Chapter 1936: Draw Talismans

Vermilion Bird was inexplicably excited, flapping his wings and dancing, as if he had spotted something novel.

Xiao Wu lowered his head and followed Vermilion Bird's gaze.

Below the sheer cliff was a lush jungle. Ancient trees towered, their canopies continuous and impenetrable. Occasionally, several vines as thick as pythons could be seen extending from beneath the dense foliage.

Chirps... tweets...Flap, flap!

This was a paradise for birds; nests were ubiquitous in the tree canopy, and rustling sounds from below indicated wild beasts running beneath the trees. However, the roars of fierce beasts were almost unheard here, suggesting that fierce predators like jackals, wolves, tigers, and leopards were uncommon.

At the foot of the mountain, a narrow path snaked through the thorny undergrowth, showing signs of human passage.

In truth, this area was not considered deep mountains.

The mountain path extended from outside the mountain to this point, then vanished at the foot of the peak. Overgrown with weeds, it was easily missed unless one looked closely, suggesting it was rarely used – perhaps a hunting trail blazed by local hunters. Following the path outwards, the terrain gradually leveled. When Qin Sang and his companions arrived, they had spotted mortal villages in that direction. Beyond this mountain lay the true wilderness, rarely visited by humans, where fierce beasts grew progressively more common.

It was that very mountain path that had caught Vermilion Bird's attention.

The sun was high, casting its light across the mountains and forests. At the far end of the mountain path, a figure emerged.

The newcomer was a youth, appearing to be fourteen or fifteen years old. Dressed in coarse linen and straw sandals, he clearly came from a poor family. Yet, his clothes were clean, and his brow held a resolute expression, mixed with a hint of scholarly refinement unusual for someone of his background. He walked with a light step on the rugged mountain path, carrying a bundle of hemp rope in one hand and a sharpened steel probe in the other. His hands, clutching the rope and steel probe, had noticeably thick knuckles, clearly indicative of martial arts training. Hunters typically practiced some martial arts; without it, entering the mountains, let alone hunting wild beasts, would be a daunting task. It was unclear whether the young man was there to gather firewood or hunt, but he was remarkably brave to enter the mountains alone at such a tender age.

A rustling sound!

He was, after all, neither an immortal cultivator nor a martial artist capable of superhuman feats like scaling walls or treading snow without a trace. As he walked the mountain path, his body inevitably brushed against the tall grass on either side, creating a rustling sound. The youth's brow remained tightly furrowed; he was extremely cautious, constantly on guard against hidden dangers in the grass, and would stop to observe his surroundings every so often.

Before long, a mountain to the east cast a shadow over both the path and the youth. It was then that it became clear the youth wasn't there to hunt. He slowed his pace, constantly surveying the mountain slope to the right of the path. This mountain was not as majestic or extraordinary as the one Qin Sang and his companions were on. This mountainside varied, sometimes steep, sometimes gentle. It was overgrown with vegetation; sheer cliffs soared a hundred feet high in rugged sections, while gentler slopes were easily scalable on foot. The youth seemed to be searching for something specific, meticulously scanning the terrain, sometimes shaking his head, sometimes pausing to ponder.

Finally, he found a spot that matched his mental calculations, his eyes lighting up slightly as he quickly made his way towards it. His target was a stone cliff, standing approximately a hundred feet above the mountain path, beyond a gently rising slope.

Just as the youth was about to ascend, he remembered something. He glanced at the sun, then drew a line on the ground with his steel probe before scanning the slope. Gathering his strength, he leaped, landing steadily on a rock. He repeated this several times, nimbly reaching the base of the cliff and looking up to observe. The cliff itself was no more than a hundred feet high, but it was smooth and sheer, interspersed with clumps of weeds. From a rock crevice, a tree grew horizontally, stubbornly reaching upwards, its trunk accompanied by vines. Two of these vines dangled, almost touching the ground.

The cliff wasn't wide; both sides were earthen slopes. To the right, a large tree grew tightly against the cliff face, its trunk also heavily covered in green vines. The youth recognized these green vines; they were exceptionally tough and could serve as ropes. He quickly scanned the entire cliff face, his eyes flickering as if in thought, finally settling on the very top.

Looking up from below, a shadowed mass was visible – a large, protruding rock. It was irregularly shaped, appearing somewhat round, which made one worry it might roll down at any moment. The youth was indeed targeting this very rock. Using his usual agility, he leaped from the adjacent earthen slope to the cliff top, pressed down on the large rock, and gave it a gentle push. It didn't budge. He then applied more force, feeling a slight tremor, and couldn't help but smile with satisfaction. Disregarding the danger, he lay prone at the cliff's edge, inspecting the point where the boulder met the cliff and attempting to insert his steel probe.

For a while, he moved up and down, using his steel probe and hemp rope to measure. Engrossed in his work, the youth suddenly remembered something. He glanced at the line he had drawn earlier, noticing the mountain's shadow was nearing it. His expression tightened, and he quickly hid his steel probe and hemp rope in the grass before running back at full speed.

