Wolf Head Mountain.
Under the shroud of night, the tall, fog-shrouded peaks loomed like man-eating monsters.
The chirping of insects mingled with the faint howls of wild beasts.
Wolf Head Mountain at night was a place even seasoned hunters dared not enter.
"Awooo—"
Deep within Wolf Head Mountain, a series of wolf howls echoed, as if in response to the bright moon hanging high above.
The Song father and son hid in a tall, ancient tree with thick branches, listening to the howls from below and the answering cries from the distance.
The pair shivered uncontrollably, whether from fear or the biting night chill, they couldn't tell.
Song Ming licked his dry lips, his voice hoarse. "Father, this wolf pack has had us trapped for a whole day and night. How much longer will they stay?"
Song Mugen gasped for breath, a few strands of white hair falling messily. His eyelids drooped, and he looked utterly exhausted. "Wolves are persistent beasts. They could keep us pinned here for seven days and seven nights without a problem."
Song Ming frowned, his face etched with sorrow. "So we have to just wait in this tree until these beasts decide to leave on their own?"
Song Mugen gave a bitter smile. "My son, getting down from this tree would be like a sheep walking into a wolf's den. We have no other choice..."
"But... Father, we're out of food and water. How can we possibly wait for seven days?"
As he spoke, Song Ming's worried gaze fell upon his father's heaving chest, hesitating to say more.
This was the result of inhaling the mountain's miasma, causing difficulty breathing, dizziness, and blurred vision.
If it were just a matter of being trapped in the tree by the wolves, with their food and water running out, it would be one thing.
But Song Mugen was also clearly suffering from miasma poisoning.
If they could get back to the village in time to see a doctor, he might be fine. But if they were delayed too long, it could be fatal.
How could Song Ming not be worried?
Song Mugen, still panting, looked up at the night sky, which was barely visible through the thick fog.
"These old bones of mine won't give out just yet. If things haven't improved by dawn, I'll climb down and lead those beasts away. You run fast. If you're lucky and the fog lifts tomorrow, you should have no problem getting out of Wolf Head Mountain."
Song Ming's eyes widened in shock.
"Father, what are you saying?! You want me, your son, to abandon you and run away alone?!"
Song Mugen's expression instantly turned cold and severe.
"Both men of the Song family cannot die on Wolf Head Mountain. If we both die here, what will happen to your sister and your mother? I've lived long enough at my age. You're still young and strong. You haven't even married and carried on the family line for us Songs. Song Ming, you must get back alive!"
Song Ming's eyes were bloodshot, his fists clenched. "No!"
Song Mugen shot back, "I'm your old man, and I'm not dead yet! Are you going to disobey me now?!"
"Absolutely not!"
The father and son argued, neither willing to back down.
Until...
"Meow~!"
A black cat, entirely black save for its eyes which glowed with a faint, eerie green light in the darkness, had appeared beside them at some unknown moment.
Song Ming was the first to spot the cat. Not wanting to argue with his father any longer, he decisively changed the subject.
"Father, where did this black cat come from? With so many wolves down there, it's pretty bold to come this close."
Song Mugen turned his head and met the cat's eerie green eyes.
The mountain night was pitch-black, so dark you couldn't see your hand in front of your face. If not for those glowing eyes, the father and son might never have noticed the cat's presence.
As Song Mugen and Song Ming watched the black cat, the black cat was watching them.
Wolf Head Mountain was still on the outer edge of the mountain range, and no other demons came here. The black cat had easily scouted the entire mountain.
It had only found these two humans, the Song father and son.
*It seems these are the people the deity of Song Family Village wanted me to find,* the cat thought.
The black cat stared at the father and son, tilting its head.
"Meow, meow~" (Your deity sent me to save you. Follow me!)
Song Ming, not understanding, scratched his temple. "It's rare to see a cat this bold. But there's a wolf pack around, little cat. You should probably run along."
An irrelevant answer. It was like playing a zither to a cow!
The black cat sighed. *These mortals are as foolish as ever. They can't even understand what a cat is saying.*
Unable to communicate with the father and son, the black cat leaped directly down from the tree.
Song Ming watched, stunned, as the black cat jumped from the tree and landed right in the middle of the encircling wolf pack.
*Is this cat not bold, but just stupid? With so many wolves below, how could it dare to jump right into their midst?*
But the scene that unfolded below in the next moment left him completely dumbfounded.
It was dark, so he couldn't see clearly—only blurry silhouettes and pairs of eerie green wolf eyes.
But Song Ming could still see that after the black cat landed, it wasn't torn to shreds by the pack of green-eyed wolves.
Instead, after the cat let out a few fierce snarls, the wolf pack actually retreated in fear.
Some of the wolves even seemed terrified, whimpering softly.
How could Song Ming know that the wolf pack was frightened by the aura the black cat was intentionally releasing?
It was the aura of a demon.
In a real head-on fight, the newly-ascended cat demon might not have been able to defeat the entire pack, though it wouldn't have been killed by them either.
But wild wolves lacked spiritual intelligence and acted mostly on instinct.
A demon's aura would instinctively terrify them.
Nevertheless, the scene still astonished the Song father and son.
"Father, what's going on? Those wild wolves... they seem to be afraid of that black cat?"
Song Mugen frowned, watching the black cat drive away the wolves below, lost in thought.
After a long moment, he finally forced the words from his throat.
"Song Ming, do you know why we hunters only stick to this area of Wolf Head Mountain and never go deeper into the Rosy Cloud Mountain Range?"
"Didn't you tell me before, Father? That there's a great terror deep within the Rosy Cloud Mountain Range, that it's a forbidden place."
"Yes. But do you know what that great terror is?"
"What?"
"Demons!"
Song Ming was utterly horrified, staring at his father in disbelief.
Song Mugen continued, "When I was young, I heard a Martial Master say that there are demons deep in the Rosy Cloud Mountain Range. That's demon territory. That Martial Master also said that demons are incredibly powerful and as intelligent as humans. You can't judge them by normal standards. Even a dog that has become a demon could defeat a tiger that hasn't!"
"For generations, we hunters have been forbidden from entering the depths of the mountains. It's probably because our ancestors knew there were great demons deep within the Rosy Cloud Mountain Range."
A storm raged in Song Ming's heart. He looked down in panic at the black cat chasing away the wolves.
"Father, are you saying... this black cat is a demon? But didn't you say demons are only in the depths of the mountains? We're still on Wolf Head Mountain, right?"
Song Mugen said nothing.
That was the extent of his knowledge; he had already shared everything he had.
How was he supposed to know the answers to so many questions?
He was just a hunter, not a Martial Master.
A thought occurred to Song Ming, and a cold sweat broke out on his forehead.
"Father, this cat demon... it's not going to eat us, is it? Don't all the storybooks say that demons eat people?"
"Is it chasing the wolves away to stop them from stealing its meal?"
Song Mugen: "..."
Proofreader: Peter Pan