An Uninvited Guest, the Eight Wolves of Dongjun

An Uninvited Guest, the Eight Wolves of Dongjun

At dusk, near the end of the hour of Shen.

The hour of You was fast approaching, and Qingping Mountain had already fallen into darkness.

It had always grown dark early in the mountains, let alone now, in the depths of winter.

Jiang Sheng watched Tian Ming'an finish his chores and come to take his leave. Then he suddenly said, "You heard why the county magistrate came today. Wicked cultivators and demonic paths are wreaking havoc in Qingshan County Seat, taking lives and leaving the people in panic."

"No one knew how many families had lost their children, or how many had lost their husbands. They only knew that dozens of white mourning banners had already been raised throughout Qingshan County."

Tian Ming'an froze for a moment. After a brief silence, he said, "Daoist, this youngster does not understand many great principles. I only know to heed Heaven's will and do all that man can."

"The county magistrate asked you to subdue the demons in the river, so that must naturally take precedence. You cannot lose sight of the greater for the lesser."

"If you rashly act now, you may indeed deal with those wicked cultivators, but that river demon will surely be prepared."

"If the attempt to slay the demon fails and it flies into a rage, I fear the river waters would swallow more than half of Qingshan County. By then, even more common folk would die or be injured."

"In all things, where there is gain, there is loss. Just like this youngster—even if I was born into a wealthy family, there are still things I may seek yet never obtain."

"How could there be anything perfectly complete in this world? These times are difficult. To seek only a clear conscience is already exceedingly hard."

Jiang Sheng looked at Tian Ming'an in mild surprise. In the end, he could not help but chuckle. "These times are difficult; to seek only a clear conscience is already exceedingly hard. Coming from your mouth, those words carry quite a different flavor."

"Remember this: even those True Persons who roam the five continents and four seas dare not claim to see through the hearts of mortals. We stumbling apprentices should all the more refrain from troubling ourselves for nothing."

"Enough. It is already dark. Do not return home tonight; rest in the temple for the night."

Jiang Sheng thought for a moment, then reached out and beckoned. He drew a spark from the candle flame on the incense table. "The night is dark. Take this candle flame for light."

Tian Ming'an reached out and caught the flame. That faint little flame floated above his hand. It was not scorching hot, yet it was enough to light his way and warm his body.

"This youngster thanks you for granting me fire, Daoist." Tian Ming'an carefully cradled the candle flame.

"Go." Jiang Sheng waved a hand, then resumed sitting cross-legged before the patriarch's portrait, closing his eyes to rest.

Meanwhile, Zhang Qingyun returned to the county yamen and helplessly explained the outcome.

After listening, Zhang Qing was silent for a while before saying, "Daoist Jiang is said to be a senior master from Penglai. Establishing a cultivation ground on Qingping Mountain this time is likely only a temporary stay for cultivation."

"And according to the people of Qingping Town, Daoist Jiang clearly has no interest in worldly disturbances. He prefers quiet solitude."

"Father, you think you were the one who persuaded Daoist Jiang. But perhaps Daoist Jiang had long intended to eliminate the demon of the Taiping River?"

Zhang Qingyun was stunned for a long while before asking, "What do you mean?"

Zhang Qing sighed. "Daoist Jiang may leave Qingshan County in three or five years. But Father, if there were a man-eating demon beside your cultivation ground, could you still cultivate in seclusion with peace of mind?"

"If a Wei Army were suddenly stationed again along the borderlands of Great Qi, could His Majesty the Emperor of Great Qi still sleep soundly? How could another be allowed to snore beside one's couch?"

Understanding dawned on Zhang Qingyun. "So you are saying Daoist Jiang never considered whether the people of Qingshan County lived or died?"

Zhang Qing nodded and raised her fair hand as she gazed at the cold moon in the sky. "Cultivators are mostly steadfast of heart, with their aspirations set on Changsheng. How many would care whether mortals like us live or die?"

"Did Daoist Jiang not say himself that he slew the tiger demon of Qingping Mountain only because it had seized the cultivation ground he had chosen?"

Zhang Qingyun suddenly sighed. "Your father thought Daoist Jiang was kind-hearted. Who would have thought..."

Zhang Qing rose with a smile. "Father, what Daoist Jiang's temperament is truly like does not matter. So long as he is willing to help us eliminate the demon of the Taiping River, that is enough."

Another night came, and Qingping Mountain was completely shrouded in darkness beneath the descending night curtain.

At midnight, hazy snowflakes began drifting down from the sky. Specks of fine snow fell, concealing every trace.

Qingxuan Temple was equally quiet amid the snowfall. Jiang Sheng sat cross-legged before the patriarch's portrait, with only the faintest sound of breathing.

Yet outside Qingxuan Temple, seven or eight figures were closing in from the east and west.

Beneath the snow filling the sky, every trace of those figures was perfectly hidden. Their eyes burned as they stared at the lonely temple deep in the mountains, their gazes full of feverish greed.

"I heard that the Daoist inside has quite the background, and his wealth is considerable!"

"Indeed. Did the magistrate of Qingshan County not send over a batch of gifts and offerings with great fanfare some days ago? Those resources would be enough for us brothers to enjoy ourselves for quite some time."

"Compared to that, I want to know just how capable that Daoist truly is, with so many people singing his praises."

"Wouldn't using his flesh and bones to refine magical artifacts produce even better results?"

These people spoke all at once, revealing themselves to be a group of wicked cultivators!

These wicked cultivators called themselves the Eight Wolves of Dongjun. They had fought their way out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood.

Their coordination was flawless. No one knew how many lives they had harmed to refine magical artifacts, nor how many Rogue Cultivators they had killed to plunder their wealth.

