Wan Tiancang had lived in Lichuankou for the better part of a year, keeping to himself behind closed doors every day. Watching the verdant rice sprouts poke up from the soil one after another brought immense joy to his heart. That night, after casting the Spirit Rain Technique over the spirit field in his courtyard, he was sitting cross-legged regulating his breath when he faintly caught the sound of an uproar outside the courtyard walls.
He could not help opening his eyes and looking out. In the deep gloom of the night, torches flickered as if people were running to and fro. His heart sank instantly. Opening the courtyard gate, he peered outside.
Seeing a child hurrying toward him with a torch in hand, Wan Tiancang called out at once, "Child! What happened?!"
"Lord Immortal! Old Ye at the village entrance is dead! They say a monster has come, and everyone in the village is being told to gather!"
The child came to a sudden halt, holding up the torch and looking uneasily at Wan Tiancang. He watched as this immortal—who had hardly stepped foot outside the courtyard for over half a year—knitted his brows, took half a step past the gate, and then pulled his foot back.
'Of all places, a monster had to strike Lichuankou! This spirit rice has only been in the ground for half a year—absolutely nothing can happen to it.'
Wan Tiancang wanted to seek out Li Tongya, yet he feared the monster might covet the spirit rice in the garden. Caught in a dilemma, he crouched down and told the child, "Go fetch Chen Erniu."
"Yes, sir!"
Just as the child turned to leave, the two of them saw flames flicker among the trees as a crowd emerged, surrounding Chen Erniu.
"Immortal Master! What should we do?!"
Chen Erniu was drenched in sweat. People from the master family had not yet arrived, yet another two village men had been killed—both had their brain matter scooped out and met grisly ends. Horrified and enraged, Chen Erniu was pacing frantically like an ant on a hot pan.
"Has anyone caught sight of this monster?" Wan Tiancang asked in a low, stern voice, looking at the sweating Chen Erniu.
"No! The victims didn't even manage to let out a single scream!"
Hearing this, Wan Tiancang immediately lost his nerve. He was merely a petty cultivator at the peak of the Xuanjing Wheel; how could he possibly have the strength to deal with a creature that seemingly came and went like the wind? He thought with a bitter inward laugh:
'Li Tongya, oh Li Tongya, where the hell are you?!'
"Brother Wan!"
Wan Tiancang paused for a few breaths and was just about to speak when a loud call rang out from afar, approaching rapidly and cutting him off.
He looked up to see a young man clad in rattan armor, striding forward with an imposing air, bow in hand, grinning at him with a flash of white teeth.
"Young Patriarch!"
Chen Erniu hastily bowed down. Wan Tiancang immediately understood who it was—this had to be Li Xiangping. Cupping his hands at once, he said, "Wan Tiancang of the Wan family greets the Young Patriarch."
Li Xiangping waved a hand to signal Chen Erniu to rise, then said to Wan Tiancang, "A moment, Brother Wan."
Turning to Chen Erniu, he commanded in a deep voice, "Gather all the elderly, weak, women, and children around this courtyard. Have the village men form ten-man squads sitting in a perimeter on the outside, three zhang apart. Make sure each squad has at least five other squads within sight for mutual support."
With that, he stepped into the courtyard alongside Wan Tiancang, paying no further heed to the others.
"Understood!"
Having found his backbone, Chen Erniu hastily complied and left to carry out the orders.
The moment Li Xiangping entered the courtyard, Wan Tiancang gave a bitter smile. "Brother Li, I fear this monster's cultivation is no trifling matter. I'm afraid I won't be of much help."
Li Xiangping laughed heartily and said bluntly, "There is no need to beat around the bush with me, Brother Wan. Your Wan family wants to protect the spirit rice, while my Li family wants to protect Lichuankou. Our two families are grasshoppers tied to the same string!"
Wan Tiancang felt a jolt inside, wailing inwardly in despair. If this monster had not shown up in Lichuankou, why would he care whether it ate people or not? He could have hugged his spirit rice and laughed aloud watching the Li family suffer a setback. But now, he had no choice but to help.
