, Mr. Ma."
Lin Zheyu cupped his hands toward Ma Wangcheng, turned, and dashed into the forest. This time Ma Wangcheng didn’t call him back.
Watching Lin Zheyu’s departing figure, Ma Wangcheng remained silent.
He sniffed the air and, after confirming that Lin Zheyu had gone far, sighed in relief.
Although Lin Zheyu didn’t seem particularly strong, probably around the Bone Forging Realm, his confident demeanor indicated he had something to rely on.
In his current state, if a conflict did occur, he figured he wouldn’t gain any advantage.
"I didn’t expect this Cyan Fanged Bear to be so formidable. Even after losing so much blood, it still had such strength. I almost fell into its trap,"
Ma Wangcheng muttered.
He took out a small bottle containing medicinal powder and carefully treated his wounds.
During the recent fight with the Cyan Fanged Bear, its sharp claws had grazed him several times, fortunately only lightly.
"Continue the chase. Such a powerful beast can fetch quite a lot of silver taels,"
Ma Wangcheng picked up the arrow and crossbow on the ground and followed the blood trail.
...
"Do I really have the scent of Red Mountain Fragrance on me?"
Lin Zheyu walked through the forest at a leisurely pace.
He occasionally sniffed himself but didn’t detect anything.
Ma Wangcheng didn’t seem to be lying. On his way, Lin Zheyu had indeed come across an area filled with fiery red flowers.
Since there was no path ahead, he had passed through the flowerbed, and thus, his body carried the floral fragrance.
The scent of those flowers was very faint, only perceptible when standing amidst them. Once you moved two meters away, you couldn’t smell anything.
For such a faint scent to be discernible from a distance showed how keen Ma Wangcheng’s sense of smell was.
"I must pay more attention to this in the future and find someone to teach me about it,"
Lin Zheyu mused.
As Ma Wangcheng had mentioned, many experienced old hunters could detect the scent of Red Mountain Fragrance, suggesting this was a skill that could be trained.
This time, he moved more cautiously, avoiding plants and flowers that seemed likely to cling to his scent.
Following Ma Wangcheng’s directions, Lin Zheyu quickly crossed the mountain and arrived at the foot of Beast Roar Mountain.
As soon as he reached the foot, he heard the beast roars from within the mountain.
Beast Roar Mountain was vast, a range stretching for miles, with no end in sight.
The deeper parts of the mountain were too treacherous for hunters and herbal gatherers to venture into casually. The bold ones who dared to enter vanished into the depths of the forest.
Soon after stepping into the mountain, he encountered a hunting party of five.
Lin Zheyu observed them from a distance without approaching.
The five individuals looked robust and muscular. Though they hadn’t reached the Bone Forging Realm, they were quite skilled.
Beast Roar Mountain lived up to its name, with formidable beasts appearing incessantly in the forest.
Despite hunters’ ongoing pursuits, the number of wild beasts showed no signs of decreasing, with more savage creatures continually emerging from the deep woods to the outer areas.
"They say zombies look almost like living humans. I wonder how true that is,"
Lin Zheyu was curious about the real strength of zombies and whether he could handle them.
Yet, his ingrained caution suppressed his curiosity.
While the Qi Blood Realm is said to be able to deal with zombies, their bronze skin and iron bones, coupled with the ability to poison with a mere scratch, pose a daunting challenge.
Lin Zheyu didn’t want to take unnecessary risks.
With his abilities, given enough time and money, he would grow stronger soon. There was no need to endanger himself for a moment’s curiosity.
The main purpose of this trip was reconnaissance, to familiarize himself with the outskirts of the city, and secondarily, to draw out and eliminate Xing Jinglong.
If he encountered any ignorant bandits, he’d eliminate them for the public’s good.
Rustle, rustle.
Rustle, rustle
In the forest, a gentle breeze stirred the leaves, creating a rustling sound.
Lin Zheyu moved swiftly through the forest, occasionally hearing beast roars echoing around him.
Whoosh
A brightly colored snake, about as thick as a finger and two to three meters long, suddenly darted from a tree, striking towards Lin Zheyu’s neck.
Hiss, hiss~~
The little snake hissed, flicking its forked tongue.
Just as the snake closed to within twenty to thirty centimeters, he reached out his right hand swiftly, accurately, and sharply, grabbing the snake just two centimeters behind its head, pinching its head tightly.
The little snake struggled, coiling tightly around his arm.
Lin Zheyu held its head, letting it bite on his coat corner, then gave a fierce yank, pulling out the snake’s fangs.
Then he coiled the now toothless little snake several times, tied it into a knot, and put it into his bag.
This snake could still sell for a bit of money when taken back.
"If one’s competent, hunting in the forest can be quite profitable," Lin Zheyu thought.
Throughout his journey, he had encountered many wild beasts.
These animals were extremely slippery and hard to catch, requiring some hunting knowledge.
He estimated that seasoned and powerful hunters like Ma Wangcheng might earn at least ten silver taels a month.
"They said bandits roamed these parts, yet I’ve not encountered any,"
Lin Zheyu mumbled, looking around for any signs of bandits.