Chapter 340: Night Battle with the Evil Creature

One of the disciples in the room couldn’t help but lower his voice and ask, “Master, what kind of technique was that?”

“…” Muyunzi shook his head.

Truthfully, he wasn’t particularly knowledgeable or well-traveled. Whatever technique that little girl had used, even in his half a lifetime of experience, he had never heard of it. The sight of the little flag releasing black smoke struck him as distinctly unorthodox—certainly not a standard Daoist technique.

Still, their temple wasn’t known for having profound magical traditions. As an orthodox Daoist temple, it relied on the goodwill of divine spirits, invoked through honest, devout practitioners who earned divine favor through their sincerity. Rituals recorded in their scriptures to commune with or summon gods were effective largely due to this relationship.

Although Muyunzi had discerned that the little girl likely wasn’t human, he couldn’t determine whether she was good or evil. He simply thought that if she managed to eliminate the malevolent entity plaguing Peach Blossom Village, it would be a blessing. He resolved to feign ignorance.

If her strength proved insufficient, he could call upon the Duke of Thunder, whose divine insight would undoubtedly distinguish right from wrong. That way, he wouldn’t have to concern himself further.

One way or another, there was no need for him to overthink it.

“Master…”

“Shh!”

One of his disciples, still whispering, seemed about to say more, but Muyunzi quickly silenced him.

The entity was already approaching.

If one listened closely, its low growls could be caught on the night wind. Everyone in the room instinctively held their breath.

The village fell silent.

Only the faint, intermittent growls of the entity could be heard.

Drawn by the scent of blood on the wind, the creature slowly made its way along the village streets, passing directly across the open ground in front of the hut where the three hid.

Sure enough, the creature stood upright, humanoid in shape, with a build slightly larger and more robust than a typical human. Who knows how many years it had been buried underground? Its clothes were little more than tattered scraps of fabric and fibers, though it wasn’t particularly revealing since its entire body was covered in clumps of dark, knotted flesh, obscuring any details.

As the villager described, its head was covered with white hair, its face greenish with sharp fangs, and its fingers ended in claws resembling those of a beast. The only noticeable difference was that its body appeared damp—glistening as if wet—though no water dripped from it.

“Roar…”

The moonlight illuminated everything clearly.

The creature let out low, guttural growls as it moved sluggishly. When it reached the center of the open ground, it suddenly stopped, as if sensing something, and turned its head to look toward the hut.

“…”

The three Daoists inside immediately held their breath.

But their hearts pounded wildly.

The more timid disciple couldn’t help but avert his eyes from the window, unable to muster the courage to keep watching.

Muyunzi gripped his peachwood sword tightly, the veins on his hand bulging with tension. Clearly, he wasn’t calm either, but he dared not make a sound.

Though they had come to exorcize this creature, they lacked the skills for a direct confrontation. Most so-called experts from the folk traditions were the same.

According to their original plan, they would have had more time to prepare and would have gathered more people to distract the creature. However, the government’s decision to invite another expert had disrupted their strategy.

After discussing it and realizing the original plan would likely result in villagers being injured or killed, they opted to rely on the young Daoist girl instead. Judging by her abilities so far, they hadn’t made the wrong choice.

But the risk remained—

What if the little Daoist betrayed them? Or what if the creature ignored the girl and came for them instead? If that happened, they would be doomed.

When life and death were at stake, fear and worry were inevitable.

The creature stood in the middle of the clearing, motionless, facing their direction. It stayed like that for a long time.

Though the moonlight was bright, the distance was too great to discern the creature’s expression or know what it was thinking. The waiting was far more nerve-wracking than if it had charged at them directly.

After what felt like an eternity, the creature finally moved again. Ultimately, the scent of blood on the wind seemed to draw it more than anything else. Slowly, it resumed its heavy, deliberate steps, heading forward.

But it hadn’t gone far before it stopped again.

Suddenly, it spun around sharply—

The three in the house tensed up once more.

It was then they noticed something: at some point, the village had filled with countless faint footsteps, growing louder and nearer.

