Chapter 124: Entering the Mountains

“Hunting demons is dangerous. I originally didn't want you to touch this matter, but you've learned movement techniques and have the power to protect yourself, so I will teach you all the hunting demons' skills.”

Ink Mountain looked at Ink Painting and said, “These are lessons summarized by hunting demons masters over ten thousand years, using their lives and blood. Learn them well. Even if you don't become a hunting demons master in the future, they will definitely be useful.”

Ink Painting's small face was serious, and he nodded solemnly.

“The first point of hunting demons isn't to hunt and kill demon beasts, but to be familiar with the mountain terrain.”

“Daheishan's terrain is complex, and the mountain shapes are intricate. You must first be familiar with the mountain roads, know where there are peaks, where there are cliffs, where there are caves, where demon beasts haunt, where the miasma is thick, what spirit grasses are poisonous...”

“If you are familiar with these, when you encounter danger, even if your cultivation isn't enough, you'll know how to avoid it and won't lose your life.”

“On the contrary, if you don't know the mountain shapes, don't know the geography, either you'll inhale miasma, or eat poisonous grasses, or mistakenly enter demon dens. Like this, even if your cultivation is very high, it will be very difficult to walk out of Daheishan alive.”

“I'll take you through the outer mountain once. You must remember the mountain shapes, terrain, and the locations of some small streams, miasma, poisonous marshes, and dense forests...”

After Ink Mountain finished speaking, he walked forward along the mountain road.

Ink Painting followed closely behind, remembering the mountain road under his feet and the scenery along the way.

When they encountered some dangerous places, Ink Mountain would specially stop and carefully explain them to Ink Painting.

For example, where the miasma was light, which mountain tops had thick miasma, in places with thick miasma, you couldn't stay for more than half an hour, otherwise the miasma would enter your body and make your mind confused.

Some dense forests would produce thick fog. If you accidentally entered by mistake, you would lose your direction. Unless the sun passed noon and the mountain fog dissipated, you would never be able to walk out.

Also, which poisonous marshes had some demon beasts with strong poison, their skin color changing with the grasses and woods, and you needed to guard carefully against them.

Which mountain peaks big demons would haunt, what signs there would be when big demons haunted...

This way, from early morning to late evening, they only walked a small part of Daheishan's outer mountain.

When the sky gradually darkened, Ink Mountain took Ink Painting to a small camp on the mountainside.

The camp was a small mountain cave, the entrance covered with grasses and woods, and sealed with an iron door. A simple array was also drawn on the door to prevent it from being attacked by demon beasts.

The camp wasn't big, but it had some dry rations, weeds, and several simple stone beds.

“This is a temporary rest or overnight camp for hunting demons masters. It's quite simple, but it's enough for shelter.”

Ink Mountain again pointed at the iron door and said, “There's an array on the door. It's not great, but it can be used. If you're chased and killed by demon beasts and have nowhere to avoid, you can hide in the camp, open the array, and general demon beasts won't be able to enter.”

Ink Painting nodded.

The father and son spent a night in the camp.

The next day, as the sky was dimly bright, they got up again and continued to walk down along the mountain road.

Ink Mountain walked and explained along the way.

Just like this, walking during the day and resting at night inside Daheishan, they stayed for a full seven days. Ink Mountain finally took Ink Painting through Daheishan's outer mountain.

Back home, Ink Painting's whole body ached, his calves were swollen, and because he had inhaled too much miasma, his head was dizzy and swollen. Although he took a miasma-expelling pill, his forehead still faintly ached.

Liu Ruping asked Old Mr. Feng to open a clear spirit soup, let Ink Painting take it, and then applied swelling-reducing herbs to his body. Seeing Ink Painting's face still pale, she felt very heartache and blamed Ink Mountain, saying:

“You can teach slowly, there's no need to stay in the mountains for seven days and suffer so much hardship.”

Ink Mountain saw his wife was angry, and also softly explained, “These hardships have to be endured sooner or later. Enduring some hardship now will make it easier in the future.”

Liu Ruping also knew this principle, but her heart was still angry, so in the evening, she only gave Ink Mountain some plain porridge and steamed buns to eat, not even one dish of pickled vegetables.

Ink Mountain was crying and laughing, not knowing what to do.

Two days later, Ink Painting just recovered, his body was not a big problem.

