The Venerable Monster Tamer – Chapter 9

“Look over there!” It was the voice of the shop assistant, Ruan Er, who had apparently spotted the packaging paper Chu Yun had deliberately left behind.

“This is the packaging for the flavorless powder. I feel like he’s not far,” Tri-eyed Guy’s voice reached Chu Yun, chilling and sinister, like a viper’s hiss.

“The tracks lead this way. The opponent is just a little brat with limited stamina, chase him!” The Bearded Man shouted urgently, followed by the sound of a group of burly men running, which gradually faded.

Chu Yun let out a long breath, having successfully tricked them. After a considerable pause, he only emerged from the dry wood when a faint scream echoed, greedily drawing in fresh air.

Moments later, the unnatural flush on his face subsided, and the feeling of fatigue and weakness gradually dissipated. His clothes clung to his body; a gust of wind made him shiver.

He got up with effort, leaving the acacia wood stick in the cave. Carrying the iron vine rope and the mountain-chopping knife, he returned to the path he had taken and began setting traps.

The traps were simple. On the path they were bound to take, he securely tied both ends of the iron vine rope to trees on either side. The rope was taut, hidden in the grass, forming a tripwire. Then, holding the mountain-chopping knife in his right hand, he found a suitable ambush spot nearby and began the agonizing wait.

…

The wind whistled past his ears; his throat felt like it was burning. Fear and terror flooded his heart, and the forest floor seemed to shake violently before his eyes.

His mouth hung wide open, his chest heaved like a bellows, gasping for air. The Bearded Man and his companions, at this moment, wished they had a third leg to run faster!

No one had anticipated that such a Ghost Bat Spectre would be lurking in the outer reaches of the forest!

With nineteen years of cultivation and its potent, fierce spectral poison Dao Method, it took but a single encounter to poison the Drunk Dog to death on the spot.

Without the Drunk Dog’s support, the remaining Green Blade Mantis, with its cultivation, was no match for the Ghost Bat Spectre.

After the Green Blade Mantis also fell victim to the Ghost Bat Spectre’s deadly scorpion tail, the Bearded Man and his group’s morale plummeted to freezing point. All will to fight evaporated, and they turned and fled in disarray.

The Ghost Bat Spectre naturally wouldn’t let them go, these audacious individuals who had dared to venture deep into its territory, offering themselves as a meal.

Screams continued to erupt, each one signifying the loss of a life.

The Bearded Man and the others, running ahead, felt a chill creep into their hearts, solidifying into an icy mountain of dread. Fear washed over them like a tidal wave, drowning all coherent thought.

Run, run, run!

Their minds were blank, devoid of any thought. At this moment, all they wanted was to escape with their lives.

“Ah!”

Another scream, echoing for miles around. Only three remained running.

The Bearded Man, Tri-eyed Guy, and the shop assistant Ruan Er.

The Ghost Bat Spectre was still right behind them, an inseparable shadow. It had a lustrous, dark blue shell, its large pincers swaying in front. Bat-like wings sprouted from its sides, and a foot-long scorpion tail tipped with a scarlet stinger exuded an aura of despair and death.

It flew silently, almost without a sound, living up to its name, the Ghost Bat Spectre. Suddenly, it flapped its wings rapidly, closing in on the fleeing trio.

With a flick of its tail, a speck of scarlet light, like a flying dart or a firefly, struck Tri-eyed Guy in the back.

Thump!

Without resistance or struggle, Tri-eyed Guy crumpled to the ground, rolling with the momentum until he hit a tree trunk, coming to a sudden halt.

His mouth twitched; his once sharp, intelligent eyes were now vacant and lifeless.

The next instant, the Ghost Bat Spectre lunged at his face.

This was the last sight he ever saw.

“Mommy!” The shop assistant Ruan Er cried out at the top of his lungs, venting his extreme fear. A Beast Tamer’s physical condition was far superior to that of ordinary people. The luck he had enjoyed earlier wouldn’t last a second time. Ruan Er felt he had finally reached his limit, his speed plummeting, leaving the Bearded Man further behind.

“Please, don’t leave me!” he reached out towards the Bearded Man.

“Get lost!” The Bearded Man shoved Ruan Er away forcefully. Losing his balance, the latter let out a cry. He looked down at the ground in horror as it rapidly expanded in his vision.

But in the next moment, two thuds, like bodies hitting the ground, sounded almost simultaneously.

The shop assistant Ruan Er fell to the ground in agony, while the Bearded Man was tripped by Chu Yun’s trap. His face hit the ground, sliding along the damp moss, leaving a long trail of blood.

“It’s over!” The same thought exploded like thunder in both their minds. As if electrocuted, they quickly rolled over, widening their eyes in sheer terror, and looked back.

The Ghost Bat Spectre slowly rose into the air again, leaving behind Tri-eyed Guy, who had already been drained into a dried husk.

Ruan Er was weeping profusely, his legs digging into the ground, his body scraping along the earth, retreating as much as possible to put distance between himself and death.

He succeeded.

The Ghost Bat Spectre circled lazily in mid-air before contentedly turning and flying back towards the depths of its territory.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…

The two remaining men, their faces still frozen in expressions of horror, stared dumbfounded into the darkness that was gradually swallowing the Ghost Bat Spectre.

