A City Swept by Wind and Snow GL - Chapter 37 1.2

◎He is the wolf! He is the chief of ten thousand wolves, the king of a hundred million beasts!◎

The Little Wolf Cub glanced all around but did not find Jinse’s figure. The sound of the Spirit Control Flute was elusive. The narrow walls of the ravine, echoed faintly, making it impossible to pinpoint the exact direction of the flute sound. The Little Wolf Cub had no choice but to call out eight young Heavenly Wolves, who also seemed to find nothing. Jinse’s flute sound was continuous, but she had vanished into thin air. The Little Wolf Cub sighed with resentment, then looked up and clearly saw Xue Qianxun, who was staring at him intently.

“Is she there?” The Little Wolf Cub’s lips curled slightly. The flute music suddenly shook, and he rode the cluster of bats, ascending straight into the blue sky.

Xue Qianxun was greatly alarmed, thinking: “What are you coming up here for?” Her ten fingers trembled slightly as she frantically recognized the strings.

The eight Heavenly Wolves hovering at the bottom of the ravine soared up, clustering around the Little Wolf Cub as they flew up. The Taiyin Dolls were clinging to the rock wall and couldn’t reach them.

Just then, a black-robed, enchanting woman supported by a black vulture suddenly charged up with powerful momentum, fiercely pursuing them, like a fleeting shadow or a dragon soaring above. The Little Wolf Cub made a gesture to attack Xue Qianxun, which indeed drew Jinse out. Therefore, he stopped mid-air. Xue Qianxun also withdrew her hands. The rule of the Heavenly Origin Martial Arts Tournament was one-on-one. Unless absolutely necessary, she did not want to violate the rules.

Xue Qianxun was greatly relieved to see Jinse unharmed, but she was a little surprised by the huge flying bird: “Xifeng’s Wuya! … Now, it actually appears by its master’s side…”

Previously, the five people passed through the hollow parasitic tree and entered the underground tunnel leading to the Water Moon Palace. Because the entrance was small, the enormous giant vulture Wuya was kept outside the tree. Xue Qianxun didn’t expect it to appear here at this moment.

In the rapidly descending wind, Jinse said leisurely, “To flee when one cannot win. The Little Wolf Cub is well-versed in the essence of military strategy.” As soon as she finished speaking, she had already caught up with him. Wuya’s flying speed truly astonished the Little Wolf Cub.

Facing Jinse in the air, only a few zhang apart, the Little Wolf Cub sneered at her sarcasm and said coldly, “Hiding your head and tail, avoiding the important and dwelling on the trivial. Are you the prized pupil of the old tortoise monster?”

Jinse just smiled and said, “Probing, confronting, and chasing and hiding are all tiresome. From now on, let’s decide the winner.” Saying that, she suddenly tossed a green metal plate high into the air, and shouted loudly, “If you have the ability, come and snatch it!”

Seeing that it was Jinse’s Name Token, the Little Wolf Cub was overjoyed. He wanted to make her regret her excessive confidence and arrogance—did she think the Little Wolf Cub would personally come to her to snatch the Name Token?

The wolf flute prompted the largest and most agile bat in the flock. Like a black bolt of lightning, it swiftly passed through the metal plate and immediately turned back. The Little Wolf Cub leaped onto the back of a young Heavenly Wolf, flew up to receive the object, and immediately distanced himself from Jinse.

—He didn’t want a drawn-out battle.

Jinse smiled charmingly, not pursuing the Little Wolf Cub. She stood on Wuya and subtly swept past the nine Taiyin Dolls. In a flash, she and Wuya returned to their original position in the air. Looking at the Little Wolf Cub’s retreating figure, she leisurely counted on her fingers: “One, two, three…”

Before “four” could leave her mouth, the Little Wolf Cub indeed returned at an even faster speed than before, his face as white as snow.

Jinse clapped her hands and chuckled softly: “Such quick movements. That copper plate is your reward.”

