Mountain Wolf

Mountain Wolf

Wan Tiancang had lived in Li Chuankou for over half a year, keeping to himself day after day. Watching the green rice shoots poke out of the earth one by one filled him with delight. That night, after casting the Spirit Rain Technique over the Spirit Field in the courtyard, he sat cross-legged regulating his breath when he vaguely heard a tumult of voices outside.

He opened his eyes and looked over, seeing firelight flickering in the dark night beyond the courtyard. It seemed people were running back and forth with torches, and his heart immediately sank. He opened the gate and looked outside.

Seeing a child hurrying over with a torch, Wan Tiancang quickly called out, "Hey, child! What happened!"

"My lord! Old Ye at the village entrance is dead! They say a monster has come and everyone in the village is being called over."

The child hurriedly stopped, holding up his torch and looking uneasily at Wan Tiancang. Seeing the immortal who had not left his courtyard for over half a year frown, he took half a step outside before withdrawing it again.

"Of all places, a monster had to strike Li Chuankou! The spirit rice has only been planted for half a year—nothing must happen to it."

Wan Tiancang wanted to find Li Tongya, yet feared that the monster might set its sights on the spirit rice in the garden. Caught between a rock and a hard place, he could only crouch down and tell the child, "Go call Chen Erniu over."

"Yes!"

The child had barely risen when the two of them saw firelight flickering in the forest. A group of people emerged, crowding around Chen Erniu.

"Immortal Master! What are we to do!"

Chen Erniu was drenched in sweat. Before the main family had even arrived, two more village guards had died. Their brains had been dug out, and their deaths were gruesome. Chen Erniu was frightened and furious alike, pacing in circles like an ant on a hot pan.

"Did anyone see this monster?"

Wan Tiancang looked at the sweating Chen Erniu, his face stern as he asked in a low voice.

"No. The dead often did not even let out a single cry!"

Hearing this, Wan Tiancang immediately began to lose heart. He, Wan Tiancang, was merely a minor cultivator at the peak of the Profound Scene Wheel. Where would he find the strength to deal with a monster that came and went like the wind? He bitterly thought, Li Tongya, Li Tongya, where the hell are you!

"Brother Wan!"

Wan Tiancang paused for a few breaths and was just about to speak when a loud shout came from near to far, cutting him off.

He looked up and saw a dashing young man striding over in Rattan Armor, a longbow in hand, grinning at him with gleaming white teeth.

"Young Clan Leader!"

Chen Erniu hurriedly knelt. Wan Tiancang instantly understood that this was likely Li Xiangping, and quickly cupped his hands in greeting.

"Wan Tiancang of the Wan Family greets the Young Clan Leader."

Li Xiangping waved a hand, signaling Chen Erniu to rise, then said to Wan Tiancang, "Brother Wan, wait a moment."

Turning to Chen Erniu, he said in a grave voice, "Gather all the elderly, women, and children of the village around this courtyard. Have the village guards sit in groups of ten on the outer perimeter, three zhang apart. Ensure that each group has at least five other groups within sight to support one another."

Having said that, he entered the courtyard with Wan Tiancang, paying no further attention to the others.

"Yes!"

Chen Erniu had immediately found his backbone. He hastily acknowledged the order, then went to make arrangements.

The moment Li Xiangping entered the courtyard, Wan Tiancang gave a bitter smile and said, "Brother Li, this monster's cultivation is likely not low. Tiancang fears he will be of no help."

Li Xiangping laughed heartily and said bluntly, "Brother Wan, there is no need to beat around the bush. Your Wan Family wants to protect the spirit rice, while my Li Clan wants to protect Li Chuankou. Our two families are grasshoppers tied to the same rope!"

Wan Tiancang's heart shuddered, and he groaned inwardly. If this monster had not been in Li Chuankou, why would Wan Tiancang care whether it ate people or not? He could have hugged the spirit rice and laughed at the Li Clan's misfortune. But now, he had no choice but to help.

