novelraw Chapter 14 – Ungrateful person
Chapter 14 – Ungrateful person
"Big brother, be careful!"
A voice suddenly echoed from the nearby woods, it was the hidden archer issuing a warning.
The Iron-Tailed Tiger Demon, after killing one person, suddenly charged towards the strongest among them, the burly man.
"Boom..."
The Iron-Tailed Tiger Demon was extremely ferocious, its sharp claws could easily tear through large trees. Although the burly man was a Martial Apprentice at the eighth level of Body Refining, he was still in grave danger in front of this demonic beast.
The attacks from the others could only serve as a distraction to the Iron-Tailed Tiger Demon. Ordinary weapons clanged off its body, unable to inflict enough damage.
Apart from the initial sneak attack that hit the tiger demon's soft neck, the hidden archer hadn't been able to contribute further.
"Everyone, run! This beast is too powerful!" The burly man roared, channeling his inner qi to the maximum, "I'll cover the rear!"
"Mountain-Splitting Axe!"
The burly man shouted angrily, his twin axes gleaming with a cold light, producing a sharp whistling sound as they fiercely chopped towards the Iron-Tailed Tiger Demon's forehead.
This axe strike was powerful and executed with a third-grade martial art.
"Bang!"
Even the formidable Iron-Tailed Tiger Demon was struck as if by lightning, its body flying backward, blood streaming from its forehead.
However, the burly man didn't fare well either, as the tiger demon's tail swept across him, breaking the bones in his waist, leaving his skin torn and flesh mangled.
"Big brother!" The others cried out in shock.
"Don't worry about me, just go!" The burly man gritted his teeth and stood up, determined to protect his comrades as they retreated.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!...
The archer continued to harass the Iron-Tailed Tiger Demon from afar, allowing the burly man a momentary respite.
"Boom!"
The burly man clashed with the Iron-Tailed Tiger Demon once more, and was sent flying by its immense force, spitting out a mouthful of blood.
The Iron-Tailed Tiger Demon ignored the arrows shot at it, its blood-red eyes filled with ferocity as it lunged at the severely injured burly man.
All of this happened in the blink of an eye, from the moment A-Fei was killed by the Iron-Tailed Tiger Demon, it had only been a matter of moments.
Although Luo Xiu had witnessed much bloodshed during his training and hunting in Shuiwu Mountain, it was his first time seeing someone killed.
"Beast, meet your end!"
With the Inch Step Movement Technique, Luo Xiu's figure moved like a fleeting illusion, his feet kicking towards the Iron-Tailed Tiger Demon's head.
"Bang!"
A tremendous force was transmitted through his foot, sending Luo Xiu flying backward. He flipped in mid-air to dissipate the force, landing several meters away.
"Roar!"
The Iron-Tailed Tiger Demon let out a pained howl, its fierce eyes fixed on the human several meters away.
It felt as if its skull had almost been shattered by the human's kick.
The burly man, who thought he was doomed, was momentarily stunned to see the powerful Iron-Tailed Tiger Demon wary of a suddenly appearing youth.
At this moment, the Iron-Tailed Tiger Demon's attention was entirely on Luo Xiu. Demonic beasts were superior to ordinary beasts not just in strength, but also because they possessed a rudimentary intelligence. Its instincts told it that this human youth posed a threat.
The burly man seized the opportunity to escape, quickly running to Luo Xiu's side to confront the Iron-Tailed Tiger Demon together.
"Thank you for saving my life, young brother. My name is Yuan Dashan," the burly man said, cupping his hands in gratitude.
"Let's deal with this tiger demon first," Luo Xiu nodded.
"Roar!"
Just as they exchanged words, the Iron-Tailed Tiger Demon lunged at them. Luo Xiu, having mastered the Inch Step Movement Technique, swiftly dodged.
"Mountain-Splitting Axe!"
Yuan Dashan once again unleashed his signature martial technique, his axe striking the tiger demon, but with his eighth-level Body Refining cultivation, his full-force attack only left a minor wound.
With the Inch Step Movement Technique, Luo Xiu could see the Iron-Tailed Tiger Demon's vital meridians clearly.
"Tiger Stance!"
He suddenly leaped, his inner qi howling like a gale.
"Bang!"
His punch landed on the tiger demon's head again, a cracking sound echoed, and the tiger demon roared in pain, retreating repeatedly, its steps unsteady, stars dancing before its eyes.
Yuan Dashan was dumbfounded. His full-force axe strike could only inflict minor injuries, yet this youth, seemingly only fourteen or fifteen years old, had a stronger attack with his fists?
"Soaring Dragon Stance!" Luo Xiu's technique changed, his body spinning in mid-air, his fists striking the tiger demon's head like thunder.
"Boom!"
The Iron-Tailed Tiger Demon had no time to react, hit by the most powerful Soaring Dragon Stance of the Dragon-Tiger Fist, its vital meridians in the head severely damaged, its hard skull shattered on the spot.
"Owooo!" The Iron-Tailed Tiger Demon let out a mournful cry, its massive body collapsing to the ground, lifeless.
"As expected of a peak first-level demonic beast, it took three consecutive strikes to the same spot to bring it down."