On this day, the Little Wolf Cub was somewhat melancholic and particularly easy to anger. His pale face instantly turned red, and he angrily threw the copper plate down the hundred zhang deep ravine, gnashing his teeth: “Damn it! Tricking me with a fake Name Token!”

Jinse said, “Although I asked you to come and snatch it, when did I say it was the Name Token?”

The Little Wolf Cub breathed heavily, remaining silent. The eight young Heavenly Wolves and the flock of bats surrounding him fluttered their wings chaotically, as if infected by the Little Wolf Cub’s restless mood.

Time was passing. Neither side acted rashly.

The Little Wolf Cub quickly realized the impact of his emotional instability on this duel. Unknowingly, he had fallen for Jinse’s trick again. However, the tens of thousands of snakes, insects, birds, and beasts lurking in these mountains were, after all, under his control. Jinse, as an external Beast Master, should be at a disadvantage.

The Little Wolf Cub’s gaze involuntarily drifted toward the cave entrance that the Taiyin Dolls had smashed open on the rock wall. His greatest concern and worry lay there.

Xue Qianxun noticed this and quickly reminded Jinse: “The Great Heavenly Wolf must be ambushed in the cave, Jinse be careful!”

Jinse was slightly startled, then suddenly understood. She turned to face Xue Qianxun and smiled gently: “Okay, I know.” As she turned back, she muttered to herself, “Heh, that startled expression is quite interesting.”

While Jinse was luring the Taiyin Dolls away, Tang Fei had caught up with her. Thus, Jinse had heard then that the Heavenly Wolf mother might have suffered quite severe internal injuries. But Xue Qianxun did not know this; she was still unconscious when Zhuque made that inference.

Xue Qianxun’s reminder did not cause much alarm in Jinse. Her attitude was one of nonchalance. In contrast, the Little Wolf Cub showed obvious anxiety. Xue Qianxun watched silently, feeling very confused.

The Little Wolf Cub finally launched the first attack—a sudden, unannounced offensive. He delicately plucked his silver wolf flute with his fingernails for a moment. From the crevices and bushes of the two narrow walls, countless snakes, rats, and small beasts suddenly poured out. They surged in from all directions like a tide, quickly surrounding the nine Taiyin Dolls on the rock wall. In the time it took Jinse to be surprised, seven Heavenly Wolves, excluding the one under the Little Wolf Cub’s feet, charged up like a storm.

“The showdown you wanted is here!” the Little Wolf Cub shouted.

Jinse retorted, “Just don’t be too surprised.” Before her voice faded, the nine Taiyin Dolls, which had been clinging to the rock wall, suddenly soared into the air—

“What?” The Little Wolf Cub exclaimed in shock. He was born and raised here, observing the Taiyin Dolls for over ten years. When had they ever flown in the air? Yet, what he saw with his own eyes was that the nine Taiyin Dolls were indeed wandering freely in the air like fish swimming in the ocean. Of course, they could also easily “fly” to the Little Wolf Cub’s side.

The wolf flute sounded sharply, and the Little Wolf Cub hurriedly recalled the Heavenly Wolves. The Taiyin Dolls were born attackers, while the large, sturdy Heavenly Wolves were not skilled in this aspect.

Heavenly Wolves are evil beasts of a level no less than the Taiyin Dolls. However, only the Little Wolf Cub, who had dealt with them for years, understood the difference between the two. Precisely because of this, Palace Lord Xinghai of the Water Moon Palace expected the Taiyin Dolls to become the Little Wolf Cub’s weapon.

“Are you overly fond of your own weapons?” Jinse, who still did not fully understand the nature of the Heavenly Wolves, said with a leisurely smile. What she saw was the Little Wolf Cub’s extraordinary concern for the Heavenly Wolves. Of course, this could also be interpreted as the young Heavenly Wolves not being the Little Wolf Cub’s tamed beasts, but his brothers and sisters.

