Infinite Hunter

Cheng Yijiu joined a Saracen caravan instead, as they offered more money, had longer trade routes, and had been around for quite some time, so they should be able to gather intelligence on the ghouls. In the Frankish, or rather Catholic, world, there were no legends of ghouls before the Cross. This was a topic Cheng Yijiu had brought up during a conversation with a certain priest.

Therefore, the correct path is to follow the Saracens. Perhaps they can find traces of ghouls in the peninsula or even in West Asia. Cheng Yijiu was not a Catholic to begin with. His appearance could quickly change into that of a Saracen. The merchant looked at Cheng Yijiu's face and said, "I always feel that you are from the far East, the rich Peach Blossom Stone."

Cheng Yijiu just smiled. He knew a little Latin and French, which was enough to communicate with the Saracen merchants, who also spoke French and Latin for business purposes. "Maybe I can even learn some Arabic," Cheng Yijiu thought. In those days, the cultural level of the Saracen merchants and nobles was much higher than that of their Frankish counterparts.

As for Cheng Yijiu, the merchant Abbas was also quite satisfied with this mercenary - not only because he had the appearance of a person from the rich land of the Far East, but also because of his superb martial arts. In just a few seconds, he disarmed several of Abbas's guards with a wooden sword on the training ground. The most important thing was that the commission for such a warrior was not much.

Even Abbas, an old businessman who could be considered knowledgeable, was a little jealous of the mercenary's armament - especially the lion skin. Although he didn't know the magic of the lion skin, Abbas had never seen such a gorgeous and golden lion skin, especially when it was really spread out, he could see how big a lion it was.

The merchant had originally wanted to ask if the lion skin was for sale, but of course, the answer was that it wasn't for sale. But that didn't stop Abbas from imagining that if the mercenary died, wouldn't all his belongings belong to him? While he wouldn't actively do that, it didn't prevent him from harboring a few small ulterior motives.

"Well, people are treacherous." Even Cheng Yijiu realized this, but there was nothing he could do. He could only make himself strong enough to solve the problem. Only by following the caravan could he easily penetrate the Tianfang Kingdom and obtain accurate information. He could only turn a blind eye to the merchant's greed.

Cheng Yijiu received his first advance commission, which he immediately spent on the stolen warhorse—having the hoof trimmer meticulously trim the horse's hooves and re-shoe it with new shoes. He also bought himself some replacement clothing. Most of his weapons could fit on the merchant's wagon, as could the horse's food. He could even rest on the wagon during most of the journey.

After all, they need to conserve their energy. When encountering bandits, mercenaries must be the first to take the lead. It seems that people like Cheng Yijiu only need to lend a hand during camping. Some mercenaries are more like armed handymen than mercenaries. It seems that professional soldiers with superb martial arts skills like Cheng Yijiu don't need that.

After leaving Jerusalem, the first group of looters were surprisingly the Franks. These Franks didn't even bother to hide their insignia; they were soldiers belonging to a certain earl. Initially, Cheng Yijiu wasn't present; instead, merchants negotiated with these Franks, exploring the possibility of paying a small toll for safe passage.

If they came up and killed people, not to mention whether they could win or not, even if they defeated these people, there would be no benefit. The Earl would only bring out all his troops to hunt them down. If there was really no other way, maybe they could give it a try... Cheng Yijiu put on the lion skin and chain mail, and put his sword aside at the ready. "Looking at this situation, the negotiations are likely to break down."

The mercenary next to him was not a Frank, but a Muslim from Asia Minor. He could also speak Latin and said vaguely, "I hope they can reach an agreement. Those barbaric Franks are not easy to deal with." Indeed, these Franks were wearing chain mail and looked quite ferocious - they probably didn't shave, and their beards were messy.

Cheng Yijiu kept an eye on their hands and shoulders. He had to ensure his employer's safety. If the Franks suddenly attacked, he would have to react immediately. These barbarians were very brave, and there was nothing they couldn't do, especially if they were pagans. The voices were getting louder and louder, but Cheng Yijiu didn't pay any attention to what they were saying. The accents were so thick that he didn't bother to distinguish them.

Someone moved, and Cheng Yijiu also acted quickly, drawing his greatsword and lunging forward. He was the main target of the enemy's attention, simply because the lion skin was too dazzling. Since the days of ancient Rome, few warriors had worn lion skins in battle. It was a chain reaction, a complete chain reaction. Cheng Yijiu noticed something unusual and moved, and the Franks who had noticed him also moved when they saw Cheng Yijiu's movements, and then the mercenaries followed suit.

The Franks were indeed ready to draw their swords and chop down the pagan merchant before them—as for his status among the Saracens? A mere pagan wasn't a concern for these Franks. The key point was that these Saracen merchants were wealthy, and their caravans were also wealthy. Cheng Yijiu's charge just happened to block the opponent's thrust with a swing of his sword, and at the same time, he twisted the blade to disarm the Frank's longsword.

At this point, the Franks drew their weapons, ready to fight. "Sir, I think the negotiations have broken down." Cheng Yijiu, despite his busy schedule, finally had time to say this to Mr. Abbas. Now it depended on what the merchant was going to do.

