Chapter 113: Action Must Be Taken Immediately

Run!

In this dire situation, there is no other choice.

Tengjiao may look terrifying, but it is still a low-grade cold beast; the individual strength of the Nieshu is also weak—though eight of them are numerous, without ambush, their threat to the three is actually not great.

The key is, if we don’t run now, half an hour will be up.

Xia Hong had clearly begun to feel dizzy, and the temperature was dropping faster and faster, proving dawn was not far off.

At his command, all three raised their blades and charged toward the direction of only two Nieshu .

The six Nieshu on the other two sides reacted quickly, rushing forward to block their escape—but before they could even move, the Tengjiao above had already acted.

Whoosh…………

A massive tail descended from the sky, slamming toward the three.

Xia Hong didn’t need to look up; from the wind generated by the falling tail, he sensed the terrifying power of the Tengjiao. He abandoned the two Nieshu blocking his path, sidestepped as the tail descended, lowered his stance, and raised his blade.

Boom…………

The Tengjiao’s tail smashed into the ground, hurling snow ten meters high. Though Xia Chuan and Luo Yuan barely dodged to the left and right at the last moment, they were still struck by the follow-up horizontal sweep, flung over ten meters away.

Pfft…………

Though both quickly rose after falling, they spat blood one after another—clearly injured internally by the Tengjiao’s devastating force.

Unlike the two, Xia Hong not only dodged the Tengjiao’s tail strike, but his great blade had also sliced into its tail; taking advantage of the final horizontal sweep, he pulled his blade free.

A deep gash over a meter long now marred the Tengjiao’s tail.

“Its strength exceeds mine—likely over twenty-five thousand jin—but its defense is average; iron weapons can injure it!”

Xia Hong took a deep breath, a hint of joy appearing on his face.

When the Tengjiao’s tail struck, he had not attacked outright—he had merely held his blade horizontally in midair. The wound on the Tengjiao’s tail was self-inflicted from its own momentum; the final sweep was clearly triggered by pain from the blade’s cut.

“Leader, the Nieshu ’s movements have slowed!”

“Correct. They’re no longer as agile as before.”

Meanwhile, news arrived from the other side—Xia Chuan and Luo Yuan.

The reason the two had been struck by the Tengjiao’s sweep was because they had blocked the two Nieshu charging at Xia Hong; both those Nieshu now bore deep blade wounds from them.

At normal speed, the Nieshu would never have been injured.

Xia Hong turned to examine the blade wounds on the Nieshu , then scanned all eight. He noticed their red pupils were clouded, and their movements were indeed much slower than before—he immediately understood.

“The toxic mist—the Tengjiao’s breath—affects the Nieshu more than us!”

Whoosh…………

No sooner had he spoken than the wind sounded again. Xia Hong immediately led the two southward—the very spot where the Nieshu herd had halted their pursuit.

“Opposing natures: these two cold beasts are natural enemies. Good thing neither is particularly strong individually. If we can eliminate the Nieshu herd, escaping safely won’t be a problem.”

Seeing the toxic mist’s suppression of the Nieshu , Xia Hong made his decision immediately: though the Tengjiao was powerful, its threat to them was limited—escape was feasible. The Nieshu herd was now their greatest obstacle to survival.

The massive group of Nieshu underground—whether retreating or not—should be led toward the Tengjiao. If the two sides fight, that’s ideal; even if they don’t, scaring off the Nieshu herd would still save their lives.

The Tengjiao, wounded by that blade strike, clearly harbored deep hatred for Xia Hong. Seeing them flee, it didn’t hesitate—it slithered along the trees to pursue.

Of course, along the way, it also dove down and swallowed the eight nearly unconscious Nieshu on the ground.

Whoosh… whoosh… whoosh… whoosh…

The trees of Hongmu Ridge were unusually thick and tall; the Tengjiao didn’t need to touch the ground—it simply clung and twisted through the branches, closing the distance to the three in moments.

“The ground is moving—it’s working! The Nieshu herd is retreating!”

As they fled past the area where the Nieshu herd had stopped, Xia Hong felt the underground tremors of their retreat. Though he dared not slow his pace, a smile slowly spread across his face.

“Throw the torches!”

At Xia Hong’s order, Xia Chuan instantly understood. He ran while lighting a torch, then hurled it hard in the direction the Nieshu herd had fled.

The moment the torch ignited, the underground movement ceased abruptly. The pursuing Tengjiao’s pupils shrank sharply, its body freezing in place.

“It works! Run faster!”

Once again, Xia Hong couldn’t help marveling—how immense was the torch’s attraction to cold beasts.

The Nieshu had chased them nearly two kilometers from the northern slope, refusing to retreat even after encountering the Tengjiao—clearly intent on killing them. The Tengjiao, wounded by him, surely harbored equal hatred.

Yet even so, upon seeing the torch, both sides instantly halted—all focus shifted to the torch.

Xia Hong dared not look back, even if the Tengjiao and the Nieshu herd were now fighting—he had no courage to return and seize an advantage.

Simply surviving tonight was already a miracle.

To turn back now would be suicide—playing with one’s life.

