The Martial Saint Started from Scavenging

The rough-looking man had a hideous scar on his face, running from his forehead to his chin. His single eye held a sharp, murderous intent, and his whole body exuded a wild and untamed air.

The one-eyed man took a big gulp of wine, then suddenly grinned and asked Ye Sheng, "You two young men look unfamiliar. Where are you from?"

Ye Sheng and Ye Kai exchanged a glance, then looked up at the one-eyed man expressionlessly, and replied in a deliberately altered voice, "We are refugees, passing through here while fleeing."

"Refugees? Fleeing?" The one-eyed man seemed intrigued. "Where did they flee from? From Blackrock Town?"

Ye Sheng's heart skipped a beat, but he remained calm and shook his head: "No, it came from further west."

"Oh?"

One-Eyed Dragon took another swig of wine, his single eye seemingly casually glancing at Ye Kai's "lame leg," and said, "How did you get that leg, brother? It looks pretty badly injured."

"He was bitten by a wild animal," Ye Sheng replied in a deep voice.

"Tsk tsk, what a pity."

One-Eyed Dragon shook his head, feigning sympathy, then suddenly leaned forward and lowered his voice, saying, "Young brother, since you are refugees, you probably don't have travel permits, right? This official road leads to Qingyun City, and there are often patrols checking people along the way."

Ye Sheng didn't say anything, he just silently drank the bowl of thin porridge.

Seeing that he didn't respond, the one-eyed man wasn't angry. Instead, he continued, "The government has extremely strict restrictions on migrants. If you leave the slums without a travel permit and are caught by the patrolmen, you'll be punished with a beating. Although you're dressed in rags, you have a fierce look in your eyes, unlike ordinary migrants. Could you be Qiangzi, who's wanted by the government, in disguise?"

Ye Sheng remained silent, but was secretly surprised: How could this person see through his illusion technique when he had used it to disguise himself? It seems that his newly unlocked illusion skills are still too poor.

"Young man, don't be nervous. My name is Hu Ba. I'm a hunter from the mountains. I make a living in this forest with my buddies. We're quite familiar with the patrolmen in this area. Why don't you come with us? We're heading towards Qingyun City tomorrow anyway, so we can look out for each other on the way."

Ye Sheng raised his head and looked directly at Hu Ba, thinking to himself: You can't judge a book by its cover. I didn't expect this rough man in front of me to be a commoner.

However, his talent for [Qi and Blood Perception] told him that this Hu Ba had abundant Qi and Blood, far surpassing that of ordinary hunters, and was quite strong, at least a martial artist in the mid-stage of the entry level.

Moreover, he had a strong smell of blood on him, the kind of smell one gets from years of killing.

This kind of person is definitely not a good person. We don't know if what he said is true or false.

"Thank you for your kindness, Eighth Master, but it's no need. My brother and I are used to going our own way."

Ye Sheng refused in a flat tone.

"Hey, young man, don't be in such a hurry to reject me."

Hu Ba smiled, giving him a "I'm doing this for your own good" look, and continued, "This wilderness is far from peaceful. Not only are there man-eating monsters, but there are also bandits who specialize in ambushing lone travelers. If the two of you were to encounter them, it would be extremely dangerous."

He paused, then changed the subject, throwing out bait: "To be honest, brothers, my buddies and I are going to the 'One Line Sky' canyon ahead tomorrow to hunt an 'Armored Rhinoceros.' It's a real prize; its hide can be used to make armor, and its horn can be used in medicine—it'll fetch a high price. If you come with us, once it's done, I'll make sure you get a share, how about it?"

Upon hearing this, Ye Sheng began to ponder.

A narrow canyon? On the map I found, there seems to be such a place. It's a strategically important location and a necessary route to Qingyun City.

Moreover, what Hu Ba said makes sense. If they encounter patrolmen on the road and are questioned, he and his brother will indeed need someone to help them out.

