Chapter 111: Long-Tailed Rodents [Combined Chapter]

The power of a herd of cold beasts had already been witnessed by Xia Hong back when Great Xia relocated to the valley.

At that time, the frost wolf pack numbered only fifteen.

On our side, we had five Earth-Digging outsiders and nearly twenty Wood-Cutting cultivators.

Even under these conditions, forty to fifty migrants were killed, two Wood-Cutting cultivators died, and had Xia Hong not frightened the wolves with a bluff, the outcome might have been worse—with even more dead.

A frost wolf pack of only fifteen was already this deadly; now, with hundreds of unknown cold beasts on the northern slope of the cliff, if they moved just two kilometers south and discovered the valley, it would be an utter catastrophe for Great Xia.

“Stay calm. These long-tailed rodents aren’t large in size—their movements and aura are even weaker than snowmanes and frost wolves. Individually, they may not be strong, but their numbers are overwhelming, and we don’t know if they have a leader or how strong that leader might be. We must not provoke them lightly—we need to think of a strategy…”

From our previous encounter with the frost wolf pack, they displayed clear division of labor, seamless coordination, and disciplined advance and retreat—there was evidently a hierarchy among these cold-blooded beasts, proving they likely had a leader.

Though we never saw the frost wolf pack’s leader, Xia Hong firmly believed his suspicion: with nearly four hundred of these rodents, there must be a chief rat.

How strong is this chief rat?

Could it be a mid-tier cold beast? What if it is?

Xia Hong’s expression grew heavier as his mind raced through possible strategies.

Beside him, Xia Chuan and Luo Yuan knew he was thinking and dared not interrupt; both understood the grave threat these cold beasts posed to the camp, and their faces were no less tense than Xia Hong’s as they too pondered solutions.

“Could we try luring them away to somewhere else?”

Upon hearing Xia Chuan’s suggestion, Luo Yuan showed no surprise.

Earlier, when he first brought the news back to camp before Xia Hong returned, Xia Chuan had already proposed this very plan.

And Xia Hong, upon hearing it, didn’t look surprised at all—he instinctively shook his head.

But after a moment’s thought, he let out a helpless expression.

“This is the only option we have—but the difficulty of executing it is immense.”

The idea of luring away this herd had already occurred to Xia Hong on the way here, but the operational difficulty was simply too great.

First, these long-tailed rodents didn’t gather here for no reason; without understanding why they’re here, trying to lure them away is nearly impossible;

Second, their numbers are enormous—three to four hundred. Any mistake during the luring process could mean death, and if they accidentally discover the valley, the consequences are unthinkable.

Finally, we know nothing about their strength, habits, attack methods, or the destruction they could cause in such massive numbers—none of it is known.

Combining these three obstacles, successfully luring this herd elsewhere is unimaginably difficult.

Xia Hong’s instinctive shake of the head rejecting Xia Chuan’s idea stems from this;

Yet his later helpless expression comes from having to admit this is the only viable option we currently have.

Facing a powerful enemy, there are only two options:

Fight, or flee.

Fighting is impossible—neither driving them off nor hunting them is within our strength;

Fleeing is impossible too: last time, when three or four hundred people moved from the earth slope to the valley, we suffered a massive accident; now Great Xia has nearly nine hundred people—hasty relocation might bring even greater dangers than this rodent swarm;

Besides, where could we go?

Around Redwood Ridge, space is limited: if we move too close, it’s as if we never moved; if we go far, into unfamiliar territory, the risks multiply.

So, attempting to lure the rodent herd as far from the valley as possible—though difficult—is currently our only viable option.

“Leader, look over there!”

Luo Yuan suddenly whispered. Xia Hong immediately looked up, following his finger—and his eyes lit up.

Among the silver rodent herd on the northern cliff slope, two rodents were moving, their direction clearly aimed at Redwood Ridge to the south.

Night was the cold beasts’ resting period, and this herd was no exception—nearly ninety percent had their tails entwined, eyes closed in sleep; only these two stood out, seemingly trying to leave the group.

“Perfect opportunity. Move quietly. Follow them.”

Xia Hong whispered, then climbed down the cliff first. Xia Chuan and Luo Yuan followed closely, all three moving with extreme lightness, making not a single sound.

Once the three reached the base of the cliff, Xia Hong looked back up—and realized the two rodents were now only two or three hundred meters from Redwood Ridge.

