Yamafu Military Affairs

Chapter 603 Ju Yan
As the eerie howls drew ever closer, Qin Huai finally saw the full form of these dark figures. They turned out to be several strange, pitch-black birds with hooked beaks, blood-red eyes, a huge fleshy growth on their heads, and wings with black feathers as hard as steel, each over ten feet wide when folded at their sides. They had four claws on their bellies, shorter in the front and longer in the back, resembling birds but not beasts.

【Blood-Eyed Falcon】: One of the fierce birds of prey in the cold wilderness, it is widely inhabited in the far north of the Thousand Mountains. It has thick skin and flesh, sharp claws and beak, and is ferocious in nature. It is not intelligent and has no strategy. It often abducts children of various tribes to eat. Its bones and feathers can be used for medicine and for forging weapons.

"Have you always been this brave?"

Qin Huai raised an eyebrow, and a dazzling, almost tangible light burst forth, surging into the brains of the Blood-Eyed Falcons. The immense mental impact directly crushed their brains, and crimson blood dripped from their mouths and noses, freezing into tiny ice crystals before it could even wet the ground.

Thump~
The heavy bird carcass, still charging forward, finally exhausted its momentum when it reached Qin Huai. Its incredibly sharp wings scraped against the ground, scattering sparks.

Qin Huai glanced at the Blood-Eyed Falcon's jet-black, gleaming, dagger-like feathers, casually storing them into his Kunlun space. Instead of rushing off, he followed the direction the flock had come from, wanting to first find out why the original Taotie was at the entrance of this cliffside bird's nest.

After all, given the nature of wild animals, it's rare for a tiger to huff and puff as it climbs hundreds of meters to reach a barren cliff. So, the Taotie must have come here for a reason.

Before long, Qin Huai arrived at the hollow inside the mountain. Under the foul and filthy air, he saw piles of white bones, and flesh and blood frozen into mud and dust.

In a corner not far away, several small animals with missing limbs lay on the ground, barely breathing and on the verge of death.

"Huh? This is."

Suddenly, Qin Huai's eyes sharpened, and his gaze passed through the calves and leopard cubs, whose bodies were covered in wounds from being pecked by the Blood-Eyed Falcon, and he saw a small tiger with silver and black fur.

【White Taotie】: A young demon species with twenty years of cultivation. It is a demon beast born from the mating of the ferocious beast Taotie and the great demon White Tiger of the Golden Clan. It possesses the supernatural powers of both parents and is exceptionally gifted. It has sword-toothed teeth and white fur and can consume ten thousand gold pieces. There is only one of this kind of fruit!
"Is this tiger cub Taotie's child? Did it come here to block the door to save its child?"

Having figured out the original owner's motives, Qin Huai threw out a pottery jar filled with Qi Spring Sweet Wine. A large amount of Spring Life Canglan, which contained rich vitality, was immediately splashed on the little tiger, and it also pulled all the cubs next to it that were still breathing back from the brink of death.

"roar~"

The tiger cub, its broken bones mended and its body regenerated, slowly awoke. Smelling the familiar scent, it immediately crawled over in a childish voice and hugged Qin Huai's leg, whispering sweet nothings.

"What a promising talent! No wonder he is the essence born from the Four Fiends and the Four Spirits."

Qin Huai squatted down and gently stroked the white-furred tiger cub, which had shrunk to the size of a washbasin. After thinking for a moment, he decided to open the Kunlun Space, which could accommodate living beings, and put the Taotie cub, which looked to be only a few months old, inside.

After all, the outside world is ravaged by war and extremely dangerous. Even if Qin Huai is exceptionally strong, it is hard to say whether he can protect the young tiger at any time.

After settling the original body's bones and blood, Qin Huai looked at the calf and leopard cub that had survived in the fierce bird's nest, and a fleeting glance revealed their basic information.

【Jin Erniu】: His true form is the Golden Plow Ox, one of the northern barbarian beast races. He has been cultivating for thirty years and lives in the far suburbs of Juyan Kingdom. While plowing the fields with his parents, he was suddenly struck by misfortune and kidnapped by the Blood-Eyed Falcon. He was taken to Taoguo Mountain to serve as food.

【Yanbao】: Its true form is a winged leopard, one of the wild beast races of the far north. With fifty years of cultivation, it was originally the son of a general of Juyan City. While hunting and honing its skills, it was surrounded and beaten by a Blood-Eyed Falcon and captured by Taotie Mountain to serve as food.

"Do you two know Transfiguration? I have some questions for you."

Qin Huai stared at the two "little ones" in front of him, whose height only reached his waist and hips, and said softly.

Perhaps intimidated by the intense aura of ferocity emanating from Qin Huai, the two cubs trembled for a while before the obviously older Yan Bao dared to change its form, transforming into a five or six-year-old boy wearing a leopard-print leather skirt.

"Thank you so much for saving me, sir. Is there anything you would like to ask me?"

Although Qin Huai did not reveal his true form at this time, thanks to his profound family learning, the quick-witted and intelligent Yan Bao could easily guess the relationship between him and Xiao Taotie from their interaction, and thus deduce Qin Huai's true identity.

