The Enormous Footprints

Everyone in Wu Qiu's squad had withdrawn except Lu Chuan.

In these vast mountains, getting an injured person who could barely move back out was difficult. With nine people, there would be no problem, and they would also be safer.

Fortunately, when Zhou Ji found the guide from another squad and told him they could leave now and still collect their reward, the man was more than happy to do so.

Lu Chuan naturally became the guide for the other small squad.

But he thought "scout" was a more accurate name for his role, since his work had always been scouting ahead rather than leading the way.

Wu Qiu was deeply grateful to Lu Chuan and kept saying Lu Chuan had saved his life. Lu Chuan didn't think much of it, but he wouldn't deny it either.

Because it was true.

Wu Qiu told Lu Chuan to come find him as soon as he returned to Chaoge. He wanted to host a banquet himself to thank Lu Chuan for his kindness.

Lu Chuan casually agreed. He generally accepted other people's good intentions.

The army continued deeper into the mountains.

But the forests were full of poisonous insects and fierce beasts, and venomous snakes were common. There were also the large carnivores they had encountered before, so Lu Chuan proceeded with great caution.

Because of what had happened earlier, he had received the military saber Wu Qiu had given him, to protect himself and scout ahead. Lu Chuan was very grateful.

With the Purple Firmament Sword unavailable, Wu Qiu's saber had truly come as timely aid.

Bang!

Several days later, as they searched beneath a mountain peak, a plume of white smoke suddenly shot into the sky about thirty zhang to Lu Chuan's right.

At once, every squad stopped and waited in place. It was a signal that someone had found something.

"Let's go!"

Zhou Ji led the way toward the center, and the squads behind him followed.

Beneath the mountain peak.

By the time Lu Chuan's group arrived, Huang Feihu was already there. He had been closest, in the middle, while Long Huan, who was responsible for the right flank, had arrived with his men at almost the same time.

The Five-Colored Divine Ox stood beside Huang Feihu. He was staring silently at an enormous footprint, his expression grave.

Zhou Ji and Long Huan dismounted and hurried over, asking Huang Feihu what had happened.

From within the crowd, Lu Chuan caught sight of the footprint. His eyelid twitched.

It was three chi across, and looked somewhat like a human footprint. It had sunk deep into the ground, crushing the stones beneath it to powder.

"Big brother, this is..."

Even Zhou Ji and Long Huan were stunned by the enormous footprint on the ground.

If the footprint was already this big, just imagine how enormous its owner must be. A monster that size wouldn't be easy to deal with.

When Lu Chuan spotted the footprint, the guides saw it too.

Many of them immediately turned pale and began talking in a panic. There was no doubt they were terrified.

Even ordinary wolves, insects, tigers, and leopards threatened their lives. A creature whose footprint alone was half a man tall was even more frightening.

Lu Chuan paid them no mind, but he didn't mock or look down on them for being afraid, either. The footprint had unnerved him, too.

He focused entirely on Huang Feihu and the others. There was no doubt that a footprint this large belonged to a beast of tremendous size.

What would Huang Feihu and the others do about such a huge beast?

Since he was already here, Lu Chuan naturally wanted to see the creature. Otherwise, he wouldn't have a good answer for Shen Gongbao when he returned.

As for fighting it...

He thought they could put that off for now. He might not be able to handle a beast that big. Caution was the best policy.

Up ahead.

Huang Feihu nodded and said gravely, "It seems this must be the beast we've been searching for."

"But... how could its footprints be so enormous?"

Even Zhou Ji, who had just shown his might in front of Lu Chuan by kicking a massive brown bear to death, looked stunned and taken aback.

"Strange. Why is there only one footprint around here?"

Long Huan looked around and, seeing no matching prints, asked in puzzlement, "Could this monster have only one leg?"

"I've already sent men to search the area. We should have an answer soon..."

As he spoke, they suddenly heard a commotion behind them. Turning around, they saw a chaotic scene.

"What's wrong with those people?" Long Huan frowned at a soldier nearby.

The soldier went to ask and soon returned. "Reporting to the general, they were frightened by the footprint and refuse to go any farther."

