Chapter 583: Sharden

Fortunately, the giant only approached a few steps before stopping.

Everyone let out a slight sigh of relief.

Sa Dike didn't dare stand up, shrinking behind the fire, his voice trembling: "Heavens, good heavens! We couldn't have run into a savage, could we?"

"A savage?" Xiao Ningyuan's heart tightened: "What savage?"

Sa Dike was already incoherent: "It's just a legend!"

They say there are savages in the mountains. One kind is called Yaksha, another is called... Sharten! No, wrong! It's Sharden! They're, they're enormous!

What does a Yaksha look like?

I-I don't know... Who's ever seen one and lived to tell the tale?

And what about Sharden?

I-I don't know either!

Do they eat people?

How would I know!

Xiao Ningyuan, exasperated: "How do you not know anything?"

Sa Dike was on the verge of tears: "If I'd known we'd run into this, I wouldn't have had the guts to bring you guys into the mountains!"

As his words fell, the huge black shadow moved again.

It didn't go forward, but instead stepped a few steps to the side, tilting its head as if sizing everyone up.

Seeing everyone turn to follow its movement, it stopped.

Xue Tong lifted the carriage curtain and stared at it: "What a rare find. If it were sick, I don't know if my needle could pierce it; I'd have to make a larger set on the spot."

Everyone glanced at him: "……"

Divine Doctor, you still want to treat him?

Xiao Ningxun laughed despite herself: "Old Valley Master, it's too dangerous out there; you'd better go inside quickly."

"Oh." Xue Tong shrank back into the carriage.

Tuan Tuan and Kang An clung to the carriage window, peeking through the curtain gap: "Wow! This person is huge!"

Kang An wondered: "Is it, a person?"

Tuan Tuan nodded: "I think so."

The two little ones, saying that, tried to poke their little heads out of the window.

Xiao Ningxun, quick-eyed and quick-handed, shoved them back in: "Get inside, don't come out."

Tuan Tuan pouted: "But, Third Brother, I want to look!"

"No." Xiao Ningxun's tone grew firmer—this was the first time he'd refused his sister—"It's too big; if it really eats people, you wouldn't even be enough to fill its teeth."

All night, the giant would appear to the east, then to the west, circling the group nonstop.

Everyone's hearts rose and fell with its movements, almost jumping out of their chests.

Everyone stared, blades pointed at it, yet none dared to breathe.

Fortunately, it never advanced, just refusing to leave, thus tormenting them all night.

At last, the sky began to pale with dawn.

The huge humanoid shadow retreated a few steps, turned, and vanished into the mountains.

Xiao Ningyuan let out a long breath: "Did it leave?"

Sa Dike's face finally gained some color: "It's gone, it's gone! It left when it got light!"

He struggled to his feet: "Hurry! Let's get on the road! This thing stays in the mountains and won't dare enter towns; once we're out, we won't meet it again!"

Everyone scrambled to pack their belongings.

Xiao Ningxun returned to the carriage, tightly hugging his sister: "It's fine; we're leaving now."

The carriage sped along the mountain road.

Tuan Tuan, however, kept thinking about the giant he'd seen last night, poking his head out of the window to stare behind.

Xiao Ningxun's heart settled into his stomach, drowsiness creeping in; he put an arm around his sister, closed his eyes, and dozed off.

After walking not far, Tuan Tuan tugged his sleeve, pointing behind: "Third Brother, look, it's back!"

Xiao Ningxun startled, sleep vanished, he poked his head out the window, looked back, and his face instantly changed.

Indeed, the giant's silhouette flickered faintly beside the road, keeping a distant pace behind them.

What did it want? Before Xiao Ningxun could ponder further.

"Whooo—!"

A rough blast of a horn exploded from the mountains, immediately followed by earth-shaking shouts.

"Oh—ho ho ho—!"

"Chase!"

"Surround it! Head that way!"

Horn blasts and cries mingled into one, coming from all directions.

"What now?" Sa Dike jerked the reins, and the carriage halted abruptly.

Everyone turned to look.

Only saw, on the slope beside the mountain road, dozens of hunter-clad people emerging from nowhere.

They wore fur shorts, quivers at their waists, holding spears, hunting forks, and curved blades… emitting sharp whistles as they closed in on the giant.

The sun shone straight down, and everyone finally got a clear look at the giant's appearance.

It stood over three zhang tall, covered in dark yellow long fur, its arms extraordinarily long, hanging nearly past its knees.

Its face was flat and wide, its eyes amber, now darting left and right in panic.

The hunters kept chasing, but although the giant was huge, he was not fast.

Soon he was forced to scatter in all directions, his heavy feet pounding the ground with a muffled 'thud, thud, thud'.

No matter how it dodged left and right, hunters stepped forward with weapons and drove it farther away.

The giant was clearly getting closer and closer to the wagon.

Sa Dike's face turned white as he shouted at the top of his lungs, 'It's the nearby hunters! Perfect, let's run!'

Xiao Ningxun was about to give an order when suddenly his arms felt empty.

Tuan Tuan poked half his small body out of the wagon window: 'Wait! We can't leave!'

Xiao Ningyuan's face turned ashen: 'Tuan Tuan, what are you waiting for? For it to come up and eat you?'

Tuan Tuan shouted, 'He's injured!'

Everyone was stunned.

Xue Tong, however, shot his head out from beside Tuan Tuan in a flash, his eyes lighting up instantly: 'Where? Where is he hurt? Let me have a look!'

'Master, look at his arm!'

Xue Tong looked up, and sure enough, half an arrow was embedded in the giant's left arm, the shaft still protruding, swaying with each stride.

The wagon window was packed full with master and disciple, so Kang An couldn't see and tugged at Tuan Tuan's clothes: 'Hunter, should we shoot him?'

Xue Tong narrowed his eyes for a moment, then nodded: 'Looks like it; they seem to be treating it as game.'

No sooner had he spoken than the giant was even closer to the wagon.

It panted heavily, eyes full of panic, the arrow wound on its left arm now clearly visible, a bloody mess.

Tuan Tuan stared at it for a moment, then slipped back into the wagon and darted out the door in a flash.

'Tuan Tuan!' Xiao Ningxun cried out in alarm, reaching out to grab him, but grasped only air.

Tuan Tuan scrambled up Sa Dike's shoulders with hands and feet, perched there, his little legs swinging back and forth in front of Sa Dike's chest.

Sa Dike hastily steadied her with his hands: 'How did you climb up without saying a word?'

Tuan Tuan waved his small arms with all his might and shouted at the top of his lungs:

'Hey——! People——!'

'Come—— here——!'

The clear child's voice echoed continuously through the mountains.

Everyone froze, even the hunters forgetting to keep shouting.

The giant suddenly halted, its head twitching as it stared fixedly at the tiny figure on the wagon's shaft.

The next moment, it strode forward with big steps, running straight toward the wagon.