Chapter 3: The Same Path (Part 1)

Qin Zhuo, the head of the Qin family, stepped forward with a smile and said, “Mr. Wu, welcome! Please, come this way!” The visitor was Wu Qing, the representative of the West Symbol Gate in Qin Guang City.
Qin Zhuo led Wu Qing to Luo Jie and the others and said, “Master Luo, Master Qi, Master Qin, this is Wu Qing, the representative of the West Symbol Gate in Qin Guang City.”
Wu Qing stepped back in shock. No way—three masters appearing at once! And that kid who had beaten him badly was sitting right next to a great spellcaster. He finally realized he hadn’t lost unfairly and quickly bowed, saying, “Wu Qing greets the three masters.”
Luo Jie stared at him for a moment, and Wu Qing broke into a cold sweat. Luo Jie said, “Our next stop is your West Symbol Gate. Do you know that?”
Wu Qing was surprised. “Those going to the West Symbol Gate… I didn’t hear they’d pass through Qin Guang City?”
Luo Jie replied, “We left ahead because of some matters. Well, we took a shortcut to get here. We’ll be leaving tomorrow.” He added, “Sit down. Don’t be nervous.”
Wu Qing sat across from Luo Jie, facing Guo Shier. He glanced at Guo Shier again and saw the kid making a face. He forced a smile and asked, “Master Luo, who is this?”
Luo Jie casually replied, “This is my youngest disciple, Guo Shier. This is his senior brother, Qin Han. And this is my younger brother, Qi Nanshan.”
Wu Qing’s face turned pale. This was too much of a blow. His older disciples were masters, his younger disciple could beat him badly, and even his followers were master-level spell warriors and martial artists. It was unbearable.
With a forced smile, he said, “Pleasure to meet you!”
Guo Shier wanted to mock him a bit, but since his master was sitting nearby, it was better to act like a good kid. He said nothing and started eating the meat in the big basin. With the seasonings he had prepared, the plain boiled meat tasted much better. He ate a lot in one go, while still keeping an ear out for the conversations around him.
It had to be said that Wu Qing was very good at socializing. Though he wasn’t very good at fighting, his social skills were outstanding. Guo Shier noticed that the people here were generally simple-hearted, with few schemers. Soon, Wu Qing managed to keep the atmosphere light and cheerful.
After eating his fill, a servant brought a basin of hot water. He washed his face and sat back down next to his master, asking, “Master, besides the large-scale hunting trip, are there any other activities on this trip to the West Symbol Gate?”
Luo Jie smiled and said, “You can ask Wu Qing. He knows more about it than we do.”

Wu Qing smiled and said, “The old man is being modest. Hehe, then… I’ll give a brief introduction to the young man.”
Guo Shier laughed inwardly—now he was called a “young man”? Back at the street corner, they had called him a “little scumbag.” He said, “Then I’ll leave it to Uncle Wu.” He too upgraded his address from “old scumbag” to “Uncle Wu.”
Wu Qing felt a sudden chill—he was surprised. After all, children tend to be straightforward: either they hate or they like, without any pretense. But Guo Shier didn’t hesitate at all and immediately called him “uncle,” which left him puzzled. This kid was too strange—possessing extraordinary strength yet also being so cunning; he was truly difficult to deal with.
“Hunting in the west, killing in the north, fishing in the east, catching insects in the south—these four phrases… were popular when the Four Great Alliances were first formed. Not many people know them now.”
Luo Jie nodded slightly, indicating he was aware of them.
Wu Qing continued, “The so-called hunting in the west refers to large-scale hunting campaigns held every few years. These are mainly activities of the West Symbol Gate and the North Symbol Gate, with the East and South Symbol Gates rarely participating because they are too far away.”
“Killing in the north is also a major activity of our two sects. You probably know more about it than I do… so I won’t go into details.”
Guo Shier said, “Hey, take your time. I don’t know… Tell me, what is killing in the north?”
Qi Nanshan smiled and said, “Killing in the north means organizing people from the two sects to go beyond the Wildman Pass and kill wildmen. It’s a traditional activity, but it’s held less and less often these days.”
“Fishing in the east and catching insects in the south are activities of the Southeastern sects. Our West Symbol Gate and your North Symbol Gate rarely have disciples participate because they are too far away—each trip takes at least a few years.”
Guo Shier said, “Interesting. Uncle Wu, tell me more about hunting in the west.”
Wu Qing agreed. Luo Jie observed coldly and noticed that Wu Qing seemed a bit afraid of Guo Shier. Though he couldn’t explain exactly why, the feeling was quite clear.
“Thousands of years ago, there were countless wild beasts in the grasslands to the west. Many of these beasts loved to eat humans, especially those with symbol markings—symbol beasts. Thus, it was the responsibility of the West Symbol Gate to eliminate these rampaging symbol beasts. In recent centuries, symbol beasts have become too afraid to approach the territory of the West Symbol Gate.”

