While the fires of war rages on the continent, a fateful meeting took place in the mountains of Mistvale. A middle-aged woodsman and hunter foraged for herbs on one summer day in the afternoon when he suddenly hears crying.
"Waaaahhhhh!!!"
"Mmmm... What was that?"
"Waaaahhhhhh!!!"
Slowly, the woodsman approached the crying sound and uncovered the leaves that prevents him from seeing the source of the sound.
"Waaaahhhhh!"
"Good heavens, a baby in the middle of the mountains?"
"This boy must be hungry from all that crying."
"Hmmm... Let's see... I only have dry rations here."
"I better head down the mountain, it's getting dark already and I need to deliver these herbs to Marcel."
It was 10 o'clock in the evening when the woodsman arrived in the town of Pantera, a lakeside town at the foot of the Mistvale mountains.
The woodsman directly approached the biggest inn and restaurant in town, MistyDew, and went backdoor.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
"Open up!"
"Tsk, you're always late on the delivery of these herbs," said by the voice beyond the door.
"You know how hard it is to gather spiritual herbs, so stop your nagging."
"I know how hard it is to search for these herbs, so don't get pesky with me.
"The door opened from the inside and a woman in her thirties appeared, with long ebony hair reaching to her shoulders, and eyes that are emerald-green that sparkle in the moonlight.
"You're still stunning as always but your temper, as always, is also terrible."
"Hmph! And you're still as annoying with your deliveries."
"Alright, alright here are the herbs as requested. Now pay up."
"Tsk. If not for these herbs I would have you beaten up already."
"Okay, just pay up already."
"Hmph..." a bag of coins was thrown to the man and the man caught it with one hand.
"Yeah, yeah... Wait!"
"Hmmm?"
"What's in the other bag?"
"Crap, I forgot!"
The woodsman then opened the bag immediately and took out the sleeping baby.
"Good heavens! Do you put a baby in a bag? Are you an idiot or what?"
"Ssssshhhh.... Lower your voice, I'll explain everything so stop shouting."
"Hmph... You better explain properly or I'll report you to the guards."
"Okay, okay... So...."
"So, what?"
"I was foraging for herbs in the mountains when I heard a cry in the woods. At first, I thought it was an animal or beast, but when I approached, I saw it was a baby crying."
"I had the same reaction as you, you know. I cried good heavens and had the same surprised look."
"Shut up! You're so annoying!"
"Still, the baby is with me but I did not have baby food."
"You're lucky this is a restaurant, we have milk."
"Thank goodness, the child must be tired and hungry. Give it some milk and I'll pay for it."
"Hohoho... You said it. No turning back on your word.
"The woman turned around and disappeared like smoke.
"Shit! The only milk in this restaurant is the milk of the Berserk Tiger Ape. Hey, wait! You money-grubbing woman!"
The woodsman hurriedly chased the woman to the restaurant.
"Marcel!!!" yelled the woodsman.
"Hohoho! You said you'll pay for it. I already fed the child with the milk."
"SHIT! You money-grubbing vixen! I don't have the money to pay you, you know my situation."
"Hmph! Just deliver some more spiritual herbs, plain and simple"
"Tsk! You know how tiresome it is to gather spiritual herbs, and now you demand more?"
"If you can't pay, I'll report you to the guards, plain and simple."
"Sigh... alright. I give up. When it comes to money you're really terrible."
"Alright, alright... I know you don't have the ability to provide care for this child so I'll take care of the little guy."
"Hooo... Thank God, you understand me."
"I'll take care of the little guy but you'll be paying for his milk."
"Shit! Woman, you just want to suck me dry."
"Be thankful that I know how to take care of a baby, unlike someone who puts a live being in a bag."
"I know, I know. So you take care of it."
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The woodsman turned around to leave the restaurant but then bumped into someone.
"Aaagh!"
"Hey watch where you're going!" said the woodsman.
"You bastard! What did you say?" angrily asked the man.
"I said you're an IDIOT!"
"You bastard! Eat my fist!"
