Chapter 31: The Monster of the Mountain Village
Tianhai Sect!
Within an inner chamber of the Ziwei Pavilion, a man clad in a coiling-dragon purple robe, with handsome features and a strikingly refined demeanor, held a scroll in his hand. Yet his gaze never once fell upon the book; instead, a trace of perplexity and regret lingered silently between his brows.
This man was none other than Senior Brother Murong—the one who had recently visited Wei Wuya—whose full name was Murong Ying. If Luo Hao were present, he would certainly find the name familiar, for he had once clashed with Murong Ying’s younger brother, Murong Hai; back then, Luo Hao had swiftly left with Meng Li.
It is said that a dragon begets nine sons, each unique. Unlike his younger brother Murong Hai, Murong Ying was a prodigy of the Tianhai Sect, having reached the Blood-Gathering Realm several years prior. Among the elite disciples of Ziwei Pavilion, he was a key figure under focused cultivation—a formidable contender for the leading seat among the disciples of that lineage.
“Bang!”
Suddenly, Murong Ying slammed the scroll to the ground with force, his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles cracked. He had just received word from a Ziwei Pavilion disciple: those dispatched to the Ancient Ravine had perished to a man when the ravine’s overlord, the Dragon Ape, inexplicably went berserk. Not one survived.
He cared little for the dead disciples, save for his trusted confidant, Senior Brother Liu. But such large-scale losses would surely draw the attention of the Tianhai Sect’s Hall of Divine Retribution. Troubles would follow, and even more regrettable—he had failed to obtain the secret that Luo Hao carried.
“Is fate truly so blind that this opportunity should elude me, Murong Ying?”
A sigh escaped him. The Dragon Ape’s rampage had claimed even Senior Brother Liu, who was at the Blood-Gathering Realm. Though Luo Hao possessed considerable fortune, the gulf between the Spirit Qi Realm and the Blood-Gathering Realm was immense. Murong Ying did not believe that Luo Hao, at only the fifth level of the Spirit Qi Realm, could possibly have survived.
The Tian Cang Mountains stretched on without end. Two days had passed since Luo Hao had departed from the Ancient Ravine. With three days remaining until the mission’s deadline, he traveled at a leisurely pace, unhurried.
During the idle journey, he would occasionally attempt to rouse the ancient mirror within his dantian, only to be repeatedly frustrated. Eventually, he gave up. Traveling along the outer fringes of the Tian Cang Mountains, he encountered a few demon beasts—perfect targets to test his newly enhanced strength. Despite being only at the periphery, Luo Hao still found some decent spiritual herbs along the way.
As the divine sun set in the west, gathering up the last traces of its glow, Luo Hao gradually slowed his pace. Wisps of cooking smoke curled upwards ahead—there, a small mountain village came into view.
“Hm, the stench of blood.”
He sniffed the air and instinctively drew closer to the village, intending to spend the night there and continue his journey at dawn. Yet, as he reached the village entrance, he stopped beneath a large tree. The scent of blood from within was overpowering, making him uneasy.
“Sister Xiang, please accept our condolences. Though Da Zhuang is gone, you still have Xiao Zhuang. You must take care of yourself.”
“Sister Xiang, don’t worry—Da Zhuang gave his life for the sake of our village. We’ll help in any way we can.”
“Ah Xiang, it is old Grandpa’s fault for failing your family…”
As Luo Hao entered the village, he saw a gray-bearded elder weeping bitterly beside a well. A group of plainly dressed villagers surrounded a woman and child in mourning clothes, offering words of comfort. On the ground lay a corpse, covered with a white cloth, with crimson blood seeping through.
The woman in mourning was pale, her eyes swollen from weeping; the tear tracks on her cheeks were clear. Beside her, a dark-skinned boy sobbed softly. Grief and anguish enveloped everyone present.
“May I ask what has happened in this village?” Luo Hao’s voice rang out. The villagers turned to look, and as they did, Luo Hao had already approached the well. He could keenly sense the sorrow that filled the air.
“Young man, I am the village chief of Shi Village. Times are troubled here—what brings you to us?” asked the gray-bearded elder, wiping his tears as he studied Luo Hao more closely.
“Greetings, elder. My name is Luo Hao. I was hoping to find shelter here for the night, but I could not help but notice the villagers’ sorrowful faces.” Although he guessed it was linked to the corpse, he sensed there was more to the matter—after all, death is a part of life, and it shouldn’t cast such a pall over the entire village.
Seeing that Luo Hao was an outsider, the old man sighed, “Young man, you had best leave. The village is not safe. Shi Village is troubled by a monster—you mustn’t risk your life here.”
The old man’s words made Luo Hao smile inwardly. As expected, there was more to the story. He asked, “If there’s a monster, why hasn’t everyone left?”
“Ah, young fellow, our roots are here in Shi Village. Where else could we go?” replied a calloused-handed middle-aged man behind the elder.
The man’s words stirred Luo Hao deeply. Looking around at the villagers, he was touched by their simple, honest hearts. Calculating the time, he said, “Village chief, if you let me stay the night, I’ll help you deal with that monster. What do you say?”
“You? Even Da Zhuang—the strongest hunter in our village—couldn’t defeat it. Do you really think you can?”
The elder regarded him with doubt and disbelief. Luo Hao caught the look and laughed, “Don’t judge me by my youth. I’m a disciple of the Tianhai Sect, here on a mission. Will you believe me now?” He produced his sect token for the old man to see.
Though Shi Village was remote, Tianhai Sect cultivators had passed through before. When the old man saw Luo Hao’s token, reverence and joy lit up his deeply wrinkled face. He turned to the villagers and called out, “Fellow villagers, this young man is a disciple of the Tianhai Sect. We are saved!”
At these words, much of the gloom lifted from the villagers. They pressed close to Luo Hao, awe in their eyes—some of the boys even clamored to become his disciple.
Luo Hao smiled and made his way to the grieving woman, ruffling the head of the little boy beside her. “Sister-in-law, may I examine your husband’s wounds?” The woman said nothing, but nodded. The little boy looked at Luo Hao with a mixture of curiosity and fear in his wide eyes.
Luo Hao lifted the white cloth. The woman drew her son into her arms, shielding his sight, while some of the villagers turned away, unable to bear the sight.
Examining the corpse, Luo Hao’s face grew puzzled. The man was not old, in the prime of his life, with powerful arms and hands thick with calluses—clearly a seasoned hunter. Yet his body was riddled with bloody holes, and his neck bore savage bite marks, with torn flesh and exposed, blackened, broken vertebrae. The man’s skull was also crushed.
“What is this?”
At the edge of a wound near the heart, Luo Hao found a silver thread, sticky and remarkably tough. Even with his current seventh-level Spirit Qi strength, he could not snap it in one pull. Fluid clung to the thread; bringing it to his nose, he detected a sour, foul odor.
He replaced the cloth, pocketed the silver thread into his storage pouch, and addressed the villagers behind him, “Rest assured—I will help you deal with this monster. But do you know where it came from?”
“Hero, I recall my late husband was killed by the monster while in the back mountain,” the bereaved woman said in a hoarse, heavy voice.
Glancing up, Luo Hao saw a great mountain behind the village—part of the Tian Cang range, no wonder there were demon beasts. Turning back to the villagers, he said, “Now that we know where it came from, it’s simple. Tonight, if any of you hear a sound from the back mountain, do not go out.”
His voice was grave—not because he distrusted the villagers, but because ordinary folk could do nothing against demon beasts. The villagers nodded solemnly in agreement.