High Martial Arts 2077: I Rely on Beast Taming to Cultivate While Lying Down

Chapter 108, Level 7 - Silent Predation: City Hunters and Adventurers!

"Brother Su Chen is amazing! He has that shrewd businessman Su Youcheng completely under his control. Otherwise, with nightfall and the Red Phosphorus Pearls being difficult to preserve, he might have really gotten his hands on them."

Su Chen's consciousness was still immersed in the pet space, and he quickly came back to his senses upon hearing these words.

He smiled and said, "It's nothing."

"Wow, this is no small matter! It's equivalent to making a lot more money! If it were at the previous price, it probably wouldn't even cover today's battle losses!"

"While haggling is normal, I reckon the maximum asking price would be 60! How could they possibly get such a high price now?"

"This extra money is all thanks to Brother Su Chen's real skills!"

Su Chen smiled but didn't continue.

Zhang He then glanced at Zhou Chengjie, then at Su Chen, and said, "This brother just said he called a merchant. What if the merchant arrives and we've already sold our goods? That's... not a good idea."

He rubbed his hands together and glanced into the darkness of the night: "Making someone make a wasted trip with guards in the middle of the night isn't cheap. If we offend them, it'll be hard to do business in the future."

Su Chen turned his head and exchanged a glance with Zhou Chengjie.

The two of them laughed almost simultaneously.

"Hahahaha!" Zhang He was completely bewildered by the sudden laughter, and asked in confusion, "What...what's going on? Did I say something wrong?"

Su Chen waved his hand, his tone still tinged with barely suppressed laughter: "Haha~ Brother Zhang He, to tell you the truth, my classmate didn't contact any other businessman at all. That was just something he made up to scare Sun Youcheng! Just a random bargaining chip!"

"What!?" Zhang He was completely stunned.

He opened his mouth, unsure how to react for a moment.

He was present throughout the entire negotiation.

Zhou Chengjie's natural entrance, followed by his statement that he had already contacted a new businessman, was seamlessly followed by Su Chen's smooth transition.

Zhang He believed it completely!

He had been running around the buffer city for a year and a half and thought he had seen quite a few things, but he just couldn't see the slightest flaw.

The key point is that Su Chen and Sun Youcheng seem to be acquaintances! Why would acquaintances play these kinds of games?

Moreover... this Zhou Chengjie should also be a senior in high school!

How did you come up with this idea in just a few seconds after hearing Zhang Yan shout "businessmen are a bit shady"?

Zhang He's mind was still racing when Zhou Chengjie spoke.

"I have indeed heard of the profession of itinerant merchant, but this is my first time here to experience it, so there are still some things I am not very familiar with."

Zhou Chengjie's tone was calm: "Mainly, I received a message from Zhang Yan on the way. She reminded me that you can use this method to discuss business here."

Zhang Yan?

Su Chen turned her head away in surprise.

Wasn't this guy just sent out to catch the demon hound?

He rode his big dog all the way here and still had time to send a message to Zhou Chengjie? And he even foresaw the negotiation situation here?

Has the person been replaced? Has the body been possessed?

The True Thousand-Faced Demon Lord?

"Well done!" Su Chen's praise this time was genuine.

Zhang Yan tossed her head back, nostrils flaring: "Hmph! You just slapped me on the head!"

Su Chen's lips twitched.

He recalled the scene when he patted her head earlier; it was when Zhang Yan was showing off her spiritual bone to Sun Youcheng.

"I hit you because you mentioned the spirit bone, okay?" Su Chen said helplessly, "What does this have to do with anything else?"

"But Sister Xiyue said!" Zhang Yan's voice rose half an octave, and she said confidently, "She said that the timing of my mentioning the spirit bone was actually perfect. It let that unscrupulous merchant know that we had even better goods in our possession. He saw our value, and that's why he was even more reluctant to give up this deal!"

As she spoke, she raised her chin even higher: "So you made a mistake with that slap! Humph! Apologize!"

