Chapter Thirteen: The Mountain Fortress Ablaze

Qin Feiyang held his breath, his gaze fixed intently through the gaps in the wild grass, never leaving the burly man. Yet, the outcome was not what he had anticipated. The man did not come to investigate.

“What now?” Qin Feiyang was anxious, his heart pounding.

Suddenly, his eyes lit up. He took out the iron box the Wolf King had given him, retrieved a Bone-Mending Pill, and placed it atop the grass.

“This time, let’s see if you can resist the bait.” Qin Feiyang sneered coldly. In this world, nothing held greater allure than a pill. The medicinal aroma quickly wafted through the area.

“Why is there the scent of a pill?” The burly man sniffed the air, suspicion and greed flashing in his eyes as he inhaled deeply and began walking toward Qin Feiyang’s hiding spot.

“It really is a pill! Seems to be a Bone-Mending Pill! I’ve struck gold!” The man’s delight was unrestrained as he reached out to snatch the pill from the grass, never once questioning why it would be lying there.

At that very moment, Qin Feiyang sprang forth like a venomous serpent lurking in the shadows. The dagger “Cangxue” flashed coldly, slitting the man’s throat in a single, swift motion. Blood sprayed wildly.

At the same time, Qin Feiyang’s left hand clamped down over the man’s mouth, dragging him into the deep gully nearby. In less than three breaths, the man was dead, collapsing limply to the ground.

In his final moments, he stared at Qin Feiyang with eyes wide, disbelief written all over his face.

Qin Feiyang’s eyes gleamed. The dagger “Cangxue” was even more formidable than he’d imagined. Steeling himself, he quickly stripped the man of his clothes, wiped the blood from the grass, and tidied up the area. Though some traces remained, it was the dead of night—unless someone looked closely, nothing would seem amiss. As for the smell of blood, the pill’s fragrance was enough to mask it.

He placed the Bone-Mending Pill in a slightly more conspicuous spot and continued to wait in the gully for the other man to take the bait.

The middle-aged man walked under the old tree, glanced around, and, finding nothing unusual, turned back the way he had come. When he returned to the stronghold gate and saw his companion had vanished, he thought nothing of it, assuming he’d stepped away to relieve himself.

“Huh? The scent of a pill?” Soon enough, he too caught the fragrance, suspicion flickering in his eyes as he followed it to its source.

It ended, unsurprisingly, in his death at Qin Feiyang’s hand.

Using wild grass and dead leaves, Qin Feiyang covered the two corpses as best he could, then pocketed the Bone-Mending Pill and dashed toward the old tree.

“White-eyed Wolf, you can come out now,” Qin Feiyang called softly.

The Wolf King opened its eyes and stalked out from the shrubs, a questioning look in its gaze.

“Don’t worry, it’s all taken care of. Now, we’ll teach the Black Demon Stronghold a lesson they’ll never forget.” A cold gleam flashed in Qin Feiyang’s eyes.

The Wolf King watched him suspiciously.

“See that torch? The whole stronghold is built of wood. All it’ll take is a spark, and the place will go up in flames. I’ll let them taste what it’s like to be burned alive.” Qin Feiyang’s eyes grew even colder.

The Wolf King’s pupils narrowed. This human was more ruthless than it was!

“Let’s go!” Qin Feiyang beckoned, ran to the stronghold gate, picked up a thick wooden stick, and, with dried grass and twigs, quickly fashioned another torch.

“This one’s for you,” he said, handing it to the Wolf King, who clamped it between its jaws.

Qin Feiyang leapt up, grabbed the torch from the gate, and used it to light the one the wolf carried. “We’ll split up and meet behind the stronghold.”

Man and wolf charged into the stronghold, targeting anything that would burn easily.

In less than ten heartbeats, the entire stronghold was ablaze. Wooden houses and towers caught fire in rapid succession.

“It’s so hot!”

“There’s so much smoke!”

“What’s happening outside?”

The people of the Black Demon Stronghold awoke one after another, only to open their doors and have the color drain from their faces.

“This is bad!”

“The stronghold is on fire!”

“Everyone, get out and put out the flames!”

The stronghold descended into chaos. Figures rushed from their houses, scrambling to extinguish the fire. But in the dry, sweltering weather, everything was tinder. The flames only blazed fiercer, spreading with unstoppable ferocity. Some people even caught fire themselves.

“What’s going on?” A thunderous roar erupted from a burning building. A burly man in black smashed through the door and burst from the flames.

“Chief, we don’t know! The stronghold suddenly caught fire!”

“Several of our brothers have already been burned to death!”

“Chief, please, think of something!”

A crowd gathered, panic etched on every face.

The burly chief swept his gaze over the scene, his expression dark as night. The stronghold had become a sea of fire, trapping them inside.

“This isn’t a natural fire,” he growled. “If it were, how could it break out on all sides at once? Someone set this fire! Somebody wants to burn us alive! Who is it? Show yourself!”

“Chief, I just saw a wolf!”

“Chief, I think I saw an unfamiliar figure too!”

Two assassins ran to the chief, speaking urgently.

“Where are they?” the chief demanded, his anger boiling over.

“The smoke was too thick—we couldn’t see clearly,” they replied, shaking their heads.

“Damn it! Find them! Whoever dared to burn the Black Demon Stronghold, I won’t rest until they’ve been torn limb from limb!” the chief roared.

But his words were drowned out by screams. Several assassins, engulfed in flame, rushed toward the chief and his group, crying out in agony.

“Chief, let’s get everyone out first. Once we escape, we can hunt them down at our leisure,” an older man in black stepped forward, speaking with authority. The others nodded in agreement.

The chief clenched his jaw and nodded. “Fine, you lead everyone out.”

“And you?” the old man asked.

“All our wealth from these years is in the cellar—I’m going to get it all.” White light rose from the chief’s body, enveloping him. Without another word, he turned and charged back into the burning building.

“Don’t worry—the chief’s protected by his inner energy. The fire won’t harm him for a while. Follow me!” the old man bellowed, unleashing a wave of true energy from his palm that parted the flames ahead.

The survivors of the Black Demon Stronghold followed him, fleeing as quickly as they could. As for those already ablaze, not a single glance was spared for them—utter indifference.

Behind the stronghold, atop a small hill, Qin Feiyang and the Wolf King lay hidden in the grass, watching the inferno devour the Black Demon Stronghold, satisfaction gleaming in their eyes.

To set the stronghold ablaze—it was exhilarating.

Qin Feiyang glanced at the dagger “Cangxue” in his hand, a chilling light flickering in his gaze. Turning to the Wolf King, he grinned. “White-eyed Wolf, shall we play an even bigger game?”

The Wolf King looked at him in confusion, as if to ask—how?

Qin Feiyang licked his lips, a wicked smile spreading across his face. “Let’s loot the Black Demon Stronghold’s treasure—and wipe out those cold-blooded killers along the way!”