Chapter Twelve: Entering the Black Demon Fortress
“To the Lin family!”
Qin Feiyang’s body trembled.
Uncle Yuan approached him and shook his head. “Wolves are creatures that hold grudges. If you provoke them, there is nothing they won’t do to get revenge. Anyone even remotely connected, they won’t let go.”
“No, the Lin family is full of powerful warriors. If the wolves enter Iron Ox Town, they’re doomed. I have to stop them!”
“Uncle Yuan, please help bury them.”
Leaving these words behind, Qin Feiyang dashed after the wolves at breakneck speed.
Uncle Yuan reached out, intending to call him back, but the words caught in his throat.
“Wolves are not only cold-blooded but proud as well.”
“Feiyang, this boy, dares to befriend wolves—such courage, such spirit, it’s truly incredible.”
“Perhaps it’s best to let him go. Who knows? Maybe he really can work a miracle.”
Uncle Yuan murmured to himself, watching Qin Feiyang grow stronger and more mature with each passing day, his heart filled with genuine joy.
...
“White-Eyed Wolf, wait for me!”
Qin Feiyang’s loud shout echoed through the dense forest, startling flocks of birds into flight.
The Wolf King turned back and, with a low growl, halted the pack.
Qin Feiyang hurried up, blocking the path before the Wolf King, shaking his head. “White-Eyed Wolf, you can’t go to Iron Ox Town.”
The Wolf King immediately bared its fangs, eyes fierce with hostility!
“Even if you glare at me, I have to stop you.”
“The Lin family has over a hundred warriors, ten of them First Rank Martial Masters, and the family head is a Second Rank Martial Master. With your strength, you’re not even enough to fill the gaps between their teeth.”
“Besides, apart from the Lin family, there’s also the Zhao family.”
“The Zhao family’s background is no weaker than the Lin family’s.”
“And then there’s the Pill Hall and the Martial Hall—these two powers are even stronger than the Zhao and Lin families.”
“If you barge into Iron Ox Town like this, they won’t just stand by. Not only you, but your whole pack will be wiped out!”
Qin Feiyang’s voice was grave.
The Wolf King lowered its head, thoughtful light flickering in its eyes.
Qin Feiyang’s eyes shifted, and he smirked. “If you really want revenge, let’s go somewhere else.”
The Wolf King looked at him, puzzled.
“We’ll go to Black Demon Stronghold!”
Qin Feiyang enunciated each word.
The Wolf King’s pupils contracted—it clearly dreaded that place.
Qin Feiyang prodded, “If you dare to go to Iron Ox Town, surely you’re not afraid of Black Demon Stronghold?”
Irritated, the Wolf King’s eyes glittered with a savage light. It turned back to the thirty-odd white wolves and growled low.
The white wolves barked a reply, then turned, racing back toward Wolf Valley.
The Wolf King looked at Qin Feiyang, eyes flashing with challenge.
Qin Feiyang gave a thumbs up and grinned. “Truly a Wolf King. But do you know where Black Demon Stronghold is?”
The Wolf King nodded.
Qin Feiyang was overjoyed. “Lead the way!”
Whoosh!
Man and wolf sped southward.
Ever since Uncle Yuan told him Black Demon Stronghold would keep sending assassins for him, Qin Feiyang had already resolved to wipe them out!
But he knew that, against those ruthless killers, his current strength was not enough.
So this time, he just wanted to teach Black Demon Stronghold a lesson.
He wanted them to know that he, Qin Feiyang, was not to be trifled with!
Vicious? He could be more ruthless than anyone!
Mad? He could be crazier than anyone!
If the chance arose to destroy Black Demon Stronghold completely, he would not hesitate!
Two hours later.
Qin Feiyang and the Wolf King stopped at a riverbank, looking across to the other side.
On the opposite bank stood a stone stele, three meters tall and a meter and a half wide, carved with two lines in bold script:
“No entry without notice!
Trespassers forbidden!”
Below the stele lay a pile of white bones, pale and chilling in the dim moonlight.
Beyond the stele was a dense forest, exuding an eerie, sinister air.
“Do they think a pile of bones will scare me?”
Qin Feiyang sneered and was about to wade across the river.
But the Wolf King gripped his trousers, refusing to let him go.
“What are you doing?” Qin Feiyang looked down in confusion.
The Wolf King’s eyes darted about, as if trying to say something but unable to express it.
A long howl finally burst from its throat.
Then, it quickly turned and slipped into a patch of tall grass.
Qin Feiyang’s face changed; he hurried after the Wolf King, lying low in the weeds.
He saw the Wolf King’s gaze fixed on the opposite bank.
He looked too.
In less than five heartbeats, two dark figures emerged from the forest behind the stele.
At the same time, the Wolf King closed its eyes—its eyes would glow green in the night, easily spotted.
Qin Feiyang finally understood—the Wolf King was warning him: there were sentries in the forest, and he must be cautious.
The two shadows stopped at the stele, scanning suspiciously in his direction.