Yet even those two or three hundred meters, the two rodents stopped.

They stood still, emitting faint squeaks, as if communicating.

After the three reached Redwood Ridge from the flank and saw the two rodents still hesitating, Xia Hong frowned, paused, then took a torch from his back.

“You two wait here. Don’t move. I’ll…”

“Leader, it’s too dangerous. Let me go.”

Before Xia Hong finished speaking, Xia Chuan immediately interrupted, realizing his intent, and volunteered.

“I’ll go!”

On the other side, Luo Yuan was even more direct—he spoke and immediately dashed forward.

Watching Luo Yuan charge out, then seeing Xia Chuan’s obvious frustration at being a step slower, Xia Hong felt a surge of emotion—both refused to let their leader risk himself.

To deal with the rodent herd, we must first understand their strength.

That massive group on the northern slope? Even a hundred brave men wouldn’t dare touch it.

But these two rodents, attempting to leave the group, are a rare opportunity—we cannot miss it.

Logically, these two rodents were already four or five hundred meters from the cliff; based on past hunting experience, lighting a torch should pose little risk.

But these long-tailed rodents are entirely new to us—who knows what unexpected dangers lurk?

“Get closer. Be ready to assist at any moment!”

Though Luo Yuan had hunted with him for half a year and Xia Hong fully trusted his adaptability, since these rodents were entirely unfamiliar, he worried about accidents and moved closer with Xia Chuan.

On the other side, Luo Yuan walked north a short distance, estimated his distance from the two rodents at roughly a hundred meters, then pulled out his torch.

“When we hunted before, the leader always lit the torch fifty to sixty meters from the cold beast. Since we don’t know these rodents, let’s start at a hundred meters—if they don’t react, we’ll inch closer.”

Strictly speaking, snowmanes, frost wolves, and demon sheep each had different torch sensitivity: frost wolves detected it best—at fifty to sixty meters; demon sheep next; snowmanes were worst—they needed the torch within thirty meters to sense it.

Having followed Xia Hong for half a year, Luo Yuan had grown extremely cautious—he lit the torch at a hundred meters to test how far these rodents could detect it.

Hiss… Boom…

In the dark forest, the small torch suddenly flared. Luo Yuan quickly jammed it into the snow and sprinted toward a tree he’d already chosen.

Watching Luo Yuan’s caution, Xia Hong’s eyes flickered with approval.

“Big brother, look at those two rodents—what are they doing?”

Xia Hong turned instantly.

What he saw made his expression turn grim.

The two rodents were crouched, their sharp incisors extended, gnawing furiously at the ground.

The ground was actually being dug open—soil and rocks piled behind them. In an instant, their one-meter-long bodies vanished underground; within moments, their two-to-three-meter tails vanished too.

“Do these rodents have Earth-Digging strength?”

Xia Chuan, seeing this, also looked stunned and whispered.

Xia Hong didn’t answer immediately. He pondered for a moment, then shook his head: “Not necessarily. If they truly had Earth-Digging strength, they’d use all four limbs to dig. They only used their incisors—so their teeth must be incredibly hard, and their bite force terrifying…”

Even though he denied they had Earth-Digging strength, those incisors alone were enough to make Xia Hong’s blood run cold.

Such hard ground, and two rodents dug through it so fast and vanished—what would happen if hundreds on the northern cliff gathered together?

“Where did those two rodents go?”

Not just Xia Chuan, but Xia Hong too was baffled.

The rodents hadn’t burrowed through snow—they’d gone straight into solid earth.

Snow is loose; cold beasts moving through it leave detectable traces.

But the ground of the Ice Abyss is rock-hard. Once the rodents burrowed in, they vanished without a trace—no movement, no sound.

“As soon as the torch lit, they burrowed. Keep watching the torch. As long as the herd on the cliff doesn’t move, we wait by the torch—they won’t stay hidden forever!”

After scanning the ground for a long time with no results, Xia Hong gave up and moved closer with Xia Chuan, stopping about fifty to sixty meters from the torch. He drew his bow and, together with Xia Chuan, fixed his gaze on the flame.

The rodents reacted at over a hundred meters—clearly their perception surpassed the three previous cold beasts. So distance must be controlled; we can’t get too close.

Of course, while watching the torch, Xia Hong also constantly monitored the northern cliff—any sign of trouble, and he’d flee immediately.

