The timing of this spear thrust was impeccable—it caught the exact instant when the Black-Scaled Leopard’s forward momentum was at its fiercest and hardest to alter.
The moment the spearhead touched the black scale on the Black-Scaled Leopard’s chest, his Manifest Force erupted abruptly. The resonance of his muscles and bones at the Great Success Stage, mingled with the power of Elephant Bone, channeled entirely into the spear shaft, carrying a force well over a thousand catties.
"SHRRK—"
Under such circumstances, the Black-Scaled Leopard was actually able to twist its body and execute an extreme dodge. The spearhead scraped against the black scales, drawing a trail of sparks. A few black scales were knocked flying, spinning on the snowy ground, their edges tainted with a few drops of dark red blood.
Chen Yuan’s heart sank—it had only scraped off a few scales. With his Manifest Force at Great Success combined with the power of Elephant Bone, this thrust could pierce straight through a wild bull, yet it only resulted in a scratch on this Black-Scaled Leopard. He could even feel that at the moment the spearhead touched the scales, those black scales seemed to come alive, unloading the force to both sides. Less than thirty percent of his full power actually connected.
If not for the fact that over the past twenty days, his Manifest Force had already reached Great Success and his mastery of Elephant Bone had grown increasingly profound, this thrust might not have even drawn blood.
The Black-Scaled Leopard let out a low growl of pain, the sound muffled and hoarse like metal grinding together. It took two steps back, a trace of wariness flashing in its dark golden vertical pupils, before making a decision Chen Yuan least wanted to see. It turned, leaped, and jumped directly over the fence, pouncing toward the depths of the Medicinal Garden.
"Beast!"
Chen Yuan’s eyes practically split with rage. Gripping his spear, he vaulted over and chased after it.
Patches of Stone Scale Flowers were planted right in the center of the Medicinal Garden, giving off a faint silvery-grey luster. The Black-Scaled Leopard bit off three or four stalks in a single mouthful, swallowing them whole, before turning and pouncing toward another clump. Dirt flew and broken leaves scattered everywhere. Several stalks of Red Blood Grass were uprooted, dark red sap oozing from their broken ends.
Chen Yuan felt a surge of fire shoot straight from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. These medicinal herbs being ruined would be deducted from his monthly wages! He took a deep breath, forcefully suppressing the fury in his chest and transforming it into cold, icy focus. His feet kicked off the muddy ground, launching him forward like an arrow released from a bow string. With his spear in hand, his spirit, energy, and mind were pushed to their absolute peak in this instant.
The Black-Scaled Leopard was burying its head to chew on a fifth Stone Scale Flower when its ears twitched, sensing the sharp wind assaulting it from behind. Just as it prepared to dodge sideways, Chen Yuan’s spear arrived.
Cannon Spear.
The spearhead produced an explosive crack. All the power in his body converged on a single point. The spear shaft bent slightly before snapping straight. As the spearhead tore through the air, it produced a short, sharp sonic boom. The force was fiercely violent, like a cannonball firing from a chamber.
The Black-Scaled Leopard dodged the vital strike, yet the spearhead still plunged viciously into its hindquarters.
With a CRACK, another black scale shattered. Broken scales flew out, and a spurt of blood sprayed into the air, dyeing the black soil beneath their feet red.
The Black-Scaled Leopard roared in pain and forcefully whipped its body, deflecting the spear shaft. It turned back to bare its fangs at Chen Yuan, a low, threatening growl rolling in its throat. However, it didn’t counterattack. Instead, it turned its head, swallowed two more stalks, and then bolted toward the fence on the other side of the Medicinal Garden.
The wound on its hindquarters hindered its speed. As it ran, its right hind leg dragged slightly, plowing a crooked, bloody trail in the snowy mud. But even so, that speed was still not something Chen Yuan’s two legs could catch up with.
Chen Yuan chased after it for a few steps. Seeing the distance widening further and further, he abruptly dug his heels in. His right hand clenched the spear shaft tightly. His waist and spine arched backward like a fully drawn bow, as the strength of his entire body twisted up from his feet to his waist and poured into his right arm.
He switched to a reverse grip on the long spear, pointing the tip forward. His entire body turned sideways, twisting his waist like a taut, stiff bow, and then he fiercely hurled it out. The long spear left his hand, tracing a bright silver arc through the air, carrying a piercing, ear-splitting whistle.
The Black-Scaled Leopard’s ears twitched. Mid-sprint, it violently leaped to the side, changing direction. The long spear grazed its spine and plunged into the snow. With a TWANG, it nailed half a foot deep into the frozen soil, the tail end of the spear buzzing and vibrating on its own. The Black-Scaled Leopard didn’t look back. With a few leaps, it disappeared into the depths of the mountain forest, leaving behind only a broken trail of blood on the snowy ground.