“The western hunts were initiated around that time, with people from the North Talisman Sect invited to participate. It gradually became a tradition to organize large-scale hunting events at regular intervals. Additionally, it served to strengthen exchanges, share necessary materials, and hold competitions among disciples—all of which were part of the activities,” said Luo Jie. “I heard the Wild Beast Secret Realm has opened?” Wu Qing was momentarily stunned before realizing that Luo Jie must have received definite news. He didn’t dare hide anything and replied truthfully, “Yes, it’s been open for quite some time… This time, it’s strange—the entrance hasn’t closed since it opened. To prevent the beasts inside from escaping, the West Talisman Sect sent many disciples to guard the entrance.” Qi Nanshan said disdainfully, “That’s just an excuse; they still want to monopolize the secret realm.” Wu Qing didn’t dare contradict Qi Nanshan and changed the subject, saying, “I came this time hoping to travel with you. Hehe, it just happens to be the deadline for reporting back to my sect. Having a master accompany us makes the journey safer.” Luo Jie didn’t care whether there was one more person or not. He said, “It’s fine, but you’ll have to prepare your own supplies. Also, you’ll be responsible for contacting the supply stations along the way; we’re not familiar with those of the West Talisman Sect.” Wu Qing replied, “No problem, leave it to me.” Guo Shier felt regretful inwardly. If he were to handle the negotiations, the demands would be far more than this, but he couldn’t oppose his master’s decision. He grinned at Wu Qing, scaring the guy into shivering, not knowing what mischief the kid would pull next. Wu Qing was indeed a bit afraid of this strange child. Fortunately, he was an expert at socializing and handled such situations effortlessly without revealing too much. He smiled awkwardly. Luo Jie gave him a puzzled look, thinking, “What’s there to laugh about?” Wu Qing broke into a cold sweat under Luo Jie’s gaze and quickly picked up a piece of meat, eating it greedily to cover up his fluster. Only then did Luo Jie realize it was his young disciple causing trouble. He whispered, “Shier!” Guo Shier jumped in fright, shrinking his neck and whispering, “I didn’t do anything!” He was also a bit guilty—after all, he had not only beaten the representative of the West Talisman Sect but also extorted their sect’s talisman books. If his master found out, he might get scolded. The atmosphere at the banquet was fairly good. With three masters present, no one dared act recklessly.

Early the next morning, Guo Shier took three warhorses to the gathering point. His master Luo Jie and Qi Nanshan had already arrived. Qin Han, his senior brother who came to see him off, stood aside, reluctantly bidding farewell to his master. Seeing Guo Shier arrive, he said with a smile, “Younger brother, let’s get together properly once you return to the inner sect. Hehe, I’ll leave my master to you. He’s getting old; don’t let him overwork himself.”

Guo Shier nodded and said, “Don’t worry, senior brother. I’ll take care of our master. Be careful on your way back.”

Qin Zhuo, the head of the Qin family, also stood aside, feeling very displeased. It had taken great effort for their family to produce a great master, yet he insisted on returning to the North Talisman Sect, showing no intention of staying. He regretted it deeply, having thought earlier that Qin Han wouldn’t live much longer, which led many to covet his wealth. As the head of the family, he failed to stop them, causing Qin Han significant losses.

It was now difficult to remedy his past inaction. Even if he dealt mercilessly with those people and compensated Qin Han in part for his losses, he still wouldn’t receive Qin Han’s gratitude. Whether it was toward him as the head of the family or the elders in the clan, Qin Han’s attitude remained indifferent, leaving Qin Zhuo at a loss.

Qin Han said, “Master, you have too few people. I’ll send over ten Talisman Warriors. Though their strength isn’t high, they’re very familiar with the grasslands. Especially in winter, they can find places to shelter from blizzards, locate water sources, and avoid large herds of beasts.”

Luo Jie nodded and said, “You’ve thought this through. Let them come with us. We’ll return them to you once we reach the inner sect.”

Qin Han nodded. He waved and called over an old man in his sixties, saying, “Master, Brother Qi, this is the leader. His name is Qin Lang… He’s the best guide and a renowned hunter in the grasslands.”

Qi Nanshan nodded and said, “Hmm, follow me. I need you to lead the way… Are you familiar with the road to the West Talisman Sect?”

Qin Lang nodded and said, “I’m very familiar with the road to the West Talisman Sect. Hehe, I’ve traveled this route back and forth seven times.”

Qi Nanshan said, “That’s good. You decide where to rest and how to proceed along the way. I won’t interfere.” This was experience—he knew well the harshness of the grasslands in winter. Having someone familiar with the grasslands lead the way could reduce many risks. Having such a person help them could only bring benefits, so he boldly delegated authority to Qin Lang.

Qin Lang looked very aged, with deep wrinkles etched on his face by the passage of time. He also brought three horses, one carrying supplies and the other two for riding.

Guo Shier and his four companions prepared their horses and gear. They carried a great deal of stuff—hundreds of talisman bags alone, all stored in leather sacks made from animal skins. Ever since Guo Shier learned how to craft talismans, he spent his free time making talisman bags. These palm-sized bags could hold hundreds of pounds of items, and that was what fascinated Guo Shier the most. Moreover, important items were kept in larger talisman bags, which had to be carried with them at all times.

Luo Jie found it hard to understand Guo Shier’s approach. He didn’t know why the kid needed to bring so many supplies, but he didn’t interfere too much with his precious disciple’s affairs. As long as Guo Shier liked it, he didn’t care how much stuff the kid carried.

Luo Jie said, “Dashan, let’s set off.”

Qi Nanshan nodded and said, “Okay.”