Su Chen raised an eyebrow: "Did Xi Yue tell you that the timing of your beating was also perfect?"

Zhang Yan's smug expression froze instantly.

Her lips moved, her cheeks puffed out and then deflated.

I did say that!

She retorted to Lin Xiyue, "Why did Su Chen hit her?"

Lin Xiyue also explained, "Su Chen was right to hit you. If you act like you didn't realize you'd let something slip after you finished speaking, the unscrupulous businessman would think we were playing tricks."

"Your genuinely aggrieved expression after being beaten made him believe that he had overheard about the spirit bone by chance, and that it wasn't bait we deliberately set. You two worked together very well."

But those words were so frustrating.

What does "getting hit just right" even mean? Doesn't Zhang Yan have any dignity?

"Hmph!" Zhang Yan turned her face away. "I hold grudges! I'll definitely get my revenge!"

"Haha, okay, okay!" Su Chen waved his hand, then asked again, "But, was the message you sent to Zhou Chengjie also suggested by Xi Yue?"

Zhang Yan choked.

She shifted guiltily to the side, pouted, and lowered her voice several octaves: "Um..."

It really is Lin Xiyue!

Su Chen turned his head, his gaze passing over Zhang Yan's head and landing on the figure in the distance who was clearing away the Bloodthirsty Green Vines with Wu Qing.

Lin Xiyue was carefully clearing away the green vines covering the ground with her long knife. "Tsk," Su Chen withdrew his gaze and clicked his tongue, "She looks so gentle and quiet, but I didn't expect her to be so cunning and shrewd!"

"Huh?!" Zhang Yan's eyes widened instantly, as if she had caught something incredibly serious. "How could you say that about Sister Xiyue?! I'm going to tell on you!!"

She turned around abruptly, only to find that Lin Xiyue had stopped what she was doing and was looking in her direction.

She clearly heard what Su Chen said earlier.

Lin Xiyue rolled her eyes at Su Chen, a rare occurrence for her.

That eye roll... had no offensive power whatsoever.

On the contrary, because her eyes were slightly curved at the corners, and her light brown eyes shimmered with a faint moisture, she didn't look angry; instead, she became even more adorable.

Su Chen turned his head and walked towards the green vines as if nothing had happened.

"Come on, come on, if you don't help clean this up soon, it'll be dawn!"

Watching his swift and decisive escape, Zhang Yan continued to chase after him, shouting, "Why are you running away! Wait! I'm going to write this down!"

Zhang He stood to the side, watching the group of young people bickering and joking, and couldn't help but laugh.

He shook his head, a complex smile appearing on his face.

"They..." He paused, seemingly choosing his words carefully, "Is this really their first time here for training? To be honest, to be able to handle itinerant merchants like this on their first trip is truly impressive! However, Sun Youcheng probably underestimated them because they were young."

"Of course, they must be more concerned about the future value of Su Chen and his brothers, which is why they offered this price to leave a good impression."

The man behind him, wearing round-framed glasses, said with a touch of regret, "Yeah! If we had your skills back then, we wouldn't have been ripped off by those itinerant merchants so many times."

"That's right!" Zhang He weighed the woven bag on his back and said with a wry smile, "In the past, we always felt cheated by those itinerant merchants after we sold our goods, but there was nothing we could do. We either sold to them or spent half a day running back to our post."

"If the price had remained this high before, we could have saved several million more in six months! That's a lot of money for us!"

"If we stick with the price of 400,000 tonight, we probably won't even make enough to cover our losses by the end of the day! Even if we raise it to 600,000, we'll only make a small profit."

Su Chen heard all of these words, but did not respond.

He silently wondered to himself: Have you only been scammed before? You haven't escaped this trap yet, have you?

The diligence Zhang He and his colleagues displayed when dissecting red phosphorus rats, and their tenacity in carrying dozens of kilograms of materials for miles without complaining of fatigue, were ultimately forged by life's hardships.

