Time to Hunt

"Yu Chen, you and Oscar go get reinforcements. I'll follow the Wolf Bandits in secret and leave markers along the way."

Ming Dashan patted Yu Chen's shoulder and spoke gravely.

If he had encountered Fallen Soul Masters slaughtering a village, he would have turned around and left at once.

He was only a Soul Ancestor. That wasn't weak by the continent's standards, but he was far from a true powerhouse.

Even with justice in his heart, he wouldn't gamble with his own life.

But-

Creatures like these Wolf Bandits were simply too loathsome!

They loved slaughter and fed on humans, especially women and children.

An ordinary Wolf Bandit was comparable to a Soul Master at level twenty or thirty. Five hundred Wolf Bandits could defeat a regular army of ten thousand.

Moreover, Wolf Bandits reproduced extremely quickly.

Left unchecked, these creatures would spread like locusts, becoming an unstoppable disaster.

This pack had already gathered at least several dozen members and was beginning to take shape.

No one could stand idly by.

Ming Dashan pulled a token from inside his clothes and handed it to Yu Chen. "This token represents my noble rank. Take it into a city and find the army."

Yu Chen accepted the token. It seemed to be cast from some precious metal, with a little heft to it and a pale golden sheen.

A swan emblem adorned the front, while several lines of tiny characters were engraved on the back.

"Uncle Dashan, let me track them instead."

Yu Chen raised his head, his gaze firm.

"After my Soul Power reached level twenty-nine, Xiao Bai Dragon's senses became much stronger. She can track the Wolf Bandits from the sky."

What he didn't say was that Ming Dashan had a lame leg, which hampered his movements.

If the Wolf Bandits discovered him, he would surely die without even a place to be buried.

"No. That's too dangerous."

Ming Dashan immediately shook his head, his tone resolute.

Yu Chen was exceptionally gifted and only nine years old. Ming Dashan could never accept even the slightest mishap befalling him.

"How about this, Uncle Dashan? We track them together, so we can watch each other's backs."

Yu Chen thought for a moment, then handed the token to Oscar.

"Oscar, take this token and find the army."

Ming Dashan fell silent for a few seconds, then nodded.

With his and Yu Chen's strength, they had a reasonable chance of escaping if they worked together, provided they didn't run headlong into a large pack of Wolf Bandits.

"All right."

Oscar tucked the token into his clothes and nodded earnestly.

He took a deep breath, raised his hand, and formed a gesture with two fingers.

"I Have a Big Sausage!"

His first Soul Ring lit up. Warm yellow light gathered in his palm and became a steaming Big Sausage.

He caught his breath, then made another gesture with his fingers. "I have a Little Sausage!"

His second Soul Ring lit up, and a cured sausage as thick as a thumb appeared in his hand.

"Principal Ming, Yu Chen, take these. The Recovery Sausage replenishes stamina, and the Little Sausage neutralizes poison."

Even as he spoke, Oscar's breathing grew somewhat unsteady.

He was already exhausted from running such a long distance. Using two Soul Skills in succession had consumed a considerable amount of his Soul Power.

Ming Dashan glanced at Oscar and shook his head. "Oscar, eat the sausages yourself. Your task is the most important one. Find the army as quickly as possible and bring us reinforcements."

With that, he gave Oscar's shoulder a firm pat.

"All right."

Oscar nodded vigorously. Without protesting, he stuffed both sausages into his mouth.

The sausages melted on his tongue, turning into warm currents that slid into his stomach.

When he ate his own Recovery Sausage, the Soul Power it restored was roughly equal to what he had spent making it. Usually, it did little more than fill his stomach.

But now, he felt strength flood his entire body.

Clang-

Oscar tossed his refined iron pot onto the ground with a dull clatter.

He broke into a run and soon disappeared into the distance.

"Yu Chen, let's go. Follow my orders."

Ming Dashan spoke in a low voice.

One behind the other, the two slowly approached the village.

At the village entrance.

As soon as Yu Chen drew near, a thick stench of blood struck him in the face.