Chapter 7: Breakaway

What could he do? Abbas had no idea. When the Franks were determined to rob him, what else could he do besides resist with force or flee at high speed? Kneel down and beg? The Franks would be absolutely delighted to take every penny he had and then send him to see Hu Da. He could only survive first. Cheng Yijiu didn't need Abbas's orders; he had already launched his attack.

Cheng Yijiu didn't rush in to kill. Instead, he focused on disarming and injuring his opponents, temporarily rendering them incapable of fighting. This might have been difficult to control in the past, but Cheng Yijiu now could do it with ease. In just over ten seconds, the dozen or so Franks were knocked to the ground, their weapons falling, but no one was killed. "Alright, employer, you decide what to do next," Cheng Yijiu handed the task over to Abbas.

The old man was decisive. He immediately ordered the heavy carts abandoned, all belongings, especially the gold and jewelry, to be assembled on horses, and then everyone rode away quickly. As long as they left the Frankish noble's territory as quickly as possible, he would be safe. Abbas had been traveling for many years and had made some "friends" in various places. Especially after entering Saracen territory, he had many friends who could guarantee his safety.

Indeed, the caravan, along with its guards, traveled a day and a night to escape the earl's territory—after all, the earl couldn't possibly plunder the entire territory under his rule. They didn't stop there, and indeed, when they climbed to a higher point and looked back, they could see smoke and dust, perhaps from the pursuing troops. Fortunately, the Saracens also arrived with hundreds of cavalry, ultimately allowing them to successfully enter the city.

The loss was significant, but it wasn't a loss for Abbas. He was just furious. After taking power, the earl would occasionally rob passing Saracen merchants, completely treating the previous peace treaty as worthless. Cheng Yijiu didn't care; he just wanted to know where the ghouls were. "Do we have to go all the way to Damascus? These monsters are more likely to appear in ancient cemeteries or mausoleums..."

Asia Minor and the Mesopotamian region are among the oldest cradles of human civilization. Ancient tombs and mausoleums abound, and so, so-called ghouls appear. Knowing this, Cheng Yijiu set out to find the ghouls—his employment contract was to protect Abbas until he reached his destination, which was already very close. Abbas once again approached Cheng Yijiu, hoping to buy his lion skin.

"No, sir. I can't sell this to you." Cheng Yijiu refused again, even though the other party offered a very high price. Abbas laughed it off and didn't mention it anymore. He was at the banquet for the mercenaries at that time. Cheng Yijiu could sense his dissatisfaction, even if his face didn't show it. The banquet was a typical oriental style, with fruits, nuts, lamb, rice, and water from dates or grapes that had gone bad...

Cheng Yijiu took a sip of the wine. The Arabs weren't that poor, and they had sugar shipped from the East and their own honey. So, instead of removing the wine's sweetness, they actually added sugar to it. Cheng Yijiu thought it tasted much better than a dry red wine. "I think this old man is a problem. It would be great if I could just take the money and sneak away. I'm afraid he'll ambush me and steal the lion skin."

That's the moral standard these days.

Cheng Yijiu didn't need to say goodbye to Abbas when he left—their relationship was simply one of employment, and it ended the moment Abbas arrived at his destination. Where Cheng Yijiu went after that was none of Abbas's business. Cheng Yijiu slipped away quietly under the cover of night, his black warhorse laden with a package. He didn't have much to carry, so he rode away quickly.

But they didn't run very far. Halfway through, they found an open space, built a fire, and went to rest. As for the horse, they simply put half a bag of beans in it and let it eat on its own. It had been fed before. Cheng Yijiu was very cautious. Although he didn't think Abbas would send people out to rob at night, he still had to be cautious. So he wore a lion skin to keep warm and rested his head on the empty sword sheath so that he could hear the sound of horse hooves coming from the ground at night.

He slept quite comfortably, warm in the lion skin. This magical skin remained dust-free, and a shake of it shone with a golden sheen. Cheng Yijiu raised his head and sniffed. His exceptional sense of smell told him where the water source was—this era wasn't as drought-ridden as later generations, so water sources were still available in the wild. After watering the horses, Cheng Yijiu washed himself and ate breakfast. "Maybe I'm overthinking it," he muttered.

Cheng Yijiu pondered where to go. It seemed the fertile Mesopotamian region was more likely to offer ghouls—they didn't seem particularly rare. He had already seen werewolves before, and it seemed this world was full of them. For example, he had just spotted another bizarre creature—the upper body of a human joined to the body of a scorpion the size of a calf. It looked quite terrifying.

Cheng Yijiu had no desire to engage such a monster; it wasn't his goal. But at that moment, several horses rushed over from the other side, their riders clearly dressed like bandits. The men, their scimitars hanging from their saddles, also spotted the half-scorpion man and cried out in terror, attempting to turn their horses and flee. But when they saw Cheng Yijiu, draped in the lion skin, his eyes filled with greed, they refused to flee.

