Arrogance

The people of Stone Village raced onward, quickly reaching a deeper part of the mountains. Towering ancient trees had been snapped, thousand-year vines destroyed, and beast blood was splattered everywhere. The place was a complete mess. Two strange beasts had fought fiercely here, causing chaos and killing many animals. Then the people of Bei Village had ambushed Shi Feijiao and the others here, leaving the area in utter disorder.

The pile of beast corpses, as large as a small hill, had already been hauled away by the people of Bei Village, leaving nothing behind. When Shi Linhu and the others arrived, they gritted their teeth in fury. This was truly bullying them beyond all reason—the prey their villagers had worked so hard to hunt had simply been stolen.

"Chase!"

They did not stop for even a moment, heading straight toward Bei Village. Carrying such massive beasts, those people could not have gone far. Clear traces remained in the mountains: fur, blood, scales, and other signs pointed out the path the people of Bei Village had taken.

"Careful!"

Shi Linhu, who was running at the front, raised a hand and stopped everyone. He pushed aside a large patch of dead grass and fallen leaves ahead, revealing a dark, gaping pit filled with iron spikes pointing toward the sky. Anyone who fell in would be pierced into a sieve.

"These Bei mongrels are truly vicious!"

The people of Stone Village grew even angrier. This was still their territory, yet the people of Bei Village acted without restraint. Such a trap would definitely cause a bloody tragedy.

After running another eight or nine li, a fierce gust suddenly lunged at Shi Linhu's throat. The cold, ghostly gleam seemed to have come from the underworld itself. It struck at the soul, faster than lightning, capable of killing in an instant.

It was a thick iron arrow over a meter long. With such terrifying force and speed, it could surely pierce the scales of a Dragon-Horned Elephant. No wonder it had penetrated the three layers of thick refined-steel armor worn by Stone Village's men. It was horrifying.

It had come too suddenly. In the depths of the mountain forest, such a dreadful cold arrow was impossible to guard against. Shi Linhu was exceptionally brave and reacted swiftly, twisting his body aside.

By the narrowest margin, the icy iron arrow grazed his neck and flew past in a spray of blood. Its tip tore off a patch of skin. It had missed piercing straight through his throat by a hair's breadth.

Only then did the shrill whistle reach them—the sound of the arrow shaft tearing through the air, far slower than the iron arrow itself. Its speed was truly terrifying.

Clang!

The iron arrow sank into a distant boulder, piercing straight into it with a ringing crash and scattering sparks. Such immense force, such a heavy arrow—how many people would dare meet it head-on? If it struck someone, it would chill their heart clean through!

The scene fell silent. Shi Linhu touched the scraped patch of skin on his neck, cold light flickering in his eyes. He had nearly been killed by a single arrow.

In the distant hills, a youth stood with a bow in hand. His expression was cold and stern, cruel light flickering in his eyes as he stared in their direction.

"It's that brat again!" Shi Feijiao and the others immediately flew into a rage. This cold-faced youth had seriously injured several of the village's grown men in succession.

He was a boy of fourteen or fifteen, tall and slender, with glossy, soft black hair and fair skin. He was remarkably handsome, but his cold eyes slightly ruined that beauty, giving him an air of wildness and cruelty.

Behind him, seventy or eighty people dragged one giant beast after another across the hills, leaving streaks of blood behind them as grass, brush, and thornbushes were crushed flat.

"You Bei Village brat, what can you do besides fire cold arrows? Come over here if you dare—I'll slap the top right off your skull!" someone roared.

A cold gleam flashed through the handsome youth's eyes. He immediately drew his bow and aimed at the man.

Without saying a word, Shi Linhu raised a black bow made from dragon horns, taller than half a man. He swiftly drew the string, nocked an iron arrow, and shot it.

Clang!

The two thick iron arrows collided in midair, scattering sparks with an ear-piercing screech. Their momentum was halted at once, and they fell to the ground.

Everyone sucked in a cold breath. That youth's archery and arm strength were astonishing. He was only a teenager, yet he could contend with Shi Linhu, Stone Village's strongest man.

Clang! Clang!

Sparks flew throughout the forest.

More than a dozen iron arrows collided in pairs, clanging like a shower of shooting stars as they rained down to the ground. The noise made everyone's eardrums ache. Divine arrows shook the wilderness forest!

Stone Village's strongest man, Shi Linhu, was evenly matched with this youth, neither gaining the upper hand. The sight shocked the crowd. With a flex of his arms, this youth could probably lift five or six bronze cauldrons weighing a thousand jin each.

Everyone inhaled sharply. What a formidable young talent. He was so young, yet possessed such shocking divine strength that he inspired fear.