“I definitely heard a wolf howling just now. Why don’t I see any wolves?”
“Probably just one passing through. Let’s head back. There are traps everywhere—if any wolves come, we don’t even have to do anything.”
“That’s true. Come on, let’s get back to drinking.”
The two turned and vanished into the woods.
“Traps!”
Qin Feiyang tensed.
So Black Demon Stronghold really was a den of dragons and tigers!
“White-Eyed Wolf, if you regret this, it’s not too late to turn back,” Qin Feiyang whispered.
The Wolf King opened its eyes, stood up, and pretended to leave.
“Hey, hey, are you really going? So unbrotherly?” Qin Feiyang panicked.
The Wolf King turned back and grinned at him.
“Uh!” Qin Feiyang was dumbfounded.
Was this White-Eyed Wolf… teasing him?
Being teased by a wolf—what a strange, sour feeling.
Man and wolf crept into the river, swam across, and climbed stealthily ashore.
Qin Feiyang drew his dagger, “Blue Snow,” and cautioned the Wolf King, “Be careful.”
From then on, neither dared to let down their guard.
Every step forward, they checked meticulously for traps, treading as though on thin ice.
Their care paid off. They reached a wooden hut unscathed.
It was crudely built from wooden poles, so simple the candlelight inside shone right through.
Raucous voices drifted out.
Peering through a crack, Qin Feiyang saw the two sentries from before, drinking inside.
“The sentries here probably aren’t very strong,” Qin Feiyang surmised.
Usually the weakest lackeys, unable to take on missions, were assigned to sentry duty. These two were certainly weaker than the burly man from before.
With this thought, Qin Feiyang exchanged a look with the Wolf King and tiptoed toward the door.
At the threshold, they shared a glance, eyes flashing with murderous intent.
Whoosh!
Both burst into the hut.
Qin Feiyang targeted the man on the left, his hand shooting out like lightning to clamp down on the man’s neck, silencing him before he could call for help.
The Wolf King was even more ruthless—leaping forward, jaws agape, it tore out the throat of the man on the right, killing him instantly.
There wasn’t even time for a scream.
Qin Feiyang broke out in a cold sweat.
This White-Eyed Wolf was terrifying. If he ever let his guard down and the wolf went for his throat...
The thought alone made him shudder.
The man caught by Qin Feiyang was so frightened he was nearly catatonic.
Qin Feiyang exhaled quietly and asked, “Do you want to live?”
The man nodded frantically.
“If you make a sound, I’ll crush your throat,” Qin Feiyang threatened, loosening his grip just a little. The man gasped for air.
“How many people are in Black Demon Stronghold? What’s their strength?” asked Qin Feiyang.
“What are you planning?” the man stared at him in terror and confusion.
“That’s none of your business. Speak, quickly!”
“Alright, alright, I’ll talk…”
“Hel—”
The man nodded repeatedly, then suddenly tried to cry for help.
But Qin Feiyang was ready—he squeezed, and the man’s throat was crushed instantly.
“These people really are desperate criminals,” Qin Feiyang muttered, annoyed.
He crouched and rummaged through the two bodies.
Hmm!
Suddenly, his eyes lit up.
From the left man’s chest, he pulled out a map.
Bringing it to the candle, he studied it and was overjoyed.
It was a trap diagram!
Every trap in the forest was clearly marked.
He was also shocked by how many traps there were. Without this map, he and the Wolf King would never have made it to Black Demon Stronghold.
Because the forest was so riddled with traps, the man carried a diagram.
“White-Eyed Wolf, stick close to me.”
With that, Qin Feiyang led the way, following the map, and soon they reached the outskirts of the stronghold.
They hid in a half-meter-deep ditch, peering at the base.
It was the dead of night.
The people of Black Demon Stronghold were fast asleep; all was silent.
Only two burly men stood guard on either side of the main gate, watching the surroundings with hawk-like vigilance.
A torch blazed above the gate, casting light in all directions.
Both men were bare-chested, with several gruesome scars, exuding an aura of savage ferocity.
“So many traps, and still guards at the gate—these people are cautious indeed,” Qin Feiyang frowned and whispered, “White-Eyed Wolf, do you think we can take them out in one go?”
The Wolf King shook its head.
“They seem really strong,” Qin Feiyang muttered, glancing at his dagger, “Blue Snow.” It could cut through iron as though it were mud. If he caught them off guard, he might be able to deal with them swiftly.
“White-Eyed Wolf, go distract one,” Qin Feiyang whispered.
The Wolf King crept to the other side, rubbing hard against a tree the thickness of a man’s arm.
Soon, the two guards noticed.
“Why is that tree shaking?” the guard on the right asked. “Go check it out.”
The man on the left nodded and walked toward the tree.
Seeing this, the Wolf King retreated into the bushes and closed its eyes.
At the same time, Qin Feiyang picked up a fist-sized rock and tossed it lightly into the grass a meter away, making a faint noise.
“Huh?” The guard at the gate turned toward the sound, suspicion in his eyes.