Competition

When Su Ling left the Hunter's Lodge, Kai walked up to the receptionist's desk. There was barely anyone at the counter when considering how full the place was.

Kai waited patiently in line for his turn.

"Ah, you're back. One of your companions delivered your map, so your contribution points have already been recorded. You now have 312 contribution points saved. Would you like to exchange them for coins?". Said the receptionist with a smile.

"No, please keep them as is, I will be heading out tomorrow so I'll get the map in the morning. Thank you". Kai was happy since his contributions points increased by over 200 in one go.

"I still need 9700 points to exchange for basic alchemy knowledge, but I guess I can just take it one step at a time. If I keep killing beasts and exploring the wilds, I'll eventually have enough points".

Kai also asked the receptionist how many points the [Fungus-Ape] kill netted them and was surprised to hear that they got 50 contribution points for it. It was split three ways since Su Ling and Su Fang assisted in killing it, but it was still a substantial amount.

"For now I'll focus on grinding a lot of the weak mob to get fast Qi, but after I max out my Internal cultivation, I'll focus on [Grade-2] or higher beasts for maximum contributions!"

Kai made up his mind and was eager to go back to the Eastern Swamp, but the sun was about to set, so he decided to go in the morning. He had also paid the room fee so it would be a waste to not sleep there.

Kai walked back to the Inn in a good mood. Things were finally looking up for him after those initial setbacks. He was steadily gaining cultivation levels at a pace that would make geniuses in those large sects green with envy.

Kai arrived at the Inn at dusk with a beautiful orange glow falling over the landscape. Kai took a moment to take in the fact that he was living his fantasy dream. Seeing the occasional weird magical pet floating by its master's sides as well as shops selling body enhancement pills, weapons, and defensive gear made Kai giddy with glee.

"Once I make enough money, I need to properly check these places out. I've been avoiding them all this time because I've done enough window shipping in my previous life to know that it only depresses me"

"But now things are different. I have a sure way to make lots of money quickly while getting stronger."

Kai arrived at the Inn in a happy mood and went straight to the dining hall. He splurged 10 copper to get the special of the day which was a juicy roast chicken-duck. Kai enjoyed every savory bite until he was satisfied.

Kai almost wanted to cry. "That was the best meal I've had since coming to this place. I swear to never be stingy when it comes to food ever again"

Kai went back to his room and opened the door, but noticed a small envelope on the ground. Kai opened it up and found a single silver coin along with a handwritten letter.

"Mr. Kai, these are the full proceeds from selling the [Fungus-Ape] hide. When you get a chance, please drop by for a visit~Su Fang"

"Oh right, I left the hide with them to sell, but they gave me all the proceeds?...this is probably their way of trying to win me over..." Kai didn't plan on joining them but if they wanted to give him money, he wouldn't say no either.

Kai went to bed content and happy that night. He now had over 4 silver which he made passively while grinding levels.

The next day, Kai went straight to the Hunter's Lodge to pick up his map. He also asked the receptionist if there were any open requests related to the Eastern Swamp but unfortunately, there weren't any.

Next, Kai headed to the place that Su Ling had told him about. He wanted to know where Su Fang got the talisman he used to track the [Grade-2] beasts since it would probably come in handy.

Kai arrived at a dilapidated building and quickly noticed that the surrounding buildings were also in disrepair. It was a two-story building located on a quiet street at the edge of the city. The surroundings were mostly residential but there were also a few businesses, mostly just cheap food stalls.

"Seems like a poor part of town". Kai knew the place where his Inn was located could be considered a middle-income area, however, this place seemed to be just one step away from being considered a slum.

Kai knocked on the door and almost as if welcoming him, the door swung open.

"Mr. Kai, I didn't expect you to come looking for us so soon. Have you made up your mind about joining us?", Su Ling asked with an eager smile.

"Good Morning, I just came by to ask your brother a few questions if you don't mind". Kai completely sidestepped her question.

"Ah, of course. My brother is in the living room..." Su Ling said while trying hard to disguise the disappointment in her voice.

Kai walked in and headed straight for their living room.

"Mr. Kai, please feel free to ask anything you want" Su Fang said respectfully. He had more or less deduced that Kai's background was not ordinary. He couldn't find any information on him so he suspected him to be a powerful Body Cultivator in disguise in disguise. He initially also thought Kai could be an internal cultivator, however for the sake of his sanity, he didn't want to think that he had used an Internal cultivator like a cheap mercenary in the way he did.

"Could you tell me where you got the talismans that allowed you to locate the [Grade-2] beasts?. I'm quite interested in them".

Su Fang was surprised, was this really what he came here to ask?.

"Well, these are just generic talismans you can get from any talismans store. They can only detect up to [Grade-2] and last for only a few hours each so they're not too great. It's also a little expensive at 1 sliver each."

Kai nodded sagely, he hadn't gone into any of those shops yet so he didn't know there was an entire shop dedicated to just selling talismans. Kai thanked them and immediately left, which astonished the siblings.

"That's really all he came to ask?", Su Ling questioned incredulously.

"I...Maybe it was some kind of test..." Su Fang chimed in, equally as confused.

Kai sighed and left the building. He promised himself to check every store that looked interesting from then on. He wasn't poor anymore so he needed to change his mindset on window shopping.

Kai didn't waste time and headed to the Eastern Gates. This time, Kai hired a caravan for 10 copper. This would make the trip a lot shorter than when he ran the entire way on foot, meaning he could maximize his hunting time. He could also use it to haul back the hides or carcasses he collected.

Kai arrived at the Eastern Swamp and was surprised to see four other carriages at the outskirts. His carriage stopped next to them and Kai heard the gruff voice of the carriage driver.