“Whoosh…”

The first wolf emerged from one of the narrow alleys.

Then the second, the third…

The village's scattered houses and the crisscrossing alleys connecting to the open clearing became conduits for wolves pouring in from every direction. The air was filled with growls and the pounding of paws, blending into a singular cacophony. In the moonlight, the wolves appeared as dark, surging streams converging from all sides toward the creature.

“Awoo!”

One wolf paused, howling at the moon.

The creature, having never encountered anything like this, was thrown into a panic, struggling to respond.

The wolves moved with incredible speed. In the blink of an eye, the first wolf had reached the creature, leaping high to attack.

“Roar…”

The creature was strong, swinging its arm and swatting the wolf away with a single blow.

But in the very next moment, more wolves surged forward—countless wolves. Some stayed low, biting and tearing at its legs, while others leapt onto its body, effortlessly toppling it to the ground.

The entire struggle lasted only moments.

In an instant, the creature was buried beneath a tide of wolves.

“Awooo, awooo!”

From within the house, the group could hear only the excited growls and sounds of tearing from the wolves. Outside, the area was now a writhing, black mass. Where the creature had fallen, it was completely covered by the wolves, packed so tightly that they were furiously pushing and clawing their way in, fighting desperately just to get a bite.

If the thing beneath them were human and the wolves were real, there would likely be nothing left but bones in moments.

The scene terrified the onlookers.

But creatures like this undead corpse often grew stronger through accumulation over time, lying dormant underground for countless years before emerging. Once above ground, if not suppressed quickly, they advanced at an alarming rate, continuing to grow stronger until they exhausted all the power they had stored.

Though it had only been in the world for two years, its abilities were already extraordinary, and it had further enhanced itself through some unknown fortune. Legends of its immunity to blades and knives were proving true.

Despite the ferocity of the wolf pack, their bites could not pierce its flesh.

When the creature finally reacted, it began to rise amidst the mauling.

The dense mass of wolves shifted and surged, and in the center of the sea of shadows, a figure seemed to stand taller. The wolves, part of this roiling tide of black, clung tightly, snapping and thrashing. As the creature’s silhouette became clearer, it was evident that it had managed to stand. Beneath its feet were frenzied, snapping wolves.

𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

Wolves hung from every part of it—some biting its throat from its shoulders, others latched onto its waist, dangling as it moved. When it lifted its arms, there were at least three or four wolves clinging to each, their jaws sunk deep into its flesh, refusing to let go even as it lifted its arm and they were hoisted into the air.

This creature was not only impervious to weapons but also possessed immense strength.

With a violent shake of its left arm, several wolves were flung into the air. A similar motion with its right arm sent more flying, one of them landing right at the doorstep of the hut where the trio hid.

“Awoo…”

The wolf rolled on the ground but seemed neither afraid nor in pain. After tumbling a few times, it regained its footing, staggering but undeterred. Limping slightly, it launched itself back into the fray.

By then, the creature, now free of immediate attackers, began its rampage.

With razor-sharp claws, fanged jaws, impenetrable body, and overwhelming strength, it was more ferocious than any beast. It tore through the wolves, killing them one after another.

Some wolves had their skulls smashed with a single slap, others were grabbed and torn in half, and still others leaped at it, only to be caught mid-air and shredded by its claws. One after another, the wolves dissolved into black smoke, yet they continued their relentless assault without fear of death.

They repeatedly swarmed and tackled it, knocking it to the ground, where both sides writhed and rolled in fierce combat. Wolves were constantly flung off, only to leap back into the fray, but they still struggled to inflict any real harm on it.

“Roar…”

The creature rose once more, roaring as it flung the wolves clinging to its body into the air.

At that moment, the wolf pack suddenly withdrew.

The creature froze for a moment, confused.

Then, with sharp instincts, it spun around—

“Roar!!”

A deep, resonant growl echoed as an enormous, striped tiger nearly stood upright. Its paws were larger than a human face, its forearms as thick as an adult's thighs, and its upper arms broader than a person’s waist. The tiger raised one massive paw high into the air and brought it down toward the creature.

