A long wait had left the Mountain-Tracking Dog sitting on the ground in boredom, its large frame resembling a crouching calf.
Liang Qu squatted down, and the dog obediently exposed its belly.
He wondered aloud, “This dog isn’t afraid of strangers at all?”
“It is, but it’s clever. Clever enough to recognize our bond. Don’t treat it like an ordinary dog. Master feeds it beef every day and gives it a Blood Qi Pill every three days. Ordinary tigers and leopards are no match for it,” Lu Gang replied.
Liang Qu inhaled sharply.
So, the dog eats better than people.
“What’s its name?”
“Hei Chi,” Lu Gang said.
Hearing its name, Hei Chi perked up one ear, its gaze drifting.
Liang Qu reached out to stroke the dog’s head, noticing its smooth and soft fur, well taken care of.
Seeing this, Lu Gang simply handed the dog’s leash to Liang Qu for him to hold.
With excitement, Liang Qu held the leash and scratched the dog’s head.
Just then, Hei Chi stood up, facing a fork in the road.
Moments later, the unique sound of wheels crunching on the muddy road grew closer.
A convoy of five horse-drawn carriages appeared in their sight.
Xu Zishuai jumped down from the carriage, hauling mountain bandits off the carts, one by one.
The convoy received their payment and quickly departed.
“Twenty-three in total, we didn’t fail our mission!”
Lu Gang asked, “How are they doing?”
“We took a nap on the way. Not bad,” Xu Zishuai responded.
“Good, then let’s head up the mountain! Liang Shidi and Xiang Shidi will walk in the middle.”
Lu Gang took the lead, with Hu Qi second, Liang Qu third, Xiang Changsong fourth, and Xu Zishuai bringing up the rear.
As they progressed, the mountain bandits, weary and disheveled, were pulled along by the rope, forming a long line at the back.
At this moment, they still had no idea what awaited them.
Liang Qu carried a long spear on his shoulder, holding onto Hei Chi’s leash, as he climbed the Dharma Lotus Temple with the four senior brothers.
Upon reaching the mountainside, Hei Chi suddenly barked.
Lu Gang turned back with a hiss, silencing Hei Chi.
The group exchanged uneasy glances.
Liang Qu began to understand Hei Chi’s meaning and whispered, “Is there really a mountain spirit?”
“Most likely. It could also be that the aura from a previous mountain spirit has not faded. In any case, stay alert.”
Reaching the summit, Xu Zishuai remarked, “This temple hasn’t collapsed yet, even after fifty or sixty years?”
The sun had fully set, leaving the dilapidated temple looking particularly grim.
The mountain wind howled mournfully, sending shivers down their spines.
The bandits felt a strange fear, shivering but unsure if it was cold or fear.
Yet, none dared to rebel; Xu Zishuai alone had easily crushed the entire mountain stronghold, as if he were a celestial being.
Xu Zishuai pulled the mountain bandits into the temple, forcing them to kneel in a row.
“If you can’t stand it, just don’t look,” Hu Qi said to Liang Qu.
Liang Qu shook his head, indicating he could bear it.
They were just a bunch of scoundrels, worse than Scabby-Head Zhang; what was there to fear?
If they were scared, better off going home to raise pigs.
Xu Zishuai moved swiftly, and in an instant, the stench of blood soared into the air.
To intensify the scent, he smashed limbs apart and, with his heart pumping, sprayed a large amount of blood.
Alright, it was a bit nauseating—there were more than twenty of them; the smell was overwhelming.
Liang Qu wrinkled his nose.
With such a strong stench of blood, the Heavenly Water Centipede on his hand began to stir.
The Mountain-Tracking Dog, sitting to the side, turned its head when it saw Liang Qu lower his, silently signaling for silence.
It tilted its head, then turned back.
Good dog! Liang Qu praised internally, joyfully patting the dog’s head while secretly calming Ah Wei’s agitation.
The mountain where the Dharma Lotus Temple stood was not very high—it was merely a dirt slope by northern standards, just over three hundred meters tall.
But near Pingyang Town, it could be considered a “mountain.” The area was completely unobstructed, and one could see the lively Pingyang Town easily.
