Chapter Forty-Three: The Wager

"Indeed, the dragon’s phantom that blocked my Proud World Technique just now came from you. Could it be you possess some rare treasure? As far as I know, only members of the dragon race can manifest such a vivid form, but you’re just a mortal. It must be some dragon soul—yes, that must be it!" Che Zhonglou became ever more convinced of his guess, and looked at Lin Feng with a cheerful smile.

The look in his eyes made Lin Feng uneasy—was this man going to kill him for his treasure?

"Hey, don’t look at me like that. I, Che Zhonglou, don’t care for things belonging to the dragon clan. Those arrogant creatures, with their eyes on top of their heads, rely on their myriad treasures to run roughshod over others. If you have such a treasure, keep it safe. If word gets out… well, you know the consequences without me saying a word," Che Zhonglou advised.

"Dragon soul? Could it be that Senior Ye Kun’s Violet Dragon Golden Seal has a dragon sealed within? Why didn’t he ever tell me that?" Lin Feng’s thoughts raced as he pondered the matter.

"Kid, let me give you a piece of advice. Next time, assess the situation before you act. You were lucky it was me you ran into this time—if it were anyone else, you might not have been so fortunate." Che Zhonglou’s white eyebrows twitched, his round face flushed.

Lin Feng flushed with embarrassment and retorted, "If you hadn’t attacked first, I wouldn’t have risked my life. For someone your age, you sure are quick to deny responsibility!"

"What! Are you saying I’m shirking blame?" Che Zhonglou stomped his feet in anger. "Infuriating! Absolutely infuriating! I… I…"

He hopped and stamped about, cracking the rocks beneath his feet. Lin Feng felt a chill—just how powerful was this eccentric?

"Fine! Since you say it all started because of me, what’s the point of arguing? If word gets out and ruins my good name, I’ll be at a loss. Forget it—say what you want!" Che Zhonglou rolled up his sleeves, planting his hands on his hips like a street ruffian.

Lin Feng wasn’t afraid of him. This sort was all bluster—his bark was worse than his bite, and he wasn’t truly malicious.

"Nothing much—just send us back."

Che Zhonglou was displeased at this, his eyes darting about. "That’s all? Don’t try to trick me. I bet you don’t know how famous I am. Ha! But I’ll let it go. Hmm… How about this—this little fellow here has been cultivating for some time. As an elder, I’ll give it a hand, and we’ll call it even. In the future, when I see Brother Shentu, well…"

As he spoke, Che Zhonglou moved to act. Lin Feng hurriedly flashed a look at Wuzhu, worried the eccentric might pull a trick. But to his surprise, the Moonhowl Sky Wolf seemed excited, wagging both tongue and tail in eager anticipation, utterly affectionate.

"Little one, meeting me is your good fortune. It’s been decades since the Sky Wolf clan produced a junior who formed a core. Brother Shentu has been lonely for too long—now he’ll have company, ha ha…"

The speaker was unintentional, but the listener was attentive. Lin Feng’s thoughts spun quickly. If this Brother Shentu was a senior of the Sky Wolf clan, then what was Che Zhonglou’s identity? A wandering demon cultivator?

As he pondered, Che Zhonglou closed his eyes, pressed his palm to Wuzhu’s head, and a gentle blue light flickered and danced. The Moonhowl Sky Wolf closed its eyes as well, quietly accepting the strange glow.

A moment later, the light faded. Che Zhonglou slowly opened his eyes and exhaled. Wuzhu, meanwhile, sat cross-legged like a human, meditating on the spot.

"What did you do?" Lin Feng’s tone grew respectful—he knew Che Zhonglou had just helped Wuzhu.

The old man smiled. "For a demon beast to reach fulfillment, breathing exercises alone aren’t enough. Though the Moonhowl Sky Wolf is a high-grade spirit beast, without an awakening technique, it would never succeed. I’ve just passed it the basic technique for beast cultivation. Barring mishaps, it should have no problem acquiring a true human form in the future."

High-grade spirit beast, basic awakening technique—these were new concepts to Lin Feng.

"High-grade spirit beast? I’ve never heard that term before," Lin Feng said.

Che Zhonglou laughed heartily. "That’s because you haven’t reached that level and know little. For example, to a demon beast without an awakening technique, you humans are just ‘people’, with no distinctions like Golden Core or Nascent Soul. From birth, demon beasts differ in bloodline and aptitude, divided into spirit beasts, immortal beasts, and divine beasts. The Moonhowl Sky Wolf is a high-grade spirit beast; ordinary dragons and phoenixes are immortal beasts. As for divine beasts—they’re exceedingly rare."

"Have you ever seen one?" Lin Feng inquired.

Che Zhonglou gave a sidelong grin. "Trying to pry into my secrets, are you? I’m not telling you."

"Then forget it." Lin Feng didn’t press, glanced at Wuzhu, and sat to cultivate his energy.

Man and wolf closed their eyes and trained atop the mountain, leaving Che Zhonglou to one side. At first, he was pleased with himself, glancing about, but soon grew restless, scratching his face and pacing. After a while, he couldn’t stand it and sought conversation. "Hey, what’s your name? You know mine, but you’re not telling me yours. That’s unfair."

Lin Feng ignored him, gently drawing spiritual energy into his body, regaining his strength, his complexion slowly recovering.

"Say something! Why do I always run into such stubborn people… Infuriating! Infuriating!" Che Zhonglou raged, stomping about before flopping onto a boulder, his eyes rolling.

"Kid! How about a wager? If you can ignore me for three days, you win, and I’ll tell you what you want to know. But if I win, you have to call me grandpa and tell me everything—your name, background, all of it."

"Fine! Send us back first, and then I’ll bet." Lin Feng opened his eyes.

