Saving Cold Wind Village

Ye Chen gently lowered Lloyd's hand, which had already gone cold, then quickly ran to a higher spot on the cliff. After confirming the direction of the nearest road outside the forest, he immediately pulled an ancient whistle from his pocket, put it to his lips, and blew.

"Wheee—!"

The clear, piercing whistle rang through the Cold Wind Pine Forest. Immediately afterward, Ye Chen sprinted at full speed toward the road outside the forest.

With the Auling Power surging through him, the young man raced onward, his footsteps swift. In just a few minutes, he had reached the forest's edge. On the broad road ahead, Old Ma Heiqi was already saddled and ready to run.

"Heiqi, take me to the village to the south. As fast as you can!"

Ye Chen leaped onto Heiqi's back and quickly settled into the saddle, then pointed toward the outline of the village not far below. The old horse immediately understood. He kicked off with his hooves and galloped toward Cold Wind Village with Ye Chen on his back.

Clop, clop, clop, clop, clop!

Heiqi's sturdy, hard hooves sent snow and earth flying, churning up countless surging white waves. The scenery flashed past Ye Chen's eyes as the icy wind lashed his face and ruffled his hair.

The old horse ran faster and faster until, at a terrifying speed of nearly a hundred kilometers per hour, he carried Ye Chen out of the mountains and onto the open plains. They were soon about to reach the entrance to Cold Wind Village.

Enduring the bone-chilling wind, the young man opened his eyes and saw that the walls and fences at the village entrance lay in ruins. The place was a complete mess, clearly bearing the marks of the Man-eating Giant Ape.

Lloyd's last words had been right. After leaving Ye Chen behind, the Man-eating Giant Ape had attacked Cold Wind Village at once, hoping to use the villagers' flesh and blood to nourish its wounds.

"Slow down first!"

At the young man's reminder, the old horse gradually slowed. As they entered Cold Wind Village, Ye Chen immediately heard the sounds of buildings collapsing and villagers screaming.

Ye Chen looked toward the noise and saw a huge figure wreaking havoc in the middle of the main village road.

Around it were a handful of guards, desperately resisting with weapons in hand, and dozens of terrified villagers fleeing in panic.

There was no time to hesitate. Ye Chen quickly surveyed the wreckage around him, settled on a plan, and picked up a spear lying on the ground, likely dropped by one of Cold Wind Village's guards.

"Heiqi, charge!"

The young man deftly scraped the spearhead across his palm, coating it with bright red blood, then shouted to the old horse.

"Hee-haw!"

The old horse answered spiritedly. The muscles in all four legs tensed once more, and with the spear-wielding youth on his back, he charged straight at the savage beast ahead.

"Fire! Cover the villagers' retreat!"

The last few surviving guards of Cold Wind Village formed a fan around the Alpha Ape. They repeatedly raised their muskets and bows to shoot at it, trying to buy the fleeing villagers a little more time.

But after suffering several grievous wounds, the Alpha Ape had no interest in playing around anymore. It swung its powerful arms with brutal force, sending the two guards at the front flying into the air. The others were all sent sprawling by the terrifying shock wave as its fist slammed into the ground.

"Argh!"

The Guard Squad cried out in pain, but the Alpha Ape ignored the armored figures. It strode past them at once and pursued a mother and daughter who were among the slowest to flee.

To the Alpha Ape, desperate for food, the pair's simple clothes and soft flesh made them easier to bite—and all the more delicious.

"Run faster!"

Seeing the man-eating monster fix its gaze on them, the terrified mother clutched her weeping daughter's hand and fled in despair. But the Alpha Ape's powerful legs carried it forward, and in the blink of an eye, it blocked their path.

The enormous ape hand reached out and grabbed them, lifting the helpless mother and daughter into the air.

"Waaah! Mom!"

The girl stared at the Alpha Ape's foul, black maw and broke down sobbing. Her mother could only embrace her in despair, praying silently that the agony awaiting them would be over in an instant.

But just as the Alpha Ape greedily leaned forward, about to savor the taste of fresh life, the black sludge clinging to its body suddenly stirred. It warned the Alpha Ape that something dangerous was rapidly approaching.

The Alpha Ape shuddered and hurriedly looked back. Then it saw the Hunter who had become its nightmare, galloping down the road ten meters away.

The Hunter's right hand was raised high, gripping a bloodstained spear.

The next instant, the Auling Power gathered in Ye Chen's arm and shoulder erupted. He hurled the spear with all his might.

Driven by tremendous force, the spear tore through the air like a bolt, unstoppable. Giving the Alpha Ape no chance to dodge or defend itself, it pierced straight through its lower body at lightning speed.

"Gyaaah—!"

The Alpha Ape howled in agony as its manhood was torn apart. It flung the mother and daughter aside into the snow, saving their lives for the moment.

The Alpha Ape had never imagined Ye Chen could have such a remarkable mount as Heiqi, capable of crossing several kilometers in just a few minutes and carrying him all the way to Cold Wind Village in pursuit.

Now Ye Chen had struck the Alpha Ape right in its weak spot, and its mind was completely overwhelmed by pain. It could barely think straight.

In a one-on-one fight, its defeat now seemed all but certain. But the Abyss Matter clinging to the Alpha Ape's body would never accept that outcome.

The black sludge paid no heed to the Alpha Ape's cries. It made no attempt to fill the wound and soothe its pain. Instead, just as before, it all gathered in the Alpha Ape's throat, once again condensing into a swollen lump.

Clearly, the Abyss Matter intended to unleash that terrifying ape cry again.

Though the attack would harm the Alpha Ape as well, it was now the only means they had of fighting Ye Chen. The Abyss-tainted Ape had no other choice!

If the terrifying beast managed to unleash that dreadful sound wave again, Ye Chen would be in danger at such close range. The Cold Wind Village residents within a hundred meters who had not yet escaped would also suffer the same wretched, agonizing fate as Lloyd, their internal organs crushed and ruptured.

Having already anticipated this worst-case scenario, the young man naturally wouldn't let the Alpha Ape get its way.

He would make this savage, cruel, and cowardly man-eating monster watch its hopes shatter on the spot!

"Throw me!"

The old horse, Heiqi, heard the shout from his back and deftly dug in his forelegs. He raised his hindquarters, then used the powerful strength of his back to fling Ye Chen forward.

Taking advantage of the tremendous momentum Heiqi gave him, Ye Chen shot through the air like an arrow, soaring dozens of meters before landing directly against the Alpha Ape's chest.

Just as the black lump at the prey's throat was about to form, the long, straight blade in the young man's hand blazed with dazzling crimson light. It plunged into the prey's throat first, driving its fearless, razor-sharp edge cleanly into the black lump.

The blood infused with Auling Power burst from the tip of the blade and swept through the lump like flames. The black sludge within gave off a chorus of shrill, anguished wails.

They sounded unbearably pained, unbearably wronged.