10: Chapter 10 Monster Mountain Range

Early morning, as the sky was just beginning to brighten, more than thirty Martial Artists had already gathered in front of the Marquis's Mansion. Chen Yuanji stood at the very back of the line, dressed in a grey short-sleeved outfit with an ordinary steel short blade tucked into his waist and a bundle filled with medicinal herbs and dry rations on his back. From his attire to his temperament, he looked no different from the logistics workers around him.

“Is everyone here?” Tie Yue mounted his warhorse, his gaze sweeping over the crowd. It lingered on Chen Yuanji for a brief moment before he gave a slight nod. “Depart!” The party of over thirty people moved out in a grand procession, passing through Qingzhou City and heading toward the Monster Beast Mountain Range to the south.

Qingzhou City was located on the southeastern border of the Great Yan Dynasty, and three hundred miles to its south lay the thousand-mile-long Monster Beast Mountain Range. Deep within the mountains dwelled countless Yao Beasts, ranging from the lowest Rank One beasts to the legendary Rank Five beasts. Every few years, the Yao Beasts in the mountains would migrate outward on a large scale, attacking human settlements. During such times, various families and the City Lord's Mansion would organize Martial Artists to carry out a suppression campaign.

“This Yao Beast disturbance came suddenly, three months earlier than in previous years,” Tie Yue said from atop his horse to the several young Disciples beside him. “The City Lord's Mansion suspects there are human factors behind it, so they are taking it very seriously. Once we reach the outskirts of the mountains, you must follow my commands for everything; no unauthorized actions allowed.”

“Yes!” everyone responded in unison.

Chen Yuanji followed at the back of the group, observing the surrounding terrain as they walked. He hadn't been to the Monster Beast Mountain Range in his past life, but there were some vague impressions in the original owner's memories. It was said that there were ancient ruins deep within the mountains, where one could occasionally find valuable items. Of course, most people who dared to venture deep into the mountains died in the mouths of Yao Beasts.

“Young Master Yuanji.” A voice came from the side. Chen Yuanji turned his head and saw a young man in his early twenties with a round, slightly chubby face and a pleasant smile. His name was Qian Duo, the son of the Marquis's Mansion's housekeeper, and he was responsible for logistics and supply management.

“Qian Duo.” Chen Yuanji nodded.

“Young Master Yuanji, don't worry, the logistics team isn't dangerous.” Qian Duo lowered his voice with a kind expression. “We’ll just set up camp on the outskirts of the mountains, handle moving supplies, and cook food and water. The ones going to the battlefield are those Martial Artists. Just follow me, and I guarantee you'll be fine.”

Chen Yuanji glanced at him. This Qian Duo was one of the few people in the original owner's memory who hadn't bullied him. Although they hadn't had much interaction, at least he wasn't someone to be disliked.

“Thanks,” Chen Yuanji said flatly.

“No need to be polite,” Qian Duo smiled. “Speaking of which, Young Master Yuanji, you've changed quite a bit recently. You used to hardly ever leave the house, and now you've actually volunteered to come to the Monster Beast Mountain Range.”

“My father arranged it,” Chen Yuanji said, not elaborating.

“Oh, I see.” Qian Duo tactfully didn't press further.

The party traveled south all the way, and after noon, they entered the outskirts of the Monster Beast Mountain Range. The trees here were significantly denser than in the plains, blotting out the sun and making the light dim. The air was thick with the scent of damp, decaying leaves, and the occasional roar of a beast could be heard from the distance.

“Set up camp!” Tie Yue ordered.