He hasn't experienced this kind of hardship yet.

"Let's go!" He snapped out of his thoughts, gestured with his chin toward the green vines, and said, "Let's clean that thing up first; we still have to keep watch later."

Just as everyone was preparing to get back to the cleanup work, a steady sound of footsteps came from afar.

Su Chen turned his head, sweeping the beam of his flashlight toward the source of the sound.

At the end of the street, a seven-person team was walking towards the rest area.

Their steps were very orderly, unlike those of scattered soldiers wandering around aimlessly.

The leader was a middle-aged man of about thirty-five or thirty-six years old. He was burly, with a square face featuring sharp, chiseled lines, prominent cheekbones, a square jaw, and calm, sharp eyes.

The six team members behind him were both men and women, and each of them wore a uniform metal badge on their right sleeve: a wolf's head surrounded by a sword and shield.

This is the logo of Gangneung City Hunter!

Unlike adventurers who do not have a fixed organization, city hunters are a semi-official combat order officially registered with the Federation.

Zhang He saw the badges on the right arms of the group of people from afar, and his tense shoulders visibly relaxed a bit.

But he still subconsciously took half a step forward and said to Su Chen in a low voice, "They're not students, let me handle this. I've dealt with these kinds of people quite a bit."

"Okay!" Su Chen nodded.

The square-faced man at the head of the group, Yan Heng, stopped at the entrance to the rest area.

He glanced at the students still cleaning up the green vines in the lobby on the first floor, and a faint smile appeared on his serious face.

He turned his head and lowered his voice to the team members behind him, saying, "They're all quite young. Look at their childish faces, they seem to be high school seniors."

Those who are able to come to Buffer City Sixteen for training at this stage are definitely top students from major key high schools. They are all promising talents destined to become powerful figures in the future.

"Watch your mouths when you speak later. Tone down your usual aggressiveness and stop using foul language so readily!"

Behind him stood a young man wearing gold-rimmed glasses—Zhou Yu. His skin stood out among the hunters who spent years traversing the wilderness, and his combat uniform showed no signs of battle.

"Captain, you yourself are filthy!" Zhou Yu said with a smile.

"I'm fucking insulting you guys, what's wrong with that?" Yan Heng said without turning his head.

"No problem, no problem." Zhou Yu pushed up his glasses, his smile deepening.

The seven people quickly walked into the first floor of the rest area.

Yan Heng's gaze swept over the students still clearing away the green vines, and he asked, "Haha~ You're all students, right? Why are you still down here at this hour? It's dangerous at night!"

His voice was deep and powerful, but his tone was very easygoing.

Zhang He, who was already prepared, quickly went to meet them.

With a perfectly measured smile on his face, he said neither humbly nor arrogantly, "These green vines look harmless, but we did a test before, and they can suck a fully grown demonic dog dry in just a few minutes."

"For safety at night, we plan to clear away the vines from the bottom three layers, which will make it easier for people to come here in the future."

"Haha," Yan Heng laughed heartily, "As expected of students, they're all kind-hearted. We old hunters have been running around Buffer City for over a decade, and when we see vines that pose no real threat, we usually just let them go as long as they don't bother us, we never even think about it."

He turned his head and looked at a tall female team member behind him.

The woman was about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, tall and slender, with her long black hair tied up high, revealing her beautifully shaped neck.

Her features leaned towards a cold and aloof beauty, with high brow bones, slightly wide cheekbones, and a straight nose. Her deep red combat uniform accentuated the curves unique to mature women.

"Liu Yue, your fire-type abilities are the strongest in our team." Yan Heng gestured with his chin towards the green vines. "Why don't you lend a hand and help clear them out?"

Liu Yue nodded calmly without saying a word and immediately began to act.

Yan Heng watched his teammates make their move, nodded in satisfaction, and then turned back to Zhang He and the others.

"It's still quite dangerous at night. Since we're all staying in one rest area, it's like we're all on the same boat."

