Apocalypse: Grinding EXP through Hunting

"You must be Brother Tang, right?"

When the door opened, a flicker of surprise crossed Tang Wen’s face as he saw the visitor.

He had seen this man before.

Not long ago, while carousing at a brothel in Four Seas Camp.

This was the genius the woman had spoken of—the one who followed the right person, Elder Li of the Black Water Gang, and earned a swift promotion.

"I am Wu Hao, a Commander under Elder Li!"

Wu Hao had a simple, honest-looking face, with round eyes, a large round face, and a powerful build that made him much taller and broader than the average person.

Judging by his aura, he was likely a Second-class Martial Artist.

After speaking, Wu Hao flashed a black, silver-edged waist token in his hand.

The three words "Black Water Gang" were written in a flamboyant, calligraphic style, just like the script he had seen on the stone pillar a few days ago.

"Greetings, Commander Wu. You are truly a young hero! To have the strength of a Commander at such a young age!"

"Haha! You flatter me, you flatter me! Come, Brother Tang, get on your horse. We’ll talk on the way."

Wu Hao, who was in his early twenties, was all smiles.

He had originally thought that a Peak Martial Artist in his early twenties, and a Beastmaster to boot, would be arrogant, but it seemed Tang Wen was quite easy to get along with.

Along the way, Tang Wen laid the flattery on thick, endlessly praising Wu Hao for his talent, calling him a hero who had been entrusted with great responsibility at a young age, and predicting that he would surely achieve the Extraordinary realm within five years...

Wu Hao was overjoyed by the praise and naturally ended up spilling many secrets about matters both inside and outside the gang.

For instance, Elder Li had a fondness for beautiful women.

At home, he had a total of fifty-seven wives and concubines!

Hearing this number, Tang Wen couldn’t hide his astonishment. "Fifty-seven?"

Wu Hao said with a look of envy, "That’s right! And the oldest one is over fifty!"

As he spoke, he gave a suggestive wink and asked, "Our Elder Li’s really something, huh?"

Tang Wen suppressed his own envy. "Impressive! Truly impressive!"

The two chatted on, discussing Elder Li’s fifty-seven wives and concubines, one hundred and three children, over two hundred female slaves, and more than three hundred young male servants.

After a quarter of an hour, they arrived at the Black Water Gang’s Main Altar.

Dismounting and entering, Tang Wen noticed the security inside the Main Altar was much tighter than during his last visit.

There was a guard post every five steps and a sentry every ten.

After walking a full four or five hundred meters, the two arrived before the main hall.

A Guard announced, "Commander Wu has arrived!"

Inside the hall, a dignified man with thick eyebrows sat high on the main seat.

Tang Wen glanced up and quickly lowered his head.

In that brief moment, he sensed the man’s profound, mountain-like presence. It was as if a majestic mountain were sitting there, not a person.

’He seems even stronger than the Queen, but his aura feels comparable to that of an enraged Tyrant Bear.’

Tang Wen had seen too few masters, and the gap between them was too vast for him to make an accurate judgment of their specific strengths and weaknesses.

Below the main seat, there was one person on the left and one on the right.

On the left was a thin, old man, and on the right sat Elder Li.

In this setting, the left was the position of honor, meaning the person on the left held a higher status than Elder Li.

"Old Li, is this the Beastmaster you mentioned?"

Elder Li nodded and made the introductions for Tang Wen. "This is our Vice Gang Leader, Zhao Wuji! The one seated on the dais is our Gang Leader!"

Tang Wen hastily cupped his fist in greeting, his voice loud and clear. "Greetings, Lord Gang Leader! Greetings, Vice Gang Leader Zhao!"

"Mm, you know Beast Taming?"

"I have a Sand Wolf and can tame Middle-level Exotic Beasts!" Tang Wen didn’t waste words.

At that moment, he was nervous, afraid that the Gang Leader seated high above would see through him. ’After all, my Breath Concealment Technique is only at the Master Level. It’s hard to say whether it can deceive a King.’

The thought flashed through his mind.

Vice Gang Leader Zhao said coldly, "What arrogant nonsense, boy! There are thousands of species of Middle-level Exotic Beasts! You can tame them all?"

’Is he trying to pick a fight?’

Tang Wen snuck a glance at Elder Li, but the latter was sipping his tea, his expression unchanged.

Tang Wen had no choice but to cup his fist and bow. "Yes, yes, you’re right. I was thoughtless. Er, I can tame most common Middle-level Exotic Beasts."

After speaking, he glanced at the information on his Beast Taming Skill:

[Beast Taming Skill, Mastery (5919/6000)]

Ever since he had joined forces with the two Sand Wolf Kings to kill an Extraordinary Crocodile Turtle and an Extraordinary Powerhouse,

his Beast Taming Skill experience had soared like the wind.