The woodsman grabbed the man's fist and pulled it to his waist, disrupting the man's balance, and kneed the man's stomach following an elbow to the back of his head.
"Too weak for a muscle-head," said the woodsman.
The restaurant quieted down with everybody staring at the woodsman.
"Isn't that guy the son of the Dragonfang boss?" said a customer.
"The one who beat up that muscle-head?" said another customer.
"No, you idiot! The one who got beat up!"
"Sssshhh! Lower your voice or else we're dead meat here."
"Shit, better scram now or we'll be dragged into this mess."
Customers of the restaurant scrambled to get out, some tripped and were trampled, while some escaped to the windows. Others remained to continue to watch the fun.Experts were also present in the scene. Even Marcel remained and continued to watch the fun while sipping tea.By the time the onlookers and customers left the restaurant, rumbling sounds could be heard approaching the restaurant.
The remaining crowd parted and gave way to the people that are approaching. Fear could be seen on the faces of the remaining onlookers and customers.
As the group of people approached, a distinct mark could be seen on their shoulders. A dragon with a single fang could be seen and a faint aura of strength could be felt from the mark.
"It's the Dragonfang sect of the Northern region of Mistvale mountains," exclaimed an audience.
"It is said that the ancestor of the Dragonfang sect once killed a single-fanged flood dragon and drank its blood and he gained the bloodline of the dragons, but now their sect's bloodline is thinning out and they rely on the Draconic ritual using impure and diluted blood of beasts who have dragon bloodline to activate their ancestral powers."
"Hmph!" snorted the man leading the Dragonfang group. A red aura of power spread out from the man and the people surrounding him fell on their butts, some even peed their pants, and fear could be seen in their eyes.
"You have the guts to beat up my younger brother, woodsman. Don't you know about the reputation of our sect?"
"Just a small sect from the back of the mountains, nothing special."
"Your arrogance will be your doom woodsman."
"I hope to see you try, lizard."
"Hmph!"
A draconic aura appeared wildly surrounding the man, and his eyes transformed into slits like that of a snake. Scales appeared in his arms and his muscles bulged instantaneously.
"That's the third transformation of the Dragonfang Sublimation. It's said that the third level of Dragonfang Sublimation, produces scales in the body. Seeing that his arms were the 1st part to transform, his arm strength should have multiplied by 30 times," explained an onlooker.
"Yes, there's only one person who is this young and possesses such talent in cultivation. He should be the eldest son of the sect master of the Dragonfang sect, Julius Dragonfang."
Whispers and hubbubs of gossip exploded in the restaurant. Suprise and shock could be seen on the faces of the onlookers and customers.
"Hooo... so it's the son of the bearded lizard," said the woodsman.
"Hmph! you dare insult my father, prepare to pay for your arrogance."
Julius disappeared in the sight of the people and instantaneously appeared behind the woodsman. Julius then attacked with an elbow to the back of the head of the woodsman, but the woodsman remained still.
It was then, that Julius stopped his attack and froze in his position. Julius remained still, while his cold sweat ran down from his throat. A finger could be felt at his throat with the fingernail extended and cut the upper layer of his skin with blood-forming droplets.
Julius realized that what he was about to hit was just an afterimage and that the woodsman was already behind him pointing his finger at his throat.
"Any violent reaction?" asked the woodsman sarcastically while embedding his fingernails slowly to the throat of Julius Dragonfang.
"JULIUS!!!" a thunderous roar of rage could be heard from outside of the restaurant.
At the same time that the roar was heard, a whirlwind was seen with an old man at the center. A braided beard could be distinctly seen in the face of the old man and with phoenix-like eyes that could burn your soul could be felt from him.
"Julius! Stop this madness right now or else I'll spank your butt!"
"Father!" exclaimed Julius embarrassingly. He thought that his father went to protect him. Yet the first sentence that came out of his father's mouth turn his world upside down and made him want to puke blood.
If he could find a hole right now, he would immediately scram to it to hide his embarrassment.
"Woodsman, release my son and I'll pay for reparations he has done."
"Hohoho... Old man, you sure are generous. How about you pay for this baby's milk?"
