Chapter 88: Redirecting Calamity Eastward

Red Cloud had been standing in midair, gathering his strength for quite some time, intending to wait for his opponent to make a move before unleashing a thunderous strike in response.

However, what he did not expect was that after he made the gesture of drawing his blade, the illusion before him remained, yet showed no intention of attacking.

Could it be that his previous strike had been too heavy?

He felt a surge of confusion but, adhering to the principle of not making a move unless the enemy did so first, he continued to wait.

A breath passed, then another, then a third.

A moment, then two, then three...

He did not know how much time had slipped by. Just as he began to feel as if ages had passed and mountains and seas might crumble before anything happened, there was finally a stir before him.

Then, he drew his blade.

With a resonant clang, the flash of the blade tore through the air, and faintly, a wail of anguish drifted by.

When he opened his eyes again, not far ahead, an old wolf stood with a sullen face, clutching its arm and retreating.

“Who are you!” the wolf growled, his power radiating outward—a half-step into the Metamorphosis Realm.

So, his current aura of tribulation was indeed no trifling matter.

Red Cloud ignored the question, lowered his head to inspect his long blade, and with a thought, the Ephemeral Feather Blade dissolved into fragments and returned to its sheath.

The old wolf, seeing Red Cloud still refusing to answer, felt an increasing sense of danger and withdrew dozens of yards further before he felt somewhat reassured.

“Who am I? Just an insignificant nobody,” Red Cloud sneered, playing with the blade’s sheath as he faintly sensed something else. He did not attack and instead said, “Since there are others present, why not reveal yourselves instead of hiding in the shadows?”

As his words fell, two more elder wolf demons—one male, one female—appeared, their presence exuding a dangerous aura that Red Cloud found hard to fathom.

Especially the weapons in their hands, which radiated a lingering, potent tribulation energy, startling him deeply.

These must be the two Wolf Kings!

He had never expected the Howling Moon Wolf Clan to possess two such powerful masters of the Metamorphosis Realm. The artifacts they wielded must surely be the clan treasures left behind by their imperial ancestor. With such strength, it would be impossible for him to keep all of them here.

...

While Red Cloud was pondering his situation, one of the old wolf demons spoke.

“To show our sincerity, we have revealed ourselves. Shouldn’t you now introduce yourself as well?”

They did not attack directly?

It seemed, then, that a fight was unlikely—at least for now.

Thinking this, Red Cloud decided to state one of his reasons for coming: “Since the three of you have appeared, I won’t hide my purpose.”

Red Cloud withdrew his aura, his expression solemn. “I am Zhao Jingcheng, a castaway disciple of the Surging Moon Sect. My master, Elder Inviting Moon, was ambushed and killed by demons. I wish to know whether your Howling Moon Wolf Clan had any involvement in this!”

Hearing his words, the three old wolf demons’ auras surged, then gradually subsided.

“Next time you speak, you’d best finish in one breath, or misunderstandings may arise,” the old crone said, raising the artifact in her hand, which transformed into an eyeball. After a moment, she put it away, nodded to her companions, and, after confirming Red Cloud spoke truthfully, spoke slowly:

“I am responsible for all dealings here, but the authority has long since been handed over to our clan’s Grand Elder...”

Before Red Cloud could speak, the old wolf produced a box wrapped in wolf hide and tossed it to him. “However, your earlier strike was powerful indeed—it has already slain one of our juniors. Here are our clan’s transaction records with the Surging Moon Sect concerning baleful and demon pills. Your master’s name is not among them.”

Red Cloud opened the box and, with a thought, saw many familiar and renowned names, but not his master’s. He understood.

Though he now realized the Howling Moon Wolf Clan was uninvolved, the records contained hundreds, possibly thousands of names.

He did not let the matter rest. Instead, he placed his hand on his blade and declared, “This Grand Elder you mention is already dead by my hand, leaving no witness. I cannot simply leave empty-handed.”

He gathered his aura, tribulation energy surging within, his edge hidden but keen. “Whoever is responsible, I will seek them out myself. But now, having struck twice, I need baleful pills to restore my energy. Would any of you be willing to spare me a hundred or so to help me recover?”

At these words, the atmosphere, which had just begun to ease, once again grew tense.

After a silent pause, one of the old wolf demons broke out laughing.

He produced a wolf fang from his robe and tossed it to Red Cloud, smiling broadly.

“Haha! If you want them, take them. These baleful pills were meant for a transaction with the Blood Moon’s Supreme Elder. Since you wish to trouble the Surging Moon Sect, they’re yours.”

Red Cloud caught the wolf fang and sent his consciousness within—dozens of Howling Moon demon pills were stored inside.

Feeling the potent energy, he was inwardly pleased. He cast a long, deep look at the three old wolf demons, regret flickering in his eyes.

He spread the wings of clouds upon his back, and with a single beat, vanished from sight.

“Thank you for your hospitality. Henceforth, the grievance between myself and the Howling Moon Wolf Clan is settled. As long as your clan does not cross me in the future, I, Zhao Jingcheng, will never raise my hand against any of your kin!”

...

When Red Cloud had gone far, the three old wolves remained vigilant, but the tension had eased.

“Big brother, why did you give all those baleful pills to that fellow!” the first wolf who had appeared growled, his voice thick with unwillingness. “With our combined strength and imperial artifacts in hand, even late-stage Metamorphosis demons would have to flee. Why compromise?”

“We could have fought and stood a good chance of winning,” the leader said, hands clasped behind his back, eyes deep as he gazed in the direction Red Cloud had vanished, “but are you certain we could keep him here without fail?”

“Have you not noticed your severed arm has not grown back? Only an imperial artifact can inflict such a wound! Your Phantom Wolf Smoke Pouch was seen through, and Seventh Sister’s Void-Gazing Evil Eye could not discern his cultivation or weapon. Do you still not understand what this means?”

As his words fell, he saw his companion lost deep in thought, and turned to leave.

“This man does not cultivate the Metamorphosis path of the Surging Moon Sect! Their disciples must undergo the Moon Heart Mirror’s trial to break through, and those of the Blood Moon lineage long ago lost their chance. Now we have shifted blame onto that old Blood Moon wretch—let him perish, for only then can we hope to recover our clan’s losses.”