Once both his Skin and Tendon Cultivation reached Great Success, he could be called a Second Level Martial Artist. At that level of strength, making a living would be easy. Perhaps, just as Li Haomiao had said, he could even join a powerful Sect.
In the Great Zhou Dynasty, Sects held a third of the power in the realm.
Joining a Sect with existing skills, while not making one part of the Direct Lineage, was still much better than being a disciple who started from the very bottom.
Becoming an Honored Guest Elder or an Outer Elder were both excellent options.
'At that point, I'll have finally established myself.'
As he walked through the forest at the foot of the mountain, Xu Yunfan could already see signs of human activity and faintly hear hunters in the distant mountains.
He paid them no mind, simply following the increasingly jumbled footprints as he pressed onward.
More footprints meant he was getting closer to a town. For someone with his Hunting Skill, tracking was not difficult. In fact, his focus on observing the tracks had even increased his Hunting Skill Level by a few points.
'You carefully observed the footprints. Your analysis proved mostly correct. Your Hunting Skill Level has increased.'
'You carefully searched for tracks and discovered they were left by a wild boar. You carefully considered its direction of travel and found it was just as you predicted. Your Hunting Skill Level has increased.'
'...'
Finally, as he crested a small hill, a village came into view—a quaint, rustic village blanketed in white snow.
The houses were all wooden structures with blue-tiled roofs, arranged in a pleasingly irregular pattern. Heavy snow weighed down on the tiles, and from some chimneys, wisps of smoke curled lazily into the air, creating a cozy scene.
The village paths twisted and wound, their shapes blurred and indistinct under the snow. Occasionally, a few sets of footprints of varying depths, or the hoofprints of livestock, could be seen stretching into the distance.
A few villagers, bundled in thick cotton coats, hurried past with hoes on their shoulders, ducking their heads to avoid the biting wind.
Seeing this peaceful scene, Xu Yunfan felt his eyes well up with tears. Since his arrival, all he had seen was the desolate Huangchuan Icefield or the whips of the Supervisors. He had been rushing the entire way, with no leisure to appreciate any beautiful scenery.
Li Haomiao, on the other hand, had been quite relaxed, pointing out beautiful sights and marveling at natural wonders along the way. He was even struck by poetic inspiration and recited a few poems.
It had really gotten on his nerves.
He touched the silk cloth tucked in his robes, and his heart instantly calmed. 'At least this trip wasn't a total loss. First, I need to find a place to stay.'
In the village, Xu Yunfan finally managed to ask an old man for directions and learned the way to the city.
Watching Xu Yunfan's retreating figure, the old man let out a breath and knocked his old tobacco pipe against the sole of his shoe.
"Good heavens, that fella is built solid. Looked like a bear walking over. Nearly scared this old man to death."
To be fair, the furs Xu Yunfan wore were thick and heavy. Combined with his Red Rope Copper Body Cloak Hammer technique at Great Success, his body had become incredibly muscular with the enhancements from his Attribute Panel. This made him look bulky from a distance. Furthermore, the furs were only crudely tanned and retained much of their original appearance. The hat on his head was even made from a bear's scalp.
At a glance, one could easily mistake him for a lumbering bear.
"Beiye City!"
Looking at the plaque hanging above the city gate, Xu Yunfan sighed with emotion.
He looked up. The heavy city gates were made of ancient, solid wood, their copper studs mottled with age. The guards on either side, holding Long Spears, looked half-asleep. Snow covered the green bricks of the city walls, where withered vines clung.
Most of the pedestrians around him hurried past, wrapped in tattered cotton clothes, some ducking their heads and others covering their ears.
A few richly dressed men and women also hurried along without lingering.
However, almost without exception, everyone instinctively gave Xu Yunfan a wide berth as he stood in the middle of the road, sizing up the city. His Great Mastery of Skin Cultivation, aided by his Attribute Panel, had pushed his height up several inches. Between his nearly six-foot-three frame, the animal furs he wore, and the foul odor from days without washing, people wrinkled their noses and kept their distance, even on a cold winter's day.
If it weren't for his intimidating size, someone would have surely complained aloud by now.
Xu Yunfan noticed this, of course, so he stopped dawdling and quickly entered Beiye City under the wary gazes of the two guards.
Only after Xu Yunfan was gone did the two guards breathe a sigh of relief.
After a moment, one of the guards suddenly spoke.
"I don't think we collected the City Entry Fee from him, did we?"
The other guard snapped back, "If you want to collect it, be my guest. The guy reeked of blood. He's a hardened killer."
"..."
The moment he entered the city, Xu Yunfan found a clothing shop and sold all the furs he was wearing, leaving only the Extreme Dao Relic Shell strapped to his body.
Intimidated by Xu Yunfan's clear status as a Martial Artist, the shop owner didn't dare lowball him. Xu Yunfan got twenty-six taels of silver for the furs. He then spent four taels on a set of black clothes. Taking advantage of a bucket of hot water the owner generously offered, he washed himself clean and dressed in his new attire.
When Xu Yunfan emerged from the shop's backyard, the owner's eyes lit up. He cupped his fists and said, "Sir, you cut a truly imposing figure."
A faint smile touched Xu Yunfan's lips. He waved a hand dismissively. "That's enough. If I get my hands on more mountain goods, I'll bring my business to you."
A look of delight spread across the owner's face, and he repeatedly cupped his fists in thanks.
"Thank you, great warrior!"
'Those two bearskins from Xu Yunfan... if I tan them properly and make them into greatcoats, I can resell them for a net profit of at least ten taels of silver.'
'This was a great deal!'
Xu Yunfan wandered aimlessly through Beiye City. The snow on the streets had been trampled into a muddy slush by passersby. A bone-chilling wind whipped through the streets, seeping mercilessly into his robes.
But with his Great Mastery of Skin Cultivation, his Blood Qi surged and his Vitality was abundant. He was naturally unafraid of the cold; in fact, he felt quite at ease.
Besides, his Flying Leg technique's Skill Level had been advancing quickly. It had already reached Minor Achievement. With diligent Cultivation, he might be able to reach the Great Success Realm in just a dozen days or so.
"Longer tendons, greater strength." His Blood Qi would naturally grow even more vigorous.
Suddenly, he stopped short. His brow furrowed as he instinctively glanced toward the corner of a dark alleyway.
What met his eyes were two bodies, huddled together in the corner.
The larger one was partially shielding the smaller one with its body. Both were dressed in ragged clothes, patch layered upon patch, which looked pitifully thin in the frozen landscape.
The child's small hand tightly gripped the adult's clothes, its head buried motionlessly in the adult's chest. The adult's head was tilted back, gaze fixed on the sky, a final, lingering look of despair on their face.
After pausing for a moment, Xu Yunfan silently walked away.
'This world... it doesn't seem to be as Li Haomiao described, with people living in peace and prosperity, well-fed and well-clothed.'
He found a tavern, ordered a table full of food, and listened to the boisterous conversations around him as he lifted a bite to his mouth.
It was sour, spicy, and delicious, instantly whetting his appetite.
'Now *this* is real food!'
Xu Yunfan devoured the meal like a whirlwind. When he was done, he wiped his mouth and, copying the table next to him, called out.
"Waiter, the bill!"
"Hope you enjoyed your meal, sir! That'll be two taels and three mace of silver."
Xu Yunfan flinched inwardly at the price. He silently paid, walked out of the tavern, and glanced back one last time as he left.