Luo Xiu knew that in terms of pure strength, he was far inferior to the tiger demon. His victory was due to the mastery of the Inch Step Movement Technique and his special ability to damage vital meridians.
Seeing the Iron-Tailed Tiger Demon dead, the others who had fled cautiously approached to regroup with Yuan Dashan.
At this moment, Luo Xiu frowned, sensing a dangerous aura.
Since merging with the Life and Death Pearl, his senses had become exceptionally sharp, and he immediately realized that the hidden archer was targeting him.
"Big brother, this kid's inner qi fluctuation seems to be only at the sixth level of Body Refining."
"For this tiger demon, A-Fei died. We can't let the tiger demon's body fall into someone else's hands." The group whispered among themselves, conversing with Yuan Dashan.
Luo Xiu overheard, his expression turning cold, "This tiger demon was killed by me."
"Hmph, you may have killed it, but without our big brother, do you think a kid at the sixth level of Body Refining could have taken down this Iron-Tailed Tiger Demon?" someone sneered.
"Wang Yun, shut up! If it weren't for this young brother, I'd be dead under that beast's claws," Yuan Dashan shouted angrily.
He stepped forward, cupping his hands towards Luo Xiu, "This young brother saved my life. I won't forget such a debt of gratitude. Naturally, the tiger demon is yours to deal with."
Luo Xiu nodded, gaining some respect for Yuan Dashan. After all, the Iron-Tailed Tiger Demon was worth at least ten thousand silver taels.
If these people decided to attack, Luo Xiu wasn't afraid, but it would be troublesome. Avoiding conflict was preferable.
"Yuan Dashan is an idiot!" Wang Yun's eyes flickered with uncertainty. To him, even if this kid saved Yuan Dashan's life, it wasn't worth giving up the value of an Iron-Tailed Tiger Demon.
It's common for hunter teams to kill each other over treasure, especially when the opponent is just a kid at the sixth level of Body Refining.
"Let's go!" Yuan Dashan cupped his hands towards Luo Xiu, then led his group away, carrying their comrade's body.
"Wang Yun, I know what you're thinking, but let me advise you, that youth who killed the Iron-Tailed Tiger Demon is no ordinary person. He might be a disciple of a family in Qingyun City, not someone we can afford to provoke."
Yuan Dashan glanced at Wang Yun beside him, speaking coldly, "Moreover, he saved my life. As martial artists, how can we be ungrateful?"
"Yes, big brother's right," Wang Yun replied, though he was not convinced.
The rest of the team looked weary and dejected. The hunt for the Iron-Tailed Tiger Demon had been a failure, with one member dead and no gain in the end.
A while later, the team found a safe place to rest and regroup.
Yuan Dashan leaned against a large tree, tearing open his clothes to reveal his bloodied waist. Fortunately, it was just a flesh wound, and his bones weren't broken.
He took out some wound medicine and applied it, thinking, "I wonder who that youth is. Despite being at the sixth level of Body Refining, he could kill the Iron-Tailed Tiger Demon with two punches..."
"Hmm? Where are Wang Yun and Zhang Hun?" After less than half an hour, Yuan Dashan had recovered from his injuries, but noticed only two people remained in the team.
"Wang Yun said he was going to check for any prey nearby," someone replied.
"Damn it!" Yuan Dashan's face changed dramatically. With his experience and understanding of Wang Yun, he quickly guessed the situation.
"Wang Yun must be coveting the materials from the Iron-Tailed Tiger Demon, so he took Zhang Hun with him to kill and seize the treasure. This is bad!"
...
The Iron-Tailed Tiger Demon's body was large, and Luo Xiu couldn't take it all with him.
Infusing his Azure Edge Sword with inner qi, he first skinned the tiger. The hide was relatively intact, with only a few axe cuts, and could fetch a good price.
There were also the tiger bones, heart blood, and fangs. The most valuable part was the tail, known as the Iron Tail, a material for crafting lower-grade human war armaments.
After collecting all the valuable materials, especially the tiger hide, Luo Xiu's pack was full.
He looked up at the sky, realizing he wouldn't make it back to Qingyun City before sunset. He'd have to spend the night in the forest and return at dawn.
The number of demonic beasts in Shuiwu Mountain was low, mostly ordinary beasts. But at night, the forest became perilous, so Luo Xiu needed to find a safe place to rest before dark.
"Twang!"
The sound of a bowstring vibrating was clear in the silent forest.
Luo Xiu's pupils contracted slightly, sensing a sharp force shooting towards his head from behind.
He shifted laterally, and an arrow thudded into the tree trunk beside him, its fletching quivering.
Spreading his senses, Luo Xiu detected two life forces.
Not far away, a short, dark-faced youth held a longbow, staring coldly at him.
At the same time, another figure emerged, the familiar Wang Yun.
"What do you mean by this?" Luo Xiu asked coldly.
"Kid, don't play dumb. Leave your pack and sword, and we'll let you go," Wang Yun said, holding a sword and sneering.
"What if I refuse?" Luo Xiu's eyes glinted with coldness. He had saved these people, yet they were so shameless and ungrateful!