ASCENSION OF THE MARTIAL KING

04

"Zhang Wei... Zhang Wei!!!"

Zhang Wei jolted from his trance, lazily opening his eyes to look at the intruder. It had been two days since he transmigrated into this body, and he was still struggling to adapt to the host's previous lifestyle.

At this moment, he was in the courtyard trying to assess the limits of qi this body could sense. Usually, even for a mere beginner who had never cultivated, sensing some qi from the surroundings would be possible. But this body was rather hopeless.

He had been meditating for two hours since dawn while Luo Yu worked in the courtyard. The sounds of her feet were a bit distracting, but he had finally managed to tap into a bit of qi in the air when someone suddenly appeared shouting his name.

A youth jumped through the fence and landed a few feet from him, beaming, "Zhang Wei..."

Zhang Wei sighed in frustration, knowing how difficult it would be to sense that amount of qi again. But the youth was not unfamiliar, and from his memories, he was the only friend the host had. His name was Liang Feixing.

Liang Feixing gave Zhang Wei a once-over, surprised. "Are you meditating?"

Zhang Wei nodded as he unfolded his legs and stood up, stretching his muscles. "Why are you here?"

"Did you forget we have an expedition today?" Liang Feixing asked. "It's a big hunt this time. We have to go early."

"Expedition?" Zhang Wei was lost for a moment.

Liang Feixing slapped his forehead. "Did you really forget? I told you about it two days ago. Zhong Hua from the academy said some seniors are interested."

It was then Zhang Wei recalled. The host had met with Liang Feixing before his death, and they had discussed taking a hunting job for students in a nearby sect academy. It involved hunting some low-grade beasts and harvesting herbs for alchemy and training purposes.

"Are you not prepared for it? We should get going now, or Quan Chu and his gang will snatch our chance."

Zhang Wei contemplated for a moment before nodding. "Okay, let's go."

On a good day, Zhang Wei would not have tagged along, but his current situation warranted it. The host's father had abandoned them, and this job was the only means of survival for the family of three. If he didn't want them to go hungry, he had to do it.

He turned toward Luo Yi, who was making a fire and yelled to her, "I'm going out with Feixing. Tell Mother for me."

Luo Yi looked at them, her gaze pausing on Liang Feixing for a moment before she nodded and waved. "Okay, Brother Wei. Don't be late."

He waved back and turned to leave with Liang Feixing, who immediately reached out to sling his arm around his neck. Zhang Wei, unused to such closeness, instinctively ducked, avoiding his arm.

Liang Feixing gave him a doubtful look. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Zhang Wei coughed, pulling at the sleeve of his garment. He needed to adapt to the host's lifestyle, or people would notice the change.

The other boy shrugged as they both walked out of the residence.

Liang Feixing led him to the front of an academy where they found three students dressed in blue uniforms. Only one face was familiar—Zhong Hua, who usually worked with them.

Zhong Hua gritted his teeth and quickly approached them, whispering. "What took you so long? The seniors have been waiting for ages. Do you still want this job or not?"

He looked panicky as he led them to the other two students who wore satchels, marking their higher rank compared to Zhong Hua. They were haughty as they gave Zhang Wei and Liang Feixing a once-over.

"Are these the ones you said are good at it?" One of them snorted with a frown.

The other nodded. "They don't look it. Quan Che and his gang seem more reliable."

Zhong Hua forced a smile. "Seniors, I assure you they are very reliable." He shot Liang Feixing and Zhang Wei a quick look before adding, "But if you don't want them, I can find other people."

"Never mind," the senior remarked snidely. "We'll give them the job."

He handed a scroll to Zhong Hua. "Once they get all the ingredients here, you'll give them their payment. Can they read?"

"Yes, yes." Liang Feixing nodded quickly, but Zhang Wei was quiet.

The senior paid him no attention and merely dusted his garment as he turned to leave with his companion. Once they were out of earshot, Zhong Hua snickered. "Look at how arrogant they are. If they're so great, why don't they hunt the beasts themselves?"

"Look at you groveling to them too," Liang Feixing retorted with a laugh. He collected the scroll and opened it. His brows furrowed as he read, and then he handed it to Zhang Wei with a small frown.

Zhang Wei read it as Liang Feixing muttered, "The ingredients are harder to find this time. Especially Ghost Mushroom (Lingzhi)—it might take more than two days to get into the deep forests and even then, it will be hard to find even a tiny mushroom stalk."

"Yes," Zhong Hua nodded solemnly. "But these seniors are ready to pay. If you do a good job, you might get more benefits."

Liang Feixing frowned, ready to protest when Zhang Wei cut in, "How much are we talking about?"

"See, Zhang Wei only cares about the money," Zhong Hua laughed, raising five fingers.

"Five taels?" Liang Feixing's eyes widened.

Zhong Hua shook his head.

"Fifty taels!?" Liang Feixing exclaimed.

Even Zhang Wei looked surprised.

Zhong Hua nodded with a smile. "If you do a good job. You know how picky these people are."

"Do these kids rob vaults or what?"

"That's how rich kids are." Zhong Hua smiled. "You should get going now to return as early as possible."

Zhang Wei nodded and looked at Liang Feixing. "Let's go." It was still morning—if they didn't encounter any problems, they should be able to get back before dusk.

The two departed and strolled toward the outskirts. At first, Zhang Wei wondered if they would go empty-handed. But when they got to an old shed near the woods, Liang Feixing entered and brought out a sack.

"I decided to put it here last night after I collected them from the blacksmith," he muttered, bringing out a dagger. "He sharpened the rusty blades but asked for two taels as payment. We should pay him when we get back."

Zhang Wei gave a small nod as he reached out to collect the dagger. He flicked a finger at its blade lightly, blood oozing out, making him raise a brow. Not bad.

Zhang Wei settled for the dagger and a small slingshot, while his partner took a knife and crossbow.

They proceeded into the woods. Liang Feixing pulled out the scroll again and looked through it. "Forest deer and badger. It seems they need more herbs than beasts this time. Let's start with forest deer; they should be easier to find near the entrance."

"Okay."

They walked through the open fields near the forest entrance without encountering anyone. Birds chirped occasionally.

"Why is it so quiet today?" Liang Feixing grunted. "We haven't found a single ingredient."

Zhang Wei looked around thoughtfully. "It's probably because the weather is low. Most beasts are snoozing."

"Oh, that's true. It might be hard to find everything today."

He was still speaking when he saw Zhang Wei suddenly turn to the side. "Eh... what are you doing?"

He saw Zhang Wei bend down beside a small rock and peek under it. Curious, he walked closer just in time to see him pull out a yellowish-brown plant by the stalk.

"Licorice Root?" Liang Feixing asked with surprise. "How did you notice it there? It doesn't even grow in this area."

"Although it's in the shade, it's still an open space. Maybe it grew here accidentally," Zhang Wei responded, handing the root to Liang Feixing to put in the satchel across his shoulder.

"Let's go on."

But just as they took a step, they suddenly heard a loud rustle from behind.

Liang Feixing's eyes widened. "What was that?"

Zhang Wei instantly pulled out the dagger from his garment. "Stay alert."

From the shadows, a pair of glowing eyes suddenly emerged, followed by a low growl.