Chapter 13: Slay the Wolf Demon on the Mountain Within Ten Days!
"I have heard that within Thousand Wolf Mountain, a wolf demon runs rampant, bringing suffering to the people."
"As my Temple Priest, it falls upon you to slay demons and rid the people of this menace."
"Within ten days, enter the mountain and slay the wolf demon."
The solemn, vast voice resounded.
Li Youming kowtowed with deep reverence, saying devoutly:
"Li Youming humbly obeys the Divine Decree of Lord Zhangyue!"
As his words fell, the dreamscape before him instantly shattered.
In his room, Li Youming came to his senses.
The commanding words — "Within ten days, enter the mountain and slay the wolf demon" — still echoed through his mind.
That voice carried boundless divine might.
Merely hearing it was enough to banish every stray thought from one's mind!
"This is the second Divine Decree Lord Zhangyue has issued..."
"I must carry it out flawlessly."
Li Youming's eyes gleamed as he quietly clenched his fist.
As a Temple Priest, fulfilling the Divine Decrees handed down by the god was the highest priority!
Everything he had —
— came from the god.
Right now, he was the only Temple Priest.
Would there be others in the future?
If he handled this Divine Decree as perfectly as possible now, then even if other Temple Priests appeared later, his own standing would never be shaken.
He would remain the Temple Priest Lord Zhangyue valued most!
Prepare for trouble in times of peace.
He had always understood this principle.
As for how to carry out this Divine Decree brilliantly?
He pondered briefly and already had a plan.
He opened his door and looked at his eldest son, who was still waiting outside, and said:
"Go and fetch the village chief and deputy village chief."
The village chief of Four Seas Village was naturally still Li Deyang, while the deputy village chief was the former Chen Family Village chief, Chen Mazi.
Before long —
Li Deyang and Chen Mazi hurried over.
"Uncle Youming, what is it?"
The three sat down in the room, and Li Deyang asked in a low, steady voice.
Chen Mazi also looked toward Li Youming.
They both understood that unless something important had happened, Li Youming would not normally summon the two of them.
When it came to village affairs, Li Youming concerned himself only with matters of faith and left everything else alone.
Yet within the village, Li Youming's standing was unquestionably the highest!
"Lord Zhangyue has issued a Divine Decree!"
Li Youming said with a grave expression.
A Divine Decree!
Li Deyang's face immediately turned solemn, and he even rose to his feet.
Chen Mazi stood up as well.
Seven days had passed since the merger into Four Seas Village, and three days ago he had witnessed a divine blessing with his own eyes.
A middle-aged man who had been nothing but an ordinary person had been kneeling before the Land God Shrine, offering incense.
A beam of white light flew out from the Earth God statue, and in the blink of an eye, that middle-aged man became a first-grade mid-tier Body Tempering Realm Warrior!
Having witnessed this with his own eyes, he no longer harbored a single shred of doubt about the existence of Lord Zhangyue as a true god.
And so —
He was also deeply stirred by Lord Zhangyue's Divine Decree.
He yearned for it.
He longed to receive Lord Zhangyue's blessing and become a first-grade peak Warrior like Li Deyang!
Even more than that —
A wild ambition stirred in his heart: to one day become a second-grade True Qi Realm Martial Master!
"Lord Zhangyue commands me to enter Thousand Wolf Mountain within ten days and slay the wolf demon!"
Li Youming said solemnly.
Upon hearing this —
Li Deyang and Chen Mazi both drew a sharp breath.
Go and slay the wolf demon?
Both men's eyes flashed with a mixture of dread and excitement.
After all, the wolf demon of Thousand Wolf Mountain had existed even before they were born!
Every three years, four villages would have nine people devoured by the wolf demon — this had been happening for as long as either of them could remember.
And now —
Was it finally time to slay the wolf demon?
The three-year deadline was almost upon them. If the wolf demon were slain, they would never again have to sacrifice nine people to it every three years!
