Wolf General

From afar, Yuanning City after nightfall looked peaceful and serene.

In the distance, a streak of green light suddenly came racing over. But upon reaching the city's edge, it vanished in a flash, leaving no trace behind.

The city lay in darkness, though several places remained brightly lit—mostly the residences of high-ranking officials and nobles, including the relay station.

"Ahh~"

By the relay station gate, a soldier on guard yawned, his eyes bloodshot.

"When does General Lang plan to return?"

His companion beside him chuckled. "Old Liu, we just changed shifts and you're already unable to hold on? Bear with it. You'll get used to it. Sleep properly when you go back tomorrow, and you won't be so tired at night."

"If I'd known, I wouldn't have gambled so long during the day." The grumbling soldier yawned again and shook his head.

The two of them did not know that, above them at this very moment, a Living Soul invisible to ordinary people was drifting slowly through the air, calmly entering the relay station.

"Wang Qiao'er and the others' information was indeed correct. General Lang truly attended banquets every night and did not return until deep into the night. As long as I seize the right moment, the plan can proceed smoothly."

The Living Soul that drifted into the relay station was none other than Qiu Yan's. His scholar incarnation had departed with Liu Huai's family and was staying overnight at an inn, but his Living Soul had left his body, wrapped in Divine Power, flown swiftly back to the city, and come straight to the relay station.

Earlier that day, Qiu Yan and Li Bo's group had entered Immortal-Envy Tower. Aside from the list of money, they had pressed them about the results of their investigations over the past few days—all so the plan could proceed smoothly.

After ascending as the Kitchen God, his true self's Divine Rank had risen, establishing connections with every cooking stove and hearth fire in the city. He could perceive the sights and sounds around them. That was why, when Li Bo and Wang Qiao'er had come attacking, Qiu Yan had been able to point out each of their weak points and incriminating secrets. These people, or their family members, had occasionally let secrets slip beside their stoves, allowing the deity to learn of them.

Never say no one knows; Heaven, Earth, gods, and ghosts all know.

With their secrets in another's hands, Wang Qiao'er and the others did not dare play any tricks. They answered every question.

"The demon aura inside this relay station is truly heavy. Who knows how many demons have gathered here? And this is with the wolf demon that has refined the Three Souls absent. If he were here, the demon aura would probably be so dense that even a Living Soul could not approach. But The Way of Nature and Life mentioned that after refining the Qi Soul and undergoing further tempering, one could draw in and conceal one's demon aura. I wonder whether that wolf demon can manage it."

The moment his Living Soul entered the relay station, Qiu Yan expanded his senses, and the entire structure of the station immediately appeared in his mind.

"Hm? I've been discovered. What keen perception. This must be the Spirit-Communing Hedgehog those two Monster Souls mentioned."

When he had previously met Yuanning City God, she had produced two Monster Souls. They had been killed and their souls seized for eating people within the city. The souls had been handed to Qiu Yan's divine true self, though they would eventually have to be returned and sent into the Six Paths of Reincarnation.

From those Monster Souls, Qiu Yan had gained a certain understanding of the demons who had come to Yuanning City. He learned that their leader was a wolf demon, a general under Mountain-Passing Great King, whose cultivation had reached the Second Realm of Life Cultivation, having refined the Power Soul, Essence Soul, and Qi Soul!

"The City God gave me those Monster Souls because she wanted me to know that the wolf demon's backing is formidable, that I cannot oppose him head-on, and that I should retreat in the face of adversity. Unfortunately, that wolf demon led his men in slaughtering villages. The former body of my incarnation was pursued by his subordinates, and in the end its soul entered the Netherworld. This time, he came north to Yuanning to hunt down my incarnation as well. This is an irreconcilable enmity. There is no retreat."

With those thoughts in mind, Qiu Yan drifted through walls and doors until he entered a room.

A cage sat in a corner of the room. Inside it, a hedgehog paced in circles. The instant the Living Soul passed through the wall and entered, the hedgehog shuddered all over and curled into a ball.

"You're merely covering your ears while stealing a bell."

