Infinite Hunter

Therefore, not only official investigation teams, but also non-governmental investigation teams may be allowed to explore and utilize the mutant plant and animal resources in the newly formed territories under the management of national laws and regulations. If this is to happen, a certain degree of armament is necessary - the mutant animals reported so far are quite dangerous. The Jiangnan Taihu area is already considered a very mild newly formed territories, while the newly formed territories in the central region and even in the mountainous border areas are the most dangerous.

Not only were there mutated creatures, but the terrain was also dangerous. Hundreds and thousands of kilometers of primeval forest, towering mountains, and even compasses were ineffective, and satellite signals were inaccessible. Once inside, one had to rely entirely on extensive wilderness survival experience to determine direction. This was a truly terrifying and desperate situation. Furthermore, there was also the rare volcanic region of mainland China, stretching from Sichuan to Tibet and Qinghai.

It's no surprise that this leopard is on the bounty list and has become the number one wanted creature. This was after the forensic doctor boiled the bones and identified them from the tooth marks on the bones - the one who identified the teeth was the zoologist who stayed here. Yes, there are still many zoologists and botanists stationed here. This era is a paradise for zoologists and botanists.

Although the skull was not found, the DNA could be compared, and luckily the cervical vertebrae were also found. The leopard's canine tooth marks were found on the cervical vertebrae near the scapula. The forensic doctor told this to Cheng Yijiu, who immediately said, "He is indeed a veteran. He directly bit the gap between the cervical vertebrae and cut off the medulla oblongata, causing direct death. Those young tigers and leopards can't do it." The tooth marks of wolves and wild boars could also be distinguished on the bones.

Wild boars, in particular, are responsible for almost all the destruction of bones.

Cheng Yijiu didn't have a picture of a leopard, but based on his memory, he photoshopped a regular leopard image and submitted it to the authorities. The authorities issued a reward—specifically, Cheng Yijiu would be responsible for the identification. Of course, it's highly likely that Cheng Yijiu would ultimately secure the reward himself, and the money he received would be a small bonus; it was a decent sum. After the autopsy, Cheng Yijiu and Officer Ouyang would meet with the victim's family.

The victim's family didn't make a fuss, but Cheng Yijiu wasn't sure if they—a middle-aged woman and two middle-aged men of similar age—would sue the Forestry Bureau for compensation, saying that the bureau hadn't set up a no-entry sign or something. But that was impossible, because this wasn't a public facility, it was a natural environment. You can't ask the Forestry Bureau for compensation for injuries and deaths caused by the natural environment, right?

The woman just cried, but there was nothing she could do about it. She was still eaten by a wild beast—it seemed the government had some compensation… The two men, brothers of the victim, were discussing revenge. "It's a mutant creature. You can't kill this leopard. So go back and wait for news. I'll keep an eye out and kill the man-eating beast when I get the chance."

Chapter 19

Killing the wanted beast would require time and opportunity. Cheng Yijiu decided to don a lion hide and carry a gun the next time he entered the forest. He just hoped that after attacking and devouring a human, the leopard wouldn't cross the road into the nearby village and specifically attack humans. If that happened, he would be under great pressure.

"I just hope that for now, there is only this leopard, and no other uncommon wild beasts appear - at least the strange creatures I have seen in Tianshan will not appear universally along with the new land..." Many creatures are protozoa, but there are also some that will only become active when the world enters an abnormal state. Now it seems that the giant wolves that appeared in the north with the blizzard and Arudimula who came to find her are examples.

If the scorpion lion had arrived earlier, Cheng Yijiu felt that it would be easier to lead the scorpion lion into the forest and kill the leopard. Never mind the fact that creatures like the Arudimuala were more suited to the Gobi Desert. The Jiangnan hills were nothing compared to the vast, deep mountains and forests that now stretched across central, southern, and northeastern China.

The truly terrifying dense forests can be found in central, southern, southwestern, and northeastern China, stretching for thousands of kilometers and covering millions of square kilometers of primeval forest.

Cheng Yijiu drove back to his base. As soon as he arrived, a new notice popped up on his computer. Another person had been killed, this time about thirty kilometers from Cheng Yijiu's base. A resident had been attacked and carried away by a giant bird of prey from the sky. Normally, they were presumed dead. A surveillance camera had captured the giant bird.

