Chapter 103: Battle of Tigers and Wolves (Part VIII)

Hidden behind a tree, Jiang Shuiyuan found himself beside Zheng Xiaobao, who had his eyes half-closed, muttering softly to himself. Curiosity got the better of him, and he leaned in to ask, “Junior Brother, what scripture are you reciting?”

“The Rebirth Sutra.”

“The Rebirth Sutra? Isn’t that the scripture for the dead?”

“Exactly,” Zheng Xiaobao replied with a knowing glance, his eyes brimming with unfathomable depth that sent a chill down Jiang’s spine.

Jiang’s face twitched involuntarily. “Junior Brother, you’re not reciting it for me, are you?”

“No, I’m reciting it for myself,” Zheng’s gaze swept over Shrimp Head and Wang Shen Nu calmly, “and for them as well.”

“How could they—no, Senior Brother, you should keep to your own scripture,” Jiang wanted to probe further, but recalling Zheng’s earlier demeanor, a wave of dread washed over him, and he dared not provoke him any more.

It wasn’t just him; Jiang Ya’s behavior was equally strange. Clambering and swinging through the trees, scratching at his ears and face with a restless expression, he was starkly different from his usual curious self.

“Junior Brother, what’s wrong?” Luo Dunzi asked with a straightforward tone, though a flicker of contemplation passed through his eyes.

Jiang Ya’s background was peculiar. One late night, Lin Xian, who had been away on a long journey, brought him back. Jiang would never forget their first encounter.

Covered in fine downy fur, sharp teeth grinding in his mouth, his gaze upon the brothers was a cold, predatory hunger.

Initially, he was confined in an iron cage, personally fed by the head of the martial arts hall, unbeknownst to others, including Luo Yanzong.

But through some mysterious treatment by Lin Xian, the mountain monkey’s fur gradually fell away, his form shrank back to human shape after six months, and all prior memories erased. Only then did he formally become a disciple under the hall.

“This place—it’s bad, a terrible feeling. We must leave,” Jiang Ya whispered sharply.

“Everyone, move!”

Without hesitation, Luo Dunzi trusted him. With Kou Li’s perverse hearing ability, even if they fled, the pursuers would likely catch up swiftly.

Though the remaining martial arts hall apprentices were unsure of the details, the brutal clashes over the past days had sharpened their senses; they were alert in all directions, weapons drawn.

Suddenly, a black shadow flashed through the dense bushes!

Then came a sharp, sinister laugh.

“So fast!”

Apart from Luo Dunzi and Jiang Ya, almost no one could clearly see the speed of the figure. Even they could barely make out that it was a giant wolf, larger than a lion or tiger.

On the wolf’s back, a pair of gleaming jade-green eyes shimmered with a teasing, mocking glint.

Several more dark shapes pounced through the grass nearby. Birds startled on the tree branches attempted to flee, but before their wings could beat, they were swallowed whole by sharp teeth and wide jaws.

The agility displayed would rank at least as expert among martial artists.

Among those present, Luo Dunzi lacked skill in mobility, while Jiang Ya’s monkey form excelled in nimbleness and finesse. In an instant, with a creaking sound, his feet hooked and swayed, knees bent and twisted, scrambling through the trees. His hands constantly spun and scraped in all directions, his figure darting from branch to branch faster than a mature wild monkey by several times.

In monkey boxing, this technique is called “Leading Step Forward, Flying Shoulder Push,” emphasizing coordinated, continuous power from all parts of the body.

Finally, upon reaching the tenth tree, he caught up to a gray shadow. Scrambling with hands and feet, he leapt in midair to strike.

Jiang Ya intended to land on the wolf’s back and unleash the monkey boxing’s lethal move “Agile Monkey Stomp,” shaking and striking to break the wolf’s spine.

Unexpectedly, the wolf’s skin suddenly peeled back, revealing a shimmering green blade slashing from a strange angle.

Wolf Soldier’s Killing Move—“Beastly Slash!”

The wolf and its symbiotic companion, the “Beast,” work as two sides of one entity: the wolf strikes with its forelegs while the beast attacks with the hind legs, a classic coordinated hunting technique.

Yet Jiang Ya, a master of monkey form, flexed his limbs swiftly, channeling energy from his dantian. Without needing external leverage, his body spun midair with a fluid motion.

However, the opponent was equally skilled in martial arts, and the massive wolf beneath seemed almost sentient. It leapt three feet high with a sudden burst, twisting its waist and extending a clawed forearm.