Thinking he hadn't been to Siwang Residence for almost ten days, Ink Painting brought some wine and meat to pay respects to Mr. Zhuang and explained the original cause.

Mr. Zhuang saw that Ink Painting's face was still somewhat pale, so he let him go back to rest, saying that there weren't so many rules there, and let Ink Painting not take it to heart.

Ink Painting again brought some crispy pastries and pine nuts for Old Kui, and after that, he also brought some food and fruit wine for the Bai family siblings.

Bai Zisheng was extremely envious when he heard that Ink Painting could enter Daheishan to hunt demons.

He was strictly managed by Aunt Xue. Not to mention hunting demons, it was difficult for him to even stroll around a bit everywhere.

Ink Painting sympathetically patted his shoulder, feeling love and helplessness.

After several days, Ink Mountain again took Ink Painting into Daheishan.

This time, there was no need to explain everything in detail, only need to be familiar with the mountain shapes and terrain, so they only spent three or four days to finish walking through the outer mountain.

Thereafter, whenever Ink Mountain had free time, he would take Ink Painting to walk a round in the mountains.

Ink Painting also became more and more familiar with Daheishan's outer mountain.

Ink Mountain felt it was about right, so he took Ink Painting to a cliff in the outer mountain.

The cliff was steep, with strange rocks rugged, and from below, you could overlook the scenery of the mountainside.

After Ink Mountain confirmed that the surroundings were safe, he said to Ink Painting, “You're almost familiar with the outer mountain. I'll now teach you what you need to pay attention to when fighting with demon beasts.”

Ink Painting sat cross-legged on the mountain rock, listening seriously.

“The operating principles of hunting demons masters are, one is to know oneself and know the enemy, and two is to prepare in advance.”

“Knowing oneself and knowing the enemy means you must recognize your own strength clearly. How profound your cultivation is, what spells, martial arts, spirit tools, and other moves you have. At the same time, you must know the demon beasts, including their realm, blood energy, demon power, and their habits. Where the demon beasts are strong, where they are weak, whether they are vicious, whether they will feign death, etc.”

“After that, weigh the strengths of each other. If you can kill, then you can make a move. If you cannot kill, then do not act lightly.”

“If you fight halfway and discover that things have changed, and you originally could kill the demon beasts but now you cannot, then you must make plans early and retreat in time. Otherwise, when your spirit power is exhausted, you will be the one who dies.”

“Preparation in advance emphasizes preparing for a rainy day, planning everything thoroughly beforehand. Especially when facing powerful demon beasts, whether you can kill them, what to use to kill them, how to kill them, and how to handle accidents, all need to be considered beforehand.”

“If you don't plan well beforehand and act rashly, once there are oversights, injuries and deaths are inevitable.”

Ink Mountain said a lot carefully and thoroughly.

Ink Painting listened intently and carefully comprehended.

“Just listen for now. Later, when you fight with demon beasts more, you'll naturally understand.”

Ink Painting nodded.

“There's still one point you must remember,” Ink Mountain again admonished, “No matter what you encounter, don't act if you don't have to, but as long as you act, you must be ruthless!”

“Ruthless?” Ink Painting was a bit surprised.

“Hunting demons masters treat demon beasts as enemies. If you're not ruthless, the demon beasts will be ruthless. If you don't kill the demon beasts, then you'll only be killed by the demon beasts.”

“Then how to be ruthless?”

Ink Mountain raised an eyebrow and said:

“When not acting, don't show the slightest killing intent. When it's time to act, don't have the slightest hesitation.”

“As long as the opponent shows a flaw, strike first to gain the initiative, strive for a one-hit kill, and don't give the opponent a chance to act.”

“An opponent who hasn't acted is a good opponent!”

When his father with bushy eyebrows and big eyes said such words, Ink Painting was still a bit shocked.

Ink Painting hesitated for a while and couldn't help but confirm, “Doesn't this count as a bit... winning dishonorably?”

Ink Mountain's expression solidified, and he said solemnly, “Hunting demons masters have no victory or defeat, only life and death. No matter how dishonorable the win, you can still live. No matter how glorious the loss, you're still dead.”

Ink Mountain finished speaking, and touched Ink Painting's head:

“Loose cultivators don't have an easy life. If you can live, you still want to try to live.”

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