He started as a shepherd and took on countless jobs.

boom!

With a crisp crack, the monster's skull snapped, leaving a dent in the fist-shaped mark.

The more it struggled, the tighter the water vines bound it.

Take advantage of his illness and kill him.

Pei Si unleashed three punches in quick succession, and the howling monster was soon lifeless.

[Promotion Requirements: Increased materials required for advancing to Shepherd (White) rank; current Medium/Spirit progress is (1/1).]

A line of small ink-wash characters appears faintly.

Pei Si put it into his treasure bag.

Suddenly, Pei Si's ears twitched slightly; it seemed as if someone was rapidly approaching from the woods.

The lingering howls were enough to attract the attention of some interested parties.

Pei Si reached into his bag, flicked his wrist, and three throwing knives shot out like cold stars.

Bang bang bang!

The force was so great that it snapped an ancient tree as thick as a washbasin.

"Swinging Vine? Impressive skill." A man in a blue robe wearing a straw hat emerged from behind the ancient tree. He had a withered blade of grass dangling from the corner of his mouth, a cross-shaped scar near his eye, and a cynical expression on his face.

"Whoever sees it gets a share, or else, we'll settle the score?"

Pei Si squinted at the man in the blue robe's knuckles, which were covered in calluses, indicating he was a skilled martial artist.

He's spouting off a lot of Jianghu (江湖, a term referring to the world of martial arts and chivalry) jargon; he's a seasoned veteran.

I'd rather give ten strings of cash than pass on my skills. I'd rather give a gold ingot than a single word of spring.

Pei Si bowed slightly. "Those who see it get a share?" What kind of江湖 (jianghu, the martial arts world) rule is this? Judging from that person's posture, he's going to kill.

Pei Si licked his slightly chapped lips, a murderous glint in his eyes. "Die for a reason!"

"That's exactly what I was thinking." The man in the blue robe grinned.

He was a mountain herder, and hearing the strange howling, he came over to join in the fun and get a share of the spoils.

Those who gather herbs, hunt for treasures, or are hunters, although they spend a lot of time in the mountains and are physically fit, have never had time to seriously practice martial arts.

He took a different approach, using his savings to learn a martial art, and by sheer luck, he mastered it.

While his competitors hoarded grain, he hoarded guns; his competitors were his granaries.

Having tasted the sweetness of success, the man in the green robe became increasingly uncontrollable.

The man in the green robe pushed off the ground with one foot, his body moving like an arrow released from a bow. He made a palm with his left hand and a fist with his right, and threw a punch.

His lips curled into a smile, as if he could already hear Pei Si's wails.

"Too slow."

Pei Si had exceptional eyesight; the man in the blue robe appeared to slow down his punch several times over.

Pei Si pushed off the ground with his hind feet and lunged forward, pressing his body forward, his fists forming claws, one claw grabbing the green-robed man's right fist, and pulling him down sharply.

The force was so great that the white bone of the man in the green robe protruded from his arm.

Pei Si turned sideways, raised his knee and thrust his hip forward, then struck the man in the blue robe in the chest with his elbow.

Click, click.

Several clear cracking sounds reached Pei Si's ears. Pei Si gripped the shoulders of the man in the green robe with his claws, his ten fingers like hooks digging into his flesh. He pushed off the ground with his hind legs, exerted force with his arms, his muscles bulging and veins popping out, as if a living dragon was lying on Pei Si's shoulders.

stab.

The man in the blue robe split open from the middle.

Pei Si threw a flying knife, which pierced the heart and eyes of the man in the blue robe. After confirming that the man in the blue robe was completely dead, Pei Si touched the corpse and skillfully reached for his waist.

Pei Si opened the blue-robed man's storage bag; it contained quite a few items.

Pei Si weighed the large string of incense money in his hand; it amounted to about three hundred coins.

In addition, there was a worthless martial arts manual and two wooden tokens.

A wooden token is engraved with a lotus flower with long, graceful petals that unfold layer by layer, its green and white petals clearly defined.

Below the blue lotus is another circle, inside which the character "lotus" is engraved.

"Lotus? What sect or cult is this?" Pei Si put away the token and picked up another token, which read "Hundred Treasures Auction House" with a line of smaller characters below it.

"Please present your badge to participate in the auction."

