Lingqian turned around, and her previously somewhat displeased expression instantly turned into astonishment.
She only saw that the flames burning on the straw suddenly weakened, while the black smoke that floated out rotated in a clockwise direction, entwining around the entire bundle of straw and my arms. At the same time, the water in the bowl on the right side kept bubbling, as if it were boiling water, but no white smoke came out.
"Double qi, the convergence of the Five Elements, connecting humans with heaven and earth. He has succeeded, but it's a pity that Qin Qianqiu has already succeeded in positioning, so no matter how much we interfere, it's useless."
Ling Qian shook her head and said, but at this moment, I coughed a few times and suddenly opened my eyes. The fat man hurriedly walked up to me, only about a meter away from me, and immediately shouted in a high-pitched voice, "Damn it, why is it so hot?"
"Cough..."
I kept coughing, the fat man felt hot, but I felt cold all over, shivering. Even my lips turned purple. I waved my hand and said, "About thirty miles to the south of the village, there's a cave where the energy is chaotic, with three strange auras lingering. If I'm not mistaken, that's also the place Qin Qianqiu decided on."
For the first time, Ling Qian looked at me with an incredulous expression, as if she didn't quite believe it. In fact, from the beginning of our acquaintance until today, Ling Qian never really looked up to me and the fat man. She was an expert in her field, while the fat man and I were just representatives of outsiders in this circle.
Today, however, she was impressed.
"You didn't stop Qin Qianqiu; instead, you used the Five Elements' energy to locate him on your own."
After hearing her words, I forced a smile and said, "Have you ever seen a pawn defeating a general? The comparison between me and Qin Qianqiu is like me as a pawn and him as a general, there's simply no comparison. With my meager skills, I couldn't possibly hinder him, so I decided to change tactics. Qin Qianqiu's earth-traveling technique actually uses his own energy and the earth's energy, which is similar to my 'Wudang Five Elements Technique'. Since I couldn't stop him, I ended up hitching a ride on his coattails."
"Wait..." The fat man was a little slow to understand and shook his head, "Damn it, I don't understand. Can you simplify what you're saying?"
"Actually, with my current meager skills, I can't possibly communicate with the energy of heaven and earth. It's too difficult. So I lowered the difficulty and used my energy to communicate with Qin Qianqiu's energy, following his aura and finally determining his position, which is equivalent to finding the location of the monster we're looking for."
You have to learn to be flexible. Always thinking in a one-track way often leads to detours.
Ling Qian looked at me for a while, then said, "Not bad."
I pursed my lips. I didn't really want this girl's praise, but I couldn't stand being called useless all the time.
"Don't come over now."
As I said this, I picked up some eggs from the ground and gently placed them on my forehead. The surface of the eggs quickly began to change colors, sometimes turning red and sometimes slowly turning blue.
"This method is good. The eggs absorb the chaotic energy in his body. Was this taught to you by an elder?"
Ling Qian asked, and I didn't say anything. After a while, my face returned to normal. When I stood up, I realized that my entire back was soaked. This was the first time I had used the 'Wudang Five Elements Technique' in an actual situation, and it exposed many of my inadequacies.
"Qin Qianqiu is making a move outside, what should we do?" The fat man asked while standing at the window.
"I'll change my clothes and leave immediately. We can't let them succeed!"
After saying this, Ling Qian raised her foot and walked into her own room.
This woman sometimes creates trouble. Men only have a few pieces of clothing for all seasons, but women are different. They need to bring several outfits. This time, we not only have to deal with the monster but also be on guard against Qin Qianqiu, a master. So Ling Qian finally changed out of that skirt and put on a "Deer Brand" shirt, as well as a pair of black canvas pants, with a pair of Warrior brand sneakers on her feet.
To avoid becoming cannon fodder for Qin Qianqiu and his group, I suggested that the three of us hide behind Qin Qianqiu and wait for him and the monster in the cave to fight it out, then we could reap the benefits.
