novelapdf Chapter 80 Mountain Lord
Chapter 80 Mountain Lord
Chapter 80 Mountain Lord
The Great Yin Dynasty, Xichuan Province, Mingwu Ridge.
This mountain range is shrouded in a persistent gray mist all year round, hence the name Mist Ridge.
In recent months, rumors have resurfaced in the mountains that tigers are eating people.
A dilapidated mountain god temple sits deep in the dense forest halfway up the mountain.
The wooden planks of the temple gate were mostly rotten, and moss had climbed to waist height in the corners of the walls. The statue that was originally enshrined in the center of the main hall was now unrecognizable, with only a section of the stone lotus base still faintly discernible.
The crackling of a bonfire came from inside the temple, and the orange-red light shone through the open door, illuminating the blue stone steps in front of it with warmth.
A series of light footsteps came from outside, accompanied by the hushed conversation of several people.
"Let's rest here for the night and continue our journey at dawn tomorrow."
"I've heard that tigers roam around here."
"What's there to be afraid of? It's just a tiger. Even if we run into one, we're not without weapons. But with this awful weather, if we keep going, we might not even find a place to take shelter from the rain."
As they were speaking, several travel-worn figures appeared at the entrance of the mountain god temple.
Behind them followed several mules laden with goods, their backs heavy with chests and bundles, their hooves clattering crisply on the gravel road. Judging from their attire and cargo, this was a passing caravan.
The leader was a middle-aged businessman with a slightly dark complexion.
He saw the firelight shining from the entrance of the mountain god temple, paused slightly, and showed a look of surprise and wariness on his face. He raised his hand to signal the group behind him to stop, and then quietly walked to the temple gate and peeked inside.
Inside the temple, three people were sitting around a flickering fire.
One of them was a woman wearing a bamboo hat with the brim pulled low, obscuring her face, but she had a tall and slender figure, and a sheathed longsword lay horizontally on the ground beside her.
The other was a young man wearing a blue long robe, holding a scroll in his hands, quietly flipping through it by the light of the fire.
His face was gentle and noble, but a trace of weariness lingered between his brows.
Another person, dressed in a neat and tidy outfit, with a sturdy build, was squatting by the campfire, poking at the embers with a stick to make the fire burn brighter.
The middle-aged merchant paused for a moment at the door, confirming that the three men's clothing and demeanor did not resemble those of highway robbers, and felt somewhat relieved. He stepped over the threshold, cupped his hands in greeting to the three men, and said, "I am Lu Guicang of the Iron Horse Merchant Guild. I am passing through this area tonight and would like to ask for lodging in the temple for the night. Would it be convenient for you gentlemen?"
The young man put down his book, his expression gentle. He glanced at the mules and horses carrying goods outside the door and the hunched-over workers, then smiled and said, "Of course, this is unclaimed land anyway. Everyone can squeeze in and avoid the cold."
He tilted his head toward the guard who was squatting by the campfire poking at the flames: "Xiao Wu, send some firewood over to them."
"Okay!"
The guard named Xiao Wu responded, took a handful of burning charcoal from beside him, lit it with a few pieces of dry firewood, and started a fire again in the open space on the other side of the temple.
Lu Guicang bowed and thanked him again, then instructed the workers outside to tie the mules and horses to the pillars outside the temple, unload the goods, and carry them inside the temple to be stacked against the wall.
Several caravan guards sat down by the fire, took out dry rations and cured meat from their bags, skewered them on wooden sticks, and roasted them over the firelight. The grease dripped onto the embers, sizzling and releasing a smoky aroma.
The aroma of roasted meat filled the dilapidated temple.
Lu Guicang sat by the fire, glancing occasionally at the three people opposite him.
Having traveled extensively for over twenty years, he had developed a good eye for people. The behavior of these three men struck him as odd. They appeared to be on a long journey, yet they carried no luggage whatsoever, appearing perfectly clean and tidy, as if they had no need to bring any at all.
Moreover, the fabric of the clothes was indistinguishable in the dim firelight, but its dust-free and wrinkle-free texture was completely different from the silks of the wealthy families he had seen.
