Apocalypse: Grinding EXP through Hunting

「Ten days passed.」

The residence was complete.

It was built according to Tang Wen’s specifications.

The front and back courtyards were joined, and a semi-subterranean training room was built in the rear courtyard.

The pitiful mother and daughter who were selling themselves to hide the husband were named Ah Shui and Ah Miao. They had already moved into Tang Wen’s courtyard.

As for their original residence, it was converted into a small Beast Taming Garden.

It had everything one could need: a guard room, a storeroom, and a beast-taming yard.

Small as it was, it had everything it needed.

Tang Wen took a walk around the Beast Taming Garden. In a corner of the courtyard, he spotted a small, shallow pond.

Several red carp swam in the pond.

The subordinate overseeing the renovations explained:

"The construction workers said these are ’fortune fish.’ I thought they looked nice, so I didn’t move them."

"Let’s keep them, then. It’s fine."

Tang Wen smiled, his gaze sweeping over it casually.

Huh?

’Was this pond carved from a single boulder?’

’How extravagant.’

He casually asked, "Who lived here before?"

"A retired Vice Commander."

"In charge of what?"

"I don’t know."

’A Vice Commander would have this kind of spare cash?’ Tang Wen didn’t press the issue.

"AWOO!"

The Sand Wolf attracted everyone’s attention as it frolicked around the courtyard.

Tang Wen turned, dipped his hand into the pond, and gave the stone a few exploratory taps.

’He wanted to see what kind of stone it was.’

Huh?

’Something’s not quite right.’

’Is it hollow underneath?’

"Brother, we’ve got business."

Wu Hao’s voice called out.

Tang Wen quickly rinsed his hands in the pond and turned, his expression unchanged. "So soon? What kind of business?"

"Studding him out to some female hyenas."

"Great! It’ll give this silly wolf something to do. Brother Wu, you really have great connections."

"Haha, of course!"

At his call, the Sand Wolf trotted over.

Tang Wen patted its head, a wide grin on his face.

The others also laughed as they watched it. The Sand Wolf, with its somewhat husky-like personality, grew excited seeing so many people laughing around it and began scratching at the ground.

As a newly adult male Sand Wolf, it still didn’t know what was awaiting it.

Any chance of finding true love was now gone for good.

"Alright then, tomorrow I’ll have someone bring all five female hyenas over."

"Five?"

"Five times the price!"

"No problem, then."

Tang Wen rubbed the wolf’s head, then turned and ordered, "When you buy food later, get it some more deer blood and kidneys."

A wolf has kidneys, too.

And you’ve got to keep them healthy.

The group got some wine and meat and had a small celebration in the garden.

After eating and drinking their fill, they tidied up a bit.

Two of the more sensible subordinates stayed behind to stand watch for the night.

After all, they had a stake in the garden too. It was only right that they take turns standing watch.

Tang Wen enjoyed the night breeze as he strolled back to his nearby residence.

"Master, you’re back." Xiaorou, the girl known as Number Ten whom he had recently purchased, stood and offered Tang Wen some tea.

"Xiaomiao, hurry and get some water to wash his feet," Ah Shui instructed her daughter, a little stiffly.

This courtyard was now Tang Wen’s home, and today was his first day living in it.

His subordinates had helped with the furniture and arranging the rooms.

He hadn’t concerned himself with it at all.

The beautiful widow, Ah Shui, sat on a low stool. She placed his feet on a white towel draped over her lap and began to rub and massage them.

Xiaorou moved to stand behind Tang Wen, her small, fair hands working to relax his neck and shoulders.

She was clearly trained; the massage was very pleasant.

The young girl, Ah Miao, stood to the side holding a towel, looking completely lost.

The light of the oil lamp shone on Ah Miao’s face.

Only then did Tang Wen realize that the girl had been wearing a disguise on her face when they first met.

Now that her true face was revealed, she wasn’t what one would call stunningly beautiful, but she was quite pretty and had a delicate, enduring charm.

"Xiaomiao."

"Sir... uh, Master," the young girl stammered, flustered.

"Don’t be afraid. In a few days, I’ll send you to learn martial arts."

The mother and daughter were stunned.

They expressed their gratitude profusely once more.

Tang Wen wasn’t expecting her to become some grandmaster; he just needed someone who could guard the house.

Given his current status, the organization had originally planned to assign two Martial Disciples to serve him.

But Tang Wen wasn’t comfortable with strange men in his private quarters, so he refused outright.

The water sloshed and splashed.

The woman served him with even greater care.

Her hair was tied up in a bun, and the steam from the hot water had flushed her fair skin, giving it a rosy tint.

He glanced down. Sweat had soaked through her simple white blouse, revealing a stretch of snowy, smooth skin.

He immediately spoke up, sending Xiaomiao to her room to sleep.