"The wingspan is over five meters, taller than a person, and the face looks like a human face. It can grab a person and fly away." Cheng Yijiu looked at the situation in the picture, and he fed back his opinion through the system, "It should be a mutated eagle owl. Once it mutates, it is not afraid of humans." Whether this thing will fly to him, no one knows.

The next day, the wild boars crossed the road and invaded the fortress. If they continued to invade, they would have invaded the farmland behind. This would have likely caused casualties and property damage, which would have affected Cheng Yijiu's evaluation. Fortunately, the problem was resolved later—it was Xiao Zhang who ran over with a message.

"Arudimurra has arrived and is completing registration. He will be able to stay with you after that." This was also welcomed by the local higher authorities. The presence of such a strange beast would be a deterrent to most mutant beasts. Cheng Yijiu decided that as soon as the mantis lion arrived, he would immediately go into the forest and kill the man-eating leopard.

Goodbye Arudimuola, this guy's size hasn't changed much. He seems to be a little bigger than the last time I saw him. Now his shoulder height is almost the same as the largest Sri Lankan Asian elephant, but his size is much larger than an elephant. He lowered his big head to let Cheng Yijiu stroke it, and he also made a purring sound like a cat, just like thunder.

Many of his colleagues had come to see him, including those from the Administration, who had all come under various pretexts to accompany the convoy transporting Arudimuela. While the scorpion lion was moving on its own, a long line of convoys accompanied it, providing various types of security. Indeed, Arudimuela's appearance was incredibly majestic, like a winged lion.

The imposing Arudimuola was like a cat in front of Cheng Yijiu. Although they knew the two had a good relationship, this situation still made many people drop their eyes. "Tomorrow, tomorrow we will go deep into the jungle and kill the leopard first!" Cheng Yijiu was ready and had prepared a complete set of saddlery.

The saddle, which is fixed in an X shape, has storage partitions made of hard leather on both sides, which can carry a lot of necessary equipment. The soft saddle on it can also seat one person, so as not to affect the movement of the scorpion lion - Cheng Yijiu also does not think that there are any creatures in this forest that can threaten the scorpion lion.

His colleagues only now had an idea that the man in front of them was basically at the same power level as the huge strange beast, so he was a monster in human skin.

The next day, Cheng Yijiu drove while Arudimuara feasted on a nutritious mix of pet food—essentially, adult cat food mixed with adult dog food, with an additional phosphorus-rich supplement, essentially canned krill. He could eat six bags of five-kilogram pet food and three one-kilogram cans of krill in one sitting, two meals a day...

It's quite expensive to keep this thing...

The scorpion lion flew through the air while Cheng Yijiu drove to the designated entry point and parked at a semicircular road stop. He picked up his weapon and gestured for Arudimu to land. "Come in with me. Contain your presence. Stealth. Understand?" The lion nodded. "I understand."

Cheng Yijiu was wearing a simple T-shirt, military pants, and lightweight puncture-proof boots that were breathable, water-permeable, and quick-drying. This thing also absorbed the technology of mutated creatures. When combined with quick-drying socks, you can walk around regardless of the terrain, and the surface will not get wet or muddy at all.

Even if mud flows into the boots, it will be quickly squeezed out by the socks and the lining surface through walking, and after drying it will turn into dust and be poured out. These boots are also odor-proof - but the price is relatively expensive, and they are now only distributed by official departments.

Cheng Yijiu draped the lion skin around his body, the lion head on his head, his front paws draped from his shoulders across his chest, his hind legs free to roam freely. He held the full-powered semi-automatic rifle in his left hand, resting it somewhat carelessly on his shoulder, careful not to deform the white light sight.

Arudimurra's presence was perfectly restrained, his massive body moving through the forest as nimbly as a kitten, though it inevitably moved the branches, so the trees still appeared to be swaying. From the outside, anyone could tell a large creature was moving...

Cheng Yijiu, of course, started by focusing on the footprints on the ground. Unfortunately, this time he only found wild boar and deer hoof prints, and none of them were particularly large. Standing up straight, Cheng Yijiu looked into the depths of the jungle, let out a long breath, and walked in. "Keep an eye out for prey on the branches. Use your sense of smell, Aru," he said.