Yet they stared for nearly six or seven minutes—the torch had burned nearly half its time—and still no sign of the two rodents.

Xia Hong looked up at the sky, his brow tightening further.

Dawn was coming soon. If those two rodents didn’t appear now, they’d have to return.

Why? The torch burned so long—why didn’t they take the bait?

Could it be… the torch doesn’t attract them at all?

“Aaah…”

A muffled, agonized cry abruptly shattered Xia Hong’s thoughts.

“Damn! It’s Luo Yuan—hurry!”

Xia Hong sprinted toward the tree where Luo Yuan hid. Ten meters away, he saw Luo Yuan, pale-faced, running toward him, his left arm drenched in blood, three massive claw marks gushing blood across his chest.

Simultaneously, above him on the tree, two silver figures darted nimbly between branches, moving too fast to track—then one leapt down, targeting Luo Yuan directly.

“That speed!”

The two silver figures were the rodents. Though Xia Hong was stunned by their velocity, his hands moved swiftly—he drew his great blade and raced behind Luo Yuan, slashing upward at the rodent descending from above.

Whoosh…

Xia Hong’s base strength exceeded twenty thousand jin; the wind from his charged slash swept up the snow on the ground, revealing its power.

The rodent lunging at Luo Yuan clearly sensed the threat—it twisted midair sharply to the left.

Xia Hong didn’t grow frustrated at missing—he retracted his blade smoothly. His strike was meant only to save Luo Yuan; he never expected to kill the rodent so easily.

Whoosh…

But as Xia Hong was about to pull his blade back, a sudden gale struck his ear. His heart clenched—he spun instantly, raising his blade sideways with full force to block.

The rodent had used its leftward twist to whip its two-meter-long, barbed tail straight at Xia Hong’s body.

Xia Hong reacted quickly, and his sidestepping block was indeed effective.

But the nibbler’s tail was soft—and incredibly fast.

Pah…

Riiip…

As the whip-like crack and the sound of tearing flesh rang out in succession, searing pain surged into Xia Hong’s mind. He turned his head and saw four or five deep gashes across his waist. Instead of anger, a flicker of delight rose in his pupils.

The nibbler had returned to the tree fork, standing shoulder to shoulder with another. Two pairs of blood-red, malevolent little eyes locked fixedly onto the two men below.

“Leader, they tunneled up from underground all the way to the tree’s core, right to my side. I didn’t have time to escape—one bit my arm, the other clawed my chest.”

Luo Yuan, now safe, was pale. As he explained to Xia Hong, he pulled out Golden Wound Powder from his robe and applied it to his left arm and chest.

Xia Hong also smeared Golden Wound Powder on his waist. After stopping the bleeding, he looked up at the tree where Luo Yuan had hidden and saw a hole over a meter wide in its trunk. He raised his gaze to the two nibblers on the fork—a chill crept through his heart.

They’d tunneled over a hundred meters, from the base of the stump straight to Luo Yuan’s side—all in seven or eight minutes. Worse, they made not a single sound.

Luo Yuan was a Digging Realm cultivator who’d hunted with him for half a year, and his caution was absolute. The fact he didn’t sense the nibblers tunneling right up to him proved something. And these two nibblers were clearly drawn by the torchlight—but their perception far surpassed the three previous cold beasts. They’d not only detected Luo Yuan’s hiding spot, but also anticipated and ambushed him.

Clever, cunning, cohesive, with superhuman biting force and tunneling ability, superior perception, and blinding speed—and they coordinated as a team.

The nibbler’s only weakness was…

“Don’t fear. They’re fast, but their strength is ordinary!”

Xia Hong had felt no fear when his waist was slashed by the tail’s barbs—he’d been delighted, because he’d realized the nibbler’s strength was weak.

Not even close to Snowmane. Not even as strong as Frost Wolves.

As Xia Hong warned, the two nibblers charged down from the tree again.

Their speed was blinding—like twin streaks of silver light, they crossed the distance from branch to face in an instant.

Aware of the danger posed by Xia Hong’s great blade, they no longer used claws or attacked head-on. Instead, they opened their sharp incisors and flanked Xia Hong from left and right.

Xia Hong drew his blade leftward to block. Luo Yuan, whose wounds had been temporarily suppressed by the Golden Wound Powder, gritted his teeth and charged toward Xia Hong’s right, raising his own blade to meet the nibbler approaching from that side.

