Chapter Forty-Three: The "Bandit" of the Plains

Just as Qin Chuan and the others were beginning to grow impatient, an adorable little head popped up from the ground.

“Big brother, I’m back!”

Sleepy Bug emerged, sparkling clean without a single scratch on his body, and in high spirits.

“Little brother, weren’t you injured? How did you recover so quickly?”

“Well, big brother, it went like this. When I woke up, I didn’t see you, only the corpse of the Black Scaled Beast. I figured you must be fine, so I went back and swallowed a bit of Cold Iron Ore to repair myself. Hehe, big brother, do I look sturdier now?”

Sleepy Bug wriggled his body with a smug expression.

“Smack!”

Qin Chuan tapped Sleepy Bug’s head, feigning anger. “Did you only come to find me after eating your fill? You made me worry about you for three days for nothing!”

Sleepy Bug, after receiving a knock, looked a little embarrassed. “Big brother, Cold Iron Ore really is delicious, and I just lost track of time while eating.”

Qin Chuan was speechless. “You really are a glutton! Never mind, seeing you safe puts my mind at ease.”

“Mm, big brother, where are we going next?”

“The Enchanted Forest!”

Sleepy Bug’s eyes lit up instantly, and he exclaimed excitedly, “Big brother, that’s the legendary pure land of the Spirit Realm!”

During those three days, Qin Chuan hadn’t been idle. He’d studied the map and finally decided on their next destination.

To the east of the Plains of the Stag was the territory of the Violet Spirit Domain, to the west lay Black Wind Cliff, and to the north was the Enchanted Forest. The Enchanted Forest was actually extremely dangerous. Its reputation as a pure land came from the fact that it was an area not occupied by any superior realm.

The terrain was complex and perpetually shrouded in mist, making it easy to fall prey to ambushes. Compared to other places, resources were extremely scarce, so even those from superior realms rarely ventured there.

Qin Chuan’s choice of the Enchanted Forest was a long-term strategy. Violet Spirit Domain, Black Wind Cliff, and other superior realm powers had clearly defined territories, where spiritual beings had no hope of rising. Any creature with talent was destined to become someone’s slave.

Encountering Zihan Jade and Shangxuan Moon in succession made Qin Chuan keenly aware of his own shortcomings. While his strength was lacking, this choice was undoubtedly the wisest.

During this golden stage of growth, Qin Chuan wished to avoid too much entanglement with them, prompting a major adjustment to his strategy.

Most importantly, Qin Chuan had spotted mineral deposits on the map within the Enchanted Forest. After raiding several mines, he’d tasted the sweetness of rapid advancement—this was the perfect shortcut to leveling up.

Also, the previous mines hadn’t been marked on the map, which meant the mines in the Enchanted Forest were likely ownerless.

Thinking of this, Qin Chuan’s heart blazed with excitement. If you have mines at home, how could you not grow rich?

“Though it’s called a pure land, it’s still dangerous. We must remain cautious.”

“Mm-hmm.”

Sleepy Bug nodded eagerly, but he wasn’t truly worried.

With Qin Chuan around, there was nothing to fear; he’d witnessed too many miracles along their journey.

At this moment, the Plains of the Stag were calm as ever. Sword and Bug locked onto their direction and started heading toward the Enchanted Forest.

Though they’d set their course, the forest was still a long way off.

As Sword and Bug crossed a small hill, two hulking figures suddenly leapt out from behind a boulder.

Each stood two meters tall with a wolf's head, walking upright. Their attire was comical, each with a big leaf covering their face.

“This road is ours, this tree is ours.”

“If you wish to pass, pay the toll!”

“Don’t move, this is a robbery!”

The two creatures took turns reciting their lines, menacingly sharpening their claws, every bit the image of professional robbers—far more convincing than Sleepy Bug.

“What the...what’s going on here?”

“Ping! Detected Tier Two, mid-grade Wolf Mara. Excellent quality, Level 16.”

...

Sleepy Bug was so startled by the spectacle that his jaw nearly dropped.

“Big brother, are they...imitating us?”

“Little brother, it’s obvious. They’re robbing us now.”

The two Wolf Maras were annoyed—these newcomers weren’t panicked at all, instead chatting casually, which was very different from their usual victims.

“Hey, you two! Can’t you act more professional?”

“We’re robbing you now. Aren’t you supposed to be scared and anxious?”

Qin Chuan couldn’t help but chuckle inwardly. “This dialogue sounds familiar!”

“You two, while I’m still in a good mood, get lost!”

Qin Chuan, in his original Cold Iron Sword form, leapt forward a few meters, his tone domineering, leaving the two Wolf Maras bewildered.

“Brother, did I hear wrong? That rusty sword just told us to get lost?”

“You didn’t mishear, he really said that.”

The two exchanged glances, then blurted out, “What the...he wants to die! Tear him apart!”

As the pair charged, Qin Chuan’s lips curved into a beautiful smile.

“Clang! Clang!”

With a simple move, Qin Chuan sliced off the Wolf Maras’ claws.

“Mother of mercy, what’s going on?”

“Brother, our claws are gone!”

Staring at their empty hands, the two Wolf Maras dropped to their knees.

“Big brother, spare us!”

“Pfft!”

Sleepy Bug burst out laughing, rolling on the ground.

Qin Chuan’s mouth twitched. “What the...that’s way too pathetic.”

“Where did you learn your robbery tricks?”

The Wolf Maras didn’t understand the concept of tricks, but they grasped the meaning of Qin Chuan’s words.

“We heard yesterday that two notorious bandits appeared in Wind Spirit Valley, so we wanted to try it ourselves.”

“What the...so we’re famous now?”

Qin Chuan muttered under his breath, then gave each a flick on the forehead.

“Now get lost, and remember—if you see us again, steer clear. Understand?”

“Yes, yes, big brother. We understand. We won’t dare again!”

The two, as if pardoned, scrambled to their feet and dashed away.

Sleepy Bug finally caught his breath, watching the Wolf Maras flee. “Ah, that was hilarious! They looked so fierce, but they’re even more cowardly than me!”

“Let’s keep moving.”

“Mm-hmm.”

“The king sends me to patrol the mountain, so I roam the spirit realm...”

Qin Chuan began singing a “moving” melody, while Sleepy Bug’s eyes sparkled with excitement.

“Looks like another wave of experience is headed our way!”

This was Wolf Mara Post in the Plains of the Stag, infamous alongside the Spirit Hunter Beast as “the bandit and the thief.”

Those two Wolf Maras were cunning and vicious, and in Qin Chuan’s words, they were “actors.”

“If you want to act, I’ll play along. Haha!”

Meanwhile, the two Wolf Maras who had left peeked out from the grass, their four eyes darting.

“Brother, that guy’s tough. The two of us can’t handle him.”

“He’s only level 15, but he’s really strong.”

“Let’s go find the boss. He must have a delicious spirit core.”

“If we can’t get the core, even some fragments would be nice!”

“Let’s go!”

Having pinpointed Qin Chuan’s location, the two hurried back to Wolf Mara Post to report.