Cheng Yijiu's sense of smell was also very strong. He and the scorpion lion were about a hundred meters apart, so they could be said to be moving side by side - both sides could clearly sense each other's position and roughly perceive each other's status. This was also a manifestation of "bond"... Cheng Yijiu hoped that he was walking on the right path of the leopard's activity route, and this time when he met him, he would not let the other party escape.

Chapter 20

Normal life was still abundant on the outskirts of the forest, and electronic telescopes using thermal imaging and computer graphics enhancement technology performed very well in this environment—a testament to mainland China's industrial prowess, capable of producing powerful yet affordable equipment. Image enhancement technology could highlight and even frame moving creatures within the frame, and Cheng Yijiu had already spotted several unusual creatures from a kilometer away, relying on this technology.

Mostly birds, not just raptors, but also other birds he had never seen before—Cheng Yijiu wasn't very good at ornithology, so he couldn't identify the species. The streams and small lakes also contained many strange creatures—mostly fish and aquatic animals. He saw crocodiles, both long-snouted and short-snouted, and otters almost as big as steamed buns.

"This thing is too exaggerated. Is it still an otter?" Cheng Yijiu exclaimed as he looked at the huge otter that was much longer than a leopard.

None of these creatures were dangerous, lacking that sense of menace—which meant that even if the otter had mutated, it had only grown in size. It couldn't be compared to the man-eating leopard; perhaps that kind of change could truly be called a mutation. Cheng Yijiu looked at the scorpion lion, which lagged behind him, barely visible. That creature also gave off an extremely menacing vibe, far more powerful than the leopard.

At the edge of a gentle river, Cheng Yijiu noticed ripples on the water. They came from an unusually large black carp or grass carp underwater; Cheng Yijiu couldn't tell. The fish seemed two or three meters long, a monster among freshwater fish. Jiangnan didn't have the likes of the Mekong giant carp or arapaima, so a two- or three-meter-long black carp was already an exaggeration; a normal fish definitely wouldn't grow that large.

Cheng Yijiu saw a horse, but at first he didn't recognize it—it had black and white stripes on its body, resembling tiger stripes. It was also much larger than an average horse, perhaps taller at the shoulder than Yao Ming. "Is this a giant horse?" Cheng Yijiu wasn't sure, as he had never seen a horse with a horn growing from its forehead. Furthermore, a closer look through the telescope revealed that the paws of the horse drinking water weren't hooves at all, but animal claws.

Looking more closely, the so-called horse's mouth cleft is actually quite deep. If it were to open its mouth, it could open wide, like a long-faced creature like a wolf. Now, as it lapped the water in small sips, Cheng Yijiu could see its fangs protruding from its lips. "What is this? I remember seeing it once before. It wasn't that big then. Maybe it was one of those 'Bo's' from the Classic of Mountains and Seas? If it were this size, it could probably take on a normal tiger or leopard."

The weight difference was too great. Not to mention the length of its head, its weight alone was more than double that of a tiger. This beast must have weighed at least a ton and a half. Unless the tiger had also mutated, it was definitely no match. "This thing must be some kind of monster that looks a bit like a horse, but it can't be a hyaenodon, right?" Cheng Yijiu had already penetrated deep into the forest, where no one had been before.

So far, he hadn't been attacked, and Arudimurra let out a low roar, calling out to Cheng Yijiu. "The scent of a leopard," the massive scorpion lion whispered. Cheng Yijiu had also spotted it, though not by smell, but by sight—he saw claw marks stained with dirt on the tree trunk. The leopard must have used the branches for leverage to leap, and there were also traces of hair hanging from the branches...

Cheng Yijiu found two landing spots. "Oh, this is incredible... Look at these two landing spots. The horizontal distance is over fifteen meters, and the vertical difference between the take-off point and the landing point is over four meters." This far exceeds the leaping ability of a normal leopard. It's undoubtedly a mutant monster. And as far as Cheng Yijiu knows, the mutant leopard is not the man-eating one. If there is a second mutant... Judging from this range, it would have to be a male and a female.

