"Brother, I heard there's going to be some kind of auction in the city."
Tang Wen came to the blacksmith shop to pick up his arrows and was pulled aside by Li Da Niu for a chat.
"What are they auctioning?"
"Everything. Mainly Mutated Beast Meat and the Mutated animal's three treasures. It's said that we might even get to see the Queen!"
Mentioning the Queen, Li Da Niu's face was filled with reverence.
Not just him, but all the ordinary people in the camp, including Tang Wen, held deep respect and even gratitude towards the Queen.
In the camp, it was forbidden to bully the weak or harm others!
This was the iron law set by the Queen.
And there was no room for excuses. If someone deliberately provoked another, such as insulting a man's family in front of him, forcing him to retaliate, and then killing him under the guise of self-defense.
When it came to the guards, they had unique methods to ensure no one could lie.
And once lying was impossible, the truth would quickly come to light.
Evildoers naturally could not escape death.
Either they would be slashed a few times and taken to the mountains as bait, or they would be hung on a flagpole, wailing to their death, to deter other villains.
It was precisely this iron law that gave countless ordinary people a sense of security, making them willing to engage in farming.
After all, the majority of people were law-abiding.
As for the Mutated animal's three treasures Li Da Niu mentioned, they referred to the Mutated animal brain, heart, and liver.
Consuming these three treasures was said to make Martial Practitioners even stronger, even helping them break through barriers!
Mutated Beasts varied in strength; the stronger they were, the rarer and more potent the three treasures.
And what level of Mutated Beast would its three treasures be to make it to the auction?
Tang Wen thought of the Silver wolf he had encountered before.
He asked, "Can we go to the auction?"
"Well, yes, but it costs 1 tael of silver just to get in, and it's non-refundable." Li Da Niu wasn't very interested.
Tang Wen wanted to go, mainly to broaden his horizons.
But after feeling the money in his pocket, he decided against it.
He had his Cultivation Method and experience panel; the most crucial thing now was to seize the time to improve himself, not to go around looking for excitement.
Li Da Niu added, "A while ago, there was a Silver wolf disaster, and it's said that our Queen personally took action! She captured a Silver wolf and has it locked up in the city."
"Alive? Why not kill it? Keeping it is such a waste of food."
"Exactly! It's said to be locked in a cage as thick as a wrist, kept in a basement somewhere."
"Aren't the people living nearby scared?" Tang Wen had personally experienced the oppressive presence of the Silver wolf; even recalling it occasionally made him tense. The terrifying roar even made him lose the will to resist.
"Not sure, it seems the place is quite remote. And, for a few copper coins, you can go in and see it. A new recruit from the guard went in, and guess what happened?"
"What happened?" Tang Wen played along.
"He pissed himself!" Li Da Niu said with a laugh, lowering his voice, "Don't spread it around, but that new recruit really pissed himself! Scared out of his wits! He'll definitely never live it down in the barracks. Isn't that funny, brother? Spending money to become a laughingstock. And there were ordinary people who went in, scared out of their wits, running out in a panic, having nightmares every day."
"How much does it cost to go see it once?"
Tang Wen didn't laugh. He estimated that if he faced the Silver wolf up close, with all its oppressive presence focused on him alone.
He might very well piss himself too, and come running out in a panic.
"It's about 10 copper coins." Li Da Niu looked up, surprised, "What? Brother, are you thinking of going?"
Tang Wen shook his head, "Not now, but maybe I'll go take a look later. After all, I'm a hunter, so it would be good to see and learn."
Li Da Niu rubbed his bald head, "Brother, your hunting business is indeed dangerous. It would be better to become a guard as soon as possible. With your abilities, after a few years of hard work, you might even become a captain. Preferably a city guard captain—monthly rice and meat rations, not much danger, and a very leisurely job."
As he listened, Tang Wen's lips curled into a smile.
It reminded him of when he had just graduated from university, and his elders had similarly urged him to take the civil service exam.
Back then, he had been very resistant, thinking, "How much money could one really make from a civil service job?"
Now, he really wanted to become a guard because the strong ones among them could deal with the Silver wolf.
Becoming a guard might also allow him to acquire some more advanced martial arts techniques!
Leaving the blacksmith's shop, Tang Wen didn't head home.
Instead, he took his copper token and went into the city, asking the butcher about the specific location where the Silver wolf was being held.
"What? Young man, are you going to see the Silver wolf?" The butcher's voice was filled with surprise.
People around them turned to look, their eyes revealing a sense of amusement.
Tang Wen remained expressionless, "I just want to know the location so I can tell my family and friends to avoid that area."
"Oh~" The butcher seemed somewhat disappointed, "Then just avoid the northeast corner of the city. The Silver wolf is being held there."
Thanking him, Tang Wen took a detour and headed toward the northeast corner of the city.
From the main street, he turned onto smaller paths and finally entered an alley.
At the end of the alley was an open gate, with three armored guards standing under the archway, warming themselves by a fire.
Before Tang Wen could speak, one of the guards waved him off with a look of disdain, "Go on, kid, how old are you? Trying to see the Silver wolf like everyone else! Be careful you don't get scared to death. Go, go, go!"
Tang Wen wasn't bothered at all. He walked up with a smile and said, "Thank you for the warning, big brother. I'm not afraid to admit it—I once saw the Silver wolf from a distance in the wild, and I was so scared I couldn't even stand. When it roared, I fell flat on my face!"
The three guards exchanged glances, and the one who had spoken earlier asked curiously, "If you know it's scary, why are you still here?"
"I'm a herbalist for the clinic, so I often have to go outside the camp. I thought I could come here to practice my courage without actually seeing the Silver wolf. That way, if I ever encounter Mutated Beasts again, I won't be as scared and can run faster if I need to escape."
Tang Wen's tone was sincere and calm, and the three guards were visibly moved.
The leader of the group looked him over and said, "It's rare to see someone think like that. Alright, you can go in. Walk fifty steps inside, and you'll find a room with a hole and a staircase leading down. Stand at the edge of the hole, and you'll feel something different. If you're not afraid of the Silver wolf suddenly roaring, you can give it a try."
"Thank you. How much does it cost?"
"Ten copper coins to enter."
Tang Wen counted out the coins and carefully walked in, hugging the wall.
"Owwwooo~"
Suddenly, a roar came from below, and Tang Wen shuddered, his legs going weak. He quickly grabbed the wall for support.
"This kid's really unlucky. The Silver wolf roared as soon as he walked in."
"Haha, as long as he doesn't pee himself in there."
The three guards laughed and chatted by the fire, completely unfazed by the wolf's howl.
"This Silver wolf—no, this environment—how can I make use of it? Maybe to train some skills?"
Shaking off the fear from the Silver wolf's roar, Tang Wen pressed a hand to his pounding chest and began to think.
Should he practice his swordsmanship?
If the silver wolf howled while he was practicing with the knife, there was a chance the knife in his hand might fly out.
It was even possible that an overreaction could cause him to injure himself.
He couldn't practice with the knife.
After much thought, Tang Wen cautiously entered the house, found a corner by the wall, and began practicing his stance.
The Eight Section Brocade couldn't be revealed outside, and neither the Flying Stone nor the Flying Knife were suitable.
The most appropriate option was the stance.
But practicing the stance required "Guarding the One," which demanded a calm mind.
Staring at the dark entrance, his heart remained unsettled.
He couldn't help but imagine that in the next second, the ferocious silver wolf would emerge from the cave and swallow him whole, as easily as a wild boar devouring a yam!
(End of Chapter)