Chapter 60

Yuan Ming hesitated for a moment, then bent down and probed with the torch, trying to see more clearly.

The blue wolf, however, seemed to be stimulated by the light, suddenly let out a fierce roar, and with a sudden upward surge, its paws clawed at the pit walls, and it leaped out from inside.

The capture net and logs above failed to stop it; the blue wolf directly broke through the logs and fell out, wrapped in the net.

The blue wolf's body and limbs were entangled in the net, and despite several struggles, it could not free itself.

Seeing this, Yuan Ming threw away the torch, drew his long sword from his waist, and leaped up, slashing down at the blue wolf.

The blue wolf immediately rolled on the ground, avoiding the sword while also breaking free from the net's tear.

As it rose, the blue wolf resumed its four-legged stance, baring its teeth at Yuan Ming, revealing a mouth full of sharp, white fangs.

Yuan Ming, upon seeing the blue wolf's appearance, was momentarily stunned.

At this moment, the blue wolf was covered in fresh, bloody wounds, its eyes devoid of the usual green glow, instead showing a blood-red hue, and saliva continuously dripped from its bared mouth.

Although the eyes did not match, the appearance was not unfamiliar to Yuan Ming.

"Ha Gong, is that you?" he tentatively asked.

The blue wolf, which had been growling low, suddenly showed a struggling look in its blood-red eyes when it heard Yuan Ming's question, and the green glow reappeared.

But only for a moment, its eyes were again covered in red, and it lunged at Yuan Ming.

"Is this the backlash from the Fur-Wearing Technique?" Yuan Ming thought as he dodged.

The blue wolf missed him, and Yuan Ming, glancing at its hind legs, noticed they were abnormally thick, not like the legs of a wolf but more like human legs covered in fur.

Moreover, the fur on those legs was not dark green but white.

Yuan Ming's heart was filled with doubt and unease. As soon as he landed, he was hit head-on by the blue wolf, which had rapidly returned. He had to throw away the sword, cross his arms, and block the attack with his forearms.

"Boom"

The force of the impact sent Yuan Ming flying several dozen feet.

In mid-air, he quickly donned the ape skin and used the Fur-Wearing Technique, transforming into a white ape. He performed a backflip and landed steadily.

"Ha Gong, wake up!" Seeing the blue wolf charge again, Yuan Ming shouted, stepping forward and meeting its open, bloody mouth with his left arm, striking its throat.

His thick ape arm immediately clamped around the blue wolf's throat, pinning it down.

The blue wolf's mouth snapped and bit, but it could not reach Yuan Ming.

Yuan Ming noticed that the blue wolf's hind legs, which had only been partially white before, were now entirely white.

"So fast..."

He recalled his deep-seated suspicion, and his heart skipped a beat.

"Ha Gong, I'm sorry, but you need to wake up." Yuan Ming shouted, swinging his right arm and punching the blue wolf's head.

A dull thud echoed.

Yuan Ming's punch was powerful, knocking the blue wolf to the ground. It struggled for a moment before shakily standing up.

This time, the blue wolf stood upright on its hind legs.

The blood-red hue in its eyes had largely faded, turning back to dark green, reflecting a chilling green light in the glow of the distant fire.

"Yuan... Ming..." the blue wolf opened its mouth, emitting a hoarse voice.

Its mouth moved slowly, and its voice was muffled, as if speaking was extremely difficult.

"Ha Gong, answer me, is this the backlash from the Fur-Wearing Technique?" Yuan Ming asked urgently.

"Yuan Ming, my... fur... can't be removed." Ha Gong, transformed into a blue wolf, said with difficulty and bitterness.

As he spoke, he collapsed and sat down.

Seeing this, Yuan Ming dispelled the Fur-Wearing Technique, approached, and asked with concern, "How do you feel now? What can I do for you?"

"I used... it too many times, my Fur-Wearing Technique... can't be undone... the fur... can't be removed... I don't know... what to do..." Ha Gong said, using his claws to tear at his face.

His sharp claws immediately cut through the fur-covered skin, and Ha Gong endured the intense pain, tearing off a piece of fur, revealing a bloodied face.

Yuan Ming focused his soul power in his eyes and observed carefully, finding no traces of the Fur-Wearing Technique on Ha Gong's face. Instead, the fur seemed to have grown from his flesh.

"Yuan Ming, save me..." Ha Gong, trembling, handed the torn fur to Yuan Ming, pleading.

"You might be turning into a human-xiao." Yuan Ming said, frowning.

Hearing this, Ha Gong's hand, which was raised in the air, froze, then began to tremble violently.

"What... did you say? Am I... turning into... that monster? I..." He initially found it hard to believe, but his voice choked when he saw his own legs.

