Chapter 183: Talking Terms

At that point, they would face twice the enemies and twice the suffering.

With a furious cry of "How dare you!", Ke Jihai flung his spear, directly impaling the man at the very front.

Just then, the sound of flapping wings echoed from above, as if a large bird was approaching. Ke Jihai instinctively felt a surge of alarm and, without hesitation, rolled to the side.

Immediately afterward, a large fireball plummeted from the sky, striking the exact spot where he had been standing.

The black stone slabs cracked, and the plants beneath the snow instantly turned to ash.

Ke Jihai looked up to see a grotesque bird in the sky, with the head of a crow, the wings of a bat, and a snake-like neck, but no tail.

On the bird's back sat a passenger wearing a bronze mask, with only two eye-slits visible.

Ke Jihai clenched his fists in fury. If he had his longbow, would this creature dare to squawk above his head? Indeed, its cry was like that of a crow.

"Father!" He Yue cried out in alarm, rushing to shield He Chunhua. With a raised hand, he launched an ice arrow.

The ice arrow split into three in mid-air, forming a triangular pattern as they shot forth, one of them striking an enemy.

The remaining enemies, however, had already closed in, leaving only one target: He Chunhua.

He Lingchuan was too far to provide immediate support and was about to hurl his broken saber when several shadows shot out from the forest like arrows, felling three more enemies.

Everyone looked closer, and to their surprise: they were, astonishingly, several giant grey wolves.

Their bodies were the size of small calves, and their limbs were far more robust than those of ordinary grey wolves. After pouncing on an enemy, a ferocious flurry of bites would leave nothing but a mangled corpse.

The lead grey wolf seized an enemy's head and shook it twice, severing it completely at the neck, splattering blood across the ground.

Of the eight attackers, five were instantly taken down. The remaining three froze for a moment, then abruptly turned and fled.

The giant wolves made no move to pursue them.

Within a few breaths, He Lingchuan finally reached his family, his saber pointed at the wolf pack. "Stop!" he commanded. "One more step and you'll be killed without mercy!"

Although the wolves had temporarily cleared the immediate threat, the creature still caught in the Entangling Silk Net was also a wolf demon. Were they allied?

From the dense forest, six or seven more giant wolves emerged, indeed surrounding both the Entangling Silk Net and the wolf-man.

He Lingchuan felt a slight sweat in his palm, and He Chunhua's eyes also flickered with concern.

"We mean no harm," the lead giant wolf suddenly spoke in human tongue. "Our target is that madman in the sky!"

He Lingchuan also saw the giant bird circling overhead and the passenger on its back. At first glance, he recognized that this creature was connected to the giant ape and the wolf-man, as the bird itself appeared equally bizarre and pieced together.

The large bird was currently spewing fireballs downward, striking the Walnut Boat repeatedly. Lacking a ranged weapon, Ke Jihai tore off a few branches and hurled them, but they were all easily dodged.

"My boat!" He Lingchuan exclaimed, seeing the Walnut Boat. He felt a pang of agony so sharp it stole his breath.

The magnificent wooden boat was now marred by several black craters from the monster bird's fireballs, flames licking the wood and spreading rapidly. From its inception, the boat had been designed as a means of transport. While it had some fire, moisture, and rot-resistant treatments, it was certainly not as durable as a combat artifact.

The monster bird's species was unknown, but the fireballs it spat out were a reddish-purple, capable of setting even snow-covered stone ground ablaze.

The boatman on board used a pole to douse the flames, extinguishing one cluster after another. Unfortunately, the fire spread faster than he could put it out, and soon it reached below the gunwale.

This boat had just cost him a Profound Crystal! He Lingchuan was enraged, completely forgetting that the boat actually belonged to He Chunhua. He retrieved a bow and arrows from his storage ring, sprinted a few steps forward, and hurled them in a high arc towards Ke Jihai.

His archery skills were still underdeveloped, and his injured left shoulder prevented him from drawing the bow. However, his right arm remained strong, and the bow and arrows soared seven or eight zhang through the air.

The large bird swooped down from mid-air, attempting to intercept the bow.

"Heh, come and get it," He Lingchuan sneered, grabbing his broken saber and flinging it.

The throw was surprisingly accurate, but the monster bird, more agile than an eagle, twisted to evade it. The broken saber missed its target and disappeared into the darkness.

"Huh?" He mumbled. "So I don't hit every time?"

But in that brief delay, Ke Jihai had already retrieved the bow. His spirits lifted, he casually plucked an arrow. Without needing to aim, he raised his hand, drew the bow, and a cold glint shot from the string, swift and precise.

The passenger on the monster bird, holding a bell, waved it outward. A clear, resonant ringing filled the air, and a fierce gust of wind immediately tore through the sky.

His initial reaction was undeniably quick. Unfortunately, this arrow was imbued with primordial energy, specifically designed to nullify divine abilities. No matter how fiercely the wind blew, the arrow was only deflected a minuscule amount. Ke Jihai had originally aimed for the monster bird's belly, but it ultimately pierced its wing root.

The monster bird wailed and flapped its wings, attempting to glide to the opposite mountaintop.

Just then, the sound of hoofbeats echoed, and over a dozen riders surged up the mountain path from below. It was Ke Jihai's retainers, who had finally arrived.

Ke Jihai was overjoyed. "Don't let it escape!" he shouted, then drew his bow once more.

However, at that very moment, the Walnut Boat could no longer withstand the searing heat of the true flames. With a sudden 'pop,' it shrank back into its original small ball.

The crushing force vanished, and the giant ape was instantly freed, leaping skyward like a rocket!

Its leap carried it four or five zhang high, soaring over their heads. In mid-air, it snatched the person and the bird, then plummeted into the valley like a lead weight.

