The night grew darker, silent. There was only the whisper of the wind through the bamboo thickets. Several of the bamboo stalks had fallen. Leaves scattered. Xiaojun, still clutching his chest, nearly lost consciousness; he fell to his knees, blood flowing from beneath his mask.
Meanwhile, the Blood Moon Wolf stood still across from Xiaojun. It growled, observing Xiaojun's condition. Its dark red eyes and sharp, narrowed pupils stared intensely at the kneeling Xiaojun, waiting for any dangerous movement.
As Xiaojun attempted to stand with trembling legs and a body reeking of blood, he was immediately ambushed. The wolf lunged directly at Xiaojun's body, delivering several slashes that left his flesh torn and gaping. Xiaojun's healing began to slow, even appearing to stop altogether. Xiaojun had no energy left to stay awake; he collapsed, unconscious.
"Damn it! That boy is at death's door! Where did that crystal go at a critical time like this!" Zhen Ji whispered in a mix of panic and annoyance. He clenched both fists, his brows furrowed. He took a deep breath. At that moment, the surrounding environment began to slow down; a massive pressure was felt. Heavy.
The wolf, which had intended to bite and drag Xiaojun into the forest, shivered and recoiled. Its tail dropped, its body crouching. It howled to call the rest of its pack; the howl was so loud it made the bamboo forest shake violently. Birds and snakes living in the forest flew and crawled away in haste.
"Rotten wolf! You almost killed my greatest investment!" Zhen Ji moved so fast that he appeared behind the wolf instantly. His hand rose, then swung. He initiated the attack using only the back of his hand; his hair fluttered messily, and his dark red clothes, soaked from the previous slaughter, were torn apart by a massive burst of energy.
The wolf was sent flying far away, crashing through dozens of bamboo trees, shattering its bones and exposing its organs. The wolf was barely able to move again; it could only lie there in silence.
Zhen Ji's hands, originally white and clean like milk, turned black and coarse, like the hands of a demon. His body showed marks like lines that spiraled slightly at the ends. The marks were a deep, dark purple.
Not far from the battle, the Gu Twins observed the anomalies in the bamboo forest—from the animals fleeing to the thick surge of energy and the heavy howling.
"It seems Brother is starting to get serious~" The Gu Twins laughed, impatient to see their brother, who rarely revealed his strength. Their brother always thought that cultivation power was unimportant, yet he possessed demonic energy and concepts within him.
"We have to hurry before the show ends." The Gu Twins ran swiftly; they ran as if gliding on the wind, incredibly light.
Kuagh!
Zhen Ji spat something into his hand; it looked like blood but was blacker and darker. He stared at it blankly. He closed his eyes for a few seconds and whispered, "It's almost time to stop using this power..." Zhen Ji looked at Xiaojun, his gaze deep with disappointment at seeing his masterpiece destroyed by another. He lifted Xiaojun onto his body using one hand, intending to leave the area.
As he was about to depart, he heard footsteps from within the bamboo forest. Instantly, Zhen Ji became alert, scanning the surroundings thoroughly, waiting for something to emerge.
A pair of dark red eyes glowed brightly, lurking as they watched Zhen Ji and Xiaojun. There were perhaps hundreds of eyes stalking them from behind the bamboo, staring from various directions. The growls of beasts were heard, coming from those red eyes.
"Damn! They arrived so fast!" Zhen Ji furrowed his brows, gritting his teeth hard. "This journey home has become far more terrifying than any sequence of events I've ever experienced..."
Zhen Ji took a deep breath, causing his stomach to expand like Wang Jie Li's. After drawing the breath, he held it for three seconds and then released it with a scream.
Argh!!
The scream caused the bamboo trees to fall and shatter, revealing a pack of hundreds of wolves ready to charge without mercy. After releasing that great shout, Zhen Ji began to calculate the probability of how many wolves he could kill in the remaining five minutes.
"Damn, I can only kill a few dozen in five minutes!" Zhen Ji grumbled in frustration. He could save himself if he left Xiaojun behind as bait. However, Zhen Ji would feel the loss of his investment money, totaling 200 gold Zhang coins.
After making his estimate, he began to attack blindly; dozens of strikes were exchanged at once. The wolves' attacks hit Zhen Ji, but they produced no significant effect. Zhen Ji appeared perfectly fine, without a single scratch from the wolves.
Two minutes passed; forty wolf corpses lay scattered in the forest. Zhen Ji began to leak thick black blood from his nose. Four minutes passed; Zhen Ji began to drip that blood from his pupils. His time was almost up.
"Damn! At this rate, I'll die!"
Two small children ran into the fray. They were twins, one boy and one girl; their bodies were tiny, appearing to be only six years old—the same age as Xiaojun, who was currently trapped in an 18-year-old's body. Both wore noble attire, with Phoenix and Qilin ornaments on their necklaces.
"Brother, we've arrived!"
The moment they arrived, they struck two wolves that were fighting their brother. The other wolves retreated a few steps as the two children attacked their pack.
"Gu Zhou Ying and Gu Nan Yun have arrived! We report to Brother that Father ordered us to help you!" Gu Zhou Ying and Gu Nan Yun gave a respectful salute, puffing out their chests as if reporting to a superior in a military academy.
