Chapter 379: ReMeeting Niu Hong

The sun shone brightly. Lin Dong put on a hat and checked himself in a bronze mirror to ensure his appearance was unrecognizable. Early in the morning, he climbed onto the roof and rushed toward the south of the city at top speed.

Along the way, as it was still early, the streets were sparsely populated. By the time he reached the south of the city, however, there were surprisingly many people leaving. Each of them wore sturdy clothing and carried weapons at their waists, looking imposing.

Lin Dong glanced at the city gate—he had arrived a bit early.

Near the gate, carts loaded with goods were ready to set off. Counting them carefully, there were over thirty such carts. These were the caravans organized by the merchant guild. To save time and costs, the goods on these carts were all intended to be transported to other provinces. Once the Hundred-Winged Bird was hunted, they could set off immediately.

Next to each cart in the caravan, in addition to a clerk and a guard, there were also teams standing by. These teams ranged from a dozen to over thirty members, all riding tall horses and dressed in fine clothes. Their ages were all under thirty. Undoubtedly, they were the younger members of various prominent families.

Soon, Lin Dong saw Hua Wu Yue next to one of the carts in the middle.

Speaking of the Hua family, they stood out the most among the groups in the south of the city—most notably because of their female warriors. This time, the Hua family brought twenty-three young members. Aside from Hua Wu Yue and two illegitimate sons, they were all beautiful and spirited young ladies from the Hua family. At first glance, it was hard for anyone with a weak resolve to look away.

Behind the caravan were scattered small groups of people.

The merchant guild’s reward did not stipulate that only the prominent families of Lingnan City could hunt the Hundred-Winged Bird. Therefore, any capable warriors followed along in groups. For a Seventh-Level Spirit Bird, even if one couldn’t luck out and kill the Hundred-Winged Bird, grabbing a feather would still make the trip worthwhile.

It could be said that 99% of these people intended to follow behind the young talents from the prominent families, waiting for them to nearly defeat the Hundred-Winged Bird before stepping in to take advantage.

Great effort is put in by oneself, yet the benefits might end up in someone else’s hands. Naturally, the major families don’t show much kindness toward these followers. But despite their cold attitude, none of the families take any action to drive them away. After all, though the Hundred-Wing Bird isn’t particularly valuable, it’s still a seventh-tier spiritual bird. Among these people, there’s a chance some disciple from a sect might join in, and offending them could bring serious trouble to their family. Moreover, even without a single sect disciple, the combined strength of the warriors around Lingnan City is too much for the major families to handle alone.

“Um… is that the big brother?”
A clear but hesitant voice came from behind Lin Dong. Turning around, he was stunned: “Are it you?”
There were three people standing behind him—two boys and a girl, all around fourteen or fifteen years old. Though they had only met briefly, Lin Dong had a very strong impression of them. The eldest was Niu Hong, a skilled fighter. The second was Hua Wuqian, the useless young master of the Hua family. The strategist was Liang Ru, who also handled logistics and medical matters.
The trio from Wanma Street.
“Is it really you?”
The three were overjoyed. After that hasty encounter last time, Lin Dong had become a figure of mystery and admiration in their eyes. They even secretly asked around at Lin’s Gym, but to no avail.
Under his hat, Lin Dong’s face showed no sign of joy; instead, he frowned slightly. “How did you recognize me?”
“It was Xiao Ru who recognized big brother’s clothes and build,” Niu Hong explained. “Last time, big brother was wearing this same outfit. Although clothes of this color and material are common, Xiao Ru remembered a small tear at the hem.”
Lin Dong was astonished and turned to Liang Ru. “You have such a good memory?”
Liang Ru looked a bit embarrassed, lowering her head and fiddling with her fingers.
Niu Hong laughed. “Big brother doesn’t know, but our Xiao Ru has an uncanny memory.”
“Impressive!” Lin Dong gave Liang Ru a thumbs up.
“Big brother, are you also going to hunt the Hundred-Wing Bird?” Niu Hong asked excitedly.
“Just call me Brother Lin!” Lin Dong smiled.
“You… you…” Liang Ru hesitated.
Lin Dong smiled bitterly. “Xiao Ru must have guessed something, right?”
Liang Ru’s pitch-black eyes sparkled. His words only strengthened her suspicion.

Running to Lin Ji Gymnasium to describe Lin Dong’s appearance, the staff there couldn’t give a clear description. Plus, everything Lin Dong said turned out to be true. By then, Liang Ru began to suspect that Lin Dong might be the owner of Lin Ji Inn and Lin Ji Gymnasium. Hearing that Lin Dong’s surname was Lin and him confirming it without being asked, she became 90% sure of her guess.

Over by the side, Niu Hong and Hua Wuqian stared, not quite understanding what the two were talking about.

Lin Dong tapped on his hat and smiled, “Xiao Ru, there’s no need for me to say more, right?”

Liang Ru quickly shook her head and said firmly, “I will definitely keep Lin Da Ge’s secret.”

