Mortal Bones

Chapter 17: Ambush—Slaying the Demon Wolf in Yanglu Mountain

“Baa…”

Just as Xu Taiping neared the trap, the sudden bleat of a goat pierced the silence.

Could I have actually caught a yellow goat?

Xu Taiping’s heart instantly leaped with joy.

The rich flavor of roasted yellow goat was leagues above wild boar, especially when paired with the fragrant perilla leaves from his spirit herb garden.

Looks like I’m in for a feast tonight.

With his mouth already watering, he broke into a swift sprint toward the trap.

…

He arrived at the pit.

Seeing the camouflage branches completely cleared away, certainty swelled in his chest; he had definitely caught something.

A low, guttural snarl vibrated through the air.

Just as he leaned forward to inspect his prize, the chilling growl of a beast erupted right behind him.

Thud!

Pure survival instinct took over. Muscles coiling, Xu Taiping launched himself off the ground, clearing the wide pit entirely with a single, explosive bound.

Roar!

A split second later, a gray wolf the size of a fully-grown tiger slammed into the exact spot where he had just stood. The sheer force of its landing snapped a nearby bowl-thick sapling cleanly in half.

A wolf? No, a demon wolf!

Staring at the towering gray beast, the hair on the back of Xu Taiping’s neck stood on end.

He had encountered wolves plenty of times while hunting with his grandfather, but compared to this monstrosity, they were practically harmless pups.

Awooo!

Before the shock could even settle, the demon wolf lunged again, hurtling over the pit with terrifying speed.

Thud!

Xu Taiping hit the dirt, rolling flawlessly beneath the beast’s deadly claws. He sprang back up, drawing the hunting knife from his waist, and sprinted wildly toward the eastern depths of the mountain forest.

Roar!

Though his current speed vastly outstripped that of an ordinary man, it was nothing compared to the demon wolf. In mere breaths, the beast closed the distance.

Yet, Xu Taiping’s mind remained remarkably calm. Instead of panicking at the hot breath snapping at his heels, he nimbly wove through the dense woods in a chaotic, zigzag pattern.

His grandfather’s lessons echoed in his mind: when chased by a predator in the mountains, never run in a straight line. Use the terrain; force them to turn.

Crash!

Taking a corner too sharply, the massive demon wolf slammed headfirst into a tree as thick as a man’s embrace, snapping the thick trunk with a deafening crack.

Catching the collision out of the corner of his eye, Xu Taiping instantly skidded to a halt, fluidly nocking an arrow to his bow.

He didn’t aim for the beast’s skull. He aimed directly for its lungs.

Whoosh!

Just as the demon wolf staggered back to its feet, Xu Taiping drew the bowstring to his cheek and loosed the shaft.

Thwack!

Whether guided by sheer luck or the tremendous boost in sight and arm strength from his cultivation, the arrow struck true, burying itself deep into the wolf’s flank!

Roar!

However, to his absolute horror, the demon wolf’s hide was like iron. The broadhead had only pierced the outer layer of skin. Far from a fatal blow, the sting only whipped the monster into a bloodthirsty frenzy.

Realizing his mistake, Xu Taiping didn’t freeze. He gripped his bow and instantly resumed his desperate sprint east.

This time, completely unhinged by rage, the demon wolf bulldozed straight through the forest, shattering any tree that dared stand in its path.

As a result, the distance between predator and prey rapidly evaporated.

“Come on then!”

Just as the beast closed within thirty feet, Xu Taiping reached a massive tree marked with a faded cloth strip. He suddenly slammed his boots into the dirt, drew his hunting knife, and spun around with a furious roar, dropping into a desperate fighting stance.

Roar!

Provoked beyond measure, the demon wolf released a deafening bellow. It launched itself into the air, jaws snapping wide to reveal rows of dagger-like fangs, fully intending to tear the boy to shreds.

Snap!

A split second before those jaws clamped shut, Xu Taiping violently twisted his blade, slashing upward to sever a thick vine strung against the tree trunk.

Swish!