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Clang…………

The nibblers’ teeth slammed into the great blade, sparking two bursts of fire. The force seemed immense—but Xia Hong and Luo Yuan, back-to-back, didn’t budge an inch. Only their gripping hands trembled slightly.

“Their strength really is weak!”

Luo Yuan, who’d just been ambushed and wounded, instantly calmed. He could sense it: though the nibblers were fast, this strike carried only six or seven thousand jin of force. With such power, he had no fear in open combat.

“Don’t let your guard down—look at the blade!”

But his relief lasted only a moment. Xia Hong’s warning snapped him back. He looked down at his own great blade—and his face turned pale with shock. The calm expression vanished, replaced by fresh tension.

The edge of his blade, where it had struck the nibbler’s teeth, now bore a massive notch—shaped like a tooth imprint. And the surrounding three or four inches had all been rolled and dulled.

“So hard? How is that possible!”

“Don’t let them bite you. Focus on fighting them first.”

Xia Hong understood perfectly why Luo Yuan was stunned.

Until now, the hardest substance they’d encountered was iron.

Yet these nibblers’ teeth were harder than iron.

If they bit a man—what then?

Xia Hong’s face showed shock—but also a trace of delight.

But now, he had no time to ponder it.

“Squeak…”

The two nibblers let out a low cry and charged again.

This time, they abandoned Xia Hong. Their target was Luo Yuan.

Specifically, his left arm and chest.

The two nibblers lunged in unison at Luo Yuan’s left arm and chest.

These were precisely the spots Luo Yuan had been wounded moments earlier.

Xia Hong leapt to block Luo Yuan’s left side. He shot Luo Yuan a single glance—then, with his blade drawn back and charged, he struck downward at the exact spot where the left nibbler’s jaws would open, before it could even attack.

Luo Yuan, meanwhile, raised his blade to block the nibbler lunging at his chest.

Both nibblers moved at nearly identical speed, arriving before them simultaneously.

Clang…………

Exactly as in their first clash.

But this time, only one burst of sparks flew from the collision.

Luo Yuan, who’d just blocked the chest attack, spun at the last instant—swinging his blade sideways to intercept the left nibbler’s teeth, ignoring the one still aiming for his chest.

Xia Hong, whose strike had already been fully charged, at the very moment Luo Yuan turned, reeled his blade back in a full circle—using the momentum to shift his stance and reload his power for a second strike.

Xia Hong’s pupils narrowed. He brought his blade down in one decisive slash—straight at the body of the newly arrived nibbler.

From the two men switching positions, to Xia Hong’s second charge and strike—

The entire sequence flowed like water.

Most crucially, their entire coordination required only a single glance.

“No matter how well you cooperate, can you match human instinct?”

As Xia Hong brought his blade down, his eyes were dark, his expression twisted with savagery.

These two nibblers, in truth, weren’t strong in raw power.

He and Luo Yuan had both been caught off guard by their first encounter.

Luo Yuan hadn’t expected them to tunnel silently from the ground right up to him; he hadn’t expected their speed—or how agile their tails were.

This strike, timed to exploit Luo Yuan’s sudden shift—was a perfect ambush. The front nibbler had no chance to react. Their speed worked against them; no creature could adjust so swiftly in such a short span.

Moreover, Xia Hong and Luo Yuan had been resting, waiting for the perfect moment to switch positions. The fate of the front nibbler was sealed.

The nibbler that had been lunging at Luo Yuan’s face had already seen Xia Hong approaching—and its pupils had flickered with panic. It knew it couldn’t react in time.

Huh…

Xia Hong’s blade, aimed precisely at the nibbler’s skull, cut through the air with a sharp whistle. The surrounding air seemed to freeze for an instant.

But just as the blade was about to strike, the nibbler suddenly lifted its head mid-air.

Its twin crimson eyes shot out two inch-long beams of red light—solid as arrows—colliding head-on with Xia Hong’s blade.

Cht…

The eye-beams struck the blade. A violent recoil shook Xia Hong’s hands violently. The blade, originally aimed at the nibbler’s skull, was deflected half a meter off course.

“These cold beasts all have hidden tricks. This eye-beam must be their last resort. But thinking you can survive on this? You’re still too young!”

Xia Hong’s savage expression didn’t fade. He held firm, ignoring his split palms, and forcibly twisted the blade back—pulling the deflected edge back onto its original path.