"Hmph, a bunch of cowards," Long Huan said angrily. "They've been useless the whole way, and now they're holding us back at the crucial moment. And they still have the nerve to ask for a reward..."

"My brother, you're mistaken," Zhou Ji said, shaking his head. "You are a brave and mighty general, but they're ordinary people. How can you compare the two?"

"No man can stand without keeping his word. Since big brother promised them a reward, they must receive every last coin. Otherwise, we'll lose the people's trust. That would be wrong."

"Report!"

As they spoke, a soldier ran over from up ahead. "Reporting to the general, I found another enormous footprint thirty zhang ahead."

Before he could finish, another soldier arrived behind him. "There's another footprint just as large thirty zhang beyond that."

Their voices carried far. Even Lu Chuan heard them clearly.

The guides grew even more terrified. Some were so weak with fright that their legs gave way and they sat right down on the ground.

"Hiss!"

Even Lu Chuan drew a quiet breath at the news. One stride carried it a hundred meters? Those were some long steps.

"That can't be right!"

But immediately, he realized it was unlikely. Even if the beast's foot was three chi long, the print still looked much like a human footprint.

Take himself, for example. A person's foot was roughly one-seventh of their height. By that measure, the beast would stand about seven meters tall.

But even a beast ten meters tall couldn't cover a hundred meters in one step, let alone one only seven meters tall. Unless...

"It jumped!"

Lu Chuan's eyes flashed. "The monster had been leaping the whole way."

A jump of thirty zhang sounded much more plausible than a stride. Besides, the deep prints in the ground and the stones crushed beneath them supported his guess.

Still, a monster capable of leaping thirty zhang at a time was terrifying.

"Let them go!"

Huang Feihu shook his head. "Now that we've found the beast's tracks, we no longer need them. We'll move ahead quickly!"

"Yes, sir!"

Zhou Ji acknowledged the order and sent all the guides away. He also assigned a small squad of Flying Tiger Soldiers to escort them, in case anything happened.

This time, Lu Chuan didn't stay behind. He turned back with the other guides.

Looking back, he saw Huang Feihu mount the ox and lead the army rapidly in the direction of the footprints.

Ten men escorting a group of three hundred was no easy task. It was difficult to keep an eye on everyone.

"Hey, Ma San, don't you think... someone's missing from our group?"

After they had been walking for a while, Huang Feihu's army gradually disappeared from view. Suddenly, one person at the edge of the group scratched his cheek in confusion and asked the man beside him.

"Someone's missing? Don't joke around. The footprints alone are that huge. Who'd dare wander off?"

Ma San said helplessly, "The important thing is to get home safe and sound. When the Martial Accomplishment King and the others return, we'll get our reward. We suffered for half a month, but at least it wasn't for nothing. Haha..."

"Oh, but..."

The first man looked around, still puzzled. In a voice only he could hear, he said, "I really think there was someone beside me just now. A short fellow. He vanished in the blink of an eye..."

In fact, someone really had gone missing from their group.

The missing man was now standing in a mountain forest, leisurely twisting his waist and stretching his limbs.

For the past half month, he hadn't been able to practice his sword or meditate. All he could do was circulate his qi through the Small Heavenly Circuit. It had nearly driven him stir-crazy.

Now that he had slipped away, Lu Chuan felt like a bird returning to the forest: free and at ease...

"Now it's time to go see that beast..."

Lu Chuan murmured, full of energy. The Purple Firmament Sword was strapped to his back, and Wu Qiu's saber hung at his waist. He was well equipped.

Clang!

He suddenly drew his saber and slashed behind him. A flash of blade cut a brightly colored snake into three pieces. It had been hanging from a tree, its body as thick as a baby's forearm, and had tried to ambush him.

"What was the point?"

Lu Chuan looked at the snake writhing in three pieces on the ground. "Even if you bit me to death, what would that get you? You couldn't eat all of me by yourself. What a waste, right?!"

Though he hadn't been able to cultivate during his half month in the forest, he had mastered the skills needed to survive in the mountains. At least the trip hadn't been for nothing.

He plucked a leaf and held it in his hand, then closed his eyes and began forming hand seals and chanting.

With a single word—"Escape!"—a green beam of light shot into the sky and flew into the distance, leaving only a leaf drifting gently to the ground.