So they must have wanted to rob Cheng Yijiu of his lion skin first, and then quickly escape from the startled Half-Scorpion. Cheng Yijiu didn't think they were lucky to have encountered these bandits. They were probably sent by that ruthless old man, Abbas—and they probably spent a lot of money on him, because when he escaped at night, even Cheng Yijiu didn't know where he would go. The old man must have sent out many teams to search everywhere.

Cheng Yijiu said nothing, thinking of the opportunity to mount a charge, drawing his longsword and preparing. While his swordsmanship was designed for foot combat, it could also be used on horseback, though the technique would require a change—primarily stabbing. A single-edged straight saber was more suitable for parrying and stabbing, and Cheng Yijiu's longsword was longer than a saber. It would be interesting to see how Napoleonic cavalry techniques would fare in this era.

chapter eight

A two-handed longsword is actually quite heavy, not well-suited for thrusts on horseback, but Cheng Yijiu's strong wrists easily supported the attack. He urged his horse to charge, his eyes fixed on the opponent's shoulder—a sideways thrust, dodging the opponent's lance while driving the tip of his sword into the opponent's waist and abdomen. Then, with extremely fast speed, he twisted his wrist and twisted it, adjusting the direction as the horses passed, drawing the longsword. "Not many bandits use lances," Cheng Yijiu muttered.

The next guys who rushed over were easier to deal with, as they were all wielding scimitars, so a single stab was enough. Cheng Yijiu quickly mastered the art of horseback combat, now handling both thrusts and slashes with ease. The bandits fought a few rounds, then fled after leaving four bodies behind. After all, the half-scorpion man was still closing in. He could crawl as fast as a horse, but his endurance wasn't as good.

The clattering, crawling sounds grew closer, and Cheng Yijiu quickly took off. This half-scorpion man looked like he wasn't someone to be trifled with, and since he wasn't his target, he really didn't want to risk his life for it. The half-scorpion man didn't chase him, but was instead drawn to the bodies of the bandits Cheng Yijiu had killed, busying himself with pliers to dispose of them. "Remember, there are half-scorpions in this place. If you need a mission to hunt them down in the future, you can come to the Mesopotamian region."

This thing is indeed difficult to deal with with cold weapons, and it is also difficult to deal with it with traps. The opponent can regenerate with clamps, but it is definitely easy to deal with it with a musket - just shoot it. If you really want to use cold weapons to kill the half-scorpion man, Cheng Yijiu thought it was not impossible. "Forget it, I'll let you go." He walked slowly towards Mesopotamia. Turn around and kill Abbas? Cheng Yijiu is not that bored at the moment. Besides, he is alone. If he turns around and is surrounded by the enemy, wouldn't he be doomed?

So it’s better to stay away from them and leave their sphere of influence.

Cheng Yijiu led his horse slowly forward when a cloud of dust appeared in the distance. "Oh, damn! It's a marching column. Looking at the flags, they seem to be Franks?" He was well aware that this was the time of the Crusades, but encountering a group of marching Franks was not a good thing. Ahead was the Saracen town. They were about to attack it. Cheng Yijiu couldn't just go around it, so he could only wait and see if there was a chance to leave at night.

Unfortunately, he was spotted by a Frankish scout. These men were definitely not good people. Seeing Cheng Yijiu wearing a lion skin, they immediately set out to rob him. It was pointless to say anything to such a bandit, so Cheng Yijiu drew his sword and, with his first strike, severed the charging scout's horse's leg. As he spun around, he decapitated the fallen scout with his second strike. The second person who rushed forward was deflected by Cheng Yijiu's powerful sword, losing his balance and severing the man's throat with his blade.

Of course, the lion's skin fluttered, blocking the last scout's attack. Cheng Yijiu ripped the man's chest open with a single sword, letting him fall from his horse and try to pick up his own internal organs, then lying dead in a pool of blood and entrails. Cheng Yijiu mounted his horse and rode away, but before he had gotten far, another group of Franks caught up with him. "Really!" Cheng Yijiu cursed a few times, then looked back to see how many of them were.

He dismounted and set his horse aside, sword in hand, waiting for the enemy to charge. This number should be manageable, after all, he was covered in lion skins and ointment. The Franks were knights, and they didn't attack immediately after charging. "You killed our scouts, aren't you a Saracen?" The other party saw Cheng Yijiu's face. "Eastern?" This Frank was actually quite knowledgeable, and it seemed he wasn't just a bumpkin who had just arrived from Europe.

"They tried to rob me, and I killed them instead," Cheng Yijiu explained. "I'm sorry, but you're hindering our progress." The knight drew his sword, apologized, and then seemed ready to strike Cheng Yijiu down. "Alas, you can't explain it clearly. You can only use the sword to solve the problem," Cheng Yijiu complained, speaking in Chinese, which the other party couldn't understand at all.

The first to charge forward were the dismounted servants who followed him, each holding a shield and a one-handed sword. Cheng Yijiu displayed his mastery of the helicopter sword technique against them—continuous slashing, never blocking, and striking one opponent after another with one strike. Even if the opponent had a shield, it was useless, as the longsword would always penetrate at a very tricky angle. Cheng Yijiu's lion skin and ointment allowed him to easily ignore the swords of those guys.