Putting away his petty thoughts, Wan Tiancang pondered for a few breaths. He brought out paper and brush from the house, sat down, and began writing as he explained, "Under the present circumstances, the safest plan is for me to write a letter calling upon our family head to come to our aid. It would be best to resolve this matter before daybreak!"
"Agreed!" Li Xiangping nodded, then continued, "Write three copies of the letter. I will send men out of the village in three directions, just in case an accident befalls someone along the way and prevents the message from reaching Wan territory."
Wan Tiancang nodded repeatedly. He wrote for roughly a quarter of an hour, only to hear screams and cries for help erupt outside the courtyard in chaotic waves.
Li Xiangping stepped out with a grim expression. Before the courtyard sat a crowd of the old, weak, women, and children, each cluster having lit a bonfire. They all held their heads up, gazing into the distance in terror, weeping softly or crying out in fright.
Not far off, the village men had rallied beside the outermost squad, clutching long poles and door planks, warily and timidly staring toward the nearby woods.
"It's a mountain wolf," Wan Tiancang said gravely, brush in hand, as he stood beside Li Xiangping and gazed from afar at the pair of glowing green eyes within the woods.
A giant wolf as large as an ox and clad in silver-gray fur stepped out from the trees, its slitted pupils glowing an eerie green. Its silver-gray muzzle was sharp and long, the corners of its mouth wide, its ears erect and tail drooping, forcing the villagers to stumble back in retreat.
Lifting its head, it looked past the crowd. Those eyes fixed coldly upon Li Xiangping, who stood on the stone steps of the courtyard gate, the long, sharp muzzle curling up slightly as if sneering.
"This beast..."
Cold sweat poured from Wan Tiancang like rain. He quietly wiped his brow and added, "Judging by how cunning and sharp it looks, it has at least swallowed sun and moon essence and condensed a Yujing Wheel."
Facing the monster directly, Li Xiangping also felt a chill run down his spine. Looking at the giant wolf's slightly curled lips and the eerie green pupils fixed coldly on him, he could even discern a hint of disdain.
"If my family head proves no match for this beast..." Wan Tiancang suddenly looked up, staring quietly at Li Xiangping, his lips quivering as he spoke with some difficulty.
"A Lingchu Wheel monster?" Li Xiangping narrowed his eyes and said in a heavy voice, "Prepare for the worst in everything. If this monster's cultivation exceeds the Yujing Wheel, we will lure it southeast, bypassing Lijing Village and ascending Mount Lijing. My Li family has a formation there; with the aid of the terrain, your family head will be able to slay it."
"Fine, fine, fine!"
Wan Tiancang carefully revised the three letters and handed them to Chen Erniu. Watching him order men to take the missives out, he shook his head with a bitter smile. "That beast has formed a Yujing Wheel; its intelligence is already awakened, and it must have eaten plenty of people. It has already set its sights on the two of us. Cultivators are a great tonic to beasts—we have no way out now."
"No need to panic." Li Xiangping waved a hand, his gaze locked onto the monster's eyes. The corners of his mouth curled slightly like the vicious wolf's, carrying a hint of a smile as well. He said softly, "In my childhood, I saw my father hunt wolves. These beasts are cautious to a fault. Now that it has cultivated a Yujing Wheel, it will value its life and be cautious beyond measure. Setting its sights on us is actually a good thing. Just follow my command."
"Chen Erniu!"
"Subordinate is here!"
Chen Erniu hurried forward, listening attentively.
"Have the village men retreat step by step to surround us, and let us all withdraw south at a slow pace. The elderly, weak, women, and children are to remain in place without moving; that monster is bound to pursue us.
"The men on the outer rim should discard all door planks and hold their torches outward. Once the beast draws near, roar, shout, bark, or curse—do not show the slightest hint of fear! If it lunges, sweep and strike the ground using the long poles with sabers lashed to them. A wolf's legs are slender; this beast will surely prize them above all else."
Drawing a polished arrow from his quiver, Li Xiangping formed an incantation gesture with his fingers, and a faint golden light surfaced on the arrowhead.
Nocking the arrow to the bowstring, Li Xiangping said coldly, "Move!"
Chapter 41