The Wolf King fell silent for a moment, then said, “If Zhang Bu Zhou wasn’t formidable, how could he have killed my father? How could I have ended up in this miserable state, bearing the weight of humiliation every day?”
“Great Chieftain, temporary dormancy is but a prelude to future soaring,” the elderly werewolf spoke, quoting an ancient proverb passed down through the tribes.
The Wolf King replied, “I know. Go and investigate what happened with Gali first.”
The elderly werewolf did not leave immediately, seeming hesitant. He warned, “Great Chieftain, our recent activities seem to have caught the attention of his inner circle. They might come to test us; you must be cautious.”
The Wolf King sneered, “They covet my position. But Zhang Bu Zhou is always ruthless, focused only on tangible gains. Since I took this seat, the annual taxes and resources I’ve paid have doubled. As long as the taxes are substantial, no one can touch my position. And do they think they can manage this position with their limited abilities? A bunch of fools who can’t even handle their own territories—what difference would it make if they got any position?”
Seeing the Wolf King’s confidence, the elderly werewolf no longer worried and left the peak.
After the Xue brothers departed, Qian Ye’s life returned to a semblance of calm, but his struggle against the mysterious entity in the sea was not going well. For several days, he managed only one victory, causing the Dark Forest to spread, nearly reaching the beach. Fortunately, the thick fog was bounded by the river, no matter how fierce, it never crossed the small stream, leaving Qian Ye some space.
Qian Ye continuously reflected, slowly turning the tide. This night, he won two rounds, finally breathing a sigh of relief.
During these days, he had been practicing, amassing mountains of supplies, none of which he had yet exchanged in the town. Realizing it was time to collect taxes, and noticing no activity from the Iron Bear since its death, he decided to visit the town.
Qian Ye took a small bag of golden snails, loaded two pieces of lumber onto the old truck, and set off for the town.
As the Dark Forest expanded, the road to the town now ran mostly through the forest. After Xue Ding had thrown the blood-soaked earth into the Dark Forest, the indigenous species vanished, never to return. Passing through the Dark Forest felt like walking through a dead zone, devoid of any vitality.
The truck moved slowly but steadily, never breaking down. After an hour of bumpy travel, it finally emerged from the Dark Forest and reached the outskirts of the town.
As soon as he left the Dark Forest, Qian Ye smelled the stench of blood. Frowning, he sniffed the air. The blood was mostly human, with a hint of other races, but no sign of werewolves. The scent was so intense that it suggested at least dozens of people’s blood.
Qian Ye jumped off the truck and walked towards the town.
From the outside, the town seemed normal, but the guards were gone. Looking through the town gate, the streets were empty, devoid of any life. The once bustling and lively town had turned into a ghost town in an instant.
Qian Ye entered the town gate, stopping to touch the iron door. His fingertips came away with ashes and a streak of purplish-black stain. Without looking, Qian Ye knew it was dried blood.
Glancing down, he saw a dark stain nearby, resembling sewage but actually blood, mixed with the soil after flowing out.
Qian Ye’s expression remained unchanged as he walked down the street into the town.
This was the main street leading into the town, flanked by a few shops, now all closed and silent.
Qian Ye pushed open a shop door and looked inside. The shop was empty, shelves disheveled, clearly ransacked. A pungent, putrid smell assaulted him, making him frown.
Suddenly, with a loud bang, a shelf exploded, and a black shadow lunged at Qian Ye!
Leaning back, Qian Ye easily avoided the attack. It was a massive black wolf, much larger than a regular wild wolf, clearly a direwolf bred by the werewolves. Before the direwolf’s lunge could reach its end, Qian Ye reached out, grabbed its waist, and crushed its spine with a squeeze.
The direwolf fell, writhing and wailing in pain. Ignoring it, Qian Ye glanced inside the shop, confirming there was nothing of interest, and left.
The direwolf’s howl echoed through the town, drawing many responses. Windows and doors shattered, and more direwolves appeared. Some, seeing Qian Ye, their eyes filled with ferocity, lunged at him.
Their teeth were caked with human flesh and clothing scraps, and the stench of human blood made Qian Ye feel instinctively repulsed.
Several direwolves missed Qian Ye, and upon landing, their limbs detached, spilling blood. The wounded direwolves rolled in agony, their howls filling the town.
