C8 A Person Who Could Eat Anything

The following day, Gu Feng and Xianyue pressed on with their travels. Having spent three days and two nights in the wilderness, Xianyue's once radiant complexion had dulled. Her hair was somewhat disheveled, and her dress bore a few tears from the unforgiving branches. Nevertheless, she was far from being exposed; she simply appeared a bit disheveled, a stark contrast to the well-groomed noblewoman she had been before.

Upon reaching a narrow trail, they were approached from behind by three men, who appeared to be in their mid-twenties. One sported a steel sword on his back, while the other two carried a bundle between them. Their attire suggested they were not mere travelers, but rather hunters of Soul Beasts, a common sight among those with modest cultivation. These warriors would band together in small groups to hunt Soul Beasts in the forest, seeking to harvest soulstones to sell for silver or trade for pills.

Noticing the cultivation levels of Gu Feng and Xianyue, the trio confidently approached Gu Feng with grins on their faces. "Miss, Young Master, are you interested in purchasing some soulstones? They're a bargain compared to city prices—just 45 taels of silver each."

In the city, a first-grade soulstone fetched 50 taels. These hunters couldn't sell them independently; they had to go through shops owned by noble families. The reason? City shops needed to maintain their business. Much like cities on Earth, unregulated selling was not permitted, as it would disrupt the order and infringe upon the rights of legitimate merchants. Typically, the hunters would sell their soulstones to the shops for 40 taels each, and the shops would then resell them for 50 or 55 taels. It was common for many deals to take place outside the city limits.

Among the three men, one had reached the third level of Body Tempering, while the other two were at the second level. They believed that Gu Feng and Xianyue were no match for them, which is why they approached Gu Feng to offer their wares.

Gu Feng's current priority was acquiring a soulstone, even a first-rank one would suffice. It was a bargain, five taels cheaper than the city's price. With banknotes in hand, it would be foolish not to seize the opportunity. Gu Feng was confident in his strength and had no fear of being robbed by the sellers.

"How many do you have?" Gu Feng halted and inquired.

"We've got twenty first-rank soulstones and one second-rank. How many can you handle?" The leader gestured with two fingers and a thumb.

"You have a second-rank soulstone too? That's hard to believe. The strongest among you is only at the third level of Body Tempering. How could you possibly take down a second-rank Soul Beast? You're not trying to swindle me, are you?" Gu Feng challenged, aware that a second-rank Soul Beast's power matched that of someone at the fifth or sixth level of the Dawning Realm.

"Haha, young man, you've got quite the eye. Indeed, we lack the strength to defeat a second-rank Soul Beast. However, we got lucky. When we encountered that long-haired wolf, it was already gravely wounded!" The sun-bronzed man, clearly seasoned from his time outdoors, chuckled. "A second-rank soulstone goes for five hundred taels on the market, but I'll let you have it for four hundred and fifty. The twenty first-rank soulstones will cost you a thousand taels. If you take them all, I'm willing to take a hit and offer you a discount of a hundred taels."

"Deal, I'll take them all," Gu Feng replied, nodding. "Mother, hand them the banknotes."

Xianyue was in possession of the two thousand taels, while Gu Feng only carried five hundred taels himself, half of which he had acquired through less savory means. As Xianyue produced a bundle of banknotes, the three men's eyes gleamed with greed. One of them fixated on the pristine treasure upon Xianyue's chest, his thoughts running wild. Gu Feng was well aware of their intentions. He had suspected from the start that they had no intention of conducting a fair trade and had plans to murder and steal, including harboring designs on Xianyue's person.

They couldn't be faulted for harboring such thoughts; Xianyue simply took exceptional care of herself. Although nearly forty, she appeared to be just over thirty, her skin so fair and supple it seemed almost dewy. Having spent nearly a month in the forest, their unsavory thoughts had already taken root. Now, encountering someone at the second and third levels of Body Tempering in this remote wilderness, they saw an opportunity for misdeeds. Who would know? After all, this wasn't their first time committing murder and robbery.

Thirteen silver notes, each valued at one hundred taels, making a total of one thousand three hundred taels, were handed to Gu Feng. He conducted a transaction with the man at the third level of Body Tempering, exchanging money for goods in a straightforward deal.

What the man didn't anticipate was that as he received the silver notes in one hand and offered a beast skin bag with the other, Gu Feng's right hand didn't reach for the bag but instead thrust like a knife towards his heart. It wasn't that Gu Feng was exceptionally fast; rather, they were so close that the man couldn't react in time. It was shocking that a novice at the first level of Body Tempering could pierce through his chest.

He watched as Gu Feng extracted a still-beating heart and chunks of flesh from his chest, then slowly turned his gaze to the gaping hole in his own torso. Clutching the silver notes in one hand and the beast skin bag in the other, he pointed at Gu Feng and stammered, "You, you..."

"Hmph, don't think for a second that I'm unaware of your intentions! Die!" Gu Feng tossed the heart to the ground and delivered a crushing blow to the man's head.

The man couldn't finish his sentence before Gu Feng's palm struck his head, sending him collapsing to the ground, dead without understanding why. The two unarmed men nearby, who had just been contemplating how to take advantage of the noblewoman before them, were suddenly filled with the dread of impending death. Before they could fight back, Gu Feng's right hand shot out, gripping the other man's arm so fiercely that he ripped it off, bone and flesh tearing away.