A faint ripple of consciousness spread from the Living Soul and fell upon the hedgehog's mind. It immediately stiffened, then sent out a wave of thought in return—

"Don't come closer! I recognize the scent of your soul. You are the person the general is seeking! I never imagined you were one who roams at night with a Living Soul. No wonder Crow perished, and so many mountain-patrolling demons died because of you."

"You can recognize a soul's scent? So you followed my soul scent to Yuanning City? How strange. Souls have scents too? Still, putting it another way, as long as I kill you, the trail will naturally be cut off. No matter how formidable that wolf demon is, he will not be able to find me."

Qiu Yan sent out another wave of thought. Man and demon actually began conversing like this.

"It's useless even if you kill me!" The hedgehog trembled, clearly gripped by terror. "There are other ways to find you. If you know what's good for you, it isn't too late to flee now! Let me tell you the truth: the moment you entered the relay station, I sent out a warning. The general will return very soon! If you're late, you..."

"You sent a warning?" Qiu Yan did not seem concerned. "All the better. It saves me the trouble."

The moment he finished speaking, a thunderous boom rang out as the room's window suddenly exploded apart. A tall man crashed in through it.

Crash!

The wall around the window split apart and shattered!

"What nerve! A mere Living Soul dares trespass upon the territory of Wolf General?"

The newcomer was General Lang, who had entered the city several days ago—the demon leader who had led the slaughter of the villages, the wolf demon who had refined the Three Souls!

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

The instant the wolf demon appeared, surging demon aura rolled from his body and flooded the entire room. An intense vitality of flesh and blood also burst forth, pouncing toward Qiu Yan's Living Soul!

The wind was like a bone-scraping blade, every strand like a steel needle. The instant it swept over, Qiu Yan felt his Living Soul sting, as though it were about to be pierced through and torn apart.

"What powerful vitality and blood! Even for a demon, for its blood and vitality to be this vigorous—and with demon aura suffusing it—is more than a Living Soul can withstand! I wonder whether a soul that has condensed the Human Soul could contend against this demon."

With a turn of thought, Qiu Yan forcibly steadied his Living Soul. No longer paying attention to the hedgehog in the cage, his soul turned and shot toward the other side, passing straight through the window and fleeing into the night!

"Trying to run?" The hulking man transformed from the wolf demon raised his brows and sneered.

At that moment, the hedgehog's thoughts came from the cage again—

"General! That man is the mortal you seek! The one Crow chased!"

Hearing this, the wolf demon grinned. "Oh? So it is him! He is courting death himself; he has no one else to blame!"

As his words fell, the wolf demon strode forward and slapped down with one hand, crushing the cage and the hedgehog inside it together. Then he clenched his hand, forcibly dragging out a fragment of soul.

"General! Why are you killing me? Didn't you say..." The soul continued struggling, sending out panicked thoughts.

"What a joke! Now that the man has been found, why keep you around if not to eat you? Spirit-Communing Hedgehogs are born with powerful souls, yet find it hard to achieve Aperture Opening. Your souls are great tonics, perfect for strengthening this general's Living Soul. They also prevent word from leaking out. Killing two birds with one stone!"

As he spoke, the hulking wolf demon tossed the soul into his mouth, chewed, and swallowed. Then crackling sounds burst from beneath his feet as both legs abruptly swelled, even splitting apart the taut cuffs of his trousers!

Boom!

The ground suddenly collapsed.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The entire relay station began to shake.

"What's happening?"

The two soldiers guarding the gate sensed the tremors. Turning their heads to look behind them, they froze like wooden chickens.

The entire relay station shook violently. Cracks spread across its walls, while broken stones rained down.

Creak!

The buildings collapsed!

Dust and smoke billowed, obscuring the area.

Suddenly!

Whoosh!

A figure burst from the smoke and dust like a fierce tiger leaping from its cage!

The figure streaked rapidly across the sky, carrying an immense momentum as it hurtled toward a street!

"You think you can escape before this general's eyes? Wishful thinking! You should have died in that village that day, yet you struggled to survive and even caused the deaths of a batch of my subordinates. Do you know how grave a crime that is?"