Before the knight could stop his men from attacking, they were all dead. Now it was the knight in the barrel helmet's turn to face Cheng Yijiu alone. Cheng Yijiu couldn't see the man's expression, but he could sense that he was panicking. To have killed his men in such a short time, he must be an extremely powerful person. Furthermore, the lion skin was invulnerable to swords and spears. "Heretics!" The knight took out a cross and placed it before him.

Cheng Yijiu kept walking, casually swinging his sword left and right, ready to chop the guy down with one blow. "I surrender! I'll pay the ransom!" The guy was quite decisive. Cheng Yijiu looked at him and said, "Then take out all the money you have, and I'll take the two horses. That will be your ransom." Since the guy had previously apologized for the robbery, Cheng Yijiu decided to let him go according to the tradition of the time.

This time the harvest was not bad. Three horses shared Cheng Yijiu's luggage, which made him move faster. But troubles followed him everywhere. When he was camping in the wild at night, he met knights passing by. These knights were guarding the carriage. They saw Cheng Yijiu making a fire and approached him. "It doesn't look like they are here to rob?" Cheng Yijiu, holding the sword, found that the group was just making another big fire on the side. At the same time, a maid and a veiled woman got off the carriage.

They were probably camping there too. "Traveling alone? That's truly brave! Monsters roam this wasteland," a knight said to Cheng Yijiu, likely because he saw the lion skin draped over him, which gleamed golden in the firelight. Even though the woman was veiled, Cheng Yijiu knew she was observing the lion skin. "Are there any monsters? I've only encountered half-scorpions before." Since they meant well, Cheng Yijiu answered them.

Hearing that this person could actually speak French, the knights and the woman seemed to relax a little. "Your lion skin is really beautiful." Cheng Yijiu heard the woman speak for the first time. Her voice was a little hoarse, a typical contralto.

Chapter nine

Cheng Yijiu didn't know how to respond, so he could only laugh it off. "It's a good thing, indeed. I strangled it to avoid damaging the hide." Knowing that these Franks loved to show off and boast, Cheng Yijiu followed suit, boasting about his prowess. He was taller than most Frankish knights of the day, and in fact, more muscular—the proportion of his height to his legs made him, a yellow-skinned man, clearly a strong type.

Hearing that he had strangled a lion, the Franks all showed a look of "you brag, kid!" on their faces, but they didn't make any other moves. Instead, the veiled woman seemed even more curious about him. Because Cheng Yijiu was an Oriental, although these people came from Western Europe, many of them were born in the Christian countries established by the Crusaders in Asia Minor, and naturally they had seen many other races.

East Asians like Cheng Yijiu, though rare, had been seen in the caravans before, and so he mentioned the Far East. "I've traveled the world and arrived here," Cheng Yijiu said. "It's far richer than this place." He had also said the same thing when discussing the present-day Song Dynasty. He casually described something he had memorized from the Tokyo Dreams, and the noblewoman's eyes sparkled like stars.

The woman immediately wanted to hire Cheng Yijiu to be her bodyguard, but Cheng Yijiu shook his head and said, "I came here for something. I must kill a zombie." There was nothing he couldn't tell anyone. After Cheng Yijiu said it directly, he hoped that they could also provide him with some information. "If you go over here, I have met a half-scorpion man. You have to be careful." Cheng Yijiu also took the initiative to tell him about the situation.

"Half-scorpion people... Asia Minor is really a nest of monsters, and the wilds are full of the descendants of these devils." A knight said beside the campfire, "As for the ghouls, I heard that if you go in this direction, you will find ancient tombs. The locals say there are monsters there and they never dare to approach." The woman moved over after a while and reached out to touch the lion skin that Cheng Yijiu was wearing.

The short fur on the lion skin didn't feel hard at all, but rather very smooth. "This lion skin..." the woman said, and Cheng Yijiu replied directly, "Sorry, ma'am, lion skins are not for sale." He wrapped the lion skin around himself and said, "It's late at night and I want to rest." After that, the man lay down next to the fire. It's hard to say whether he was rude. Killing and robbing is fine, and I guess these people don't care. The only thing to consider is whether it's worth it.

Of course, Cheng Yijiu also hugged his sword. If this group of people really wanted to kill people and rob, then he wouldn't mind making a bloody scene - this woman was obviously of some status, otherwise there wouldn't be these knights to protect her. It seemed that the other party had this intention. Cheng Yijiu could sense the gradual change in the atmosphere. Cheng Yijiu also sighed secretly, "Is it better to wear a lion skin in the future? Bah! Why!"

Cheng Yijiu hadn't applied the ointment yet, and it was night, the least effective time for the ointment. If a conflict arose, he would have to rely on the lion skin. Cheng Yijiu was keeping an eye on the movements of these people. If they dispersed and surrounded him, he might have to jump up and prepare for battle. "Huh? What's that sound?" His ear was now pressed against the scabbard, and he heard a strange sound on the ground, probably footsteps.