Everyone began to get busy—cutting trees, pitching tents, and starting fires for cooking. Chen Yuanji was assigned to chop wood. He took an axe and walked alone toward a patch of forest on the outskirts of the camp. The forest was very quiet, unnervingly so. Chen Yuanji stopped and listened intently. There were no bird calls, no insect chirps, not even the sound of the wind. This was abnormal. In such a dense forest, it was impossible for there to be no birds or insects. The only explanation was—something had scared them away. He gripped his axe, lightened his footsteps, and slowly moved deeper into the forest. After walking about fifty paces, he saw it. A grey giant wolf, the size of a calf, was crouched under a large tree, devouring the carcass of a wild deer. Trails of blood hung from the giant wolf's mouth, and its crimson eyes occasionally looked up to scan the surroundings warily. A Rank One Yao Beast, an Iron-backed Wolf. It possessed strength equivalent to the Middle Stage of the Ningyuan Realm, but its thick hide and flesh made its defense comparable to the Peak of the Ningyuan Realm. Chen Yuanji held his breath and slowly backed away. It wasn't that he couldn't defeat this wolf, but there was no need to expose his strength here. The camp was not far away, and with Tie Yue, a Guiyuan Realm expert, presiding over it, a single Iron-backed Wolf couldn't cause much trouble. However, just as he took two steps back, his foot stepped on a dry branch.

“Crack!” The crisp sound of the break was exceptionally piercing in the silent forest. The Iron-backed Wolf snapped its head up, its crimson eyes locking onto Chen Yuanji.

“Awoo—” With a howl, the Iron-backed Wolf kicked off the ground with its four paws, lunging forward like a streak of grey lightning. Its bloody maw gaped open, and a foul, rank breath rushed toward him. Chen Yuanji's eyes narrowed. Instead of retreating, he met the attack. He stepped forward with his right foot, his body slightly crouching, and at the instant the Iron-backed Wolf lunged in front of him, he suddenly dodged to the left. The footwork of Bagua Zhang was utilized to its limit at this moment; he was like a falling leaf, gliding past the Iron-backed Wolf's belly. Simultaneously, he swung his right hand, his axe precisely hacking into the Iron-backed Wolf's hind leg joint.

“Crack!” The sound of bone shattering was clearly audible. The Iron-backed Wolf let out a piteous howl as its body lost balance, crashing heavily onto the ground. It struggled to stand, but its hind leg could no longer exert force. Chen Yuanji gave it no chance. He stepped beside the Iron-backed Wolf, his five fingers pressed together like a snake, stabbing into the wolf's throat. Hidden Force: Snake Form! The moment his fingers touched the wolf's hide, the Hidden Force erupted. A vibrating force passed through the fur and skin, directly penetrating the cartilage inside the throat.

“Puff!” The interior of the Iron-backed Wolf's throat shattered, and blood gushed from its mouth. It twitched a few times before ceasing to move. From the wolf's pounce to its death, less than three breaths had passed. Chen Yuanji stood up, shook the blood from his hand, and glanced at the wolf's corpse on the ground. The power of Hidden Force was even stronger than he had anticipated. The defensive power of the Iron-backed Wolf's hide was comparable to the Qi protection of the Ningyuan Realm Peak, but before Hidden Force, it was like a layer of paper. The power was not directed outward, but inward, directly dismantling the opponent's defense from within.

“So this is Hidden Force.” A look of satisfaction flashed in Chen Yuanji's eyes. He bent over, used his axe to cut open the Iron-backed Wolf's skull, and found a greyish-white beast core. A Rank One beast core was worth twenty taels of silver. Tucking the beast core into his robe, he turned and returned to the camp.

In the camp, Qian Duo was pacing around anxiously. “Why isn't Young Master Yuanji back yet? Could he have encountered a Yao Beast?” Just as he was about to call for someone to look for him, he saw Chen Yuanji walking out of the forest carrying his axe.

“Young Master Yuanji! You're finally back!” Qian Duo ran over with a look of relief. “Are you alright?”

“I'm fine.” Chen Yuanji set down a bundle of firewood. “I ran into a small beast while cutting wood and dealt with it.”

“A small beast?” Qian Duo didn't mind. “There are many small beasts in this place; you should be careful. I'll go with you next time.”

