Wan Tiancang had resided in Lichuankou Village for half a year and found joy in the simplicity of his life. Watching green rice shoots sprouting from the ground each day filled his heart with delight.
One night, after casting the Spirit Rain spell on the spirit field in the courtyard, he was in a meditative state when he faintly heard a commotion outside.
He opened his eyes in curiosity and saw flickers of firelight piercing the night and shadows moving with torches in hand. A sense of foreboding settled in his heart, prompting him to open the courtyard door for a better look.
As soon as he did, he saw a child hurrying toward him with a torch in hand.
Wan Tiancang called out urgently, “You there, child! What’s going on?”
“The village chief, Old Ye, is dead. They say a demon is coming and are calling for all the villagers to gather,” the child said, stopping in his tracks and raising his torch. He looked apprehensively at Wan Tiancang.
The immortal cultivator, who rarely ventured beyond his courtyard since he had arrived, frowned and took a hesitant half-step outside the courtyard, and then withdrew.
A demon attack at Lichuankou Village?! These Spirit Paddies have only been sowed half a year ago. Nothing must happen to them! he thought to himself.
Wan Tiancang considered seeking out Li Tongya but hesitated because he was worried about leaving the Spirit Paddies unguarded in case they were the target of the demon.
He felt torn, but could only rely on the child. He crouched down and instructed, “Go get Chen Erniu.”
“All right.”
As soon as Wan Tiancang rose to his feet, both of them saw flames flickering in the forest. A group led by Chen Erniu then emerged into view.
“Immortal Master! What do we do?” Chen Erniu was sweating profusely. The main family had not arrived yet, and two villagers were already dead with their brains ripped out. The horrific nature of their deaths left Chen Erniu both horrified and enraged, pacing restlessly like an ant on a hot pan.
“Has anyone seen this demon?” Wan Tiancang asked gravely, his face stern as he looked at Chen Erniu who was already drenched in sweat.
“No. No one even heard a sound from the victims!” Chen Erniu replied.
Wan Tiancang’s heart sank. As a mere peak Profound Scenery cultivator, he lacked the power to confront such a stealthy and lethal creature.
Oh, Li Tongya, where are you when we need you? He sighed inwardly.
“Brother Wan!” Just as Wan Tiancang was about to speak, a loud call interrupted him.
He looked up to see a young man in rattan armor, approaching confidently with a longbow in hand. The young man smiled at him, revealing his pearly whites.
“Young Chief!” Chen Erniu bowed in respect.
Realizing that it was Li Xiangping who stood before him, Wan Tiancang quickly cupped his fist and greeted, “Greetings from Wan Tiancang of the Wan Family, Young Chief.”
Li Xiangping gestured for Chen Erniu to rise, then turned to address Wan Tiancang, “Brother Wan, please wait a moment.”
He then directed his attention to Chen Erniu, his voice firm and authoritative as he instructed, “Gather the elderly, the weak, women, and children within the perimeter of this courtyard. Have the men in the village form groups of ten, positioned three feet apart. Ensure each team has at least five other teams within their sight for mutual protection.”
Having issued these instructions, Li Xiangping entered the courtyard with Wan Tiancang, leaving the others to carry out his orders.
“Right away!” Chen Erniu responded with newfound confidence, quickly setting off to make the necessary arrangements.
Once inside the courtyard, Wan Tiancang smiled ruefully and said, “Brother Li, I fear this demon’s cultivation level is quite formidable. I’m afraid I can’t be of much assistance.”
Li Xiangping laughed and bluntly replied, “There’s no need for pretense, Brother Wan. Your family seeks to preserve the Spirit Paddies, and my family, the safety of Lichuankou Village. We are in this together!”
Wan Tiancang was taken aback, internally cursing the situation. If the demon were not in Lichuankou Village, he would not care less about its presence!
But now, because of the Spirit Paddies, he found himself compelled to assist.
