Showing Its Hand

Two mutilated bodies lay across the open ground. The Bronze Tier leopard had been Blood-Devouring Vine and dragged to the outside of the fence, while the other leopard lay further away, its blood no longer flowing, but congealed into a dark red pool that seeped into the decaying leaves at its feet. A sweet, fishy smell mingled with the damp earth in the air, lingering in the nostrils.

Lu Heng looked up at the direction Star Lotus had pointed to earlier.

That's deeper into the forest, with denser canopies, and the light is much dimmer.

He narrowed his eyes.

Could it be that the thing behind it all is over there?

Once the thought came to mind, he couldn't suppress it. Without further hesitation, Lu Heng drew the Rat King Bone Knife from his waist, its blade gleaming coldly white in the dim light. He turned and walked in that direction, the Bone Demon following behind, its footsteps light, making almost no sound as it stepped on the soft, damp leaves.

The further you go in, the cooler the air becomes.

It wasn't the kind of bone-chilling cold; Lu Heng's body could handle it. He could only feel a thin layer of cold on his skin, and his breath was slightly pale. The ground was getting wetter and wetter, and his feet would occasionally sink half an inch under them. Beneath the decaying leaves was moss that never saw the sun, and when stepped on, it would ooze a musty smell.

He arrived after walking for about ten minutes.

The scene was chaotic.

Several shrubs were trampled down, and there were fresh scratches on the tree trunks, with the bark peeled back to reveal the light-colored wood underneath. There were several deep claw marks on the ground, but their shapes were messy, and it was impossible to tell which creature left them. There were drag marks on the mud, broken branches were scattered around, and some wood chips still had sap on them.

Lu Heng squatted down and pressed his hand against one of the claw marks.

The mud was still soft, indicating that it hadn't been too long since they left.

But the trail ends there.

He stood up and looked around. There were no signs of anything hidden behind the bushes, nor any markings on the tree trunks. The troublemaker had left cleanly, or rather, intentionally cleared the area.

Lu Heng gripped the bone knife tightly.

He has always hated those who scheme and plot against others. From the time he transmigrated until now, every step he's taken, and wherever he ends up, has been mostly reckless. But this time, he's been outmaneuvered.

It didn't come head-on; it hid in the shadows, only revealing a sliver of its tail after it had finished fighting the two leopards.

This feeling made him very uncomfortable.

Lu Heng turned and walked back.

When they returned to the Shelter, the Blood-Devouring Vine on the perimeter had already begun to stir.

Several thick vines wrapped around the corpse of the Bronze Tier leopard, dragging it to the muddy ground outside the fence. Small cracks appeared on the surface of the vines, and the roots dug into the flesh, slowly absorbing it. The leopard's body had shrunk a little, and a layer of sticky sap clung to its fur.

The Blood-Devouring Vine suffered considerable damage in this battle; several vines withered, darkened in color, and still bore the cracks left from the previous fight.

Lu Heng glanced at it, then walked around to the other leopard's carcass.

The corpse was still intact, though most of the blood had congealed, and it was quite heavy. He gripped the leopard's forelimb joint, exerted force, and flipped the entire corpse over, then lifted it and threw it towards the Bloodthirsty Vine.

The vines sensed it; a few thin tendrils detached from the Bronze Tier leopard's corpse, slowly reached out, and began to pierce the flesh of another leopard.

Lu Heng watched it eat, then turned and went into the Shelter without lingering.

He immediately called for the Bone Demon and went out.

can not wait.

Since the thing behind the scenes dared to make a move, it won't just do it once. Rather than waiting for it to cause trouble again, it's better to go into the woods and investigate first.

Lu Heng's goal was clear—to interrogate the wild animals in the forest.

He needed to figure out one thing: whether the appearance of the two leopards near the Shelter was the result of the wild animals in the forest collectively driving away the outsiders, or whether an individual was behind it all.

If it's the former, it means the ecological order in the forest is still functioning normally.

If it's the latter, then there's a much bigger problem.

The Bone Demon followed beside him, still carrying a strong smell of blood. Lu Heng didn't bother to remove it; the smell actually served its purpose—the wild beasts in the forest, upon smelling it, would at least know that the newcomer was not to be trifled with, saving them time.

Our first stop was the territory of the Dark-Spotted Leopard.

The Dark-Spotted Leopard's territory was located southeast of the Shelter, separated by a patch of low bushes and a few crooked old trees. When Lu Heng arrived, the Dark-Spotted Leopard was lying on a bluish-gray rock, its tail dangling over the edge, swishing idly.

The moment it saw Lu Heng, its entire body tensed up.

Its fur bristled from its back all the way to the base of its tail, its hind legs crouched slightly, its lips parted to reveal two rows of teeth, and a low growl rolled out from its throat.

But Lu Heng could tell that the roar lacked strength.

The Dark-Spotted Leopard's ears were pressed back, its pupils were contracted, and its center of gravity was shifted backward—this was a defensive posture, not an offensive one. It dared not pounce.

Lu Heng glanced at its condition.

He's thinner, has an old wound on his left hind leg, and his fur is covered in mud and grass clippings. He doesn't look like someone with the energy to plot anything.

He asked, "Do you know anything about those two leopards from before?"

The Dark-Spotted Leopard tilted its head.

Its expression was straightforward—bewildered.

I have absolutely no idea what he's talking about.

Lu Heng was silent for two seconds, then turned and left.

Asking it is pointless. This guy's brain capacity is probably only enough to remember his territory and where his next meal is, just like those working leopards on the African savanna who are chased by lions, have their food stolen by hyenas, and are busy running around all day long.