“Take the two Nieshu corpses with you—hurry back to camp!” The three sprinted nonstop, carrying the two Nieshu corpses, and reached camp just before dawn.

The new wooden hut was nearly complete, with only interior work remaining. Even with light blocked during the day, construction could proceed normally, so a few remained inside working, aside from those on rotation for rest.

But most people still hid inside the temporary huts.

The sight of Xia Hong and the others returning in such a battered state instantly sparked panic among the camp. Everyone gathered around, faces filled with worry.

Boom…………

As soon as they entered the hut, Xia Chuan and Luo Yuan dropped the two Nieshu corpses and called for help to process them, then immediately followed Xia Hong to the smelting furnace.

Several women from the camp rushed forward with Golden Wound Powder and soft leather to treat their wounds.

Luo Yuan bled from the corner of his mouth; four or five claw marks marred his left arm and chest—he had already applied Golden Wound Powder, which was healing, yet the flesh remained mangled; his back was bruised badly, with several ribs visibly collapsed—his injuries were the most severe;

Xia Chuan had collapsed ribs and bleeding from the mouth, with several scratches on his arms—his injuries were comparatively light;

Xia Hong fared worst: his wounds weren’t as severe as Luo Yuan’s—three deep claw marks on his waist, some flesh still hanging, but Golden Wound Powder had already begun healing them.

The main horror was his face—a scar three or four inches long, raw flesh exposed and grotesquely inverted.

All three not only bore wounds, but their faces were flushed crimson, pupils dilated and unfocused—clear signs of poisoning. Others didn’t know, but Zhao Long and the former Luoge camp members instantly recognized it: the venom of the Yunwu Tengjiao.

=9+book_bar

Look at the great blades they brought back—chipped, with large sections of bent edges. It was easy to imagine the peril they’d faced in the past hour.

Not only did the women treating them weep, but even the onlookers wore expressions of dread and fear; some children burst into tears, though adults clamped hands over their mouths to keep them silent, fearing disturbance to the three’s rest.

“Chuan, what happened?”

“What’s wrong with the leader?”

“Will the leader be alright?”

…………

Xia Chuan was the first to regain consciousness. Seeing Xia Hong and Luo Yuan still resting, everyone crowded around, asking for details.

“Don’t make noise. Wait until the leader wakes.”

Xia Chuan shook his head, signaling silence.

Half an hour later, Xia Hong’s pupils regained focus, the crimson faded from his face, and he fully revived.

“Have the two Nieshu been processed? Bring them to me!”

The first thing Xia Hong did upon waking was to demand the two Nieshu .

Xia Chuan immediately ordered them brought over.

“Leader, the Nieshu carry little meat—only 287 jin. The internal bones weigh 120 jin; the two incisors alone account for 20 jin—extremely hard. The remaining 100 jin of internal bones, like previous cold beasts, can only be ground to powder. Also, the Nieshu ’s fur is exceptionally soft and far warmer than other cold beasts.”

The value of cold beasts isn’t just their meat; their pelts can be made into writing scrolls, clothing, leather goods; some internal bones, ground to powder, can be used medicinally; key parts can even serve as tools, etc.…

Earlier, to maximize utility of their kills, Xia Hong had assigned cold beast processing entirely to the craftsmen’s workshop.

After the Nieshu were processed, the results were reported by the workshop master, Mu Dong.

Hearing Mu Dong’s report, Xia Hong touched the silver Shu fur—his eyes brightened briefly, then dimmed.

But when he saw the azure Nieshu meat and the two incisors, each fifty to sixty centimeters long, his eyes lit up again, and his face filled with surprise.

“Leader, did you encounter a powerful enemy?”

“How did you get so badly hurt? Was it a powerful cold beast?”

“Leader, let us join you tonight—we’ll fight that cold beast! With all of us from Great Xia, we won’t fear it!”

“Yes! Fight the cold beast! Even with our teeth, I’ll bite off a piece of its flesh!”

…………

The crowd around him suddenly erupted in voices. Xia Hong paused, looked up, and saw their expressions shift from panic and worry to righteous fury—shouting to fight the cold beast. A warmth stirred in his chest.

He, Xia Chuan, and Luo Yuan were essentially the three strongest in Great Xia now.

If even they were this badly wounded, how could the camp members not realize that charging the beast meant certain death?

Yet even so, seeing him injured, they cast aside their fear and concern at once, revealing a fierce, bloodthirsty resolve.

Only deep loyalty to their leader could explain this reaction from hundreds of people.

“On the northern slope, a large group of…………”

Xia Hong didn’t hide anything—he revealed the truth about the Nieshu herd.

Since the camp’s morale was usable, he would speak plainly; moreover, his next plan required these people.

When Xia Hong finished describing the Nieshu herd, the entire camp fell silent, every face now clouded with dread.

Xia Hong himself was grave. He paused, then looked directly at them:

“The northern slope is only two kilometers from the valley. If that herd discovers us, every single person in Great Xia camp will die. We must act quickly—either drive them away or lure them off. We must act immediately—the longer we wait, the more dangerous our situation becomes…”

(End of Chapter)