"You're a cunning little guy!" The fat man mocked me as he walked.
"Nonsense, this is called being smart!"
I laughed and replied with a mocking tone.
The road was not convenient for driving because it was all mountains and forests for thirty miles. The three of us did not walk very fast, always maintaining a distance from Qin Qianqiu and the other four. When we arrived, Ling Qian and I climbed onto nearby tree branches. Fatty, being too heavy, couldn't climb the tree and could only hide behind a boulder.
Through the leaves, I could vaguely see a large cave, about 4 to 5 meters high from my estimation. The entrance was covered with leaves and rocks, but even so, it was not very concealed.
Around the cave, I could see some scattered animal bones and corpses. My eyesight was good, and I could see several dead animal heads scattered about. Obviously, there was something terrifying inside the cave.
Qin Qianqiu probably had already noticed the three of us, but masters are always proud. He probably thought that the three of us couldn't cause any trouble, even if we followed him, so he had no intention of attacking us first.
I saw him wave his hand, and the three young men beside him quickly spread out. One stood on a mound behind the cave, and the other two stood on either side, holding something similar to ancient crossbows in their hands.
"What kind of weapons are they using?" I asked strangely.
"This is called a demon-hunting crossbow, it's from the northeast. The arrowheads are usually tied with explosives or enchanted. It's a relatively professional weapon. The demon-hunting crossbow itself is not expensive, but the arrowheads are specially made and quite pricey," Ling Qian explained patiently this time.
Qin Qianqiu put his hands behind his back and whistled. The young man standing on the mound behind suddenly ran up and leaped to the top of the cave from the back, then took something out of his pocket and threw it into the cave. His movements were too fast for me to see clearly.
After that thing fell into the cave, some pale yellow gas immediately emerged. This gas seemed unusual. Even from a distance, I could smell a faint, pungent odor when the breeze blew.
"They used some poison sacs from earth beasts wrapped in thin balloons. When thrown, they burst open, releasing toxic gas. Didn't you see that they're all wearing masks now?" Ling Qian pointed out, and indeed, the few people who weren't wearing masks before were now all wearing them.
After a few moments of quiet, there was a sudden violent reaction from inside the cave. I heard two muffled roars, like some kind of monster. But this roar seemed different from the giant roar I had heard before!
"It seems different..." I said but didn't finish my sentence before two monsters rushed out of the cave, their footsteps heavy, making a "boom boom" sound!
Qin Qianqiu took a few steps back. Just then, the monsters rushed out of the cave, and the first thing we saw was a bull! The bull's entire body was a bright red color, with long, thick, and blackish horns on its head, far larger than any bull I had seen in the fields. It was truly a huge creature.
"A Black Horned Bull!" I said, my eyes widening.
"Do you know it?" Ling Qian asked strangely.
"It's recorded in my 'Wild Tales of the Mountains.' The black horned bull is a kind of earth beast, somewhere between an earth beast and a common wild animal. It was first discovered during the Tang Xuanzong period. Adult black horned bulls have skin as red as blood, but their horns are jet black, and because their horns are so eye-catching, they got their name. The most valuable part of a black horned bull is its horns, which can be used as magical instruments or for exorcising spirits. They are some of the favorite things of Tibetan sorcerers. However, they are rarely seen nowadays, as many black horned bulls are slaughtered when they are young and before their horns have grown. So, their horns are more valuable now!" I replied in a low voice, still not saying everything. Adult black horned bulls are very difficult to deal with, not only are they strong, but they are also very aggressive. But they don't eat meat, and there were the corpses of wild animals scattered around the cave, indicating that there must be even more frightening carnivorous monsters inside the cave!
As I was talking to Linqian, the young man standing at the left side of the cave entrance took the lead, triggering the crossbow in his hand, and the arrow immediately shot out, accurately hitting the body of the black-horned cow and piercing its neck. However, the wound didn't seem deep; the black-horned cow's body was strong, and its muscles were well-developed, making it difficult for the arrow to penetrate completely.
