Youth must be seized early; one cannot remain forever young. Chapter 124: Narrowly Escaping Disaster

Fortunately, the return journey was uneventful.

Seeing the bustling market not far ahead, both of them couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.

Escaping this ordeal without encountering danger was the best outcome of their beast-hunting expedition.

“Once we’re back in the market, I can finally relax,” Bai Qingzhou exhaled softly, feeling the weight lift from his shoulders.

Wei Jun stretched lazily and yawned, “This trip to the demon beast forest has exhausted me. I definitely need a good rest once we get back!”

“Oh, Brother Wei,” Bai Qingzhou said, reaching into his Storage Pouch to pull out several spirit stones and handing them over. “Here are ten spirit stones. Consider it your share for accompanying me on this journey.”

Hearing this, Wei Jun immediately dropped his stretch and waved his hands vehemently. “No, no! I only joined you to repay a favor. I can’t accept money for that!”

“Why not? It’s thanks to you that we managed to slay two advanced first-rank demon beasts without a scratch. Otherwise, I don’t even know how many talismans I would have needed. Giving you spirit stones is only fair.”

“No, no, no! It’s all your credit. I was just lending a hand. I don’t deserve any spirit stones. If we go again next time, we can talk about a share then!”

Suddenly, Wei Jun leapt from his Immortal Wind Eagle, soaring into the sky. He summoned his flying artifact and lightly stepped onto it. “Brother Bai, I’m off first!”

Without waiting for a reply, he sped away on his artifact.

Bai Qingzhou watched Wei Jun’s retreating figure, then looked down at the ten spirit stones in his hand and shook his head with a helpless smile.

Now he understood why Wei Jun was often short on money, sometimes even unable to pay his way...

It was because of this kind-hearted nature.

Bai Qingzhou smiled softly, pocketed the spirit stones, and then guided his spirit vessel slowly toward the market.

Within a few breaths, he arrived at the market entrance, stowed away his artifact, and headed toward the Fine Clothing Shop.

In Shuiying Market and Luogu Market, Bai Qingzhou was somewhat known, so many people greeted him as he walked the streets. But in Huoying Market, where he kept a low profile, no one recognized him, and he passed unnoticed.

He was perfectly content with this freedom, his steps light and unhurried.

Soon, he reached the shop’s entrance.

“Brother Bai, you’re back!” came a voice as soon as he arrived.

Meng Li, sitting behind the counter, quickly stepped out.

She circled Bai Qingzhou, her eyes scanning him carefully.

Bai Qingzhou laughed with a hint of embarrassment. “Junior sister, what are you doing?”

Seeing no visible injuries, Meng Li exhaled deeply and asked, “Brother Bai, you weren’t hurt, right?”

“Ha!” Bai Qingzhou waved his hand as he entered the shop. “Thanks to Brother Wei’s help, I came through unscathed. Haha, he was the one who got bumped by a demon beast…”

Seeing Bai Qingzhou so cheerful, Meng Li relaxed and followed his steps, asking, “So, Brother Bai, did you find the Plum Moon Deer?”

Bai Qingzhou thought for a moment, then pulled out the animal hide from his Storage Pouch and handed it to her. “Here it is, all gathered.”

Meng Li’s face lit up with joy, teasing, “Thank you for your hard work, Brother Bai.”

Her smile faded slightly, and she spoke seriously, “But Brother Bai, you really should avoid the demon beast forest. It’s far too dangerous…”

Meng Li’s words reminded Bai Qingzhou of the second-rank demon beast they had encountered, its roar still echoing in his ears. He nodded in agreement. “Indeed. It’s best to stay away from the forest for the time being.”

“That’s good to hear.” Seeing him take her advice, Meng Li nodded with satisfaction, tilting her head. “Then Brother Bai, let’s go out for a good meal tonight to celebrate your safe return!”

“Ha, that’s only right,” Bai Qingzhou agreed happily. Then, glancing at his dusty and worn appearance, he added, “I’ll go back to the courtyard to wash up first, then come find you later.”

“Alright! I’ll be waiting for you at the shop,” Meng Li replied with a bright smile.

With that, Bai Qingzhou left the shop and headed left along the street.

The Fine Clothing Shop had only one room, where Meng Li lived alone, so shortly after Bai Qingzhou’s return, he rented a small courtyard not far from the shop.

The courtyard was modest, with just two rooms and a monthly rent of one spirit stone.

In less than the time it takes for incense to burn, Bai Qingzhou arrived at the courtyard.

He closed the gate, sat at the table, and began examining the spoils from the demon beast forest.

Laying everything out in the courtyard, Bai Qingzhou studied the items carefully, calculating their value in his mind.

After a moment, he muttered, “Besides the Plum Moon Deer hide, we only made a profit of a dozen or so spirit stones…”

He shook his head in resignation.

If it weren’t for the sudden appearance of that second-rank demon beast, he and Wei Jun could have hunted many more beasts and earned at least several dozen spirit stones.

But the demon beast had appeared unexpectedly…

“Well, escaping with our lives is already a blessing. No need to push for more,” Bai Qingzhou dismissed the thought and stood up.

He began preparing fresh water to wash himself.

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Two days passed like this.

After encountering the second-rank demon beast, Bai Qingzhou settled down and never mentioned hunting beasts again.

But on the third day, he learned a shocking piece of news that saved his life!

Just two days after he and Wei Jun returned, a riot broke out in the demon beast forest—a sudden surge of over a dozen second-rank demon beasts stampeded out, crushing dozens of cultivators who were hunting there that day to death on the spot!

Only a few sharp-witted cultivators managed to escape and report the incident back to the market.

The news caused an uproar. Even the Foundation Establishment cultivators stationed nearby urgently called for reinforcements to investigate the demon beast forest.

While waiting for support to arrive, the rampaging second-rank demon beasts charged toward Huoying Market!

This terrified the cultivators in the market, many of whom planned to flee with their families.

But then, inexplicably, the rampaging demon beasts suddenly retreated back into the forest and never appeared again.

This left everyone baffled, leading to wild speculation.

But seeing the market was still relatively safe, most people remained, though still wary.

The incident caught the attention of the Infinite Alliance. Various sects convened to study the matter and eventually sent Foundation Establishment teams to explore the demon beast forest.

Bai Qingzhou, however, wasn’t very clear on the details. After hearing that the demon beast riot had subsided, his life gradually returned to normal, and the market grew peaceful once more…

(The End)