"Hmmm... Okay, just let go of my son and we'll forget everything."
"A deal's a deal old man, no going back on your word."
Cold sweat ran down from the back of the old man. A bad premonition popped out in his mind.
"Hahahaha!!! Elias Dragonfang, sign this soul contract to confirm your support to pay for the milk of this child," excitedly remarked Marcel.
"Sign it old man or your son gets an early funeral."
"Tch, okay I'll sign it so stop making threats."
A drop of blood was produced from the fingertip of Elias Dragonfang and be used as the ink for the soul contract. When the blood signature was signed an invisible bind of power could be felt in the heart of Elias Dragonfang, ready to squeeze his heart when he breaks the contract.
"Alright, now release my son!"
"Okay." The woodsman then disappeared and appeared beside Marcel.
"Marcel, I'll see you again with the herbs, take care of the baby."
"Hmph, I'll do it even if you don't tell me to."
"As for you old man Elias, you will provide the milk for this baby and reparations for my restaurant."
"A convoy will be sent for the reparations and the milk for the baby."
"Hmph! I'll send you the list of destroyed items including the milk.
"Old man Elias and his gang left the premises and the onlookers noisily talked about the incident.
Meanwhile, onlookers who had backgrounds from different sects, schools, and clans reported the incident to their leaders. Investigations were made to know the background of the woodsman and even Elias Dragonfang received countless inquiries from different leaders of clans, sects, and schools. But the Dragonfang sect closed their doors and declared for the mass closed-door cultivation of the sect.
Speculations rose from different sources, rumors spread like wildfire in the town of Pantera.
In the end, it was all rumors. During the time the news of the incident spread, inside the Dragonfang sect, a conversation took place.
"Father! why did you yield to their scheme?"
"You idiot of a son! You don't know who you're dealing with."
"But father, he's just a woodsman."
"A woodsman he may be, but my soul sense cannot penetrate him."
An expression of disbelief could be seen on Julius's face."
"Father, you mean to say that he could block your soul sense? but you are the strongest when it comes to cultivation in the Mistvale mountains."
"Son, you don't know how wide the world is and there are dragons and phoenixes among them, and there are dragons among dragons and phoenixes beyond phoenixes."
"The woodsman we encountered is part of the latter category."
"My son, the soul sense level is just the highest degree of the mortal realm cultivation. Beyond the mortal realm level is another level, the saint realm and beyond it is the legendary divine realm. It is said that beings who reach the divine level transcend to the upper plane."
"The woodsman we encountered could be at the saint level and the disparity between mortal realm cultivator and saint realm cultivator is 100 times apart. You should be thankful that he showed mercy."
At that moment a knock was heard on the door.
"My lord, the list of demand by Marcel has arrived," cried the door guard.
"Come in, and hand it to me."
The guard hesitatingly hands over the list.
"Hmm? what's the problem?"
The look on the guard's face was distorted that it could not be painted.
"Oh well, let's see..."
A thunderous roar of anguish was heard in the northern parts of Mistvale mountains.
"Marcel, you money-grubbing BITCH!"
"Father, please calm down it's just the list of reparations."
"You idiot of a son! Guards! confine him in the Dragonfang dungeons. Make sure he gets the hell menu of training."
The guard then grabbed Julius and scrammed him to leave outside the room.
"Young master, don't you know in the list of demand there was milk listed there?"
"Yes, there was indeed milk when the woodsman and father negotiated."
"Young Master, the milk listed in the demand is no ordinary milk. It's the milk of the berserk tiger ape. Its price ranges from 50 gold to 100 gold per liter if not in mating season. In the list of demands, the sect should provide 20 liters every month. That's 1000 gold minimum and 2000 gold maximum, the profit of our sect every month is 10, 000 gold. The price of the milk is almost 1/5 of our monthly profits. You know how hard it is to maintain the finance of the sect's operations. If I were you, just take the hell menu training of the dungeon and grit your teeth, it's better than facing the wrath of your father you know."
A helpless look of hopelessness could be seen on the face of Julius as he was dragged to the Dragonfang dungeons.