After the calamity of the Beast Demons, the desolate and heart-wrenching scenes stretched from the north to the south. For a thousand miles, there was no sign of human life, and villages lay in silence, a common sight. The northern regions, having suffered for a shorter time, fared somewhat better, but as one moved further south, the devastation grew more severe.
Ruins and desolate towns were everywhere. Even in the open fields and wilderness, one could occasionally find bleached bones, adding to the ghastly sight. The wind howled, and the landscape was bleak. In this world, people were as insignificant as ants, unable to control their own fates.
Many of those who had fled to the north began to slowly return home once they were certain that the catastrophe had passed. The once desolate land gradually showed signs of life. Yet, the air was still thick with sorrow. Along the roads, corpses were still found, some killed by the Beast Demons, others succumbing to hunger and cold on their way back home. Occasionally, there were reports of small groups of remaining Beast Demons causing harm in remote areas. However, despite these fears, the tide was turning, and the small groups of Beast Demons, though still terrifying, could not stop the desire of the people to return home.
These surviving Beast Demons quickly vanished, for among the returning throngs were many disciples of the righteous sects. Whenever news of Beast Demon attacks reached them, the righteous disciples would swiftly subdue the creatures.
On the day of the great battle at Azure Ethereal Conclave, the Beast God was defeated by the Immortalbane Nexus, but he did not die on the spot. The righteous were no fools, and like the Dark Sect who knew to strike while the iron was hot, they understood the principle of “eliminate evil thoroughly.”
Thus, many righteous sects dispatched their best disciples, and even some smaller sects mobilized all their forces. The capture of the Beast God would bring immense glory and fame. Moreover, it was widely believed that the Beast God, a peerless demon, must possess extraordinary treasures and artifacts.
These speculations and ambitions spread like a tidal wave, surging southward. Behind the relative calm, countless eyes watched with bated breath. In comparison, the suffering of the common people seemed to be of little concern.
As the tide of people moved south, the journey of Monday Immortal, Xiao Huan, and the Wild Dog Taoist was different from the rest.
Monday Immortal still clutched his bamboo pole, with the white cloth bearing the words “Divine Guidance.” However, the once pristine white had turned black and yellow, with several tattered holes. Though the cloth still fluttered in the breeze, it no longer carried any semblance of divinity, only a sense of dilapidation.
The Wild Dog Taoist, who had been traveling with Monday Immortal and Xiao Huan, now covered his face with a cloth. In these times, any unusual appearance could lead to misunderstandings, and he had already been mistaken for a Beast Demon a few times. After enduring such incidents, he took the initiative to cover his face.
Among the three, Xiao Huan appeared the most fresh. Her youthful beauty stood out, and in this sea of sorrow, she seemed the brightest presence. Throughout the journey, she often maintained a smile, not out of malice, but in an effort to help the helpless.
She assisted those who stumbled, fed the hungry, and even tended to the sick, showing a rudimentary knowledge of medicine. She even buried the remains of the fallen, offering a small comfort.
Her smile, a beacon of hope in the darkness, made her seem like a celestial being. Monday Immortal continued his incessant mumbling, while the Wild Dog Taoist, following Xiao Huan, never dissuaded her. He merely supported her in whatever she did: digging graves, carrying the weak. His eyes, however, were always fixed on the graceful figure of Xiao Huan, mirroring her actions, indifferent to the hardships of the journey.
Yet, they were not gods. With so many starving people and limited food, they soon found themselves without sustenance. Forced to leave the group, they ventured into the mountains, hoping to find something to eat.
Amidst the calamity, the scene was truly dire.
Monday Immortal, holding his bamboo pole, shook his head as the sky darkened. “These are truly times when it’s hard to live,” he sighed.
Xiao Huan, walking beside him, smiled but said nothing. Though her face bore the marks of the journey, her beauty remained, with a new maturity. The Wild Dog Taoist, following behind, his tall figure overlapping hers, his face hidden by the cloth, only his eyes shining brightly.
They had wandered far from the main road, perched on a small hill. The night was overcast, with only a few distant stars visible, no moonlight to be seen. The surrounding hills were silent, save for the distant chirping of insects.
Xiao Huan paused, as if remembering something, and turned to the Wild Dog Taoist with a smile. “Taoist, there are no outsiders here; you can remove the cloth from your face. You must be uncomfortable after wearing it all day.”
The Wild Dog Taoist’s eyes, slightly glowing in the darkness, flickered as he slowly removed the cloth, revealing his peculiar face. “Ah, I’m fine… But you’ve been busy all day, haven’t you?”