“Keep a secret? What secret?” Niu Hong and the others asked curiously.

Liang Ru placed her hands on their shoulders one by one and explained Lin Dong’s identity in their ears.

Though somewhat surprised, they weren’t overly alarmed. Niu Hong chuckled and said, “No wonder we couldn’t find out about Lin Da Ge—so that’s how it is. Now it’s great; in the future, if we run out of money, we won’t have to worry about not being able to enter fancy restaurants.”

Lin Dong didn’t have much fondness for hooligans, but he liked these three quite a bit. Hearing this, he couldn’t help but step forward, pat Niu Hong’s shoulder, and say proudly, “When I get back, I’ll tell the manager. Whenever you come, you’ll get plenty of good food and drinks for free.”

Hua Wuqian and Liang Ru felt a bit embarrassed for Niu Hong, but he grinned broadly.

“By the way, Lin Da Ge, you still haven’t told us if you went hunting for the Hundred-Winged Bird,” Niu Hong asked.

Lin Dong nodded and countered, “Don’t tell me you plan to go there to take advantage of the situation.”

“What do you mean ‘take advantage’?” Niu Hong raised his right arm, pointing his index finger at caravans, various families, and warriors, and said proudly, “We’re going there to hunt the Hundred-Winged Bird properly. If they’re not afraid of returning empty-handed, they can just step aside and let us go first.”

Lin Dong laughed. He somewhat understood why Niu Hong thought he could be the leader when facing a girl with exceptional memory and wisdom and a Hua family young master who was as big as a thin camel.

“Lin Da Ge, since we’re on the same path, how about we go together?” Niu Hong scratched his head and said, “I always feel you’re very capable. If we go together, we’ll have an extra backer. If we really manage to catch the Hundred-Winged Bird, I’ll give you half. If you catch it, I promise not to take even a feather and will work hard for you for free, helping to carry it.”

“Okay, that’s what you said—let’s go together!” Lin Dong didn’t care if Niu Hong and the other two learned of his strength. With Liang Ru’s wisdom, she surely understood the consequences of revealing his identity. Besides, those three weren’t people who wouldn’t keep their word. More importantly, Lin Dong had developed considerable interest in them—especially Niu Hong. His interest in Niu Hong was even greater than that in Liang Ru, whose intelligence and memory promised a bright future. Lin Dong himself couldn’t explain why; he only knew that among the three, Niu Hong was the one who struck him the most.

The four of them had just found an open spot and were chatting while waiting for the caravan to set off when, from the opposite direction, a boy around fifteen years old rode a white horse, accompanied by two young men in their twenties.

“Ha, isn’t this Second Young Master Hua? I wondered why he looked so familiar!” The boy grabbed the reins of the white horse and glanced at the four of them with a somewhat arrogant look. His gaze lingered for a second or two on Lin Dong, who wore a hat, and on Liang Ru, who appeared pure and gentle, before settling on Hua Wuqian’s face. “Second Young Master Hua, are you here to hunt the Hundred-Winged Birds too?”

“What’s it to you?” Hua Wuqian grunted in response, clearly not liking the boy at all.

“I’m just showing concern, you know?” The boy leaned slightly forward, looking down at Hua Wuqian, and stretched out his whip, tapping it less than twenty centimeters from Hua Wuqian’s forehead. “Hunting Hundred-Winged Birds isn’t something you can get involved in. Even if you want to watch, you should stay obediently behind your brother and sister. Otherwise, if a Hundred-Winged Bird flaps its wing and sends you flying out of the Great Han Kingdom, where will I go to pay my respects to you?”

After saying that, perhaps thinking his words were humorous, the boy couldn’t help but laugh loudly.

Hua Wuqian’s expression darkened. After glancing at the two young men behind the boy, he relaxed his clenched fists.

Over by the side, Niu Hong suddenly patted Hua Wuqian’s shoulder and turned to look at Lin Dong. “Brother Lin, could you step in and help?”

“Of course!” A trace of spiritual energy flowed into his throat, making Lin Dong’s originally magnetic voice slightly hoarse.

Niu Hong grinned, flipped up his short jacket, took down a leather bag tied to his belt, reached in, dug around a few times, and suddenly stretched out his hand, throwing something at the boy.

A clump of sand-like substance flew toward the boy’s head.

“Taste my Life-Devouring Sand!”

“What is it? What is it?” The boy frantically waved his arms to block it.

