Chapter 154 - 120: Return! Autumn-Winter Hunting Ends_3
The Elder Mingsheng remarked, “The Elder Man missed one point. Each family will inevitably have self-interest, unwilling to leak family property. If every family unit, a common industry must exist and mutual benefits should be shared. If otherwise, the so-called deep alliance would merely be an illusion, breaking at a mere touch.”
The Elder Ruhong pondered for a moment before adding, “Both the elders have reasonable points. But Shouzhe’s thoughts are also correct. After this hunting party, we should sit down and talk thoroughly. For now, we’ll withdraw so as not to delay their preparation.”
“If that’s the case, then I won’t escort the elders out” Wang Shouzhe graciously bowed with laughter.
After the three elders and Liang Haofeng left.
The Wang family stayed at the camp for one more day. The cleanup of the battlefield, categorizing the spoils of war, burning the dead bodies – all these tedious tasks had to be accomplished.
Though it was exhausting, the Wang family was extremely excited; they even held a small celebration that night.
Afterwards, they embarked on their true winter hunting journey.
Time passed swiftly.
Another half month went by.
Ping’an Town had entered the early winter season.
There was a light snow a few days ago, which made the weather significantly colder.
Zhou Xuan Guan.
This time of the year was always the busiest.
In addition to part of the Profound Martial Prominent Families who choose to hunt during autumn and winter outside of Zhou Xuan Guan. Some Independent Cultivators and adventurers from faraway come here to buy supplies and travel in groups into the hazardous region.
Some Independent Cultivators never return.
While others, reap significant rewards which would suffice for a couple years of cultivation. A very few manage to amass wealth enough to not venture out for a decade.
Therefore, many peddlers and representatives of merchant houses gather in Zhou Xuan Guan Weng City.
They are all here to purchase items mined from the hazardous region—any items of value, such as spiritual medicine, fierce beast meat, ores, advanced beast bones, fur, Spirit Wood, and more!
When the Independent Cultivators return with their loot, they might choose to sell some random items, which not only reduces their load but also enhances distribution.
The Profound Martial Prominent Families, on the other hand, have their own processing channels. They hardly sell supplies to peddlers at cheaper prices.
On the city wall.
A young girl and boy were eagerly looking towards the hazardous region.
The girl began to complain, “Brother Shouzhe always does this. He said he would be back in half a month, but it’s been almost twenty days! He is not in sight.”
This beautiful girl is Wang Shouzhe’s future sister-in-law, Liu Ruolei.
“Ruolei,” the slightly older boy said, “Borther Shouzhe must have been delayed by a few days. Don’t worry, we must trust him.” This teenager was Wang Shouzhe’s future brother-in-law, Liu Yuanrui.
Before Wang Shouzhe left, he obviously wouldn’t abandon the main family house.
Given his cautious character, he might have been worried that someone might steal from the vacant main house. As a result, he contacted Liu Yuanrui and Ruolei and invited the Liu Clan’s third elder – Elder Zhi Sheng west to sit in the main house.
Elder Zhi Sheng has a deep connection with the Wang family; his grandmother was the legitimate daughter of the Wang family, Wang Zhuwei.
Thus, Elder Zhi Sheng agreed without hesitation.
While Liu Ruolei and Liu Yuanrui were waiting for Wang Shouzhe and there was still no sign of him.
Two more groups of young men and women came up to the city wall; they were the youngest generation of the Liu and Zhao clans, also waiting for their family members every day.
The one leading was Liu Yonghao, who was once beaten up by Wang Luoqiu, and the simpleton Zhao Dingteng.
While Liu Yonghao doesn’t dare to confront Liu Ruolei directly, he loves to spread gossip, saying that the Wang family was likely doomed this time, hinting that they might have been swallowed by a fierce beast.
Despite his words, these young men and women looked equally worried.
Given how dangerous the hazardous region is, no one can guarantee the safety of the elders of their family out there.
Just as Liu Ruolei was about to argue with him..
Suddenly!
A young man from the Liu Clan shouted, “Caravan! There’s a caravan. There are about seventeen or eighteen horse carriages, such a big team, it must be our Liu and Zhao Clans returning.”
“It must be our Liu and Zhao caravan. I heard that the Wang family only had ten horse carriages when they left.”
“That’s bad news,” Liu Ruolei’s heart sank; she vaguely heard Elder Zhi Sheng mention that the Wang family and the Liu Zhao families were likely to settle some of their disputes during this winter hunting season.
If the people from the Liu and Zhao Clans are returning full-handed, wouldn’t it mean that Brother Shouzhe and others…
Several peddlers, city guards, representatives of merchants, and a variety of people rushed up to the city wall when they heard that a large caravan was returning.
A caravan of such scale must belong to a family clan.
And only six or seven Profound Martial prominent families ventured out of Zhou Xuan Guan this time. Three of them have already returned.
The caravan slowly approached.
An experienced city guard remarked, “It must be the Liu and Zhao Clans’ caravan, they left with fourteen horse carriages, they probably found three more along the way. Look! On top of the first horse carriage… It looks like a huge python head.”
“Oh my! That’s a huge python head, and it even has horns on its head. Is it about to transform into a dragon?”
“It might not be transforming into a dragon,” someone commented. “But judging from the python’s head, it’s estimated to be a Level Three Peak Python swallowing mountains.”
“Hahaha!” Liu Yonghao burst into a hearty laughter. “This is definitely the mountain-swallowing python hunted by our Liu Clan.”