Unlike the brutal paws of a leopard, which tear tendons and bones, the wolf’s claws were sinister and precise, targeting acupoints and piercing the skull.

This claw aimed at the blood-carrying vessels in the neck—a single strike here would cause immediate fatal hemorrhaging.

Jiang Ya emitted a shrill, unnatural cry, fur bristling. His arms clung to the tree trunk with fingers curled into hooks, darkening with bruises, instantly gripping two of the wolf’s claws.

“Little monkey, I’ll skin you alive soon!”

The figure on the wolf’s back finally revealed himself: eyes gleaming jade-green, flickering wildly with a strange, eerie expression, a ring of white wolf fur framing his face—part man, part wolf. He lifted Jiang Ya by one hand, the giant wolf beneath still lunging forward as the surrounding scenery blurred past like a whirlwind.

…

Luo Dunzi hadn’t expected that the seasoned master of monkey boxing, Old Eight, would be captured in a single clash. Distracted, his channeling technique faltered, leaving an opening. Two black shadows crossed paths; a flash of sword light narrowly missed him, but others weren’t so lucky.

A severed head tumbled through the air thrice, blood spraying. Upon hitting the ground, it revealed Shrimp Head’s face, eyes wide with shock and regret.

This young fisherman, unwilling to remain mediocre, had finally perished amidst the waves of conflict just before the storm in Yuezhou surged.

Perhaps he regretted his involvement—his weak strength unfit for such chaos. Perhaps he wished he had fled earlier, hiding his identity, living a quiet life free of ambition.

But one must always pay the price for their choices, whether aspiring high or driven by ambition. This world judges only by strength, not by character; the victor rules, the rest are left to perish.

“Ah!” Another agonized scream pierced the air. Among the martial hall’s remnants, the last instructor, Zhao, who had once taught Kou Lihu’s lunging technique, had his hand severed on the spot. Blood sprayed, bones shattered.

The wolf soldiers moved too swiftly, their speed beyond that of ordinary fighters. Merging man and wolf, the wolf’s savage claws combined with human swordsmanship and cunning, perfectly embodying the beastly nature within the pictorial boxing style.

When the imperial court subdued the wolf soldiers, tens of thousands of heavily armored troops were deployed, sealing mountains and roads, encircling the enemy with impenetrable sieges, supported by volleys of crossbows and artillery to prevent close combat. Only then was the elder of the wolf clan forced to surrender, though many skilled fighters were lost.

Without such overwhelming force, in mere moments, two more elite apprentices—honed through countless life-or-death battles and nearing mastery—were cut down.

Yet these casualties were inflicted by only four wolf soldiers acting as scouts.

Sensing the dire situation, Luo Dunzi let out a fierce roar, stomping the ground with such force that the earth trembled within ten yards.

Ribs stood out sharply beneath his chest, veins bulging, muscles twisting grotesquely—signs that his “Gate-Opening Energy” had reached its peak, a technique also known as “Iron Ribs.”

Another wolf soldier charged, man and wolf as one, wielding a curved blade like a cold moon descending in a deadly arc.

But Luo Dunzi neither dodged nor flinched, bracing against the charge. The blade struck his body, leaving only a shallow cut, as his tightened muscles compressed the blade—this was the essence of Iron Ribs: ribs compressing surrounding flesh into soft iron.

Then, with a powerful stance combining Gate-Opening Energy and the “Falling Monument Hand” technique, he slammed down. Two explosive sounds rang out as both human and wolf skulls shattered simultaneously.

The first wolf soldier was dead.

“Fools! Surround him! The weakness of Gate-Opening Energy lies in the back!”

No sooner had the words fallen than the two remaining wolf soldiers sprang from the wolf’s body, unaffected by its leaps and bounds. Circling to find an opening, they suddenly found a flaw.

With a rider’s crouch and a wolf’s pounce, a flash of blade appeared again. A martial hall apprentice caught off guard was struck down.

As the body hit the ground, it twisted unnaturally, breaking bones, and leapt high without looking back, only to be caught again by the giant wolf’s leap.

Had Luo Dunzi been alone, these wolf soldiers might not have pushed him into such peril, but crucially, several apprentices depended on his protection. Without him, they would fall victim to the wolf soldiers’ deadly hands.

Clapping his hands twice, Luo Dunzi erupted with energy, snapping two tree trunks as thick as bowls. He unleashed the hall’s mad demon staff technique, his staff shadows overlapping in a protective web surrounding him.

“Retreat! Fall back!”