The screams in Xiao Tian Village had long since died down, replaced by the crackling of dry timber and the heavy, rhythmic breathing of the wolf pack. The Spirit Blood Moon Wolf stood in the center of the village square, its silver fur pristine despite the carnage it had wrought. It loomed over the cooling corpse of Tian Chen.
The beast's presence was a heavy weight on the air; the aura of the Foundation Establishment Realm made the shadows themselves seem to recoil.
Thousands of meters away, near the eastern edge where the forest began to swallow the village outskirts, a massive figure stood in the darkness. Hu Jiao wiped his blood-stained claws on a patch of frost-covered grass with casual indifference. He looked down at the remains of Tian Xin, his bloodshot eyes showing no remorse, only a lingering annoyance.
"Waste of time," the man muttered. Hu Jiao was a 7th Layer Qi Refinement cultivator and a member of the Hei Long Squad, a "shadow" unit belonging to the Liu Clan of Purple Cloud Immortal City.
Their existence was a secret; they were the tools used to ensure that the Liu Clan's "orthodox" reputation remained unsullied while their enemies and inconveniences were silently erased. He had been assigned to oversee the destruction of the village and to ensure that no one escaped.
From the shadows of a nearby oak, another figure emerged. This man wore the simple gray robes of a traveling merchant, However, the way he moved with a balance that left no footprint on the snow revealed the lie. He was another member of the Hei Long squad, acting as the squad's tactical eyes.
"Hu Jiao, stop playing with the corpses," the second man said, his voice cold and thin. "The scouts just signaled. Jin Sheng's caravan has halted and he's bringing a small group of elites to head back this way."
Hu Jiao snorted, kicking a piece of debris aside. "Jin Sheng? That old man is still just a Qi Refinement cultivator. He'll be stuck at the peak of Qi Refining realm for the rest of his life after his failed attempt at Establishing his Foundation. We could wipe him and his men out before the sun hits the peak."
"That isn't the mission, and you know it," the other replied sharply, his eyes narrowing. "Captain Ge Yi was very clear. This village's destruction must be recorded as a natural beast tide. If an Immortal cultivator from the Merchant Guild dies here, it could draw eyes we don't want. The Guild has investigators who could track the Spirit Blood Moon Wolf."
"Jin Sheng is a man who knows how to survive, and more importantly, he knows how to mind his own business."
"Plus, he has that granddaughter of his who has some alchemy talent."
"The one who caught the eye of Master Ma?"Hu Jiao asked, his voice dropping an octave.
"Yes. Master Ma is a third-rank Alchemist. If his potential apprentice's grandfather disappears under 'mysterious' circumstances near a Liu Clan influence zone, he could try investigating, making our lives difficult in the process. The Liu Clan doesn't want the Alchemist Union snooping around their territory over a backwater village."
The two men exchanged a look. They weren't afraid of Jin Sheng's strength, but they were wary of his connections.
"He won't play the hero for a dead village," Hu Jiao conceded. "He'll think he's lucky to be alive and run back to Five Dragons City with his tail between his legs."
Hu Jiao turned his gaze toward the Spirit Blood Moon Wolf. The beast ignored the humans entirely, its head tilted toward the fading moon as it absorbed the final traces of moonlight Qi. "What about the wolf?"
"That is Ge Yi's concern, not ours," the companion said. "The Clan has plans for that beast. Let's move. The scouts say Jin Sheng is cautious, but he'll be here within the hour. Make sure no human traces are left and no blade marks that can't be explained by claws."
Hu Jiao grumbled, but he was a professional. He moved with practiced efficiency, using a burst of Qi to kick up snow and dust to erase the signs of their presence.
All signs of human involvement were swiftly erased, ensuring that every piece of evidence pointed toward the beast's attack. They were betting on the world's indifference; after all, villages fell to beast tides every few decades, and few cared to look closer.
Within minutes, the Hei Long Squad and the Spirit Blood Moon Wolf vanished into the dense mists of the Black Crescent Mountain Range, leaving the Xiao Tian Village.
…
Deep within the darkness of a latrine pit, a finger twitched. Tian Shen Ji was regaining consciousness slowly. When he crawled out of the hole, he was covered entirely in waste.
As his mind cleared, he understood everything instantly: his father had not lost his mind; he had been executing a desperate plan. All of it was a sacrifice to buy time and ensure his son's survival. His scent had been masked by the overwhelming stench of shit.
The smell was truly horrendous, but it was his salvation. He didn't gag; he didn't cry. He simply stood there in the morning chill until the cold began to freeze his overwhelming emotions.
As Shen Ji started walking toward his home, his breath hitched. He found his father slumped against the shattered remains of a stone wall. Tian Xin's body was barely recognizable; the wound was something no child should ever have to witness.
It was too clean to be a wolf's work, but Tian Shen Ji's mind pushed that thought aside for later. Tian Xin's eyes were open, dried tears staining his cheeks, but a slight smile remained on his lips. He had died knowing his son was safe.
"Father," Shen Ji whispered. The word felt hollow in the cold air. For Tian Shen Ji who saw Tian Xin's corpse it was a nightmare.He was completely silenced, his throat feeling cold and his heart clenched by a grief that was deeper than any he had ever felt.
Under the full moon, he seemed to be covered with a layer of frost, emanating an aura that would have terrified anyone who had known the young boy before this night. He took his father's body in his small arms and headed for the clearing near the cherry tree where his mother's grave was located.
Tian Shen Ji knelt at the grave and began digging with his bare hands, ignoring the rocks tearing at his fingernails and the frozen earth drawing blood from his palms. He dug until the sun began to crest the peaks, finally placing his father beside his mother.