"We've arrived, sir. Would you like me to wait for you here?. The cost will be 10 copper an hour, and I will only wait 24 hours before the rate goes up to 1 silver per day"

Kai now knew why Su Fang was so efficient in his hunt. He must have wanted to keep it under 24 hours so the rate wouldn't increase.

"Please wait for just 1 hour, If I'm not back by then, you can leave". Kai paid the 10 coppers and left the carriage in a hurry. Kai was worried about those carriages and wanted to see what those people were up to before he committed to staying here.

He entered the swamp and immediately heard the sounds of battle. He slowly followed the sounds and found a group of 10 well-equipped people making quick work of a group of[Slime Vine].

Kai hid behind a shrub and listened to their conversation.

"Boss, aren't there a lot less of these buggers this year?. It feels like someone's been deliberately hunting them"

"It just means we have to find more, we have a quota to meet so no breaks until we fill up the carriage!"

"Aww"

"Boo, the boss is a meanie!"

"Hahaha!"

"Shut up you lot, we have another Ape incoming, get the traps ready!"

Kai's hearing had been enhanced so he could clearly hear their conversation from a distance. Kai quickly heard the familiar roar of a [Fungus-Ape].

The beast appeared with incredible speed and was quickly upon the group. Kai thought the previous tragedy would repeat itself, but to his surprise, it was completely different.

The group seemed well prepared and threw what looked like balls at the [Fungus-Ape]. The balls exploded with light and sparks erupted everywhere, turning the small balls into burning flares. The [Fungus-Ape] was startled by the sudden flames and lost its balance, falling to the ground.

"Hook it up, move!"

The group moved around the creature and threw both javelins and spiked bolas connected to sturdy-looking chains in an attempt to restrain the beast.

The [Fungus Ape] was quickly restrained by half the group while the other half moved in to deliver heavy blows on its vital areas. Within less than 5 minutes, the battle was over and the beast lay on the ground in a pool of its own green blood., covered in nasty wounds.

"Skin it quickly, we have to keep moving or else all the [Slime Vine] will be gone."

"Hey Boss, I think we should just give it up. between the big Ape groups at the heart of the swamp and the other Hunters teams, we're barely finding any for ourselves. Plus I don't know why everyone is going crazy over these useless things".

"Hmm, I might as well tell you all now. Apparently, some rich alchemist put out a special Silver Rank request to gather as many [Slime Vine] gallbladders as possible. Something about a pill breakthrough. Whatever the reason, These useless things that used to only be good for as Ape food have since gone up in value. 20 copper for each bladder to be exact. So do you still want to leave?"

"Boss, what're you waiting for, let's go over to the next cluster already! haha"

"..."

Kai was shocked,

Firstly by how easily this team was able to kill the [Fungus-Ape] which was a [Grade-2] beast. Kai quickly used [Qi Detection] and noticed realized that they were all [Mortal Grade-3] body cultivators, and by the looks of it, they were all as good as Su Ling and Su Fang. 10 such individuals working together were easily able to take the beast down.

Next was the news about the mysterious alchemist who was paying 20 copper for each [Slime-Vine] gallbladder. Kai remembered that he had helped the Jade Serpent group kill over 300 [ Slime Vines]. some were lost when the [Fungus-Ape] attacked, so they only had about 250 left, but that would still be over 50 silver!. From all that, they only gave him about 4 silver coins?.

Kai silently suppressed the feeling of indignation. His main goal was to gather Qi while using that team as a way to keep himself safe, so their fortune was for them to keep.

Nevertheless, Kai now knew why so many Hunter's were gathered here. He also knew that the [Fungus-Ape] were moving in groups at the heart of the swamp so he couldn't carelessly go there.

Kai decided to give it a shot and headed off in the opposite direction as the team. He wanted to avoid unnecessary conflicts as much as possible, lest he made an enemy he couldn't beat.

Kai read enough novels to know that killing one person would lead him down a line of revenge seekers who would gradually get stronger. That would be too annoying and dangerous so he wouldn't do anything rash.

Kai explored for at least an hour, but couldn't find a single [Slime-Vine]. Kai was able to use [Qi Detection] to look for any Hidden slimes, but his radius was limited to only a few meters around him.

"Damnit, my hunting spot is being overrun". Kai's grinding was being affected by this sudden gold rush so he was a little more than annoyed.

After another hour of not finding anything, Kai decided to head deeper into the swamp. He would rather risk fighting the Ape groups than go back with nothing.

Kai wandered deeper into the swamp and came across another group in the heat of battle. These had even better gear than the previous group and had the emblem of a black rose across their shields and shoulder plates.

"Black Rose?" Kai murmured under his breath. He remembered that Su Ling and Su Fang were originally part of this team. Kai hid and observed them for a distance.

There were 16 of them fighting a group of 4 [Fungus-Ape]. Three of the Apes were each surrounded by five warriors and were restrained with chains. the 5th person in each team was moving quickly while inflicting maximum damage aimed at their vitals.

The last and much larger Ape was engaged in a fight with a just single person. The person was clad in a full armor that looked both sturdy and light. The person dodged the beast's four fists expertly and used a spiked whip to leave a deep gash deep gashes across its body.

The battle seemed to have been going on for a while considering the number of cuts dotted all over the Ape. Kai was surprised by how this person could fight the beast all alone and seemingly take no damage. Kai used [Qi-Detection] and got immediately got the answer he was looking for.

[Mortal Grade-4] Qi 0]

"This is the first [Mortal Grade-4] Body Cultivator I've seen. It seems at this level, they can fight equally with a peak [Grade-2] [Fungus-Ape]...I really need a new body cultivation manual"

As Kai was thinking deep in thought, he heard a sudden roar come from above him. He slowly turned his head up and saw an angry-looking [Fungus-Ape] falling from a large tree towards him like a meteorite.

"Ah, ****..."