Giving Up His Life

Cao Jiu's heart leaped with joy.

He pounded the ground with every step, running at the fastest pace he could manage in his life, giving it everything he had.

He was truly afraid that the wizard might have been nothing but a figment of his imagination and would vanish the very next moment.

Thankfully, the wizard was still standing steadily on the road, his robe gradually soaking through in the rain.

Cao Jiu ran up to him, gasping for breath, and asked:

"Do you still mean what you said before? Will the Wind God really save everyone?"

The young wizard nodded.

Cao Jiu hurriedly pressed him: "Then, then what do I have to do to become the Wind God's sacrifice? I—I'm willing!"

The young wizard looked at him, then pointed toward the mountain not far away.

"That's Wind God Mountain. All you have to do is jump from the mountain and fall to your death."

Though Cao Jiu had come prepared to give his life, he still shrank back when he heard the wizard's words.

All he had to do was fall to his death?

The wizard's words were utterly heartless.

Thinking it over, Cao Jiu realized the wizard might not be trustworthy, and the Wind God might not even be real. If he ran away by himself, he could hide on the mountain. There was still a chance he might survive the flood.

In an instant, countless thoughts raced through Cao Jiu's mind.

The wizard offered no explanation. He only watched Cao Jiu in silence.

Rain ran down the wizard's head, plastering his black hair against his cheeks.

His eyes were pure and clear.

Cao Jiu lowered his head and said softly:

"I hope the Wind God keeps his promise and saves everyone."

"Wizard, I'm willing."

As he spoke, Cao Jiu bent one leg, then sprang forward and raced toward the legendary Wind God Mountain.

Wind God Mountain was nearby. It didn't take long for Cao Jiu to reach the summit.

The mountain wasn't very high, but one side was a sheer cliff with a tremendous drop below. Just looking over the edge made Cao Jiu dizzy. It was terrifying.

Cao Jiu glanced back. The wizard was no longer on the road. He had no idea where he'd gone.

And the dam wouldn't hold much longer.

Cao Jiu closed his eyes and tried to steady his fear.

"Wind God, I'll give you my life, but you have to save everyone in the village!"

Then he backed up a little, took a running start, and leaped off the cliff.

Cao Jiu's thin body plunged through the air.

In a daze, he heard a vast, distant voice speak from above:

"I promise."

A tremendous force suddenly surged through him, and Cao Jiu lost consciousness.

Cao Jiu woke up.

He blinked and moved his body.

He seemed to be in a very cramped space, his arms and legs restrained. All around him was darkness.

Then a light gradually appeared within the darkness.

A curved band of light surrounded Cao Jiu.

Within it, he saw a patch of grass and a stone wall.

Cao Jiu hurriedly scrambled to his feet. Just then, the light shifted. The grass disappeared, leaving only the stone wall and some trees.

It took him a while to realize that he was looking at the outside world through the curved band of light surrounding him.

"Where am I?"

Cao Jiu tried to stand, and then he felt something very strange.

It was as if he were controlling a body that didn't belong to him.

It took him a while to get used to the sensation. He could feel his limbs.

That was right. Earlier, in the darkness, someone had spoken to him at great length, teaching him how to control this body.

Cao Jiu tentatively moved his limbs.

It felt strange. His body seemed enormous, and full of strength.

And... he thought he could do this...

Cao Jiu spread his arms, kicked off hard with his legs, and leaped into the air!

In an instant, he left the ground, feeling a gust of wind supporting his body.

He was flying! He'd taken to the sky!

The wind... That voice had told him he could use his hands to control it!

Cao Jiu felt around beside him and soon found a rod-shaped object. A gentle pull upward made him rise; pressing down made him descend; tilting it to either side moved him sideways.

Pushing forward made him move ahead, and pulling back...

After testing it in the air for a long time, Cao Jiu finally learned how to use this body: moving forward and backward, taking off and landing, swiping with his claws, twisting his body, stretching, and hooking his tail.

The tail was the hardest to control. After all, Cao Jiu hadn't had one when he was human.

Most of the time, he had to use movements of his waist to swing it indirectly.

Just then, through the curved screen of light, he saw his own body.

It was black and enormous, covered in scales, with four sharp, menacing claws and a tail.

"Am I... not human anymore? Why is my body so long and so big? Why do I have a tail and claws?"

Suddenly, Cao Jiu saw the ground below.

In the distance, the dam was breaking apart.

Floodwaters were surging straight toward the village.

There were still lots of little black dots moving around in the village. They were the villagers!

Cao Jiu immediately flew toward the dam. Whatever he was, he only knew that he seemed powerful enough to hold back the flood!

Just as a massive torrent came roaring down the river channel,

Cao Jiu arrived at the last moment. He stretched out his entire body and curled his tail, blocking the flood with his body!

The river crashed with a thunderous roar, raising huge waves that tried to surge over Cao Jiu and into the village.

"You're not getting past me!" Cao Jiu roared at the river.

How was he supposed to stop it...? Cao Jiu suddenly remembered the instructions he'd been given. He gripped the round rod and twisted it slightly. A soft hum sounded, and a faint glow appeared on all four of his claws.

"Hold it back, damn it!"

Cao Jiu braced himself against the ground and pushed against the flood with all four claws.

The glow on his claws joined together, forming a wall of light that stopped the flood in its tracks!

Cao Jiu turned and shouted at the villagers, who were staring in stunned silence:

"Run! Hurry!"

The villagers finally made out the sound coming from the long black creature.

The voice boomed like thunder, yet it was so familiar.

"That's Xiao Jiu! Xiao Jiu saved us! Let's go!"

The villagers looked on in disbelief, then turned and kept running.

They didn't understand why Cao Jiu had suddenly turned into a monster. They only knew they had a chance to survive!

Cao Jiu used his body to form a new dam, holding back the river flowing down from above. The water kept rising, and the pressure grew stronger and stronger.

Cao Jiu struggled to withstand it. He felt as if he had become a monster, yet was still human, with his body inside the monster.

But he could feel the full force of the water pressing against him.

The water level kept rising. Slowly, it was about to overtop the wall of light.

Had the villagers all escaped? Cao Jiu looked behind him.

Through the curved band of light, he saw that only a few people remained in the village. They were almost clear!

"Hurry," Cao Jiu urged silently. "Hurry!"

At last, the flood roared again and surged over the wall of light, pouring down.

Cao Jiu didn't move. He kept using all his strength to hold back the water. Even if he could stop only part of it, that was something. If he let go now, the remaining waves might still sweep the villagers away!

When Cao Jiu could no longer hold back the flood, he rolled over, turned the rod in the opposite direction to retract the wall of light, and flew back into the sky.

He gasped for breath in the air and looked toward the direction the villagers had fled.

Good! They'd made it up the mountain! They'd all escaped!

Cao Jiu was so happy he nearly burst into tears.

Wind God, thank you!

After hovering in the air for a while, Cao Jiu decided to go join the villagers.

He flew toward the mountain where they had gathered.

Many eyes turned to him—curious, worried, or delighted.

But no one looked afraid.

That put Cao Jiu at ease. The villagers still recognized him.

Cao Jiu flew to the mountainside, then carefully landed near the villagers.

Uncle Axe walked over with a few others and tentatively called out:

"Xiao Jiu?"

Cao Jiu quickly nodded, then said:

"It's me! It's really me, Uncle Axe!"

The villagers looked ecstatic. Good heavens, it really was Xiao Jiu!

Cao Jiu smiled too. He was so happy. He hadn't died. Even though he'd turned into a monster, he'd saved everyone, and he could still speak like a human. It was wonderful!