Swish!
The sound of wind being cut through echoed as Lin Xiao, Supervisor Lin, flew at low altitude atop a white sword.
As he neared a cluster of houses, he could already hear screams and the crying of children. With furrowed brows, he increased his speed.
Soon, he arrived at the southern edge and saw the first signs of destruction: homes that once stood proudly were now reduced to rubble, bloodstains splattered across many of them.
Looking a little farther ahead, Lin Xiao spotted the first bodiesâor what remained of them.
With the wolvesâ departure, many residents began to leave their homes, their faces still blank with shock. They stared at the ruined houses, the blood on the walls, and the corpses scattered on the ground; terror spread through their minds like never before.
This kind of devastation was unheard of around here. The monsters that attacked rarely exceeded the Mortal rank.
Terrified, they all looked up to see a bright light passing overhead.
With a glimmer of hope in their eyes, many bowed respectfully.
âLife is never easy...â Lin Xiao murmured, sighing as he took in the destruction and the state of the people.
He kept flying north, knowing that most cultivators who lived outside the city settled in that direction; the main clash had no doubt taken place farther up.
The southern area had only suffered collateral damage.
As he approached, angry voices could be heard ahead.
âHe Yuanhao! Are you insane? I killed that wolf by myselfâwhy should I share it with you?â A tall, elegant woman spoke, her eyes fierce and her breath uneven. Her clothes were torn with claw marks, and her wound was ugly enough to make most people look away.
âHu Xiu, Axe Maiden, you canât blame me. You know the rules of the Blood Blade Gang. If youâd joined us when I invited you, you wouldnât have to pay these âprotection fees,ââ he said with a calm smile. Whether she could hand over part of the wolf or not was irrelevant. Who did she think she was?
The powerful donât care what happens outside the city.
From the looks of it, that claim was not unfounded.
With the cityâs power, cleaning up this mess wouldâve been as easy as taking candy from a childâbut just look at how things were.
Once the gang leaders heard about the situation, they sent them here to collect the âfee.â
âYou...â Hu Xiu murmured, but the words wouldnât come. Her wounded organs flared up with pain from the sudden rage that surged in her chest. She gripped her axe, ready to strike at any moment.
These so-called fees were a joke, especially for those living outside the city walls.
She hadnât been here long, but she knew that even without paying rent, someone always found a way to exploit them.
He Yuanhao noticed she looked ready to fight and said with a smirk, âHeh, I donât doubt the strength of the Axe Maiden, but are you sure you can take me on with injuries like that? And even if you could... what good would it do?â
The tension between them became palpable.
One side trusted in the gang, believing the other would simply back down; the other side, however, had no intention of lowering her headâand would rather fight back.
Just as the two seemed ready to clash, a beam of light came streaking from the south.
It approached at great speed, and the pressure of its cultivation realm spread unrestrained.
âA Supervisor?â
Both of them spoke almost in unison, looking toward the light. In that instant, the tension between them melted like snow.
With cupped hands, they respectfully greeted the incoming figure.
Contrary to their expectationsâassuming he would simply pass byâthe sword floated above them and came to a stop.
A middle-aged man looked down, and the destruction here was even worse than before. There were hardly any ordinary humans around.
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Supervisor Lin glanced at the wolf, then at the beautiful woman beside it with an axe. A flicker of surprise passed through his eyes. Shifting his gaze to the man, he finally said, âKid from the Blood Blade Gang, today is not the day to bring your gangâs schemes here. Go back and inform your leader.â
His voice was calm and steady, unconcerned about whether he would obey or not.
âSupervisor Lin, I...â He tried to explain, but upon meeting Lin Xiaoâs impassive expression, swallowed his words and, with a simple âYes,â bowed and left.
Lin Xiao then looked at Hu Xiu and, with a rare approving smile, nodded to her and departed.
Left behind, Hu Xiu let out a long breath of relief. Then, walking over to the wolfâs carcass, she hoisted it onto her shoulder and made her way home. She would be moving today.
Lin Xiao held a communication talisman as he made his way back to the city. There had been many casualties tonight; he would need to report them.
The young miss didnât expect tonightâs monsters to be this vicious... she wonât like this news.
Before long, the towering city wall came into view, its surface faintly glowing.
As he approached, a soft light enveloped the city and vanished the moment he neared, triggered by the jewel at his waist.
At the gate, the guards didnât dare stop himâafter all, there werenât many capable of reaching the rank of Supervisor.
As he drew near, he jumped off his sword and landed on the ground.
Even Supervisors were not allowed to fly within the city.
