Er Wazi had a dream. He dreamed he was lying in a warm bed, with two figures talking in front of him.
But no matter how hard he tried, he could not make out their faces. They only seemed familiar, their voices gentle, with the sound of a rattle beside his ear...
It hurts...
The blurry images shattered. Stabs of pain shot through the back of his head, and a strong smell of blood reached him, mingled with a nauseating stench. Yes, it smelled even worse than the cattle pen...
He opened his eyes and suddenly found a cow's eye staring at him. It gave him such a fright that he nearly jumped up.
But he calmed down and did not make any rash movements.
Because it really was a cow's head-one of Wang Laocai's cows, already dead. Two more cows lay beside it, and he was wedged among them.
Huff... huff...
Then he heard the sound of a wild beast breathing heavily. How could its breathing sound even more frightening than a cow's?
Er Wazi usually slept in the hay shed beside the cattle pen. Cows breathed heavily in their sleep too, but this sound was far more terrifying.
He quietly raised his head to look and saw a startling sight.
There was a faint light near the cave ceiling. An enormous creature, bigger than three or four cows put together, lay there with its back to him.
Its back was covered in dark red scales like a snake's, and rings of black hair thicker than fingers encircled its neck. Its belly rose and fell with each breath, stirring a rank wind through the cave.
What kind of monster is that?
It... it's huge.
How did I end up here?!
Er Wazi's expression changed. He suddenly remembered being knocked unconscious by a violent impact. Perhaps this monster had knocked him out.
He bit down hard on his lip, keeping himself from making a sound. If he disturbed this creature, he was dead...
This enormous beast had bitten Wang Laocai's cows to death and dragged them into its cave. It had knocked him unconscious and put him with the dead cows.
Heavens! This terrifying creature is stockpiling food.
Er Wazi understood now. He had heard the old hunter say that some ferocious beasts caught prey and stored it to eat later.
I've been stored away as food too.
No, I have to find a way to escape.
It's asleep right now...
With that thought, Er Wazi got up as quietly and gently as he could. The back of his head still throbbed, and he did not dare take a closer look at the monster.
Holding his breath, he quietly shifted his body, only to discover stark white bones all around him. Some belonged to Demon Beasts, others to humans...
The sight sent a chill down Er Wazi's spine and made his hair stand on end.
When you encounter a wild beast, don't be afraid. If you're afraid, you're dead.
Er Wazi remembered what the old hunter had once told him. He bit his lip, and the sharp pain helped him calm down.
Don't be afraid. Er Wazi, what have you got to fear? Staying alive is what matters most!
Encouraging himself inwardly, he carefully moved his feet, one step, then another, slowly edging toward the cave entrance.
As he moved, he studied the enormous creature. A horn grew from its head, etched with strange patterns.
Several fist-sized stones shone on the cave ceiling above the monster.
Those stones must be treasures.
Looking at the glowing stones, Er Wazi thought they must be the gemstones Teacher Lan Qing had spoken of...
But forget it. This monster could casually crush me under one foot. I shouldn't take the risk...
Risk waking this monster for a gemstone? Do I think I've lived too long?
Suppressing his greed, Er Wazi quietly edged toward the cave entrance.
He was almost at the entrance.
Suddenly.
Crack...
The ground beneath his foot gave way. He heard bones breaking underneath, and something hard dug into his sole...
His hair stood on end at once, and Er Wazi fixed his eyes on the monster.
Fortunately, the monster was still asleep and seemed not to have heard.
Er Wazi breathed a sigh of relief and looked down. There was a patch of earth on the ground, with bones underneath.
That scared me to death. If I wake this creature, I'm finished.
Er Wazi quietly lifted his foot. The object digging into his sole seemed to be a stone, yet it gave off faint wisps of purple light.
What is it?
Er Wazi quietly crouched down and gently brushed away the dirt.
To his surprise, it was a Small Cauldron made of purple jade, only the size of a walnut and covered in dirt.
This thing must be worth a lot.
With that thought, Er Wazi grabbed the Purple Jade Little Cauldron without hesitation and stuffed it into his pocket.
With this thing, if I go to the city and sell it for money, maybe I'll be able to live a good life?
Feeling the weight of the Purple Jade Little Cauldron against his chest, Er Wazi grew a little excited.
Still, escaping with his life came first.
However.
Just then.
Hum...
Er Wazi suddenly felt the Purple Jade Little Cauldron against his chest vibrate.
Then.
The glowing stones on the cave ceiling suddenly blazed with light, turning into specks of radiance that flew out and streamed into the Purple Jade Little Cauldron in his pocket.
Wh... what's happening?
Er Wazi's expression changed drastically. He took to his heels and ran for the cave entrance.
Roooaaar...!!
The sleeping monster suddenly woke and let out a terrifying roar. The entire Mountain Cave trembled, and grit and dust came showering down.
That monster was like a small mountain. One step could squash him into a meat patty...
Wishing he had another pair of legs, Er Wazi sprinted out of the cave. Outside, moonlight shone brightly, and bones littered the ground...
Boom, boom, boom...
Heavy footsteps came charging out from inside the cave.
I'm done for. There's no way I can outrun this creature.
Anxiety burned through Er Wazi. The monster was so huge, and it had even bitten the cows to death. How could he possibly outrun it?
I've got it.
Seeing a large rock beside the cave entrance, Er Wazi had a flash of inspiration. Without hesitation, he rushed over and rolled beneath the rock to hide.
He had barely hidden himself.
Roar...
The monster let out a chilling roar, whipped up a raging storm of wind, and charged out of the cave. It roared thunderously toward the valley ahead, then hurtled forward in a frenzy...
Boom... boom... boom...
As though driven mad, the monster kept crashing into the great trees, snapping the enormous trunks one after another...
Er Wazi huddled into a ball behind the large rock, not daring to let out even the faintest breath.
Fortunately, he had hidden by this rock. He was only a child; how could he possibly have outrun that enormous creature...
But.
Before Er Wazi could breathe a sigh of relief.
Roar...
The enormous monster came running back.
Er Wazi's face darkened.
Why did it come back? Did it find me?