Laughter echoed through the mountain breeze, brimming with excitement. Riding the wind, the laughter seeped behind the curtain.
Behind the yellowed fabric curtain, there was no cheerful figure, only shivering silhouettes huddled together, trembling as if seeking warmth like chickens and ducks.
Unlike a festive gathering, these were real living people, dressed in coarse brown garments, rough-faced, lean and thin, resembling mountain folk or farmers.
As the laughter of the figure drifted with the mountain wind, the hearts of the mountain folk tightened, a glimmer of hope arising.
A suppressed and trembling voice emerged, "The Master, the Master has truly arrived!"
"We are saved! It must be the Master from Heishui Town here to vanquish the demon!"
Fearful faces lifted, eyes widened, teeth chattering. Though hunched over, they eagerly peered towards the curtain.
Outside the curtain, paper cutouts of Yue Lie still hung, with moonlight casting a dense black shadow on the fabric.
This shadow was formed by the overlapping figures of Yue Lie and the wolf demon, displayed on the curtain.
Compared to the wolf demon, Yue Lie appeared diminutive, his shadow completely obscured by the wolf demon, hidden from the view of the mountain folk behind.
But beneath the platform, Yue Lie faced the wolf demon, his face devoid of fear, instead showing a hint of excitement, bringing color to his pale complexion.
Yue Lie grinned, revealing his teeth. Without waiting for the wolf demon to speak, he said, "Well then, I shall not be polite."
The wolf demon, upon hearing Yue Lie's audacious words, laughed heartily, "Oh, what a pity! An unwelcome guest has arrived, I must show disrespect!"
A chilling wolf howl echoed. In the eyes of the mountain folk behind the curtain, the shadow on the fabric expanded. A giant wolf rose on the platform, shedding its attire, its black fur bristling like iron wires.
With a clatter, the mountain folk behind the stage fell to the ground.
The wolf demon's throat emitted a guttural sound, exhaling a foul breath, its sharp teeth and claws as thick as a man's arm, standing upright and howling at the moon, exuding a formidable aura.
Yue Lie, unfazed by the sight, gazed with satisfaction. He had traveled far and wide, crossing mountains and rivers, to devour such a massive wolf and embark on his path to power.
Yue Lie's smile faded as he clapped his hands, "Mighty Mountain Lord! Before the main course, let's have some appetizers."
Extending his hand towards the "moonlight" above his head, he conjured a paper-cut dog.
Bark! The sound of a dog suddenly appeared on the mountaintop, not a real dog from the gathering but the paper dog in Yue Lie's hand.
Yue Lie opened his mouth, blew towards the paper dog in his hand, and it leaped down, growing in the wind into a half-human-sized white dog.
Woof! A more powerful bark resounded.
As the paper dog landed, it swiftly moved beside Yue Lie, first biting the goat sitting next to him, then attacking a black cat, and finally chasing down scattered chickens, ducks, rabbits, and mice, tearing them apart in moments.
In just a few blinks of an eye, the animals in the gathering were left dead and wounded, the stench of blood growing stronger.
These animals had only feasted on human flesh for a few days, making their slaughter simple. The wolf demon on the stage, however, remained unmoved, its attention fixed on Yue Lie, distracted by the swift movements of the paper dog.
When the paper dog had killed most of the animals, it turned its gaze towards the wolf demon, eliciting a sly smile from the demon.
With a wicked grin, the wolf demon opened its gaping maw and unleashed a jet-black blood arrow that pierced through the paper dog, pinning it to the ground.
This wolf demon not only possessed brute strength but also a deadly breath attack, far from an ordinary minor demon!
Yue Lie, observing this, narrowed his eyes. Such monsters were rarely seen within a hundred miles of Heishui Town, usually lurking farther away.
After exhaling its breath, the wolf demon lunged towards Yue Lie, aiming to tear him apart with a single strike. But before it could land the blow, a sharp sound rang out!
