Yu Lie relied on his keen sense of smell and soon found himself in a secluded valley.
The place was about ten miles away from the Black River, with sparse vegetation consisting mostly of low shrubs.
The cliffs were steep, perpetually shaded, and covered in slippery moss.
Knowing the dangers of venturing into unknown forests and cliffs, Yu Lie immediately sent his trusty myna bird to scout the area.
The myna, however, was a cowardly creature.
After witnessing Yu Lie kill a Flesh-Winged Tiger, it had hurriedly flown here, suspecting that Yu Lie was planning to harm someone's family.
"Gah! Gah! Gah!" The myna flapped its wings nervously, trembling all over.
Yu Lie's expression turned cold.
He drew his bow slightly, aiming it at the myna.
"Master!" The myna shuddered and immediately took off, flying toward the cliffs.
Once inside the cliffs, the myna reverted to its timid self, hopping around like a sparrow as it cautiously explored.
Seeing this, Yu Lie didn't scold it further, letting it continue its scouting as long as it could lead the way.
Soon, the myna flew back out of the cliffs, trembling once more and circling around Yu Lie, signaling the situation inside.
Yu Lie frowned.
"Danger, but it hasn't appeared yet?"
Better safe than sorry.
He immediately activated a protective talisman.
A green light enveloped his body, emitting a grassy scent that masked his human odor and bloodlust.
This talisman, called the Green Armor Talisman, was commonly used by the Daoist apprentices of Greenwood Town.
After instructing the myna to hold its breath, Yu Lie cautiously made his way into the cliffs.
After a few dozen steps, a strong, pungent smell hit his nose, making his expression even more serious.
The stench was similar to that of the first Flesh-Winged Tiger he had killed, but more complex.
It seemed the entire family of the creature was ahead, and their numbers were likely not small.
Despite his caution, Yu Lie couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement.
Soon, a dark cave appeared before his eyes, like the gaping maw of a mountain monster, waiting to swallow him whole.
Upon seeing the cave, the myna reacted again.
It had ventured inside earlier, only to retreat upon sensing danger.
Yu Lie stopped at the entrance, not daring to take another step forward.
Although Flesh-Winged Tigers weren't the most formidable beasts—far from the likes of the Black Snake Fish King—they were pack animals, making them a dominant force within a radius of dozens of miles.
If he carelessly entered their lair, Yu Lie risked severe injury or worse.
Besides, he was only here to hunt them for their blood and bones, not to risk his life unnecessarily.
Moreover, Yu Lie was a Daoist, not a brute beast relying solely on strength.
He took a few steps back, finding a vantage point near the cave entrance.
He then began laying out various tools: thorny fireballs, sand-and-snow bombs, and poisonous smoke arrows.
After counting his supplies, Yu Lie nocked three poisonous smoke arrows and shot them into the cave.
Following that, he tossed two sand-and-snow bombs inside.
Whoosh!
First, a cloud of toxic smoke billowed out of the cave, followed by a burst of white flames that illuminated the dark cliffs.
Roar!
A moment later, furious roars echoed from within the cave.
Yu Lie's sharp eyes caught the flickering of the white flames inside.
With a flick of his wrist, he hurled a thorny fireball into the cave.
Boom!
The explosion drowned out the roars.
Despite the blast, the white flames continued to burn, heating the cave and depleting its oxygen, turning it into a deadly trap.
Yu Lie waited calmly outside, observing the cave's interior while keeping an eye on the surroundings for any signs of smoke.
The roars of anger and pain continued to echo from the cave.
What was once a safe haven for the Flesh-Winged Tigers had now become a suffocating death trap.
Using the terrain to his advantage was one of the key reasons why even low-level Daoist apprentices could hunt mindless beasts.
As the commotion inside grew louder, Yu Lie's excitement increased.
If the tigers were desperate to escape, it meant there were no other exits.
This could potentially lead to them suffocating inside.
Even if they didn't die from the smoke, the weakened state of the tigers would make them easier to deal with later.
After burning the cave and filling it with toxic smoke for the time it takes to drink two cups of tea, the rocks around the cave entrance began to crack from the heat.
Yu Lie pondered for a moment before pulling out a Divine Fire Crow talisman.
With a command, he sent it flying into the cave.
"Caw! Caw!" The fire crow flew in, scouting ahead.
Yu Lie, holding a talisman in one hand and a fireball in the other, finally ventured into the cave.
Inside, he was greeted by dark, irregular shapes of varying sizes.
Some of the larger ones were still moving, and upon hearing his footsteps, they bared their red-and-white fangs and lunged at him.
But Yu Lie didn't even need to command the fire crow.
With a simple exhale, a powerful burst of white energy shot from his mouth, striking the attacking beast squarely in its gaping maw.
Squelch!
The energy tore through the creature's mouth, causing blood to gush out and choke it.
Yu Lie stepped forward and, with a swift kick, snapped its neck.
Nearby, another Flesh-Winged Tiger, barely alive, tried to pounce, but Yu Lie crushed its spine before it could move.
Thus, Yu Lie calmly made his way deeper into the cave, systematically killing the tigers.
As he did, he counted them.
"One, two... nine, ten, eleven!"
There were eleven Flesh-Winged Tigers in the cave.
Including the one he had killed outside, that made at least twelve.
Such a number was unusually large, even for a pack of Flesh-Winged Tigers.
Yu Lie thought to himself, "Could there be a treasure in this cave?"
He had ventured deep into the cave, with the fire crow still flying ahead, yet no significant threat had appeared.
Suddenly, a non-human roar echoed, and a figure lunged at Yu Lie from the shadows...
(End of Chapter)