Otherwise, they would have fought long ago.

Humans have a sixth sense, and most wild animals, especially mutated ones, probably have it too. I just don't know if this leopard will run away after sensing danger - after all, the scorpion lion is really strong.

This time, Cheng Yijiu used video to record the situation. He captured fluorescent fruits that looked like snakeberries, as well as many plants he had never seen before. What surprised Cheng Yijiu the most was the discovery of a large clump of aloe vera. "Maybe it's aloe vera? Do they grow wild here? The problem is, they're too big, and the leaves are so curled up..."

Then there were the moving vines. They only began to move when the scorpion lion's claws touched them—not very fast, like a clumsy snake. Cheng Yijiu even had time to squat down and observe them carefully. "Is this vine an animal or a plant? There are suction cups on the skin. Could this thing be a terrestrial cephalopod mollusk?" As expected, one can encounter all sorts of bizarre things if one lives long enough.

Following the vine's upper end, Cheng Yijiu avoided contact with other vines and quickly found the core of the vine - it looked like some kind of carnivorous plant, with two large leaves and sturdy woody teeth on the edges. The moment it opened and closed, it was clear that this thing was an oversized Venus flytrap. There were also scattered white bones on the ground, which looked like they belonged to deer and pigs. "What's the digestive ability of this thing? I think it should contain a powerful biological anesthetic."

Cheng Yijiu looked at the thorns on the inside of the leaves and the suckers on the vines, drawing a conclusion while the video continued to record. He drew his knife and cut through the wrist-thick vine with one stroke. "It's hard to understand. How can this thing move when it's all woody?" Cheng Yijiu looked at the cross-section. "Oh, it's not woody, but like tough rubber. Is this muscle? It's getting harder and harder to tell if this is animal or plant. Let those experts go bald!"

Cheng Yijiu gestured for the scorpion lion to move along. The leopard moved nimbly through the gaps in the vines, not disturbing the carnivorous vines at all. "We must catch that guy today." Cheng Yijiu's lion skin offered no protection in this place, as it glowed naturally. The shimmering golden skin fully displayed the majesty of the God of Light's chosen one.

Fortunately, cats' color discrimination is far inferior to humans', and they are considered semi-color blind. Therefore, even if Cheng Yijiu, a golden-skinned creature, walked in the forest, he would not be recognized by the big cats from a distance. Cheng Yijiu raised the telescope and patted the manticore. "Ahead... 1580 meters. This thing's ranging function seems to have a very small error." Arudimuara also turned in the same direction, and the huge monster carefully crouched down.

Cheng Yijiu stretched his arms and legs, "Are you ready? Say hello first!"

Chapter 21

Cheng Yijiu raised his rifle—the enhanced Magnum rounds, coupled with a heavy bullet, were still accurate and lethal even at this distance. However, at such a long range, Cheng Yijiu had to aim carefully and account for wind drift. "I think this guy can probably dodge this bullet... Even though it's still faster than the speed of sound, I think his intuition must be quite impressive."

As he spoke, Cheng Yijiu fine-tuned the white light sight. In fact, shooting at this distance was almost a matter of intuition - at least for Cheng Yijiu.

Cheng Yijiu pulled the trigger. No carbon-based creature on land could withstand a .300 Winchester Magnum round. The gunshot was resounding, but the bullet had already reached the leopard before it could hear it. It took a little over a second to cross that 15-kilometer mark. Cheng Yijiu had been observing the leopard through the scope. As he pulled the trigger, the monster moved.

"Sure enough..." Cheng Yijiu muttered. It seemed that long-range weapons were only effective at very close range or when used with shotgun shells. This leopard had probably awakened a sixth sense, or a semi-predictive ability for malicious attacks, possibly a passive skill. "That's really good." Cheng Yijiu watched as the bullet struck the branch the leopard had been resting on, striking the thick branch so hard it threatened to break.

The leopard roared, leaped from the tree, and, slashing its claws and fangs in the direction of the bullet, ran away. "Chase!" Cheng Yijiu leaped onto Arudimu'la. The scorpion lion soared into the sky, whipping up a fierce wind and chasing the leopard in the direction it had fled. Both Cheng Yijiu and Arudimu'la stared at the leopard's figure—the scorpion lion's vision was completely different from that of a lion, with the same color resolution as humans.