Yan Heng's tone became more serious: "Which of you are in charge here? We can discuss the night watch arrangements. We were just about to go up to the fourth floor to prepare dinner, so we can eat and talk at the same time."

Zhang He subconsciously glanced in Su Chen's direction.

Su Chen stopped clearing away the vines and looked up to meet Yan Heng's gaze.

Zhou Chengjie and Jiang Yunxin, who were standing not far away, also put down what they were doing and looked over at the same time.

The three exchanged a brief glance and nodded slightly.

Fourth floor.

This floor should have been a showroom for a high-end home furnishing store before the apocalypse.

Discarded fabric sofas, solid wood coffee tables, and wrought iron bookshelves form a semi-open rest area.

Several psionic flashlights hung on hooks on the wall, illuminating the entire floor.

Yan Heng's team was clearly skilled in wilderness survival. The two hunters took out folding solid fuel stoves from their backpacks, quickly lit them, set up the pot, and poured in water.

In less than fifteen minutes, the aroma of dried meat and wild vegetables wafted from the pot.

They didn't hold back, taking out several packets of compressed biscuits and a jar of homemade chili sauce, and generously placing them in front of everyone.

"Everyone, please don't be shy! Try our hunters' cooking."

Yan Heng laughed heartily, used his dagger to cut off a piece of dried meat, stuck it on a skewer, and handed it to Su Chen across from him: "This meat is a bit tough, but it's made from the leg meat of Kitahara Black Angus, and the protein content is much higher than the energy bars sold at the market."

"Come on, let's eat and chat about the night watch!"

The arrangements for the night watch were quickly finalized in this relaxed atmosphere.

The 5th to 7th floors of this rest area are relatively safe accommodation areas, which have been renovated and have fixed bedrooms and partitions.

They only need to set up one observation point on the third floor and one on the fourth floor, with shifts rotating every two hours.

Yan Heng's team was in charge of one observation point, while Su Chen's team was in charge of another.

"Alright!" Yan Heng put down the dagger in his hand and patted his knees. "Then let's do it as agreed. We'll send two people, and you'll send three, in three shifts to keep watch."

"The first batch ran from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., the second batch from 12 p.m. to 4 a.m., and the third batch from 4 a.m. to dawn."

Su Chen nodded: "We have no problem."

From the brief conversation, the group of city hunters seemed to be quite nice and of high quality, so the atmosphere was a bit more relaxed than before.

Yan Heng picked up a cup of boiling meat soup, took a sip, and then curiously glanced around at the four young people sitting around the campfire: "We've been chatting for so long, and I still haven't asked which school you're from. Want to chat?"

Zhang He spoke first, his tone tinged with embarrassment: "We are second-year students at Beishan University. We've been training in this buffer city for a year and a half now."

"Beishan University?" Yan Heng raised an eyebrow, then nodded approvingly. "Not bad, not bad. Getting into a second-tier university already puts you among the best in ordinary high schools! And your practical experience is clearly honed through real-world experience in the buffer city. What about the rest of you?"

His gaze shifted to Su Chen.

"We are all senior high school students from Jiangling No. 1 High School. We came here on a training mission," Su Chen said politely, putting down the soup in his hand.

"No. 1 High School? Senior year?" Yan Heng's square face showed a rare look of surprise.

He had expected this, but he still maintained the proper expression, giving the young geniuses ample face.

He exchanged a glance with Zhou Yu behind him.

Zhou Yu adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses and smiled gently, "High school seniors have only been in school for a month and a half and they're already here in Buffer City No. 16? Students these days are really pushing themselves!"

"Back when we were in our senior year of high school, our first training missions were all in the buffer zone near the outskirts. The monsters there were at most low- or mid-elite level, unlike you guys now..."

"This area is home to warrior-level creatures! And you know about the recent Abyss Magic Stone incident, right?"

Su Chen nodded: "Yes, I understand!"