Chu Yun’s heart sank. “The Ghost Bat Spectre subsists on blood and prefers fresh blood. Therefore, it has no habit of storing food once it’s full. It seems I’ll have to take action next.”

He sighed inwardly, but his fighting spirit ignited.

Though young in years, his heart is old, yet his blood runs hot!

A fire seemed to ignite in his chest. The blood in his veins felt hot, and his heart pounded.

He slowly closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The crisp air seemed to cleanse his soul, making his entire body tremble slightly.

The enemy, though weakened, still possessed strength. With his current power, if he couldn’t achieve a decisive victory this time, his survival would be a long shot. However, he was decisive and, once a goal was set, not even heaven and earth turning upside down or mountains collapsing and oceans surging could deter his resolve!

His eyes snapped open, their brightness seeming to spark like electricity in the darkness.

Fight!

He tightened his grip on the mountain-chopping knife and turned abruptly. Moving like a nimble cat, making barely a sound, he slipped and stalked silently, approaching the Bearded Man.

“Ha, haha, Hahahahaha! It’s gone, it’s gone! We’re saved! Did you see? We’re saved!” After a long period of stunned silence, the shop assistant Ruan Er burst into wild laughter, his body shaking with ecstatic joy and tears.

Having escaped near-death, the Bearded Man also let out a long sigh of relief. Joy surged through him, but it was quickly replaced by overwhelming regret and bitterness.

“I regret it so much! If I had fed the Drunk Dog Pills earlier, it surely could have combined with the Green Blade Mantis to kill the Ghost Bat Spectre! Damn it, damn it! It’s all that brat’s fault, it’s all that brat’s fault! That brat led us here and framed us!”

The Bearded Man roared hysterically. His eyes were bloodshot, his breathing heavy, and his hatred unceasing, a sight that made the shop assistant Ruan Er tremble with fear.

Thinking of Chu Yun, the shop assistant Ruan Er shook his head inwardly, sighing ceaselessly. He had known of the opponent’s cunning and shrewdness all along and had even issued warnings. If it weren’t for the Bearded Man and his group underestimating their foe, how could they have ended up in this plight?

After venting his rage, the Bearded Man suddenly clutched his head and wailed, “My Drunk Dog, my Drunk Dog! How much effort did it take to raise it, how much of my life savings did I lose! I will catch that brat and tear him into a thousand pieces with my own hands! I will torture him to death! I will grind his bones to dust!! Huh?!”

It was like a gust of wind that swept past. By the time the Bearded Man sensed something was wrong, it was already too late.

Chu Yun, prepared and striking against an unsuspecting foe, lunged like lightning, his knife falling in a single, fatal blow!

Pfft—!

The sharpness of the mountain-chopping knife decapitated the Bearded Man instantly. His head flew off, a torrent of blood spraying from his neck. The headless corpse then collapsed like a tattered sack.

“Ah, ah?! It’s you, it’s you!” The shop assistant Ruan Er was stunned by the sudden turn of events. He collapsed to the ground, staring with terrified eyes at the slowly approaching Chu Yun, his whole body shaking uncontrollably.

The moonlight cast a jade-like glow. Tree shadows danced, moonlight scattered widely, and a dark wind flowed.

Chu Yun’s face was as beautiful as jade, his eyes held starlight. Under the moonlight, his tender, smooth skin reflected the glow, bathing his entire being in a dazzling, serene aura. He walked gracefully, appearing nothing like someone who had just taken a life, devoid of any killing intent. Instead, he was like an immortal from the Moon Palace, an elf of the forest, utterly untainted by the mundane world.

The shop assistant Ruan Er, however, was on the verge of collapse from fear. His gaze involuntarily fixated on the mountain-chopping knife in Chu Yun’s right hand.

The knife was one and a half feet long, with a straight edge, lacking a hook or tip. The blade was thick and heavy, the hilt short and stout. In the interplay of light and shadow, its edge gleamed blackish-green, with lingering crimson droplets. What was originally a tool for chopping trees and felling wood had now become an undeniable, deadly weapon!

The person was a dashing young man.

The knife was a life-taking, soul-snatching blade.

“Don’t, please, please don’t come closer…” The shop assistant Ruan Er stared at the mountain-chopping knife, involuntarily picturing the gruesome image of his own head flying from his body. He was filled with regret, cursing himself for provoking this killing star!

The tide had turned, and his opponent was utterly devoid of fighting spirit. Chu Yun walked up to the shop assistant Ruan Er and made a gesture.

A blue light flashed, and hot blood splattered.

With a thud, Ruan Er’s corpse fell to the ground like a tattered sack. His eyes bulged, his expression of terror frozen on his face, his warm, fresh blood quickly dyeing the surrounding earth.

A scent of blood filled the air, and the forest returned to silence.

Chu Yun stood still for a moment, catching his breath, his battle intent slowly subsiding. He thought about the peril of this battle, where a slight misstep would have led to eternal damnation.

A wave of lingering fear caused the arm holding the mountain-chopping knife to tremble slightly.

However, what kind of man is he who fights battles to become a hero, yet cherishes his own life when aiming for great things?

Moments later, his expression returned to calm, and he put away the mountain-chopping knife with composure.

Then, he quietly began to clean up the battlefield.