A manticore's vision rivals that of an eagle, and it can even see ultraviolet fluorescence, something humans would need glasses to see. Cheng Yijiu's vision is also extremely sharp, so they all kept a close eye on the leopard moving at high speed. "It's really fast. This is just running, not fighting. It's already comparable to a cheetah—a cheetah can only maintain this speed for a few seconds, but this monster has been moving for several minutes."

This proved that the leopard's physical fitness had also undergone a mutation, with significant changes in its blood oxygen exchange capacity, muscle strength, and lactic acid elimination capabilities. Naturally, it also had that instant reaction ability—otherwise, this leopard would have either crashed into a tree or sprained its ankle. The fact that it was now completely normal only proved that its nervous system had evolved significantly. The pursuit in the sky kept the leopard running—the terrain here was simple and rich in animal resources, but this also meant that escaping from a high position was impossible.

No matter how mutated they are, cats have their limits. They can't chase for long distances like dogs. After a chase of over 40 kilometers, the leopard collapsed to the ground—after having previously tried various methods to evade the manticore from the sky. First, it changed direction, but finding that didn't work, then it tried diving—even going against its natural aversion to water and jumping into the lake...

But it was no use. The scorpion lion and Cheng Yijiu, who were circling at a higher altitude, didn't give the leopard any chance at all.

The leopard couldn't run far by diving, so in the end it had to jump onto the shore and continue to escape - after all, there were many dangerous creatures in the lake.

This was the final result. After exhausting its strength, it fell to the ground and could not move. The scorpion lion fell to the ground with a strong gust of wind. Cheng Yijiu jumped down with a pistol and a dagger in his hands. He looked at the leopard lying on the ground in front of him, his chest and abdomen heaving rapidly as he tried to breathe. This guy was bigger now, comparable to the South China tiger. What Cheng Yijiu could be sure of was that this leopard had eaten that unlucky guy before.

"There's no signal here, but that's okay." Cheng Yijiu removed the specially made rope from Arudimuara and, without a trace of fear, walked up to the leopard and roughly began to tie it up. If the animal was stupid enough to resist, Cheng Yijiu decided to strangle it. Although the leopard was mutated, it was definitely not as strong as the lion. At this distance, Cheng Yijiu was confident that he could kill the mutant animal.

The leopard did show its ears when Cheng Yijiu approached, but after seeing the lion skin on his body and smelling the scent of the lion skin, the ears did not stand up, nor did it resist, and its belly was clearly exposed... Cheng Yijiu tied it up and hung it directly on the fixed hook on the back of the scorpion lion. "Let's go, we're sending back a wanted criminal alive. I think this guy will spend the rest of his life in an indoor iron cage."

It won't be killed easily, because this is a precious mutant protected animal. A lot of information about mutant creatures can be collected from this leopard, and perhaps the patterns of mutation can be discovered. This place is no longer a forest, but a reed and shrub area by the water. Cheng Yijiu looked at the lake not far away - it stretched all the way to the horizon with the lake and sky. But standing here and looking at the water, Cheng Yijiu felt a bit creepy.

"Let's go. This place doesn't feel very good." Cheng Yijiu didn't plan to leave on foot this time. Instead, he asked Arudimula to take him up into the sky. Looking down from the sky, Cheng Yijiu saw a shadow in the lake, about twenty meters away from where he had been standing before. The shadow was more than twenty meters long. "Maybe it's a mutant crocodile? How deep is the water here?"

Judging from the color of the lake water, there seems to be a very obvious sinking in this place, from one to two meters near the shore to about twenty to thirty meters.

The scorpion lion quickly turned and flew away, but the shadow remained motionless. Cheng Yijiu knew very well that this was a huge creature, 100% mutated, but whether it was the Lord of Taihu Lake was hard to say...

This time, the Scorpion Lion flew over Cheng Yijiu's base—the car had to be left in the parking lot and then driven back. With its wings spread, the Scorpion Lion flew directly to the nearly completed station. Cheng Yijiu took out his radio and contacted the department, "We've captured the man-eating leopard on the wanted list. Please arrange for a special cage to hold it." Almost all the staff at the station came out to see the Scorpion Lion. Of course, the special cage was already prepared. It was made of alloy and had a self-propelled roller device underneath, which could move according to remote control.

