Chapter 144: Mistaken for a Mythical Beast

As dawn broke and more soldiers woke, the crowd around them grew steadily larger. Increasing numbers of onlookers gathered to discuss the two strange, ghostly hounds, their bizarre appearance sparking curiosity and debate. People not only speculated whether these spectral dogs were demonic beasts but also questioned whether Da Huang could defeat them. Why did the two monsters only dodge Da Huang’s attacks without retaliating?

Their grotesque and fierce looks seemed intimidating—could it be all just for show? Many insisted they were indeed demonic beasts. If so, why hadn’t they fought back when they attacked the two soldiers earlier? Had they retaliated, the soldiers would have had no chance to counterattack. They hadn’t harmed anyone, didn’t retaliate when attacked by the soldiers, and even when Da Huang confronted them, they neither fled nor struck back, merely circling him without wanting to leave. What could this mean?

After more than a quarter of an hour, seeing that Da Huang still couldn’t subdue the two monsters, Huang Xianlin pointed to a few soldiers nearby and commanded, “You, you, you, and you—block the monsters’ retreat from behind and assist Da Huang in capturing them!”

Five soldiers responded immediately, rushing behind the ghostly hounds, drawing their swords and swinging them back and forth as they advanced and retreated.

Da Huang, having repeatedly tried to scorch the two creatures with fire and flap his wings to strike, yet missing every time due to their agility, grew impatient. Surprised by their nimble evasions, he noticed Huang Xianlin summoning reinforcements and felt underestimated by those around him. He resolved to change his tactics.

With a leap, Da Huang positioned himself between the two spectral hounds and launched a rapid, close-range assault, striking left and right with his jaws and wings in swift succession.

At times, he bit at Bull Flower’s head or neck, rammed his head into its body or skull, and simultaneously struck to the right with his wings or tail. His movements were lightning-fast—each strike delivered and withdrawn instantly.

The two ghost hounds, startled by Da Huang’s sudden close-range blitz and the arrival of five soldiers blocking their escape, realized that if they continued to evade as before, they would likely be caught. Da Huang’s biting force was tremendous, evident from the gusts generated by his jaws. If he managed to clamp down on them, the consequences would be dire.

“We must either flee quickly and wait for our master to awaken before returning, or fight Da Huang and these five soldiers head-on. But a direct confrontation risks injury to both sides. When our master wakes and sees this chaos, he will surely be distressed,” they thought anxiously, dodging with lightning reflexes.

The attacks from Da Huang and the soldiers intensified further. Facing six adversaries—Da Huang, a battle-hardened divine beast ranked among the fiercest on the Wild Continent, and five skilled soldiers tasked with night patrols—the two ghost hounds found themselves increasingly cornered.

“Boss Horse, if this continues, no matter how fast we dodge, we’ll slip up eventually! Should we strike back or retreat?” Bull Flower barked loudly to Boss Horse while evading Da Huang’s attacks.

“Strange… Why hasn’t General Wei awakened yet? Isn’t the soul supposed to revive the body instantly? His soul has been back for so long, yet he remains unconscious,” Boss Horse replied, dodging the soldiers’ strikes.

“Maybe his body is awake but his mind is still foggy, unable to see us or remember us,” Bull Flower speculated.

“That’s possible. Remember, General Wei was pierced in the heart by a divine artifact—such a wound doesn’t heal in just a few days.”

“What should we do? Leave now and return when our master awakens? Or keep stalling Da Huang and the soldiers? If we continue, they’ll likely mistake us for demon beasts and more reinforcements will come. No matter how fast we dodge, there will be a moment of failure. Besides, this Da Huang alone might be too much for us.”

“You’re right. We don’t fear these soldiers, but if more divine beasts or formidable warriors like General Wei join them, we’re doomed. And we don’t know when our master will regain consciousness. Let’s retreat for now and return once he is fully awake.”

“Agreed,” Boss Horse and Bull Flower barked in unison while dodging attacks.

