Chapter 24 - Hunting

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  Lin Hua, as the object of Gu Xuan’s gaze, of course, noticed and couldn’t help but feel goosebumps all over the surface of her skin.

  Unsure of why Gu Xuan was staring at her that way, she opened her mouth to ask, “Is there something wrong with what I’ve said, Brother Gu?”

  Gu Xuan then realized that his gaze wasn’t very respectful so he turned his head away, “No, there’s no problem. Can we go inside now?”

  Since Gu Xuan didn’t say anything more, Lin Hua didn’t inquire further and nodded in agreement walking to the back of the line while holding the hand of her brother, Lin Heng.

  Gu Xuan followed closely behind them.

  As they reached the back of the line, Lin Hua turned her head to ask, “It’s Brother Gu’s first time in the Blue Cloud City right? Why don’t we show you around?”

  “You’re already paying for me to enter the city but you’d also show me around? Haven’t I caused you enough trouble?” Gu Xuan asked in concern, after all, Lin Hua and Lin Heng don’t look very wealthy to have the time to do all that. If they showed him around, wouldn’t he be taking their precious time where they could be making money instead?

  This time, it was Lin Heng who answered with a slightly depressed tone, “Big brother, we didn’t catch meat in the forest to sell as meat skewers, so even if we wanted to sell, we can’t sell any.”

  Lin Hua followed with a sigh, “Exactly, so we have time to show Brother Gu around the city today, we’ll go back tomorrow by day to set traps and hunt for meat.”

  “Is that so? What do you usually hunt in the forest?” Gu Xuan asked in curiosity, although he had lived in the forest before, he mostly fished for food and didn’t hunt for wild game since it had a stench.

  He wasn’t a professional and didn’t think it was necessary to learn at that moment since he was training but now, if they were hunting, he can take the lead in hunting and ask them for some tips.

  Lin Hua tilted her head in confusion for a bit by the sudden question but answered anyway, “We usually hunt for wild chicken, occasionally, we encounter wild boars so we earn more from selling boar hide that could be made to a low quality armor.”

  Gu Xuan nodded in understanding and observed the line to the city, it was still quite far off considering the amount of people lining up, he estimates that it’ll still be an hour before it’ll be their turn so he offered, “If you’d like, why don’t I help you hunt now?”

  Lin Hua’s eyes widened, of course, it was welcomed but seeing the sun in the sky, she shook her head, “It’s already near noon, if we go to the forest right now, it’ll be nightfall before we get back, it’s dangerous in the dark.”

  “It’s fine, it’s fine. I’ll ensure that we can come back in an hour or two.”

  Lin Hua was confused as to how that would happen but without allowing her to speak, Gu Xuan instructed, “Sister Lin, carry Lin heng.”

  Lin Hua was still confused but followed as instructed.

  “And then?”

  “Ah!” Lin Hua suddenly shouted in fright due to Gu Xuan carrying her and Lin Heng on his arms.

  She turned her head to face Gu Xuan and couldn’t help but ask in embarrassment, “Brother Gu, what are you doing? Put me down.”

  Gu Xuan just smiled and ignored her plea and asked, “Where’s the direction of the forest you usually hunt at?”

  Lin Hua was still a little embarrassed but Lin Heng was enthusiastically excited so he pointed, “It’s the opposite direction of the gate, big brother!”

  “Got it! Hold on tight!” Gu Xuan’s body immediately emitted a faint blue light throughout his body before disappearing from the spot soundless as if he, Lin Hua, and Lin Heng never existed.

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  The onlookers looked at Gu Xuan, Lin Hua, and Lin Heng’s original location dumbfoundedly and wondered if they were seeing things correctly and rubbed their eyes twice.

  One of them asked the other, “You saw a young man, a young girl, and a little boy there right?”

  “Yeah…”

  They then began to talk among themselves about what have just happened. Meanwhile Gu Xuan was moving at high-speed using the Silent Step Footwork in order to not attract too much attention.

  It was normal that they seemed like ghosts to the onlookers who were simply ordinary mortals. Even skilled martial artists, their eyes would hardly be able to keep up, let alone a cultivator who has proficient use of inner qi like Gu Xuan.

  Gu Xuan had a smile on his face, meanwhile Lin Hua looked at the surroundings that were constantly changing with every step that Gu Xuan took.

  Lin Hua was very shocked in her heart as she observed Gu Xuan’s face, ‘This… Brother Gu, who exactly are you? Even martial masters wouldn’t be able to do things like this.’

  Lin Hua decided not to think further as she hugged Gu Xuan’s neck tighter with one hand, and hugged Lin Heng with the other tighter, afraid of them falling off at the high-speed movement.