Chen Yuan chased up to the fence, resting his hands on his knees and panting heavily for quite a while before catching his breath. Hot air blasted from his nose and mouth, condensing into large plumes of white mist in the freezing air. The clothes on his back were soaked through with sweat. When the cold wind blew, it chilled him to the bone.
He straightened up and looked in the direction the Black-Scaled Leopard had disappeared. The dense forest was deep and quiet, with no movement other than the rustling of falling snow. He remained silent for a moment, then turned and walked back to the Medicinal Garden.
It was nearing dusk. The remains of seven or eight precious herbs were scattered across the ground. Half-chewed roots were buried in the churned-up black soil, and a few shattered black scales gleamed faintly amid the mud. Another two clumps of Stone Scale Flowers had been trampled into a tangled mess, their stems broken and their leaves covered in mud. It was unknown whether they would even survive.
He squatted down and picked up an uprooted Stone Scale Flower. The broken end was still seeping milky white sap, sticking all over his hand. Furthermore, during the chase through the Medicinal Garden, numerous common medicinal herbs had also been trampled by the Black-Scaled Leopard. The thriving garden had turned into a total mess, and the losses would likely not be small.
The backup summoned by the whistling arrow arrived two or three minutes later. The arrivals were two hidden sentries from a nearby outpost. Looking at the devastation in the Medicinal Garden, they furrowed their brows—this was no small loss. When they picked up the black scales from the dirt and examined them closely, their brows furrowed even deeper. They couldn’t help but ask, "Brother, was the attacker a Black-Scaled Leopard?"
This creature had high speed and high defense; it was one of the mutated beasts the guards of the Medicinal Garden least wanted to face.
Chen Yuan nodded and said in a deep voice, "That damned beast. To think I actually let it get away." If he could have killed the Black-Scaled Leopard, he wouldn’t feel so awful. A mutated beast like that could easily be sold for one hundred taels of silver without any problem.
The two hidden sentries looked at Chen Yuan with a hint of surprise, their tone turning a bit more polite. "Brother, for you to single-handedly chase off a Black-Scaled Leopard is truly remarkable. This matter is not your fault; don’t take it too much to heart." They knew that even if they joined forces, it would be difficult for them to make that Black-Scaled Leopard stay.
Next, they followed the blood trail on the snowy ground for a search. Confirming that the Black-Scaled Leopard had indeed fled far away, they departed.
Li Changgui arrived shortly after. Dressed in light purple attire and carrying a storm lantern, he walked a lap around the Medicinal Garden and roughly tallied the losses, his expression quite unsightly. Chen Yuan and a few Medicinal Farmers recounted the events that had just transpired once more.
"The Black-Scaled Leopard is a mutated beast. Being able to chase it away is already quite good." After listening, Li Changgui patted Chen Yuan’s shoulder in faux consolation before changing the subject. "However, the loss of the medicinal herbs is also a fact. The depletion this time is at least sixty taels of silver or more.
"According to the rules, Brother Chen, you will have to bear a portion of the loss. As for exactly how much, I’ll make a decision after careful calculation."
Chen Yuan frowned slightly. He knew this was Li Changgui fishing for a bribe. Give him a little silver, and he would downplay the fault. If not? Then he’d report a massive loss, and there’d be nothing Chen Yuan could do about it. He asked flatly, "Steward Li, I have already done my best. Normally, how much would I be expected to cover?"
Did he not want to pay? Li Changgui sneered inwardly. Having finally caught an opportunity, how could he let Chen Yuan off easily? With an expression of feigned difficulty, he said, "Brother Chen, it’s not that I’m ignoring our past friendship to make things difficult for you. You’ve seen the situation. According to the rules, it might mean deducting half your monthly wages, or perhaps all of it. It’s hard to say."
Chen Yuan’s brow knitted tighter as he asked, "And what is the best-case scenario?"
Li Changgui smiled. "The best-case scenario, naturally, is that it’s determined Brother Chen fulfilled his guarding duties, and this was an unavoidable disaster, in which case not a single penny would be deducted."
Chen Yuan understood it completely now. This was a blatant attempt to extort money from him. After a moment of thought, he said directly, "Steward Li, I remember you owe me a favor from before. I’ll have to trouble you with this matter." There was no way he would cough up money.
At this, Li Changgui’s expression turned somewhat ugly. This guy really was a total penny-pincher. He reminded him, "Brother Chen, you must think this through carefully. Are you really going to use that favor here?"
Chen Yuan smiled and said, "As you said, we’re making friends. How could I use a favor to make things difficult for you? This minor issue shouldn’t be a problem for Steward Li, right?" He had to use the favor quickly while Li Changgui still acknowledged it, lest he change his tune later.
Li Changgui gave Chen Yuan a long, deep look but said nothing more. He could use a favor this time, but what about next time? Li Changgui refused to believe he wouldn’t find a way to deal with Chen Yuan!