T/N:
Heikou (Black Dragon Mouth)
Heicheng (Black Dragon City)
...
Gou Chen walked leisurely at the front of the group. "Her Majesty the Queen was concerned that you might suffer from the cold. These beast pelts were just traded for today, and she immediately distributed them to you. If you remember her kindness, I'm sure she'll be even happier."
Lie Tu, who had been appointed as the hunting captain, thumped his chest. "We won't forget! Please convey our gratitude to Her Majesty the Queen. We will bring back the finest pelts for her!"
Gou Chen nodded. "Let's move out. Remember what I said earlier—safety comes first. Her Majesty doesn't want to lose a single one of you."
The group was filled with high morale. Perhaps it was the warmth of the beast's pelts, but every demon's face was flushed with excitement.
They set off in two columns. As they passed the inn, two foreign merchants noticed them from upstairs.
Xuanchen, who had been left at the inn because of his unpleasant remarks, asked, "What are they doing? Going hunting?"
Wang Xiaohu recognized the beast pelts they had traded, now worn by the Black Dragon Clan members.
"Her Majesty the Queen is truly kind to her people. She exchanged such valuable pelts and gave them to commoners."
They had walked around the city and noticed that almost no one in Black Dragon City wore beast pelts—not because they were resistant to the cold, but because they couldn't afford them.
That's why they had sold so many of the less valuable pelts during the paper trade. The pelts weren't of poor quality; it's just that the market for ordinary pelts had dried up.
Wang Xiaohu was still pleased.
In recent years, the pelt market has become increasingly bleak. Buyers only wanted the rarest and most precious demon beast pelts. Ordinary pelts barely covered their cost, and no one would stockpile pelts at home. A few years ago, the pelt trade had been booming, but now long-distance transportation wasn't worth it.
Fortunately, Black Dragon City would become a new customer. As long as the quality wasn't poor, the city wasn't picky.
He wasn't optimistic about the hunting squad, though. "What can they do? They look like a hastily assembled group trying their luck. It'll be a miracle if they all come back in one piece."
The Winged Tiger Clan was different. They had a natural advantage in the forest, setting various traps and not relying solely on brute force for hunting.
Xuanchen gloated, "Their weapons probably don't even have demon crystals. They're in for a rough time."
Wang Xiaohu said tactfully, "Don't say that outside. This is the Black Dragon Clan's territory, after all."
They were merchants, not here to make enemies. If Xuanchen didn't watch his mouth, he'd cause trouble sooner or later.
Xuanchen grumbled, "I was just making an offhand comment. I didn't mean any harm, and besides, it's just the two of us here."
The hunting squad had already left the city. Wang Xiaohu closed the window.
"Since they haven't returned yet, let's sort out the paper first."
One pelt for one sheet of paper—they had made a killing!
...
This wasn't the first time the group had ventured outside the city, but it was their first time doing so in the coldest part of winter.
The cold air showed no mercy, relentlessly biting at them. Wrapped in their beast pelts, their faces turned red from the wind, but they miraculously held up against the blizzard.
When they reached the edge of the forest, the blizzard lessened. The forest blocked the wind, and the snow clung to the trees.
There was a clear boundary between the scorched earth and the forest. No one knew why the scorched earth existed or why the forest remained untouched by it.
In any case, the forest had sustained countless desperate low-level demons.
Those who had never been to the forest gripped their hunting weapons tightly. The weapons included machetes and bows, evenly split between close-range and long-range combat. They scanned their surroundings, hoping to spot a demon beast at first glance.
Gou Chen spoke coldly, "Stay alert. Don't let your guard down. Pay attention to your surroundings."
The outskirts of the forest were empty, and the snow was deep. Every step required effort to pull their feet free.
The forest was eerily quiet.
Suddenly, there was a crisp *snap*. A soldier froze in place.
"I stepped on something."
He didn't lift his foot. Instead, his companions lifted him and set him aside.
They dug through the snow, revealing what he had stepped on.
It was the skeleton of a low-level demon.
The soldier had stepped on its spine.
Everyone's expressions darkened. No one had expected to find a corpse so soon, especially one that had been dead for so long.
Even the low-level demons in the group didn't recognize the body.
They buried the remains on the spot. The mood grew heavy.
If it weren't for Her Majesty the Queen's arrival and the improvements she had brought to their lives, they might have ended up the same way when starvation drove them to desperation.
Soon, someone spotted traces of a demon beast—more precisely, traces of a demon beast's den.
Demon beasts had simple minds. They could distinguish between danger and safety, and their tracks were intermittent, indicating that the beast had left not long ago before the snow could cover its path.
They followed the tracks to the beast's den. It appeared to be a long-haired rabbit. When provoked, the rabbit's fur would stand on end, becoming as hard as steel needles.
Even more terrifying was its steel-like teeth. A single bite could tear off a chunk of flesh.
Many demons had never seen a long-haired rabbit but had grown up hearing stories about them. Long-haired rabbits were omnivores and would even eat demons when starving.
The soldiers, however, were familiar with long-haired rabbits. They would secretly hunt them during patrols for a quick meal.
After explaining the rabbit's weaknesses, the soldiers stepped back. Each soldier was responsible for one demon, hoping their trainee would excel.
Gou Chen disappeared into the shadows, observing the hunting squad's performance.
The long-haired rabbit's weakness was its rear end—more specifically, its tail.
There was no other way. Getting too close was dangerous, so they had to attack the softest spot when its fur stood on end. The only exposed area was its rear.
Attacking the rabbit's eyes was even riskier, as it could easily bite back. A long-haired rabbit that smelled blood would be even harder to deal with.
Da Fu and Da Gui, two low-level demons, were the first to act. They were determined to gain Her Majesty's favor.
They were bold, the first to take the risk.
Luck was on their side. This group of long-haired rabbits had rarely encountered predators. When they emerged from their den, they didn't notice anything amiss. The cold weather had also slowed their reactions.
The first rabbit poked its head out, and Da Fu swung his blade, decapitating it in one strike.
The soldier was stunned. Was this how they were supposed to use the hunting weapons?
This brute-force approach didn't even require demon crystals. What a waste.
With Da Fu leading the charge, the other hunters went wild, chasing the fleeing rabbits. The scene quickly descended into chaos.
The soldiers exchanged uneasy glances.
This… this wasn't what they had taught!
Although many rabbits escaped, they managed to kill six. However, the scene was so gruesome that even Yin Jixue would have shaken her head at it.
The sight of blood didn't frighten them—it only made them more excited. This was their first hunt, and the Black Dragon Clan's warlike nature had been awakened.
Gou Chen frowned, clearly dissatisfied. He tossed out a cloud of black mist, and soon, a beast that looked like a goat but was the size of a wild boar charged out of a cave, roaring.
If the long-haired rabbit was a level-one demon beast, this one was level three.
"Did you hear that?"
"Yeah, it's getting closer!"
As soon as the words were spoken, a soldier shouted, "Move!"
Lie Tu reacted quickly, dodging just as the massive beast turned to find its target.
Everyone was stunned. "What is that?!"
The soldier explained, "That's a boar-goat beast. It's vicious. That horn on its head can gut us."
Da Gui's eyes widened. "Is this a demon beast from the forest's outskirts?!"
"Yes, it's a level-three demon beast."
The hunting squad's hearts sank.