Chapter 499: Chapter 312: Nianjun Frustrated, Surveying the Mountain Terrain, Wen Caishang Rejoices, Visiting the Symbol Master!

Li Xian hung the snow beast meat by the window, letting the wind and snow freeze it to maintain its freshness. He then sat cross-legged and began inner cultivation of his five organs.

[Skill Level +1]

[Skill Level +1]

...

[Five Organs Avoid Turbidity and Align Meridians · Five Organs Section]

[Skill Level: 3849/24000 Minor Achievement]

Transporting impurities from the organs, several hours seemed to pass in a blur, accumulating [156] points of skill level. By now, he felt energized, while the sky remained dark with no pedestrians on the street. Li Xian gazed into the distance, where several majestic towers in the city stood brightly lit, shining splendidly.

Jieyou Tower was located in the city center. Its body was bright red, making it exceptionally eye-catching amidst the snow. Rumor had it this tower was thirty-six stories high, showcasing the utmost ingenuity of skilled craftsmen, reflecting the heavenly stars, with opulence and joy inside, arranged so exquisitely that it was difficult to see through. It was the largest "Pleasure Tower" in Flying Dragon City.

It was also referred to as the "Forgetting Worries Tower." In front of the tower ran a twelve-mile long street, named "Worry-free Street," lined with bustling commerce and gilded buildings with jade inlays. Only those with wealth dared to step into this place.

Li Xian watched for a moment. With a flick of his wrist, the "Ghost Python Silver Spear" coiled around his right arm slid out like a spiritual snake emerging from its hole. He grasped the spear’s shaft, examining it closely and stroking it.

The patterns on the Ghost Python were vivid, and when infused with inner qi, the vertical eyes on the snake’s head emitted a chilling glow, capable of momentarily disorienting the mind. The spear was quite heavy, approximately 1,477 catties. Second Realm Martial Artists who regularly consumed essence treasures could transform their bone structures and enhance their pure physical power, allowing them to handle and wield this spear. But ultimately, they would tire, and its weight would hinder performance.

However, Li Xian found it quite handy. He even felt it a bit light and could use it slightly heavier. The inn was cramped, so after thrusting twice, he stopped, thinking: "This spear hasn’t been used since it followed me. I’m both eager and anxious for it to be used. If this trip allows me to make a fortune quietly and escape the white blades, that would be ideal!"

Li Xian exhaled white mist, cleansing his body, and took a rest on the bed.

The next day.

The snow beast meat by the window had frozen stiff. Li Xian called the waiter, instructing them to cook porridge with it, adding some seasonings and side dishes, to stir-fry into a dish. Snow beasts were rare and difficult to hunt, their fur expensive, organs used as medicinal herbs, claws and bones as ornaments, and the meat made into delicacies. If handled properly, a single snow beast could yield a profit of seven hundred taels.

Soon, the fresh soup of the snow beast was ready, with three pieces of meat made into three dishes: roasted tiger spine, burst-fried bear belly, and small-cooked ape arms... these three parts were all top choices, with the snow tiger’s raised spinal bones, the spinal meat being muscular with a unique fragrance, essential tiger meat essence, excellent for boosting health. The bear’s belly had thick fat, burst-fried to produce a pot full of fragrance, leaving one longing for more. The snow ape swung among the trees all day, its arm meat firm and chewy. When prepared correctly, it was also a human delicacy.

The innkeeper, grinning, happily begged for a bowl to eat. Li Xian, amiable and generous, did not refuse. He called Jin Yi, Huo Er... and others down to enjoy the fresh porridge together.

Having eaten and drank to their fill, Li Xian exited the inn, slipping into a dark alley. When no one was around, he donned the white mask and slung the red bow over his shoulder, heading for the street. Though his reputation was gradually growing, it had yet to reach great prominence.

Thus, he walked the road as usual, with the occasional passerby casting sidelong glances.

Li Xian was completely unaware... that hunting the snow beast had startled and frustrated Wang Dezhong and the geniuses of the various Sword Sects. He thought it was just a routine hunt, and so was careless in his precaution regarding this matter. If he knew the white-faced red bow image was gradually brewing, he would have taken steps to conceal his identity.

Li Xian weighed the silver, wandering leisurely through the streets. He knew the "Snow Mountain Spirit Fox" was hard to find, not something achievable in a day, and entering and exiting the snow mountain inevitably involved hunting for survival, continuing his old trade. Carrying beast catches back and forth was cumbersome, and this forty taels of silver needed to purchase a shrinking flesh bag.

The shrinking flesh bag was made from the stomach sac of the "Great Belly Snake," able to compress the meat, and came in sizes like "ten meat bags," "twenty meat bags," "thirty meat bags," and so on. The more meat it could hold, the more expensive the shrinking flesh bag was.

Such bags were sold in Jianghu marketplaces and the black market. Li Xian had rubbed shoulders with various talented individuals yesterday, seeing their waists decorated with "shrinking flesh bags," exquisitely styled as adornments, with jade inlays and embroidered patterns on the bags. He couldn’t help but envy.

He went to a Jianghu marketplace to inquire, only to find it cost over a hundred taels. Li Xian didn’t have much money, so he kept things simple. He spent twenty-nine taels to purchase a "ten meat bag," capable of holding ten beast catches.

He prepared his bow and arrows, heading towards Snow Dragon Mountain Range. He didn’t know much about the Snow Dragon Mountain Range, seeing the mountains rise and fall endlessly, with a complex terrain, he sighed softly, thinking: "To get a clear understanding of these mountains will take some effort. Even with my ability to observe the mountains and waters, and measure heaven and earth, I must take it step by step and cannot rush it. I wonder... by the time I catch the Snow Mountain Spirit Fox, will Madam Wang still be in Flying Dragon City."

He observed the traces of beasts, concluding that the eastern mountains were more abundant with prey. Heading east and delving half a mile, he found the path covered with miscellaneous branches and grasses, with no path around, requiring him to cut trees to forge a path. Li Xian used his lightweight skill, ascending the tree trunks, jumping to a vantage point to observe.

After surveying the surroundings, Li Xian, a master of the five elements’ cunning evasions, predicted the terrain based on the principles of the five elements, noting that the dense and chaotic vegetation nearby was due to the demon wind blowing from the south. A few miles further in, the road unexpectedly improved. He then leaped, jumping to another tree, advancing through the woods, passing through a tree barrier and feeling the road improve, he descended and walked.

Li Xian was suddenly delighted, noticing fox footprints in the snow.

He focused his gaze, confirming multiple times that they were indeed fox beast prints, with large claws and hooves, indicating considerable age. Li Xian mused: "If it’s the Snow Mountain Spirit Fox, this creature is certainly not weak. I mustn’t let this excellent opportunity slip away." Holding his breath, he observed the trail of footprints.

The prints led in a mysterious, lively manner, sometimes east, sometimes west, as if deliberately misleading anyone trying to track it. At times, leading people to caves, and at times towards dark nests.