As for the dread —
That was naturally due to the wolf demon's fearsome power.
But when they thought of Lord Zhangyue, a true god, every trace of fear vanished.
Before a god, what was a wolf demon?
"Then, Uncle Youming, why have you called us here..."
Li Deyang asked, his heart surging with emotion.
"Thousand Wolf Mountain's threat does not only concern our Four Seas Village."
"There are also Zhang Family Village and Liao Family Village."
"Go to both villages and inform their chiefs and villagers —"
"Tell them that I, Li Youming, Temple Priest consecrated by Lord Zhangyue, acting on Lord Zhangyue's Divine Decree, will enter Thousand Wolf Mountain in seven days to slay the demon!"
"Let them come into the mountain to watch if they wish."
"If they dare not enter the mountain —"
"We will drag the wolf demon's corpse back to the village afterward, and they are welcome to come and see it then."
Li Youming's eyes gleamed as he spoke.
Was it enough to simply enter Thousand Wolf Mountain and slay the wolf demon?
This was Lord Zhangyue's Divine Decree, and to carry it out brilliantly, he intended to use this event to bring Zhang Family Village and Liao Family Village into Four Seas Village as well!
He would make the villagers of both villages Believers of Lord Zhangyue!
And by giving advance notice —
He wanted word of his entry into the mountain to slay the demon in seven days to spread like wildfire through Zhang Family Village and Liao Family Village.
The more people who doubted and disbelieved, the better.
Once he slew the demon, his prestige would instantly soar to the very pinnacle of both villages!
"I understand."
"I'll go and handle it right away, personally."
Li Deyang nodded, and he and Chen Mazi hurried off.
Watching the two depart, Li Youming sat cross-legged and sank back into his cultivation.
Seven days passed in the blink of an eye.
During those seven days, news of Li Youming's plan to enter Thousand Wolf Mountain and slay the wolf demon spread like wildfire through Zhang Family Village and Liao Family Village.
Even five-year-old children had heard about it.
Hardly anyone believed it.
After all —
That was the wolf demon of Thousand Wolf Mountain!
According to the village elders, it was a terrifying demon that had plagued the four villages for over sixty years!
Who could possibly slay such a demon?
"Impossible."
"Years ago, several Martial Masters from the county town entered the mountain, claiming they would slay the wolf demon."
"And what happened?"
"Not a single one came out. Every last one of them was eaten by the wolf demon!"
"After that, no one from the county town ever came again."
Zhang Family Village's chief, Zhang Ronggui, shook his head with a look of deep resignation.
He didn't believe for a moment that Li Youming could slay the demon.
Although Zhang Family Village and Li Family Village were some distance apart — a good five or six li of mountain road — he and Li Youming were fairly well acquainted.
After all, he had been a Warrior in his younger days.
Among the four villages, there were only so many Warriors, so they all knew each other.
And now an old man like himself — his blood and qi both in decline — was going to boast about slaying a demon?
He might as well be walking into the wolf demon's mouth.
"Grand-uncle, I heard that Li Family Village — no, it's called Four Seas Village now — their Earth God has manifested."
"Li Youming even became a Temple Priest. Rumor has it he received the Earth God's blessing and had his youth restored!"
A young man nearby chimed in.
"Do you believe that?"
Zhang Ronggui pursed his lips and let out a cold laugh.
The Earth God manifesting? Youth restored?
He must have been reading too many storybooks!
"Of course I don't believe it."
"But the story's been going around with such convincing detail..."
The young man grinned.
"If Li Youming actually slays the wolf demon, from that day on he can call himself my father!"
Zhang Ronggui let out a cold snort.
Just then —
Several young men came running over, gasping for breath as they called out:
"Grand-uncle Ronggui! Li Youming has entered Thousand Wolf Mountain!"
Everyone was stunned.
Zhang Ronggui was especially taken aback.
He actually went in?
Has Li Youming lost his mind?
All these years, not a single person who entered Thousand Wolf Mountain had ever come out alive!