-------------Chapter Dividing Line---------------

The leopard was stuffed in, and it would probably have no worries about food and drink in the future, and Cheng Yijiu received a large bonus - but his former leader Liu looked at the lion skin on Cheng Yijiu curiously, "Where did you get this thing? It's obviously not artificial imitation fur with a fake lion head." Cheng Yijiu said "um" and "ah" for a long time without saying anything. After signing, he was about to run away.

"Hey! Wait, do you want a wife?" Old Liu shouted. Cheng Yijiu slowed down his pace. "It's no use taking her. I can't take her to live in those fortresses, right?" Cheng Yijiu spread his hands and said, "Unless they become unmanned in the future, and people like us become mobile team members, then maybe it's okay."

The scorpion lion was lying in the square near the station. After Cheng Yijiu finished talking to Lao Liu, he didn't rush back. Instead, he looked at the station, which had been completed and was undergoing interior decoration. Previously, they had built as much as they could, so one-third of the station was already in use, and he had just visited the ancillary buildings. Now that the starfish-shaped building was completely completed, it would probably take about a month for it to realize its full functions.

"This thing is like a small city," Cheng Yijiu muttered, looking at the station brochure Lao Liu had given him. This thick brochure was for staff, while tourists had a thinner one. This building was truly a small city, with hotels and dormitories. The staff didn't even have to commute. There was even an indoor museum displaying replicas of mutant creatures.

Of course, there are also various souvenirs for sale, and you can even take a ride in a specially designed armored vehicle through the "safe" jungle—of course, this is a long-term plan; the current plan is to serve as a forward base, providing logistics and monetization for the upcoming "expedition" system. Cheng Yijiu and his colleagues are civil servants, monitoring each fortress, and the actual dynamic maintenance of the explored jungle is outsourced to these expeditions.

Of course, the expedition teams were primarily formed by cooperative enterprises, but there were also privately registered expedition teams, all of which were under the management of the Administration. The Administration's elite mobile forces provided a backup plan, but Cheng Yijiu didn't join them. National government departments had their own trained personnel, and their expertise was far greater than Cheng Yijiu's. At least the powered exoskeletons worn by these mobile team members were highly advanced.

Most team members at least had a power-assisted exoskeleton, which greatly enhanced their physical strength and stamina, allowing them to carry more supplies and weapons, and also equipped themselves with stronger bulletproof and stab-proof vests. Cheng Yijiu had even seen an even more powerful powered armor, equivalent to a canned food with arms and legs, about three meters tall. Its defense and firepower far surpassed those of mere powered exoskeleton infantry...

Their power source, of course, was high-energy batteries. Technology, unearthed from nowhere, had enabled China to overcome the production issues of so-called lithium-sulfur batteries, and even lithium-air batteries could be produced in small batches in laboratories. These were primarily distributed to the armed forces, as they also reportedly made significant breakthroughs in strong magnetic and high-temperature superconducting materials, meaning electromagnetic guns could be shrunk to the size of those used in power armor.

Cheng Yijiu didn't think that even a mutant crocodile that was more than 20 meters long could withstand the attack of an electromagnetic cannon shell. Even if the caliber of this electromagnetic cannon was only 20 mm or even smaller, it would definitely be shattered if hit.

The problem is not firepower, but the elusiveness of those mutant creatures, such as the human-faced owl, which is now number one on the wanted list.

This large owl had been identified because it had carried out several attacks, preying on livestock belonging to nearby farmers. Its form was thus captured on high-definition camera footage—a mutated, enlarged eagle owl. However, this eagle owl had clearly undergone a mutation that wasn't entirely excessive. For example, its head began to resemble a human/raptor fusion.

It's unknown if it has any other abilities, but its current state is already dangerous—this monster's flight is nearly silent, its wings, inspired by the eagle owl, perfectly regulating the airflow, minimizing the noise of its flight. This monster is also a man-eating creature, first discovered after attacking a farmer—and to this day, the poor victim's body has never been found.

