Translated by Team DHH.
Book 1: A New Lease on Life
Chapter 34: Fire Wolf Valley
"Zhong Di, are you telling us the truth?" Wang Gui looked at Zhong Shan with a frown.
"It's the absolute truth. Zhong Di would not dare hide anything from you." Zhong Di immediately replied.
"Da shixiong, according to Zhong Di, this Zhong Shan is a formidable person. Last time, though he only at the third level of Xiantian, he overwhelmed and killed Tang Xiaoyou. If we let this go on……" Wang Gui looked at Liu Ming, frowning.
"Zhong Di, what do you think?" Liu Ming asked Zhong Di in a low voice.
"It's all up to da shixiong." Zhong Shan lowered his head and said in a small voice. It seemed that he didn't want the other two to see his facial expression.
"With the speed of those who are chasing after Hao San, we won't be able to catch up with them now. Since we have ran into Zhong Shan, then……" Wang Gui showed a vicious expression.
Zhong Di and Wang Gui all looked at Liu Ming.
Liu Ming thought for a moment, then spoke to the other two, "They're heading towards Fire Wolf Valley."
"I knew da shixiong would think the same way as I." Wang Gui instantly smiled.
Zhong Di, however, secretly breathed a sigh of relief. His eyebrows were slightly knitted, yet he had a heavy feeling in his heart.
Zhong Shan sped along after Tianling-er. He thought to himself, if he knew how much trouble he would get himself into, he shouldn't have promised Tianxingzi. On the other hand though, he would benefit a lot in the end for all his trouble.
It was just one year's time, taking care of her for one year then he would have a master at the Nascent Soul Stage. For Zhong Shan, who had bad innate talent, this would be a great opportunity for him to advance quickly. Tianling-er flew away in anger, but for an unknown reason, she wasn't flying fast. At least, with the help of the Wind Chasing Boots, Zhong Shan could still keep up with her in the distance.
By nightfall, Tianling-er landed in a valley and Zhong Shan followed her. But Tianling-er was still fuming and refused to listen to a word from Zhong Shan and turned her back towards him.
"My bundle." Zhong Shan said.
"Pa" Tianling-er threw his bundle onto the ground.
Zhong Shan shook his head at the childish Tianling-er. He lightly smiled and took out food and their hammocks for the night.
Though Tianling-er was mad, she still ate well. She just wouldn't talk to Zhong Shan. Zhong Shan, seeing the situation, also kept quiet.
Looking at the osmanthus cake in her hand, Tianling-er, who had just felt a little better, started to feel sad again. She couldn't put the cake in her hand into her mouth.
"If you don't want to eat it now, save it for tomorrow's breakfast." Zhong Shan chipped in on top of the hammock.
Listening to the bad guy talking behind her, Tianling-er got irritated again. She opened her mouth and swallowed the osmanthus cake. If you don't want me to eat it, then I must eat it.
On top of a mountain in the distance.
Zhong Di, Wang Gui, and Liu Ming stood on top of it.
"Zhong Di, what are you saying? This is such a good opportunity. Why shouldn't we attack?" Wang Gui quizzically asked Zhong Di.
Liu Ming also stared at Zhong Di with a trace of doubt in his eyes.
"I know Zhong Shan. He's most alert while he's asleep, not when he's awake. There seems nothing in the valley and around us, but I can guarantee that if we move forward, he will notice us for sure." Zhong Di earnestly said.
"Oh?" Liu Ming looked at Zhong Di frowning.
"How do you know?" Wang Gui didn't believe it. How could it be possible?
"It's true. Though I don't know how he did it, before I entered the immortal school, whenever we were resting in the mountains, he seemed to be able to detect any movement within a thousand meters. That's why I told you that he's dangerous." Zhong Di said while swallowing.
Wang Gui didn't believe it and looked at Liu Ming. Liu Ming frowned and finally said, "Alright, then let's wait till Fire Wolf Valley."
"But, they've drifted away from the direction of the Fire Wolf Valley. How are we going to let them go there? What if they don't go there?" Wang Gui frowned.
"Da shixiong, er shixiong, actually, I can take care of it. Since Tianling-er is leading the way, Zhong Shan is just following, I have a way to lure them to the Fire Wolf Valley without exposing ourselves." Zhong Di suddenly said.
"Oh?" The two men looked at Zhong Di in surprise.
