Chapter Sixteen: Trapped in the Cage
The banquet was at its peak when a soldier clad in armor, wielding a horsewhip, burst into the hall. Even before entering, he shouted loudly, “Urgent news! Urgent news!”
“Reporting to the Lord of the City: northern monsters have suddenly erupted, abducting villagers—women, children, and elders—in the north, a hundred miles from the city. Over a hundred people have been taken!”
“What!?” The people in the hall, upon hearing this, all wore expressions of shock. This time, the number of those abducted exceeded the sum of all previous incidents.
Fang Qiyang, hearing the report, drained his cup of wine in one gulp and turned to face Qiao Xinran and the others. “Fellow disciples!”
No further words were needed—they all understood what must be done. Everyone stood, eyes brimming with murderous intent.
Fang Qiyang turned to Fang Lu. “Father, the monsters are wreaking havoc, and there’s no time to lose! Let us go first to exterminate them; we’ll finish the wine when we return!”
“Very well!” Fang Lu slapped the armrest of his chair and stood, locking eyes with Fang Qiyang. “Then I wish you all triumphant return!”
Fang Qiyang nodded, waved his hand, and commanded in a deep voice, “Let’s go!”
...
When Shen Qingyun emerged from his cultivation, his brows furrowed.
“How could it have erupted so quickly?” Shen Qingyun stepped out of the ark and gazed into the distance, his eyes seemingly able to see a hundred miles away.
“This...” Shen Qingyun’s expression grew solemn. “The miasma of the monsters is filthy, its mixed energies unheard of. Yet it seems capable of ensnaring the mind, driving people into madness!”
“No, I must warn them first. Rushing in blindly will only lead to needless death!”
Resolving himself, Shen Qingyun leapt from the ark.
...
“They’ve already left?”
When Shen Qingyun inquired about Qiao Xinran and her companions, someone told him they had already departed.
This news was, without a doubt, troubling.
If even Shen Qingyun found the situation thorny, then this monster incident was certainly not simple.
“When did they leave?” Shen Qingyun asked.
“About half a day ago!”
Upon hearing this, Shen Qingyun pondered for a moment, then looked up at the ark. With its speed, he should be able to catch up to them quickly.
...
Aboard the ark, Shen Qingyun was secretly frustrated—he wished now that he had insisted they heed his warning before acting. In truth, Shen Qingyun’s concern was solely for the safety of the Qiao sisters. Not because of Elder Bai’s special instructions, but because karma had tightly bound him to them.
Karma is a peculiar existence; unseen and intangible, yet ever present by one’s side.
For cultivators, karma is akin to swearing an oath before the heavens. That is the cause; should the oath be broken, punishment follows—this is the effect.
...
From afar, Shen Qingyun could see Fang Qiyang leading Qiao Xinran and seven others, valiantly charging up the mountain. At that moment, they were already halfway up.
In the dense forests around them, wild beasts continually burst forth, baring fangs and claws, battling fiercely against them!
Shen Qingyun’s heart grew heavy; these monsters were clearly far stronger than usual.
They knew to evade Fang Qiyang’s attacks, and even targeted the weak.
Typically, wild beasts could absorb the essence of sun and moon or accidentally consume rare plants to shed their mortal form and become monsters. As they grew, they’d reach the cultivator’s foundation stage and gain intelligence.
Once a monster gained intelligence, it would claim a mountain, becoming the local overlord. But never would it dare to so brazenly capture and devour common folk, nor openly challenge sects and dynasties.
“Senior Brother Fang, the mountain beasts are ferocious and act in patterns—as if driven by someone to deplete our spiritual power. I see monster clouds gathering atop the mountain, bloody light soaring skyward. The true monster must be there; we must not delay, but rush up and slay it!”
As Shen Qingyun pondered the mysterious energy mixed into the monster’s miasma, Hong Tao, an inner sect disciple, shouted urgently.
“Hmph, mere monsters dare play tricks!” Fang Qiyang felt a surge of anger and roared, “Let’s charge up and slay the culprit!” With that, he leapt forward, his white robe billowing.
“Threefold Sword Technique!”
With a shout, Fang Qiyang’s spiritual weapon split into two more blades, darting ahead!
Swish, swish, swish...
The two summoned flying swords, imbued with divine might, swept through the monsters like harvesting grain, reaping their lives.
Fang Qiyang landed and controlled his swords to clear the path forward.
Wu Qing called out, “Follow Senior Brother Fang!”
Fang Qiyang and his companions slew their way forward at breakneck speed. Magical lights flashed, countless monsters were flung aside or torn to shreds, and the eight of them shot toward the summit like arrows loosed from a bow. It seemed nothing could stop them; soon they would reach the peak.
In an instant, the mountain monsters howled.
“West Kui Chou, East Xin You, little demons run amok...” Shen Qingyun muttered, “Is there a formation?”
“What is the purpose of driving all the monsters?”
The monsters’ actions soon gave Shen Qingyun his answer.
Starting from the foot of the mountain, monsters surged upward in waves toward the summit.
And atop the mountain, a bloody light suddenly blazed forth!
“This is bad—there’s a formation here!” Fang Qiyang and the others were shocked; the situation had clearly exceeded their expectations.
The monsters howled as they climbed.
“Don’t panic, watch for monster attacks!” Fang Qiyang, though startled, remained calm. As leader, he had to keep his composure.
“Sister Wu Qing, Dreamweaving Technique—put them to sleep!”
“Understood!” Wu Qing called out, forming seals with her hands. Pink light radiated from her body, and as it left her, it flew onto the bloodshot-eyed, roaring monsters.
Once touched by the light, the monsters staggered drunkenly and collapsed, falling asleep.
Watching from above, Shen Qingyun nodded in approval. “The art of enchantment—not bad. If she’d mastered it more deeply, she could turn the hypnotized monsters to her own side.”
But no matter how powerful Wu Qing’s spell, she was only at the foundation stage. After repeated use, her spiritual energy would soon be spent.
In her moment of weakness, a monster wolf, jaws wide, lunged at her amid a stench of blood.
Wu Qing screamed, “Senior Brother Fang!”
Fang Qiyang heard her and turned to see the wolf’s gaping maw. But at that moment, a monster bear attacked him from the other side.
In just two breaths, Fang Qiyang made his decision—to focus on the bear.
Seeing Fang Qiyang’s choice, despair flickered in Wu Qing’s eyes. Whether that despair was for Fang Qiyang or the peril she faced was unclear.
Suddenly, the bracelet on Wu Qing’s wrist emitted a brilliant light. The luminous jade, fierce and sharp, instantly slew the monster wolf. One moment it was baring its fangs, the next it was a corpse.
The jade on the bracelet lost its luster and crumbled into dust. Now, only one jade bead remained.