"Huh?"

Vermilion Bird and Xiao Wu were watching with great interest, surprised to see the youth suddenly flee in panic, as if encountering a natural predator.

"He'll definitely be back tomorrow," Vermilion Bird declared confidently.

The following day, at the same time, the youth reappeared as expected. This time, he brought a shovel, retrieved his rope and steel probe from the grass, and resumed his work. Just like the day before, as soon as the appointed time arrived, the youth departed without hesitation.

From then on, Qin Sang remained preoccupied with repairing the Thunder Altar, while the youth's daily activities became a welcome diversion for Vermilion Bird and Xiao Wu's otherwise monotonous existence. Vermilion Bird even tried to bet Xiao Wu on what the youth was planning, but Xiao Wu never took the bait. This, however, did not dampen Vermilion Bird's interest in the least; her greatest anticipation each day was the sunrise. However, to preserve their curiosity, neither of them used their divine abilities to investigate or spy on the youth's intentions.

In the days that followed, the youth brought something new every time he came. For instance, there was wire mesh wrapped with iron spikes, whose unusual color suggested they were poisoned. He also brought wooden shafts tipped with sharp, iron-banded spearheads, and various intricate mechanisms. These mechanisms were products of hunters' ingenuity, designed for setting traps, and were quite intricate in their construction. The youth tested them repeatedly, spending over ten days to choose the most suitable mechanism.

"See? I, Vermilion Bird, guessed he was setting traps on the very first day!" Vermilion Bird gloated to Xiao Wu, immensely satisfied.

But what was puzzling was that the youth had put so much effort into this, presumably to hunt an extremely fierce beast, yet there were no such creatures nearby. The fierce beasts of the deep mountains were also blocked by the mountain Qin Sang was on, unable to cross.

The youth was exceptionally patient, working for over a month before finally setting the trap. On the final day, the youth meticulously inspected every mechanism, carefully cleared away all traces, and even pulled some moss from elsewhere to conceal the indelible scratches on the stones. Then, the youth neither left any bait nor lured any fierce beasts from elsewhere. As soon as the time was up, he ran home again.

"This kid hasn't hidden things perfectly enough. I'll help him," Vermilion Bird chuckled mischievously, flapping a wing, clearly enjoying the spectacle.

For the next three days, the youth was nowhere to be seen, making Vermilion Bird itch with impatience. She almost flew to the village to drag him out and demand to know his intentions.

On the fourth day, the morning sun rose in the east. The youth finally reappeared. His steps seemed heavier than before, though his pace wasn't slow. This time, the youth passed the trap without stopping, heading straight for *their* mountain. It was the first time in days that the youth had actually entered the mountain.

The dense foliage couldn't obstruct Vermilion Bird and Xiao Wu's view; they watched as the youth, agile as a monkey, moved through the forest. He had a light crossbow strapped to his right arm. With the combined help of his trap and crossbow, he reaped a bountiful harvest. As he descended the mountain, his satchel contained several birds, and he carried a mid-sized forest deer.

Back on the mountain path, the youth checked the time; it was nearly his usual departure time. This time, however, he didn't head home. Instead, he carried his quarry to the trap, set up a bonfire at a pre-selected spot on the earthen slope north of the cliff, grabbed a bird, gutted it, and placed it over the fire to roast.

What was surprising was the youth's next action: despite the savory aroma, he seemed unaffected. He drew a short blade from his waist, measured a few times against his left arm, then, enduring the pain, plunged it into his skin, cutting a deep, merciless wound. His flesh peeled back, and bright red blood immediately stained his clothes, its metallic scent mingling with the aroma of roasting meat and wafting outwards.

He hissed in pain.

The youth gasped, tore off a strip of cloth, bit one end, and hastily bandaged his wound. But the bleeding wasn't easily staunched; the cloth strip quickly became soaked. Pale from blood loss, the youth unstoppered his waterskin and took a deep gulp of wine. He then stared intently at the fire, focusing on roasting the meat.

Soon after.

Suddenly, a white shadow flickered into existence above the youth's position on the mountaintop, only to vanish instantly.

"Here it comes!"

Vermilion Bird, who was watching the spectacle, couldn't help but lower his voice, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

"No wonder! He's hunting a demon! Doesn't this kid have a death wish?"

Xiao Wu's eyes also flickered for a moment. The white shadow's movements couldn't escape their gaze; it was a white weasel demon. While human martial artists who reach the Xiantian realm possess considerable combat prowess, even capable of battling low-level Qi Refinement cultivators, the youth was clearly not such a top expert. Daring to lure and kill a white weasel demon was an act of extreme audacity.