The snowy-white pack of wolves obeyed the summons, barely dodging the Taiyin Dolls’ surprise attack. Before the Little Wolf Cub could stabilize himself, the Taiyin Dolls pursued again. It was as if countless slender, beautiful fingers were coming straight at his face. He knew the consequence if those seemingly delicate fingers touched his skin.

—That was not the outcome he wanted! The depression and impulsiveness were swept away. The inherent pride and competitiveness in his bones were finally awakened.

“Wuu—!!” A heart-wrenching long wail suddenly came from the hole that the Taiyin Dolls had breached. The wail pierced the eardrums, causing a throbbing headache. In an instant, the winds and clouds gathered in the sky, and all the leaves in the mountain forest fluttered down. The Little Wolf Cub and the Great Heavenly Wolf seemed to have a telepathic connection. His entire body shook. Suddenly, his appearance dramatically changed. His body arched into a curve, his fingers turned into claws, and his eyes shone with light. He watched in astonishment as the muscles in his limbs strengthened and his sharp fingernails slowly lengthened. This change came so suddenly, yet it felt natural. The expression on his face changed complexly, indescribable as pain or exhilaration. In a moment, the Little Wolf Cub felt his state finally stabilizing. His whole body was boiling with hot bl00d, as if endless power was surging through his veins.

Jinse and Xue Qianxun were stunned. The Taiyin Dolls were intimidated by that inexplicable aura and retreated, reattaching themselves to the rock wall. The Little Wolf Cub lay prone on the back of the evil beast. Although he hadn’t grown wings or long fur, he was indeed the most majestic—

“Heavenly Wolf?” Jinse couldn’t help but murmur. No wonder Nangong Qing had said early on that the Little Wolf Cub was a born Beast Master. Having been raised by evil beasts, he could almost be called a half-beast person.

The wolf’s dominance emanating from the Little Wolf Cub could almost shroud one side of the sky, instilling an inexplicable fear in his opponents.

He is the wolf! He is the chief of ten thousand wolves, the king of a hundred million beasts!

All the Heavenly Wolves flying in the air gained a new spirit. Before, they were merely evil beasts, but now, they were a powerful aerial army with a spiritual pillar.

“Jinse, you once said that Nangong Qing’s notes have new records regarding the methods of subjugating evil beasts, right?” The Little Wolf Cub’s voice had a subtle change, making him sound much older. The slightly upturned corner of his lips revealed sharp teeth with a terrifying glow.

Jinse’s eyebrow twitched slightly: “Yes, that’s right…”

Regarding the art of Beast Mastery, the notes of the Eleventh Generation Jianghu Brush Nangong Qing had new records. Besides the four recognized stages summarized by previous Beast Master generations—”Appeasement, Confrontation, Subjugation, and Beast Control”—there was another realm specifically for evil beasts. The Jianghu Brush had revealed one stage of that realm to Jinse, but what was happening to the Little Wolf Cub clearly exceeded the scope of Jinse’s knowledge.

Jinse cautiously probed the Little Wolf Cub: “The second realm of the Beast Master, it seems you have now grasped it. You should be able to sense what it is, shouldn’t you?”

“The second realm?” The Little Wolf Cub smiled faintly in confusion, “Hmph, whatever it’s called, in any case, the way I feel now is very good.”

Before his voice faded, all the Heavenly Wolves suddenly flapped their wings wildly, their killing intent overflowing, and charged at Jinse. Clearly, the current Little Wolf Cub was no longer limited to using the wolf flute as a means of controlling the beasts. His slightest movement, his slightest exertion of qi, a glance, or even the slightest ripple of his clothing, had become a command issued to that powerful aerial battle team.

Wuya was unnerved by the sharp murderous aura. It shook its wings, wanting to flee. Not only that, even the naturally aggressive Taiyin Dolls developed a sense of escape, running chaotically across the cliff face. Jinse, standing on Wuya’s back, stumbled and fell backward.

“Jinse—!” Xue Qianxun cried out. In that moment, she forgot her own situation and jumped down without hesitation.