The deer herd hadn’t expected that this thing was actually unafraid of lightning. They had already grown used to their own skills being unstoppable.

When they saw a flash of the blade, the stag’s body jerked violently. However, the attack came so suddenly that, fast as it was, it still had half its neck slashed open.

Andrew Brooks was also a bit doubtful whether this blade could break through the defense. But when he felt that heavy, flesh-cutting sensation, he didn’t hesitate—he poured celestial energy into the blade in his hand, raised it, and hurled it fiercely at the stag.

In the next moment, the long blade was driven deep into the stag’s neck.

The stag staggered forward a few more steps. Realizing it couldn’t escape, it finally thought of self-destructing its antlers, but unfortunately, by then it was already too weak to do so.

Andrew Brooks walked up, raised his hand, and put the massive Thunder Deer into his storage pouch. Then he turned back and looked coldly behind him.

By now, the tall and short pair had already caught the fawn and placed a restriction on it, while the two Ironclad Tigers had come to within about four or five hundred meters.

Both parties were aware of Andrew Brooks’s presence, but didn’t treat him as some kind of monster.

Andrew Brooks glanced at them, put away the iron pot and other items, and strode out of the valley. After handing in the task, he would receive two hundred and fifty spirit coins. Together with the hundred-plus he’d robbed yesterday, he could easily spend some time cultivating in the city.

There was plenty of celestial spiritual energy in the Immortal Realm, but cultivating in the wild could never compare to the city, and the concentration of spiritual energy in daily-rental rooms was even higher.

“Wait, friend,” came a crisp voice from behind. Andrew Brooks turned to look and saw it was the short one speaking.

So it turned out this person was a woman. But with the fierce fighting just now and her dressed in tight-fitting gear, he hadn’t noticed.

The woman looked at him and asked, word by word, “I wonder, since you hunted the Thunder Deer, which part do you want?”

“The whole deer is mine. Which part I want is my business,” Andrew Brooks replied stiffly. He was very annoyed at the two for trying to steal his prey earlier, so he was naturally not going to be polite.

“All right, friend, my sister doesn’t know how to talk,” the tall one came over. His hair was still standing on end, his face streaked with black and white, and there was still a faint burnt smell on him.

He spoke expressionlessly, “If you’re only after the antlers, would you be willing to part with the other parts?”

Of the Thunder Deer, only the antlers were truly valuable—especially since the antlers often self-destructed. By comparison, the other parts of its body weren’t worth much.

“I have no interest in selling,” Andrew Brooks refused flatly, then strode off.

“Meeting is fate,” the tall one moved and blocked his way again, speaking in a sinister tone, “You’re just a level-two Wandering Immortal. You’d better think carefully... I intend to buy from you.”

“Fate? Yesterday you drove me away, today you try to steal my prey... hmm, steal my deer,” Andrew Brooks smiled faintly. “Sorry, but I really don’t care for your so-called fate.”

“If you really won’t give me face, then don’t blame me for being rude,” the tall one narrowed his eyes, a fierce glint flashing in them. “Even the senior who was with you can’t say I’m bullying you.”

These two were clearly higher level than Andrew Brooks. The only reason they weren’t robbing him outright was because they were wary of the middle-aged man from yesterday—they hadn’t shown themselves then, but obviously, something this big couldn’t escape notice.

“Anyone who tries to take my things will have to pay the price,” Andrew Brooks pulled out his longsword from the storage pouch, took a deep breath, and let the tip droop. “Come on, then.”

“You know, you’re really something,” the woman spoke up again, her eyes wide. “If we hadn’t tied up the fawn, could you have killed the stag? It would’ve run off long ago... as a level-two Wandering Immortal, you couldn’t possibly have caught up.”

Andrew Brooks’s face darkened at that. He pointed at her, then at the tall one. “Cut the crap. Don’t look down on me just because I’m level two. If you push me, you’ll both regret it.”

The siblings exchanged a glance, their eyes full of defiance—so you really think you’re something, huh.

The brother was especially unconvinced, but in the next moment, as the other turned to leave, he opened his mouth but ultimately said nothing.

Andrew Brooks wanted to leave, but couldn’t—the two Ironclad Tigers blocked his way. In his foul mood, he channeled spiritual energy into his sword and thrust it forward.

The two Ironclad Tigers could sense that this person wasn’t very strong, but as the sword thrust toward them, they felt a faint sense of invincibility and quickly moved aside.

With them out of the way, Andrew Brooks started walking, but unexpectedly, the two tigers followed close behind, sticking right to his heels.

Now that was frustrating. If he fought, they’d run away—he might not even win. But if he didn’t fight, they’d keep tailing him, and he’d always have to watch out for a sneak attack from behind.

After stumbling along for a while, a crisp female voice called out from afar, “Why are you so dumb? Thunder Deer is Ironclad Tiger’s favorite food... just throw them a leg and you can leave.”

Chapter 9: The Law of the Jungle

That’s right, Andrew Brooks realized. Ironclad Tigers loved food rich in metal. This red valley was full of iron, and since Thunder Deer grew here, their bodies must contain plenty of iron as well.