Suddenly, to facilitate a smooth escape, the two ghost hounds howled fiercely at each other and charged.

Bull Flower, facing the soldiers’ assault, let out a thunderous roar and opened all three of his canine mouths wide toward the three soldiers on the left, as if ready to bite. Simultaneously, his tail swept swiftly toward the two soldiers on the right.

The three soldiers on the left, initially confident as Bull Flower only dodged their attacks before, were startled to see all three mouths snap toward them simultaneously. Unaccustomed to fighting such monsters, their confidence wavered but they raised their swords to meet the attack.

Just as their blades were about to strike, Bull Flower didn’t dodge but opened his jaws wide to meet their blows.

Clang! Clang! Clang! The metallic sound of swords striking steel rang out as Bull Flower’s steel-like teeth clamped tightly onto the blades. With a powerful shake of his head to the left, he wrested the swords from the soldiers’ grasp and flung the three men over ten feet away, knocking them to the ground.

Then, with a fierce bite, he snapped all three swords simultaneously, the clanging shattering into six pieces that fell to the ground with resounding clangs.

Meanwhile, the two soldiers on the right raised their blades to counter Bull Flower’s sweeping tail. Two clangs echoed as their weapons were knocked to the ground, their right hands smarting from the impact. They stumbled back ten steps.

Having scared off all five soldiers, Bull Flower bared his three jaws and growled fiercely at the fallen soldiers and the two clutching their injured arms.

The five soldiers, witnessing Bull Flower’s sudden ferocity and how swiftly he disarmed them in less than the time it takes to finish a bowl of water, felt a surge of fear.

In their previous life, the two ghost hounds—Boss Horse and Bull Flower—had been abandoned in the wilderness by their master and mother. To survive, they hunted in the mountains and forests, learning to fight wild beasts. Over time, their hides and tails hardened like steel, making ordinary weapons unable to pierce or cut them.

Later, they starved to death while mourning their master, returning to the underworld, where they served as gatekeepers for hundreds of years, training and cultivating their powers, making their skins even tougher.

After agreeing to retreat temporarily, Boss Horse suddenly launched a fierce attack on Da Huang to secure their escape.

As Da Huang lunged to bite Boss Horse, the spectral hound opened all three mouths simultaneously, each targeting a different spot on Da Huang’s body. The central mouth met Da Huang’s jaws head-on, while the two side mouths bit at his neck. All three snarled loudly, their barks ringing like thunder close to the ears.

At first, Da Huang had underestimated the ghost hounds since they only dodged his attacks. But seeing them counterattack fiercely and even snap blades with their jaws made him realize they were formidable foes.

When Boss Horse’s three jaws lunged at him from different angles, Da Huang retracted his bite and backed away, flapping his steel-like wings simultaneously.

Boss Horse aimed to dodge the wing strikes but was too slow. Da Huang’s powerful wings struck hard against his body and three heads, hurling him several yards backward to crash heavily onto the ground.

Bull Flower barked anxiously, “Boss Horse! Are you alright? Is it serious?”

“No problem! Now that we’re a bit farther from them, let’s get out of here!” Boss Horse howled.

Understanding immediately, Bull Flower leapt into the air toward the nearest wall, followed swiftly by Boss Horse.

The five soldiers gave chase, and Da Huang flapped his wings and soared after the ghost hounds.

Huang Xianlin shouted, “Da Huang, hurry! Don’t let those demon beasts escape!” Then he took to the sky, pursuing them as well.

Just as the ghost hounds flew over the camp’s walls, a commanding voice echoed from above: “Beasts! How dare you attack the Qingfeng Kingdom’s camp? Where do you think you’re going? Surrender at once!”

Looking up, Boss Horse and Bull Flower saw a Taoist priest soaring toward them on a treasured sword.

This was none other than Xuan Zhe Zhen Ren, Wei Xiaoping’s master!

A few days earlier, after treating Wei Xiaoping, Xuan Zhe Zhen Ren had predicted that Wei might awaken today, so he hastened to the military camp early this morning.