Chen Yuanji nodded and didn't say much. He walked to a corner of the camp and sat down to rest, his gaze sweeping over the Martial Artists in the camp. Among the thirty Martial Artists, those in the Ningyuan Realm made up the majority. There were three in the Zhenwu Realm—Tie Yue, an old Enshrined Master of the Marquis's Mansion, and Chen Yuanlang. Chen Yuanlang was currently standing in the center of the camp, talking loudly with several young Disciples about his “brilliant achievements” at the Qingzhou Martial Arts Meet.

“...I shattered a three-inch-thick bluestone with one punch; all the judges present were stunned.” Chen Yuanlang was in high spirits. “In this Yao Beast suppression, I'm going to kill at least ten Rank One Yao Beasts, and maybe even a Rank Two one.”

“Senior Brother Chen is mighty!” The Disciples nearby all chimed in with praise.

Listening to this, the corners of Chen Yuanji's mouth curled up slightly. At the third level of the Zhenwu Realm, killing a Rank One Yao Beast was indeed not difficult. But a Rank Two Yao Beast was equivalent to a human in the Guiyuan Realm; if Chen Yuanlang went, he would just be delivering himself as a snack.

“Yuanji!” Tie Yue's voice came from the center of the camp. “Come here!”

Chen Yuanji stood up and walked over. Tie Yue was standing in the center of the camp holding a map, his brow furrowed.

“Early tomorrow morning, we need to enter thirty miles deep into the mountains, where there are more Yao Beasts.” Tie Yue looked at Chen Yuanji. “The logistics team will stay at the outer camp; there's no need to follow us in. Your task is to guard the camp and keep an eye on the supplies.”

“Yes.” Chen Yuanji nodded.

Tie Yue looked at him, hesitated as if wanting to say something, but finally said: “Be careful. This Yao Beast disturbance is not quite right; I suspect someone is playing tricks behind the scenes. If you encounter danger, don't try to be a hero—run.”

Chen Yuanji was slightly taken aback. Was Tie Yue showing concern for him?

“Thank you, Enshrined Master Tie,” he said earnestly.

Tie Yue waved his hand and turned to leave. Chen Yuanji watched his back, feeling a bit more favorable toward this serious middle-aged man. As night fell, the camp was brightly lit by campfires. Chen Yuanlang took several Disciples to patrol the perimeter of the camp, while Chen Yuanji sat by a campfire, closing his eyes to rest his mind.

“Young Master Yuanji, have something to eat.” Qian Duo handed over a piece of roasted beast meat.

Chen Yuanji took it and ate slowly.

“Young Master Yuanji, do you think this Yao Beast disturbance is really man-made?” Qian Duo lowered his voice, worry in his eyes.

“It's possible,” Chen Yuanji said flatly. “But whether it's man-made or not doesn't have much to do with us. We're just logistics; we don't participate in the fighting.”

“True.” Qian Duo nodded. “But I'm still a bit scared. I heard a Rank Two Yao Beast can swallow a Ningyuan Realm Martial Artist in one bite...”

“If you're scared, stay in the main camp and don't go anywhere,” Chen Yuanji said.

“I'm not going anywhere.” Qian Duo shrank his neck. “I'll just follow Young Master Yuanji.”

Chen Yuanji glanced at him but said nothing. As the night grew deeper, the Martial Artists in the camp went to rest one after another, leaving only a few guards on watch. Chen Yuanji did not sleep; he sat cross-legged in his tent, continuing to Cultivate Hidden Force. He had already digested more than half of the Legacy from the martial gods remains, and his application of Hidden Force was becoming more and more proficient. The cultivation of Hidden Force was divided into three stages: the first stage was 'Penetrate,' where the force passed through the surface to injure the interior; the second stage was 'Vibrate,' where the force progressed in layers like waves, causing cumulative damage; the third stage was 'Entwine,' where the force was like silk threads, entwining within the opponent's body to cause continuous destruction. He was currently in the transition period from the first stage to the second stage. “At this rate, I should be able to master 'Vibrate' within three months,” Chen Yuanji calculated. “By then, even the Qi protection of a Middle Stage Zhenwu Realm expert could be shattered with one punch.”