"Yue Lie" couldn't evade in time, and like the paper dog, he was struck by the wolf demon's attack. His expression froze, and with a powerful swipe, the wolf demon tore "Yue Lie" in half.
However, to the wolf demon's surprise, the torn "Yue Lie" transformed into two pieces of paper, floating down lightly, as a soft laughter echoed behind the demon.
"Why the rush, my dear guest? Are you so eager to be devoured by me?"
A gray shadow materialized on the platform, as Yue Lie, with his sleeves rolled up, emerged from the darkness, smiling and calm.
The wolf demon's pupils constricted as it quickly leaped back, ready to strike at Yue Lie again. But Yue Lie merely looked at it with a smile.
With a swift sound, before the wolf demon could land, Yue Lie's body underwent a transformation.
His body elongated in sections, turning his head into a grinding wheel, his legs into cylinders, and his arms into beams, resembling a house. However, he was a "paper house," easily collapsible with a gust of wind.
Fortunately, this was no ordinary paper house but a "Qi House Paper Talisman" that Yue Lie had painstakingly acquired, transforming into a giant paper figure!
The two cheeks were painted with vermilion, eyes shining like lanterns, teeth gleaming like a tablet, all shimmering.
Yue Lie reached out and grabbed the wolf demon pouncing towards him.
Confronted with this sudden transformation, the wolf demon's ferocious face stiffened.
Before the wolf demon could react, a burst of laughter erupted on the platform:
"Since it's come to this, I shall truly begin!"
A howl erupted, but as Yue Lie hurled the creature in his hand downwards, the wolf's howl abruptly ceased.
The power of the talisman was limited, and Yue Lie then lowered the giant paper figure onto the narrow platform, no longer speaking, truly beginning his feast.
Cracking and tearing sounds filled the air.
A scene of slaughter unfolded on the platform, with blood splattering and the wolf demon, once powerful and fierce, now helpless, reduced to whimpering like a dog.
Yue Lie, now a giant paper figure, continued his agile movements, skinning and eviscerating the wolf demon, praising its muscles and anticipating its assistance in his ascension.
Splashes of blood sprayed, landing on the fabric curtain, causing it to tremble.
Behind the curtain, the mountain folk, initially terrified by the wolf demon, now trembled even more.
Their hearts chilled, wondering, "Is this man... human, ghost, or demon?"
Yue Lie's actions had shocked them, leading the mountain folk to subconsciously believe another monster had arrived, one with a larger appetite, putting their lives in even greater danger.
Pale-faced and trembling, the mountain folk hid behind the curtain, teeth clenched, feeling suffocated.
In the silence, a faint rustling sound began.
The half-shadow on the fabric curtain started to sway, as if bowing to rinse its mouth after tea.
Seeing Yue Lie's lack of movement, one mountain folk's heart sank, reaching out to lift the curtain.
Before they could succeed, a gust of wind swept through.
With a crack, the wind struck the tattered fabric curtain. It swayed and fell from the eaves, revealing the scene outside.
On the platform, a strong stench of blood wafted in the air.
Bones, red and white, piled into a small mountain, with the wolf's head at the center, its skin torn and rotten, draped over the bones, blood dripping.
Yue Lie knelt amidst the pile of bones and flesh, dissecting organs, some green, some purple, filling a plate beside him in an orderly manner.
The mountain folk, caught off guard by this sight, were speechless, their eyes glazed, bodies weak, collapsing in shock.
The scene fell silent once more.
Suddenly, the sound of drums rang out, rousing the mountain folk.
At a nearby crossroads, a black myna was suspended on a bronze gong. It flew up, pecking at the gong incessantly, while calling out:
"The feast is ready! The feast is ready!"
The gong resounded, and Yue Lie raised his head.
With vermilion lips, he held a small organ in one hand, the size of a baby's head, and a paper knife in the other, slender fingers gripping it like willow branches.
As the mountain wind howled, Yue Lie gazed ahead, his crimson smile piercing. He gently spoke to the mountain folk:
"Esteemed guests, shall we dine together?"