Ambush at the Valley Mouth

Shen Fei stood up and brushed the dust off his clothes.

"Let's go."

Xiao Ning'er rose as well, tightening her grip on her short sword. The wound on her left arm did not affect her grip, but she could not move it too much.

The two headed along the valley with a clear destination: the main entrance to the Gulan City Ruins.

The path was rough, littered with weeds and loose stones. Shen Fei led the way, while Xiao Ning'er followed, occasionally checking for movement behind them.

Neither spoke much, yet an unspoken understanding had formed between them. Without a word, they both knew which way to go.

They retreated farther into the valley for nearly an hour. The beasts' roars behind them faded completely, and the narrow branching trail beneath their feet gradually widened.

The rock walls on either side remained steep, covered in drought-resistant weeds. Wind blew in from the valley mouth, carrying the dusty scent of the wilderness outside.

Shen Fei walked ahead with light footsteps. Every so often, he stopped to listen, making sure nothing was pursuing them while staying alert to movement ahead. The closer they came to the valley mouth, the more wary he grew.

A valley with only one way out was all too easy to seal off. In his previous life with the City Guard, he had seen plenty of Demon Beasts waiting at valley mouths to hunt.

After a few dozen more steps, the light ahead grew noticeably brighter, and the outline of the valley mouth came into view. Shen Fei suddenly raised a hand, signaling Xiao Ning'er to stop.

Xiao Ning'er halted at once and held her breath. She knew Shen Fei had more combat experience than she did. If he stopped at a time like this, he must have spotted something wrong.

Keeping close to the rock wall, Shen Fei edged forward two steps and peeked toward the valley mouth.

The exit was a gap a little over twenty feet wide, opening onto the Rocky Slope. A huge Demon Beast crouched right in the middle of it.

Thick, dark gray scales covered its body, and its limbs were powerfully built. Its head was lowered to the ground as it gnawed on a dead Rock Sheep. Blood dripped from the corners of its mouth, pooling beneath it.

An Ironclad Beast, Gold Rank 1-Star.

Shen Fei drew back and leaned against the rock wall, his brow furrowing slightly.

He had seen this kind of Demon Beast from the city walls in his previous life. It possessed tremendous strength, and its scales were far thicker than those of other Demon Beasts at the same rank. An ordinary refined-iron sword could leave only a white mark on them.

Its only weaknesses were its eyes and the gaps around its limb joints. Though slow, it defended itself without leaving a single opening, making it difficult to strike.

His apparent cultivation was only silver 3-star, while Xiao Ning'er was silver 1-star and had an injured left arm.

Their chances of winning a head-on fight were slim. Even with his concealed Silver Rank 4-Star strength and Shadow Mantis, summoning his demon spirit would cause too much commotion. It would not only expose his trump card but might also draw more Demon Beasts.

Nearly vertical slopes flanked the valley mouth, strewn with loose stones and weeds. They could climb up on hands and feet and circle around to the Rocky Slope outside.

But climbing would take time and make plenty of noise. The Ironclad Beast could easily notice them.

"What's ahead?" Xiao Ning'er asked quietly.

"A Gold Rank 1-Star Ironclad Beast blocking the exit.

" Shen Fei kept his voice low. "There are steep slopes on either side of the valley mouth. We can go around. Climb the left slope before it notices you, then head for the ruins' entrance. I'll stay and lure it away, then catch up."

Xiao Ning'er glanced at the steep slope on the left, then looked back at Shen Fei and shook her head outright. "No. You can't hold off a Gold Demon Beast alone."

"I have a way to get away," Shen Fei said evenly. "You'll only hold me back if you stay. Go ahead. Without having to worry about you, it'll be easier for me to escape."

His words were half true and half false. If he truly wanted to escape, he could summon the Shadow Mantis and break through in an instant, but that would expose everything.

He had intended to wait until Xiao Ning'er left, then look for opportunities to wear the beast down, using his trump card only if all else failed.

"I'm not leaving." Xiao Ning'er's voice was soft, but her resolve allowed no argument. "I won't abandon a companion to save myself."

"We're hardly companions." Shen Fei glanced at her. "We're just heading the same way. You're wounded. Staying won't help."

"We won't know whether I can help until we fight." As she spoke, Xiao Ning'er took a cloth bundle from inside her clothes. She opened it to reveal several stacks of blank talisman paper and a small engraving knife.

"I can carve two Weakening Inscriptions and attach them to the rocks. If it steps on them, they'll reduce its scales' defense by about ten percent. I can also draw two Explosive Talismans to block its vision temporarily. It's not as though I can't help at all."

