The Sacred Ruins

The forest became silent. There was no-one around the wolf peeping at its lifeless body. That batch of Westerners with the others had taken to their heels and scuttled away.

There were no more sounds of battle, and only sounds of silence prevailed.

It took Du Huaijin and Ouyang Qing quite some time to dig out that pair of wolf teeth from the precipitous hill. The mere sight of these teeth made them quake with terror.

This was the weapon that the Ash Wolf had used to make its last strike. They were hurled at Chu Feng, but they missed. Instead, they pierced through a boulder then crushed into the hill. Nothing could stand in their way.

The teeth were over a meter long. They were thicker than an arm and heavier than a truck.

Ash Wolf failed to reach the state of nirvana, and these teeth were the products of that failure. They were only beginning to take shape, far from becoming the largest size they could be. If the wolf had been given the time to be reborn, these teeth would have grown thicker and bigger.

"Why do I feel some sort of mysterious energy flowing inside these teeth?" Ouyang Qing doubted.

He passed it on to Chu Feng. Chu Feng nodded and said, "Full of energy, full of life!"

He guessed that this mysterious energy might be somehow related the state of nirvana. The teeth were a rich energy resource. They could be carved into weapons or decorative pendants.

He wanted to make some beads for his parents, and these were perhaps the best materials he could find. The energy that was stored inside these teeth would greatly benefit the wearer’s health.

The Ash Wolf was a beast king, so every part of its body had certain values. It had become an object of envy even for those who lived abroad; it would be even more so for the domestic market.

Ye Qingrou and Chen Luoyan returned with splendid achievements. They followed up their victory with hot pursuit, killing almost all the remnants of those defeated troops. Those who were captured would be turned in to the authority for interrogation.

This time, the team had made some astonishing achievements. Chu Feng killed the Ash Wolf, and without a doubt, this would make a huge splash throughout the country. Chu Feng could imagine what a great stir this must have created.

They were gazing at Chu Feng as if they were looking at a monster. The scene of the battle was still vividly replayed in their head. They still felt astonished.

"Alright! Before we say anything, let’s drink a toast to victory! Here! Find me some bottles. I will quench my thirst for the blood of this wolf!" Chu Feng said.

His words made the other four grow dizzy.

Chu Feng laughed out loud. He found some water bottles in their equipment box, then he filled them with the wolf’s blood.

The military arrived just as this team of five clinking glasses to victory.

There was an elder person walking amongst the marching troops. When he saw that these people were about to gulp down the blood of the beast king, he was scared out of his wits. "No! Don’t drink it! Unrefined blood will only poison you! Don’t drink it!"

This old man oversaw one of the best research teams in the country. He ran towards those people as the rest of the troops followed him at the back. The old man puffed and panted. He had been left breathless and pale-faced by the run.

This grey-haired old man couldn’t find a word to express his shock. He had never run into anyone who would be so careless. What kind of bravery would it take for someone to just gulp in the blood of a beast king without knowing the consequences?

Blood of a beast king was a rare treasure. For the country’s best research teams, this was something that would get them to beat up each other until someone got a bloody nose and a swollen face. Every researcher was hoping for some sort of findings in this scientific field, so for them, every droplet of blood was priceless.

But what about these people? These people were drinking the blood with a bloody one liter kettle!

"Are you sure that it’s gonna be poisonous?" Ouyang Qing had his doubt.

In fact, they weren’t really planning to drink that blood anyway, because they feared that it might be poisonous. However, they had seen the military coming, so they clinked the glasses just to see how they would react.

"Blood of a beast king could potentially help you evolve, but it needs to be refined first. The active gradients need to be extracted then coupled with some other medicine. Otherwise, the effect won’t be great," the old man patiently explained.

He had to treat them with respect. After all, they were the wolf-slaying heroes of this country; there were also instructions from a higher authority stating that as soon as the blood was refined, these people would be the first to get them.

Chu Feng was standing in the distance in his hazardous suit and a helmet to disguise his identity. He didn’t want to be surrounded and watched by too many people.

But in reality, people had already been gawking at him. Killing the Ash Wolf single-handedly was too striking of an achievement for them not to be awed.