Later, he had brought the Sand Wolf Kings and several High-Level Sand Wolves to Four Seas Camp.

Along the way, his Beast Taming Skill experience had been increasing every day.

"He’s a young man, after all! What do you think, Vice Gang Leader Zhao?" Elder Li finally spoke up, his tone light and casual.

"Then let’s give him a chance."

Vice Gang Leader Zhao said directly, "In two days, a few Exotic Beasts will be arriving. Get yourself ready, and don’t you dare show any fear when the time comes! Otherwise, the gang’s rules won’t spare you!"

Tang Wen lowered his head, his brows knitting together. He had the urge to snap back, ’Then go find whoever the hell you want!’

But he was in a precarious position, so he could only say, "I wonder what kind of Exotic Beasts they are to warrant such attention from our gang. But since it is an order from the Gang Leader and the Elders, I, a new member, dare not refuse! I will certainly do my utmost to not disappoint the Gang Leader and the Elders!"

At the side, Elder Li was inwardly surprised. ’How is it that this Tang Wen is so much quicker on the uptake than when we met a few days ago? Still, being clever is ultimately a good thing. Saves me the trouble of worrying he’ll say the wrong thing.’

Vice Gang Leader Zhao nodded slightly. "At least he has the right attitude."

Elder Li said, "Xiaotang, is there anything you need? You can ask."

’That’s the sentence I was waiting for!’

Tang Wen immediately said, "If I could have a few medicinal herbs, along with some Extraordinary Beast Blood Marrow, I would be thirty percent more confident."

Extraordinary Beast Blood Marrow was extremely useful.

It could be used to refine things like Protective Marrow Liquid, for example, making it quite valuable.

Vice Gang Leader Zhao’s eyes narrowed. "Fine! We can give you what you want, but in three days, you must succeed in taming the Water Spirit!"

’Water Spirit?’

Tang Wen was taken aback. He had never heard of such a thing.

He didn’t pretend to know what he didn’t. Prioritizing stability, he put on a bewildered expression. "Water Spirit, eh? Gang Leader, Elders, I’ve lived my life in the wilderness. I’ve never seen such a creature!"

Before either of them could get angry, he continued:

"However, the old man who taught me the Beast Taming Skill did once say...

"...that pills made from Extraordinary Beast Blood Marrow are highly attractive to most High-level and Middle-level Exotic Beasts.

"It’s just that I’ll need to carefully study the habits of this Water Spirit!

"I wonder, does the gang have one on hand?

"I could go and get acquainted with it right now!

"If I do, I should be confident of success!"

Unexpectedly, after he said this, Vice Gang Leader Zhao glared, and even Elder Li seemed displeased.

Sensing the change in atmosphere, Tang Wen lowered his head and said no more.

After a moment of silence, a calm and resonant voice suddenly spoke up:

"There is no need to make things difficult. This Water Spirit is only at the level of a Middle-level Exotic Beast, but it is a rare creature. It lives in rivers and lakes, and is skilled at building dams, digging water tunnels, and exploring shipwrecks. It’s normal for the younger generation not to have seen one. There’s no need to be so harsh."

The one who spoke was the Gang Leader.

Tang Wen quickly cupped his fist in a salute toward him.

Vice Gang Leader Zhao sighed. "It’s a pity the Beastmaster from the city isn’t here."

Turning his head, he said to Tang Wen, "Since it’s come to this, just do your best. You should know, on that day, it won’t just be you. People from the Boat Gang will also be competing with us. Do you understand?"

Tang Wen quickly agreed. "Understood, I understand! I will do everything in my power!"

Vice Gang Leader Zhao said, "We won’t talk about what happens if you fail. But if you win, you’ll be rewarded with the rank of Vice Commander!"

"Thank you, Vice Gang Leader Zhao! Thank you, Elder! Thank you, Gang Leader, for this opportunity!"

Tang Wen’s face was flushed with excitement as he bowed respectfully to each of them.

Seeing there were no other orders, Elder Li took a token from his waist. Tang Wen stepped forward and took it.

When he got a look at it in his hand, he was surprised to find that it was actually a silver Elder Token!

Within the Black Water Gang, the tokens for ordinary members and captains were black, with the inscribed words also being black.

Vice Commanders and Commanders had black tokens with silver edges.

Elders had silver tokens, and Vice Gang Leaders had gold ones.

As for the Gang Leader, he didn’t need such a thing. The Gang Leader used a Tiger Talisman.

"Take my token, go to the storehouse, and get the medicinal ingredients. Act as you see fit, but do not be extravagant or wasteful!"

"Yes, thank you, Elder!"

"Go on!"

Tang Wen’s eyes met Elder Li’s for a moment. He received a subtle hint from the Elder’s gaze and felt his confidence bolstered.

Elder Li watched his retreating back. ’I’d like to see if this kid has really gotten clever after all.’