The frequency of this mutated eagle owl's attacks is unknown, and its range is quite large. Fortunately, perhaps due to the monster's nature, it attacks more often at night than during the day. Therefore, this monster is currently merely a nuisance, not a threat. Cheng Yijiu believes he will definitely destroy it if given the chance. So far, only common mutants have appeared in Taihu Lake, while more troublesome and terrifying creatures are unlikely to appear for a while.

But these monsters are bound to reappear, and dealing with them will be incredibly difficult. After sitting for a while, Cheng Yijiu bought a large batch of supplies at the station's supermarket, then took the Arudimurra back to the fortress and flew back to retrieve his six-wheeled armored vehicle. After another week, it would be time for a rotation, and Cheng Yijiu would return to his home in the Magic City, where his parents were still there, for a two-month break—his work schedule was similar to that of a sailor.

His parents were about to give up on him seriously finding a wife, and Cheng Yijiu didn't care about that either. It wasn't like he was short of women. He'd have sex with them during missions, and in real life... finding someone they could talk to and comfort each other with wouldn't be too difficult. At least Bai Jie looked promising. Cheng Yijiu figured if he flirted with her a little more, maybe they could develop into someone they could both enjoy.

As for finding a wife, he has quite a few secrets and has never given it much thought.

His new mission was coming up soon, and he had no idea what year this one would be in. His shop was definitely failing—it hadn't been open for two months, and some of the items were about to expire. Luckily, the young woman had been using messaging apps, so it wasn't a big deal. He pulled back the shutters and opened the back door to air out the stale smell. Cheng Yijiu called in a recycling company to sell off all the shelves and other items in the shop.

He was planning to rearrange the empty first floor, but he hadn't decided what layout to use yet. There was no way the Scorpion Lion would follow him back to the city, so it was staying in the anomalous beast settlement near the station. Currently, it was the only one there, eating and drinking for free while being studied...

Volume: New Volume

Chapter One

After returning home, Cheng Yijiu naturally chatted with the young woman, Bai Jie. He simply gave her all the dog food and other pet supplies in the store that hadn't expired. Since his store was completely bankrupt, it made sense to recycle it. The first floor, originally used as a shop, would be renovated. The roller shutter door and the original front door would be removed and replaced with a single door. As for the interior, it could be turned into a hall.

The young woman's husband was a businessman who was often away from home—or rather, he was away during the day and came home very late. Cheng Yijiu was almost certain he had a mistress, and possibly even a fourth or fifth... Cheng Yijiu had seen it when he saw the couple go for a rare walk together. He didn't look like a good person, and Cheng Yijiu had actually seen him in and out of hotels elsewhere.

But he is also a thief...

Cheng Yijiu estimated that with just a little more effort, he could take down the young woman, but unfortunately, the mission was about to begin again.

This damned mission had struck Cheng Yijiu as familiar the moment it appeared—another medieval-style journey. He'd tried several times, but nothing with integrated ammunition would work; flintlocks had to be loaded with gunpowder and lead bullets separately. Even flintlocks were problematic, and only matchlocks were allowed—only small flintlocks. Naturally, firearms were out of the question.

He'd tried granular gunpowder, but it didn't work. However, cold weapons were perfectly acceptable—aside from the issue of size, crossbows were almost universally superior to firearms. "I definitely need to bring the lion skin this time, but I don't think I'll need any other armor—it'll be much easier that way." He was allowed to make the mistake with food and medicine, at least compressed biscuits and canned goods were allowed, and he could also bring common medications.

Cheng Yijiu still carried the cold iron demon-smashing greatsword "Soul Shatter," but forgot the Demon-Smashing Spear. Instead, he had a crossbow—a capstan-loaded crossbow with a steel-tipped arrow, powerful enough to penetrate armor at close range. "This time, the target is a question mark... What the hell!" Cheng Yijiu felt that only when he arrived at the location could he be sure of the target.

"Wouldn't the lion skin be too conspicuous?" Cheng Yijiu was a little unsure, but compared to the blessed chain mail, lion skin was much more comfortable, warmer, and had even greater defensive power. So, "The Lion Knight is about to appear again." Cheng Yijiu was speechless. After checking everything, he put on his high-top leather boots that protected his ankles—interestingly, these shoes were allowed to be worn.