There were mutants amongst the military too, who were all quite excited to see this wolf-slaying hero. If it wasn’t for the strict discipline and regulations, Chu Feng would have been hemmed in by these people and pestered by all sorts of questions right now. People held him in high esteem, and they fervently wished that they could talk to him.

Even the researchers were in a very ardent mood, especially that old man. He ran straight at Chu Feng, looking fervent in the eyes.

"Stop there, old man! Don’t come near me! And don’t you say a word!’ Chu Feng warned him. The fervor in his eyes was the result of extreme passion. And when passion reaches its extremity, madness was the only product. Chu Feng knew what this mad scientist wanted, and that’s why he told him to stop.

The crowd was speechless. They, too, had guessed what the old man was wishing for.

The old man himself, however, stammered and stuttered. He was at a loss for words. He was passionately wishing that Chu Feng could offer him some of his blood for testing.

But, how should he ask for this?

"I know what you want, so shut up before I sew your mouth shut!" Chu Feng warned the old man.

The crowd couldn’t help laughing.

The old man walked away, looking embarrassed. He was at a loss for words. Normally, no-one would dare to go against his wishes, but in face of Chu Feng, there was nothing he could do.

A crowd of professional researchers surrounded the body of the Ash Wolf. They quickly treated the body using special processes. Some were emptying the organs, while others were collecting the blood. Everything was done quickly to ensure the freshness of these vital tissues.

Then, they quickly load the truck with what they had packed. Not a single minute was wasted in the process.

"Sir, we are wishing for a rapid refinement procedure. If the blood could help us evolve, we hope that we’ll get to drink them as soon as possible," Ouyang Qing eagerly urged.

"Wait!" Chu Feng shouted, "you can take the rest of the body, but leave us with the legs."

The researchers were confused. They looked at him with a look of bewilderment; but when Chu Feng told them that he wished to roast the legs just to fill his stomach, their faces turned green. They stood in a line, forming a meat shield to stop Chu Feng from coming near the body, and then they shouted, "You can’t eat the meat! You’re recklessly wasting god’s good gifts!"

In the end, that cunning old man settled the commotion by saying, "The nuclear blast had contaminated the meat of this wolf. Eating its meat is the same as eating arsenic trioxide."

Chu Feng turned to look at the other members of his team, but Clairvoyant, Clairaudient, Ye Qingrou and Chen Luoyan were all shaking their heads like a rattle-drum. They would rather die than to eat the meat.

"Alright then."

In the end, Chu Feng walked away with the two buckteeth on his shoulders.

This was a heart-breaking moment for the researchers. Some were weeping, while others were wailing as Chu Feng disappeared in the horizon with the buckteeth.

These people had a hidden bitterness in their heart. They were like a young woman who had been thwarted in love, full of grievances and complaints.

On that day, Chu Feng secretly hopped on a plane heading for Shuntian, while the rest of the team was staying in the region to take up a matter with the military. They needed to report the course of the battle and details of the fight to the people from the army.

Meanwhile, the outside world was boiling over with excitement.

The Ash Wolf was killed, and the influence was huge.

People were still watching the rebroadcast even days after the fight. Everyone was shocked. The fact that a man could single-handedly decapitate the head of a beast king was truly inspiring!

"Who is he?!"

This was the question that everyone was itching to know the answer to. However, because the fighter was clad in a helmet during the broadcast, his face wasn’t quite distinguishable.

And after the helmet was beaten into pieces, the man was shrouded in rolling pebbles and billowing smoke, making it even more difficult for people to see.

Jiang Luoshen replayed the recordings of the broadcast again and again. Her eyes were fixated on the screen.

Similarly, Lin Naoi was also replaying the recording again and again.

News like this had wings. It spread fast and broad. Before long, the recordings caused a sensation overseas. People had grown envious. They were dying to get their hands on the body of that beast king. For them, the corpse had inestimable scientific value.

On that day, the military stepped in. They contacted the European governments and sent them photos of the leaders who were involved in the attack on Chu Feng. They were asking for rewards for the capture of these criminals.

These were some of the criminals who had been wanted for many years in Europe.