Che Zhonglou laughed, "That’s easy. Once the little one wakes up, I’ll send you back."

"It’s a deal!" Lin Feng’s lips curled in a faint smile as he resumed cultivating, secretly wondering if the old eccentric was a bit mad. Why did he like stealing other people’s secrets?

Settling himself, Che Zhonglou produced a wine jar, taking great gulps and smacking his lips, glancing sidelong at Lin Feng, seemingly in high spirits.

Half an hour later, Wuzhu let out a long howl as he awoke from meditation. Lin Feng hurriedly finished his own training and opened his eyes.

"How do you feel, Wuzhu?" Seeing those bright, intelligent eyes, Lin Feng was overjoyed.

"I am well," came a slightly awkward response in Lin Feng’s mind, both youthful and shy.

Lin Feng could scarcely believe it was Wuzhu’s thought. He hugged the wolf’s neck in excitement. "Is it really you? Are you the one answering me?"

"Yes, it’s me." Joy and intelligence shone in Wuzhu’s gaze as well.

"Ha ha, little fellow, aren’t you going to thank me?" Che Zhonglou stood, his face flushed even redder with wine.

Wuzhu turned his head and looked at him in gratitude.

"Good, good! Let’s go! Kid, remember our wager starts now."

The night wind howled past their ears, and in the blink of an eye, they were back in the devastated woods. Trees, several meters tall, were snapped at the waist, their crowns flung away. It was impossible to imagine the terror of the scene.

"Ha! If I’d used my full strength, this whole forest—and you with it—would have been turned to ash," Che Zhonglou boasted, his laughter echoing for miles.

Lin Feng kept his mouth shut, looking around for signs of Ye Ziyin and the others.

"Your disciples are about three miles south. Want me to help?" Che Zhonglou said nonchalantly.

Lin Feng nearly fell for the bait, about to reply, when he caught sight of Che Zhonglou’s cunning smile and stopped himself in time. With Wuzhu, he hurried south.

"Hey, wait for me…" Che Zhonglou flashed several hundred meters ahead, muttering, "Why won’t he take the bait…"

In a desolate field, Ye Ziyin and Zuo Qingcheng searched anxiously for Lin Feng. Suddenly, a wolf’s howl rose behind them. "It’s Wuzhu! Hurry!"

"Brother Zuo! Brother Ziyin!"

Their reunion was filled with joy and relief as they exchanged greetings and concern.

"Tsk, tsk, how touching. I, old Che, haven’t seen such a moving scene in ages." Che Zhonglou lay sprawled on a tree branch, wine jar in hand, pouring liquor down his throat.

Zheng! Zuo Qingcheng’s steel cloud-patterned saber leapt from its scabbard and shot into the air, caught firmly in his one hand.

Che Zhonglou didn’t even blink, drinking his liquor.

"Brother Zuo, Brother Ziyin, come here, I have something to say." Lin Feng pulled the two aside and whispered. Che Zhonglou smirked inwardly. "Do you really think you can keep secrets from me? Sooner or later, you’ll admit defeat, boy."

After rejoining Liu Yun and Liao Kai, Lin Feng and the others returned to the inn as if nothing had happened. It was already the hour of the tiger, and after the night’s ordeal, no one could sleep. They gathered together to discuss serious matters.

"Who is that old man? Lin, do you know his background?" Zuo Qingcheng’s face was grave, worried their whereabouts might be exposed and bring disaster.

"Don’t worry, Brother Zuo. With Che Zhonglou’s abilities, if he wanted to kill us, it would be as easy as turning his hand. As for who he is, I don’t know for certain—probably a senior among the demon cultivators," Lin Feng replied.

"What! A demon cultivator?" Liao Kai, inexperienced in the ways of the world, cried out in alarm.

"Ha! Surprised, boy? Why should you humans be the only ones to pursue cultivation and immortality? Why not us? In terms of cultivation and power, my demon sect holds half the world." Che Zhonglou strode in, startling everyone.

Lin Feng restrained himself from arguing. The lands of the Divine Continent, with its famous mountains and rivers, were firmly held by the righteous and demonic sects. The demon sects were confined to the wilds and overseas, never touching the Divine Continent for tens of thousands of years. If what Che Zhonglou claimed was true, why would they stay in isolation? Did the demon sects truly have no ambition?

"Heh, today old Che will give you humans a lesson. Yes, ask whatever you want—don’t keep it bottled up," Che Zhonglou said, paying special attention to Lin Feng.

"Hmph!" Lin Feng refused to take the bait, sipping his tea.

"Mortals cultivate, form nascent souls, roam the world, seeking immortality, breaking the void, and joining the ranks of the immortals. Their progress is far swifter than us demons, but few can stay true to themselves. Most fight for fame and profit, ending in the annihilation of soul and spirit. We, on the other hand, awaken our minds, refine the world’s spiritual energy, endure tribulation to take on human form—a thousand times harder. This is the way of heaven; we know it. In our diligence, we are no less than any human, and we treat fame and gain as dust. Throughout the universe, the peerless among us are little known, but far surpass your so-called righteous and demonic paths…" Che Zhonglou squinted, speaking with confidence, caring nothing for the ‘humans’ before him.

"Nonsense!" Zuo Qingcheng leapt to his feet in fury. "Heretics and monsters! How dare you try to corrupt us? On this land, heroes abound—hundred-blossom sects in the west, the floating Buddha in the north, the twelve sky-reaching islands to the east, and in the nine provinces, three great clans, six grand academies, and twenty-four sword sects among the famous mountains. Which of them is not upright and righteous? If I were your equal, I’d cut you down and see what kind of beast you really are!"

Rather than anger, Che Zhonglou laughed, exclaiming three times, "Good! Good! Good… Ignorant child, today I’ll show you what is truly righteous, and what is truly evil!"