Crack…

The sound of shattering bone echoed through the night. The nibbler’s body crashed to the ground, its weight driving it deep into the snow—only its back remained exposed.

“Squeak… squeak…”

With one final weak squeak, its life ended completely.

Xia Hong looked down at the broken spine of the nibbler’s back and took a deep breath.

“Their teeth are hard, but their internal bones are weak. The eye-beam is powerful—but its range is short, and it only activates in mortal danger. So long as these long-tailed nibblers don’t move in packs, their threat isn’t great!”

Shhh…

“Leader, it’s running!”

Before Xia Hong could relax, Luo Yuan’s shout snapped him back. He turned and saw the other nibbler already a silver streak racing toward the mountain wall. His face tightened instantly.

“Don’t let it escape! Chase it!”

Xia Hong barked and sprinted after it with Luo Yuan.

Cold beasts had intelligence—and could communicate. If this nibbler returned to its pack, disaster would follow.

The problem was its speed: it vanished dozens of meters in an instant. The outer edge of Redwood Ridge was only seven or eight hundred meters from the wall. If they chased much longer, they’d be too close to the cliff—dangerous.

Yet Xia Hong and Luo Yuan didn’t slow.

In fact, as the nibbler neared the edge of Redwood Ridge, their eyes gleamed with anticipation.

The nibbler clearly sensed their inferior speed. Though it wore a smirk, its eyes still burned with malice—and it didn’t dare slacken its pace.

Bing…

Suddenly, a sound like a taut string snapped came from beneath the nibbler’s feet.

The nibbler, just ten meters from escaping Redwood Ridge, stumbled violently, tumbling forward several meters from momentum.

Shhh… shhh… shhh…

Simultaneously, multiple arrows streaked from behind, striking the fallen nibbler without fail.

The nibbler was tough. Even after being pierced by several arrows, it still struggled toward the wall. But the arrows kept coming—faster and stronger with each shot. The final arrows pierced its body entirely, embedding themselves deep in the snow before it.

Its life bled away rapidly. It turned its head toward Xia Hong and Luo Yuan, its crimson eyes blazing with fury and cruelty. Seeing them stop ten meters away, only firing more arrows, its expression twisted into even greater savagery.

Suddenly, as if realizing something, it lifted its head, opened its mouth, and emitted a rhythmic cry.

“Squeak… squeak… squeak-squeak…”

“It’s calling for help! Don’t let it finish! Hurry!”

Squeak-squeak-squeak-squeak…

Xia Hong had reacted quickly—but the nibbler’s communication was faster. After only two or three calls, a rustling sound came from the ground.

Xia Hong and Luo Yuan spun around. They realized the noise came from the north slope of the wall. Their faces paled. They drew their bows and fired four or five arrows in rapid succession—straight at the nibbler’s head.

At the moment he warned, Xia Chuan—who had been hiding behind the tree, using white thread to block the nibbler and played a crucial role—emerged instantly and drove his black blade into the nibbler’s neck.

"Collect the bodies of the two rodents, pick up every arrow on the ground, leave no trace—run fast, head straight into Redwood Ridge!"

At Xia Hong’s command, Luo Yuan immediately gathered the two rodent corpses; Xia Chuan flicked his fingers, pulling all the arrows back with white threads.

The ground bore plenty of traces from the long fight.

Xia Hong glanced around, then slashed his blade across the ground, kicking up snow. Seeing Luo Yuan had wrapped the rodent corpses in leather and Xia Chuan had retrieved all the arrows, he grabbed both of them and bolted wildly into Redwood Ridge.

Less than a dozen breaths after the three fled, the ground beneath began to tremble slightly, followed by a flood of rodent squeaks.

“Squeak… squeak… squeak-squeak…………”

“Squeak-squeak-squeak-squeak…………”

………………

A massive silver rodent head suddenly burst from the earth.

It extended its pointed snout, sniffed the air, then turned sharply toward the interior of Redwood Ridge, its crimson pupils—several times larger than those of the other rodents—glowing with ferocity.

After a moment’s hesitation, it retracted back into the ground.

“Squeak-squeak-squeak-squeak…………”

A squeak far louder than any other rodent rang out; two distinct movements stirred beneath the earth—one clearly retreating toward the northern slope of the mountain wall; the other, heading straight into Redwood Ridge—the very direction Xia Hong and the others had fled.

(End of Chapter)