Officials in Europe were at a loss for words when they received the message. "You’ve already gotten the body of Ash Wolf, so f*ck off, we ain’t gonna give you no rewards!"

In the plane, Chu Feng’s body was crackling. He was using the thunderous breathing rhythm to nurse his impaired health.

The effect was immediate. His body was resonating with the rhythm of his breath. His organs turned clear and crystallized, and his bones were shivering. It felt like a thunderclap was hitting on his flesh and his spirit. The impurities of his body were discharged onto his skin along with his sweat.

The injury on his hand was recovering. There were extravasated [1] blood permeating through his skin, and there was also a glint of luster hovering over the wound. Within seconds, the wound was healed.

Everyday, Chu Feng practiced both sets of breathing rhythms. For him, it had long become a routine.

Hours later, his communicator rang. It was Yellow Ox. The calf wanted to video chat with him.

"Moo!" Yellow Ox had a weird expression in its eyes. Clearly, the calf had seen the video too.

Meanwhile, the black yak squeezed itself into the frame too. The yak gazed at Chu Feng and said, "Good job, son! Good job on getting rid of that old dog for me. I’ve got to admit, you’re somewhat like a younger me! Close, but not quite yet."

"Yo, Old Blacky! Thanks for the compliment, but I want to know, what do you mean by ‘a younger you’. How young exactly? Like a few hundred years younger, or a few thousand?" Chu Feng was taking the opportunity to know the yak’s age.

"Get lost, you bastard! Wait ‘till I get back to Shuntian! You’ll wish that you’re rather dead than alive. How many times do you need me to remind you? I’m Demon Ox, not Old Blacky!" The black yak sounded irritated.

Chu Feng laughed out loud. It wasn’t really his fault. The name Old Blacky was just too good to be phased out. He explained, "Mr. Demon Ox, I didn’t mean it to sound rude. I know you are a ‘senpai’, but I just want to know a little bit more about your origin. For example, when were you born?"

"Do you not know what age means to us? It’s a big secret!" The black yak refused to tell him. "Ha-ha, but I’ve got good news for you."

This immediately had Chu Feng interested. He asked, "What good news? Tell me!"

"I’m just here to pass on some news I heard on the grapevine, alright? They are not confirmed, but I’ve heard that some beast kings were threatening to kill you!"

This immediately cast a gloom over Chu Feng’s happy face. "Which old bastard was that?" he said. He still sounded tough, but in reality, fear had overcome him.

"Ah, why so serious? It’s just a joke. I don’t know who hates you the most, but I’m sure as hell that someone is itching to see you dead. Have you ever heard of the saying: ‘the gun will always shoot the bird in the limelight’? Yes, you killed that old dog, Ash Wolf, but I can reassure you, this is not the end of it yet," the black yak warned.

Chu Feng solemnly nodded.

"What are you guys doing at Kunlun? I’m dying to join you guys!"

"Come! Why not? I’m sure there is beast king here itching to entertain you with courtesy and warmth." The black yak laughed maliciously.

"Chu Feng! Come join us! Kunlun Mountains are completely different nowadays! Looking from a distance, we can vaguely see the temple of Hsi Wang Mu [2], but the problem is, we don’t have enough manpower to conquer that place!" Zhou Quan yelled. He really needed someone to keep his company. He needed someone like Chu Feng to be in his company to remind him that he was still a man and not a beast.

...

The two talked on the phone for hours until Chu Feng’s communicator went out of battery.

The flight arrived at Shuntian before it broke dawn. His journey home was rather smooth. He didn’t jump to bed when he got home; instead, he bathed himself in the rosy dawn, practicing the special breathing technique.

The special breathing technique could be used during battle, but it was only effective at dawn and at dusk.

The morning glow was golden and rich, shrouding Chu Feng with generous vitality. When the exercise stopped, the wounds on his hands healed up completely. Not even a scar was left to see.

Chu Feng was astounded by what he could achieve using this special breathing rhythm. This technique was way too extraordinary!

At last, Wang Jing and Chu Zhiyuan realized that their son had come back. They barricaded him inside his bedroom.