Now, all eight of them were in the Foundation Establishment Realm!

They were notorious wicked cultivators throughout Dongjun and even Qing Province. Ruthless in action and fearless of death, they dared trade wound for wound and even gamble with their lives. For resources, they could trail cultivators for hundreds or thousands of miles, waiting for a chance to ambush and kill them.

They were also skilled in tracking and laying ambushes. Every time, they surrounded and devoured their prey like a wolf pack on the hunt. Their savage methods and crafty schemes had made countless cultivators turn pale at the mere mention of them.

After infiltrating Qingshan County, they had not acted rashly. While watching their fellow practitioners kill people in the county seat to cultivate their arts, they had also gathered intelligence on Qingshan County.

In the end, they reached a conclusion: the wealthiest place in all of Qingshan County was not the county yamen, but Qingxuan Temple on Qingping Mountain!

The temple master of Qingxuan Temple was said to be a Daoist from Penglai!

Moreover, he was said to be alone on Qingping Mountain. No matter how formidable he was, how much of his ability could remain when facing a group?

Thus, they had sneaked all the way to Qingping Mountain and confirmed that, aside from Jiang Sheng, there was only one half-grown boy in the temple.

Then they watched Jiang Sheng keep Tian Ming'an at the temple overnight.

Although the temple held only one Foundation Establishment cultivator and one frail half-grown boy, they still did not act rashly.

Instead, they patiently waited until deep into the night, until snow began to fall and heavy snow covered the mountains, before they made their move.

Now that they had finally confirmed their information, they began their hunt for Jiang Sheng.

They had already made a basic assessment of Jiang Sheng's strength.

After all, it was not as though they had never encountered cultivators of Earthly Foundation Establishment. Though such cultivators possessed far more abundant spiritual power, after facing the combined assault of eight people and being worn down repeatedly, they would still exhaust their spiritual power and become lambs awaiting slaughter.

Besides, Jiang Sheng had a mortal with him. With that mortal as a burden, no matter how formidable Jiang Sheng was, could he unleash his full strength?

Having made up their minds, the eight began working in perfect coordination. They did not reveal their traces, instead spreading out in all directions and closing in on Qingxuan Temple's front hall.

Jiang Sheng, who had been cultivating with his eyes closed in the front hall, suddenly opened them. A glint of light flashed through those star-like eyes.

"On a snowy midnight, what business brings you all here so late at night?"

Jiang Sheng's clear voice rang out through the snowy night, exploding beside the Eight Wolves of Dongjun's ears and startling them sharply!

They had been exposed!

"Close in!" the lead wolf of the Eight Wolves of Dongjun shouted.

Since they had already been exposed, they would surround and kill him head-on!

The other seven wolves grinned viciously as they sprang into motion. In the snowy night, blood-red chains shot toward Jiang Sheng, who sat in the front hall. Their sharp spearheads pointed straight at Jiang Sheng's back!

Those bloody chains were magical artifacts forged by the Eight Wolves of Dongjun through murder and refinement. They could foul a cultivator's spiritual power, damage their meridians so they could not circulate their cultivation or cast spells, and even restrain their dantian and lock down their movements.

With the aid of these blood-red chains, the Eight Wolves of Dongjun had never failed even once!

This time, they had received the support of some person of unknown name, who had allowed them to act freely in Qingshan County and given them a large quantity of resources.

They had used those resources to strengthen their cultivation and reinforce these blood-red chains. The Eight Wolves of Dongjun were now stronger and fiercer than before!

The blood-red chains tore through the air, scattering the snow that filled the sky.

The sinister, foul sensation directed at cultivators from those magical artifacts made Jiang Sheng narrow his eyes slightly. "Such foul magical artifacts. As expected, these are the methods of the wicked path."

"We had long heard that Qingping Mountain housed a senior master from Penglai. We brothers have come especially to experience your methods, Daoist! We hope you will not begrudge us your instruction!" the lead wolf said smugly. His spiritual power surged as he scattered a wave of poisonous needles capable of fouling a cultivator's body.

By then, the commotion in the front hall had awakened Tian Ming'an.

He hurriedly rose and left his room. He saw several vague figures in the air near the front hall, along with chains that made him deeply uncomfortable. They appeared to be besieging Daoist Jiang!

The discovery left Tian Ming'an deeply uneasy. These people had come to ambush Daoist Jiang in the dead of night; they were undoubtedly wicked cultivators!

Tian Ming'an was also worried. There were so many wicked cultivators, and every one of them looked terrifying. Could Daoist Jiang handle them?

One of the Eight Wolves of Dongjun noticed Tian Ming'an and immediately gave a vicious grin, turning his chain artifact toward Tian Ming'an.

The blood-red chain carried a foul aura as it lunged straight at Tian Ming'an like a venomous snake.

Tian Ming'an heard only a sharp whistling tear through the snowstorm, then saw a blood-red, sinister chain attack him!

For a moment, Tian Ming'an felt his mind buzz. Every hair on his body stood on end, and he froze where he stood.

Jiang Sheng had originally been about to strike back, but when he saw a chain suddenly pouncing toward the temple's rear courtyard, his brows drew together. He put away the patriarch's portrait from the incense table and sprang toward the rear courtyard.

"Haha, he truly is worried about that mortal boy!"

"A fine opportunity!"

The Eight Wolves of Dongjun became excited like hyenas that had scented blood, controlling their chain artifacts as they rushed forward together.

"Daoist Jiang, obediently hand over all your wealth and your life to us!"

The second update is here! My lords, please bookmark and recommend this story, and give Lin Yuan some encouragement!

(End of chapter)

Please move your finger and share this website on Facebook, so that we can continue operating.