Setting aside his reservations, Wan Tiancang took a moment to gather his thoughts. He retrieved a brush and a piece of paper from inside the house and began writing, explaining as he did so.
“The best way to go around this is for me to write to the head of my family, requesting urgent assistance. We need to resolve this before dawn!”
“Good idea.” Li Xiangping nodded in agreement. “Write three letters. I’ll send messengers in three different directions to ensure at least one reaches the Wan Family, just in case.”
Wan Tiancang quickly nodded. After about fifteen minutes of writing, screams and cries for help erupted from outside the courtyard, signaling chaos.
Li Xiangping, with a grim expression, stepped outside to check the situation. The courtyard was filled with the elderly, women, and children sitting around fires, their faces etched with fear as they gazed into the distance. Some were crying softly, while others were gasping in shock.
Not far off, the men in the village had formed a protective ring around the group, armed with long poles and wooden planks, nervously peering into the edge of the forest.
Wan Tiancang joined Li Xiangping with his brush still in hand. He gazed toward the forest, his eyes fixed on the glint of green eyes lurking there, and spoke in a grave tone. “A mountain wolf.”
A massive wolf, as large as an ox and covered in silver-gray fur, emerged from the forest. Its ghostly green pupils were intense and focused, with its long, sharp muzzle wide open, and its ears drooped along its tail as it advanced, forcing the villagers to stumble backward in fear.
The wolf raised its head above the crowd, its cold gaze fixating on Li Xiangping, who stood on the stone steps of the courtyard gate. The creature’s long muzzle curled up slightly, as if mocking them with a smirk.
“This beast...” Wan Tiancang was drenched in sweat. He silently wiped away his cold sweat as he continued, “Judging by its demeanor, it must have consumed the essence of the sun and moon, and possibly already condensed the Jade Capital Chakra.”
Li Xiangping, too, felt a shiver down his spine in the presence of this demon. He observed the wolf’s mocking grin and the disdain in its eerie green eyes.
“If even the head of the Wan Family is no match for this demon...” Wan Tiancang suddenly raised his head, his voice trembling as he looked at Li Xiangping.
“A demon in the early Nascent Spirit realm, huh?” Li Xiangping narrowed his eyes.
With a grave tone, he said, “We must prepare for the worst. If this demon is more powerful than a mere Jade Capital cultivator, we’ll lead it southeast, away from Lijing Village and up Mount Lijing. My family has a formation set up there. Your head of the family can use the terrain to their advantage.”
“All right!” Wan Tiancang quickly amended the letters and handed them to Chen Erniu.
Watching Chen Erniu prepare to dispatch them, Wan Tiancang could not help but shake his head and smile bitterly.
“That beast, having condensed the Jade Capital Chakra, is intelligent and has likely consumed many humans. It now seeks us, immortal cultivators, as a potent source of energy. We’re cornered.”
“No need to be alarmed,” Li Xiangping reassured, his gaze locked with the demons’.
His mouth mirrored the wolf’s sly grin as he added softly, “I remember watching my father hunt wolves in my youth. These beasts are extremely cautious. Now that it has condensed the Jade Capital Chakra, it must be way more alert than before. It’s simply observing us. Follow my lead.”
“Chen Erniu!”
“Here!” Chen Erniu stepped forward promptly, ready to accept Li Xiangping’s orders.
“Get the men in the village to start pulling back slowly and form a circle around us. We’ll slowly head south. The elderly, the weak, women, and children should stay put; no need for them to budge. That demon will surely come after us.”
“Also, tell the villagers to surrender their wooden planks and hold torches instead. If the demon comes close, scream and shout at it. Do not show any sign of fear! Should it attack, use long poles with knives attached to their ends to sweep or hit on the ground. Wolves have long, slender legs; I bet this demon values its legs as well.”
Li Xiangping retrieved a polished arrow from his quiver. He performed a hand seal and imbued the arrowhead with a faint golden light.
Nocking the arrow on the bowstring, Li Xiangping’s voice was icy as he commanded, “Move out!”