Chapter 320: Shock! Transformation!!

The next day.

Within Weizhoucheng, the sky was clear and the sun shone brightly.

Before the Liang Fu's main gate, carriages and horses filled the road, crowds thronged like a woven fabric.

Those come to offer congratulations formed two long lines, winding out over two entire streets, noise and clamor rising in a frenzy.

Today was the hundredth birthday of Liang Zhongshi, the venerable elder of Weizhou and patriarch of the Liang family!

The Liang family had dominated Weizhou for centuries, their roots deep and their connections vast; such a grand display was only natural.

Those who came to pay respects included not only Liang clan members and vassal forces, but also representatives of numerous prominent families and sects within Weizhoucheng, and even guests from neighboring prefectures had traveled specially to attend.

Inside the main gate, the master of ceremonies shouted announcements with a loud, rhythmic voice.

"Chengnan Li Family: gift of a hundred-year thunder-struck wood!"

"Feiyu Sect: gift of a single dragon-blood coral tree!"

"Beitan Fan Family: gift of ten deep-sea black pearls!"

……

Each announcement was met with murmurs of awe or envy from the guests.

The glow of rare treasures and precious artifacts nearly blinded the eyes; the rich fragrance of spiritual herbs filled the air.

Laughter, greetings, and flattery filled every corner of the Liang Fu; the atmosphere reached its peak of fervor.

As noon approached, the auspicious hour arrived.

Amidst a hearty, booming laugh, the day's honored guest, Liang Zhongshi, strode out from the inner hall, surrounded by his sons, grandsons, and core clan members.

He wore a dark red robe embroidered with patterns of immortal cranes and pine trees, crowned with a jade cap; though a hundred years old, his face was ruddy, his spirit vigorous, his steps steady, showing not a trace of age.

As he walked, he continually bowed to the guests around him, his voice ringing like a bronze bell.

"Thank you all for gracing my humble banquet. My hospitality may be lacking—please forgive me. Today, eat well, drink well, and do not leave until you are drunk!"

"Liang Master, you are too modest!"

"May your fortune flow like the Eastern Sea, your life span as enduring as the Southern Mountains!"

"At your three-hundredth birthday, we, your juniors, shall come again to trouble you."

"Liang Master, your vigor is astonishing—I believe you could live another hundred years easily!"

"…"

The guests responded enthusiastically; congratulations and flattery poured forth without end, the atmosphere growing even more heated.

Liang Zhongshi clearly was in high spirits. He took a cup filled with amber-hued wine from his eldest son's hand, raised it high above his head, and declared loudly.

"I toast you all!"

Saying this, he tilted his head back and drained the cup in one gulp.

Yet, the moment the wine touched his throat, a sudden transformation occurred!

"Ugh…"

Liang Zhongshi's body lurched violently; the wine cup slipped from his hand and clattered to the ground, shattering into pieces.

The ruddy hue on his face instantly turned an unnatural crimson, spreading rapidly—his sclerae filled within moments with terrifying blood vessels, turning entirely red!

"Father, what's wrong?!"

His eldest son, the current head of the Liang family, turned pale, rushed forward several steps, reached out to steady the staggering elder, and signaled his trusted subordinates.

"Quick! Take the elder back to rest!"

The surrounding guests also sensed something was wrong; laughter died instantly, all eyes fixed in shock on the suddenly erratic Liang Master.

"Roar—"

In reply to the Liang family head, no human voice came—only a terrifying, bestial roar, utterly inhuman in its savagery and fury!

Before the horrified gaze of everyone, Liang Zhongshi's body swelled rapidly, like inflating, tearing his luxurious birthday robe apart in an instant.

With a hissing sound, thick, stiff black fur erupted from his body like steel needles, covering him completely!

His head twisted and deformed with a sickening crunch of grinding bones; his nose and mouth protruded forward, fangs piercing his lips—transforming into a grotesque, monstrous wolf head!

Simultaneously, one arm and one leg swelled violently, mutating into thick, muscular limbs ending in razor-sharp claws.

In the blink of an eye, the once-vigorous hundred-year-old patriarch had become a towering, nearly three-meter-tall, half-man, half-wolf monster radiating overwhelming malevolent energy!

"Roar~!!"

The half-wolf Liang Zhongshi, his crimson eyes filled with pure murderous intent, let out a deafening roar, dropped to all fours, and lunged at the nearest guest—frozen in terror.

Swish! Swish!

The wolf claws tore through the air, producing a piercing wind shriek.

Plop! Plop!

The claws flashed—several skulls shattered like watermelons, red and white matter spraying everywhere.

Two others had their necks swept by the claws; their heads instantly severed from their bodies. The headless torsos stood rigid for a moment, then blood gushed like geysers from their neck stumps, drenching nearby guests who couldn't dodge in time!

Warm, thickly metallic blood splashed across their faces; the stunned guests finally snapped out of their paralyzing shock and terror, as if doused with ice water.

"Aaah—"

"Monster! A monster!"

"Run!!"

"…"

Piercing screams and panicked wails replaced the earlier laughter; the banquet hall plunged instantly into uncontrollable chaos and terror.

Guests scattered like headless flies, screaming as they fled; tables and chairs overturned, cups and plates shattered everywhere.

What had been a joyous, harmonious Liang Fu had, in an instant, become a bloody hell on earth!

…

……

At the same time.

Inside the main hall of the Town Martial Division, sandalwood incense curled in delicate wisps.

Chen Mu sat upright in the seat of honor, his long-jointed hands cradling a cup of clear tea, the rising haze blurring the sharp line of his jaw.

His gaze rested on the Juan Sect documents, appearing focused, but in truth his "Listening Wind" skill monitored the entire Town Martial Division—no stirring of wind or grass could escape him.

"Thump thump thump—"

A burst of rapid and slightly disordered footsteps suddenly drew near from afar, shattering the stillness within the hall.

The next moment, a my lord of the Town Martial Division in standard-issue close-fitted garb at the Innate Realm appeared at the doorway. He had no time even to steady his breathing before he cupped his fist in salute, his voice carrying an urgency and panic that were difficult to conceal.

"My lord! Something terrible has happened! The Liang family has met with disaster!"

"……" Chen Mu's hand holding the tea paused almost imperceptibly; his eyelids lifted, his gaze settling calmly on the reporting guard.

"What is the panic? Speak slowly."

The Innate Realm guard swallowed, his words still racing: "It's the Liang family patriarch—Liang Zhongshi! Today is his hundredth birthday banquet, guests gathered in droves, but… but in the middle of the feast, Old Master Liang suddenly… suddenly transformed into a monster!"

"He went mad on the spot and killed… killed several hundred guests! In the end, it was Lord He who arrived in the nick of time and struck him down."

"Transformed into a monster?"

A cold light flashed suddenly in Chen Mu's eyes, like a frigid bolt streaking through the dark night; the aura around him instantly turned piercing and fierce.

"What manner of monster?"

"Reporting to my lord, according to the guests who escaped, they said… said it was like a wolf! Half-man, half-wolf, with strength beyond measure, blades and spears could hardly wound it, and it was savagely brutal beyond compare!" the guard hurriedly replied, his face still bearing the lingering dread of having heard of the horrific scene.

Half-man, half-wolf!?