Growing Strong in Solitude

Bluestone Mountain covered a vast area. Mingye dragged the lifeless carcass of a black bear back to the wolf tribe's territory.

Before he had fully entered, members of the Demon Wolf Tribe had already detected his scent and that of the black bear.

As demon wolves, they possessed a keen sense of smell that proved invaluable in detecting danger.

Wolf after wolf emerged from the territory, their eyes gleaming green. In front of the pack,

several members of the Demon Wolf Tribe stood guard over their territory.

"Mingye, you brat..."

"You actually went hunting on a night with such heavy snow!"

"That was far too reckless!"

Mingye stopped. With a flick of his wrist, the black bear behind him flew forward and landed heavily before the tribesmen.

"I'll leave it to you."

Leaving those words behind, Mingye walked past the guards. He did not want to waste time explaining himself.

He had fought all night and was exhausted. He desperately needed rest.

"That brat really is..."

A burly demon wolf tribesman frowned at Mingye's behavior and was about to step forward, only for a hand to stop him.

"Captain?"

The burly man looked at the captain who had stopped him, confusion in his eyes.

"Let him go."

The guard captain shook his head slightly, inwardly marveling. As expected of the former chief's son. He's reached this level at only fifty years old.

Mingye's father had been the chief of this tribe. Unfortunately, he had died not long after Kōga was born.

But anyone who could become a tribe's chief was bound to be among its most gifted members.

Even so, what Mingye had accomplished as the former chief's son still astonished the guard captain.

In the Demon Wolf Tribe, chiefs were chosen through combat, not inheritance.

Only the strongest could become chief. With their father dead, Mingye would have to defeat the strongest living member if he wanted to become chief.

The strong preyed on the weak. That was the way of the wolf tribe.

"This black bear had cultivated for a hundred and fifteen years. If he could kill it, his strength is not to be underestimated!"

A lean, powerful man beside the guard captain examined the black bear, a glint of surprise in his eyes. Looking after the departing Mingye, he spoke in astonishment.

"A black bear with a hundred and fifteen years of cultivation?!"

The burly man's expression changed. He went over and examined the black bear, reaching the same conclusion.

No wonder they were all surprised. Black bears were naturally stronger than wolves. Any of them who encountered one alone would have no choice but to flee.

Even the captain, the strongest among them with two hundred years of cultivation, would have to be careful facing this black bear.

That was also why the guard captain was so impressed with Mingye.

This fact alone showed how weak the Demon Wolf Tribe was at present. Even its strongest guard captain had only two hundred years of cultivation.

And though the chief was four hundred years old, battle after battle had left him increasingly aged.

This branch of the Demon Wolf Tribe was heading toward decline and extinction.

That was precisely why Mingye felt such urgency. The tribe was so weak.

Any slightly stronger demon could wipe out the entire tribe.

There were too many demons in this world-far too many powerful ones.

It would not take a great demon renowned throughout the world like Tōga. Even a demon with a modest reputation could deal this tribe a devastating blow!

In the original course of events, Kōga alone had been the strongest in the entire Demon Wolf Tribe. Everyone else had been utterly inadequate.

A single member of the resurrected Band of Seven had nearly slaughtered the Demon Wolf Tribe to extinction. That alone showed just how weak the tribe was now.

Mingye had revealed his strength and stunned the Demon Wolf Tribe. He was still at an age equivalent to a young child.

Yet his strength was already enough to make him a pillar of this tribe.

Meanwhile, Mingye, who had caused such a stir among the Demon Wolf Tribe, dragged his exhausted body back into the cave. He tossed Kōga some meat from inside his clothes, then lay down and fell asleep.

"Big brother..."

Kōga wanted Mingye to play with him, but when he saw that his brother had fallen straight asleep, he called out softly just once and said nothing more.

He was still far too young. At only eight years old, he understood nothing.

After eating the meat Mingye had given him, Kōga happily went out to play with his little friends.

Children were always carefree. They did not need to worry about anything, only seek out fun.

Mingye slept for an entire day before slowly waking.

All his exhaustion had faded. Night had fallen, but his eyes were bright. After telling Kōga to be good and go to sleep, he left the cave once more.

Night was always when creatures were most relaxed, and the best time to hunt.

Dressed in a black woolen sweater, Mingye made his way through the deep snow. Snowflakes still drifted down that night, far heavier than in previous years.

Braving the wind and snow, Mingye pressed on, his steps steady and his pace swift.

A somewhat aged figure stood at the edge of a cliff, watching the boy move through the darkness, a gleam rising in his deep eyes.

"He truly is your son, Fengxue. To have gained such insight at so young an age... perhaps he'll go even farther than you did!"

The figure murmured to himself in the darkness, filled with emotion. He was the current chief of this demon wolf tribe, and had also been the closest companion of the previous chief, Fengxue, Mingye's father.

He watched Mingye disappear into the night and remained there for a long time, as though recalling something.

Is the old man watching me...?

Mingye's mental power far exceeded that of an ordinary demon. Even without seeing anyone, he could still sense that he was being watched.

He kept walking. The chief had not spoken to him after he woke, because he knew Mingye's disposition.

Over fifty years, they had come to understand his nature. He was aloof and rarely spoke much with others.

As a result, Mingye had almost no friends his own age, and he was happy that way.

He had long since grown accustomed to solitude in his previous life. To become strong, he had to embrace solitude, grow within it, and gain strength.

To many tribesmen, this was bizarre, because wolves depended on the pack to survive. They were bloodthirsty, but united.

Cases like his were rare.

"This is the true path of the strong!"

The weathered figure shook his head with a sigh. In a world like this, the truly strong were those whose individual strength was great enough.

The current chief understood that Mingye had already moved beyond the others' way of thinking and set foot on the true path of the strong.

That path was filled with danger and thorns, and the chances of dying along it were extremely high.

But Mingye had known that all along. The chief had recognized this, which was why he had not sought him out for a talk.

The chief offered Mingye no protection. Only those who truly endured hardship could grow strong.

He also wanted to see how far Mingye could go, whether he could surpass his father and become truly powerful.

Besides, too many hidden injuries had accumulated within him. He could not hold on much longer.

"This tribe desperately needs someone truly strong..."