"Haha," Yan Heng laughed heartily, picked up the soup bowl and raised it to Su Chen and the others, "These young people today really have a bright future! Come on, let's toast you with this soup instead of wine."

Everyone raised their cups and bowls.

The atmosphere gradually relaxed amidst the crackling of the campfire.

Yan Heng began to recount their experience of hunting alien demons in the North District last month, and at a crucial moment, he even stood up and brandished a dagger in the air.

Zhou Yu then added that Yan Heng's description contained at least four or five exaggerations, which Yan Heng slapped his thigh and scolded him back.

Clearly, this group was very sociable. Yan Heng and Zhou Yu worked together in a friendly and approachable manner, much like they were coaxing a child.

Just as things were getting lively, a familiar notification sound rang in Su Chen's mind.

[Level 7 - Level Name: Bloodthirsty Green Vine - Silent Predator]

[Level Introduction: These seemingly harmless dark green vines will quietly spread, entwine, and suck the blood of passing creatures at night.]

Although their individual combat power is extremely weak, their numbers are enormous and they are extremely difficult to eradicate completely.

If it weren't for the help of experienced hunters, it would have taken you several times longer with just your swords and basic fire magic.

The cunning of plant-based demons lies not in direct confrontation, but in their ability to conceal themselves and wait. Their true attack comes when you least expect it!

[Difficulty: One star]

[Battle Rating: Excellent]

[Comment: Although this cleanup operation was not a fierce life-or-death battle, it demonstrated the team's tacit cooperation in the details.]

But at the same time, we must understand that while the visible vines have been cleared, the unseen ones may be lurking in the deeper darkness.

Score: 5

[Prize pool drawing in progress - Drawing complete -]

[Seventh Level Reward: Pet Energy x20]

Bloodstone x1

5m3 Pet Space

Su Chen glanced at the rewards on the panel and clicked his tongue inwardly.

Another low-level level with only one star, a score of just 5! The rewards are meager compared to the previous ones.

But it's actually more difficult than dealing with hundreds of black rot giant cockroaches!

Even a mosquito's leg is meat; five cubic meters of pet space plus that little bit of pet energy points is still a net profit!

He turned off the control panel, picked up the bowl of meat soup that had cooled down, and prepared to continue talking with Yan Heng about the situation in the North District, and even find an opportunity to learn more about the red phosphorus rats.

Suddenly, a noisy sound of footsteps and undisguised lewd laughter came from downstairs.

"Hey! Look, guys, did I come to the wrong place? This rest area is full of beautiful women! And they're all young, with amazing figures!"

"Slurp, I can't wait to spend a perfect night here..."

"Boss! Your decision was absolutely right! These young girls are obviously college students! Are college girls this well-developed now? Tsk tsk, in the city, girls of this caliber wouldn't be cheap, right? Hahaha"

"That's hard to say! Look at these virgins' faces, maybe after they've tasted it, they'll be in a good mood and even pay us for it! Haha!"

This was immediately followed by a burst of unrestrained and rude laughter.

Their voices were audible even to Su Chen and the others on the fourth floor.

Judging from the footsteps, there were quite a few of them, at least ten or so.

Jiang Yunxin's face, which had been somewhat languid, instantly darkened.

She unconsciously clenched her fist.

Yan Heng's cheerful smile vanished instantly, but he didn't react. Instead, he glanced at Su Chen and the others.

Su Chen's expression remained serious for only a moment before turning into a disdainful sneer: "Heh, judging by this, we'd better go down there!"

Yan Heng stared into Su Chen's eyes for a moment.

That young man's expression and reaction are quite interesting!

He thought for a very brief moment.

As a veteran hunter who had spent over a decade in Buffer City, he had seen all sorts of people.

"You've only just begun your training; there are many things you haven't encountered yet."

Yan Heng slowly stood up, his tone still calm, and said, "It's good to gain more experience."

Rest area, first floor lobby.

A dozen or so adventurers rushed in.