Shen Fei looked at the things in her hands and fell silent for a few seconds.

He knew Xiao Ning'er was gifted with inscriptions, but hastily carved ones had limited power and consumed enormous amounts of Soul Force. Her meridians were already damaged. Overdrawing her Soul Force would only worsen her injuries.

"It takes too much out of you. You won't hold up," he said.

"I know my own limits." Xiao Ning'er had already picked up the engraving knife and pinched a sheet of talisman paper between her fingertips. She lowered her head and began carving. "Instead of arguing over who stays and who leaves, save your strength and think of a way to kill it.

Once it's dead, we can both get out."

Her movements were steady. The knife traced fine patterns across the talisman paper. Daylight streamed in from the valley mouth and fell across her pale profile, revealing the beads of sweat forming at her temple.

Carving inscriptions demanded absolute concentration. Not a single line could go wrong, and Soul Force drained rapidly.

Shen Fei watched her for a few seconds, then stopped trying to persuade her. He knew how stubborn she was. If she said she would not leave, she would not leave. Arguing would only waste time, and if the Ironclad Beast noticed them, things would become even more troublesome.

He turned to study the terrain at the valley mouth again, swiftly working out a strategy.

Several waist-high boulders stood on either side of the valley mouth, providing cover and room to maneuver.

A large heap of loose stones lay beneath the left slope, weathered fragments that had fallen from the rock wall. If they could lure the Demon Beast beneath it, they could push the stones down and injure it.

The Ironclad Beast moved slowly and could not turn nimbly. If they used the terrain to keep it moving back and forth, they might have a chance.

He soon formed a plan.

"I'll go out first and get its attention, then lure it toward that heap of stones on the left," Shen Fei told Xiao Ning'er quietly. "Carve the Weakening Inscription onto the rock it has to pass, and get the Explosive Talismans ready.

Once it steps on the inscription, I'll trap it beneath the stones. Find an opening to bring them down on its back."

"All right." Xiao Ning'er did not look up, and her engraving knife never stopped. "Give me fifteen minutes."

Shen Fei nodded and said nothing more. He picked up several fist-sized stones and tucked them inside his clothes, then checked his refined-iron sword to make sure its edge was not chipped. A Gold Demon Beast's scales were hard. The sword would probably be ruined by the end of this fight.

Fifteen minutes later, Xiao Ning'er put away her engraving knife. Her face was even paler than before, her lips nearly bloodless, and her fingers trembled slightly.

She attached the two completed weakening talismans to the sides of two rocks along the unavoidable route through the valley mouth. They were almost impossible to spot without looking closely. She also held two yellowish-brown Explosive Talismans she had prepared beforehand. They were not very powerful, but surprise was their strength.

"Ready," she said softly.

Shen Fei nodded, took a deep breath, and slowly stepped out with his sword in hand.

He deliberately crunched the loose stones underfoot.

At the faint crack, the Ironclad Beast abruptly raised its head from its prey.

Its eyes, as large as bronze bells, swept toward him. The instant it saw Shen Fei, a low growl rumbled in its throat.

It dropped the prey from its mouth, pushed off with all four limbs, and charged at Shen Fei.

The ground trembled slightly. A Gold Demon Beast charged with tremendous force, like a moving wall of stone.

Shen Fei did not meet it head-on. He turned and ran left, drawing the Ironclad Beast toward the heap of loose stones.

The Ironclad Beast was not particularly fast, but its strides were long. It caught up within a few steps, raised a forepaw, and slammed it toward Shen Fei's back.

Shen Fei dove forward and rolled behind a nearby boulder.

With a bang, the forepaw struck the boulder. Chips of stone flew everywhere, and the entire rock shook.

That single blow told Shen Fei how strong it was. A direct hit would have shattered his bones.

He dared not stop. Circling around the other side of the boulder, he continued retreating toward the heap of stones.

The Ironclad Beast roared in fury, turned, and pursued him again.

As it stepped over the rock where Xiao Ning'er had attached a weakening talisman, the paper instantly shone with pale gray light, which spread across its scales.

The Ironclad Beast faltered, as though its body had grown heavier. The sheen of its scales dimmed slightly.

It worked.

Shen Fei steadied himself and kept moving, continuing to lure it beneath the heap of stones.

Xiao Ning'er slipped out from behind the rock wall. Keeping low, she silently made her way to the upper side of the stone heap.

Her left arm had no strength, so she could only grip the rocks with her right hand and inch upward. The movement pulled painfully at her wound, but she gritted her teeth without making a sound.

Below, Shen Fei had begun maneuvering around the Ironclad Beast.

