The Wolves’ Revenge

inner was prepared by Su Qing’s group, and the Qi Clan, as expected, gave no complaints or praise, maintaining their air of indifference.

Su Qing took it as silent approval: no criticism meant they were satisfied enough.

No one expected the Qi Clan to wash dishes.

As Su Qing squatted by the river scrubbing a stack of bowls, she fantasized about jumping in and swimming away.

But with Qi Libei watching nearby, her escape would be slower than his sword.

Patience, she told herself. Even tigers nap—there’d be a chance to flee together.

With escape in mind, she observed her surroundings closely.

As night fell, things felt different.

Poor visibility made encountering beasts riskier, so the Qi Clan didn’t press on.

They cleared a campsite and lit a fire.

Su Qing noticed that, though resting, they sat upright, swords unstrapped and held, carefully polished, faces alert as if guarding against something.

Something felt off—too tense.

Zhu Xing’er dismissed it: “That’s just how immortals are.” Always poised perfectly.

Su Qing glanced at her. “Immortals are human too.”

Humans shouldn’t be this tense when they’re supposed to relax.

Xiu Fu, dazed, forced a smile. “With their strength, nothing should happen.”

Qi Libei, feeling responsible for Su Qing’s group since he brought them, offered rare advice: “Stay close to us at night, near the light.”

Was the light to ward off beasts?

They hadn’t encountered fierce animals, likely because Tianxia Sword Sect had cleared the mountain.

The tense atmosphere already unnerved her, so she pulled Xiu Fu and Zhu Xing’er to sit near the fire.

Close to the Qi Clan, they couldn’t talk freely and kept their heads down, avoiding eye contact with the “nobles.”

The Qi Clan was silent, the air oppressively still, broken only by the crackling fire, sparks rising, smoke acrid.

The fire’s warm glow cast light and shadow on Su Qing, but she felt no warmth.

A nagging sense told her something lurked behind—

In the thick, dark night, something surged wildly.

She couldn’t help but turn, just as Qi Libei stood, sword drawn, charging forward.

He sneered into the churning air: “These beasts followed us again!”

The night’s calm shattered.

The air roiled, wind cutting like blades.

The dark sky before Su Qing twisted, like Van Gogh’s starry night stripped of color, leaving black, transparent vortices.

In the fire’s flicker, she glimpsed them.

From the vortices emerged wolves, drooling, half-transparent, paws scraping the ground, teeth like bone, eyes like ghostfire.

Clouds covered the fire’s shadow.

Simultaneously, countless lean wolves tore through the air, charging the group.

The Qi Clan, prepared, met them with swords.

Qi Libei, fearless, thrust his sword through a vortex, which howled and crashed down.

Blood revealed its form—a wounded demon wolf landed three meters from Su Qing, panting heavily, crouching aggressively.

Its hollow eyes locked on her.

Her teeth chattered as she grabbed Xiu Fu and Zhu Xing’er’s cold hands, retreating to the fire’s bright glow.

Feeling the fire’s warmth, she reacted, trembling, tossing wood into the flames.

More light, more light.

Xiu Fu, snapping awake, face pale, took the wood. “Not like that.”

Qi Liwei scoffed at their panic: “Just newborn Nether Wolves, at most Qi Refining Fourth Layer. What’s to fear?”

Her swordplay was precise, felling wolves effortlessly.

Su Qing didn’t argue, retreating further with Xiu Fu and Zhu Xing’er, closer to the revered Daozi.

Not too close—his Qi Clan entourage surrounded him.

But nearer to him should be safer, right?

The wolves didn’t retreat as Su Qing hoped.

As time passed, their attacks grew fiercer.

Moonlight bathed them, fueling their ferocity like a guardian deity.

Vortices and sharp winds filled the air—danger everywhere.

The Qi Clan fought with bloodlust, their sword qi blazing.

But a dozen couldn’t match a wolf pack’s numbers.

Su Qing prayed silently: Don’t let me end up in a wolf’s belly.

The moon rose, and their frantic wood-feeding made the fire roar.

Moonlight spilled onto the plain ahead.

In that light, Su Qing glimpsed a massive, mysterious shadow.

A calm killing intent spread, making her tremble.

Even without battlefield sense, she knew: the Wolf King had appeared.

Facing a beast far stronger, fleeing was instinct.

But where could she run?

She could only grit her teeth as the beast charged.

The Wolf King landed like a moving, snow-white mountain, three people tall, a mythical beast god.

Its white fur shimmered silver under moonlight.

Its teeth and claws, beautifully honed, left no screams—only red blood splashing.

It was a gust, felling several in a few bounds, aiming for the center.

Its gaze locked on the celestial Daozi.

Su Qing smelled blood and the beast’s raw scent.

In the firelight, she saw its snowy chest fur, its cold, blue, beastly eyes.

Death’s shadow loomed, time stretching.

At the critical moment, her mind went blank—no life-flashing-before-eyes.

She thought: If I’d known the wolf targeted Daozi, I wouldn’t have stayed so close…

If she held a sword, she wouldn’t be so helpless.

If only she had a sword!

As she braced to close her eyes, a frost-white sword flashed, striking before her.

Boom—

The blade sliced half the Wolf King’s shoulder.

Silver blood sprayed, drenching Su Qing’s head and face.

Panicked, she turned to see Daozi retract his sword.

Blood couldn’t touch him, repelled by an invisible barrier, falling to the ground.

His otherworldly face showed no ripple.

“Courting death.”

His voice was ice-cold.

A second sword qi surged, rippling through the night, shaking the forest.

It struck the Wolf King’s hind leg, silver fur scattering like willow fluff, blood bursting like mercury.

The beast howled, like a collapsing mountain, piercing Su Qing’s eardrums.

Her heart raced: After such wounds, it’ll retreat, right?

She couldn’t stay in this awful battle another second.

Why was she here?

Why, when all she wanted was to survive, was she repeatedly thrust into danger?

But the Wolf King wouldn’t yield, charging Daozi again, voice thick with hate: “Human, return the Ice Soul Divine Grass!”

Daozi only said, “Seeking death!”

A third sword struck, unstoppable, hitting the Wolf King’s forehead.

One step closer, and it’d pierce its eye.

It finally realized it couldn’t make these humans pay tonight.

Another day!

Another day—it’ll kill them all!

The Wolf King vanished into the night like wind, its blue eyes gleaming with hatred until it was gone.

The other wolves, seeing their king retreat, scattered like a tide.

Realizing this, Su Qing’s taut nerves collapsed.

Her limbs went soft, ears ringing with her heartbeat.

Blood caked her eyelashes, blurring her vision.

She rubbed her face, forcing herself to rally.

“You okay?”

Xiu Fu, speechless, shook her head, signaling she was fine.

Zhu Xing’er’s face burned, eyes bright.

Xiu Fu, fearing fever, reached for her forehead, but Zhu Xing’er dodged, heart racing, shaking her head. “No fever.”

“We can’t stay,” Su Qing decided. “These wolves will come back for revenge.”

Xiu Fu wanted to leave but feared they couldn’t.

Zhu Xing’er objected: “But Daozi’s here—he’ll protect us! Without his sword, we’d be dead!”

“The wolf was after him. We just got caught in it! Are you dense?” Su Qing wanted to shake her but lowered her voice: “He took their thing…”