The other direwolves, intimidated by their comrades’ plight, hesitated, cowering and tail-tucking. Yet, sensing no danger from Qian Ye, they wavered, unsure whether to attack.
While the direwolves hesitated, Qian Ye did not. With a tremor of the Dongyue sword, streams of sword energy shot out, knocking the direwolves down, each missing limbs.
“You seek death!” An enraged roar echoed from the center of the town, and a young werewolf charged out. Seeing the direwolves’ plight, his eyes filled with bloodlust, and he leaped at Qian Ye.
Qian Ye sighed, muttering, “Few werewolves are as likable as William!”
The young werewolf’s vision blurred, and he suddenly lost strength, falling before Qian Ye. Severe pain coursed through his body, and he couldn’t feel his limbs. Looking down, he saw his limbs severed, and in agony and fear, let out a chilling howl.
Qian Ye picked up the young werewolf and continued forward, reaching the town square.
The square was a lake of blood, surrounded by hundreds of wooden stakes, each with a person impaled, their blood flowing down and pooling in the square.
The impaled people were townsfolk, many of whom Qian Ye recognized. Some were strangers, likely passing through or doing business, unfortunate enough to meet their fate here.
The massacre had occurred some time ago; most of the people on the stakes were dead, with a few still clinging to life. Their legs were mangled, some reduced to bone, flesh nowhere to be found. Seeing the direwolves, even the dimmest would guess where the flesh had gone.
Like humans who enjoy beast meat, those with higher force cultivation become more delicious to beasts.
Qian Ye threw the young werewolf, now missing his limbs, into the blood pool, eliciting another agonized scream.
In the center of the town, the courtyard where the Iron Bear once lived, the gate was kicked open, and several werewolves emerged. Leading them was a burly, middle-aged werewolf, towering over the others. Seeing the young werewolf, his eyes turned red, and he growled, glaring at Qian Ye.
Realizing he couldn’t gauge Qian Ye’s strength, he reluctantly suppressed his anger, shouting, “Who are you? Daring to harm the Wolf King’s direct knight, do you not know who rules this land?”
Qian Ye did not answer but asked, “Did you kill everyone in the town?”
The middle-aged werewolf replied, “The Wolf King’s son, Gali, died here. By custom, all who live in this area must die to accompany him.”
“Custom? Whose custom?”
“The Wolf King’s! What, do you dare defy the Wolf King? Kid, with some skills, you dare to challenge the Wolf King? You’re just seeking a faster death. Cut off your limbs, and I’ll let you die quickly. Otherwise, I’ll impale you on a stake and let the direwolves feed on you for days before you die!”
“Custom of the Wolf King, huh…” Qian Ye’s words made the werewolves feel a heavy weight, as if a boulder pressed down on them. The weakest stumbled, kneeling, and the middle-aged werewolf, momentarily stunned, burst with strength to regain his footing.
But Qian Ye had already passed by, circled the area, and returned to face him.
The middle-aged werewolf felt a sharp pain in his chest, followed by a surge of weakness. Looking down, he saw the Dongyue sword piercing his heart. He hadn’t even seen Qian Ye’s move.
Staring into Qian Ye’s eyes, the middle-aged werewolf heard, “The Wolf King’s custom does not apply to me.”
He glared at Qian Ye, growling, “You wait. The Wolf King will not forgive you. His guard… will be here soon. Then… it will be your end…”
Qian Ye flicked his wrist, tossing the middle-aged werewolf onto an empty stake, impaling him. Werewolves are resilient; even with a broken heart, he could survive for days. But now, this resilience brought only endless pain.
The other werewolves had already fallen. The middle-aged werewolf was only a third-tier baron, and his men were no match for Qian Ye’s casual strikes. Qian Ye left one alive, interrogating him to learn the sequence of events.
The Wolf King had learned of Gali’s death and, in fury, sent his personal guard to search for clues. The townsfolk became his scapegoats, all brutally killed. Not just this town, but two others within a hundred kilometers were also massacred.
After killing the townsfolk, the guard left to continue searching for Gali’s remains. Naturally, any humans they encountered met the same fate.
The baron and his men stayed to hunt for any stragglers, but they didn’t expect to catch a man-eating shark.
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