NOVPUBZhang Shitou was an outsider in Mountain-leaning Village, one of the few villagers with a different surname.
According to the old village headman, his parents had both died when he was young, and he had always lived by hunting. Because of his violent temperament, he often had disputes with the other villagers, not just with Zhang Xiaoqi’s family.
That’s why the old village headman didn’t think of him immediately.
Zhang Shitou’s home wasn’t inside the village but a long distance away in the mountain woods, isolated, with not another house within hundreds of steps—just a solitary wooden hut.
Ostracized by the villagers, Zhang Shitou seldom interacted with them. He traded the furs and cured meats he hunted to itinerant merchants in exchange for various living supplies.
Although his household registration was in Mountain-leaning Village, in reality, he led a life of isolation.
When Wang Chen and the old village headman’s party found Zhang Shitou’s house, the wooden hut’s doors were tightly shut, and there was no sign of movement.
Wang Chen twisted off the copper lock on the door and barged in.
Zhang Shitou’s home wasn’t much different from most of the villagers’ homes, furnished with some simple furniture, while some cured meats and dry goods hung from the rafters.
But the moment he stepped inside the room, Wang Chen instantly felt the Demon Identifying Talisman tucked inside his shirt warming slightly.
Without revealing his findings, he searched the room thoroughly.
He found nothing.
At this moment, one of the village’s defense team members spoke, "Zhang Shitou probably went hunting at Tiger Head Mountain. He often goes there, even built a small house. Sometimes he stays there overnight!"
Wang Chen asked with a gravely tone, "Where is Tiger Head Mountain?"
The defense team member immediately went out to point the way for Wang Chen, "Over there, you can see it, a dozen miles of mountain road to cross."
Wang Chen looked in the direction pointed to by the man, sure enough, he saw a mountain ridge that resembled a tiger’s head.
"Sir, it’s getting dark."
Seeing that Wang Chen seemed intent on heading over, the old village headman quickly spoke, "The mountains are very dangerous at night!"
He feared that Wang Chen, brash with youthful vigor, didn’t understand the dangers deep in the mountains and would rashly go searching for Zhang Shitou.
If Wang Chen happened to meet with misfortune, the village headman couldn’t escape responsibility!
"No matter."
Wang Chen spoke lightly, "There’s no time to delay. I’ll go now and take a look. If I don’t find him, I’ll come back."
The old village headman hurriedly said, "Let Tiezhu accompany you!"
But before the words were out of his mouth, Wang Chen had already darted forward like an arrow released from its bow, vanishing into the vast mountain forest in the blink of an eye.
Leaving the old village headman and a few villagers looking at each other in astonishment!
Wang Chen’s realm had advanced to the fifth tier Martial Ancestor, his strength increased tenfold compared to before. Once he started moving, Life Qi circulated tirelessly within his body, and he dashed through the mountain woods as if flying.
In no time, Wang Chen reached Tiger Head Mountain.
He started searching immediately and quickly found a hunter’s cabin hidden in the dense woods.
To Wang Chen’s surprise, in front of that cabin was a burly man splitting firewood with an axe!
"Zhang Shitou?"
Hearing Wang Chen’s voice, the burly man’s body shuddered as he turned around, axe in hand.
His features were rough, and his tiger-like eyes shone brightly, his gaze extremely fierce, "Who are you?"
"Linjiang Defense Area, Junior Flag Ling Zhiyuan."
From a distance of thirty steps, Wang Chen spoke sternly, "Zhang Shitou, trouble has found you."
As the sky gradually darkened and night approached, the Demon Identifying Talisman in Wang Chen’s chest grew so hot it nearly burned him.
This talisman clearly sensed a strong demonic aura!
Humans have Life Qi, demons have demonic Qi, and this is the very principle that allows the Demon Identifying Talisman to distinguish demons.
Normally, a demon possessing a human body would conceal its aura, so the talisman needed to be used at close range to be effective.
But the demonic aura emitted by Zhang Shitou was so intense that it triggered a reaction from the Demon Identifying Talisman even at a distance of thirty paces!
No more pretending?
Clang!
Wang Chen drew his Goose-quill Saber that he always carried.
"Hehe!"
Zhang Shitou laughed, his voice low and hoarse, and the look in his eyes swiftly turned sinister as his pupils glowed a bloody red.
"Ling Zhiyuan, I’ve been waiting for you for a long time!"
Before Zhang Shitou’s voice had completely faded away, two eerie figures silently appeared on Wang Chen’s left and right, effectively forming a pincer attack on him!
Wang Chen knew in his heart: "Hidden Dragon Hall!"
There was no doubt that this was an ambush laid by Hidden Dragon Hall specifically for him.
But how did they know he was going to investigate the annihilation of a family in Mountain-learning Village? And how could they be sure he would come here?
Wang Chen speculated that there was more than one such setup, and it depended on which one he fell into!
Moreover, it was almost certain that there were spies from Hidden Dragon Hall hiding inside the Linjiang Defense Area, or perhaps the Blood Cloak Guard had tipped them off.
"You’re very clever!"
A masked figure in black hissed, "It’s a pity we’ve taken the job to kill you; otherwise, it wouldn’t be bad to recruit you into Hidden Dragon Hall."
Wang Chen laughed, "Peons skulking in the shadows, daring to yowl and steal like dogs, think you are worthy of recruiting me?"
"Bold words!"
Another black-clad figure became furiously enraged, immediately tearing off the covering on his face and snarling, "Ling Zhiyuan, rest assured, I will slowly torture you to death!"
Wang Chen glanced at the man, whose face was unfamiliar, but the aura he exuded was clearly at the level of a Martial General!
He estimated his companion to be a Martial General as well, and on top of that, they had a Bloodsucking Ghoul whose strength was unknown. Against a sixteen-year-old Wang Chen, they indeed had a crushing advantage!
However, that was merely Hidden Dragon Hall’s own assessment.
Wang Chen said with a smile, "How much did Ling Hongfeng offer? I’ll pay double!"
Wang Chen’s statement clearly took the two by surprise. One of them stammered after a pause, "Even if you offer ten times more, it’s useless. When we take on a task, we must complete it, but you can also put a bounty on Ling Hongfeng’s life!" 𝔫𝖔𝔳𝖕𝖚𝔟.𝔠𝔬𝖒
These kind of jobs, where Hidden Dragon Hall would eat from both plaintiff and defendant, were never in short supply for them, and it brought in a fortune.
"I’m quite curious..."
Wang Chen, noncommittal, turned his gaze toward Zhang Shitou, "Since when did Hidden Dragon Hall start colluding with demons?"
Zhang Shitou grinned, "There’s a lot you don’t know!"
As he spoke, two sharp canines emerged from the corners of his mouth, his muscles began to swell and distort, and veins wriggled under his skin like snakes. His eyes, nose, and ears all showed signs of unnatural mutation.
Pfft!
The Demon Identifying Talisman in Wang Chen’s arms was instantaneously reduced to ash!
At the very same moment, Zhang Shitou suddenly lunged forward, falling to the ground and scampering toward Wang Chen on all fours.
In an instant, the distance between them closed to within ten paces!
This was an extremely dangerous proximity; Wang Chen could even smell the bloody, rotten stench spewing from "Zhang Shitou’s" mouth.
"Die!"
Zhang Shitou suddenly leapt high into the air, swinging his massive palm forcefully toward Wang Chen’s head, with sharp claws flicking out from the tips of his fingers.
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The second update has been delivered.
