SWORD OF THE DEMON WOLF

The First Battle

Four pairs of eyes watched in astonishment at the sight of a young man in that place. According to the information they had received, there shouldn’t have been a single soul living in the location they were observing. Moreover, the waterfall was part of the legendary Thousand Ghost Hill, infamous for its terrifying reputation.

“Did the villagers give us false information?” asked a man in a white robe, a scar stretching across his face from an old slash wound.

“I don’t know. But if that young man truly lives here, we can get some information from him about the appearance of the sacred weapon,” replied his long-haired companion, whose hair reached down to his waist.

“You’re right. That way, we’ll be one step ahead of the others,” another man chimed in.

“What if that young man was the one who found it first?” asked the last of the four, still watching Xiao Chen practicing.

“Then we’ll take it from him if he truly has found the weapon,” the scar-faced man answered coldly.

The four men quickly reached an agreement. If they succeeded in obtaining the sacred weapon, they would auction it. Whoever dared to bid the highest price would own it. Since there were four of them, and only one weapon, selling it was the fairest arrangement.

The four men, all clad in white robes, stepped out from behind the trees where they had been watching Xiao Chen train.

Xiao Chen’s instincts, honed from years of working in the forest collecting firewood, immediately alerted him. He stopped his training the moment he sensed footsteps approaching.

From the forest emerged four men walking toward him. Judging from their faces, Xiao Chen saw no trace of friendliness in them. His vigilance sharpened.

Xiao Chen’s heartbeat raced. Although he did not yet know the men’s true intentions, remembering Zhang Wei’s warning before his training, he had good reason to suspect. They must be martial artists searching for the sacred weapon, he thought.

“Forgive us for disturbing you, young man. There are a few things we would like to ask you,” said the scar-faced man politely.

“How can I help, Uncle?” Xiao Chen replied calmly.

“Well, young man… three days ago, there was a strange phenomenon—people called it the blood moon. Do you know anything about it?”

Xiao Chen frowned, scratching his head lightly. He tried to recall what had happened three days ago, but of course, he remembered nothing. After all, he had only awakened today.

“I don’t remember anything, Uncle. My grandfather said I was unconscious for almost ten days and only woke up today.”

“Don’t lie to us!” The scarred man’s voice grew harsh.

“Do I look like I’m lying?” Xiao Chen pointed to his own face. “All my life, I’ve never told a lie. So don’t accuse me of one, Uncle.”

The scar-faced man was startled by the courage shown by the young man before him. His three companions also hadn’t expected Xiao Chen to answer so boldly.

From the young man’s expression, there was no sign of deceit. His eyes looked straight at them, steady and unwavering—not shifting like a liar’s.

“We asked you politely, so don’t force us to be rough! Now, tell us where your grandfather is. We’ll ask him ourselves.”

“I cannot tell you where my grandfather is. He is resting and cannot be disturbed,” Xiao Chen replied firmly, fully aware that his words might provoke the four men’s anger.

Yet he had no choice. He could not possibly reveal where Zhang Wei was now, and above all, he had to protect the sanctity of Thousand Ghost Hill.

The scar-faced man grew even more suspicious. He believed the young man was hiding something—perhaps even knowledge about the weapon they were seeking.

“You’re quite the actor, young man. Since you refuse to speak nicely, fine. We’ll force the truth out of you! You three, make this brat talk!” the scarred man ordered his companions.

The three men grinned, trying to intimidate Xiao Chen. His heart pounded faster, but outwardly, he remained calm.

“Speak, or we’ll beat you until you beg for death!” threatened the long-haired man as he and the other two surrounded Xiao Chen.

“If you can, then try to force me!” Xiao Chen challenged.

“You insolent brat! Beat him!”

The three men lunged forward simultaneously, thinking it would be easy to subdue a mere youth.

But Xiao Chen immediately countered their attacks. Although this was his very first real battle, he showed no awkwardness at all. The lessons from Zhang Wei allowed him to evade their strikes effortlessly. His sparring with Benggala had also sharpened his instincts.

As Xiao Chen’s movements grew sharper, the inner energy within him stirred, and his speed began to increase gradually.

“Arghhh!”

One of his opponents was sent flying backward from a spinning kick. Blood spurted from his lips before he collapsed unconscious.

Xiao Chen was stunned. He had thought his kick was nothing special, so how could it render his opponent unconscious with a single blow?

He had no time to dwell on the shock, as the two remaining enemies charged at him.

The young man, now fully immersed in his first true fight, glared at them sharply, as though warning them they would be the next to fall. His eyes briefly flicked toward the scar-faced man, who still stood back. Xiao Chen was certain he was their leader.

Without hesitation, Xiao Chen attacked. His movements were swift and fluid, leaving his opponents no chance to counter.

The two men were stunned by how fast his speed had grown—far beyond theirs. Soon, they too joined their fallen comrade, unconscious on the ground.

Now only the scar-faced man remained.

“Don’t get too proud just because you’ve beaten my companions. Their skills were low, so it’s no surprise they lost. But now… I am your opponent, you arrogant brat!” The scarred man’s eyes burned with hatred as he glared at Xiao Chen.

His anger was immense at the boy who had defeated his comrades, but another thought simmered within him—if he could overpower Xiao Chen and force him to speak, then perhaps he alone would claim the sacred weapon for himself.