Li Xuanfeng let out a soft exclamation of surprise. He watched the hyena-hound howl from time to time, directing the subordinate hounds below to drive the deer herd toward another, lusher patch of pasture. Only after the herd had grazed to their fill did it herd them back into the woods.
Li Xuanfeng had hunted demon beasts in the mountains for many years, yet this was the first time he had seen a pack like this. He waited patiently for the entire afternoon. When the sun sank westward and dusk cast a dim, sallow glow across the surroundings, the hyena-hound finally led several deer out from the herd and wobbled toward the depths of the forest. Leading them with its forepaws, it walked upright on two legs in a crooked, staggering gait, presenting an eerie sight.
Perhaps unaccustomed to it, the grey-furred hyena-hound stumbled and tripped twice within a few dozen paces. In its anger, it flung the tether aside and let out two furious howls before taking the lead in its jaws and bounding ahead on all fours.
Casting an invisibility spell, Li Xuanfeng trailed behind the grey-furred hyena-hound. He watched it weave through the forest for a time until a large cliff draped in green vines appeared ahead. A wide cave opened in the rock face, within which firelight flickered. Two hyena-hounds lay sound asleep before the entrance. The grey-furred hyena-hound howled once, then staggered inside.
The two hyena-hounds possessed only second- or third-layer Embryonic Breathing cultivation. Li Xuanfeng slipped past them without hesitation. Soon, the crackle of a roasting fire reached his ears, accompanied by a clamor of noise.
"Yiyi yaya... Hee-hee haha..."
It sounded as though a crowd of children was playing inside, noisy and lively in the extreme. They called to one another in shrill laughter—sometimes roaring loudly, sometimes laughing heartily, and at other times humming softly or giggling. The sounds echoed throughout the cave.
The dark crimson firelight shone upon the stone walls, casting countless twisted shadows that danced like a host of demons. Intermingled with the shrill laughter were the piteous bleats of deer, making the scene all the more bizarre and unnerving.
In his childhood, Li Xuanfeng had heard his elders say that the cries of hyena-hounds were strange, resembling the shrill laughter of children. Only now did he truly witness it for himself. Knowing there were Qi Refinement demon beasts within and fearing he might alert them, he did not dare extend his spiritual sense to investigate. He lingered at the entrance for a moment, pondering to himself:
"The cave is cramped; it will be inconvenient for me to wield my bow against them. I must find a way to draw them out."
And so he withdrew several li. After pondering for a breath, he landed near the edge of the forest and extended two fingers. A spark of flame ignited by his dharmic powers flared up. He tapped it against a large scholar tree in front of him, and the fire immediately crackled along the branches and leaves. In mere breaths, the blaze engulfed the entire tree.
The night wind picked up at just the right moment, sparing Li Xuanfeng from having to conjure a gale with his dharmic powers. Riding the wind, he pulled back another few li and waited patiently. Sure enough, packs of hyena-hounds came galloping over, howling as they circled the burning forest fire.
These hyena-hounds were merely minor Embryonic Breathing demons and naturally had no way to deal with the blaze. After the time it took for an incense stick to burn, two demonic gusts finally swept in, invoking rain from above with their power.
These two Qi Refinement hyena-hounds clearly had no proper heritage, possessing no arts for summoning clouds and driving rain; they simply whipped up the moisture in the air with their power. The weather had been humid these past few days, and nighttime moisture was plentiful, so the flames gradually subsided.
Li Xuanfeng did not strike immediately. Instead, he waited quietly in the distance. For one, he wanted the two beasts to expend some of their power first; for another, Mount Dali harbored numerous greater demons. If the wildfire truly raged out of control, there was no telling how many monsters it might attract, which would only invite trouble.
Once the fire was largely extinguished, Li Xuanfeng finally drew his string and nocked an arrow. Dazzling golden light flickered continuously upon the bow, then tore through the air, shooting straight for the back and waist of one of the beasts.
The beast was riding the wind, inspecting the forest below, and had never expected an arrow to fly out of nowhere. Its fur bristled all over. It only had time to raise a grayish-black shield of demonic power, screeching in an attempt to dodge.
Before the golden arrow, that shield of demonic power shattered like paper. The Qi Refinement hyena-hound was pierced through and pinned to the ground like an ordinary hound, howling mournfully.