“Boom!”

The blow sent the creature flying instantly!

The tiger prepared to follow up with another attack but suddenly leapt aside.

“Splash!”

A stream of black liquid spewed forth, arcing through the air and landing exactly where the tiger had just been.

“Sizzle…”

Where the black liquid hit the ground, it emitted acrid smoke, the stench overwhelming and foul.

“Splash!”

Another jet of black liquid shot out like an arrow.

But the tiger, with its incredible agility, dodged again.

The liquid struck the ground, releasing more sizzling sounds and black smoke.

“Don’t let the liquid hit you!” a clear, sharp voice rang out from the nearby rooftop.

The wolves immediately became much more cautious.

The creature, following the direction of the voice, turned its gaze—

On the roof of a nearby thatched house, a figure had been lying there all along, holding a flag and silently observing the battle below while giving covert commands.

“Splash…”

The creature opened its mouth and sprayed again, but this time it wasn’t a concentrated jet; it was a wide mist of black liquid.

The tiger, as agile as ever, leapt back over a distance of more than a zhang, easily avoiding the spray.

The wolves nearby weren’t so lucky. The bravest among them, standing closest to the creature, were caught in the mist. Wherever the black liquid touched them, a sizzling sound erupted, and smoke began rising from their bodies, as if they were being melted.

“Ah!”

Lady Calico, perched on the rooftop, was instantly alarmed.

These wolves were her beloved soldiers. If they were killed like this, she would lose them permanently, and she couldn’t bear the thought.

“Whoosh…”

She quickly waved her flag.

“Wolves, return!”

“Whoosh…”

Like a gust of night wind passing through, the entire pack of wolves turned into black smoke and flowed back into the flag. What had been a densely packed clearing moments ago was now empty once more.

Only the tiger remained.

The tiger showed no fear. With its head lowered and movements cautious, it circled the creature slowly, keeping its eyes fixed on it.

Lady Calico, meanwhile, stood up from the roof. She formed a hand seal, her expression grave.

“Mountain gods, assist me!”

Two streaks of light shot out from the rooftop.

Their landing point was the pile of stones nearby.

“Rumble…”

The stones suddenly began to move, rolling and shifting at an incredible speed. Within moments, the commotion settled, and the stones had formed two massive stone giants, broad-shouldered and thick-waisted, each slightly taller than the creature.

“Mountain gods…”

Muyunzi, hiding in the village hut, was utterly stunned.

With his knowledge, he almost believed they were actual mountain gods and was shocked that this little Daoist companion had truly summoned them. After a moment’s pause, he reconsidered and, upon further thought, remembered reading about a technique in a Daoist text that resembled this one—Boulder Legion.

Of course, he had only ever seen the name and description in books.

Even so, it was enough to astonish him.

Earlier, the summoning of wolves and the tiger seemed more like demonic sorcery, but this Boulder Legion was undoubtedly an authentic Daoist magic—one of the most ancient and profound.

He couldn’t help but wonder—

Who on Yin-Yang Mountain in Yizhou was capable of training such a young disciple in such advanced techniques?

No matter how hard Muyunzi tried, he couldn’t fathom it.

But the battle left no room for further thought.

As soon as the two stone giants formed, the little girl on the rooftop pointed her finger at the creature. Without hesitation, the giants swung their massive arms and charged toward the monster with great strides.

The creature responded with another spray of black liquid.

“Splash…”

“Sizzle!”

The mist of black water spread and splattered against the stone giants, emitting a thick black smoke and a stench akin to rotting corpses. But the stone giants were unfazed, their steps unbroken as they barreled through the mist. One of them collided with the creature, sending it flying. The other followed up, raising its massive stone arm high before slamming it down with an earth-shaking force, carrying an unimaginable weight behind the blow.

The night was filled with the sounds of booming and crashing.

The three people hiding in the village hut and the two constables in the shadows felt as though they were witnessing a god vanquishing a demon.