Monday Immortal, stopping to sit on a fallen log, stretched and shot a glance at Xiao Huan. “Yes, she’s the one who’s been busy, being merciful, giving away her grandfather’s rations, leaving even her grandfather hungry.”
Xiao Huan blushed, coming to stand behind Monday Immortal, gently massaging his shoulders. “Grandfather, we are fortunate. But if those people don’t eat, they will lose their strength and might die.”
The Wild Dog Taoist looked around and said, “Stay here; I’ll go into the forest to see if I can catch some game to stave off our hunger.”
Xiao Huan smiled at him. “Alright, thank you, Taoist.”
The Wild Dog Taoist grinned, but Monday Immortal snorted, “What are you grinning about? And why do you look so lecherous? What wicked thoughts are in your mind?”
The Wild Dog Taoist, startled, quickly stopped smiling and glanced at Xiao Huan, who looked at him apologetically. Ignoring Monday Immortal, he said, “I’ll be back soon.” Then, he hurried into the forest.
Monday Immortal grumbled, and Xiao Huan, standing behind him, scolded, “Grandfather, the Wild Dog Taoist has been with us for so long. Why don’t you give him a break? Besides, he’s been taking care of us, and he’s not a bad person!”
Monday Immortal snorted, “You don’t know what a bad person is. He’s with us for…”
“Grandfather!” Xiao Huan cut him off. Monday Immortal muttered a few more complaints but fell silent.
In the forest, rustling sounds were heard, followed by a flurry of movement. Soon, rapid footsteps approached, and the Wild Dog Taoist, with a triumphant look, emerged with a wild bird in hand. Despite the recent catastrophe, which had ravaged the land, he had managed to catch a stray bird, a stroke of luck indeed!
He rushed back to the clearing, shouting, “Look, I caught…” but his voice trailed off. The clearing was empty; Monday Immortal and Xiao Huan were nowhere to be seen.
The bird fell from his hand, and a chill seeped into his bones. Shaking, he approached the log where Monday Immortal had just sat. “They left, they left…”
His mind in turmoil, the Wild Dog Taoist’s face shifted from fear to sadness. Suddenly, he noticed scattered footprints behind the log, and a large, non-human footprint, three-clawed and much larger than a human’s.
His face changed, first with joy, then with alarm. A distant howl, eerie and wolf-like, pierced the night. The Wild Dog Taoist stepped back, but then, with a determined yell, he charged into the forest, a mad dog in every sense.
As he disappeared into the woods, a white light streaked across the sky, flying south like a meteor. On the ground, a shadowy figure, dressed in black, appeared near the clearing, breathing heavily. “How has his cultivation improved so much? This is strange,” he muttered, glancing toward the forest. Hearing distant fighting, he hesitated, then faded into the same direction as the Wild Dog Taoist.
In the forest, the Wild Dog Taoist, wielding his canine fang weapon, faced two massive Beast Demons, each with a lion’s body and tiger’s head. Monday Immortal and Xiao Huan were behind the demons, in a makeshift den filled with branches and a foul stench. Scattered corpses lay around, and a few survivors, either unconscious or emaciated, were also present.
The Wild Dog Taoist, already injured, realized he was no match for two such demons. Yet, he couldn’t abandon the fearful eyes behind him. As the demons attacked, he knew he was doomed. He fought fiercely, but the demons were relentless, and soon, he was bleeding profusely. The demons, seeing blood, only became more ferocious, pinning him down.
Just as the end seemed near, a shout, “Grandfather… Taoist…” rang out. Xiao Huan, with a look of despair, stood between them and the demons. The Wild Dog Taoist, with a surge of adrenaline, threw himself at the demons, tackling one to the ground. The fight was brutal, and soon, the Wild Dog Taoist was gravely injured, but the demon was mortally wounded too.
The surviving demon, seeing its companion fall, went berserk, attacking the Wild Dog Taoist. Monday Immortal, using some ancestral magic, tried to teleport the Wild Dog Taoist away, but the spell failed, and they both fell. The demon pounced, but Xiao Huan, with a desperate cry, pushed them away. The Wild Dog Taoist, with a final, desperate lunge, embraced the demon, tearing through its flesh.
The others, seeing the struggle, rushed in, using anything they could to attack the demon. The fight was vicious, and finally, the demon fell silent. The crowd, exhausted, collapsed, and the Wild Dog Taoist, with a final, twisted smile, died like a mad dog.
In the darkness, the question lingered: Who, in this world, truly understands the madness of life?
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