The southern fringe of the Duanmu Continent was swept by howling, knife-sharp cold winds, kicking up swirling dust.

On the dusty road, wide enough to accommodate five or six zhang, a few figures could barely be discerned. Drawing closer, one saw a stout young man, clad head-to-toe in thick, white fur robes and wearing a felt cap, carrying an enormous pack on his back. In his hand, he gripped a dark club that faintly radiated a blood-red hue. His bright, sharp eyes gazed intently toward the distance.

Beside him walked a slender young woman, also dressed in white ermine, with a dark green whip coiled at her waist. She was leading a lovely little girl with bright eyes and pearly teeth; sadly, the girl bore a hideous, jagged scar across her face.

In the sky above.

The Qingluan and the Gale Eagle soared at a great height.

“Xiao Jun, what are you smiling at?” Teng Qingshan looked towards Li Jun beside him.

“Brother Teng, if you shaved off that beard now, you’d look ten years younger than you did out at sea,” Li Jun chuckled, covering her mouth. “If you had shaved it sooner, Xiao Ping wouldn’t have called you ‘Uncle’ either.” Nearby, Xiao Ping giggled but didn't dare interject much more.

Teng Qingshan touched his own chin.

Ever since arriving on the Duanmu Continent, Teng Qingshan had completely shaved off the beard he had grown for over a year, even donning leather boots and thick fur coats. After all, in his estimation, he would be staying on this Duanmu Continent for at least a few years. He couldn’t afford to look as slovenly as he did during his harsh ascetic training.

“We’ve been on the road for quite a while now, and haven’t seen a single soul,” Li Jun said, sounding slightly anxious.

“Hmm.” Teng Qingshan frowned as well. “We need to figure out exactly where we are within the Southern Mountain Domain of the Duanmu Continent!” Teng Qingshan had simply disembarked from a desolate stretch of coastline, utterly unaware of which territory he now stood in. Without knowing their location, it was impossible to know the way to Divine Axe Mountain.

“Swish~~~”

The cold wind swept by, bowing the hardy wild grasses growing by the desolate roadside. Teng Qingshan’s gaze swept over a nearby, grass-covered hillock, and a subtle smile touched his lips. “Xiao Jun, we’ll know exactly where we are soon enough!”

Li Jun looked slightly taken aback, while Xiao Ping watched Teng Qingshan with confusion.

“Awoo~~” A burst of excited howling suddenly rang out.

“Rumble~~~” The dense drumming of hooves thudding against the earth sounded, accompanied by roars, as dozens of burly men, clad in animal hides and riding strange four-legged beasts, surged onto the road like a sudden gale. They brandished huge broadswords or axes, instantly surrounding Teng Qingshan and his companions.

Numerous other brawny men, without mounts, sprinted forward rapidly to join the encirclement.

“What kind of beasts are those?” Teng Qingshan and Li Jun both fixed their gazes on the bandits’ mounts.

These mounts had four legs, were covered in thick fur, and sported two curved, hard horns on their foreheads. Somewhat resembling cattle horns, the beasts had faces reminiscent of lions, their nostrils puffing out white mist. In terms of sheer bulk, these mounts were visibly sturdier than the warhorses of the Nine Provinces.

Facing a siege of nearly a hundred men, Teng Qingshan and Li Jun were nonetheless marveling at the mounts.

“Xiao Ping, what beasts are these?” Teng Qingshan inquired.

“Those are Tuoshou (Camel-Beasts),” Xiao Ping replied matter-of-factly. “There are many Tuoshou around; you should see them everywhere in the cities. But these are common ones. The superior, precious Tuoshou don't have these curved double horns; they have a single, sharp, spear-tip-like horn! Their bodies are also much more powerful. The single-horned Tuoshou is also called a good ‘Hou’—it’s very fierce.”

Teng Qingshan understood.

The Duanmu Continent was vastly distant from the Nine Provinces, and these Tuoshou were the dominant mounts here. The ‘Hou’ was indeed a very high-grade Tuoshou.

“The Duanmu Continent is much colder than the Nine Provinces! And this is supposedly the southernmost part. According to Xiao Ping, the ‘Northern Cold Domain’ on the map must be far colder than this. In such severe cold, these heavily furred Tuoshou are certainly better suited for survival,” Teng Qingshan mused inwardly.

The leader of the bandit gang surrounding the trio—a lean man with a scar across his own face—first glanced at Xiao Ping, seemingly noticing the scar on her cheek as well.

“Halt! You three, leave your goods quickly, and we shall spare your lives!” the lean man roared.

“Robbery?”

Teng Qingshan burst into laughter, his booming sound echoing across the sky like rolling thunder. “You dare to rob me?”

The nearly one hundred tall, burly men surrounding the three suddenly changed expression upon hearing the laugh; it was clear the person before them was a formidable expert. “Oh, you must be a wandering hero. But there are a hundred of us against one of you! And you have two burdens! Hand over the cargo quickly, now!” The lean man’s face flushed pale. “Otherwise, the man dies, and the women are taken. Be sensible!”

While Li Jun’s beauty made the bandits greedy, Teng Qingshan’s evident strength made them hesitate in judging the situation.