With no cover, the river wind rushed through, continuously spreading the heavy scent of blood across the low mountain.
Moments later, Hei Chi stood up, muscles in its cheeks tensing, a low growl rising from its throat.
Everyone became alert.
In Liang Qu’s mind, the Marsh Cauldron suddenly shone brightly.
[Mountain Demon Hunt Triggered]
[Current Progress: None]
[Complete the Mountain Demon Hunt to receive the River Lord Emperor’s favor.
Each level of mastery in martial arts will double talent, increasing damage to Water Elemental Demonic Beasts by ten percent.]
Liang Qu was astonished to see the Marsh Cauldron exhibiting such strange behavior.
River Lord Emperor?
Mountain Demon Hunt?
Both names were fairly obscure, but when combined, Liang Qu suddenly thought of someone—Erlang Shen!
The figure wielding a spear on the cauldron indeed resembled a divine general!
Yes, Floodgate Dragon Subjugation, Detached Mound Water Control, don’t question the skills exceeding those of ancient masters!
Erlang Shen was indeed the deity of water!
But how was the Mountain Demon Hunt triggered?
Liang Qu gripped his spear tightly, looking down at the black dog beside him before glancing back at the Dharma Lotus Temple, now surrounded by ominous winds atop the peak.
He understood it all.
Erlang Shen favors me, doesn’t he?
Lu Gang yelled, “They’re coming!”
The moonlight slipped into the leafy corner of the temple’s roof, revealing a human-like figure crouching up in the trees.
A mountain spirit!
A massive mountain spirit!
This mountain spirit was much larger than the one he encountered during the River God Sacrifice!
The one at the River God Sacrifice barely reached Liang Qu’s neck at around 1.6 meters tall.
This one was nearly 2 meters high!
Hei Chi’s growl grew more intense.
No, there’s more!
The ground trembled slightly, and under the moonlight, one after another, mountain spirits appeared on the temple roof, some squatting, some standing, some lying down, some climbing.
A chilling oppressive aura bore down on them like a wall, making their scalps tingle!
Liang Qu gazed at the moon suspended high in the sky, taking a deep breath.
No wonder they wanted to hunt the mountain demons; there were at least thirty of them in front, and more were still emerging!
Lu Gang’s expression turned serious.
It wasn’t that he found the situation tricky; the stronger the Egg-Bearing Host, the stronger the mountain spirits spawned.
But they too had their limits; mountain spirits were strongest only at the Galloping Horse Realm, which was far from troublesome for him.
What he found troublesome was the overwhelming information that so many mountain spirits conveyed.
Their hidden adversary had set such a large trap!
How long would it take to raise dozens of mountain spirits? They hadn't noticed anything amiss!
The mountain spirits, desperately craving flesh and blood, felt a deadly threat from the two men standing there and were hesitant to take action.
“Xu Shidi and Hu Shidi, help Xiao Ba and Xiao Jiu!”
“Understood.”
Lu Gang charged out first, the ground cracking as he rushed toward a mountain spirit nearly two meters tall.
One fist broke the mountain spirit’s entire head apart!
Liang Qu: “???”
The standoff broke, and the mountain spirits, unbothered by their kin’s deaths, were instead ignited with rage, unable to hold back their thirst for blood as they all jumped off the rooftop.
Xu Zishuai walked leisurely in front of Liang Qu, a gentle breeze brushing past him as several mountain spirits charged at them, their limbs bursting apart and scattering on the ground, leaving only the smallest one rushing toward him.
Perfect timing!
Liang Qu let out a low shout, feeling the blood in his body surge as he swept his spear in a massive arc.
The black-gold spear blade traced a beautiful curve, accurately striking the mountain spirit’s head with a feeling akin to cleaving through iron, a tense sensation traveling down the spear.
Liang Qu’s arm muscles bulged as he twisted his waist, channeling all his strength forward.
The spear blade snapped through the tension, cutting through the head and leaving a smear of crimson under the moonlight.
Half of the mountain spirit’s head slowly slid off, blood gushing forth.
[Mountain Demon Hunt Progress: 1]
(End of Chapter)