“Life-Devouring Sand, a highly poisonous substance crafted from a ninth-tier spiritual material. It’s harmless in normal contact, but the more spiritual energy is used, the faster one’s lifespan decreases.”
Niu Hong grinned, revealing his snow-white teeth, and smirked at the youth before turning to Lin Dong. “Brother Lin, let’s take care of this guy. You handle the other two, okay?”
“Just barely enough to buy a minute or two,” Lin Dong replied casually.
“Alright, we’ll be there to help you soon. Wu Qian, go!” Niu Hong suddenly lunged forward, grabbed the youth’s clothes, and yanked him down. “Kid, let’s see if our fists are faster or if you can spit faster. Only by coating the affected area with saliva can you neutralize the Life-Devouring Sand. Otherwise, you’ll never be able to use spiritual energy—every use will shorten your life.”
“Ah, Brother! Why did you tell him the antidote?” Hua Wu Qian screamed. As Niu Hong pulled the youth down, she rushed forward and kicked him in the stomach.
“Vital point!” Niu Hong swung his fist straight at the youth’s groin.
Panicked and terrified, the youth could think of nothing but screamed as he tried desperately to spit on his own chest.
“Kun Long!”
The two youths behind him drew their swords simultaneously and leaped into the air.
Beside Liang Ru, Lin Dong reached out and pulled down his hat slightly.
“Be careful!”
As the two youths’ swords sliced toward Niu Hong and the other man, Liang Ru suddenly screamed in panic.
“No problem, watch this!”
Lin Dong grabbed a handful of soil from the ground and threw it out forcefully. The scattered soil strangely split into two and covered the two youths.
“Taste my Soul-Stealing Soil!”
The two youths were shocked. They swung their swords again, and when the blades touched the soil, they emitted a clashing sound.
“Soul-Stealing Soil?” Niu Hong, who was still swinging his fist at the youth’s vital point, paused briefly before bursting into laughter. No wonder he always wanted to be friends with Brother Lin—turns out they were kindred spirits.
Clearly smarter than the youth, the two youths quickly recovered from their shock. Just as they were about to warn the youth that the so-called Life-Devouring Sand didn’t exist—how could ordinary people have a poison made from a ninth-tier spiritual material—Lin Dong pushed off with his toes, sending another wave of soil flying to cover them both.
Alarmed, the two realized the Soul-Stealing Soil was impossible, but the soil’s power was immense. Neither dared to get distracted and quickly swung their swords to fend off the approaching soil.

With capable disciples from nearby sects around, Lin Dong didn’t want to expose his strength too much and attract attention. He leaped up and rushed at the two of them. In an instant, the wind of his punches roared as he controlled his strength with precision—just enough to avoid causing serious harm to the two youths while still preventing them from advancing to provide aid.

While Lin Dong was taking his time, the other youth’s head was already swollen like a pig’s, his darkened eyes closed, and his screams had ceased; clearly, he had been beaten unconscious.

Niu Hong jumped up, took out a small porcelain bottle from the cowhide bag, quickly unscrewed the cap, scooped some powder into his palm, and rushed at Lin Dong from behind.

“Brother Lin, I’ll count one, two, three—jump as high as you can. And try to keep the other guy from moving!”

After shouting those words rapidly, Niu Hong suddenly yelled, “One, two… three!”

Lin Dong leaped up, dodging the sword beside him. Seeing the youth ahead trying to dodge, he kicked at his path to block him.

Below, Niu Hong raised his hand abruptly, scattering the white powder he held toward the youth.

“Taste my Corpse-rotting Powder!”

The youth swung his sword, creating a gust of wind that pushed back most of the powder, before thrusting his sword at Niu Hong.

Niu Hong swallowed hard, clenched his fists, and neither dodged nor avoided—clearly determined to withstand the attack head-on.

The sword light flashed sharply, but it was knocked downward by the tip of Lin Dong’s right foot.

Thinking Lin Dong wouldn’t make it in time to help and planning to hold off the youth alone, Niu Hong was overjoyed and shouted, “If you’ve got guts, use your Fate-Channeling Skill! Don’t think I’m lying—if you don’t want to die, hurry and expel the poison. Otherwise, the more you use your skill, the faster you’ll die!”

The youth snorted coldly, but after just a few exchanges, the disdain on his face vanished quickly, replaced by seriousness and panic.

His head even began to feel dizzy.

“Maybe there’s really poison. Tian Han, hold on! I’ll try to expel it.” The youth called out before stepping back.

Niu Hong breathed a sigh of relief. Having scared away one opponent, and knowing Lin Dong’s ability to fight two at once without losing, he was confident of winning in a one-on-one fight.

Lin Dong’s performance, as Niu Hong had guessed, was gradually giving him the upper hand.

“Waste! This sneaky guy is clearly skilled in close combat. With no weapon, he doesn’t even know to create distance to use his advantage!” A disdainful voice rang out. Niu Hong and the others were startled and turned to see that a group of people had appeared somewhere nearby.

Lin Dong, as usual, had noticed them long ago. He also recognized the arrogant speaker—Liang Mu Shan, the eldest son of the Liang family.

“Liang Tianhan, if you can’t disable his limbs within a hundred moves, go back to your clan and face punishment.” Standing high above, Liang Mushan had a cold expression, and with his dark black cloak fluttering in the wind, the arrogance and authority of the Liang family’s eldest son were fully displayed.