What the hell was this?!

A treasure trove!

No...

A Divine Treasure!

To Qin Fang, this beehive was undoubtedly a Divine Treasure!

How could he not be excited?

Even with Qin Fang’s usual calm demeanor, he felt his breath quicken and his head grow hot. He wished he could return to Old Ox Back immediately.

Realizing he was getting carried away, he closed his eyes and forced himself to calm down.

After a long moment, he let out a slow, deliberate breath.

Excitement was one thing.

But there was a problem that needed to be solved...

And that was...

’The Giant Bee is too terrifying,’ he thought. ’Killing that one yesterday was a complete fluke. If anything had gone even slightly wrong, I would’ve been a dead man...’

At this thought, Qin Fang’s brow furrowed tightly.

’Yesterday was incredibly dangerous. The Giant Bee’s Physique was horrifying. I was just lucky it didn’t pull its stinger out immediately...’

’If it had managed to free its stinger, the consequences would have been unimaginable.’

’And on top of that, I was only dealing with a single Giant Bee yesterday...’

’That in itself was a massive stroke of luck!’

If even one more had shown up, Qin Fang would have met his end right then and there.

...He couldn’t be sure he could escape if one of those Giant Bees decided to hunt him down.

’Just look at those two pigs...’

’The poison took effect in three seconds, and they were dead in under a minute!’

’If I got hit with that poison even once, my fate would be no better than theirs.’

Thinking about it... a cold sweat broke out on Qin Fang’s forehead.

That sobered him up completely.

’That Giant Bee... I wouldn’t go so far as to call it a Demon, but it’s definitely an Exotic Species, an Extraordinary creature.’

’Provoking such a creature right now would be anything but wise.’

’I might get away with it many times...’

’But all it takes is one mistake... and the outcome is sealed.’

’I have my Golden Finger. As long as I take things one step at a time, I’m guaranteed to get stronger.’

’The Giant Bee isn’t irreplaceable. It would just help me get stronger faster.’

’And even though things are chaotic right now, and I really do want to get stronger faster... ’

’Is that reason alone worth taking such a massive risk?’

Qin Fang, now completely calm, began to seriously ponder the question.

After a long while, he let out a soft breath.

He had made a decision.

’My strength is still a bit too low right now... If I could reach Anjin, I wonder if I could kill one in a single strike?’

’After all, I’ve heard that the greatest advantage of Anjin is its Penetration Power!’

’Anyway, I still have some silver, which is enough to cover my expenses for a while. I’m not so desperate for resources that I need to risk my life. Besides, I’m not far from the Late Mingjin Stage... ’

’Wait!’

’I’ll wait until I’m stronger, and then I’ll decide.’

In the end, he still felt it was too dangerous and relied too much on luck.

If something went wrong, he would be hard-pressed to handle it with his current level of strength.

...There were countless Giant Bees, and they weren’t going anywhere.

But he only had one life.

Having decided not to go after the Giant Bees for the time being, Qin Fang waited until nightfall, then hoisted the two pig carcasses onto his shoulders to dispose of them.

...The two pigs had died from Bee Venom. He didn’t dare eat the meat, so he had no choice but to throw it away.

Tossing them in the river wasn’t safe. If someone found them and ate the meat, it could be fatal...

This was a very real possibility. In these times, the common folk had it rough. If two large carcasses like these were discovered, they would certainly be taken.

So, Qin Fang carried the pigs up the mountain and found a place to bury them.

When he returned and looked at the pigsty in his backyard, he could only shake his head with a helpless sigh...

...He was probably the first person to build a pigsty only to have it empty out on the very same day.

"Arf, arf..."

Just then, a high-pitched, whining sound rang out, pulling Qin Fang from his thoughts.

...Right. He’d forgotten about the little guy.

He followed the sound and found the little puppy he had bought that day, struggling with the door’s threshold.

The threshold was over a foot and a half high, while the little pup was no more than eight inches tall. Getting over it was proving to be quite the challenge.

But it seemed determined to get over, trying again and again. It propped its front paws against the threshold, stood on its hind legs, and its short tail was ramrod straight, clearly putting all its effort into it.

It took several tumbles onto its backside, but it didn’t give up.

Watching its clumsy, foolish efforts, Qin Fang couldn’t help but crack a smile...

’...This is good, too. It gets pretty lonely living by myself.’

’Since I picked this little one, and it didn’t die from the poison, I might as well keep it.’

He walked over and picked the pup up by the scruff of its neck. The little mutt looked at Qin Fang with clear eyes.

Qin Fang thought for a moment, then said, "From now on, I’ll call you... Xile."

Joy upon meeting, happiness in companionship.

Looking at the clear-eyed, foolish little creature before him, Qin Fang let out a heartfelt laugh.

...

After that, Qin Fang returned to his daily training routine: every day he practiced his Standing Pile, Body Refining, fist techniques, and dart throwing...

With Xile in the house, it seemed to gain a new sense of Vitality.

The little pup seemed to have a strong affinity for Qin Fang and loved to stick close to him. The first time Qin Fang was practicing his Standing Pile, it even waddled over excitedly... but the moment it touched him, the little guy was sent flying.

...Qin Fang had already reached the level of Muscle-Bone Thunder Sound, and even the sound of his Qi and Blood Tide was beginning to take shape.

During his Standing Pile practice, all the muscles and bones in his body vibrated. He appeared motionless, but in reality, he was in a state of constant, subtle movement. The moment Xile touched him, it triggered an automatic, reflexive counter from his muscles.

Fortunately, the force wasn’t strong. Since Xile was so small, it was simply knocked back without getting hurt...

After that, the little pup didn’t dare approach him again. It blinked a few times, then started a new battle with its own tail.

Qin Fang chuckled, paid it no mind, and continued his Standing Pile practice.