But it seemed that he hadn't originally intended to kill the black-horned cow with just this arrow. A rope was tied to the end of the crossbow arrow, and the other end of the rope was connected to the hunting crossbow. After the man shot the black-horned cow, he immediately pulled the rope tight.
"Moo!"
The black-horned cow exclaimed in pain. At the same time, the man on the right quickly raised the hunting crossbow, pulled the trigger, but the arrow didn't shoot towards the black-horned cow. Instead, it passed through the top of the cow's head, pulled by a long rope, and accurately landed in front of the man on the left. As the arrow hit the ground, the man suddenly stepped back, pulling the rope tight!
I found it strange. What tactics were these two using? They could have just directly attacked the black-horned cow. What was the purpose of the rope going back and forth over the cow's head?
Before I could ask, a sudden change occurred in front of me. The rope shot by the man on the right suddenly shook lightly, and countless silver powder scattered down. It looked quite beautiful from a distance, like colorful snowflakes. The black-horned cow was still struggling wildly, dragging the man on the left, tumbling on the ground several times. After all, the strength of this earth beast was much greater than that of a human. However, it was unexpected that the silver powder sprinkled in the air at this moment had an amazing effect!
The silver powder landed on the back of the black-horned cow and actually melted like snowflakes, penetrating into the body of the cow in a few seconds. The black-horned cow, which had been struggling desperately, suddenly froze, its eyes staring wide, but its body suddenly stiffened, and foam began to dribble from its mouth. After a moment, its body shook unsteadily, giving the feeling that it was about to collapse.
"What's going on?"
I asked in surprise.
"The silver powder is actually not powder, but a type of small insect called 'Cloud Insect.'" Linqian pointed at the silver powder and said, leaving me feeling puzzled.
"These cloud insects are used in a kind of magic in Myanmar. The local sorcerers have been nurturing the mother insects of the cloud insects for generations. The mother insects produce many larvae in each brood, and these larvae are processed by the sorcerers in a special way before they grow, making them unable to mature but retaining the toxins. When the cloud insects land on the skin of a human or animal, they die immediately, and the toxins inside their bodies will gush out and penetrate into the body of the animal. When the toxins accumulate to a certain level, poisoning occurs. The black-horned cow is indeed strong, but it can't resist the poison."
Linqian explained in great detail, leaving me somewhat astonished. How did she have such a clear understanding of the magic used in Myanmar? But this was not the time to delve into this.
The poisoned black-horned cow lay on the ground, and Qin Qianqiu smiled and greeted, while the two men hurried over to tie up the black-horned cow with a rope. This huge earth beast had lost its previous majesty and lay on the ground like a dying patient.
However, both Linqian and I understood that this black-horned cow was just an appetizer; the real big guy was still inside the cave. Before, with the help of Qin Qianqiu's spiritual sensing, I had detected three different strange energies inside the cave, and the black-horned cow was just one of them, and the weakest at that.
After the black-horned cow was dragged away, the cave became calm for a long time. I had just heard two angry roars, but now it was eerily quiet. I frowned, as if I were on the eve of an approaching storm.
"Thud, thud..."
The sound suddenly came, and I pursed my lips, knowing that a big guy was probably about to come out.
Generally, except for earth beasts of the same specific type, different earth beasts rarely lived together, especially herbivorous earth beasts and carnivorous earth beasts, it was like wolves and sheep living together, only a matter of time before they were eaten. Since the cave had black-horned cows, but there were many bodies like dry bones around, it indicated that the black-horned cows were cohabiting with some kind of carnivorous earth beast. This was a very unusual phenomenon that I couldn't fathom.
The giant footsteps sounded very heavy, and a tall figure slowly walked out from the cave entrance, as if walking upright. It even looked somewhat human.