"So fast!" The sound was getting closer, and each footstep seemed to land quite far away. He immediately shook his lion skin, drew his sword, and stood up. His action startled the knights, and they also drew their swords, but Cheng Yijiu paid no attention to them. Instead, he focused all his attention in one direction, that is, in the darkness where the firelight could not reach. Something was moving there.

The knights were also experienced men. One of them moved silently to the front of the carriage, while the others turned in the same direction. Suddenly, two golden lights appeared in the darkness. There was no moon that night, and as the lights flickered, the owner of these two golden lights gradually revealed their true appearance. They were a pair of eyes, quite large, and in the light, the owner of these eyes revealed an anthropomorphic lion face—a mixture of an old man and a lion.

The monster's mouth was densely packed with fangs, making it look far more ferocious than a lion's. Furthermore, the height and size of its head—in Cheng Yijiu's opinion, this creature's size might be comparable to that of an African elephant. The monster's body slowly emerged in the firelight. It was a massive lion's torso, even revealing bat-like wings rising high from its shoulders. Cheng Yijiu knew what kind of monster it was.

"Manticore, scorpion lion... they're monsters that are found in Asia Minor and the Mesopotamian region." According to the monster records Cheng Yi had read, these monsters were indeed native to this area, and the earliest legends were from here. It wasn't just the scorpion lion, but also a range of lion-like monsters, such as the Sphinx... This monster's entire body appeared in the flames, and its raised scorpion tail looked very dangerous.

Because this thing is basically a hammer head covered in spikes, and in the book, the spikes can be fired, which makes it even more dangerous. However, the Manticore's attention has always been on Cheng Yijiu. The monster is not looking at Cheng Yijiu as a person, but at the lion skin he is wearing. Cheng Yijiu can sense that the monster's attention and sight are slightly higher than others, and it is not looking into his eyes.

This monster made everyone here feel threatened. The woman had already silently emerged from the carriage and hid under it. "Your...skin..." Cheng Yijiu was the first time he knew the Manticore could actually speak. Although his words were a little unclear, it was Latin, and he could understand the few words. This thing actually had a human-like intelligence. Cheng Yijiu thought it might want his lion skin—after all, it was the bloodline of the Nemean Lion.

"Is this called the Lion Skin Adventure? I'm just a sideshow." Cheng Yijiu didn't know whether to laugh or cry, but silently prepared for battle. The knights, upon hearing what Scorpion Lion had said, moved in secret, protecting only the carriage and the noblewoman hiding below. As for Scorpion Lion and Cheng Yijiu, they could let them resolve the conflict between themselves.

"Damn it!" Cheng Yijiu couldn't help but curse inwardly when he saw them like that. The scorpion lion, clearly impatient at Cheng Yijiu's lack of reaction, lunged forward with its massive body. Its elephant-sized form was surprisingly nearly silent and agile, a truly terrifying wilderness monster.

chapter Ten

The scorpion lion lunged at Cheng Yijiu. At that moment, Cheng Yijiu grasped his greatsword with both hands, his lion hide fluttering as he charged directly at the scorpion lion. The massive lion claws slashed down, and Cheng Yijiu lowered himself to block the blow with his lion hide. He thrust his greatsword hard, leveraging the scorpion lion's own strength to penetrate and rip its claws apart. With a deafening roar, the scorpion lion retreated, shaking its head.

Poisonous blood flowed from his claws, and the scorpion lion licked its severely injured claws and roared in pain. Cheng Yijiu was also in pain. The lion skin might have its limits. Although it was not damaged, it could not completely dissipate the terrible force. The chain mail under the lion skin fell to the ground with a clatter, shattered by the blow - and Cheng Yijiu's clothes under the chain mail naturally shattered as well, revealing his skin that seemed to be glowing.

Indeed, he had applied Apollo's ointment, and now Cheng Yijiu had reached to the side of his belt, scooped out a large dollop, and rubbed it over his body. The ointment began to flow as soon as it touched his skin, even covering his back, which hadn't been touched. Cheng Yijiu rubbed his hand over his face. Apollo's Chosen One was officially online. Even though it was midnight, not the time when Apollo's power was at its strongest, he gripped the sword again, feeling the power surge through his body.

This was his true strength, the strength of a ferocious tiger. Cheng Yijiu charged at the licking-wounded scorpion lion. He no longer cared about the woman or the knights; in his current state, killing them all would only take a moment. The scorpion lion swung its tail, and the venomous stingers on the ball-like tip of its tail erupted. Cheng Yijiu used his lion skin and longsword to block these powerful stings.

Although he was inevitably shaken slightly by the impact and had to step back a few steps to absorb the force, he was able to block the scorpion lion's most vicious weapon, the stinger. The scorpion lion's tail swept across, and several knights were unlucky enough to be hit by the venomous stingers. Their armor was surprisingly useless, and they were directly pierced by the dagger-like stingers. The poison penetrated their bodies and they fell to the ground, dying within minutes.