Not far away, a child lay on the ground.

His belly had been slit open, his blood pooled on the muddy ground, and all his organs had been eaten.

"Those vile beasts."

Yu Chen clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms.

Ming Dashan also gritted his teeth, fighting back the urge to attack.

There were only two of them, and he was merely a Soul Ancestor. Even a Soul King or Soul Emperor couldn't confront a pack of Wolf Bandits head-on.

"Uncle Dashan, how about we find some isolated Wolf Bandits and kill them?"

Yu Chen spoke softly.

Against an entire pack, the two of them certainly couldn't wipe them all out.

The safest course was to avoid stirring the grass and startling the snakes, and wait here for news from the army.

But the horrific scene before him was like a knife plunging into his heart, sending all the blood in his body surging toward his head.

Of course, this wasn't a moment of blind impulse.

He had confidence in his strength!

Even if he couldn't beat the Wolf Bandits, Xiao Bai could fly him away.

With the Blue Silver Emperor Soul Bone's flight Soul Skill as well, taking Ming Dashan along as they fled would be no problem at all.

"All right."

Ming Dashan nodded.

Just then, two Wolf Bandits walked out of the village.

They walked upright, like humans.

Two pointed ears stood atop their wolf heads, and their mouths gaped open, revealing two rows of serrated teeth.

Blue-gray fur covered their bodies, with traces of blood still clinging to it.

They approached the well at the village entrance. One picked up an iron bucket while the other turned the crank on the wooden pole, apparently preparing to draw water.

Wolf Bandits were highly intelligent creatures. They could use tools, build fires, and even devise battle plans.

That was precisely why they posed a far greater threat than other Soul Beasts.

Soon, the water had been drawn up.

Both Wolf Bandits plunged their heads into the iron bucket and gulped down the water.

Ming Dashan and Yu Chen exchanged a glance, then attacked at the same time.

"First Soul Skill, Wind Blade!"

Ming Dashan's first Soul Ring lit up. A blue-green Wind Blade slashed out, shooting forward with a piercing whistle.

At the same time, Yu Chen's first Soul Ring lit up as well.

A powerful cyclone formed around Xiao Bai Dragon, wrapping her body and spinning faster and faster.

Whoosh-

Her entire body became a streak of light as she hurtled toward the two Wolf Bandits.

First Soul Skill-Wind Element, Wind Speed.

Xiao Bai Dragon moved even faster than Ming Dashan's Wind Blade.

In almost the blink of an eye, she had passed through both Wolf Bandits, severing them at the waist.

Ming Dashan froze for a moment, but quickly recovered and dragged the two Wolf Bandits into a nearby thatched hut.

"Uncle Dashan, I've already checked. This seems to be the village's only well. Let's stay here and wait for them."

Yu Chen spoke.

Ming Dashan nodded. This was indeed the safest method.

In the center of the village.

More than thirty Wolf Bandits had gathered there.

Severed limbs littered the clearing in the middle. Every relatively intact corpse had been disemboweled, its organs scooped out and eaten clean.

"Awooo-"

The Wolf Bandit leading them raised its head and let out a long howl.

Its blue-green fur gleamed, and it stood much taller than the other Wolf Bandits, with a far burlier build.

Hearing the call, the Wolf Bandits scattered throughout the village came hurrying over from every direction.

The Wolf Bandit leader looked at the corpses on the ground and licked its lips, a satisfied rumble rising from its throat.

Clearly, it was very pleased with this sumptuous meal.

Yet once it finished counting the Wolf Bandits, its gaze immediately darkened.

More than a dozen Wolf Bandits were missing.

"Awooo-!"

It abruptly threw back its head and howled.

This cry was different from the last-sharp and urgent, carrying unmistakable anger.

At the sound, the surrounding Wolf Bandits' eyes instantly turned blood-red.

"Awooo!"

All fifty or sixty Wolf Bandits rose to their feet, their noses twitching furiously. Following the lingering scent of blood in the air, they charged madly toward the village entrance.