With a blood-curdling scream, the man clutched his severed limb and stumbled backward, his eyes wide with horror as he stared at the ruthless youth, Gu Feng.

"Heh, how does that feel? Painful, isn't it? Is this how you used to kill people?" Gu Feng tossed his severed arm aside, his face twisting into a demonic grin.

"I'm going to kill you!" Despite losing an arm, he still had one hand and two legs left—his strength was only slightly diminished. He lunged at Gu Feng with murderous intent.

"Come on, let's see just how strong my White Bone Claw is!" Gu Feng focused his energy into his palm and bellowed, "Kill!" as he pounced toward his adversary.

Xianyue, standing to the side, was as shocked as the man lying dead on the ground. She hadn't expected her son to be so versatile. Drawing her longsword, she fended off an attacker who was also at the second level of Body Tempering, preventing him from coming to his ally's aid. Although Xianyue wasn't the strongest, her training with the Gu family had taught her some sword techniques, enough to hold off someone of equal strength.

"Ah..." The man had thought his punch would send Gu Feng flying, but instead, Gu Feng caught it with a vice-like grip, his fingers clamping down and mercilessly crushing the bones. The pain was so intense it nearly knocked the man unconscious.

"Die!" The man focused his hidden energy into his legs and unleashed a powerful kick at Gu Feng.

"Hmph, I expected as much from you!" Gu Feng had already anticipated the kick. Releasing the man's fist, he swiftly grabbed the incoming leg. With a fierce grip, he snapped the bones with his clawed hand.

"Don't kill me, please! I don't want your money; take all the soulstones, just spare my life!" The man, seeing Gu Feng's translucent palm, pleaded as he was pushed to the ground, scrambling backwards in terror.

"Sorry, but running into me is just your bad luck!" Gu Feng showed no mercy as he delivered a final, decisive stab with his sword, ending the man's agony. "In your next life, choose a face that's less repulsive. I can't stand people like you, with that sleazy look. Killing you might just save many innocent women."

Another man, blocked by Xianyue, witnessed the young man swiftly slay two of his comrades. Overcome with fear, he knelt, his legs shaking, and begged, "Please, don't kill me! I don't care about the money; you can have the soulstones. Just spare my life!"

If this guy had run, he might have had a chance. But kneeling without begging for mercy? Did he really think Gu Feng would spare him?

"Mother, you pack up our things. I'll handle this one," Gu Feng said, his right palm dripping with blood as he fixed his gaze on his prey.

"Alright, just be careful," Xianyue replied as she sheathed her longsword and hurried over to the corpse on the ground. She frowned, picking up the silver notes and a beast skin bag containing a soulstone.

Xianyue discovered that the man who had been stopped earlier had his neck snapped by her son, Gu Feng, with a single hand. Gu Feng was now crouched, rifling through the body. He found several hundred silver notes on the man, then moved on to the second and third bodies, extracting a total of two thousand silver notes. Whether they were earned or stolen, the money had become Gu Feng's personal wealth.

"Not bad at all," Gu Feng murmured, taking a water bag from one of the bodies to clean the blood from his hands.

"We should leave before we're seen," Xianyue suggested, packing the herbs back into her bag and scanning the surroundings. She addressed her son, who seemed unfazed by the act of killing.

"Alright, let's find a spot. I need to assimilate these soulstones," Gu Feng agreed, nodding. He mused to himself, "A few more hauls like this, and it won't be long before I'm unbeatable."

Gu Feng had no intention of dealing with the bodies. With a few kicks, he sent them tumbling into the underbrush of the nearby forest, leaving them for the wild animals to consume.

A second-level soulstone was worth more than ten first-level ones. With the twenty first-level soulstones he had gathered, the total was over thirty. Though thirty didn't compare to a single third-level soulstone, it was still a significant haul for Gu Feng. He knew that every little bit added up, even if it was as small as a mosquito's leg.

As Gu Feng had predicted, their actions seemed to attract more attention. As he and Xianyue prepared to leave, five young men appeared, chasing after them. Upon seeing Gu Feng and Xianyue, they quickened their pace, rushing towards them with eager excitement.

Likewise, when Gu Feng caught sight of them, his previously cheerful expression turned grim. He recognized them immediately – the notorious second-generation elites of the city, also Gu Tian's close companions. They were infamously dubbed the Five Great Scums of Pan City, responsible for the majority of the heinous acts of assault and abduction that plagued the streets. Their strength matched Gu Tian's, all at the third level of Body Tempering. Gu Feng had endured much at their hands in the past. Yet, he hadn't anticipated an encounter here, or that they might have come specifically for him.

"Mother, you need to get out of here," Gu Feng urged, brandishing his longsword, signaling to Xianyue to make a quick escape.

"Feng, let's escape together!" Xianyue's face drained of color as she watched the five men approach with eager strides.

Could they truly outrun them? As their pursuers drew near, the elegant and beautiful Xianyue clenched her teeth and drew her own longsword. "Feng, I'll hold them off for a moment. You must flee. Don't worry about me. Once you've grown stronger, you can seek vengeance for me!"