Chapter 237: Demons and the Mysterious Master

749 Bureau, the Bureau Chief's office.

After hanging up the phone, Chen Zhiming could not calm his mind for a long time; he never expected that there really were monsters in Longyuan Mountain!

Even though they had suspected it beforehand, hearing Wang Xuehao say those things in person still stirred up huge waves in their hearts.

"Fortunately, we initially sealed off Longyuan Mountain, designated it a forbidden zone to keep people away; now it seems this move was truly the right one."

Chen Zhiming felt a myriad of emotions: "Now that we've confirmed there are monsters in Longyuan Mountain, the urgent priority is to report this immediately."

He reported it to his superiors at once.

This matter attracted the attention of the capital's leaders, and the military and government promptly held an important meeting.

Furthermore, they pulled all files related to Longyuan Mountain, including recent data and videos of anomalous phenomena appearing across the country, and set up a special investigation team to analyze and study them.

For a time, high‑level figures from both military and political circles were mobilized, and the official team formed by the 749 Bureau and the scientific expedition squad also successfully reached the capital to participate in this meeting.

In the huge conference room, the seats were now filled with people whose status could be described as pivotal, representing the will of Great Xia!

Those present were either leaders or held great power; by rights Wang Xuehao and his companions would not have been qualified to attend this meeting, but since they needed to give a report, they also had to be present.

The elder seated in the chief position wore a dark‑blue Zhongshan suit; though his temples were frosted white and his face bore the marks of wind and frost, he remained vigorous, his eyes flashing with the authority of a superior.

His gaze swept over the assembly, and he spoke in a deep voice: "You all should know this meeting is for Operation White Marsh; please have the official liaison personnel give us a detailed report of the situation."

Earlier, in order to clarify the whereabouts of the meteorite and to determine what mysterious power had annihilated the M Country special forces, the 749 Bureau and the government named this operation "White Marsh."

Wang Xuehao stood up; it was still his first time facing so many high‑ranking leaders, so he was inevitably a little nervous, but he quickly adjusted.

"Greetings, leaders; I will now report to you the detailed course of Operation White Marsh."

"Upon first entering Longyuan Mountain everything was normal, but then a heavy fog rolled in, and within the mist appeared a tiger about three meters tall; it stood upright, wore an apron, held a sharp dagger, and spoke to us in human language."

As Wang Xuehao spoke, even though everyone present had braced themselves mentally, their faces now took on a strange look.

A tiger standing upright? Wearing an apron and holding a dagger—what a bizarre appearance.

"I know you leaders find this hard to believe, but the fact is exactly so: there truly are monsters in Longyuan Mountain, and they showed signs of their presence long ago."

Besides Chen Zhiming and a few other high‑ranking leaders, as well as the personnel who had encountered these matters, most people merely regarded the talk of monsters in Longyuan Mountain with doubt and were not convinced.

Now, upon hearing Wang Xuehao's account and seeing the expressions of those top leaders, everything became clear.

Their hearts were overturned by towering waves.

From Wang Xuehao's detailed description, it is not hard to reconstruct the scene of that conversation.

The fact that it spoke human language is one thing; the key point is that the one conversing with Wang Xuehao was a tiger!

Its logic was clear and orderly, completely indistinguishable from that of a human.

This tiger actually possessed such a high level of intelligence!

For a moment, everyone's breathing grew heavy; even though they knew Wang Xuehao's words at a meeting of this level could not be false, someone still couldn't help but ask.

"Are you sure you haven't made a mistake?"

"If what you say is all true, it would be a tremendous shock to Great Xia and even the whole world!"

Wang Xuehao nodded, his expression solemn: "I am certain—not just me, but the whole team witnessed it with our own eyes; we can guarantee it with our lives, every word we spoke is true, absolutely not an illusion!"

"That tiger that spoke human language is definitely a monster, and it also exudes tremendous pressure and a terrifying aura."

Even now, thinking back, Wang Xuehao still feels a lingering fear; if that tiger had truly gone on a killing spree, he could not guarantee that the entire team would have made it out unharmed.

Upon hearing Wang Xuehao's remarks, everyone's hearts remained unsettled for a long time; even though they had suspected it before, this definite news still shocked them immensely.

Earlier, various omens occurred frequently, and over the years many things that science cannot explain have happened; all kinds of signs prove that some supernatural force exists in this world.

Now it appears that these supernatural forces are precisely the monsters of legend!

At this moment, having lived most of their lives, the scientific worldview they had built over decades developed a deep crack, which began to collapse under Wang Xuehao's words.

These omens had existed all along; they simply dared not believe them.

Besides humans, there truly are monsters in the world!

Why had they never been discovered before?

Why have they never been recorded since ancient times?

"Monsters, there actually are monsters," said the chief of the South China Region, gripping his brow tightly, forcibly suppressing his shock.

