That night, the group of five prepared what they would need for the next day.

Whether or not they would encounter the creature that resembled a lynx, he had to have a backup plan.

Among his preparations, he brought the Town Recall Talisman that he had never used before.

If they encountered danger, he could tear the Town Recall Talisman, and as long as he remained still for three seconds, he could return to his cottage in the marketplace.

It was a lifesaver!

The night passed uneventfully.

The next morning, Ma San and the others tended to the vegetable patch, the fields, the pigsty, and the chicken coop. Afterward, they stood fully equipped, waiting for Cheng Zongyang to set out with them.

Cheng Zongyang put on his Armor and Protective Suit, bringing along all the necessary preparations.

In the past half a month, a Refined Long Blade had appeared in his item bar, which he gave to Xu Yang.

Xu Yang had the Sword Mastery Talent, while Ma San had the Strong Power Talent, so both of them wielded blades.

As for Li Xingyun and Luo Zheng, they used a regular Bow and Arrow and an Ironwood Bow and Arrow, respectively.

Cheng Zongyang himself used a Tang Blade.

However, to Cheng Zongyang’s surprise, not only had Ma San brought a Beast Trap, but Luo Zheng had even brought two slender, black, triangle-headed little snakes that looked extremely venomous.

Seeing Cheng Zongyang’s doubtful expression, Luo Zheng immediately said, "Sir, I call these two snakes Black Iron Heads. I found them by chance in the mountains. During the hunt for the gray wolf pack, one of the wolves was bitten by one of them and died within twenty breaths."

"That venomous?!" Cheng Zongyang was quite surprised.

Luo Zheng smiled. "That’s why I’m raising them. I can use them whenever they’re needed."

Cheng Zongyang nodded. Although Exotic Beasts were very valuable, if they were truly needed, their value was no longer a concern. Still, he gave a reminder:

"Just let me know before you use them."

Exotic Beast Flesh was beneficial to a Martial Artist’s cultivation and couldn’t be wasted. Unless it was an emergency, they should try not to use the snakes.

Of course, they hadn’t investigated the situation yet, so it was unclear if they would even have to fight.

As they headed north up the mountain, Cheng Zongyang surveyed their surroundings and couldn’t help but sigh internally at his lack of Points.

Otherwise, if he had more manpower to clear out this five-square-kilometer area, the amount of resources they could gather would be nothing to scoff at.

Whether it was Medicinal Materials or minerals, everything was worth developing.

He hadn’t even started the long-term tasks in his quest log. Leaving them there was a waste.

’Perhaps it’s time to put these things on the agenda,’ Cheng Zongyang thought to himself as he walked in the center of the group.

Luo Zheng was in the lead, following some tracks steadily uphill. Ma San and the other two spread out in the other three directions, protecting Cheng Zongyang in the middle.

However, as Cheng Zongyang looked at the route, he raised an eyebrow—it was the same path he had taken up the mountain when he found the Black-Horned Python.

He didn’t interrupt Luo Zheng’s Tracking. But the higher they went, the more they noticed drag marks and even signs of a struggle in some places. Judging by the tracks, they were quite recent.

The five of them grew increasingly grim.

As they continued forward, however, their route gradually deviated from the path where Cheng Zongyang had found the Black-Horned Python, circling around from another direction.

「Half an hour later」, they arrived at their destination. A mountain cave came into view.

Outside the cave, there was nothing but a few animal carcasses.

The men exchanged glances and took up positions, cautiously surveying their surroundings.

Luo Zheng placed one of the Black Iron Heads at the mouth of the cave. Without any obvious command, he simply pointed into the cave, and the Black Iron Head coiled in place a few times before crawling up the cave wall and heading deeper inside.

Next, Luo Zheng inspected the animal carcasses. Because of the scent of Seven Herbs Powder, many insects were forced to flee from them.

A moment later, Luo Zheng walked over to a tree and cupped his fists toward Cheng Zongyang.

"Sir, judging by the state of decay of these remains, they were all killed within the last seven days. I have already sent a Black Iron Head inside to check."

Cheng Zongyang was very satisfied with Luo Zheng’s professionalism.

Although Luo Zheng’s past was that of an animal breeder, his understanding of creatures and their habits was indeed quite professional.

"I see." Cheng Zongyang nodded. After a moment of thought, he asked, "How do you communicate with animals?"

Luo Zheng cupped his fists. "Sir, you could say it’s a minor Talent of mine. I have a natural affinity for animals, which allows me to understand their intentions through their behavior. I can then make my own gestures to convey my meaning, forming a connection with them."

The moment Cheng Zongyang heard it was related to a Talent, he lost all interest in asking further. ’It’s not something I can learn.’

A short while later, the Black Iron Head crawled back out of the cave.

It came before Luo Zheng, coiled on the ground for a moment, and shook its head. Then it crawled a short distance away from the cave.

Seeing this, Luo Zheng tossed a small piece of dried meat to the Black Iron Head. The little snake happily snatched the meat as Luo Zheng picked it up and put it away.

Luo Zheng walked up to Cheng Zongyang and reported, "Sir, the big one isn’t inside. It’s already gone out."

Cheng Zongyang knew bringing the snakes today had been the right call. He immediately said, "Luo Zheng, you’re with me. Ma San, the three of you stay here. If anything happens, shout for us."

"Yes, Sir!" Ma San and the others replied.

Cheng Zongyang had never been to this cave before. Its location was quite hidden, so it was normal that he hadn’t discovered it.

Besides, he hadn’t thoroughly explored the entire area back then; at most, he had just circled its perimeter.

As they lit a torch and walked inside, a thick, musky animal smell wafted out.

He looked at the uneven, rugged walls of the cave, which were clearly natural and not man-made.