"This one is rather weak... I hope that arrow didn't kill it."
Being so far away, Li Xuanfeng could not gauge its cultivation with his spiritual sense. Having pinned it down with a single shot, the astral qi had already spread through the beast's body, threatening to kill it on the spot.
Li Xuanfeng hurriedly raised his bow to cripple the other hyena-hound. Unexpectedly, this hound reacted swiftly and had great courage—it had already ridden the wind right up to him, spewing a jet of black breath straight at Li Xuanfeng's face.
Li Xuanfeng raised his bow to block. The hyena-hound was at the fourth layer of Qi Refinement and seemed to have killed humans before; it knew the physical bodies of cultivators were frail, so it swiped a claw at his bow while continuing to breathe black breath toward his body.
Clang!
Yet the hyena-hound miscalculated. The Jin Geng bow in Li Xuanfeng's hands was both heavy and hard, deflecting the claw and ringing with a crisp metallic resonance. Not daring to be careless, Li Xuanfeng condensed dharmic powers to block the breath. For a time, brilliant radiance splattered in all directions. The demon beast refused to back down either. Its twin paws turned pitch-black as it lunged blow after blow at Li Xuanfeng with crushing force. Fortunately, Li Xuanfeng had received a register, possessing strength akin to a demon beast itself. The two exchanged fierce blows in a heated clash.
All of Li Xuanfeng's cultivation lay in his archery. Once a demon beast closed the distance, more than half his strength was nullified. Moreover, this beast was cunning, clinging tenaciously to Li Xuanfeng and refusing to let him open up distance, forcing them into a stalemate.
Human and demon clashed in midair for over a dozen exchanges. Seizing an opening, Li Xuanfeng slapped his storage bag. Two yellow talismans flew out, turning into two fiery spells that blocked the beast's technique. Only then did he find the chance to leap back several paces. Drawing his string to gather qi, a beam of golden light shot from the bow, surging toward the hyena-hound's face.
The hyena-hound demon shifted its stance several times in midair, yet the golden glow followed it like a shadow. It had no choice but to erect a thick shield of power and take the golden beam head-on.
The astral qi exploded against the hyena-hound demon's power, hindering the circulation of its magical energy. Taking advantage of the opening, Li Xuanfeng retreated step by step, loosing an arrow with every step back, maintaining distance while assailing the hound with repeated golden beams.
In a mere dozen breaths, five arrows had already flown. Feeling overwhelmed, the hyena-hound demon spat a plume of black qi toward Li Xuanfeng and plummeted into the woods like a shooting star, hoping to use the darkness and dense forest to evade his arrows.
"Seeking your own death!"
Li Xuanfeng sneered. Pulling a Qingwu arrow from his waist, he nocked it to the string. Piercing through the dense canopy, his gaze locked onto the fleeing figure. Although the distance was too great for his spiritual sense to pin it down, the demon had been struck by his astral qi, allowing him to faintly sense its location.
The golden arrow continually gathered power, its aim rising slightly as the beast moved. Li Xuanfeng gently released his fingers, and the golden arrow crossed the night sky, crashing down toward the ground like a falling star.
The beast never imagined it could still be hit from such a distance. Its fur bristling, it clawed frantically at the ground three or four times, trying to dig a hole to hide, but it was far too late. It took the arrow directly: its flank was pierced through. Before it could even catch its breath, a second arrow arrived. Taking both arrows, it collapsed to the ground, teetering on the verge of death.
Li Xuanfeng rode the wind and landed not far away, lifting the beast with his dharmic powers. The hyena-hound demon still tried to resist, struggling to cough out sporadic puffs of black qi. Li Xuanfeng thrust a strand of true essence into its body, sealing its cultivation. Hurriedly hoisting it up, he took to the wind and landed beside the weaker hyena-hound from earlier.
That hyena-hound demon was already breathing more out than in; from the looks of it, it had only just broken through to Qi Refinement. A pack of Embryonic Breathing hyena-hounds had surrounded it, whimpering softly. Seeing Li Xuanfeng descend, they scattered in panic, dispersing like the wind.
Li Xuanfeng hurriedly channeled his dharmic powers to sustain its life. He pulled the Qingwu arrows from both beasts and carefully treated their wounds. Only then did he take to the wind once more, slinging the bow onto his back and carrying one demon in each hand as he headed for home.
Chapter 174