Beside him, the chief of the Northwest Region gave a wry smile: "I've lived most of my life and this is the first time I've heard of such a thing; I need a moment to compose myself."

"Let me digest this; I've seen all kinds of big storms in my life, but I've truly never seen anything like this—after this meeting ends, my blood pressure is bound to spike again."

"Is it the kind of monster from folk tales that possesses divine abilities and still eats people?"

Wang Xuehao shook his head: "Based on our contact so far, they seem uninterested in eating people."

Earlier, Song Ze and the others had encountered the monsters and finally left Longyuan Mountain safely; afterward they also saw that monster calling itself the "Tiger King," which did nothing to them.

If these monsters truly liked to eat people, they would have already done so.

From these two encounters, we see that this group of monsters is not brutal; on the contrary, they possess extraordinarily high intelligence and can communicate with humans.

"Moreover, in communicating with that tiger monster, we received an important piece of information from it: they have a master, and all the monsters obey this master's words!"

Hearing this, everyone sucked in a breath of cold air.

Master?!

This term is ancient; it's rarely heard in modern society.

Is it the kind of master they imagine, that monsters can actually become disciples and learn skills?!

The most widely known monster tale is probably the monkey from Journey to the West, who apprenticed to Patriarch Puti and learned the supreme ability to move between heaven and earth.

They say art comes from life, and they have finally witnessed it: in reality, those monsters truly have masters!

The elder seated in the chief position pondered for a long time before speaking: "No wonder that tiger monster displays such high intelligence; it turns out there is a higher‑ranked being behind it."

Earlier he had felt something odd; animals drink blood and eat meat, and even if they become monsters some habits cannot change, but after the careful descriptions of Wang Xuehao and others, those monsters act very orderly and speak clearly.

Such a situation could not be innate, after all monsters are not humans.

Song Ze and his companions also indicated that, when they earlier went into the mountains, they had seen black bears farming, monkeys treating illnesses, tigers cooking, and so on—almost no different from humans, showing that these creatures had received guidance.

The chief hurriedly asked, "Do you know what background the master that this tiger demon spoke of has?"

It's clear these monsters are very human-like, and they also possess rich human cultural knowledge; could it be that their master simply loves human culture?

Thinking this, the chief felt a sense of utter absurdity.

If monsters learning human culture had been said before, he would surely have thought someone was talking nonsense, even crazy, but now the facts are before his eyes, leaving him no choice but to believe.

Wang Xuehao shook his head, showing an ashamed expression.

"We actually wanted to inquire as well, but that tiger demon kept its mouth shut, telling us not to ask more; from its demeanor we can see it holds great respect for that so-called master."

Although everyone felt various shocks, their high status and broad experience let them quickly adjust, accept this fact, and their expressions gradually became solemn and reverent.

If what's inside Longyuan Mountain were merely supernatural life or some genetically mutated animals, that would still be fine; at least they would have means to deal with it, and those are within controllable range.

But if they are truly monsters, and moreover possess high intelligence, then they cannot help but demand attention!

Once confirmed, it will cause an uproar throughout the Great Xia and even the world; it will absolutely be a turning point in human history!

The crucial point is that behind this group of monsters there is actually a master, and all the monsters still obey this master.

Then just how terrifying must that master be?

"When you were talking with that tiger demon back then, did you capture any video?"

Back then the situation was too sudden; the appearance of that tiger demon was beyond everyone's expectation, and the people in the negotiation team simply hadn't thought of this.

Even if they thought of it later, who would dare pick up a phone or camera to film in front of such a frightening tiger demon? That would be practically suicidal— isn't that provoking the Tiger King?

Wang Xuehao shook his head: "Things happened suddenly, and besides I was afraid of angering this monster, so I didn't film."

Actually, whether there is video or not is not important to them.

The old chief rubbed his temples, saying, "If I'm not mistaken, this master should be the one who teaches the monsters; its wisdom surpasses all monsters, and its strength is not to be underestimated."

Even if they are monsters, they are still beasts that transformed, believing in the law of the jungle.

The weak are prey to the strong; the strong reign supreme. To subdue such a group of monsters and make them all obey, their wisdom and strength are obviously immeasurable.

"Could it be a monkey? Among all animals, monkeys have relatively high intelligence."

"A fox is also possible; in our understanding, foxes are relatively cunning creatures."

"I personally lean toward the weasel; isn't there a folk saying about weasels seeking divine investiture? Perhaps it was the first to become a monster, then leading the other animals of Longyuan Mountain."

As for the true form of this master, the leaders' imaginations ran wild, and they all began to speculate, but unfortunately no one guessed correctly.

Because they simply could not imagine it.

Besides the monsters, there is another more special existence—that is, a divine beast!

