"Oh, this brother's got his eye on it? But this gun isn't cheap," said the bespectacled leader.
"Rong Baoyi, go to my room and bring me that leopard skin."
The child ran off quickly, and soon returned carrying a huge leopard skin. Such valuable skins are worth more the more intact they are. If they are damaged, the price drops drastically.
However, Lu Xuan's leopard skin was almost flawless. This was because he had killed the leopard with his bare hands. Without using any weapons, the fur was undamaged.
Even though this group of people weren't really there to do business, the leather still slightly attracted their attention.
"Wow, this is some good stuff," the leader said, clearly addressing the rough-looking man beside him. The man wasn't unaware of its value; he knew the leather was worth more than his revolver, and even more. He nodded slightly.
"Done. Brother, this is yours." With that, he handed the revolver directly to Lu Xuan.
Lu Xuan took the hand-made pistol, examined it for a moment, and then spoke.
"A gun without bullets is no match for a hammer. Give me some more bullets. I still have plenty of leather."
"Brother, you're too kind. Here, Lao Luo." Lao Luo reluctantly pulled out a handful of bullets and handed them to the leader with the glasses.
"Take this, brother, consider it a free gift. We'll come often in the future, so please save these good leathers for us. See if there's anything else you want."
He casually put the bullets away. Lu Xuan walked to their cargo container. But the leader behind him waved his hand to block Rong Baoyixiao, who wanted to follow.
"Young man, don't be hasty. Let me ask you a few questions. Was this man from your village?" The chief was clearly a smart man. Even though Lu Xuan's clothes and appearance were no different from those of the Miao people, he still keenly sensed that something was amiss.
“Brother Lu is one of us now. But he wasn’t before; he was a hunter from the other side of the mountain. He got lost and came to our village about half a month ago. Then he settled down here. Don’t let Brother Lu’s refined appearance fool you. He’s incredibly skilled; even the best hunter in the village can’t compare to him. He even has a bear skin at home. He hunted it all by himself.”
Half a month. At that time, they hadn't started their operation yet. So, they weren't after us. Having figured this out, the leader of the underworld was immediately relieved. He was a top-level figure in the criminal underworld. His experience was naturally vast, and the moment he noticed Lu Xuan acting strangely, he suspected they were after his group. Now that he was certain they weren't, he breathed a sigh of relief.
The leader of the Glasses gang is actually named Chen Yulou. He is the contemporary head of the Unloading Ridge faction. The Unloading Ridge is one of the four major online tomb raiding schools: Mojin, Faqiu, Banshan, and the four major schools of tomb raiding. The Unloading Ridge faction has always been known for its large numbers and influence. They are not only a tomb raiding school but also a powerful underworld force. At this time, the Unloading Ridge reportedly had tens of thousands of members. Even someone like Commander Luo, who had men and guns, had to defer to him.
This incident was initiated by Commander Luo. His target was likely Ping Mountain, deep within the mountains. This is the opening scene of the story of "The Wrath of Xiangxi."
In fact, Lu Xuan had heard the legends of Ping Mountain several times in recent days. However, such mountain strongholds always have various legends. He hadn't taken them to heart at the time. Ping Mountain was located very far from where he cultivated, almost on two opposite corners. Lu Xuan's area of activity didn't include that direction. So at first, he didn't guess where he was. It wasn't until he saw Chen Yulou and his group that he realized he had arrived at Old Bear Ridge.
The contents of the shipping container held no appeal for Lu Xuan. However, the destination of Chen Yulou and his group greatly intrigued him. Firstly, the original plot of this story was itself captivating. Since he had stumbled upon it, it would be impolite not to get involved. Secondly, the ancient tomb in Ping Mountain also greatly intrigued Lu Xuan.
Looking back, Chen Yulou and his group had already begun questioning Rong Baoyixiao. The child, lacking experience, was quickly led astray by a group of seasoned veterans, and began discussing the Ping Mountain Tomb. Just as Chen Yulou was about to use this opportunity to have Rong Baoyixiao lead the way, Lu Xuan suddenly walked over.
