CHAPTER 47: CHAPTER 47: LEAVE! COME BACK!

As night fell, the stars and moon revealed themselves, and all was silent. It was a quarter past the hour of the Tiger, when both animals and humans had fallen into deep slumber.

A lithe and agile shadow glided along the alley walls, swiftly weaving through the streets of Baoho County. To avoid being spotted by hidden sentries on duty, Qi Xiu dared not climb onto the rooftops, instead following the circuitous and narrow alleys with great caution until he reached the base of the city gate tower.

The blazing braziers burned brightly, casting flickering flames at the gateway, where four armored soldiers stood guard like spears, constantly turning their heads to scan their surroundings. And atop the city tower, a patrol hawk perched, its sharp, fierce eyes emitting a faint glow.

Just one more, wait a bit longer. In the alley below the wall, Qi Xiu, dressed in black, squatted at the mouth of the alley, calmly observing.

From his observations over the past while, he knew that the two patrol hawks on the city tower took turns surveilling every hour on the hour. To incapacitate both watchers at once, he needed to act swiftly just as the other returned. Otherwise, even if one was neutralized, the other would detect it. Hidden in a corner, he waited for about a quarter of an hour.

The sound of flapping wings reached Qi Xiu’s ears. Looking up, he saw the patrolling hawk returning.

The opportunity has arrived! Focusing his mind, Qi Xiu reached into his chest and pulled out twenty-eight neatly stacked Musk Soft Tendon Talismans.

For the two patrol hawks, ten each! As for the soldiers guarding the gate, two for each man. This should be about the right amount. Fearing that his concoction might not be potent enough for the large birds, Qi Xiu stacked ten talismans together. The potency was comparable to a fully-powered dose of Fish Fragrance Muscle-Relaxing Powder. The soldiers, who were only at the Tempering Power Realm, would be overwhelmed by just a fifth of that amount.

His palm glowed faintly red as slender threads of fiery energy sparked from his fingertips, igniting the Musk Soft Tendon Talismans. Under Qi Xiu’s focused intent, the marvelously transformed medicinal mist appeared out of nowhere right in the noses of the two patrol hawks and the four gate guards.

"Fall, fall, fall, fall, fall, fall."

Pointing at the two hawks and the four soldiers, Qi Xiu directed his gesture at them, and as he did, their bodies went limp and they collapsed to the ground with a clatter. It happened in the blink of an eye. The heavily guarded checkpoint, where not even a mouse could slip through, was left with nothing but heavy snoring.

Instead of rushing out immediately, he waited a while longer to make sure there were no irregularities. Once certain, Qi Xiu cracked a smile.

HAHAHA. Freedom, here I come!

With no one to stop him, Qi Xiu bent his legs and launched himself, easily clearing the city wall, over ten meters high, as if it were no obstacle at all. Once over the wall, he landed steadily on the ground. Gazing at the starlit sky and the swaying shadows of trees in the wilderness beyond the city, Qi Xiu took a deep breath and then strode towards the vast expanse.

「Westwind Army Garrison.」

In the brightly lit tent, Yuan Baiyi stood with his hands behind his back in front of a map of Baoho County and its surrounding terrain. Nearly ten mountains, both large and small, were marked on the map with red crosses. After scouring more than ten mountains, not a single trace has been found. Has this demon hidden itself underground?

Having arrived at Baoho County nearly a month ago, the trail of the Fox Demon had yet to be found, and the delay was causing Yuan Baiyi to grow increasingly irritable. He had led the troops out this time to impress his adoptive father. But if he couldn’t handle even a minor Initiate Realm demon, there was no point talking about achieving great deeds; it would be better to go home and live the life of a wastrel.

Just as Yuan Baiyi was feeling frustrated and about to take a walk, the sword hanging on a wooden stand began to clang, releasing bursts of intense Divine Marvel energy, as if foretelling something.

Hmm? Hearing his sword’s warning, Yuan Baiyi quickly turned around, his eyes filled with surprise. A self-alert from Xuanzhong? Could it be...

Sensing something was off, Yuan Baiyi quickly charged out of the tent and shouted loudly, "All troops assemble! Prepare to face the enemy!"

Yuan Baiyi’s words had barely faded when a strange and bewitching screech suddenly came from afar. The sound was like a human voice, yet also akin to the cry of a beast. Ordinary people would feel an itch in their hearts upon hearing it, as if being enveloped in warmth, making them want to follow the sound.

Shit, it really is that Fox Demon!

Rarely cursing, Yuan Baiyi immediately concluded that the scream imbued with bewitching power was from that very Fox Demon. No wonder they hadn’t been able to find it. It had actually been hiding near this county town all along!

Dashing forward, Yuan Baiyi took off his sword and, with a tap of his feet, leapt into the air, transforming into a streak of light and rushing towards the direction of the Fox Demon’s screech.

"Nie Xun! Assemble everyone, head to the city gate immediately to meet the enemy!"

Nie Xun, the vanguard officer who had rushed out of the tent in full armor with the command flag, heard the shout and immediately roared at the surrounding tents, "Assemble! Assemble! Assemble!"

...

Arriving at the city gate with extreme speed, Yuan Baiyi materialized from the streak of light. He immediately caught sight of the night watch soldiers and patrol hawks incapacitated by the Fish Fragrance Muscle-Relaxing Powder.

Hmph! This Fox Demon indeed had premeditated plans to launch a night raid on the county town! However... why had it only knocked down these few individuals without taking their lives? Looking at the soldiers and patrol hawks who were merely unconscious but unharmed, Yuan Baiyi frowned in confusion.

BOOM— Before he could figure out his confusion, deafening stomping sounds from outside the town drew Yuan Baiyi’s attention.

In the boundless night, countless savage and blood-red eyes lit up, and a massive cloud of dust rose like a yellow dragon in the mountains and forests. Those were hundreds of completely maddened, demonically mutated beasts. Their bodies were grotesquely mutated, covered with numerous fleshy growths and tumors, reeking of blood and emitting a foul stench. One could barely make out their original forms, much like Guo Youfang from before.

A dirty yellow mist swirled around these beasts. Demonic energy! The true Fox Demon was hiding among these frenzied Mutated Beasts.

And in front of this wave of rampaging Mutated Beasts, a clearly human silhouette was fleeing at high speed.

Hmm? Narrowing his eyes, Yuan Baiyi took interest in the figure being chased by the beast tide. The figure was clad in black, with an agile form. Although the Qinggong displayed was not sophisticated, the figure was enveloped in a faint, sparrow-like aura. Under the protection of this aura, with every step taken, the person could leap dozens of meters. The whole person turned into a blurred afterimage, as if flying close to the ground! The frenzied, galloping Mutated Beasts not only failed to catch up, but they also started to lag behind in the distance.

...

I’m really too unlucky! Qi Xiu thought bitterly as he glanced back at the terrifyingly fierce tide of beasts.

Finally, after great effort, he had escaped the sealed-off Baoho County. He had not expected that not long after entering the mountains, numerous red stars suddenly lit up in the darkness around him. Mutated Beasts that targeted humans were lurking in the forest. And his appearance was like a fuse, instantly igniting the madness in these Mutated Beasts. Among these mutated creatures, there was an extremely terrifying presence whose mere gaze made his heart race and his body grow weak. If not for the Suppression Talisman in his arms suddenly flaring up, scorching hot, rousing him, he would probably already be in the bellies of these beasts, about to be transformed into excrement.