Chapter 22: A Token And Tons Of Smoked Meat
Ignoring the pile of gleaming coins with all his might—because, truly, resisting money took the strength of a saint—Han Yu focused instead on the token he had found. It was the more important thing. Probably.
He had seen several such tokens before, usually dangling from the belts of guards, merchants, nobles, and the occasional smug cultivator who wanted to remind the world that they were important. The design of the token would differ based on the owner's status and the power they belonged to—an identity badge, essentially.
"This one's... unique," Han Yu muttered, examining the image engraved on the token.
A menacing ape, bared fangs and all, was depicted within the outline of a palm.
It wasn't something he recognized, which made him feel a bit relieved.
"Phew\~ Doesn't belong to a guard, soldier, or a sect disciple. Probably just some random bandit group," Han Yu reasoned.
Only bandits would pick something so needlessly aggressive for their identity. Cultivators at least pretended to be mysterious and profound.
'There aren't any known bandit groups nearby, so this guy must have come from far away. Which means trouble shouldn't be coming after him... right?' Han Yu consoled himself, deciding optimism was the best policy.
Now came the less pleasant part of the ordeal.
"Dang, cleaning this up is gonna be a pain," Han Yu grumbled, surveying the very evident remains of the unfortunate bandit. "I can't exactly scrub the blood off the trees. And the guts—ugh, I don't even wanna look at those." He sighed. "Guess I'll just bury what's left and let nature handle the rest."
Lacking a proper shovel, he settled for using a sturdy stick to dig. The soil was thankfully soft, making the process easier.