One-Horned Red Wolf

Daljin, the warrior chosen by the king, probably had about the same skill as Yingjie among the outer disciples, if limited to fights against people. However, when it came to fighting yōma, I felt uneasy.

“Iron-Claw Bears are formidable.”

That meant they were formidable for someone with no experience fighting yōma. I was confident I could defeat one in a single blow.

“I can defeat a bear.”

After saying that, Daljin ran forward with his treasured sword in hand. He seemed to think he could defeat it if he cut it up with his treasured sword. Fundamentally, he was not wrong. However, the fur and muscles of yōma were tough. If one cut them while thinking they were the same as humans, one would only graze the surface. Would he be all right?

When Daljin approached the Iron-Claw Bear, he boldly challenged it to battle. He dodged its vicious claw attack and struck its treasured sword blade into its belly, which was covered in bristly fur. The slash, strengthened with Fifth Tier qi, cut open the Iron-Claw Bear’s belly. However, the wound was shallow and far from fatal.

“It seems he still does not understand how sturdy yōma are.”

When Chai heard my murmur, he looked uneasy.

“Lord Kou, will Lord Daljin be able to defeat it?”

“The fact that he has no experience fighting yōma makes me a little worried.”

While I was saying that, the enraged Iron-Claw Bear charged with the force of a body slam and tried to cover Daljin. Daljin jumped left and dodged. Then he swung his treasured sword down onto the Iron-Claw Bear’s back.

The treasured sword cut open its hairy back, but it was not much damage.

“That will not work. To finish off an Iron-Claw Bear, aim for the neck.”

“I-I understand.”

Daljin replied, but he was quite shaken. It was probably because he had slashed with enough force to split a human in two, yet he had been unable to inflict much damage.

I could see sweat gushing from Daljin’s face. If one received a blow from those vicious claws, it was over, so I remembered how my body had stiffened with fear and anxiety when I first fought an Iron-Claw Bear.

I circulated Floating Yang Qi and Heavy Yin Qi through my body and prepared to fight. When I observed Daljin’s fighting style, he was not using qi efficiently. There also seemed to be problems with his body control art.

“Lord Daljin, shall I assist you?”

Daljin, who was gradually being driven into a corner by the Iron-Claw Bear’s attacks, bit his lip.

“…Please.”

The instant I heard that, I leapt out with my Serpent-Sheep Broadsword in hand. When the Iron-Claw Bear entered my range, I activated the secret technique of the Broadsword Fox-Flame Technique, Yang Fox-Flame, and swung my Serpent-Sheep Broadsword at the Iron-Claw Bear’s neck.

The Serpent-Sheep Broadsword, trailing a tail of flame, beheaded the Iron-Claw Bear. The Iron-Claw Bear, now missing its head, fell to the ground with a heavy sound.

“Huh… what was that?”

Without answering, I stripped off the Iron-Claw Bear’s fur and claws.

“Lord Kou, that strike just now… It looked as if it was spouting fire.”

“That was a secret technique of the Broadsword Fox-Flame Technique.”

Daljin looked as if he wanted me to teach him, but he did not put it into words. He understood that there was no way I would teach him a secret technique of Gyorei Cave.

“Now, let us proceed.”

The meat would become luggage, so we decided to leave it behind. Before we arrived at the lake, we encountered Fang Rabbits and Piercing Wolves, but Daljin defeated them. He probably worked hard to clear away the disgrace of having asked a younger boy for help.

The lake in the Forest of Bewilderment was not that large. However, clean water seemed to be springing up from the lakebed, and it was filled with transparent water. Around it, trees and weeds grew thickly, and ordinary rabbits grazed on the grass.

“If only there were no yōma, this would be a beautiful place.”

I said while looking around the lake.

“I wonder if we will find a One-Horned Red Wolf.”

Daljin seemed to have regained a little confidence after hunting Fang Rabbits and Piercing Wolves.

“Let us search while circling around the lake.”

At my suggestion, we decided to make a full circuit around the lake. There were many large trees that resembled maple trees. If these trees changed color in autumn, the scenery would probably be wonderful.

“It does not seem to be around here. Let us move on.”

“Lord Kou, can you use the Lone Awakening Eye?”

“Yes, I can.”

Since Lone Awakening Eye became usable after one’s qi level reached the Sixth Tier, Daljin, who was at the Fifth Tier, realized that he had lost to me in qi level as well.

“So Lord Kou is also above me in qi. Taoist practitioners truly are amazing.”

There were inner disciples in Gyorei Cave whose qi levels had stalled at the Fifth Tier, so not all Taoist practitioners were amazing. However, once someone became an inner disciple, they could focus on training, so many of them were very skilled in martial arts.

We could not find a One-Horned Red Wolf for quite some time. While searching, we ended up reaching the opposite side of the lake. At that moment, I caught the presence of a yōma. I signaled with my hand for them to be quiet and approached the yōma.

A One-Horned Red Wolf was eating a deer it had killed. That One-Horned Red Wolf noticed us, bared its fangs, and began threatening us with a growl.

The One-Horned Red Wolf looked large up close. Its body was about two meters long, covered in crimson fur, and it had a long horn on its forehead. Rather than a wolf, it had the intensity of a tiger.

That One-Horned Red Wolf began running toward us. It seemed angry that its meal had been interrupted. I readied my Serpent-Sheep Broadsword, and I saw Daljin ready his treasured sword as well.

“Chai-san, please step back.”

“U-understood.”

While sensing Chai moving away, I did not take my eyes off the One-Horned Red Wolf. It chose me as its first target. It leapt from long range and came falling toward my head. I jumped sideways to dodge it and swung my Serpent-Sheep Broadsword toward the One-Horned Red Wolf’s neck.

The One-Horned Red Wolf jumped sideways lightly, as if using Lightness Skill. From that movement, I understood that this was a formidable yōma. Yōma like this were tough, so if the battle dragged on, I would be at a disadvantage. There was no option but a short battle. Daljin, who had approached from behind, tried to cut the One-Horned Red Wolf’s hind leg. The One-Horned Red Wolf noticed and leapt to avoid it.

At that instant, deciding that an opportunity had come, I used the Shrinking Earth Method of Meisen Swordsmanship and closed the distance. Wind was born around me, and I used its momentum to attack the One-Horned Red Wolf with Wind Cutter.

The high-speed movement of the Shrinking Earth Method combined with the high-speed slash produced by qi-enhanced physical ability, and a sharp wind-cutting sound rang out as the blade of the Serpent-Sheep Broadsword caught the One-Horned Red Wolf’s neck.

The One-Horned Red Wolf tried to dodge, but Wind Cutter’s speed surpassed it and severed half its neck. In that instant, a large amount of blood gushed out and dyed the ground red.