Leading the way was a burly man with a thick beard, about thirty-five or thirty-six years old, wearing a dark brown leather vest covered in stains. His two thick forearms were bare, with several old, whitish scars crisscrossing them.

As soon as he entered the hall, his lewd gaze fell on Zhang Yan.

"I quite like this girl's looks!" He stuck out his tongue and licked his chapped lips, his voice rough and husky, with undisguised flirtatiousness. "Oh my! That little expression looks so fierce! Too bad, she's too flat-chested."

The tall, thin man behind him peeked out from the side, chuckled twice, revealing a set of teeth blackened by smoke: "Haha, Captain, you don't understand, do you? Lolis are very popular! I want this petite one."

Zhang Yan's expression changed from frowning and displeasure to rage in a matter of seconds.

Her fist clenched tightly...

But just then, a figure stepped out.

Liu Yue!

She maintained her aloof expression, her long black hair tied up high, and her deep red combat uniform accentuated the curves of a mature woman.

The moment she appeared, all the adventurers' eyes were drawn to her.

The bald, fat man opened his mouth, his tiny, beady eyes fixed intently on Liu Yue's fullest part, then slowly moved downwards.

"Holy crap!" The fat guy in the canned food stared wide-eyed. "She's got curves in all the right places, and she looks so mature! I love her, I absolutely love her!"

The tall, thin man was about to join in the commotion, but before he could utter a sound, he opened his mouth.

A flame silently shot out from Liu Yue's fingertips.

The flame was initially only the size of a candle, then it suddenly expanded...

The next second, the fireball shot out with a roar!

It grazed right past the bearded man's ear.

The blazing flames swept past less than two centimeters from the side of his face, instantly scorching the few tangled strands of hair above his right ear, filling the air with a pungent, burnt smell.

The burly man with the thick beard was so frightened that he jerked to the side and landed heavily on his buttocks.

"You! What do you think you're doing! Murder!"

"We're not afraid of you!"

He looked up and finally saw Liu Yue's face clearly; she wasn't a student.

That's true! It's impossible for a student to release a spiritual spell so quickly, let alone control the flames so precisely!

Could it be the team leader/mentor?

The burly man with a thick beard, as the captain of this squad, was quite knowledgeable.

A thought suddenly struck him: those who can be mentors are all extremely powerful individuals!

He had also heard that the tutors at top high schools were all at the Spirit Martial Realm or Divine Power Realm!

Jiangling University even has instructors at the seventh realm (Earthly Origin Realm) and the eighth realm (Heavenly Martial Realm).

The tall, thin man's expression changed as well. He quickly took half a step forward, waving his hands in front of him, his face full of smiles: "Ahem, misunderstanding, misunderstanding!"

"We're just talking, just indulging in some banter. How could we dare to actually do anything? We're all out in the world, and this is demon territory. Why fight amongst ourselves? Wouldn't that just make us a laughingstock for those beasts?"

Liu Yue still held another ball of flame in her palm. The flame emitted a low buzzing sound under the stimulation of spiritual energy, reflecting on her cold and beautiful face.

"You'd better behave! Watch your mouth!"

She paused for a moment, then the flame in her palm suddenly exploded, turning into dozens of sparks that scattered in all directions: "Otherwise... humph!"

The adventurers who had been so arrogant just moments before now all shrank back, and several of them subconsciously took a half-step back.

The burly man with a thick beard scrambled to his feet, frantically wiping the dust off his backside.

Although he was the team leader, he didn't care about his image anymore.

Just as the two sides were locked in a stalemate, a series of rustling footsteps could be heard from the darkness outside the rest area.

As the flashlight beam swept across, young faces emerged from the darkness.

They look like students!

"Wow, this is great! There are so many people here! It's definitely much safer! It's much better than that deserted rest area we just went to."

"Finally, I can get some rest. I've been fighting all day, I'm almost dead from exhaustion!"

"Why are there so many people on the first floor? What's going on?"

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