The scorpion lion's claws touched the ground, and it roared in pain again, charging at Cheng Yijiu again, this time opening its maw and biting horizontally at the lion-skinned warrior. Cheng Yijiu leaped high and grabbed the scorpion lion's mane. A beast that size wouldn't do much damage by just slashing; stabbing would be better. With his left hand, Cheng Yijiu held the mane steady for a moment, then held the longsword upside down in his right hand, using the force of his body weight to thrust it down with all his might.

The scorpion lion also spread its wings. Since it hadn't bitten, it naturally flapped its wings and flew away. This movement made Cheng Yijiu a little unbalanced, and he didn't stab with the most effective force. The blade pierced the mane and slipped on the skin, not penetrating deep enough, but the wound was very long. Cheng Yijiu almost let go and dodged, otherwise the poisonous blood would flow to his body and it would be difficult to deal with.

Cheng Yijiu landed and steadied himself, while the beast hovered in mid-air, a violent wind emanating from it. The bonfire had been extinguished, even the logs were blown away. The carriage was blown sideways, and the knights half-bent their bodies behind the carriage to resist the wind. Only Cheng Yijiu knelt on one knee, stabbing his greatsword into the ground, letting the lion's skin fly. In this moment, it was as if the lion had truly come back to life.

Part of the manticore's mane had been stained dark by blood, but it was impossible to see clearly in the darkness. The campfire was already out, and there was no moon tonight, which was very unfriendly to Cheng Yijiu. It should have been this way, but the hunter already had dark vision, so at least at night, his vision was the same as the manticore's. The manticore was only about ten meters away, staring at him and assessing the situation.

Cheng Yijiu's body was slightly bruised, but his injuries were much less severe than those of the bleeding scorpion lion. The scorpion lion had first been pierced by a front paw, then had suffered a cut on the neck. It had indeed suffered a significant loss in the fight with Cheng Yijiu. The beast landed again, and a dive attack would be even more disadvantageous, something the monster had figured out. Cheng Yijiu's agility far exceeded the level the creature had originally anticipated. Such a human would be difficult to deal with.

Moreover, it had already sensed Cheng Yijiu's terrifying strength in their two encounters. This strength was completely unhuman. Any other knight would have died from the manticore's first blow, and even if they survived, the sword would have surely slipped out of their grasp. How could Cheng Yijiu pierce through a giant lion's claws like it was piercing mud? The manticore was now in a dilemma. It didn't want to just leave, but its large size didn't seem to give it an overwhelming advantage. Instead, it gave its smaller opponent two opportunities.

The manticore was a cunning and ferocious beast, its intelligence comparable to that of a human. It was considered a demonic creature because it could understand and speak human language. Finally, the manticore decided to give it a try, relying on its wings to escape even at a disadvantage. Cheng Yijiu knew what the monster was thinking just by looking into its eyes, so he charged forward. The knights and noblewomen, unable to see what was happening in the darkness, could only hide behind and under the carriage, praying to God for a quick sunrise.

The scorpion lion's roar, matched by its size, was far louder than a lion's. Cheng Yijiu rushed forward and slapped the scorpion lion with both claws. The hunter's reaction completely surpassed human limits. The Cold Iron Sword also had a bonus against such monsters—the biggest bonus was actually the fat on his body, which brought Cheng Yijiu the power of the sun. While dodging the lion's claws, he kept trying to get around and rush the scorpion lion.

There's little defense against a lion's back, but for a scorpion lion, the first thing to deal with is its tail. Without that, stabbing the scorpion lion on its back would be a death wish. Cheng Yijiu rolled to close in on the scorpion lion's belly. The monster wouldn't let Cheng Yijiu safely reach its belly, or else its stomach would burst open in a moment. The scorpion lion actively crouched, using its wings and tail to strike back, attempting to force Cheng Yijiu to the outside.

Cheng Yijiu was also extremely cautious. Even with the protection of the lion's hide, taking a blow from this elephant-sized beast wouldn't be easy. A head-on blow could even result in serious injury. He swung his sword several times, inflicting several long wounds on the scorpion lion's wings. Finally, Cheng Yijiu reached the side of the scorpion lion and chopped down hard at the base of its tail...

Chapter 11

The monster's tail was very thick. Like a scorpion, it was segmented and covered in a hard shell. Cheng Yijiu slashed down with his sword, its tail as thick as a human waist. Unlike a decaying corpse dragon, the scorpion lion's tail, infused with vitality, was far more resilient and strong. Cheng Yijiu's cold iron sword slashed down, but surprisingly only penetrated a little over a third of the tail's depth. It broke through the hard shell, severing the incredibly tough muscle, but it got stuck in the equally tough bone.

"This scorpion's tail actually has bones?" Cheng Yijiu was equally surprised. He hadn't expected this at all. He quickly drew his sword, otherwise if it got stuck, the monster would have launched a counterattack. As expected, the winged blades and lion claws blew past one after another. If Cheng Yijiu hadn't quickly jumped back, he would have been hit by the ultimate attack. His lion hide was invulnerable and could absorb a lot of the force of the blow, but it was not a full-body shield.