"The urgent task is to figure out why Longyuan Mountain has produced monsters, and whether the appearance of these monsters is related to their master."

The old chief's words brought everyone's thoughts back; seeing him give a glance to the person beside him, soon someone came over holding a stack of documents and distributed a copy to each leader.

"These are the data I had people compile overnight concerning all supernatural incidents at Longyuan Mountain over the past decade or more, from the earliest to the recent; everything is here, please take a look."

The earliest supernatural incident at Longyuan Mountain can be traced back to several murder cases from ten years ago; the victims were all poachers, traffickers, and tomb robbers—bad people—and the common point was that no killer could be found, so in the end they could only be treated as cold cases.

Then came the 'mountain fire incident' ten years ago: the surrounding area burned, but Longyuan Mountain remained unscathed, and just as it was about to be engulfed, a sudden heavy rain poured down and extinguished it; afterward someone said they saw an unidentified creature there.

Immediately after was the 'strange celestial phenomenon' ten years ago, when observatory personnel went deep into the mountains to photograph the phenomenon, but instead captured an eerie image of animals gathering in groups.

Also there was a wind‑scouting program team that originally intended to film scenery at Longyuan Mountain, but instead encountered strange mist and ghostly flames.

An ancient tomb was discovered in the mountains; the archaeological team wanted to excavate, but they ran into animals causing havoc, and moreover everyone ended up having the same nightmare, making archaeological work impossible.

Later, personnel scouting for a tourist site came, wanting to develop Longyuan Mountain into a scenic area; afterward a series of strange events occurred, and the person in charge at the time, originally an atheist, was frightened into firmly turning to Buddhism.

The more they looked, the more alarmed they became; looking at any single item alone would be fine—it's not a major matter, although somewhat strange, it is still within controllable limits.

But when all these things are gathered together, they become shocking to behold.

The timing of these events varies—some are close together, some far apart.

When all these things are combined and these timelines are scanned, it seems as if there are two invisible big hands linking them all together.

Events that seem bizarre and clueless actually share several points in common: they all occurred in Longyuan Mountain, and behind them almost always lies the shadow of animals.

Those murder cases are likely also the work of monsters, which is why no fingerprints were found at the scenes and the perpetrator remains unidentified—because the perpetrator is in the mountains!

The person in charge of the Southwest region hurriedly apologized, "If I had discovered this earlier, we wouldn't have only learned of it now, and we could have prepared sooner."

The chief waved his hand, saying, "It's not your fault, nor the fault of those below; who would have thought this world actually has monsters?"

After all, at first these weren't considered major incidents, occurring only in a single mountain, while there are hundreds or thousands of similar mountains domestically.

Who would link these to monsters? The education everyone received is materialist, and that notion has become deeply ingrained in their minds.

If we put ourselves in their shoes, if at the start we heard someone report these matters, claiming the world has monsters and that they are the monsters' doing, we wouldn't believe a single word.

Seeing that the chief had no intention of blaming, the overall person in charge of the Southwest region finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"It seems these events are all related to the monsters on Longyuan Mountain."

No wonder back then it felt these things weren't man‑made, since everything was too bizarre and couldn't be explained by science.

If they were all done by monsters, then all those doubts could be cleared up.

"Besides Longyuan Mountain, afterward, all over the country, other places also experienced many strange events—for example, the Heavenly Tribulation incident in the suburbs of the capital, the Princess Temple, the later destruction of overseas organizations, the British Museum, the Isle of the Immortals incident, and afterward various places frequently producing anomalies, including the recent Mount Hua incident, and so on."

"In these events there are also traces of animals, which likely are also the handiwork of the Longyuan Mountain monsters."

Although there is no clear evidence, based on the clues they currently hold, it is highly likely to be inseparable from Longyuan Mountain.

The first place where abnormal conditions appeared was Longyuan Mountain; afterward these monsters came down from the mountain and created these disturbances, thus they could be linked together.

Regarding this statement, the chief expressed agreement.

"Now it can be clearly seen that the strange disturbances at Longyuan Mountain over the past decade or more, including the anomalies in various places these past few years, are all due to those monsters—only why would they do this?"

What happens in Longyuan Mountain is understandable, after all that is the monsters' turf; it's clear they don't like humans approaching, so they produce such disturbances.

But how should those outside events be explained?

Moreover, the monster groups that previously destroyed overseas cultural organizations and the British Museum—what were their motives, and is all this related to the mysterious master spoken of by the monsters?

Earlier these monsters were very low‑key, hiding in Longyuan Mountain unknown to the world, but recently they have kicked up a series of disturbances, as if releasing a signal to inform humanity of their existence.

Many doubts arose in the minds of the leaders.

For a moment, nobody spoke, digesting the huge amount of information.

After half a day, it was still the chief who broke the silence: "Based on the existing information and clues, as well as the video data, let's analyze and calculate the combat strength of these monsters."

