Youth should be seized early, for one cannot remain young forever. Chapter 120: Forming a Party to Hunt Demonic Beasts

"Senior Brother, are you really planning to go to the Monster Beast Forest?" Meng Li asked urgently.

"That's right," Bai Qingzhou replied casually.

Meng Li stood up, her face full of anxiety. "Why would you want to go there?"

"It's like this," Bai Qingzhou explained. "I went to several shops earlier but couldn't find any 'Plum Moon Deer' hide. So, I decided to head to the Monster Beast Forest to find a Plum Moon Deer myself, harvest the skin, and get the materials you need."

"But that's too dangerous! If we don't have the leather, we can just wait until tomorrow or a few days later to buy it. There's no need to risk your life!"

"Don't worry!" Bai Qingzhou comforted her. "This hardly counts as an adventure. I used to visit the Monster Beast Forest frequently; this is just like revisiting an old haunt."

"But!" Meng Li refused to back down. "As far as I know, Senior Brother, you only ever hunted low-level first-tier monsters before. This Plum Moon Deer is a high-level first-tier monster, and it must live deep in the forest. That place is far too dangerous!"

"Hahaha," Bai Qingzhou chuckled, attempting to reassure her. "Don't worry. I've encountered this beast in the forest before. Even back when I was at the sixth level of Qi Refining, it couldn't do anything to me, let alone now that I'm at the eighth level. Besides, this type of beast usually dwells on the outskirts, unlike other high-level first-tier monsters..."

"But..." Meng Li tried to interject again.

Wei Jun, who had been standing to the side, suddenly cut in. "If you're worried, little sister, I can go with him!"

"You?" Meng Li looked at the unkempt Wei Jun, her eyes filled with suspicion. "Does Fellow Daoist Wei go to the Monster Beast Forest often?"

"Not exactly..." Wei Jun shook his head, then added, "But with my cultivation level, if I go with Brother Bai, there will surely be no problems."

"Your cultivation level?" Meng Li asked skeptically.

Hearing this, Bai Qingzhou interjected, "Junior Sister, it's normal that you can't discern his cultivation due to your own lower level, but in reality, he is at the ninth level of Qi Refining!"

Upon hearing this, Meng Li's expression toward Wei Jun changed. She hadn't expected this mild-mannered cultivator to be a master at the ninth level of Qi Refining; she hadn't been able to tell at all.

Meng Li lowered her head in thought.

Bai Qingzhou turned to Wei Jun and smiled. "Brother Wei, you don't have to force yourself. I can go alone; I have plenty of experience in the forest."

"Nonsense! You helped me without asking for anything in return that day—how could I forget that? Besides, I'm free during this time, so accompanying Fellow Daoist Bai will be a nice change of pace!"

"Haha, then I won't stand on ceremony!" Bai Qingzhou laughed heartily. "With Brother Wei coming along, there will certainly be no issues."

Two late-stage Qi Refining cultivators venturing into the Monster Beast Forest together could handle most situations safely, provided they didn't run into any second-tier monsters.

Wei Jun patted his chest and said solemnly, "You can count on me!"

Seeing this, Bai Qingzhou turned to the silent Meng Li and smiled coaxingly, "So, Junior Sister, you can rest easy now! With Fellow Daoist Wei coming with me, everything will be fine."

After considering it for a long while, Meng Li finally said with reluctance, "Alright then..."

...

The next day.

Bai Qingzhou took his new silver longsword and met Wei Jun at the gate of the marketplace. The two activated their magical tools and flew toward the Monster Beast Forest.

After exchanging pleasantries while flying, and once the conversation had opened up, Bai Qingzhou asked a question he had been holding back for a while.

"Fellow Daoist Wei, as a cultivator at the ninth level of Qi Refining, how is it that you seem to be living quite... frugally?"

Wei Jun lowered his head, his eyes dimming slightly. "There is, of course, a reason for that..."

As Wei Jun recounted his story, Bai Qingzhou learned of his predicament. It turned out that although Wei Jun was still young, he was already the patriarch of a family. With several young cultivators in the family to look after, he had to run around constantly to provide for their cultivation needs, and every spirit stone he earned was sent back to sustain the family. This had left him in a state of constant hardship, and the embarrassing situation at the restaurant had occurred because he had forgotten that he had sent all his spirit stones back home.

"Brother Wei, carrying the burden of your entire family on your shoulders is truly admirable!" Bai Qingzhou said earnestly.

"Brother Bai, you flatter me..." Wei Jun shook his head helplessly.

...

Soon, guided by Wei Jun, they arrived at the outskirts of the Monster Beast Forest after two hours of travel.

Bai Qingzhou looked up and found that it was no different from the forest near Luogu Market. The spiritual energy was dense, and the occasional roar of a fierce beast echoed through the air, chilling the heart.

"This is the place, Fellow Daoist Bai. Shall we head in now?" Wei Jun gestured toward the forest.

"Let's go!" Bai Qingzhou put away his flying tool and descended rapidly. Having reached the late stages of Qi Refining, his control over his body was much more refined. With a slight movement, he adjusted his trajectory in mid-air and landed lightly on a tree branch.

Wei Jun followed suit.

"Fellow Daoist Wei, do you know where the 'Plum Moon Deer' usually appears?" Bai Qingzhou asked.

Wei Jun shook his head. "I don't know; I rarely come to the Monster Beast Forest. But generally, they are found deep in the forest. Shall we head further in and look?"

"Agreed!" Bai Qingzhou nodded. "Let's go explore!"

"Right!"

The two men picked up their pace and dashed toward the depths of the forest. The monsters here were much the same as those near Luogu Market. Before long, Bai Qingzhou saw many of the same beasts he had hunted before. However, he wasn't in the mood to hunt them, as his sole focus was finding the Plum Moon Deer.

They bypassed most of the monsters they encountered. Occasionally, if a particularly reckless beast blocked their path, the two would stop and spend a few moments dealing with it together.

"Boom!"

A monster collapsed, dead.

Bai Qingzhou grinned and pulled out his "Shangqing Sword," setting to work harvesting the meat. Wei Jun, standing to the side, watched in stunned silence.

"Fellow Daoist Bai, are you... taking this meat back with you?" Wei Jun asked, shocked.

"That's right!" Bai Qingzhou said, unfazed by Wei Jun's look. "Selling this meat at the market will fetch five spirit stones!"

"Five!" Wei Jun’s voice rose in surprise.

"Yes, five. Enough to pay for two meals at the restaurant!" Bai Qingzhou said with a laugh.

"It's worth five spirit stones... I really had no concept of that..." Wei Jun said, unable to believe it.

"Haha, it's not that you don't have a concept of that, it's that you don't have a concept of spirit stones at all—that won't do!" Bai Qingzhou finished cleaning the meat, stood up, and spoke with a serious expression.

"Yes, yes... Fellow Daoist Bai is right," Wei Jun nodded heavily, lost in thought.

Bai Qingzhou leaped up onto a tree branch and called to Wei Jun, "Fellow Daoist Wei, it seems there's a powerful monster nearby. Let's go check it out!"

"Right!" Wei Jun snapped out of his trance and immediately agreed.