Chapter 9

In the mountains, it gets dark early. When the outside world was just beginning to turn dusky, the mountains were already pitch black, except for this narrow crevice where the bonfire burned brightly.

On the bonfire, the demon pig, split into two halves, sizzled and crackled, with golden oil dripping continuously into the fire, splashing up sparks.

"Done!"

Li Chen occasionally sprinkled the seasonings from a small jar evenly over the meat, releasing waves of meaty aroma. He cut deep slashes with a sharp dagger to ensure the meat cooked evenly.

Hearing this, everyone hurriedly gathered around, each taking out their small, handy weapons to feast heartily.

"Come, brother!"

Pang Wenshan, sitting next to Li Chen, took a few big bites of the meat, picked up a wineskin, and gulped down a few mouthfuls before passing it over.

"Alcohol?"

Li Chen's eyes lit up. Without hesitation, he took the wineskin and drank deeply.

The spicy liquor burned his throat, the pungent smell of alcohol overwhelming his senses, making Li Chen feel a bit dazed, his eyes moistening involuntarily.

Once upon a time, his grandfather used to drink with him like this. But three years had passed, and the old man was no longer around. Li Chen, however, was no longer frail and sickly; instead, he had become a strong warrior.

This, in a way, fulfilled one of the old man's last wishes.

Now, because of the strength he had shown, people who had never given him a second glance before were now calling him "brother." Whether it was genuine or not, life was unpredictable, and one couldn't always dwell on the past.

"Hey! You're being pretty greedy, aren't you? Why are you crying?"

Pang Wenshan snatched back the wineskin, took a few more gulps, and laughed.

"Haha, who's crying? Just got a bit of alcohol in my eyes!"

Li Chen, not to be outdone, snatched back the wineskin and drank deeply, as if trying to swallow all his pent-up frustration. His eyes, gazing at the night sky, seemed to flash with a strange light.

"Brother Pang, you're too stingy. You can't just drink by yourselves!"

On the opposite side, Zhao Shanshan stretched out her hand, looking as if she would make trouble if she didn't get any.

"Where's that? It's not good for girls to drink; they might act out after a few drinks!"

Pang Wenshan looked reluctant, but when he saw Chu Ziyun also looking at him, he gritted his teeth, fished out a wineskin from his bag, and threw it over.

Zhao Shanshan's face turned slightly red as she caught the wineskin. A hint of sadness flashed in her eyes, but the firelight made it hard for others to see. She laughed and shared the drink.

"These kids!"

Pang Wenshan, feeling a bit heartache, glanced at the wineskin being passed around, then snatched it from Li Chen and drank deeply, as if to vent his frustration.

Little did he know, he was making a last stand to save the alcohol he had brought to satisfy his own craving from being drunk by others.

After a satisfying meal and drink, everyone sat in a circle to rest, except for Li Chen, who sat by the fire, watching it. As a servant, this was his duty.

"Brother Li, in half a month, it will be the triennial entry ceremony. With your strength, you can easily enter the outer sect. Then you will truly be my junior brother!"

Pang Wenshan, slightly drunk, shook his head and found a comfortable position to lie down.

"Entry ceremony?"

Li Chen's eyes lit up. Just as he was about to ask more, he saw that Pang Wenshan seemed to have fallen asleep. He shook his head slightly, took out two books, and began to read by the firelight.

"Slow birds must fly early, and diligence can make up for lack of talent." This was a phrase that Old Li often said.

Li Chen, who had grown up with him, followed his advice and memorized it, forming good habits. This was why, even without inner energy, he could still perform martial techniques well, even better than most people.

On the other side of the fire, Li Yuerong's crystal-clear ears twitched a few times, then fell still.

"Hmm?"

The sky grew dark. Li Chen, who was practicing new martial techniques by the fire, frowned and suddenly turned to look into the distance.

Under the dark night sky, the dense forest was silent except for the crackling of the fire. But Li Chen, with his strong body and keen hearing, detected something unusual.

"There are demon beasts!"

Just as he was considering whether to go and check, Chu Ziyun and Pang Wenshan, who were by the fire, slowly got up.

Crack!

The sound of breaking branches echoed through the air, increasing in frequency, making the three of them widen their eyes. They exchanged glances and immediately woke everyone up.

"What's going on?"

The disciples, exhausted from a day of travel, were already very tired. They had not meditated but were sound asleep. Being woken up, they felt a deep fatigue.

"Into the crevice!"

A thought flashed through Li Chen's mind. He scooped up the still sleeping Liu Ziqing and ran towards the crevice, which was over two meters wide.

