Wrong. Actually, there were one or two people who had black embers. You could tell by their guilty, lying looks.

　　But… I’m not a robber. It’s not like I can just snatch it if someone has it. They need to willingly give it or sell it. If they stubbornly deny it and refuse to give the black embers, there’s nothing Fang Yue can do.

　　Damn it! Where’s my deputy captain’s prestige? Am I not fierce enough, making them think I’m easy to bully?

　　Fang Yue was considering whether to change his image and become a villain when he saw a handsome old man wearing animal skins and a sable coat walking towards him.

　　“Deputy Captain Ye.”

　　“Mm.”

　　Fang Yue responded casually and was about to brush past him when the man suddenly grabbed his right hand. Without turning his head, the man said quietly, “Deputy Captain Ye doesn’t recognize me?”

　　Huh?

　　Fang Yue was stunned for a moment, took two steps back, and carefully looked at the man’s profile.

　　Roguishly handsome. He looked like he was in his sixties or seventies, but his build was sturdy, the kind of person you wouldn’t want to mess with.

　　He had three scars on his left cheek, as if clawed by a wild beast. Judging from the scars, they were quite old.

　　Fang Yue recalled the people he had met in the game and hesitated, “Who… are you?”

　　The handsome old man smiled, revealing his teeth, and turned to face Fang Yue.

　　“Who am I… it seems my disciple, Jing Yan, exaggerated things. Deputy Captain Ye isn’t as eager to see me, Xue, as he said.”

　　Xue? Jing Yan?

　　Fang Yue’s expression changed slightly, and he quickly said with a smile, “Ha, haha, so it’s Hunter Xue! I’m sorry, I just arrived in the village a few days ago and don’t know everyone yet. But I’ve long admired your name! Jing Yan often mentions you.”

　　He then remembered that he had sent a message to Jing Yan earlier, asking him to sound out Hunter Xue and see if he would sell the black embers.

　　Later, Jing Yan replied that Hunter Xue wouldn’t sell the black embers, so Fang Yue hadn’t planned to visit him. He never expected to run into him here.

　　“I wonder what brings Hunter Xue here?”

　　Hunter Xue said calmly, “I heard from my disciple that you want my black embers?”

　　Isn’t that obvious? But you don’t sell them.

　　Wait! He came to find me specifically, could it be…

　　Fang Yue’s heart stirred, and he said, “That’s right, I do have a need for black embers. I wonder if Hunter Xue would be willing to part with some?”

　　“No problem…”

　　“No problem?”

　　Fang Yue’s face lit up with joy.

　　“…but, I have conditions.”

　　Okay, as expected.

　　“What conditions?”

　　“I want to join the escort team with my [Giant-Headed Bloodhound], and I want the team to stay in Mo Village for a few more days.”

　　Joining the team wasn’t a problem, but the latter condition…

　　Fang Yue frowned slightly.

　　He was planning to buy what he needed from the merchant group in Mo Village and then return. He hadn’t planned to stay any longer, so how long was “a few more days”?

　　After thinking for a moment, Fang Yue asked, “How much black embers can you provide?”

　　“5g of black embers.”

　　Huh? Only 5g?

　　That’s the same price as what the blacksmith Ma offered.

　　Blacksmith Ma only wanted me to protect the Muscle Barbie; you…

　　Fang Yue hesitated. Hunter Xue suddenly said calmly,

　　“Besides the 5g of black embers, I will also have my [Giant-Headed Bloodhound] warn the team of danger. Deputy Captain Ye may not know how powerful my ghoul-hunting dog is, since you just arrived in the village.”

　　“Let me put it this way, if you encounter a low-level ghoul, my [Giant-Headed Bloodhound] can handle it alone without the guard team even needing to lift a finger! Moreover, it’s very sensitive to the scent of ghouls, and can sense their approach from hundreds of meters away. Taking it along will undoubtedly increase the safety of the team.”

　　“Furthermore, I am a seasoned hunter and have been on many expeditions into the wild. To put it bluntly, my experience in handling dangers in the wild is probably more extensive than that of your guard team.”

　　“Having me, an old hunter, can greatly reduce the team’s casualties. If it were anyone else, I wouldn’t be giving away money, but rather charging them. However, on the night Deputy Captain Ye used the Gathering Fire Order, you risked your life to protect the village. Although I didn’t go out to fight alongside you, I am very grateful in my heart, which is why I am willing to risk traveling with you.

　　“If Deputy Captain Ye still feels that this is not appropriate, then I won’t go. Think it over carefully.”

　　With that, Hunter Xue let go and turned to leave.

　　Fang Yue was still thinking about these conditions.

　　This seems pretty good! Really good!

　　He had to admit, Fang Yue was tempted.

　　The wilderness was too dangerous. Having an experienced driver lead the way, plus a [Giant-Headed Bloodhound] that could go toe-to-toe with low-level ghouls, would definitely increase safety a lot.

　　And the cost was just staying in Mo Village for a few more days.

　　Moreover, there must be a reason why Hunter Xue was staying in Mo Village. If he could help him resolve the matter sooner, they might not even need to stay longer.

　　Thinking of this, Fang Yue quickly called out to Hunter Xue, who was about to leave.

　　“Wait!”

　　Hunter Xue stopped and turned around.

　　“How is it? Has Deputy Captain Ye changed his mind?”

　　“Yes, I agree to your conditions, but there is one question.”

　　Hunter Xue crossed his arms and said with a faint smile, “Speak.”

　　“I want to know, what is the reason you need to stay in Mo Village for a few more days?”

　　Hunter Xue frowned slightly. “…That concerns my privacy, and there’s probably no need to tell Deputy Captain Ye.”

　　“You only say ‘a few more days,’ which means the entire team will be wasting time with you. If you can say what you’re doing, I might be able to help you, or even get the guards to help. With so many people, we could greatly reduce the time, and it would be much easier for you, wouldn’t it?”

　　“…”

　　Hunter Xue was silent, seemingly weighing the pros and cons. Finally, he looked up. “I can tell you what I’m doing in Mo Village, but you can’t reveal it to anyone else. At the same time, I only allow you to help me. If everything goes smoothly, it can be done in half a day.”

　　Fang Yue’s face lit up with joy. “Okay, tell me.”

　　Hunter Xue beckoned him over, found a secluded corner, and then said quietly, “Does Deputy Captain Ye know how I got my [Giant-Headed Bloodhound]?”

　　Huh?

　　Fang Yue shook his head. How would he know such a thing?

　　Hunter Xue had a look of reminiscence.

　　“I got this [Giant-Headed Bloodhound] after going through countless hardships, trapping it in the Maple Leaf Forest of Mo Village many years ago.”

　　“But this [Giant-Headed Bloodhound] is old. Despite my best efforts to nurture it, its strength, speed, agility, and so on are all noticeably declining. I know its retirement days are coming soon, but mine haven’t arrived yet.”

　　“So, I want to go to the Maple Leaf Forest again. According to the information I’ve gathered, there are rumors of [Giant-Headed Bloodhounds] appearing there…”

　　Fang Yue’s heart stirred. “You want to catch another [Giant-Headed Bloodhound]?”

　　Hunter Xue shook his head. “The difficulty is too great. I was just lucky to catch this ghoul-hunting dog back then.”

　　“Huh? Then what do you want to do?”