Samuel Brooks smiled and said, “Thomas Reed is skilled in construction, while Henry Foster is well-versed in market prices. The two supervise each other, going to various shops to negotiate prices. It really saves me a lot of trouble…”

That day, he returned from Jinyang County with thirty thousand taels of silver in his pocket, comparing goods at thirteen different shops, inquiring about prices everywhere.

However, the materials list provided by Thomas Reed was even more cost-effective than the best prices he could negotiate himself by visiting each shop.

At that moment, he raised his eyebrows and saw someone coming up the mountain.

A true disciple of the Jiuxiao Immortal Sect, William Clark.

He saw the young girl skipping up the mountain, causing quite a stir.

“Daoist, Daoist…”

She raised her hand and waved, calling out, “I’ve come to deliver the new Monster Hunting Register for you.”

Upon hearing this, Samuel Brooks smiled and went to greet her, inviting her into the old Daoist temple.

After all, the Monster Hunting Register recorded detailed information about the many demons on the monster hunting list, and that list was his source of income.

Once inside the temple, Samuel Brooks generously offered her a cup of tea.

“Daoist, are you renovating the temple?”

“Yes, I used to travel the world, but now that my identity has been revealed, it’s time to return to the mountain.”

“I’m sorry…” Upon hearing this, William Clark looked apologetic.

“It’s not your fault.”

Samuel Brooks reached out to take the Monster Hunting Register, smiling as he said, “I should thank you for this register.”

He flipped through a couple of pages, then suddenly asked, “I’ve heard that quite a few demons have recently infiltrated Daxia. Are they all listed here?”

Upon hearing this, William Clark pondered for a moment and said, “According to the elders of my sect, not all the demons that have infiltrated Daxia are included in the hunting list. There are many reasons for this. But there are some that require special attention.”

Samuel Brooks asked, “Which ones?”

William Clark’s youthful face turned very serious as she replied solemnly, “This group of demons is so mysterious that even the Monster Hunting Bureau hasn’t been able to determine their identities, cultivation, or abilities. So the hunting list doesn’t know how to label them, and they haven’t been included for now.”

Samuel Brooks nodded slightly.

Too mysterious could also mean too powerful.

The problem is, if they’re not on the hunting list, there’s no reward for killing them, so there’s no need to pay much attention.

“By the way, there’s also this.”

Suddenly, William Clark scratched her head, rummaged through her bundle, and took out a booklet, saying, “This one contains information on the 176 demons executed last month.”

Samuel Brooks took the booklet and turned directly to the page about the demon cultivator Qiufeng.

This page recorded in detail Qiufeng’s bounty ranking and reward, as well as his background, cultivation, and life story.

At the end of Qiufeng’s biography, there was a note:

“In the autumn of the 82nd year of the Daxia calendar, perished at Baihong Temple at the hands of Samuel Brooks.”

“Please don’t misunderstand, senior.”

William Clark’s expression changed slightly, and she quickly said, “This information was provided by the Daxia authorities, not reported by me.”

The Monster Hunting Register came from the Jiuxiao Immortal Sect, and the inclusion of Samuel Brooks’s name could easily make people think she had reported it.

In her eyes, Samuel Brooks was a reclusive master, indifferent to fame and fortune, and this matter might displease him.

“I don’t blame you. Since I received a reward from the Daxia authorities, it’s only natural that they would take notice.”

Samuel Brooks chuckled, and as he closed the booklet, he flipped to another page.

Chizun, a red flame snake demon from the Great Zhou, formerly ranked 163rd on the hunting list, at the peak of the Qi Refining stage.

In the autumn of the 82nd year of the Daxia calendar, perished at the hands of William Clark of the Jiuxiao Immortal Sect.

“You had just entered the Qi Refining stage, crossed the minor achievement threshold, and slew a peak Qi Refining demon.”

Samuel Brooks praised, “Worthy of a true disciple of the Jiuxiao Immortal Sect. But the injuries on your body—were they from that time?”

Such keen insight! He could even see injuries that were nearly healed. William Clark was quite impressed and quickly said, “When I left Jinyang County and returned to the sect, I encountered Chizun. It took a lot of effort to slay it, and I was injured. After returning to the mountain, an elder treated me and gave me healing pills, so it’s no longer an issue.”

Samuel Brooks nodded slightly, about to express his thanks.

But then he heard a voice from outside the door.

“Samuel Brooks, something’s happened.”

Thomas Reed’s voice sounded a bit urgent.

Upon hearing this, Samuel Brooks’s heart trembled, and he stood up abruptly.

“Miss Fang, please sit here for a moment. I’ll go take a look.”

After speaking, before William Clark could reply, he hurried out the door.

Outside, he saw Thomas Reed with a worried look between his brows.

Beside Thomas Reed stood an elderly man, appearing to be in his sixties, with an apologetic expression.

“What’s going on?”

Samuel Brooks asked, then looked at the old man and said, “And you are?”

“Greetings, Daoist.”

The elderly man bowed and said, “I am the manager of Qingyan Pavilion.”

Qingyan Pavilion specialized in timber and stone, and was quite large and powerful, having originated in the former Tianyu. Now, its branches were spread throughout the entire Guangshan region.

This was the shop from Thomas Reed’s materials list that offered the best prices for the same quality.