"Rongbao, let's go eat. I'm making stewed pheasant with matsutake mushrooms today. Come with me if you want some."
"I want to eat, wait for me!" The little kid's eyes lit up as soon as he heard Lu Xuan mention stewed pheasant. The topic he had been led to earlier was instantly forgotten.
"Wait for me, Brother Lu!" He ran off after Lu Xuan in a flash, leaving Chen Yulou and his group looking at each other in bewilderment.
General Luo's face darkened with anger, and he was about to step forward to argue with Lu Xuan. However, Chen Yulou stopped him.
"Don't be angry, Commander. Guai Zi, get some real stuff. In a bit, we'll go pay a visit to this outsider 'hunter'."
Although Chen Yulou was young, he possessed a wealth of experience in the martial world. Lu Xuan's actions and demeanor were quite different from those of the people in the stronghold. He refused salt, instead buying a pistol and even asking for extra bullets. Though he didn't speak much, he exuded an extremely composed air. For a moment, Chen Yulou couldn't see through him.
Those who travel the world, when encountering such situations and without any fundamental conflict of interest, naturally prioritize courtesy. Therefore, he decided to pay a visit.
Hearing his arrangement from afar, Lu Xuan chuckled softly. He then took the child home to cook.
"Wash both chickens and then chop them up," Lu Xuan instructed the child.
"Two of them, can we finish them?"
"It's alright, there might be guests later. I'll use this to entertain them," Lu Xuan said, taking down a piece of cured pork and starting to wash it. He prepared to stir-fry the cured pork with bamboo shoots. After that, he made a cold wild vegetable salad and sliced a plate of sausages. He fussed around for about half an hour. Just then, there was a knock on the door.
"Someone has come."
Rong Baoyi ran to open the door, calling out. Then he shouted, "Brother Lu, they're here!"
"Get started as soon as you arrive. The chicken will be ready in a minute."
Chen Yulou and the others entered the house and saw that more than one dish was already laid out on the table. They immediately understood that Lu Xuan had anticipated their arrival and had even prepared the meal. They couldn't help but look at Lu Xuan with newfound respect. Chen Yulou glanced around and saw that there were indeed many intact animal hides hanging around the house, including a large bear skin. He then announced loudly...
“Brother Lu is truly a skilled hunter. We’ll take all these pelts, and we’ve brought the money with us.” The kidnapper behind him immediately stepped forward and handed over a whole silver dollar.
At this moment, Lu Xuan came out carrying two large bowls of stewed chicken.
"Let's eat first."
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Chapter 184 Knows a Little About Everything (First Update, Please Subscribe)
Lu Xuan's culinary skills were undoubtedly superb. Having lived three lives, he had a deep passion for this art. Even though the mountains lacked certain ingredients, Lu Xuan could still make the food incredibly delicious. He even added some herbal tonics, making it warm and comforting to eat, especially in the damp Miao village.
"Damn it. I even hired some court chef at my manor. But the chicken he stews isn't even as good as the chicken from your mountain stronghold. Brother, why don't you just stop hunting and become my cook? I'll give you ten silver dollars a month." Commander Luo, enjoying his meal, started acting up again. Chen Yulou glared at him and said.
"Brother Lu, please don't mind. My brother here is just a straightforward person."
"It's alright, it's business, anything is negotiable. As long as the price is right. Take these hides if you like them."
"Of course, we'll take all of these hides. Besides that, there's one more question I'd like to ask Brother Lu."
"Speak. For the sake of this deal, I'll tell you everything I know."
"That's good. I wonder if Brother Lu knows the legend of Xiongling Village and Ping Mountain?"
"You want to ask about the tomb of that Yuan Dynasty general?" Lu Xuan didn't mince words, directly revealing their purpose. This made the group somewhat awkward, but Chen Yulou broke the ice.
"Brother Lu, you jest. We were just curious..."
"If it's just curiosity, then there's no business to be done?"