Chapter 5: The Wolf Pack

A leaf to blind the eye? For someone able to wield such an art, this Mr. Wen is no simple man...

He had once sent Thirty-Six to study the ways of the scholars. That troublesome boy had spent two and a half years there and could only conjure a tiny flame—not even as useful as a fire striker—while his skills in killing had improved by leaps and bounds, leaving Ji Huo to wonder if he’d sent him to the wrong place.

Ji Huo nodded imperceptibly, his face calm and unreadable.

Mr. Wen waited a moment, and seeing Ji Huo unmoved, coughed and said, “My skills are really nothing worth taking to the halls of refinement. On the martial roads, perhaps I could barely rank among the top three.”

What utter nonsense!

Unable to stand Mr. Wen’s hopeful, beseeching gaze, Ji Huo coughed lightly and offered reluctant praise, “Sir, your magic is truly profound. I am in awe.”

Only then did Mr. Wen show a satisfied smile, his chest thrust even straighter than before.

Above, the patch of dark cloud swept quickly across the sky, the oppressive aura dissipating with it. Yet the once-noisy forest remained in deathly silence long after the cloud’s departure, refusing to revive.

“That monster must have cultivated for a thousand years…” Mr. Wen’s eyes held a trace of worry as he murmured, “These past years, such monsters grow ever more rampant. I fear chaos is not far off.”

Ji Huo also gazed at where the dark cloud had vanished. He’d heard tales of demons wreaking havoc in the world, but their numbers were so few he had never encountered one himself.

Besides, he’d spent all his time in western Sichuan—a place, as far as he’d heard, with no trace of demons. Who knew why that was so.

Still, if these demons could be killed, would he gain points for it?

One day he ought to try fighting a demon. In any case, one must at least exchange blows to see if victory is possible.

Ji Huo stroked his chin, lost in thought.

“Are you all right?” Lü Shui emerged from the darkness, still shaken. “That was a powerful surge of demonic energy just now! Truly terrifying.”

Mr. Wen lowered his eyes and said nothing.

“And you? Were you frightened?” Lü Shui grinned and sat down beside Ji Huo, asking.

Glancing around, Ji Huo realized that among the soldiers and Mr. Wen, all were considerably older—he was likely the youngest present.

“I’m fine,” Ji Huo replied.

“I tell you, out here in the wilderness, there are plenty of mountain spirits and monsters, and they love nothing more than eating people!” Lü Shui said with a cheerful grin.

“Is that so?” Ji Huo replied with a blank expression.

“It is indeed.” Lü Shui’s mouth suddenly gaped wide, lunging at Ji Huo’s head. His jaws stretched and sharpened, his teeth gleamed razor-sharp, and his ears elongated to points.

Crack!

[You have slain the wolf demon Awoo, earning 219 points.]

As it turned out, killing demons did grant points—and more than killing humans, at that.

Without a change in expression, Ji Huo withdrew his hand and nonchalantly wiped it clean.

On the ground, Lü Shui’s corpse swiftly changed, transforming into the headless body of a giant blue wolf, blood spattering the earth.

“Enemy attack! Be on guard!” The surrounding Flying Bear soldiers snapped to attention, quickly forming ranks and peering into the darkness, alert for further threats.

Mr. Wen’s eyes jumped wildly. To shatter a wolf demon’s skull with a single palm? What terrifying strength was this? Was this youth truly only sixteen?

“Young Master, such keen eyes—you recognized at a glance it was not human,” Mr. Wen praised, stifling his astonishment. He had, indeed, meant to test Ji Huo with this demon; even if Ji Huo had not acted, he would have kept him safe.

Yet Ji Huo’s strength far exceeded his expectations. Now that the capital’s situation was so complicated, he was uncertain whether Ji Huo’s presence would bode well or ill.

Well, let the eldest young master worry about it. He likely had no idea his younger brother was so formidable.

He had clearly seen it: the young master had not even used internal energy to kill the wolf demon, relying purely on brute strength!

With such power, if he learned General Ji’s “Thunderclap Bear Fist”—a technique that made the most of raw strength—wouldn’t he become a second Flying Bear General?

To have another peerless commander like this, could the Zhou Dynasty be on the rise again? Yet all omens pointed to the dynasty’s decline—this could not be!

Mr. Wen’s mind spun with questions, even doubting whether he, like that fake scholar Lü Shui, had learned his arts poorly and could not perceive the Zhou Dynasty’s fate.

“Mr. Wen, aren’t you curious?” Ji Huo gestured toward the wolf’s corpse on the ground.

Mr. Wen came to himself, shook his head with a smile, and said, “Nothing to be curious about. They say the Flying Bear General was born with godlike strength. I once thought it a rumor, but seeing you, young master, so mighty, I know it is true. Like father, like son!”

Ji Huo had no idea what his so-called father was like. All he knew was that when he’d crossed over, this body had been so weak it was shocking. If he hadn’t won several health-restoring elixirs in succession, he’d likely have died of exhaustion long ago.

“Mr. Wen, young master! Are you unharmed? Just now a huge demonic cloud drifted past!”

From the darkness ahead, three men approached quickly: Lü Shui and the soldiers he’d taken to hunt game. They carried wild chickens and rabbits, evidently a fruitful outing.

“Stop!” The sentries raised their blades, eyes darting between Lü Shui and his companions in suspicion.

“San’er, have you grown tired of living? It’s me,” Lü Shui said with a frown, but did not advance.

His gaze moved past the soldiers, and when he caught sight of the wolf’s corpse beside Ji Huo, his expression turned grave.

“Let them through—they’re real,” Mr. Wen said.

At this, the guards relaxed. They had come to escort the young master, yet had foolishly allowed a demon to get so close. Had anything happened to the young master, the honor of the Flying Bear Army would have been in tatters, and they would never face General Ji again.

“What happened?” Lü Shui came closer and examined the wolf’s corpse, his tone somber. “A newly transformed wolf demon?”

Mr. Wen analyzed, “It may be that when the great demon passed overhead, the Flying Bear Army’s ‘Fire Array’ scattered, drawing this demon here.”

“What sort of mountain spirit dares to ignore the Flying Bear Army’s reputation?” Lü Shui cursed.

“This place is desolate. Perhaps it was starving for months, and the scent of so many humans was too tempting to resist.”

Lü Shui nodded. Such things could not be helped; at least nothing serious had occurred. He glanced at Mr. Wen and laughed, “Never thought you, sir, so scholarly in appearance, should fight like one of our Flying Bear soldiers—a true man’s path! How about I put in a word with the general to have you transferred to us? The Flying Bear Army needs talents like you.”

He knew perfectly well how the wolf demon had died.

“Get out of here! After all these years you’re nothing like a strategist! If I joined you, I’d end up the same, and the ancestors would send thunder to strike me down!” Mr. Wen retorted with a laugh, then pointed out, “The wolf demon was slain by the young master.”

“The young master?!” Lü Shui’s eyes widened as he looked at Ji Huo, then suddenly understood, “No wonder you’re General Ji’s son—such strength!”

Ji Huo waved his hand, an odd expression on his face. “I should remind you—wolves are pack animals.”

The two men’s faces changed at once.

From the darkness came a desolate howl, followed by a rapid, rustling chorus of sounds.

One by one, pairs of ghostly green eyes opened in the night, staring straight at them—enough to chill the blood.