"You little brat! Where have you been hiding out? Tell me, what did you do to that girl during the date?" Wang Jing pulled his ear.

In front of his parents, Chu Feng was a completely different person. He grimaced with pain, having none of those hot tempers in front of his mother. He was still the obedient son who would willingly accept any punishment.

"Mom, I wasn’t lying to you. It was that girl being too picky. She was taking no fancy to me. Not even a single bit!" Chu Feng explained while entreating his mom to let him go.

"Bullsh*t! Her auntie told me this morning that the girl was trying to reach you on your phone last night, but you didn’t answer. So, I think you’re wrong. What I think is that, she might still like you!" Wang Jing said.

"What? How is that possible? Oh! I know! My communicator went out of battery in the morning yesterday," Chu Feng said with a frown.

...

Early in the morning, Xia Qianyu was talking to Jiang Luoshen on the phone. She sounded full of grievances. "Luoshen, that lecher must have blacklisted me. I called him last night as well as this morning, but he answered neither of those calls. Do you know how angry I am right now? He? The f*cking lecher blacklisted me? Can you believe this? Ah, by the way, why did you need me to call him last night?"

"Hmm... I just don’t want to give up just yet. What if he turns out to be a perfect match for you? You never know what fate can cause to happen," Jiang Luoshen answered.

"Hey! What are you talking about? Why the hell do you still want me to have dealings with that guy?!" Xia Qianyu screamed, "oh, I know. Luoshen, be honest with me. You ain’t planning to have some quirky relationship with him, are you?"

"What’re you talking about? Please try to contact him for me. Please?"

...

At Chu Feng’s house.

Wang Jing was in the kitchen, cooking breakfast for the family, so Chu Feng was left alone with his father. Chu Zhiyuan wore a serious expression. "Are you the wolf-slayer?" he asked.

He watched the broadcast. Although the man on camera was wearing a hazardous suit and a helmet, but after replaying the film over and over again, he began to doubt that it was, in fact, his son fighting with the wolf.

Wang Jing had never related his son to the event though. She always thought that Chu Feng was staying at Hollow Jade Temple.

Chu Zhiyuan didn’t tell her his doubt because he was afraid that she might grow worried.

"It was indeed me!" Chu Feng nodded. He never thought that his father could have such sharp eyes and such a discerning mind.

Later, the two watched the recording again. The man on camera was so well-disguised that not even an old acquaintance would recognize him. The hazardous suit made him look cumbersome, and the helmet covered his face completely.

Although the helmet broke in the end, his face was still indistinguishable amidst the surging sandstorm that were stirred up by the wolf.

"You’re risking your life!" Chu Zhiyuan said. He had been worrying since the moment he realized that the wolf-slaying warrior was his son, but he was deeply shocked when he saw his son coming back home unscathed. "But I never thought you were this strong!"

"I wouldn’t go if I’m not sure of winning." Chu Feng tried his best to sound relaxed. Then, he said with a visceral smile on his face, "I brought presents for you and mom!"

He brought out a pair of buckteeth from under the bed and said, "Later, we’ll polish these buckteeth and make them into beads and pendants. You and mom will both wear them; it will keep you both in good health!"

He was sure that the rich energy flow in the teeth would benefit their health.

Chu Zhiyuan was astounded by the sheer size of these teeth. From the mere sight of the teeth, he could already imagine how terrifying the beast itself must have been.

"The world is boiling over with admiration right now. People are guessing who this warrior is. The fact that I have recognized you means that someone else must have too," Chu Zhiyuan said.

"You’re my father, so of course, you will recognize me. Trust me, no-one else will have that pair of sharp eyes you’ve got." Chu Feng grinned at his dad.

"Turn on your communicator and see who has been looking for you," Chu Zhiyuan said.

Chu Feng nodded. He plugged in his phone then turned on the communicator. Chu Feng felt light-headed as soon as the display was on. There were way too many unanswered calls.

He glanced through the list. The names gave him a headache: Lin Naoi, Xia Qianyu...

...

[1] (The process of subcutaneous tissue letting out blood to the surrounding area to cause bruises)

[2] (Queen Mother of the West, a mythological figure, usu described as a beautiful immortal)