  Meanwhile, Lin Heng, as if he had a new toy, cheered, “Big brother! You move so fast! Can you move faster?!”

  Seeing that Lin Heng was acting like he was just riding on a roller coaster instead of being scared stiff, Gu Xuan chuckled and nodded, “Of course, just hold on tighter, we’ll arrive in the forest in a minute.”

  Within a minute, as Gu Xuan stated, they had reached the forest, but unlike before where he was running on flat ground, right now, he was traversing through tree branches in great familiarity.

  The forest was basically Gu Xuan’s backyard, just because the forest is a bit unfamiliar doesn’t mean he won’t be able to move at the same pace. If he couldn’t even do such a thing in a similar environment, wouldn’t his training be in vain?

  Gu Xuan, as a cultivator and an expert who had lived in the forest for an entire year, his senses were far above that of ordinary people or hunters. He could spot a wild boar from afar, so he went down in front of the boar and asked, “Is that it?”

  This question was for Lin Hua who had her eyes closed during the high-speed movement.

  Lin Hua, who felt that Gu Xuan was no longer moving, opened her eyes and as she laid eyes on the wild boar, she nodded in a way that hasn’t yet processed what’s happening and instead nodded instinctively.

  Confirming that the boar he saw was indeed what they usually hunted, Gu Xuan turned his attention towards the wild boar.

  The wild boar breathed heavily and angrily through its nose and rushed to Gu Xuan who had invaded its sight.

  Lin Hua’s mind cleared by the detection of the sudden danger and warned, “Brother Gu! Watch out!”

  Lin Heng looked at the boar in fear as he held onto Gu Xuan’s robes tightly.

  Since they were both still in his arms, he couldn’t use his hands to attack.

  As the wild boar dashed towards them, Gu Xuan jumped forward for his foot to be at the same level as the boar’s face and then kicked hard.

  Crack!

  As soon as the boar’s face made contact with Gu Xuan’s foot, its skull cracked as it was sent flying into a tree several meters away.

  Due to the amount of force that Gu Xuan used, the wild boar crashed into the tree and as it did, it wailed in pain, “Eeeek!”

  But it was only for a moment before its eyes rolled up into the back and it lost consciousness, falling to the ground on its side.

  Lin Hua looked at the wild boar that was sent crashing into a tree several meters away in shock. She expected that Gu Xuan was a martial artist but she didn’t expect that he was strong to this degree.

  Most of the martial artists that she knew in the past couldn’t compare to Gu Xuan. With one kick, while carrying her and Lin Heng, he was able to send a wild boar, judging by its size, about 50 kg in weight away with one kick.

  Meanwhile Lin Heng, who saw that the wild boar he feared so much had died, cheered, “Big brother! You’re so strong!”

  “Well, I’m pretty good.” Gu Xuan replied humbly, it’s actually what he thinks. He’s at most, pretty good, not good.

  After saying as such, he put Lin Hua down, and Lin Hua put Lin Heng down herself.

  Lin Hua looked at Gu Xuan incredulously, and muttered as she remembered, “Recluse sect… a hidden sect.”

  Gu Xuan, who had sharp hearing, heard this and then looked at her in more interest, “You’re from a fallen family, aren’t you?”

  Lin Hua turned to Gu Xuan warily, and walked in front of Lin Heng with the intention to defend her even if the person before her was a great martial artist. “Who sent you?”

  Gu Xuan shook his head, “I guessed it. Your earlier analysis about why the city doesn’t deal with the wolven society. Ordinary people from ordinary families don’t know so much.”

  Gu Xuan then explained whilst looking her in the eyes, “Do you think that an ordinary person would be able to deduce why the city wasn’t making a move on them? No, they’d be dissatisfied with the city for not being able to deal with them and even suspect them of colluding.”

  Gu Xuan then ruffled her hair with a smile, “You’re very careful, but not careful enough. You shouldn’t make such an analysis in front of others in the future if you’re hiding it because if they even have a slight understanding of the art of war, they’d be able to guess that you’re from a family of similar standing. However, if you’re just talented, your answer to my question should be to act confused, not to ask ‘Who sent you?’.”

  Hearing Gu Xuan’s gentle reminder, and feeling his hand brushing through her hair, she couldn’t help but let her guard down and blush as she replied, “I see, thank you for your reminder, Brother Gu.”

  “No problem, you’re the first person I conversed with outside the sect and I’m surprised that the first person has heard of hidden sects. Your family must be quite high-ranked before it’s fallen to the point that the young mistress and young master has been reduced to the level of a peasant who needs to hunt and sell to make a living.”

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