The Bone Demon followed, and the two continued deeper into the forest.

We passed through the territory of the Ghost Tiger on the way.

Ghost Tiger lay beneath a fallen old tree, its front paws crossed and resting on the roots, its head nestled under its paws, its eyes half-closed. The patterns on its body almost blended into the dark forest background, only its eyes shone brightly.

Lu Heng stopped ten steps away from it.

Ghost Tiger opened his eyes.

There was no ruffling of its fur, no growling, and no obvious body movement. It simply raised its head, looked at Lu Heng, its gaze sweeping from Lu Heng to the Bone Demon, and then back again.

The stench of blood emanating from the Bone Demon wafted over.

Ghost Tiger's nostrils twitched, its pupils contracted slightly, and its ears turned backward. It retracted its front paws from the tree roots, lowered its center of gravity, and gently swayed the tip of its tail.

It's not fear, it's vigilance.

Lu Heng asked, "Do you know what happened with those two leopards?"

Ghost Tiger stared at him without moving.

A few seconds later, it tilted its head.

Lu Heng could understand that expression—or perhaps he didn't.

Like the Dark-Spotted Leopard, it knows nothing.

Lu Heng didn't waste any more words and turned to leave.

Ghost Tiger followed him for a while until his figure disappeared behind the bushes, then lay back down on the tree root, his front paws crossed and his eyes half-closed.

The Bone Demon followed, and the two continued deeper into the forest.

The road ahead will be difficult.

The bushes grew denser, some branches covered in fine thorns that left white marks on clothes. The ground was damp, and the sound of snapping Withered Branch underfoot was particularly clear in the quiet forest. Lu Heng walked quickly, with the Bone Demon following silently behind.

We passed through a transitional grassland area where water droplets clung to the blades of grass. A gust of wind blew, and the droplets landed on our trouser legs, their coolness clinging to our skin. Several unidentified birds flew overhead, their cries sharp, and quickly disappeared behind the treetops.

Still no clues.

Lu Heng's brows furrowed more and more deeply.

He continued to delve deeper.

The fog had risen sometime earlier; it wasn't thick, but it clung to the forest floor, significantly reducing visibility. The ground beneath our feet began to soften, and occasionally we could step into puddles, our boots making a squelching sound.

Then he saw Wolf Pack.

Seven horses, no, eight horses.

They emerged from the mist without making a sound. At the front was the Wolf King, a size larger than the others, with an old scar on his gray fur that ran from his shoulder to his waist.

The Wolf King stopped when it saw Lu Heng.

Lu Heng also stopped.

The two sides stared at each other from a distance of about twenty meters. The bloody smell emanating from the Bone Demon dissipated slowly in the damp, cold air, thick like an invisible curtain draped over the surroundings. The Wolf Pack lowered their bodies in unison, their lips slightly parted, revealing their canine teeth, and their tails held high.

The entire Wolf Pack went into defensive mode.

But not a single wolf launched an attack.

Lu Heng looked into the Wolf King's eyes and asked, "Do you know what's going on with those two leopards?"

The Wolf King did not move.

It stared at Lu Heng, its gaze sweeping back and forth between Lu Heng and the Bone Demon twice. Then, it slowly raised its head and tilted it to the left.

That direction.

Lu Heng's gaze followed.

That's the Black-Eyed Bear's territory.

His heart sank.

Black-Eyed Bear.

That bear doesn't usually venture out much; it's extremely territorial and is among the largest in the forest. If it really was behind this, then the appearance of the two leopards near the Shelter earlier makes sense—someone was secretly pulling the strings, drawing the external threat to the Shelter while they watched from behind.

The Wolf King slowly nodded.

Lu Heng looked at it. "It seems you're aware of this matter as well."

The Wolf King's body tensed instantly, and the other wolves simultaneously took a half step back, but instead of scattering, they gathered even closer together. They were on guard against Lu Heng making a move.

Lu Heng did not move.

He weighed the options.

Killing the Wolf Pack isn't difficult; with his current strength, the Bone Demon is no match for eight wolves. But what happens after he kills them? The Wolf Pack is gone, the ecosystem of this area will be disrupted, and he won't gain any substantial benefit from Wolf Pack.

Not worth it.

"I won't kill you," Lu Heng said, "But you'll have to pay the price."

The Wolf King's ears perked up.

"Take any treasure chests you can find within your territory to the entrance of my Shelter." Lu Heng's tone was calm. "You're not allowed inside; just leave them at the entrance. You should have seen the Blood-Devouring Vine on the outer perimeter."

The Wolf King did not respond immediately.

It glanced at the Bone Demon. The Bone Demon stood motionless beside Lu Heng, its dark red bloodstains still damp, standing out starkly in the mist.

A few seconds later, the Wolf King lowered its head and let out a low whimper.

It's not submission, it's compromise.

Lu Heng nodded, said nothing more, and turned to walk back the way he came.

He stopped once he was out of the Wolf Pack ' sight.

I glanced back in the direction where the Black-Eyed Bear was.

The fog was thicker over there, the shadows of the trees overlapping, obscuring what lay in the depths. But Lu Heng knew that the bear was in that shadow, probably curled up in some cave, waiting to see him make a fool of himself.

Lu Heng gripped the Rat King Bone Knife tightly.

Now that the matter has been clarified, there's no need to wait any longer.

He turned his head and said a single word to the Bone Demon.

"Let's go."

The Bone Demon followed.

The figures of the human and the demon quickly disappeared into the mist, heading straight towards the territory of the Black-Eyed Bear.