When Yuan Ming first saw the true form of the human-xiao king, he had already had some suspicions, but he still harbored a glimmer of hope and did not want to believe it.

But after seeing Ha Gong's condition today, he had to face the reality that the end point of the Fur-Wearing Technique's backlash was likely to turn into a human-xiao.

In other words, every human-xiao, a monster-like creature hunted by the Bi Luo Cave, was once a living person.

He had asked the silver cat about this, but the latter did not answer.

Now, no answer was needed; the reality before him confirmed his suspicions.

The erosion from the Fur-Wearing Technique's backlash not only changed the mind, making one lose reason and become bloodthirsty and cruel, but also caused physical changes, turning one into a monster that was neither human nor beast.

Seeing Ha Gong's condition, Yuan Ming felt a deep sense of pity.

Since being captured and becoming a Fur-Wearing Beast Slave in the Ten Thousand Mountains, the only person he could consider a friend was Ha Gong. However, apart from their shared hardships, they did not have much interaction.

Now, recalling the past, Yuan Ming remembered that Ha Gong had once told him he wanted to join the Bi Luo Cave and become a registered disciple, not for any other reason but to regain his freedom.

To achieve this goal, Ha Gong was also very diligent in hunting beasts.

This diligence, however, accelerated his transformation into a human-xiao.

After all, unlike Yuan Ming, who could temporarily suppress the effects with an incense burner and whose Blood Qi cultivation complemented the Fur-Wearing Technique, Ha Gong had no such means.

In just a short time, Ha Gong's eyes again showed a blood-red glow, and half of his fur had turned white.

Yuan Ming frowned, about to intervene, but saw Ha Gong, through sheer willpower, suppress the redness in his eyes again.

"What you said... is true... I might... not make it..."

"Yuan Ming, help me... kill me..."

Ha Gong spoke with difficulty.

His wolf mouth was beginning to retract, becoming shorter, while the fur on his face continued to grow.

"What are you saying? How can I kill you?" Yuan Ming was shocked.

"I... don't want, I don't want... to become that monster..." Ha Gong's voice was choked and hoarse, making Yuan Ming feel even more sorrowful.

However, he had no way to help him.

His incense burner, though a treasure, could only help himself, as he did not know how to use it to help others.

Ha Gong's eyes dimmed, and he said, "Let me... die as a human. I don't want... her to... not recognize me... when I go to the netherworld..."

"Her?" Yuan Ming asked, puzzled.

"Tuya... is my daughter..."

Yuan Ming was surprised to learn that Ha Gong had a daughter.

"She was born... with a heart condition. I... sold myself to the Bi Luo Cave... to treat her." Ha Gong's eyes showed a hint of a smile, as if remembering his daughter's appearance.

But the smile quickly turned to pain.

"I thought you and I were both captured." Yuan Ming sighed.

"I was... originally a servant, and I offended... the Mont Mountain Elder. I was... supposed to die, but... when they found I had a spiritual root... I became a Fur-Wearing Beast Slave." Ha Gong explained.

"What about your daughter?" Yuan Ming asked, worried.

"I don't know... when I left... she was just a month old... it's been seven years, and I haven't seen her..." Ha Gong's eyes filled with sorrow and tears.

"Given this, you should live, at least... to see her again." Yuan Ming tried to persuade him.

Ha Gong shook his head, saying, "No... I can't let her see..."

"I'm... losing my mind... kill me, kill me..."

Ha Gong's pleading tone made Yuan Ming's heart tighten, and a bitter feeling rose in his chest, reminding him of the human-xiao king.

In his final moments of lucidity, the human-xiao king had also pleaded, "Help me... kill me..."

"If... you can leave, see her for me." Ha Gong said again.

Yuan Ming, feeling a lump in his throat, finally asked, "Where is she?"

"Qingao Mountain, Miao Flower Village, under the largest kapok tree." Ha Gong said this smoothly, without any hesitation, as it was his home.

Yuan Ming repeated the words to him, word for word, and promised to do so.

Ha Gong's eyes finally showed a hint of a smile, as if his greatest hope was fulfilled.

"Yuan Ming, thank you... send me off." Ha Gong said, slowly closing his eyes.

Hearing this, Yuan Ming, holding the sword, felt an unprecedented heaviness, lifting it several times but putting it down each time.

He thought and thought, trying to find a way to save Ha Gong, but had no idea.

The process of becoming a human-xiao was irreversible, or at least for people like them, it was irreversible, like the fate of a Fur-Wearing Beast Slave, once bound, almost impossible to change.

"Ugh..."

At this moment, Ha Gong let out another painful groan, and all the fur below his waist had turned white.

"Quick, act... I can't hold it much longer..." Ha Gong said with difficulty.