’Was it just his imagination?’

As soon as the young girl was gone, the atmosphere in the room grew charged.

Tang Wen:

’I’ve already begun my transformation. I don’t have to hold back anymore, do I? But if I do this, it feels like I’d be letting down Sister Bing, who’s all the way back at Flame Camp. Then again, Sister Bing herself doesn’t mind if I take concubines. She even took the initiative to make empty promises to the maids back home...’

Soaking his feet in hot water was already a way to nourish his vitality. As he mulled it over, he swallowed hard.

Gazing at the voluptuous, curvy beauty before him.

Inhaling the faint, virginal scent of Xiaorou behind him.

A heat gradually began to build inside him.

The beautiful woman stood to empty the basin. Beads of fragrant sweat had soaked her light blouse, and when the night wind blew, the fabric clung to her body.

"Master, if you need anything tonight, just give me a shout. Xiaomiao and I will be in the next room."

"You sleep in this room."

The words left Tang Wen’s mouth before he even realized it.

Ah Shui raised her head in surprise, then quickly lowered it again.

Tang Wen was surprised at himself.

’But since he’d said it, there was no taking it back.’

’Gather ye rosebuds while ye may.’

’Besides, it’s just to let off some steam.’

’There are many ways to do that.’

However, he had underestimated his own Constitution of 9.5.

And the [Earth Fire Mixed Element Stance, Master (2988/3000)] he had been cultivating for many days.

Besides strengthening his Constitution, the main features of this Pile Skill were intense passion, fiery virility, and long-lasting stamina!

A sleepless night passed.

Under Xiaomiao’s care, Tang Wen washed his face and headed out to buy breakfast, feeling utterly refreshed.

Only after he left did Xiaomiao dare to enter the main hall to find her mother, Ah Shui.

Ah Shui had only just fallen asleep. Xiaomiao called to her a few times and even tried shaking her, but she couldn’t be woken. In the end, Xiaomiao decided to let her mother rest and began cleaning up the floor herself.

"The perfectly good clothes are all ruined."

’What on earth happened?’ the young girl wondered.

’What a waste!’

That evening, Tang Wen personally instructed the three women in their cultivation, teaching them the Breathing Technique and the Pile Skill.

After last night, he had a profound realization: it was no good if their bodies were weak.

But it was also a problem if his own body was too strong.

The three women... er, two of them... needed to train hard.

That night, he sent all three women to sleep in the side room.

「Late that night, when all was still.」

Tang Wen slipped out of his house. Instead of using the main gate, he vaulted the wall and, quick as a flash, entered the neighboring Beast Taming Garden.

The Sand Wolf recognized its master and didn’t make a sound, simply trotting over and wagging its tail affectionately.

Tang Wen patted the wolf’s head and led it over to the stone pond.

The fish floated in the pond, sleeping peacefully.

An occasional flick of a tail sent a small ripple across the water.

Tang Wen’s expression grew serious. He went to the edge of the pond, lay on the ground, and listened.

After a good while, he still hadn’t heard anything.

But he was certain it was hollow underneath.

’It’s so close to my house. I have to find out what’s going on.’

He gently gripped the edge of the stone pond and pushed hard.

The pond carved from a single stone was pushed completely aside.

In the center of the space it had occupied was a black wooden door, one meter square.

An ’I knew it’ expression appeared on Tang Wen’s face.

The design was undeniably clever.

If his Spiritual Power hadn’t far surpassed that of an ordinary Peak Martial Artist, he never would have noticed anything unusual about the pond.

Opening the door, he gestured for the Sand Wolf to come over.

He didn’t know what was inside and didn’t want to risk going in himself.

"Here, go in. Be careful."

[Expert Level, Beast Taming Skill]

He could share vision with the Sand Wolf.

Without a sound, the Sand Wolf lowered its head and squeezed through the opening.

Inside was a wooden ladder leading down at an angle.

The Sand Wolf landed softly on the ground below.

There were no traps and no people.

The layout inside was very simple.

A stone bed and three large wooden chests.

The chests weren’t locked, but they were sealed with a ring of dried mud.

The Sand Wolf used its front paw to open the first chest.

Inside were rows of bottles and jars.

The wolf’s sense of smell was sharp. It got close and sniffed, discovering the bottles contained medicine.

Beneath the bottles and jars, there was also some clean white cloth.

It was a medicine chest.

THUD. THUD.

The other two chests were also opened.

When he saw what was inside the second chest, Tang Wen’s breath caught in his throat.

Gleaming gold bars filled half of the large chest.

’How much would this be worth!’

The impact of a chest full of gold was greater than anything else.

After taking a moment to recover, he had the wolf look in the last chest. It was filled with clothes, scissors, and other similar items.

’Medicine, money, clothes.’

Tang Wen understood. This was a safe house.

...