Ke Jihai's arrow struck the giant ape in its rear, making it bellow in pain, but it didn't release its grip.

Everyone rushed to the cliff edge and peered down. The valley floor was pitch black, but several pine trees had been toppled, and the tops of the remaining trees trembled incessantly. It seemed the giant ape was not dead and was still fleeing deeper into the valley.

Ke Jihai instructed two of his subordinates, "You two, go after it and investigate."

The two acknowledged the order and galloped down the mountain.

Meanwhile, the wolf pack remained in a standoff with He Chunhua and his group. Seeing Ke Jihai's contingent arrive and their combined strength increase, He Chunhua's group felt their anxieties abate. The earlier whistling arrow had also alerted the guards of Lumingyuan, and the sound of hooves from the mountain path above indicated they were now close.

The wounds on his body grew increasingly painful, turning He Lingchuan's smile into a pained grimace. He touched his waist and found his saber had returned.

The injured coachman had already fainted from pain, but the commoner boy was now getting back on his feet. Madame Ying thanked him profusely, to which the boy waved his hand and replied, "It's nothing, Madame. I'm just glad you're safe."

He Yue looked at the boy's back and stated, "The blood is black; the arrow was poisoned."

One of Ke Jihai's subordinates, a military physician, stepped forward and offered a pill. "Take this antidote pill first," he instructed.

His antidote pill was generally effective against common toxins. However, after the boy swallowed it, the area between his eyebrows grew even darker, and his limbs began to twitch as he moaned softly. At this rate, he would soon fall unconscious.

Madame Ying cried out in alarm, "What are we to do!" If the boy hadn't sacrificed himself to save her, she would be the one suffering from the poison now.

Ke Jihai pondered for a moment, then spoke. "Take my token and quickly transport him to Jinghe Hall down the mountain. Old Fu's family has a renowned physician stationed there; I recall one of them specializes in antidotes!"

His subordinates acknowledged the order and escorted the boy and the unconscious coachman down the mountain.

By this time, over a dozen guards from Lumingyuan had also arrived. They gasped in surprise at the sight of the wolf pack, and with several metallic *clang*s, their weapons were drawn. Monsters running rampant in a royal villa? If news of this spread, it would be considered a grave dereliction of duty on their part.

Surrounded by formidable humans, the wolf pack grew uneasy, several of them baring their fangs.

"Everyone, hold your fire for now," Ke Jihai interjected at the opportune moment. "The culprits who attacked me and Lord He have already departed." With that, he walked over to negotiate with the guard captain.

The lead grey wolf reiterated, "We mean no harm. We followed Dong Rui here, intending only to rescue our young master."

"Young master?" He Chunhua's gaze fell upon the wolf-man on the ground. After the masked figure had left, it was no longer deranged, merely growling softly.

"This is our young master, Lu Ze," the grey wolf's voice turned sorrowful. "He was severely wounded, which allowed Dong Rui to take advantage of him and transform him into this state. My name is Lu Xin, and we are from the Rock Wolf Clan of the North Star Tundra. Please return our young master to us!"

They hadn't immediately tried to reclaim him earlier, out of concern for Dong Rui's presence; the wolf-man, even if freed from the Entangling Silk Net, would still obey him. He Chunhua understood this perfectly. He therefore stated, "This monster is now my spoils of war. It nearly killed me moments ago."

He Lingchuan peeled off his upper garment to allow the military physician to attend to his wounds, addressing the wolf pack as he did so. "If we were to seize your spoils of war, would you be pleased?"

"We can offer compensation," Lu Xin, the grey wolf, replied. "The North Star Tundra has several unique medicinal herbs. Using our clan's secret formula, we can concoct a spiritual medicine that grants agility and stamina. Not only would it benefit your martial artists, but even your horses would gain greater endurance from it."

Even Ke Jihai found this offer somewhat tempting. Horses could run faster and farther, and even if only used by scout teams, it would significantly enhance the troop's mobility.

He Chunhua shook his head. "Mere herbs cannot compare to the status of your young master," he stated. He then asked the wolf demons, "Is your entire clan here?"

"The majority of our tribesmen remain in the North Star Tundra, guarding our territory."

He Chunhua pointed to the wolf-man on the ground. "If I return him to you, can you restore his sanity?"

Lu Xin immediately replied, "We can certainly try, and it would be no trouble for Your Excellency."

He Chunhua looked to Ke Jihai, seeking his opinion. The latter promptly responded, "Lord He's captive is for Lord He to dispose of as he sees fit."

"I am heading north to Xiazhou to raise an army, and this is precisely when manpower is most needed," He Chunhua stated, having made up his mind. "I request the Rock Wolf Clan to assign a small contingent to my command—at least fifteen healthy adult wolf demons. Would that be an unreasonable request?"

These wolf demons had just demonstrated formidable combat prowess, and wolf packs were renowned worldwide for their endurance, discipline, and obedience. He Chunhua was also aware that many armies, both domestic and foreign, incorporated demon soldiers into their ranks, as they could effectively compensate for shortages in human troops.

Lu Xin paused, taken aback. He had not anticipated such a brazen demand, which was entirely beyond their expectations.

The wolf pack huddled together, whispering amongst themselves. The humans couldn't understand their means of communication, but the violent twitching of their tails suggested a very intense debate.

After a significant pause, Lu Xin turned back to He Chunhua. "The North Star Tundra faces numerous threats," he explained. "Our strong warriors are needed to guard our territory and cannot be away from our kin for extended periods."

He Chunhua frowned.

Fortunately, Lu Xin promptly offered a compromise. "How about this," he proposed, "Lu Jin and I will sign an alliance pact with you right now, and we will fight alongside you."