The others, though confused, saw the small, green, glowing lights in the distance and shivered, their sleepiness gone. They ran towards the crevice without hesitation.

Awooo!

Before they could enter the crevice, a bloodthirsty howl echoed through the mountain valley, sending a chill through the night. A large pack of green wolves, as big as calves, charged out, surrounding them.

"I'll hold them back, you all go in! It's a pack of demon wolves! There must be over a hundred, and there's definitely a late-stage demon wolf leader!"

Pang Wenshan, standing firm, wielded his staff with great force, smashing several demon wolves to death.

The sweet, bloody smell in the air did not scare the wolves but instead aroused their bloodlust. More wolves howled and charged forward.

These were inexperienced teenagers. Experienced adventurers would never camp near a water source in the mountains, as it would attract dangerous creatures waiting to hunt weaker demon beasts that came to drink at night.

"Careless, I didn't expect a pack of demon wolves here!"

Pang Wenshan, fighting while retreating, used his inner energy without hesitation, smashing countless demon wolves with his iron staff. But the wolves were too numerous, and he soon became injured.

Ding!

A crisp sound rang out. Chu Ziyun, with her golden bell, returned, dealing powerful blows. Even the demon wolves with their iron-hard bodies were left with broken bones and torn muscles.

Seeing the increasing number of wolves, about to tear them apart, another figure rushed forward, striking the wolves' vulnerable spots with precise punches. It was Li Chen.

The sound of bones cracking echoed, and the fallen wolves let out agonized howls, only to be devoured by their own kind, blood and flesh splattering everywhere.

Seeing this, the teenagers, only in their teens, felt their stomachs churn. Chu Ziyun was nearly bitten by a demon wolf.

"Junior Sister Chu, Junior Brother Li, go, go!"

Pang Wenshan, his face pale, swept away a demon wolf with his staff. Despite his fierce fighting, his inner energy and strength were greatly depleted.

"Haha, Senior Brother Pang, let's have a drink together tomorrow!"

Li Chen laughed, his wild hair flying, his eyes clear, his posture unbearably bold. Years of pent-up frustration seemed to be released in each punch.

The only kindness he had ever received, and the willingness to protect his junior siblings, made him feel no regret even if he were to die today. This was the spirit of a young man.

The two looked at each other, back to back, and laughed heartily.

"I'll drink too!"

Chu Ziyun, with a pained cry, was injured on her arm and staggered to join them. Her golden bell's ribbon was gone, replaced by a golden, short dagger.

"Good, let's drink together!"

The two young men nodded, their actions continuous.

The three teenagers, standing amidst the wolf corpses, felt a sense of impending doom, like the wind before a storm.

Thanks to their efforts, the others managed to retreat into the crevice. Even though a few wolves managed to jump over them, the narrow space made it difficult for them to cause much harm.

Awooo!

A loud howl echoed from the pack of demon wolves, and all the wolves retreated.

The three felt the pressure lessen but did not relax, knowing that the calm before the storm was about to end.

Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!

Sure enough, three large green wolves leaped out of the pack, their green eyes glowing with a strange light.

"Late-stage demon beasts!"

Pang Wenshan drew a sharp breath. He had expected late-stage demon beasts, but not three at once. There was definitely a stronger leader among them.

Because, the leader of a demon beast pack would always appear at the last moment.

"It's my fault!"

Pang Wenshan's face turned pale, looking at the two with guilt and regret.

"Hehe, today is the most satisfying day of my life!"

Li Chen laughed, wincing in pain. Although he had some regrets about unfulfilled wishes, seeing and doing something for others for the first time made him feel a warm sense of satisfaction, even if he were to die.

"I... I have a question?"

Seeing the three demon wolves circling, looking for an opportunity to attack, Chu Ziyun hesitated, then nudged Li Chen with her elbow.

"What?"

Li Chen was puzzled. This girl had just taken revenge on him earlier. What could she have to ask now?

"You... you can't naturally gather inner energy, right? How did you...?"

Chu Ziyun, gritting her teeth, spoke quickly.

"Ha, I'm curious about that too!"

Pang Wenshan laughed, looking up.

"Practicing more, I guess!"

Li Chen rolled his eyes, not telling the truth.

He didn't want to be seen as a useless person in life and a monster who could survive by swallowing demon cores in death.

"You..."

Hearing his evasive answer, Chu Ziyun was speechless, her foot tapping the ground in frustration.

Awooo!

Her movement disrupted their focused stance, and the three demon wolves saw their opportunity. Their eyes glowed with ferocity as they pounced like lightning.