A chill deeper than that of the mountain forest after rain spread all the way over from the ruined temple.
The tiger licked the blood from the fur around its mouth and lowered its head to look at the man struggling to crawl. In the end, it shrank back.
Its paws slowly retreated a few steps. The enormous tiger abandoned the food almost within its jaws and bounded away on a gust of mountain wind.
Chai Wang looked back and discovered that the terrifying tiger really had left. Wild joy immediately spread across his face, kindling an even fiercer desire to survive.
His calf seemed to have lost all sensation, and there was a dreadful wound on his shoulder. He could barely summon any strength, but neither injury was fatal yet.
There was someone in the temple. Although Chai Wang knew he had originally come to kill that man, the man had now become his hope.
Chai Wang had spent the past two years lurking in the shadows of Haiyu County. Although Zhong Xingwen had had little dealings with him, he knew a fair amount about Zhong Xingwen.
That constable surely wouldn't stand by and watch someone die!
He doesn't know me. He'll save me.
"H-help. Help-"
Chai Wang kept crawling toward the ruined temple.
"Help? I once cried out like that, too."
A gloomy, uncanny voice came from ahead. Chai Wang slowly raised his head. He saw no one else, but a powerful chill rose within him.
The voice sounded inexplicably familiar.
Just then, the rain-soaked mountain path ahead of Chai Wang began giving off waves of a strange, bloody stench.
"It really is you. I would never forget you."
The voice sounded again. Already pale from blood loss, Chai Wang struggled to look around.
"Who? Who's speaking?"
"Aren't