Deep in the mine, the light dimmed abruptly.

Rain from days ago had left the paths muddy.

Mineral dust floated in the air, heavy with moisture, making each breath a struggle.

Not far in, Xiangzi’s brows furrowed.

He noticed the forest held fewer beasts than usual—even the birdsong was sparse and scattered.

And a faint smell of blood lingered in the air.

Xiangzi’s heart jolted. For some reason, he recalled Chen Fan’s earlier mention of demon beasts.

Uncle Jie, seasoned as he was, seemed to sense something off too. At some point, he’d taken down the long spear strapped to his back.

It was an heirloom iron spear.

The spear had two two-foot-long sections, the rear one attached to a wooden handle. In tight spaces, it could be split into a short spear and handle, good for thrusting or throwing.

Now, Uncle Jie connected the two sections, forming a four-foot iron spear.

Holding it reversed, he met Xiangzi’s gaze and barked, “Brothers, pick up the pace!”

Under the dense canopy of towering trees, everything was cloaked in gloom.

In the silent forest, only the creaking of cartwheels over muddy paths echoed, a monotonous sound that set nerves on edge.

But the smell of blood grew thicker.

Even the Li Family guards tensed, drawing their long blades.

“Brothers, no rush, just move faster,” Xiangzi said, clutching a short spear, his face stern.

Ever since Uncle Jie taught him a few family spear techniques, Xiangzi had spent three silver dollars on a wooden-handled short spear.

Seeing no trace of fear in Xiangzi’s eyes, Uncle Jie nodded silently, quickening his steps to take the lead.

A tense air enveloped the convoy.

Unconsciously, the rickshaw pullers sped up, their faces flushed.

Thankfully, this wasn’t the return trip, so the carts carried no five-color ore, or they’d never manage this speed.

Suddenly, a low roar came from the forest!

It started faint, then grew clear.

Everyone froze, their gazes locking onto the forest’s depths.

Moments later, a blind bear lumbered out, panting heavily.

It leaned against a crooked old pine, squatting like a black iron tower.

Its black fur was matted with blood and wounds, its eerie red eyes glowing in the dim forest.

One of the Li Family guards stared for a moment, then laughed. “Brothers, no panic! It’s just a blind bear, not fully demonized yet!”

At that, the group relaxed.

“Not fully demonized” meant the bear’s essence had been tainted by mineral dust but hadn’t fully transformed. For now, it was still an ordinary beast.

The convoy was full of martial men who’d awakened their vitality, and the guards from East Tower and the Li Family Mine were powerhouses who’d passed the vitality gate.

A mere blind bear? Even a mountain king tiger could be swatted away with one palm.

Two Li Family guards, sneering at the tense rickshaw pullers, swaggered toward the bear. Red-braised bear paw—enough to make your tongue melt!

But Xiangzi’s heart skipped a beat. Where did those wounds on the bear come from?

As the two guards approached, he couldn’t help shouting, “Mine brothers, be careful!”

One guard turned back, annoyed, but seeing it was the yard leader even their captain respected, he forced a smile. “Master Xiang, hang on. We’re just grabbing some game.”

For guards who’d spent years in the mine, hunting a beast was routine.

Unable to dissuade them, Xiangzi shook his head slightly, gripping his short spear tighter.

The bear, badly wounded, didn’t stir even as the armed men approached, slumping against the tree.

The two guards closed in, grinning.

Then, chaos erupted!

A piercing roar cut through the layered forest, coming from behind the bear.

It was a strange sound, like a tiger’s roar mixed with a wolf’s howl, sharp and ear-splitting.

The leaves rustled violently.

“Careful—”

Uncle Jie was the first to sense danger, roaring a warning.

But it was too late.

A massive shadow leaped from a nearby tree, swift as a phantom.

It moved so fast, in the dim forest, that only a spotted blur was visible.

“Ah!”

A gut-wrenching scream cut off abruptly.

With a flick of its head, the blur tore the nearest Li Family guard in half. Blood and flesh gushed from the mangled body.

The blur raised its head and swallowed the other half whole.

A martial man who’d passed the vitality gate had no chance to react, gone in the blink of an eye.

Only then could they vaguely make out the creature.

A pair of ghostly yellow vertical pupils flickered like will-o’-wisps in the dim light.

Its spotted form seemed to blend with the surroundings as it moved.

“It’s a tiger demon!” the remaining Li Family guard screamed, his voice shrill with terror.

The sound provoked the demon.

The blur flashed again, lunging at the guard.

By sheer instinct, he rolled aside, narrowly escaping, but the tiger demon tore off one of his legs.

A blood-curdling wail exploded like thunder among the rickshaw pullers!

Shouts and frantic footsteps shattered the mud—panicked, the pullers scattered in all directions.

A tiger demon that could effortlessly rip apart a vitality-gate martial man crushed any thought of resistance!

The demon, eerily human-like, saw the chaos, and its pupils gleamed with bloodlust.

In the dark, its maw parted silently, its steel-like teeth grinding, emitting a chilling, bone-rattling sound.

These vitality-rich but weak martial men were its perfect prey!

It was patient, hiding in the tree’s shadow, quietly watching the chaotic scene.

Once the martial men started fleeing, the hunt would begin.

No time to wonder why such a demon beast was in the mine’s outskirts.

No room to indulge the primal instinct of fear.

The moment he saw the tiger demon, Xiangzi gripped his short spear and shouted, “Everyone, don’t move!”

“Don’t run, and we might live.”

“Run, and it’s a dead end!”

His words were resolute, but aside from a few East Tower guards holding steady, the second-class pullers were already scared witless.

The oppressive vitality of a ranked demon beast was more than these barely awakened pullers could withstand.

The orderly convoy teetered on collapse.

Only Wen San, gritting his teeth, clutched a short blade and shakily stood behind Xiangzi.

Seeing the situation turn dire, Xiangzi snorted coldly. “Run? Where to?”

“Anyone who retreats now is no longer a Harmony Rickshaw Yard puller!”

“You all know Fourth Master’s methods!”

At that, the men froze in place.

By invoking Fourth Master Liu, Xiangzi wielded the fearsome reputation of Clearwind Street’s “Tiger Liu,” which somehow outshone even the real tiger demon.

Trembling, no one dared run.

Just then, the demon tiger’s eyes flashed, and a long roar echoed through the forest.