Chapter Twenty: The Wolf Demon

"Kill!"

With a deep shout, a long spear shot straight forward, slicing through the air.

It struck the chest of a straw dummy.

Fang Xiao twisted his wrist sharply, causing the makeshift red-tasseled spear to whirl violently in his grip. The straw dummy, just pierced, instantly fell apart.

He stepped back, withdrawing the spear.

A flawless execution of the basic thrusting drill.

Previously, Fang Xiao had always used a military belt and a triangular spike as his weapons.

But in truth, the weapon he was most skilled with was the spear.

Before crossing into this world, Fang Xiao had been a member of the Lu'an Youth Corps, often participating in combat training of various kinds.

Their training weapon was precisely the red-tasseled spear.

Though he had never fought a real battle with a spear before.

Now, threatened by his enemies, Fang Xiao had crafted this weapon himself, determined to meet the coming fight in his strongest state.

Spear in hand, his heart brimmed with ambition.

"Brother Fang!"

At this moment, a startled cry came from outside the temple.

The voice was familiar.

Fang Xiao immediately grabbed his spear and rushed out.

He saw Huaihua, clutching a bamboo basket, standing on the mountain path not far away, her small face full of terror.

What had frightened her were the yellow weasels Fang Xiao had nailed by the roadside.

The five corpses, large and small, had long since been drained of blood. After a night of drying in the shade and a day of baking under the sun, their flesh had shriveled, making them look especially ghastly and hideous.

They had thoroughly frightened the little girl who had come to deliver a meal.

"Don’t be afraid, it’s nothing," Fang Xiao said as he went to meet her, taking the basket from her hands.

He spoke seriously, "Huaihua, you should go home now. Don’t come to bring me food these next few days."

Fang Xiao had no idea when the Yellowwind Patriarch might come seeking revenge.

But it was certain the temple was not safe.

Huaihua pursed her lips and asked timidly, "Brother Fang, what happened?"

"Last night, I killed a few monsters in your village," Fang Xiao said, pointing at the dried yellow weasels nearby. "The Yellowwind Patriarch will definitely come for revenge, so you and your mother must stay away from the temple for a while, to stay safe."

"The Yellowwind Patriarch?" Huaihua cried out, her large eyes filled with worry. "I’ve heard the villagers talk about it before. It’s a fearsome demon."

"Brother Fang, you should run! Don’t wait here for death!"

In her panic, she grabbed Fang Xiao’s sleeve.

Fang Xiao laughed. "I’m not afraid!"

He gripped the spear tightly, lifted his chin, and declared, "I’ll wait right here for it to come!"

"Brother Fang!" Tears spilled from Huaihua’s eyes. "You’re being foolish."

Fang Xiao planted the spear in the ground, reached out to ruffle her hair, and said, "Perhaps. Now hurry home, it’s almost dark."

Huaihua stamped her foot and turned to run. "I’m going to find my mother!"

"Don’t come back!" Fang Xiao called after her, then drew his spear and returned to the temple.

He sat on a bench and lifted the cloth covering the bamboo basket.

Inside were a dozen plump sesame buns.

Each was stuffed with savory meat, wild greens, and scallions, filling the air with rich fragrance.

Meat-stuffed flatbread!

Fang Xiao’s eyes lit up; he seized a bun and bit into it without hesitation.

Madam Qin’s cooking was truly top-notch!

He devoured the buns, washing them down with mountain spring water from his flask, and soon finished the entire basket.

Satiated, he felt his strength had grown a little.

He picked up his spear and once more stood at the temple’s entrance.

The sun was setting.

The last rays of sunlight bathed the little Jing Mountain temple.

It draped Fang Xiao in a faint golden glow.

Even the dried yellow weasels hanging by the roadside seemed to gain a touch of value in that light.

The next instant, Fang Xiao’s gaze sharpened.

He saw, on the mountain path leading upward, a burly figure appear.

Step by step, the figure made its way down the rugged trail toward the temple.

Its gait was uneven, each step high then low, giving it an odd, lurching look.

Soon, Fang Xiao could see it clearly—and his heart tightened with dread.

The newcomer was no human.

It had a large, furry head, sturdy, powerful limbs, and a long tail swaying behind.

It was a wolf-headed demon.

The wolf fiend wore dark brown leather armor, a wine gourd and a small tortoise shell shield hanging at its waist.

As Fang Xiao observed it, the wolf demon’s eyes met his.

Cruelty gleamed in those lupine eyes.

"So you’re Xuan Pingzi’s apprentice?"

The wolf demon limped to a halt before Fang Xiao, baring rows of sharp, white fangs.

In a mocking tone, it said, "You look a bit tender, but I bet your flesh is nice and firm."

In the wolf demon’s eyes, Fang Xiao was nothing more than a dish on its plate, a meal waiting to be consumed.

Fang Xiao did not waste words on the fiend’s contemptuous taunts.

He gripped his spear with both hands, dropped into a bow stance, and instinctively assumed the Crouching Tiger posture from the "Dragon-Tiger Stance" manual.

The triangular spear tip pointed straight at the wolf demon’s chest, twenty paces away.

In an instant, Fang Xiao’s entire aura changed.

The wolf demon was startled.

Its eyes were sharp; it could see at a glance that Fang Xiao was merely a novice, just having entered the body-forging realm.

Such a figure was hardly worthy of attention.

Yet the sudden surge of fighting spirit from Fang Xiao made the wolf demon feel as if a thorn pricked its back.

Especially around its chest, where a faint chill spread.

The wolf demon’s once-arrogant gaze became much more cautious as it looked at Fang Xiao anew.

Its eyes rolled as it chuckled, "To tell you the truth, I have no grudge against you, nor do I wish to offend your master Xuan Pingzi. But the Yellowwind Patriarch from Yellowwind Cave has offered a high price for your head."

The wolf demon licked its fangs with a wet tongue, its eyes full of greed. "How about this—give me three spirit stones, and I’ll pretend I was never here."

"How about it?"

Spirit stones?

What on earth were those?

Fang Xiao dismissed the words as nothing more than the barking of a cur.

Suddenly, he lunged forward, spear flashing toward the wolf demon with blinding speed.

Even if he had spirit stones, Fang Xiao would never bow to a disgusting fiend like this!

"Kill!"

As he charged, Fang Xiao let out a thunderous cry.

His muscles tensed, bones creaked, and strength erupted from his arms, waist, and legs all at once.

In a breath, Fang Xiao closed the distance, arriving before the wolf demon.

The wolf demon flew into a rage!

It was not a great demon, but among those who had gained intelligence, it was a first-rate existence.

To be defied by a mere novice martial artist was a disgrace.

"Bold whelp!"

Facing the onrushing spear, the wolf demon threw back its head and laughed angrily.

It snatched the tortoise shell shield from its waist and calmly raised it before itself.

At the same time, three razor-sharp claws sprang from its right paw.