A hint of doubt arose in Lu Guicang's mind, but he did not delve into it.
When you're out and about, it's better to avoid trouble and just try to get by.
The temple fell silent again, with only the faint crackling of burning charcoal and the whistling of the night wind outside.
Time flew by, and it was already past midnight.
It was still dark at this time, the darkest moment of the day.
The ancient trees outside cast distorted and elongated shadows in the firelight, like pairs of outstretched, menacing arms.
"roar!"
A deep roar suddenly came from deep in the mountains.
The sound carried a strange penetrating power, causing a ripple in the chest and making one's whole body tense.
The guard beside Lu Guicang, who had been feigning sleep with his clothes on, suddenly opened his eyes, grabbed the steel knife beside him, and the blade reflected a cold glint in the firelight.
"There really is a big worm!"
This guard was named Yan Duping, and he was considered a skilled fighter in the martial arts world.
At this moment, his expression turned somewhat solemn. "What a keen nose! We've all hidden in the temple, yet it still managed to find us by following the scent."
The rest of the caravan were also awakened. Several women huddled in a corner against the wall, holding their breath, their faces slightly pale.
However, there didn't seem to be much panic in the group.
Although the Seven Kingdoms lacked the ability for cultivators to fly across the sky, martial artists were not uncommon.
Ordinary wild beasts wouldn't be enough to frighten a caravan that constantly lives on the edge of a knife.
But this tiger, which the local mountain people call "Mountain King," is clearly no ordinary tiger.
Heavy footsteps echoed outside the temple.
With each step, the ground seemed to tremble slightly.
The footsteps were not hurried, but rather extremely steady and powerful, as if a mountain king were surveying his territory, slowly approaching the temple gate to select suitable prey.
Following the footsteps was a low, guttural roar.
A sudden gust of eerie wind swept in from outside the temple gate, causing the bonfire to slump low.
Everyone held their breath.
A huge tiger's head appeared outside the temple gate.
The tiger's head was as big as a millstone, and its pupils glowed with a dark red light in the darkness, like two burning embers. Thick saliva dripped from between its file-like white teeth and onto the ground.
A typical tiger is considered enormous if it is around two meters long.
But this tiger was almost as tall as an adult at the shoulder. Its massive body nearly blocked the entire temple entrance, casting a shadow that enveloped most of the temple's interior.
It's almost like it's become a spirit.
Nashan Jun clearly didn't intend to give the people in the temple much time to react.
Its body leaned back slightly, and a deeper, hoarse roar rolled out from its throat before it lunged forward.
"roar""
With a deafening roar, the enormous tiger paw, accompanied by a foul stench, slapped directly at the guard Yan Duping.
Although Yan Duping already had his knife in hand, the tiger was incredibly fast.
He was a beat too slow to react.
He barely managed to parry the longsword in front of him.
With a muffled thud, followed by a crisp snapping sound, Yan Duping was sent flying like a bundle of straw, his back slamming heavily against the wall before he rolled to the ground, the hundred-refined steel sword in his hand broken in two.
The mountain lord didn't even glance at him; with a shrug, his massive body charged straight into the temple.
As soon as it entered, the entire space of the mountain god temple suddenly seemed much smaller.
Lu Guicang and the others were on the outside, and at that moment they were in dire straits.
The enormous creature was right in front of them, and the scalding, fishy smell hit them so hard it could almost burn their faces. Several women huddled in the corner were so terrified they turned pale and couldn't even scream.
Lu Guicang felt his mind go completely blank.
He watched as that gaping maw, filled with fangs, came crashing down on him. He had no time to react; he could only instinctively close his eyes.
However, the expected excruciating pain never came.
A low, muffled thud sounded in my ear, like something heavy being forcefully pressed down.
"roar!"
Then came another terrified sob!
Lu Guicang slowly opened his eyes.
Then, he saw a scene that he would never forget.
The female knight-errant wearing a straw hat had appeared beside him at some point.
With just one hand, she effortlessly stretched forward and firmly pressed the enormous mountain tiger, which weighed over a thousand pounds, to the spot.
The tiger's claw was just a hair's breadth away from Lu Guicang's throat.
But it could not advance an inch further.