North of Wanfu County, a chain of mountains stretched for over a hundred and thirty miles. There lay a barren wilderness called Wild Wolf Mountain, with sparse vegetation, jagged rocks, and a shroud of mist and clouds that blocked the sun.
A nursery rhyme in Wanfu County went:
A hundred miles to Wild Wolf Mountain, the fiercest of all peaks, where many enter, but none return.
Over the past century, countless herb gatherers, hunters, sightseers, and curious explorers had perished in the region of Wild Wolf Mountain. Yet today, another figure, a scholar in azure robes, arrived at its base.
“I heard that besides Leng Jian, he had a few lackeys?” Lu Zheng muttered to himself as he climbed. “Come on, one of you show up. I’m not patient enough to scour the whole mountain for his lair.”
Halfway up the mountain, Lu Zheng finally broke into a smile.
“Come here!”
With a soft command, he formed hand seals. “Supreme Command, Gather Qi and Summon Clouds, Swift!”
Casting the Cloud Gathering Technique, he pointed, and a white cloud enveloped a spot not far to his left.
“Strange one!”
A startled cry rang out, followed by a shadow flipping backward, attempting to flee.
“Think you can escape?”
The Cloud Gathering Technique shifted into the True Cloud Curse. White mist swirled, boundless spiritual qi converged, blocking the figure’s path and eroding its demonic qi before piercing its body.
“Pfft!”
The figure spat blood, trying to escape again, only to find an azure figure standing before it.
Lu Zheng pointed, sending strands of cloud qi into the creature, sealing its demonic qi. With a yelp, it collapsed to the ground.
“You’re a demon of Wild Wolf Mountain?” Lu Zheng asked with a half-smile, his eyes glinting coldly.
The creature trembled, lifting its head to reveal a round face with long, stiff whiskers on its cheeks and large, innocent eyes. It grinned obsequiously. “Spare me, great one! I’m just a small demon, how could I be the master of Wild Wolf Mountain? There’s another, truly another!”
“Who?”
“King Leng!” The demon nodded repeatedly, speaking urgently. “King Leng is a wolf demon, ferocious and cruel. He captured us to patrol the mountain and kill all who enter. We had no choice!”
“Is that so?” Lu Zheng chuckled. “So you were forced?”
“Exactly, exactly!” The demon nodded eagerly, fawning. “In truth, I hoped a capable hero like you would come to slay King Leng and save us!”
“Is that so?”
“Exactly, exactly!”
“Then what’s this?” Lu Zheng drew a curved blade from behind his back, Leng Jian’s personal weapon.
“Cold Moon Blade!” The demon gasped.
As Leng Jian’s underling, how could it not recognise his master’s weapon?
But if the Cold Moon Blade was in Lu Zheng’s hands, then Leng Jian…
The demon shivered, feeling the blade might fall on it next. “Great one… spare… spare my life…”
“What kind of demon are you? A cat?” Lu Zheng asked, eyeing it.
“I’m Cat Nine, a mountain cat spirit,” Cat Nine answered promptly, fearing for its life.
“Alright, lead the way,” Lu Zheng waved. “Take me to the wolf’s den.”
“Yes!” Cat Nine nodded repeatedly, guiding him obediently.
The mountain had no paths. Cat Nine led Lu Zheng through forests and over cliffs, winding around several peaks to a nondescript mountain.
Lu Zheng looked up, noting the peak’s modest height. At its waist, a flat area had been carved out, with several caves of varying sizes near the cliff.
“This is the wolf demon’s lair?”
“The largest cave in the middle is King Leng’s,” Cat Nine said.
“Cat Nine, the king told you to capture some women. Why’d you bring back a man? He’s fair and clean, but the king doesn’t fancy pretty boys!”
A voice rang out as a ruddy-faced, agile man flipped down from the mountain. He started to approach but froze, then turned to flee.
“Come here!”
Lu Zheng waved, and clouds gathered and dispersed. The man collapsed, just like Cat Nine.
“Anyone else besides you two?” Lu Zheng asked calmly.
“No… no one…” they replied.
Lu Zheng raised an eyebrow. “I mean, besides you two, are there other underlings of Leng Jian?”
Cat Nine and the man exchanged glances, unsure of Lu Zheng’s intent.
Lu Zheng frowned. “Isn’t there a yellow weasel?”
Cat Nine and the man jumped, startled by his knowledge of Wild Wolf Mountain.
Cat Nine nodded hastily. “Yes… Yellow Essence… not on the mountain. The king, no, Leng Jian, sent him to a fox den fifty miles away to guard Matriarch Huangfu.”
Lu Zheng nodded. “Alright, come with me.”
Leading the two demons, their cultivation sealed, to the cave entrance, Lu Zheng observed faint black-tinged gales cycling at the opening.
“The wolf demon’s spell,” Lu Zheng noted, nodding. “Supreme Command, Gather Qi and Summon Clouds, Swift!”
Cloud Gathering Technique! True Cloud Curse!
The mere Black Wind Sealing Curse broke in moments, black-glinted breezes passing harmlessly.
The lair was spacious, dominated by cells equipped with torture devices, bones, and bloodstains marking it as a demon’s den.
Lu Zheng explored, finding no living souls, then located Leng Jian’s treasure storeroom at the back. It held thousands of guan in banknotes, gold and silver vessels, pearls, and gems, all gleaming.
Transferring these to his modern home, Lu Zheng finally reached Leng Jian’s living quarters.
Worthy of an old demon, despite Wild Wolf Mountain’s harsh surroundings, his living space was lavish: fine pearwood furniture, silk and brocade robes, gold-inlaid jade candlesticks, a carved bronze mirror, a white jade bed, and ornate racks, all rare and exquisite.
Searching the room, Lu Zheng found more valuables but no trace of the artifacts or techniques he most desired.
He toyed with a stone plaque he’d found, frowning in thought. “Did he hide them, or were his spells self-created, without传承, like Qingyan’s Red Pill?”
Examining the plaque, he saw a crude yet evocative carving of a lone wolf howling at the moon, likely a token Leng Jian made.
Pocketing it as a keepsake, Lu Zheng searched the room thoroughly again but found nothing, so he gave up and left.
“Where’s that fox den?”