The white weasel demon moved stealthily, making no sound as it wove through the grass, silently approaching the youth from behind before suddenly lunging. The youth appeared to be intently roasting meat, but his mind was tightly strung. However, the white weasel demon's speed was too great; by the time he felt the rush of air, he didn't even have time to turn and dodge. The white weasel demon closed in instantly, its two sharp foreclaws fiercely slashing at the youth's back.

A clang!

The sound was, astonishingly, that of metal clashing. Beneath his torn clothes, iron plates were revealed. From the bodies of Master and others, and from survivor accounts, the youth had deduced that this demon beast favored sneak attacks, particularly tearing out a victim's heart from behind. He had, therefore, preemptively protected his back with iron plates. However, the white weasel demon's claws were unexpectedly keen, piercing right through the iron plates!

The youth felt a sharp stab of pain in his back and a terrifying force that, despite the iron plates, slammed into him. He instinctively lunged forward.

A whoosh!

The youth, facing the stone cliff, along with the grill from the bonfire, tumbled headfirst into the sand below the cliff. Agonizing pain shot through his body, and his internal organs felt displaced. In such a dire situation, the youth incredibly managed to half-twist his body before hitting the ground, aiming the light crossbow on his right arm behind him.

Having failed to kill its prey with a single strike, the white weasel demon let out a sharp shriek.

"Screech!"

The shriek was incredibly piercing. Simultaneously, the white weasel demon transformed into a white blur, leaping down to pursue the youth. It shook the fur beneath its jaw, releasing a puff of white smoke that enveloped the young man.

The youth was well aware of the white weasel demon's tactics; he had closed his eyes and held his breath in anticipation. Despite his thorough preparations, the shriek still made his head buzz, and he felt a sudden dizziness, even with his ears already stuffed with cotton. The white smoke and eerie cries were terrifying demon arts. The village's most skilled hunter had died helpless under these very same arts, instilling fear in the villagers. Fortunately, this white weasel demon would not appear in the mornings; villagers only dared to be active before noon, sealing their doors and windows afterward, and no one dared to hunt demons.

These preparations, in the end, did have some effect; the youth did not immediately lose consciousness. With stubborn willpower, he propped himself up on his left arm and fired a crossbow bolt. The white weasel demon pounced, and it seemed the youth's left arm would be torn to shreds. Fortunately, he also had iron plates strapped to his forearm, though these too were ripped by the sharp claws, leaving deep, bone-visible wounds.

Thwip! Thwip! Thwip!

Three crossbow bolts shot out, their tips reflecting a shimmering blue light, already pre-poisoned. The white weasel demon was forced to evade, twisting at an impossible angle several times, completely unharmed by the three bolts.

A thud!

The youth hit the ground hard, immediately spitting out blood. The white weasel demon gazed greedily at the vigorous body before leaping down.

Just then, an unknown mechanism was triggered, and the sand on the ground erupted. From the trees on both sides, a curved branch on each simultaneously snapped straight with a bang. The green vines dangling to the ground were instantly yanked from the sand. Several green vines were tightly bound to the wire mesh. The mesh sprang up from the ground, kicking up a puff of sand and instantly forming a net. The white weasel demon was about to be caught inside and pierced by the iron spikes.

Being a demon beast that had gained sentience, the white weasel demon reacted with extreme speed, grabbing the edge of the iron net and leaping high. However, unexpectedly, as the iron net sprang up, it triggered a chain reaction: a green vine tightly clinging to the stone wall was pulled loose, dislodging a stone resting on the edge of the large boulder, which immediately began to roll down from the cliff top.

A rush of air!

The powerful gust ruffled the white weasel demon's fur. The white weasel demon was entirely enveloped in the boulder's shadow. With its cultivation, if struck by the massive rock on the ground, its bones would surely be shattered.

"Screech!"

The white weasel demon shrieked in utter fury.

Pfft!A crack!

In the nick of time, the white weasel demon hastily sprayed a puff of white smoke, momentarily hindering the boulder's descent. It then dug its foreclaws into the boulder's edge, pushed off forcefully with its hind legs, and executed a swift somersault, narrowly escaping disaster.

But this wasn't the entire trap. As the boulder fell, a third chain mechanism was triggered: a mechanism snapped from the ground, and a faint, chilling glint emerged from the grass. From both sides, five poisoned long spears each were suddenly shot out, striking while the white weasel demon was airborne and had no leverage.

Swish! Whiz, whiz, whiz!

The poisoned spears, as powerful as crossbow bolts, flew with lightning speed. The ten poisoned spears crisscrossed, leaving the white weasel demon, exhausted from its previous exertion, no escape. Its furious shriek transformed into a panicked scream.

Thunk!Thud!

Demon blood left a crimson streak on the ground. A poisoned spear pierced clean through the white weasel demon, its tip deeply embedded in the tree trunk, the shaft still vibrating.

"Brilliant!"

Vermilion Bird vigorously flapped a wing. "Too bad this little weasel has a cultivator's aura on it. It must be someone else's pet. This kid's in trouble."