"You arrived just in time, Gu Twins! Help Brother finish off these rotten wolves!" Zhen Ji slumped down instantly, relieved to have reinforcements. Zhen Ji began to return to normal, though traces of blood still flowed from his mouth, nose, and eyes.
"Yes, Brother!" Zhou Ying and Nan Yun smiled broadly while clenching their fists. "Finally, our playtime has arrived!"
Zhou Ying and Nan Yun vanished from Zhen Ji's sight. Suddenly, one of the Blood Moon Wolves was sent flying, shattered, spraying blood in all directions. "Hah... they can never be relaxed when it comes to killing." Zhen Ji took a deep breath, resigned to his siblings' behavior.
The Blood Moon Wolves instinctively felt that they were being preyed upon by monsters. They scattered in various directions, seeking cover from the invisible killers.
"The more you squirm, the more you attract the predator." Zhen Ji smiled slightly, watching the Blood Moon Wolves scatter.
"This is so much fun!" Zhou Ying shouted happily. "Yes! You're right, Brother!" Nan Yun replied. They attacked together with cat-and-mouse tactics; one would chase while the other attacked.
The Gu family reunion was truly sadistic; from the eldest brother to the youngest siblings, they had no mercy whatsoever. Zhou Ying, Nan Yun, and Zhen Ji enjoyed every bit of the Blood Moon Wolves' fear and mental collapse.
Meanwhile, Xiaojun, who lay unconscious behind Zhen Ji, underwent a significant physical transformation. His hair began to turn entirely white, from root to tip. A mark resembling a fox mask appeared on his hand, right above his pulse point.
His previously severe wounds slowly began to heal. It seemed his regeneration had returned, though Xiaojun remained unconscious. His skin color was now in harmony with his hair—white as snow.
Zhen Ji suddenly grew tense; the temperature around him plummeted to 3° Celsius. Zhen Ji turned slowly, looking behind him to find the source of the drop in temperature. To his shock, the source of the chaotic temperature was Xiaojun.
"This boy?! Since when did he change?!" Zhen Ji stumbled back, pushing himself away with his hands.
Zhou Ying, Zhen Ji's younger brother who was fighting the wolves alongside his sister Nan Yun, suddenly stopped moving when he saw Zhen Ji's pale face.
"Sister Nan Yun, you continue fighting the wolves, I want to protect Brother first!"
"Alright! Be careful, Zhou Ying!"
Zhou Ying nodded firmly. 'Yes!' He instantly moved to Zhen Ji's side, standing in front of him, prepared to attack Xiaojun if he suddenly turned hostile.
"Brother, are you okay??" Zhou Ying blocked Xiaojun with his right hand, protecting his brother behind him.
"I'm fine, Zhou Ying. Go help your sister first; let me observe this phenomenon for research!" Zhen Ji replied, his eyes sparkling with curiosity even though his face was pale.
Nan Yun's attacks became less effective once Zhou Ying left. Nan Yun was easily struck, and the wolves found it easier to track her movements.
"What if this person attacks you?" Zhou Ying asked in a worried tone.
"Zhou Ying! Quickly help your sister who is struggling!"
"But Brother..."
"No buts! Quickly go help her!" Zhen Ji stated with a serious face. Zhou Ying moved fast to join Nan Yun; the two continued their attack amidst a brief conversation.
"Zhou Ying, why aren't you protecting Brother?" Nan Yun asked while running and hiding, parrying attacks.
"Brother Zhen Ji ordered me back to help you," Zhou Ying said weakly, anxious.
"Don't worry, Zhou Ying, let's just trust Brother Zhen Ji! He will surely be safe! Better we defeat these endless enemies first!" Nan Yun urged. Zhou Ying answered with only a small nod.
The moon rose higher, perfectly round and bright silver. The battle was far from over; twenty minutes had passed, and at least 120 Blood Moon Wolves had been destroyed. Yet they showed no sign of surrendering. Zhou Ying, Nan Yun, Zhen Ji, and the evolving Xiaojun had no choice but to run as fast as possible so the wolves wouldn't attack the Gu Estate.
"We can't stay any longer! Everyone, run back to the house!" Zhen Ji shouted, carrying the still-evolving Xiaojun. Zhen Ji felt as if his skin were freezing while carrying him. The Gu Twins, hearing Zhen Ji's shout, created a protective path.
Zhou Ying protected the rear while Nan Yun protected the front. They began to run, leaving behind the chaotic bamboo forest. The twins, assigned to their respective tasks, suffered a fair number of injuries. With only 300 meters left, Zhou Ying was sent flying in front of Zhen Ji.
Nan Yun and Zhen Ji, seeing this, were fueled by rage; the two used their remaining strength to protect and avenge their family's wounds.
"Zhou Ying!" Nan Yun and Zhen Ji shouted together, their expressions identical. Angry. "You! Rotten wolves have crossed the line!"
Just as the two were about to attack, the surrounding temperature suddenly froze. In an instant, someone passed by, causing the wolves to freeze and shatter completely, leaving no trace behind. The two were so shocked they retreated several steps.
A gaze as white as silver stared sharply at the two of them under the moonlight. The figure's hair was long, reaching the waist, flowing in the wind.
"You?!"