"Friends of Stone Village, forgive us. We need a large number of fierce beasts right now. Let us have this hunt, and we will repay you generously in the future," a middle-aged man from Bei Village called out. His voice was loud and resonant.

"To steal our prey, you ambushed our clansmen on the road. Your methods were vicious—every arrow pierced their organs, leaving several gravely wounded and at death's door. And you ask us to forgive you? You have committed every evil deed, yet remain so calm. What kind of reasoning is that?!" Shi Linhu rebuked angrily.

"Once there is a dispute and conflict breaks out, bloodshed is inevitable. That is a rule every man of the Great Wilderness knows," said the leader of Bei Village's hunting party.

"If you refuse to accept it, then come at us!" Another high-ranking, powerfully built man from Bei Village was even more overbearing.

The people of Stone Village were about to explode with rage. They had been ambushed and had their prey stolen, yet the other side remained so forceful, refusing to reason with them at all. There was nothing left to say.

"Then let's fight!" Shi Feijiao roared.

"You think we're afraid of you?" the leader of Bei Village's hunting party replied. He was extremely burly, standing over two meters tall, with an oppressive aura.

Clang! Clang!

The sound of weapons being drawn rang out without end. Many people raised broad swords taller than half a man, cold light flashing as killing intent spread, shaking leaves loose from the trees around them.

"I advise you to go back where you came from. Take one more step forward, and I'll shoot every last one of you dead, one arrow each. This time, I will show no mercy!" the handsome youth from Bei Village suddenly said. His arrogant tone stirred such fury that people wanted nothing more than to shoot an arrow through him first.

Shi Linhu said angrily, "Brat, you are not even grown yet, and you already possess such great skill. You are indeed strong. But you are so tyrannical and ruthless in your actions that you will not come to a good end."

At the same time, he drew his bow, nocked an arrow, and shot forward. With words having reached this point, what else could they do? There was only battle!

Clang!

The iron arrows collided once again, making the entire mountain forest hum and tremble.

Kill!

Some of Stone Village's people drew huge bows, some gripped broad swords, and some swung spiked wolf-tooth clubs. Like savage beasts released from a cage, they charged forward in a wild gale, sending fallen leaves swirling into the air.

The people of Bei Village were all tall and powerfully built, hard and unyielding. They too charged forward, and a chaotic melee was about to erupt.

Just then, a small figure darted to the very front like a nimble sparrow and loudly rebuked them, "You stole the food we rely on to survive, and now you want to kill our uncles too! Uncle A-Fu is such a good, kind person, and he was nearly shot to death by you! You are all great villains!"

Shi Hao's little face was flushed red with agitation. His small fists were clenched tightly, and his eyes were filled with rage. He had grown up in Stone Village, knowing only warmth and affection. He had never encountered people this arrogant.

The people of Bei Village were startled, then burst into laughter. They had not expected that, aside from some half-grown children, Stone Village had brought along such a little child. Wasn't he only adding trouble for his clansmen?

Whoosh!

The fourteen- or fifteen-year-old youth from Bei Village wore a cold expression as he drew that terrifying great bow, intending to shoot Little Dot dead.

The people of Stone Village seemed to breathe fire, their rage reaching its peak. He was still just a child. Little Dot was usually so obedient and lovable, yet the other side actually wanted to harm even a young child. It was utterly outrageous.

Shi Linhu drew his bow and nocked an arrow, intending to help and knock aside the youth's iron arrow. But his expression changed in an instant.

This time, the youth had fired four arrows with a single draw. Four cold gleams flew like lightning, while Shi Linhu only had time to shoot three arrows. The other side was terrifyingly strong.

Clang! Clang!

Three pairs of arrows collided and fell to the ground, but one thick iron arrow over a meter long shot toward Little Dot's throat, cold and soul-chilling!

Little Dot reached out to grab the iron arrow, terrifying the villagers into shouting, "Get out of the way!"

They knew Shi Hao was exceptionally gifted, but he was not yet four years old. Though he had lifted a thousand-jin bronze cauldron, the other youth was older and possessed even greater divine strength. He could lift five or six cauldrons and contend with Shi Linhu.

"You can even attack a child?!" The people of Stone Village were so furious their eyes nearly split open.

Clang!

Yet to everyone's astonishment, Little Dot struck the arrow shaft with his left hand, knocking it flying away at an angle. The crowd stood dumbstruck, unable to say a word.

Only a few people saw a symbol flicker in his palm before swiftly fading.

Whoosh!

Little Dot leaped up and lunged straight toward the youth from Bei Village!