Furthermore, this wasn't Hercules's authentic Nemean lion skin, imbued with divine power. This skin had its limits, and Cheng Yijiu had no desire to test them. The blood gushing from the scorpion lion's tail, mixed with bodily fluids, could ignite a poisonous flame when poured onto the ground. This injury also rendered the thick scorpion tail ineffective in combat—the angle and force of its swings were far less than before the injury.

The most crucial thing was that the stingers on its tail, capable of firing, were temporarily unavailable. Cheng Yijiu wasn't afraid of the sheer power and claws of its massive size—he was accustomed to fighting foes of enormous size. "If it weren't for the limitations of the times, which prevented me from carrying a rifle, I'd have just shot you dead," Cheng Yijiu thought. His movements were unstoppable, employing a half-crouching and rolling maneuver to evade and penetrate the interior to attack the massive and agile monster.

This monster's intelligence was quite high, judging by its human-like head and ability to speak. It was also very cunning in combat. If it weren't for Cheng Yijiu's swiftness, strong swordsmanship, and the protection of the lion skin and ointment, he would have been eaten by the monster on the spot. The monster also bore many scars from Cheng Yijiu, especially in the flank, where Cheng Yijiu had stabbed it hard after rolling in. If it weren't for its size, it would have been doomed.

Cheng Yijiu stabbed half a sword's length deep, creating a massive gash. A good deal of blood flowed, but the creature's internal organs appeared unharmed. The scorpion lion was preparing to retreat. Having gained nothing tonight, it might as well leave and raid another village. Today, the scorpion lion encountered a tough opponent, a minor setback. These injuries weren't serious. Even with Cheng Yijiu's sword possessing demon-breaking power, as long as the monster was well fed and well-fed, the wounds would heal quickly.

As the wind picked up again, the scorpion lion opened its maw and spewed out a green, poisonous fire that enveloped a fan-shaped area over ten meters ahead. Cheng Yijiu was forced to retreat, using the lion skin as a shield. The scorpion lion took the opportunity to escape, and Cheng Yijiu had no intention of pursuing it. He dropped the lion skin and stood still. His horse had already run away in fear, and now he had no idea where it had gone. Fortunately, it had escaped, otherwise it would have been killed by the aftermath.

Some of the knights over there had been caught in the manticore's final flaming breath, requiring amputations, and some had died. Unsurprisingly, all the horses pulling the carriage had perished. Fortunately, the noblewoman and her maid were safe, and the carriage hadn't burned. If the knights had towed the carriage, they could still reach the supply town. The knights hadn't dared to approach them anymore—certainly, they'd previously harbored a bit of ill will towards a formidable swordsman capable of single-handedly taking on a manticore...

A manticore, a wilderness king-level monster, normally requires an entire cavalry and infantry force, led by multiple knights and supported by large capstan crossbows. Now, at night, it was completely stopped by a warrior draped in a lion skin. Even though the skin displayed miraculous power, the swordsman's formidable strength was undeniable. Everyone coveted the lion skin, yet ultimately dared not entertain further thoughts.

Cheng Yijiu lit the fire again, and amid the sound of horse hooves, his warhorse returned unexpectedly—this fellow had a pretty good IQ. "I remember horses are quite smart, as smart as a four or five-year-old child." Cheng Yijiu's mood brightened instantly. He ignored the people cleaning up the mess and rode away after daybreak. He noticed something in the noblewoman's eyes, revealing her veil. She seemed about to speak. "Probably to recruit someone," Cheng Yijiu thought, having already run away.

Cheng Yijiu ran for several kilometers. "Ha, these are the footprints of that monster on the ground." He saw broken bushes on the roadside and a huge, incomplete footprint on the ground. After running for more than ten kilometers, Cheng Yijiu saw a miserable scene - it was a nearly destroyed town. The walls were still intact, but inside there were broken and collapsed buildings, traces of burning, and crying people.

There were more than a dozen corpses lying in the market, and people were clearing the collapsed houses. Looking at the marks on the damaged houses and some of the marks on the corpses, Cheng Yijiu knew very well that it was a huge beast. "Scorpion lion..." He repeated the words silently. He could deduce the whereabouts of the monster after it left him at night. "It dropped from the sky and launched a surprise attack, crashing or clawing at the houses and dragging the people inside out..."

Cheng Yijiu looked at the two small crossbows on the city wall and shook his head. "If this guy dares to appear before me..." Unfortunately, it was unlikely. After replenishing his water and dry food, Cheng Yijiu quickly left. His target was a mausoleum where, according to legend, there were ghouls. A monster like the manticore was unlikely to appear before him, but what about other monsters?

This place is known for the legend of the "King of Vipers." This is where the basilisk first existed, so perhaps such a monster lurks deep within the mausoleum. It's a very dangerous enemy, far more terrifying than a ghoul. "It would be great if the mission offered multiple objectives, any one of which you could choose to complete," Cheng Yijiu grumbled. The mausoleum is located at the foot of the mountain, and tomb robbery has been a common occurrence since ancient times. Therefore, the mausoleum's gate had long been smashed down, and the temple outside was also severely damaged.