Pei Si had heard of Baibao Auction House before. It was a famous auction house in Shu County, with a wide variety of items and extensive connections. There was nothing they wouldn't dare to sell.

They provided excellent service, escorting buyers all the way to their destination after the auction.

I heard that the person behind this Baibao Auction House is a big shot in the county.

"I wonder if this Hundred Treasures Auction House has any visualization diagrams," Pei Si murmured. After putting away the items, Pei Si skillfully poured bone-dissolving water on the corpse of the man in the blue robe.

"The ancients were right: murderers and arsonists wear golden belts, while those who repair bridges and roads leave no trace of their bodies."

Down the mountain!

……

Pei Family Courtyard.

Pei Si used a sharp knife to cut open his throat, and below was a large vat. Fresh blood gushed into the vat, but there was no pungent smell of blood; on the contrary, it tasted exceptionally delicious.

The essence of the Howling Monster is said to be worth one liter of blood and one ingot of gold. It contains abundant blood and qi, making it most suitable for martial artists. It does not need to be refined into any blood-nourishing pills; drinking it directly will have the best effect.

The sharp knife moved with the ease of Pei Si, who deftly peeled away the skin and removed the internal organs.

In less than a quarter of an hour, Pei Si had dealt with the monster.

After processing the fur, Pei Si used the method taught to him by the old blind man to sew it. His needlework was superb, and in no time, a "Howling Hat" was completed.

Pei Si filled another jar with blood, picked up some red and white meat, and headed towards Qingzhi Hall.

Qingzhi Hall, guest room.

"Brother Si, what exactly is this? It's all so mysterious." Xu Zhi brought over a plate of emerald green oval-shaped pastries.

"I know you have a sweet tooth, so try this. It's a new tea-flavored pastry from Daoxiangcun."

Pei Si smiled, picked up a tea-flavored pastry without ceremony, and handed the [Howling Fire Hat] to Xu Zhi.

"Sister Zhi, let's try it out and see if it suits you."

Xu Zhi's beautiful eyes flashed with a hint of surprise as she took the howling hat. Having been a shopkeeper for many years, she had a very sharp eye and immediately recognized the extraordinary nature of this hat. Xu Zhi's gaze moved upwards, noticing that it was very similar to the hat Pei Si was wearing.

After Xu Zhi put it on, she exclaimed in surprise, "Is this the Fire-Howling Hat, a secret treasure of the Shepherd's lineage? It's too precious."

"Sister Zhi actually knows about this treasure. I was lucky enough to defeat the Howling Monster on the mountain today. Sister Zhi has always been kind to me, so here's a small hat as a token of my appreciation," Pei Si said with a smile, his eyes lighting up. This tea-flavored pastry is really delicious.

"That's right. I often heard my dad say that Uncle Lin has a hat that is a rare treasure. Even in the far north, the fire hat can keep you warm like spring."

"I never imagined that this item would be so destined for me."

Xu Zhi blinked her big, bright eyes, finding Pei Si more and more pleasing to the eye.

"I heard that Grandpa Xu's health isn't very good and he needs something to replenish his blood and energy. This is a jar of Howling Monster essence, blood, and flesh. Sister Zhi, please take it and give it to Grandpa to help him recover."

Xu Xi was quite close to Blind Lin, so Pei Si knew some things about Xu Xi.

Memories flooded back; Pei Si remembered that it seemed to be summer at that time.

After having dinner at Master Xu's house, Old Blind Lin led Pei Si to eat. Pei Si, holding a chilled watermelon, asked about Master Xu's condition.

"When your grandfather Xu was young, he was quite a big shot in the county. Later, for some reason, he brought Xiaozhi to settle down in Qingcheng County."

When he pressed for an explanation and asked where Grandpa Xu's wife was, Blind Lin gave him three sharp taps on the head without any hesitation, telling him to eat his watermelon in peace.

"No, no, this is too expensive. I'll buy it from you at market price," Xu Zhi said hurriedly.

One thing at a time, she didn't want Pei Si to suffer a loss.

Pei Si waved his hand and laughed, "You're being too polite. After my master passed away, Master Xu would always invite me to his house for meals during holidays."

"Don't mention it."

Xu Zhi covered her mouth and smiled: "Alright then, don't leave this afternoon. Come to my house for lunch and have a good drink with my dad."