Soon a group of researchers in white coats entered the meeting room, bowed to everyone, and then began to analyze and compare the data using various sources.

Although the monsters have not yet attacked humans, and based on previous events they have not taken the initiative to attack humans—even if they did, only bad people would die—but that does not mean humans can let down their guard.

Moreover, these monsters have displayed superb intelligence; who can tell whether they are doing this to numb humanity?

For the future of humanity and the safety of the people, the leaders of Great Xia had to be more cautious.

In about half an hour, the analysis results came out—as expected, the monsters' strength was extraordinary; after all, the earlier British Museum incident was enough to prove this.

"'If the monsters go to war with humanity, wouldn't we have no chance of victory?'"

Academician Li shook his head: "No, although they are powerful, they are not invulnerable to blades and guns; heavy firepower thermal weapons can inflict serious damage on them."

"'At least missiles, nuclear weapons, and fighter jets—none of them can withstand those.'"

As he spoke, he played a video showing the scene of those animals fleeing through the cities of Y Country, with the Y Country military closely following behind.

"'If the monsters had the capability for frontal combat, they would have already gone to war with the Y Country military instead of choosing to flee; this shows they dare not face thermal weapons head-on, or they are simply afraid of getting hurt.'"

Furthermore, before we arrived, we had also estimated the monsters' speed, constructing a monster model based on similar environments and simulating their various bodily data.

These data were obtained by laboratory personnel after hundreds or thousands of experiments; although they may not be exactly identical, they are roughly the same.

Seeing the dark circles and large eye bags under Academician Li and the others, one can tell how much effort they put into obtaining this data.

"'Therefore, to sum up, human soldiers cannot resist these monsters, but if they possessed heavy thermal weapons, that would be different; however, regarding the master spoken of by the monsters, we cannot be certain, as there is currently no data available for study.'"

From a certain factual standpoint, Academician Li's conclusion is not wrong.

But he did not know that the video footage was from before, those animals had not yet undergone tribulation, so they were not true monsters; facing thermal weapons, they were still mere flesh and blood, naturally unable to withstand it.

But after the animals underwent the heavenly tribulation, shed their mortal forms, transformed into monsters, absorbed the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, and comprehended various divine abilities, they became entirely different—no longer fearing thermal weapons at all.

Earlier, the golden-haired monkey displayed its skill on Mount Hua, even able to swat down an airplane!

It's a pity they were unaware of all this; human intelligence lagged behind, and they greatly underestimated Ye Qin's strength.

After all, Ye Qin is mysterious, rarely appearing before people's eyes; not even his true form has ever been seen, let alone any video footage—there is simply no clue.

"'Based on Academician Li's words, I believe everyone already has a grasp in mind: although the monsters' combat power is strong, it is not without weaknesses.'"

"'They too fear thermal weapons, but we cannot be careless, after all their threat to ordinary people is still considerable; if they break into urban areas, we would likewise be unable to deal with them.'"

"'The only thing uncertain now is their master; he is too mysterious, hoping that someday we will have the chance to meet and sit down for a good talk.'"

The others nodded in agreement.

"'Peace would naturally be best; nobody wants casualties. From the current situation, the monsters harbor little hostility toward humanity, so we should strive for peaceful coexistence between the two species.'"

The monsters have not yet carried out mass slaughter, and they are even willing to talk with humans; from the attitude of that tiger demon, one can infer that their master is probably not a warmonger, although we cannot rule out some conspiracy.

"'After all, monsters are not human; we fear their untamed nature, so necessary precautions must still be prepared.'"

"'Yeah, who knows if they might one day seek to expand their territory, rule over humanity, and stand above us? We cannot afford to be unprepared.'"

The old chief nodded: "Your words are not without reason, but things have not yet reached that point; if we can coexist peacefully, that would naturally be best, and if we cannot, we will not retreat."

They now need to make preparations on both fronts.

Someone asked: "Should we let the public know about this?"

The old chief frowned slightly: "Better to seal off the news for now; the situation is unclear, the public is not suited to know, lest someone cause trouble—if foreign forces intervene, it would be detrimental to our negotiations, possibly even sabotage, so everything will wait until after the formal talks."

Although rumors about monsters are spreading wildly online, they are merely everyone's speculation; after all, nobody has produced evidence that can prove the existence of monsters, and without seeing it firsthand it is hard to believe.

Just like those miraculous events that happened before, they are only traces and clues, and cannot truly prove anything.

Regarding the chief's decision, everyone present expressed agreement, feeling it was better to suppress the news for now to avoid panic and unrest, and only after the matter settles should we consider whether to disclose the truth of the monsters' existence.

The meeting lasted a full day; everyone who walked out of the meeting room had a solemn and grave expression. (End of Chapter)