The local residents did not dare to come here. It has always been said that there are monsters in the tomb, and tomb robbers and people who spent the night here have never returned since many years ago.

Chapter 12

There's no map of the tomb; it's located in a valley. Just one kilometer outside the valley is considered the Land of the Dead, as the locals call it. Few dare to spend the night here; even the bravest shepherds only dare to pass through during the day. As for entering the valley, no local warriors dare to do so, as there's no way out. This valley once swallowed up an entire army of foreign princes seeking to excavate the tombs to fund expansion.

There were thousands of people there, and not a single one of them ever showed up again after they went in.

One day, a horse, stirring up clouds of dust, approached the valley amidst the sound of rapid hooves. "It's rare! There must be a water source here. But is it a good idea to build a mausoleum near a water source? Won't it be flooded?" Cheng Yijiu couldn't figure it out. If groundwater seeped in, the excavated tomb would surely be flooded. Would someone really build such a tomb? He saw grass in the valley and the wasteland beyond, indicating a water source.

It's no wonder shepherds would occasionally bravely come here during the day to herd their sheep for grazing. Cheng Yijiu rode into the valley and immediately felt the coolness. The mountains on either side blocked a lot of sunlight, making the valley more shadowy. Cheng Yijiu asked the horse to walk in slowly, but the warhorse kept snorting, shaking its head from time to time, and even taking a step back. "Is it dangerous?" Cheng Yijiu himself felt that this place didn't look very pleasant.

This place was dangerous, Cheng Yijiu's sixth sense told him, so he dismounted decisively, smeared the ointment all over his body again, put on the lion's hide, took on his weapons, and slung the sundries on his shoulders. He released the warhorse and let it trot out of the valley. Cheng Yijiu had to walk alone for the rest of the journey. Slowly moving along the valley, the climate was very suitable, and the humidity was very low. Cheng Yijiu could already hear the sound of flowing water.

After walking about a hundred meters further and turning a corner, Cheng Yijiu spotted a stream flowing down from the mountain, emptying into a gourd-shaped pond about a hundred meters long. Around the pond grew a variety of aquatic plants, and reeds swayed in the valley breeze. Cheng Yijiu stared at the stream, which flowed down from a height of about sixty or seventy meters, puzzled. "How did this thing get down from the mountain? This mountain range doesn't seem high enough to intercept warm, humid air currents."

If you can't figure it out, forget it. Cheng Yijiu walked past the pond. He thought it was about a meter deep. The water was quite clear, and there were still fish, but they were small. He continued walking for about fifty meters, turning a small corner again. He saw an open stone gate, with broken stones scattered around. These stones were large, with carved patterns on them, probably the remains of a destroyed building.

The stone platform on the ground was relatively intact, save for a portion of the stone floor being damaged. Cheng Yijiu knelt down and brushed away the dust. He touched the stone slabs, and the delicate feel told him that they had probably been carefully polished. Judging from the color, they might be marble slabs. The tomb's gate was magnificent. Although the door was definitely gone, the six-meter-high doorframe suggested that its owner must have been extremely wealthy.

Unfortunately, it had already been robbed. The last large-scale tomb robbery Cheng Yijiu had heard of was twenty years ago—certainly, these hundreds of people had never appeared again. Cheng Yijiu hadn't found any remaining traces of the place. He hadn't even seen any creature larger than a mouse. There were indeed animal hoof prints around the pond, but they were small animals—probably muntjacs or something like that.

This was a water source, but few large creatures came to drink. Cheng Yijiu had already encountered at least two dangerous beasts in this wilderness, and they didn't come here to drink. Perhaps there were even more formidable hunters here? Cheng Yijiu looked up at the sky. It wasn't even noon yet, and the sunlight only partially illuminated the mausoleum. The lion-skinned hunter paused at the massive entrance. After a minute or so, Cheng Yijiu began to delve deeper.

The huge hole was like an abyss, gradually swallowing up Cheng Yijiu...

It was indeed quite dim inside, so Cheng Yijiu decisively exited and began to clean the floor outside. At the same time, he took out a bundle of torches from his bag and prepared to light them. Each of these grease-rich torches could provide two hours of illumination, which was enough. This tomb was different from the Chinese ones. It should be more spacious and there would be lighting equipment that could plug torches. Even the entire tomb was not completely sealed from the beginning.

After cleaning the marble slabs outside, the reflected sunlight suddenly made the inside much brighter. Cheng Yijiu then raised the torch and walked into the tomb passage. "It's unexpectedly clean." Looking at the ground and the walls, Cheng Yijiu sighed. There was nothing along the way, only rings and bases on the wall indicating where to insert torches for lighting. "Where are the missing people? There are not even bones..."

Cheng Yijiu reached the end and, as expected, there was no underground structure, but rather a staircase leading upwards. "Is there really no underground structure?" Cheng Yijiu expressed deep doubt. "If it were that simple, how did all those people die?" He hadn't encountered an enemy so far. What kind of monster could have killed thousands of people? After ascending, Cheng Yijiu finally discovered it—he lit a torch and walked up. He saw that the platform above contained more than just a massive marble coffin.