My Journey to Immortality Begins with Hunting-Chapter 104 - The Blood Blade Patriarch - Part 1

“It’s me,” came his familiar voice.

A moment later, the slab was lifted aside. Li Yuan climbed down, then quickly replaced the cover. Xue Ning let out a small whimper and threw herself into his arms, trembling softly. Yan Yu pressed up on the other side, breathing hard.

“There really are invaders out there,” Li Yuan said. “I got a look from a distance. Luckily, they didn’t spot me.”

Yan Yu asked, “So...what do we do now?”

“We keep hiding,” Li Yuan replied.

Noticing how Xue Ning trembled, he gently rubbed her back, pulled her close onto his lap, and murmured reassuringly, “Don’t be scared. It’s all right.”

Xue Ning buried her face in his chest with a small sob.

Yan Yu, standing beside them, teased with a faint smile. “Big Sis was worried about becoming a widow again.”

Li Yuan blinked in realization. “So you were worrying about me? But here I am, safe and sound.”

Flustered at having her fears exposed, Xue Ning, mindful that Auntie Wang and the others were also in the cramped cellar, changed the subject. “Dearest, did you see who they were?”

Li Yuan shook his head. “Not clearly, but whoever they are, they’re dangerous.”

She sighed and said nothing more. If the inner district truly had fallen, then all of Gemhill County would be upended, and who knew what life would look like after this...assuming they survived at all.

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Meanwhile, in a dimly lit hall, Blood Scissors—an outside enforcer the Blood Blade Sect had recently hired—was seated with a mocking grin, leaning back slightly as he toyed with his claw-like nails. His clothes were still damp from the rain, boots muddy, suggesting he’d just returned from outside.

By right, Blood Scissors was supposed to be stationed at Union Town. But he, along with several other feral hires, had stealthily gathered in Silver Creek instead.

“Got a clear picture of what’s happening?” he asked.

“The Sun Family’s contact just sent word. We don’t know all the details, but the Sun Family and Wei remnants really are tearing into the Blood Blade Sect. Those fireworks were their battle signal.”

Blood Scissors laughed, a chilling rasp to his voice. “Well, well! Good, good...”

A subordinate ventured, “Boss, should we make a move now?”

“We should—of course! Let the dogs tear each other apart. Once they’re all battered, that’s our moment to strike.” He grinned unpleasantly. “Sun Family, Wei Family, Blood Blade Sect? Soon they’ll all be ours! Gemhill County will be ours, too! Boys, good times are coming!”

A chorus of snickers rose from the ragtag group of mercenaries. Controlling a county meant wealth and power, after all.

Blood Scissors sat forward. “One-Eye!”

A burly, scarred man with a missing eye replied, “Here!”

“Go tell the Sun Family’s contact to keep doing whatever they’re doing. After they take the county, we’ll split the spoils.”

“Got it.” One-Eye strode off at once.

Blood Scissors then called, “Iron Guts!”

“Right here, Boss!” A dark-skinned man wearing a gold ring on one ear stepped forward.

“Go inform the Fragrant General that the time has come!”

“On it!”

After issuing his commands, Blood Scissors looked around at the rest of his men. “The rest of you, stay hidden in Silver Creek. The moment we see anyone slinking away wounded, we’ll make sure they don’t get out alive. Hah!”

He pounded a fist into his palm. “Gemhill County will be ours. The meat fields, the money, the women, and the legacies of all three powers—they’re ours for the taking! Then we can feast on demonic beast meat as we please. And the women—well,” he let out an ugly cackle.

A wave of coarse laughter spread among the men.

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Early afternoon, under the autumn rain...atop a secluded mountain, half-hidden by sparse huts, stood a hillside gate.

Beneath its eaves, a few men in cheap leather armor loitered, avoiding the drizzle. Their gear looked vaguely like the armor worn by the imperial army, but it was the flimsy sort produced under corruption—barely good enough for show.

Still, none of them resembled any actual soldiers. They lounged about with a certain thuggish air, exchanging crude jokes and bursting into occasional laughter.

The apparent leader of this group was short but stocky. Anyone from Little Ink Village would immediately recognize him—Bear. He’d once accompanied the county magistrate on a mission to exterminate the Red Lotus Rebels, only to be ambushed.

The entire force was routed, and the surviving deserters scattered in panic. By a twist of fate, they were captured by the Red Lotus Rebels instead. In the end, they capitulated and joined them.

Later, during the rebels’ push north, part of the Red Lotus Rebels split off. Some petty leaders, reluctant to move into the Central Plains, led their men to remain behind and occupy local mountains. They allied with other brigands and outlaws, all eyeing the nearby counties for easy pickings.

Bear’s bandit leader, after choosing to remain behind, took the rather grandiose title of Fragrant General. Ever since, he’d had his sights set on capturing a county and ruling as a local warlord.

But the county seat was home to multiple powerful factions—impossible to conquer with a single haphazard attack.

As a result, the Fragrant General cast his gaze on smaller county townships, all while biding his time, waiting for a chance to strike.

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During this waiting period, they staged a few large robberies—waylaying merchant caravans for food, wine, and women. If someone died in the process, it hardly mattered to them.

In the meantime, Bear had changed significantly from the man he once was in Gemhill County; his physique had grown sturdier thanks to the Training Fist Technique the general distributed.

This wasn’t a true martial cultivation technique. Not everyone could cultivate shadow blood. Out of every five men who tried, maybe one succeeded. Whoever did succeed was promoted to lead a squad of ten.

That one-in-five rate was actually quite high—mostly because the men the general picked were already built like oxen, the sort most likely to unlock Shadow Blood.

Bear wasn’t so lucky; he hadn’t awakened any shadow blood. Still, the Training Fist Technique had improved his strength considerably. Months of looting, killing, and burning had only sharpened his ruthless edge further.

Impressed by his ferocity, the Fragrant General promoted him anyway, so Bear now led ten men of his own.

Returning to Gemhill County was all Bear could talk about. Given his new prowess, he believed any past acquaintances, such as Qian Er or Li Yuan, would now have to show him respect.

At the moment, Bear was sitting on a large rock, watching his underlings stand guard with sly grins. He gave a rough laugh.

“Pathetic, look at you all, acting so complacent. Just wait until the general marches on Gemhill County. I’ll take you into town for a real tour.”

One lackey commented, “I hear you’re originally from Gemhill County, right?”

“Sure am,” he said proudly. “I’ve even got a woman there. Let me tell you; she’s wild. The moment I snuck into her place, she was practically begging for it. I undid my belt and did what I pleased. Bet she’s ripened up even more over these last two years. When we take that town, I’ll bring you boys along to share the fun.”

Another subordinate smirked. “If she’s yours, Bear, we won’t lay a hand on her.”

“What’s a woman or two among friends?” Bear boasted. “We share the hardships; we share the good things too! That’s what freedom looks like!”

His men cheered. “Bear, you’re a true pal.”

Just then, a lone rider emerged from the distant gorge, navigating several tight bends before pulling up under the old tree near the mountain gate.

Recognizing the newcomer, Bear stood warily, hand on his blade. A moment later, he forced a humble grin and called out, “Ah, Iron Guts, sir.”

The rider was indeed one of Blood Scissors’s underlings, going by the alias Iron Guts. Nobody bothered with his real name.

He eyed Bear as if to say, Another one of the general's underlings? Then he snorted and got straight to the point. “I need to see your boss. It’s an important matter.”

“Right away! Follow me!” Bear wasted no time leading him inside, eager to stay on the good side of such a powerhouse.