"What do we need to do if we're with you?" Ye Sheng asked, as if weighing the pros and cons.

"Haha, you don't need to do anything."

Hu Ba patted his hairy chest and laughed, "Just help us watch the luggage and do odd jobs. Don't worry, with us here, you'll have a safe journey."

Ye Sheng glanced at Hu Ba's single, scheming eye and sneered inwardly: "Unsolicited kindness is always suspicious." This Hu Ba was definitely up to no good, but since he'd already set his sights on him, shaking him off wouldn't be easy. He might as well play along and see what Hu Ba was really up to.

Ye Sheng pretended to hesitate for a moment, then finally nodded: "Alright, then we'll trouble you, Eighth Master."

"Haha, you're awesome, bro!"

Hu Ba laughed loudly, raised his wine bowl, and said, "Come, brother, let me offer you a bowl!"

Ye Sheng shook his head: "I don't drink."

Hu Ba didn't force himself, and drank it all in one gulp. Then he stood up, staggered back to his companions at the other end of the post station, and boasted to them about something.

"Brother, this person..." Ye Kai tugged at Ye Sheng's sleeve with some concern.

"Not a good person."

Ye Sheng's expression was solemn, his voice was cold, and he said in a low voice, "I feel like he has the aura of a Blood Pact Merchant Guild assassin on him."

Upon hearing this, Ye Kai's pupils suddenly contracted.

Although the murderous aura was well concealed, almost completely masked by the strong smell of alcohol and blood, Ye Sheng had a deep memory of that chilling murderous aura from his two encounters with the silver-masked man.

Could this Hu Ba be an assassin working for the Blood Pact Merchant Guild? Or perhaps a bounty hunter who has been in contact with them and accepted a bounty?

It was no coincidence that he approached me earlier.

"Then why did you agree to go with them just now?"

Ye Kai was quite puzzled, and his voice trembled slightly.

"Go, why don't you go?"

Ye Sheng's lips curled into a cold smile as he said in a deep voice, "We are refugees. If we really encounter patrolmen, perhaps they can help us deal with them. Besides, I want to see what he's really up to."

"Also, didn't Hu Ba say that they're going to Yixiantian Canyon tomorrow to hunt an armored rhinoceros? We can play it by ear and maybe profit from it."

"There are so many of them, and they all look fierce. If we really get into a fight with them, do we think we can win?"

Ye Kai glanced at Hu Ba and the others with a worried expression and gave them a reminder.

"Brother, don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

Ye Sheng smiled slightly and comforted him.

The next morning, the Ye brothers officially "joined" Hu Ba's team.

Besides Hu Ba, there were four other equally burly men in the group. Their strength should be at the early stage of the beginner level. They all carried bows and arrows, had long swords at their waists, and had fierce eyes. They were obviously veterans who had tasted blood.

The four of them ignored the Ye brothers, their eyes filled with undisguised contempt and disdain, yet also tinged with a strange undertone.

Ye Sheng didn't care. He just silently followed at the back of the group, supporting the limping Ye Kai without saying a word, just like a refugee fleeing from disaster.

But as he walked, his eyes never stopped, constantly observing Hu Ba and his companions' words and actions.

Especially their methods of setting traps and tracking prey.

It seems that Hu Ba was telling the truth when he said he was a hunter.

In Ye Sheng's eyes, this one-eyed man was indeed a seasoned hunter. He could determine the size and whereabouts of his prey just by looking at a single blade of grass.

The traps he set seemed simple, but they were incredibly deadly.

For example, an ordinary pit disguised with branches and fallen leaves may actually be filled with sharpened wooden stakes; a vine that seems to be casually draped between trees may actually be connected to a giant net that can instantly suspend prey in mid-air.

Along the way, Ye Sheng silently memorized all these very practical wilderness survival skills.

Meanwhile, on the [Skill Panel], a brand new skill is quietly brewing, with the progress bar rapidly increasing.