He had no zippers or snaps on his body, but he did have buttons, but they were all made of bones. Cheng Yijiu, wearing a lion skin, pushed open the door directly, and a barren land appeared in front of him. "A canyon in the mountains, what kind of place is this? The Black Forest?" Indeed, the trees in this place grew twisted, and the leaves had fallen off. The branches looked like ghost claws, and when the wind blew, there was a weird howling sound. Cheng Yijiu knew that it was the sound of wind blowing through the narrow gap, but it was still creepy.

This place is full of high mountains and dense forests. It doesn't look like a kind place at first glance. Cheng Yijiu was standing on a simple dirt road. One could even see wheel tracks on the road. "The wheel tracks of a horse-drawn carriage. If it were a four-wheeled cart, it should be Europe." Because this car can turn, Cheng Yijiu knew from the wheel tracks that he must have come to Europe - or a place with a background setting that looks like Europe.

Now he didn't know what to kill for the time being - no, it's already out, "Vampire bat? Do I need to hunt this kind of thing? It must be at least as big as a human..." Cheng Yijiu wondered if this was some kind of extinct or mutated super-large vampire bat, otherwise there would be no need for him, an old hunter, to take action.

"Ah, there's a convoy." After walking a few kilometers along the road, Cheng Yijiu spotted six carriages gathered on a flat stretch of roadside ground, forming a small camp. A fire was lit in the middle, presumably for the people to rest. "It's getting late, after all." In this world, even mechanical watches couldn't be used, so Cheng Yijiu could only estimate it was around five in the afternoon. As he approached the camp, someone shouted—a phrase Cheng Yijiu discovered he actually understood.

"Hey! Who's that over there?! Don't come any closer! Or I'll shoot you!" someone shouted between the carts. Cheng Yijiu shouted, "I'm alone. I'm just an ordinary swordsman. Okay, okay, I won't get any closer." Cheng Yijiu wasn't afraid of the other party shooting arrows, but there was no need to make such a fuss. He was wearing a lion skin, so he didn't feel cold.

Cheng Yijiu didn't enter the enemy's circle. He rested on the side near the woods - there were several large rocks there that formed a windbreak. Cheng Yijiu felled a large tree, dragged it here and chopped it into pieces. He used gunpowder to ignite the dry leaves and branches, and then started a fire. Since it was only overnight, Cheng Yijiu didn't dig a pit to burn wood, and of course there was no furnace wall to block the heat reflection. The fire was close to the windbreak.

It’s okay if it’s not very efficient.

Cheng Yijiu, propped up by a lion skin—which was impervious to fire, water, and even gunfire, and even dirt, he could not stain—sat on a rock, warming his hands by the fire, roasting his rations and boiling water. He also listened to the people's conversations, but unfortunately, there was no valuable information—he knew too little about this world. Many of the nouns they spoke were indistinguishable from names of people or places.

The relationship between the characters was unclear, and the location was not clear. After a long time, Cheng Yijiu could only confirm one thing - that is, what they were talking about seemed to involve the complicated love affairs between two or three nobles and their ladies.

After eating and drinking his fill, Cheng Yijiu wrapped himself in the lion skin and leaned against a rock, ready to sleep. "I hope nothing happens tonight..." Remirete glanced over there. It was hard to say who these caravans were, and there was no telling if they would turn into bandits if they encountered a lone traveler. One could only hope they were sharp enough not to attack Cheng Yijiu.

A guy like Cheng Yijiu was already considered a strangely dressed person. Not just anyone would wander around in the wild wearing a lion skin, not to mention that this guy was carrying a gleaming sword. Cheng Yijiu looked more like a dangerous thief...

Chapter two

The night passed uneventfully. The flames warmed the surroundings, and since the shelter from the wind kept the temperature, including the ground, just right, Cheng Yijiu slept soundly. When he awoke, the convoy had already departed. Cheng Yijiu had brought waterless tooth cleaning powder—like most medicines, it was timeless. After rinsing his mouth, Cheng Yijiu tossed a few pieces of wood into the ashes.

The flames started up again, and he took out the food and started heating it up, preparing to have breakfast before hitting the road again.