It is said that the Wuyang Mountain Range stretches all the way from the county city to the prefectural city of Xiyun Prefecture, and is one of the eighteen great mountain ranges of the Great Qi Kingdom.

The mountains are high and the forests deep; not only do many birds and beasts live within, but in the depths of the mountains, there are also exotic beasts.

Legend has it that these exotic beasts are the descendants born from the interbreeding of ancient divine beasts and birds—creatures that had long vanished from the river of history—with ordinary birds and beasts.

These descendants are not as intelligent as the legendary ancient divine beasts and birds; in fact, it is many times harder for them to gain sentience than it is for ordinary birds and beasts.

Ordinary birds and beasts, if given the right opportunity, still have a chance to gain sentience and even cultivate into demons, but the hybrid descendants of divine beasts and birds cannot gain sentience unless they encounter an extraordinary stroke of luck.

Generation after generation, these descendants have continued to reproduce, undergoing countless cross-species interbreeding along the way, giving rise to all sorts of exotic beasts carrying a trace of ancient divine beast and bird bloodline.

Because these exotic beasts carry a trace of divine beast and bird blood, their flesh is a great tonic for martial artists, and some exotic beasts’ bodies are even excellent materials for refining pills or forging weapons.

But for the same reason, since exotic beasts carry a trace of divine beast and bird blood, they are innately powerful, and most are extremely fierce. Even martial artists at the Jinli (Force) stage would never dare to venture alone into the depths of the Wuyang Mountains to hunt exotic beasts.

Even groups of three to five martial artists usually only dare to seek opportunities on the outskirts where exotic beasts are active, not daring to venture into the truly dangerous areas where powerful exotic beasts roam.

Thus, since ancient times, exotic beasts have been precious commodities. Aside from wealthy households and noble families, ordinary people simply cannot afford them.

Even among wealthy households and noble families, only the most favored direct descendants are qualified to enjoy the flesh of exotic beasts.

“It’s said that except for the very few exotic beasts that have been domesticated like poultry, even the weakest exotic beast is comparable to a Jinli-stage martial artist. Right now, I’ve only subdued a bronze corpse, and the maximum range I can control it is just ten meters. For now, I’d better not think about hunting exotic beasts. But since I can barely use my spirit to control objects and can control the bronze corpse at close range, it shouldn’t be dangerous to go to some of the branches or outskirts of the Wuyang Mountains to hunt some birds and beasts.” After gazing thoughtfully at the towering, continuous Wuyang Mountains for a while, William Carter withdrew his gaze and strode toward Anhe Village.

Anhe Village is surrounded by water on all sides; the river water not only irrigates the fields but also serves as a “moat” in troubled times.

Anhe Village is not a single-surname village, but rather a settlement of various surnames.

This is closely related to the fact that Fangshuo County was a border county in the previous dynasty. Because a long-term military presence was needed, many military families from all over the country settled here.

Later, with the change of dynasties and the expansion of the Great Qi Kingdom’s territory, Fangshuo County was no longer a border area and no longer needed to station troops by border standards, but some soldiers and their families had already taken root locally and become native people of Fangshuo County.

Anhe Village thus became home to the descendants of some of those stationed soldiers, resulting in a mix of surnames and no single dominant clan. Instead, there are three or five local landlords who, relying on their abundant land and grain, have hired some retainers and wield considerable influence in the village.

The The Carter Family, being a family of orphans and widows, is naturally one of the weaker households in Anhe Village.

Fortunately, Bennett is well-mannered and dignified, always getting along well with the neighbors. The Carter Family’s late grandfather was once highly respected in Anhe Village, and William Carter, having studied martial arts at the city’s martial arts school, has grown stronger and more robust with age, so no one in the village dares to bully the The Carter Family without reason.

But today, something unexpected happened.

As William Carter entered the village and was still some distance from home, he saw Eleanor Bennett running toward him in a panic, her face pale and flustered, her hair and clothes somewhat disheveled.

Not far behind her, two young men in brocade robes, surrounded by six retainers, were following at a leisurely pace, chatting and laughing, waving paper fans.

Of the two young men in brocade, one was extremely fat, his whole body jiggling as he walked.

The other was tall and sturdy, but his face was covered in pockmarks, with a hooked nose and a crooked mouth, giving off a sinister and arrogant vibe.

William Carter recognized the fat young man as the son of the local landlord at the east end of the village, The Parker FamilyBrian Parker’s son, Andrew Parker.

His elder sister had caught the eye of Reed Manor’s young lord Stephen Reed the year before and was taken as a concubine. Last year, she bore Stephen Reed a big, healthy son. With her status elevated by her son, the The Parker Family’s standing also rose, and now they swagger around Anhe Village, looking down on everyone.

As for the other young man, William Carter did not recognize him.

Chapter Fourteen Seventh Young Master Reed

“Ranyue, what happened?” William Carter stopped Eleanor Bennett.

“Young master!” Eleanor Bennett looked up and saw that it was William Carter, and immediately threw herself into his arms, unable to hold back her tears.

“Don’t be afraid, Ranyue, I’m here for you!” Sensing the trembling of Eleanor Bennett in his arms, William Carter gently patted her shoulder and spoke softly.

“Gao’ang, who is he?” The pockmarked young man, seeing Eleanor Bennett throw herself into William Carter’s arms, folded his paper fan and asked with a dark expression.