Once inside, Lin Xiao wasted no time and rushed toward the heart of the city.
At its center stood a three-story shop, occupying the space of several ordinary establishments.
Lin Xiao wasnât stopped by anyone. He went straight up to the third floor and, as he neared the door, took a deep breath and calmed himself.
Just as he was about to knock, a clear and melodious voice came from inside.
"Come in..."
With cupped hands, he bowed and only then dared to open the door.
Groan!!
With a muffled sound, he pushed open one of the double doors and stepped inside, every movement filled with respect.
The room was sparsely furnished; directly opposite the entrance, in the corner, stood something resembling a desk.
A door in the back led to an even more private space, possibly where she cultivated.
Disregarding the few ornaments, the room was nearly empty.
Near the center, a low table and a few seats suggested this was the space meant for receiving guests.
By the window stood a figure with her back turned, looking down at the city below.
It was still dark, but many were already starting their day, and several shops had begun to open.
Even from behind, the figure was striking; her slim waist was accentuated by the beautiful red dress she wore. Her fiery red hair cascaded down her back like a waterfallâlong and elegant.
Lin Xiao remained silent, waiting.
"What is it? You seem rather agitated. Does it have something to do with the attack tonight?" she asked, still not turning around, her voice calm and velvety.
That seemingly tranquil voice carried a pressure that weighed on Lin Xiao, even if only subconsciously.
"Yes, thatâs why I came, Miss. Tonightâs attack was unusual; the deaths were far more horrific than we imagined. And as for the plan to take down the leader⦠it failed due to my incompetence. I ask to be punished," he said bitterly, his voice lowering with each word.
Silence reigned for a long while before her voice echoed again. "Before you ask for punishment, tell me what happened."
With a nod, he began recounting everything he had witnessed that night: the rarity of the Night Wolf, the unexpected appearance of a Thunderhowl She-Wolf, and the rare pup that didnât go unnoticed either.
He concluded by reporting the casualties among the residents of the housing junction.
Silence now felt like a luxury, and the air grew oppressively heavy, a latent pressure beginning to spread through the room.
After a few tense breaths, her voice, no longer so calm or gentle, sounded once more.
"A wolf that can already use spells while still in the Mortal rank... A she-wolf of a rare breed for this region... Divine Blood? This is troublesome..." After hearing the report, she began muttering to herself. If her face were visible, one would see just how deeply her brows were furrowed.
As she pondered, something seemed to cross her mind, and she quickly asked, "And little Jie? Did anything happen to her?"
She even turned as she asked the question, finally revealing her face.
What a shameâfor since arriving in the city, she always wore a red mask with painted flames, like blooming flowers.
Lin Xiao was already used to his ladyâs concern for a mere mortal girl, but if others saw it, theyâd probably die of envy.
"I'm sorry, Miss. In the heat of the moment, I overlooked that detail," he responded quickly, feeling more afraid than when he had failed her orders. He lowered his head and waited.
Seeing he didnât know the answer, she wasted no time.
Vanishing from the room, she returned just as quickly, but this time she seemed noticeably more at ease.
"So, you couldnât defeat the wolf leader because you were the only supervisor there?"
"Yes. The Lin Family's supervisor arrived, but he was late. I donât know if more supervisors showed upâI came straight to report to the young lady."
Another round of silence followed; the air grew heavier and more oppressive.
If Lin Xiao were outside, heâd notice the sky had taken on a reddish hue, though it wasnât clear whether it was due to the sunriseâor something else entirely.
Fortunately, the tension was soon broken by her voice.
"Send word to the other forces. Iâll meet with them," she said plainly, as if she didnât take the other powers in the city seriously.
"Miss, are you sure this is the right time to provoke them?"
"Provoke? Are they even worthy of that? They should be grateful they still have some Base Cultivators left. Besides, I want to discuss several mattersâitâs not just a scolding. Donât worry."
Upon hearing this, Lin Xiao became even more concerned. His lady's temperament had never been an easy one.
As the sun began to rise in the sky, the city's major powers received a summons for a meeting.
The Jin Family, the Lin Family, and the Xu Familyâthese were the three strongest cultivation families in Beast Mountain City.
Each reacted in its own way, but none dared to decline.
Power in the city was complex and entangled. Interfering in this web was no simple task.
Thousand Beast Mountain City held a strategic position.
Leaving from it and heading in a straight line in three directionsânorth, east, and westâwould lead to another city.
Likewise, its proximity to the forest meant that where danger existed, so did opportunity.
A city like this was never short on people trying to claim it.