Just as he was thinking, a scream suddenly came from the perimeter of the camp. “Ah—”

Chen Yuanji snapped his eyes open and rushed out of the tent. At the camp's perimeter, a patrolling guard lay on the ground, his chest torn open with a large gash, blood gurgling out. A massive black leopard stood beside him, its crimson eyes staring at the people in the camp. A Rank Two Yao Beast, a Shadow Leopard!

“Form ranks!” Tie Yue's voice boomed like thunder. He was the first to rush out, his long blade unsheathed, his Guiyuan Realm Qi erupting at full power as he slashed at the Shadow Leopard. The Shadow Leopard's form flashed with incredible speed, easily dodging Tie Yue's strike. Its target was the Martial Artists in the camp!

“Ah—” Another guard was pounced upon. Chen Yuanlang's face turned pale, and the hand holding his longsword trembled slightly. A Rank Two Yao Beast was equivalent to a Guiyuan Realm powerhouse; at the third level of the Zhenwu Realm, he was simply no match.

“Chen Yuanlang, take the young Disciples and fall back!” Tie Yue shouted, once again becoming entangled in combat with the Shadow Leopard. Chen Yuanlang felt as if he had been granted a great reprieve and led several young Disciples to retreat. Chen Yuanji stood in place, his eyes fixed on the Shadow Leopard's movements. The speed of a Rank Two Yao Beast was indeed fast, but before his God Realm perception, it was not untraceable. He could predict every movement of the Shadow Leopard in advance.

“If I were to strike now, what would my chances be?” he quickly calculated. Although Hidden Force could break through the defense of a Rank Two Yao Beast, the Shadow Leopard's speed was too fast, and he might not necessarily hit it. Furthermore, once his strength was exposed, there would be even more trouble later.

“Forget it, it's not the time yet.” He suppressed the urge to strike and followed Qian Duo and the others in their retreat. Tie Yue and the Shadow Leopard fought fiercely for dozens of rounds until he finally severed one of the Shadow Leopard's front legs with a slash. The Shadow Leopard let out a shrill howl and turned to flee into the darkness.

“Pursue!” Tie Yue roared.

“Enshrined Master Tie, be careful of a trap!” an old Enshrined Master stopped him. “Shadow Leopards are pack-dwelling Yao Beasts; they wouldn't act alone. There must be more nearby!”

Just as those words were spoken, pairs of crimson eyes lit up in the darkness surrounding the camp. Dozens of Shadow Leopards had surrounded the camp from all directions! Tie Yue's expression changed completely. “Everyone, contract the defense! Light all the torches!” he roared. The campfires were stoked higher, and torches were lit, making the center of the camp as bright as day. The Shadow Leopards were afraid of fire and did not dare to approach for a time, only prowling on the perimeter and letting out low growls.

“Enshrined Master Tie, what do we do?” a guard asked with a trembling voice.

Tie Yue gritted his teeth: “Hold out until dawn! Once it's light, the Shadow Leopards will retreat!” He glanced at the people in the camp; with thirty Martial Artists plus the logistics team, there were fewer than fifty people. Meanwhile, there were at least thirty Shadow Leopards on the perimeter, at least three of which were Rank Two.

Could they hold out until dawn? Chen Yuanji stood in the center of the camp, his gaze sweeping over the pack of Shadow Leopards on the perimeter, his brow slightly furrowed. The attacks of these Shadow Leopards were very organized, not like the instinctive behavior of wild animals, but more like they were being controlled. Human factors... Tie Yue was right; someone was indeed playing tricks behind this Yao Beast disturbance. Moreover, the Shadow Leopard pack had found their camp with precision, indicating that the controller had been monitoring them in secret.

Chen Yuanji looked up, his gaze sweeping over the tree canopy above the camp. In the darkness, there seemed to be a pair of eyes watching them. He gripped the short blade at his waist. It seemed a battle would be unavoidable tonight.