He dodged back and forth between the rocks, occasionally thrusting his sword at the beast's eyes. Each time, the Ironclad Beast raised a paw to block. His blade struck its scales and scattered tiny sparks.

Shen Fei fought patiently. He was waiting for the Demon Beast to move fully beneath the heap of stones.

After several more exchanges, the Ironclad Beast was thoroughly enraged. It lowered its head, aimed its bony head armor at Shen Fei, and charged.

Shen Fei seized the moment and leaped sideways. Unable to stop its momentum, the Ironclad Beast crashed headfirst into the rock wall behind him, shaking loose stones down in a clattering shower. It came to a stop directly beneath the stone heap.

"Now!" Shen Fei shouted.

Above, Xiao Ning'er immediately raised her hand and drove her short sword hard into a gap in the stone heap. The already loose stones collapsed at once. Rocks of every size rolled down the slope, clattering against the Ironclad Beast's back.

Dull impacts sounded one after another. The waist-high boulder at the top rolled down with them and slammed into the beast's lower back.

The Ironclad Beast let out a roar of pain. Its body swayed, and its forelegs buckled, nearly bringing it to its knees. Several cracks split the scales on its back, and dark red blood seeped out.

But it was not dead yet.

The Demon Beast whipped around, fixing its bloodshot eyes on Xiao Ning'er on the slope. It opened its mouth and spat a blast of pale gray energy at her.

Xiao Ning'er's expression changed. There was nowhere to dodge on the slope. As the blast closed in, she gritted her teeth and threw both Explosive Talismans.

With two muted booms, the talisman papers exploded in midair. Yellowish-brown smoke blocked the energy blast and obscured the Ironclad Beast's vision.

But the blast's residual force still caught her. Xiao Ning'er tilted sideways, slid down the slope, and hit the ground hard. Her left arm twisted as she tried to brace herself, and pain knitted her brows. For a long while, she could not get up.

The Ironclad Beast shook its head, pushed through the smoke, and advanced toward Xiao Ning'er. Its wounds had only made it fiercer. Every step sent a tremor through the ground.

Just then, Shen Fei rushed in from the side. Stepping onto the beast's hind leg, he sprang up and landed on its neck. He aimed his sword at the gap beneath its eye socket and drove it in hard.

He put every ounce of his strength into that thrust.

More than half the blade sank in, and black blood sprayed all over Shen Fei.

The Ironclad Beast shook its head wildly, trying to throw him off. Shen Fei clung fiercely to the sword hilt and hooked his other hand into a gap between its scales. No matter how violently it shook, he refused to let go.

After a dozen or so violent shakes, the beast's movements gradually slowed. Blood covered its eyes, and its roars grew weaker and weaker. At last, its massive body swayed and crashed to the ground.

Dust hung in the air for a long while before slowly settling.

Shen Fei slid off the beast and staggered two steps before regaining his balance. His sword was bent, its blade lodged in the beast's skull so firmly that he could not pull it out. Blood covered him, some from the Demon Beast and some from small cuts the flying stones had left on him.

He caught his breath and immediately looked toward Xiao Ning'er.

Xiao Ning'er had already sat up and was leaning against a rock, regulating her breathing. Her face was as white as paper, and a trace of blood stained the corner of her mouth. The energy blast had clearly injured her internal organs, but she was alive and fully conscious.

Shen Fei walked over, crouched down, and studied her face. "How are you?"

"I'm fine," Xiao Ning'er said faintly. "I just used a little too much Soul Force. I'll be all right after some rest."

Shen Fei said nothing. He took a bottle of energy-restoring pills from his backpack and handed it to her. They were ordinary pills he had bought at the Black Market, nothing expensive, but they could replenish some strength.

Xiao Ning'er accepted the bottle, tipped out a pill, and swallowed it. She leaned against the rock and closed her eyes to rest.

The valley mouth was quiet, save for the wind brushing past the rock walls. The Ironclad Beast lay on the ground, no longer breathing.

Shen Fei walked over to the corpse, pried open its skull with a dagger, and took out the Demon Crystal inside. The Gold Rank 1-Star Demon Crystal was sizable and weighed heavily in his hand. It was worth a good deal of money, and he could also keep it for future cultivation.

He searched a little more and stripped several intact scales from the corpse. They were hard enough to make protective gear later.

Only after finishing did he return to Xiao Ning'er and sit beside her.

Neither spoke. Each regulated their breathing and recovered.

After about an hour, some color returned to Xiao Ning'er's face. She stood and moved her left arm a little. It still hurt, but it no longer kept her from walking.