The moment the tension snapped, a lethal trap sprang to life. A massive wooden stake, carved from a log as thick as a barrel and suspended by heavy vines, swung down from the canopy like a pendulum—smashing dead-center into the airborne wolf.

Awoo!

With a miserable shriek, the tremendous kinetic force of the swinging timber drove the sharpened point viciously into the demon wolf’s chest.

He had originally rigged this deadfall for a giant wild boar. He never expected it to save his life against a demonic beast.

Roar!

Yet, panic flared in Xu Taiping’s chest once more. The wolf’s flesh was incomprehensibly thick. Even the massive falling timber had failed to impale it completely.

I have to risk it.

In a do-or-die gamble, Xu Taiping gripped his hunting knife with both hands and vaulted into the air. Throwing caution to the wind regarding cultivation backlash, he ruthlessly dragged every last drop of True Qi from his Dantian, forcing it violently into his arms. With a guttural shout, he brought the blade crashing down squarely onto the jagged wound on the wolf’s lung.

Bang!

An explosive shockwave rocked the serene mountain woods.

Fueled by explosive True Qi, Xu Taiping’s desperate slash cleaved cleanly through muscle and bone, violently rupturing the demon wolf’s lung. A torrential rain of hot blood sprayed across the forest floor.

Crack…

Before Xu Taiping could even process his victory, the iron hunting knife shattered into half a dozen pieces. Simultaneously, the flesh of his arms began to balloon grotesquely, swelling to the thickness of elephant legs in the blink of an eye.

Agonizing pain tore him from his daze.

Dammit, my True Qi is rampaging!

His heart plummeted. Dropping to the dirt, he crossed his legs and immediately initiated the flow of the Crimson Sunset Art, desperately wrangling the chaotic, destructive True Qi in his arms and forcing it back down into his Dantian.

Hoo…

A long, agonizing moment later, the meridians in his body finally stabilized. Xu Taiping let out a heavy, shuddering exhale.

Cold sweat drenched his back. He was absolutely terrified.

That reckless surge of power could have easily caused Qi Deviation. The consequences would have been catastrophic.

The local records explicitly stated that Yanglu Mountain had no history of wolves or jackals. Where the hell did a demon wolf come from?

Trembling slightly, Xu Taiping stood up and cautiously approached the fallen beast.

The demon wolf was on its last ragged breaths. A gaping, ruinous cavity had been carved into its side. No matter how monstrous its vitality, it was already a corpse.

The sun is setting. I need to get back to the courtyard. I’ll ask the bronze mirror about this demon wolf later. Hunting here is off-limits for now… and I absolutely must buy a martial skill. No more delaying.

Glancing at the darkening sky, Xu Taiping finalized his retreat.

His Green Bamboo Residence was little more than a rundown shack, but according to the jade slip, the courtyard was warded by protective Formations. Ordinary beasts and low-level demons couldn’t even approach the perimeter. He would be safe there.

Wait, a demon wolf carcass has to be worth some merit coins, right? Whatever, valuable or not, I’m taking it.

Pausing mid-step, Xu Taiping turned back. He grabbed the beast’s massive hind leg, hoisted it over his shoulder, and began dragging the enormous carcass out of the mountain forest.

He might have still looked like a scrawny teenager, but his physical strength was completely inhuman now. Hauling a dead demon wolf through the brush was light work.

…

Not long after Xu Taiping’s footsteps faded, a grotesque, rotting figure peeled itself from the shadowy underbrush.

“That brainless mutt! It couldn’t even handle one pathetic chore!”

Staring at the massive pool of coagulating blood and the blood-stained wooden deadfall, the figure spat out a string of venomous curses.

“Now the snake in the grass is thoroughly spooked. It looks like I’ll have to lure him out of that warded courtyard myself. I need a plan, quickly. The Great King is already losing his patience. If I don’t bring back this brat’s heart and liver, I’ll be the one served as an appetizer!”

The rotting figure stamped its feet furiously, muttering dark obscenities into the twilight.

If Fairy Lingyue had not been trapped in her deep slumber, she would have instantly recognized this foul creature.

It was none other than the Chang Ghost, the exact same specter that had been spying from the darkness beyond the courtyard walls that fateful night.