Sensing this bone would be hard to chew, they weren't eager for a fight. A robbery resulting in half their number killed or injured wouldn't be worth it.

“Hahahaha!” Teng Qingshan laughed loudly, his huge pack still on his back, yet his figure moved as if teleporting.

Whoosh—

Leaving a trail of afterimages, Teng Qingshan was suddenly at the side of a Tuoshou rider, who let out a startled shriek. His mount also immediately roared in surprised anger: “Awoo~~” Teng Qingshan slammed his palm down directly onto the Tuoshou.

Accompanied by the beast's cry, the Tuoshou was hurled away like a meteor, smashing toward where the bandit leader stood.

“Get clear!”

The bandit leader shrieked the warning. The bandits positioned behind him, who had been standing to bolster his authority, scattered in terrified haste. Fortunately, the beast was not large enough to crush everyone.

Teng Qingshan smiled, watching the Tuoshou land, and whispered softly, “Explode!”

“Boom!”

The already deceased Tuoshou suddenly detonated. Shattered bones and bloody flesh sprayed outwards like hidden darts. Many bandits nearby were pierced by fragments, immediately crying out in pain and agony, clutching their thighs or covering wounds on their bodies. Several unfortunate ones were struck in vital spots and died instantly.

Stunned silence.

The brawny men, who had been enraged when they saw Teng Qingshan toss a Tuoshou, were now chilled to the bone by what they witnessed. Nearly a hundred men stared at Teng Qingshan in terror. The wounded bandits writhing on the ground looked at him with the same horror.

Regret filled them—why had they provoked this calamitous star?

“How did such a terrifying expert appear when we saw he didn't even have a mount? Were we deceived?” The lean leader’s mouth turned bitter. If they had seen experts riding the formidable War-Hou beasts, they would never have dared to attempt a robbery.

“Our brothers were blind,” the lean man said, bowing deeply. “We’ll leave now, we’re going right away.”

“Did I say you could leave?”

Teng Qingshan’s words turned the faces of the bandits ashen. They all looked toward their leader. Bandits who lived by the blade rarely waited for death. “Sir, if you have any orders, please command us,” the lean man said respectfully, though he gritted his teeth inwardly: Damn it, if this man pushes too far, hmph, scar or no scar, we’ll fight to the death!

Before a single person like Teng Qingshan, this group of ruffians resembled little lambs.

“Leave two Tuoshou and some money,” Teng Qingshan commanded. “Also, I have a few questions for you.”

“Sir, please ask,” the lean man sighed in relief.

“What is the nearest city to here, and how do we get there? How far is it?” Teng Qingshan asked.

Though puzzled, the lean man answered quickly. “Sir, the closest city is Danyang City, belonging to the Fang family. It’s about fifty li from here! Sir, just follow this road straight ahead, and you will arrive at Danyang City.”

“Good. Scram,” Teng Qingshan nodded.

“Yes, yes.”

The lean man waved his hand, and the bandits retreated with extreme speed, taking their wounded with them, quickly vanishing from Teng Qingshan’s sight. They left behind only two Tuoshou and a scattering of broken silver and black copper coins.

“We carry mostly gold, but having some broken silver and small change is useful too,” Teng Qingshan immediately handed the coins to Li Jun.

After all, Teng Qingshan was already carrying quite enough weight.

“Xiao Jun, the map,” Teng Qingshan said.

“Here.” Li Jun immediately retrieved the map from her satchel and handed it over.

Teng Qingshan spread it out on the ground and examined it closely. “Danyang City is here, and we should be right on this road! We aren't that far from Divine Axe Mountain.” Everything was clear as he looked at the map.

“Xiao Jun, you and Xiao Ping ride one Tuoshou, and let’s get moving. We need to reach Danyang City quickly.” Teng Qingshan smiled and handed the map back. After securing their belongings, Li Jun and Xiao Ping shared one Tuoshou. Teng Qingshan, however, realized with dismay… this ordinary Tuoshou could not possibly carry his massive pack.

“Brother Teng, that chest of yours holds over ten thousand jin of gold. How could a Tuoshou carry that?” Li Jun laughed.

“The Qingluan could carry it easily, but it refuses to,” Teng Qingshan glanced up at the sky.

In the vast heavens, two small dots were faintly visible: the Gale Eagle and the Qingluan.

“Let’s go. My walking speed isn’t slower than a Tuoshou,” Teng Qingshan shouldered the pack, ignoring the second mount.

If the ten thousand jin of gold in his chest were carried without channeling his internal Gang Jin to neutralize the pressure, every step would leave a crater in the ground! However, by using the internal Gang Jin to disperse the pressure across the entire ground, he moved with relative ease.

Of course— There were actually three chests of gold, but it was impossible to carry them all. Although Teng Qingshan could manage the weight, carrying three large chests by himself would make him the focus of attention everywhere he went. Thus, he only carried one. The other two chests and the entire Wumu boat he had buried in the soil of the desolate coast.

Bringing the Wumu boat ashore had required the combined, monstrous strength of both Teng Qingshan and the Qingluan.

Clop! Clop! Clop!

Li Jun and Xiao Ping rode their Tuoshou at a swift pace, while Teng Qingshan strode along, shouldering the massive pack. High above, the Qingluan and the Gale Eagle flew with ease.