"Could it be that giant?" I couldn't help saying, but quickly dismissed the thought in my mind. I had seen the giant twice before; although he was huge, he walked without making any sound.
The giant footsteps continued, and the young man standing above the cave looked slightly changed and shouted, "Big brother, it's a formidable creature."
Qin Qianqiu smiled slightly, nodded, and then waved his hand. Three young men immediately retreated with the black-horned cow to some large rocks, standing guard together. The bound black-horned cow weakly growled towards the direction of the cave, seemingly seeking help from the monster inside.
The clouds above slowly dispersed, and the brilliant sunlight shone down. I squinted and finally saw a giant claw reaching out from the cave! The entire claw had sharp claws, very long and sharp but white, surrounded by a circle of yellow fur, and some dark brown striped patterns could be seen!
"This..." I widened my eyes, somewhat uncertain, and also seemed surprised. Linqian tugged on me and asked, "Do you know something you're not saying?"
"Tiger swallows evil spirits, capable of transforming into a ghost-tiger, devouring flesh, absorbing souls, and seizing spirits! Could it be the formidable earth creature, the ghost-tiger, as written in the "Mountain and Wilderness Tales"?"
I finally spoke out, the ghost-tiger was one of the deep-seated ghostly creatures I remembered from the "Mountain and Wilderness Tales", and the reason for my vivid memory was simple - because the description of the ghost-tiger in the "Mountain and Wilderness Tales" was extremely frightening. The passage describing the ghost-tiger was on the next page after the evil spirits. According to the book, tigers are powerful and dominant, but they also have good and bad aspects. A good tiger protects the mountains and forests, and can control various ghosts, monsters, and demons in the area. However, an evil tiger poses a great threat, causing havoc and even committing heinous acts such as eating people and destroying villages. If an evil tiger consumes too many people, resentment naturally accumulates within its body. However, as the king of all animals, a tiger's resentment cannot be controlled. But if the evil tiger eats enough people to the point that vengeful spirits appear, and if those vengeful spirits are then swallowed by the evil tiger, the combination of their resentment and the influence of the ghosts could transform the evil tiger into a ghost-tiger.
There is a rumor that the ghost-tiger can roam between the realms of the living and the dead, not only consuming people but also swallowing ghosts, making it a formidable character feared above and below the ground.
To describe it in the words of the "Mountain and Wilderness Tales" "Evil spirits within tigers, flee upon sight."
I never expected that the mysterious giant had not yet appeared, and yet I encountered a character that made me so apprehensive!
The sunlight was beautiful, and the retracted claw slowly slipped back into the darkness, and for a long time, no sign of the creature resembling the ghost-tiger emerged from inside. Perhaps because of the strong resentment accumulated within its body, it was afraid of being exposed to the sun. Qin Qianqiu seemed quite confident in this aspect, and I have to admit, I admired him for that. He seemed unshakably calm.
However, the tranquility inside and outside the cave did not last long. A large mass of clouds drifted from the distance in the sky, slowly obscuring the sunlight. The ghost-tiger finally emerged from the cave.
It was truly a huge creature, with a slightly arched back, distinct striped patterns on its body, a raised tail, and the black "king" symbol representing its status as the king of all animals visible on its forehead. Its eyes emitted a strong green light. It revealed its sharp fangs to Qin Qianqiu, emitting a low growl, a warning.
"Such a big tiger!"
I couldn't help but exclaim. I had seen tigers in the zoo, but the feeling was completely different from encountering a wild tiger, especially a ghost-tiger. The body length was definitely more than three meters, claws sharper than razors, teeth stronger than rocks, and the aura emanating from its entire body was telling me one thing this was not just an earth creature, but a true monster!
"Did you see those eyes? They're green, right? That's one of the hallmarks of the ghost-tiger. It also has a ghost-shaped black mark on its white fur. Damn, such a huge ghost-tiger! It's likely the one that devoured the villagers nearby!"
I nervously spoke.