Seeing doubtful looks from both shixiongs, Zhong Di smiled bitterly. "Come to think of it, it was Zhong Shan who taught me. But since Zhong Shan doesn't know we are following them, I think he won't notice it."
Next day, with some prodding from Zhong Shan, Tianling-er stuffed several osmanthus cakes into her mouth then continued flying. She still refused to talk to Zhong Shan, but she seemed to have calmed down quite a bit. She wasn't flying fast, just wouldn't speak to Zhong Shan.
Zhong Shan shook his head; it was hard to please her.
On the way, Zhong Shan suddenly saw a skinned animal; its organs were scattered over the ground and a lot of blood seemed to point at the forest in the distance.
Zhong Shan didn't think too much of it; he thought maybe the hunters around here had skinned the animal for sale.
He continued to chase after Tianling-er. Not too long after, Zhong Shan saw another body. Only this time, the scene was even more disgusting than the last one; it seemed to have been dismembered hastily.
Zhong Shan furrowed his brows and continued his pursuit of Tianling-er.
When Zhong Shan saw for the third time an exposed animal body arranged in a disgusting way, his heart skipped a bit and he started to have a bad premonition about all this.
He carefully looked around and discovered that the surrounding air had became much warmer. In the distance, there was some black smoke coming out of a volcanic crater.
He then carefully checked the route they took, the bad feeling got even stronger.
"Ling-er, stop." Zhong Shan shouted towards Tianling-er.
However, Tianling-er was still mad at Zhong Shan. She certainly wouldn't listen to Zhong Shan.
Zhong Shan quickened his speed while feeling more anxious. Tianling-er, seeing Zhong Shan was getting closer, instinctively increased her speed and flew towards the volcano.
Not far from the volcano, there was steep peak. Behind the peak, there was a large valley that was pitch dark. The volcano was to the right of it. Zhong Shan could see Tianling-er continuing to fly forward in front of him.
On top of the steep peak, Wang Gui, Liu Ming, and Zhong Di stood there gazing at Zhong Shan as he came closer and closer.
"Zhong Di, your plan is really working, though disgusting. Tianling-er is flying in the sky, so she wouldn't run into any of the bodies, yet she is slowly coming this way. Why?" Wang Gui, watching Tianling-er got closer and closer, said in amazement.
Zhong Di, looking at Zhong Shan in the distance, sighed. "When facing a fork in a road, even the smallest amount of influence can greatly change the outcome."
"This is what they called a miss is as good as a mile?" Wang Gui happily laughed.
"Alright, let's do it." Liu Ming said, frowning.
"En." Wang Gui nodded.
Wang Gui took out a bow and arrows from his storage bracelet.
He fully drew the bow into the shape of a full moon, aimed at the valley where Tianling-er was flying to, and released the arrow.
"Shu~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~"
The noise from the flying arrow caught Tianling-er's attention mid air. She turned to look and found the arrow was aimed at the valley in front of her. She was surprised.
At the same time, Zhong Shan also noticed the arrow. Startled, he turned to look at where the arrow had come from.
Zhong Di? It was Zhong Di, that unfilial son?
Zhong Shan quickly assessed the situation after realizing what was happening.
"Ling-er, danger. Quick, quick, leave." Zhong Shan roared at Tianling-er.
Tianling-er was like a stubborn donkey now, why should she listen to him? She only looked in confusion at where the arrow had disappeared to and looked again at the steep peak in the distance.
"Ah wu~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~"
Suddenly, the howl of a wolf came from the valley where the arrow had disappeared to.
When Zhong Shan heard it, he knew they were in trouble, big trouble. A trap set by that unfilial son? Even Tianling-er could sense the danger now, she looked at the valley in alarm.
The three men on the peak were waiting in barely suppressed excitement when they heard the howling.
"Hu."
A two meters high, bright red demonic wolf abruptly appeared before their eyes. A pair of two meters tall demonic wolves followed behind the first.
Within the span of two breathes, there appeared more than two hundred two meters tall, bright red demonic wolves. More than two hundred?
There were more than ten that were three meters high. There was even one that reached four meters tall, the wolf king.
Fire wolves, demonic fire wolves.
Tianling-er knew she had gotten into quite the situation when she saw so many fire wolves suddenly appear.
"Go." Zhong Shan yelled at Tianling-er and turned around started running.
"Ah wu~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~"
With a howl from the four meters high fire wolf, hundreds of fire wolves rushed towards Zhong Shan and Tianling-er. Each one of them thirsty for blood, determined to turn the two people before them into a meal.