Putting away his petty thoughts, Wan Tiancang pondered for several breaths before taking out paper and brush from the house. As he sat down to write, he explained, "The safest course now is for me to write a letter and summon my family head to provide aid. It would be best if we can settle this before dawn!"

"Correct!"

Li Xiangping nodded, then continued, "Write three letters by hand. I will send men out of the village in three directions, in case something happens along the road and they cannot reach Wan Family territory."

Wan Tiancang nodded repeatedly. He had been writing for roughly a quarter of an hour when screams and cries for help suddenly rose one after another outside the courtyard, plunging everything into chaos.

Li Xiangping left with a grim face to take a look. Before the courtyard sat a crowd of elderly, women, and children, each with a fire lit before them. They craned their heads in terror toward the distance, weeping softly or gasping in fright.

Not far away, the village guards had gathered around the outermost group. They held long poles and door panels, staring timidly at the woods beside them.

"It's a Mountain Wolf."

Wan Tiancang stood beside Li Xiangping with his brush in hand, staring at the pair of glowing green eyes in the forest from afar as he spoke in a low voice.

A giant wolf as large as a yellow ox stepped out of the woods, covered in silver-gray fur. Its eerie green pupils stood upright, its gray-silver snout long and pointed, its mouth broad at the corners, its ears pricked and tail hanging low. It forced the village guards to retreat again and again.

It raised its head and looked past the crowd, those eyes coldly fixing upon Li Xiangping, who stood on the stone steps before the courtyard gate. Its long snout curled slightly upward, as though it were laughing.

"This beast..."

For a moment, Wan Tiancang sweated as though drenched in syrup. He silently wiped away a cold sweat, then continued, "Judging by that lively expression, it has at least swallowed the essence of sun and moon and condensed a Jade Capital Wheel."

Facing the monster directly, Li Xiangping's back also turned cold. Looking at the giant wolf's faintly upturned mouth and its chilly green eyes fixed upon him, he could somehow taste a trace of disdain within them.

"If my family head cannot defeat this monster..."

Wan Tiancang suddenly raised his head and quietly looked at Li Xiangping. His lips trembled as he spoke with some difficulty.

"A Spirit Beginning Wheel monster?"

Li Xiangping narrowed his eyes and said in a low voice, "Prepare for the worst in all things. If this monster's cultivation is beyond the Jade Capital Wheel, lead it southeast, bypass Li Jing Village, and climb Li Jing Mountain. My Li Clan has an array there. With the advantage of the terrain, your family head will be able to slay that monster."

"Fine, fine, fine!"

Wan Tiancang carefully revised the three letters and handed them to Chen Erniu. Watching him order people to deliver them, Wan Tiancang shook his head with a bitter smile. "That beast has cultivated a Jade Capital Wheel and opened its intelligence. It has likely eaten quite a few people as well. It has already fixed its gaze upon the two of us. Cultivators are great tonics—we have no road left to take."

"No need to panic."

Li Xiangping waved his hand. He stared intently into the monster's eyes, the corners of his mouth curling upward just like that vicious wolf's, carrying the same trace of a smile. He said softly, "When I was young, I saw my father hunt wolves. These beasts are the most cautious. Now that it has cultivated a Jade Capital Wheel, it must cherish its life to the extreme. It is a good thing that it has set its sights on us. Just follow my orders."

"Chen Erniu!"

"Your subordinate is here!"

Chen Erniu hurriedly stepped forward and listened attentively.

"Have the village guards gradually retreat, surrounding us as they do so, and slowly withdraw south together. The elderly, women, and children are to remain where they are. The monster will surely give chase."

"Have the outer guards throw away all the door panels and hold their torches outward. Once the monster comes close, they may roar or shout, rebuke or curse, but they must not show the slightest fear! If the monster pounces, use long poles with long blades tied to them to sweep at it and strike the ground. Wolf legs are slender and long; this monster will surely cherish them greatly."

He drew a polished arrow from his quiver. With a hand seal, faint golden light emerged upon its arrowhead.

Setting the arrow's nock against the bowstring, Li Xiangping said coldly, "Move!"