Thinking of the Taotie's infamous reputation in the far north, Yan Bao couldn't help but shudder again. But the person in front of him had saved his life, so he shouldn't have any ill intentions towards him, right?

With a jumble of thoughts in his mind, Yan Bao raised his head and forced himself to meet Qin Huai's gaze as a sign of respect.

"Do you know the way to Juyan City from here? I have some things to discuss with the city lord. Could you lead the way?"

Qin Huai looked at Yan Bao and, too lazy to beat around the bush, went straight to the point.

"I know, I know. My father brought me here when he led his troops on patrol of the desolate land. If you need any directions, I can show you the way."

Upon hearing that he could go home, Yan Bao's spirits lifted, and he immediately exclaimed excitedly.

"Well, let's go."

Qin Huai patted Jin Erniu, who was still trembling, picked up the two little demons, one in each hand, and rushed out of the cave. Flames spewed from his feet, and he passed through the interlocking snow-covered jade pillars like a meteor.

Looking down at the vast land, sharp cliffs stand tall, ravines crisscross, and thick snow accumulates; the bluish-gray mountain peaks are layered with broken rocks, and there are few cold trees. It is a desolate and cold place, and even birds seem to have disappeared.

The cold wind howled, chilling to the bone. Even though Yan Bao Jin Niu had grown up in the frigid Ju Yan Kingdom, he was still freezing high in the sky, his lips turned blue, his teeth chattered, his eyelashes frosted, and his face turned red.

Perhaps sensing their poor condition, Qin Huai silently mobilized his True Qi to form a windproof shield, protecting the two shivering demons, and quickly headed southeast.

As the fine snow fell and the rocky cliffs rushed towards him, Qin Huai followed Yan Bao's directions, passing over a hundred jagged peaks, and finally came into view a magnificent mountain peak standing tall on the cold, desolate snowfield.

The mountaintop is towering and reaches into the clouds, covered in white snow and shrouded in black smoke. Halfway up the mountain, greenery is visible, with pine trees like waves, swaying in the wind. This is Lieyang Mountain, where Juyan City is located.

At the foot of Lieyang Mountain, the city walls stand tall and imposing, their deep obsidian walls standing out starkly against the vast snowfield. The majestic and towering Juyan City, built against the surrounding mountains, is surrounded by numerous fortified villages and farms scattered like stars. Before the fine snowflakes could even fall, they were vaporized by the heat emanating from the earth's veins and volcanoes, turning into smoke and mist that gathered into a thick veil of clouds on the mountaintop.

As the sun began to set in the west, nearing dusk, the blood-red setting sun refracted its rays through the dark clouds overhead, making Lieyang Mountain appear even more majestic and magnificent.

"who?!"

Upon seeing Qin Huai and his entourage, the numerous barbarian soldiers on the city wall immediately became alert, lighting beacon fires and blowing horns. A vast, gray-white cloud, about a hundred feet in circumference, rose from the city and flew rapidly towards the city gate. From within the gray-white cloud, thousands of barbarian soldiers descended, wearing beast-head helmets and iron armor, wielding various weapons, their bodies exuding a bloodthirsty aura—clearly seasoned veterans.

The leader, General Xuan Tie, wielded a giant spear and had a pair of cloud-like wings folded at his sides; he was likely Yan Bao's father.

【Yan Kuang】: The general guarding the city of Juyan Kingdom. With two thousand years of cultivation, he can command wind and thunder. He possesses profound magical power and is extremely skilled in spear fighting. Among the eight barbarian tribes, he is known as the Spear King of the North.

Qin Huai stopped his charge and hovered outside the city wall. Looking at the rather nervous Yan Kuang, he didn't hesitate and threw the Golden Bull and Swallow Leopard in his hand over.

“These are two children I rescued from the claws of the Blood-Eyed Falcon. One is from your clan, and the other is a Golden Plow Ox. They said they were from Juyan City. I happened to be here on business, so I gave them a ride.”

These words immediately dissipated much of the tense atmosphere in the room.

"Leopard?"

Yan Kuang spread his wings, and a fierce gale transformed into a soft swirling wind that lifted the two children. He then spoke directly to Qin Huai: "My friend, I am Yan Kuang, the city garrison commander of the Ju Yan Kingdom. This leopard is the youngest child in my family. I am deeply grateful for your rescue. If you ask for anything, whether it be gold and silver treasures or divine weapons and armor, I will do my utmost to repay you."

"Alright, I'd like to see your city lord and ask him some questions about Kunlun Hill. Could the general introduce me?"

One doesn't hit a smiling face, so Qin Huai, seeing Yan Kuang's politeness, naturally replied in a friendly tone.

"Want to see the city lord? Of course you can, but I don't know the background of my benefactor, and I'm afraid that you two might have some misunderstandings."

Upon hearing the words "Kunlun Hill," Yan Kuang's pupils contracted, but he did not immediately agree. Instead, he cautiously spoke, wanting to confirm Qin Huai's identity first.

Although he could sense the powerful aura emanating from Qin Huai and the fierce and savage aura etched into his bones, even with his experience and knowledge accumulated over a long period in the desolate wilderness, he could not guess Qin Huai's identity.

A vicious beast?

Their intelligence could not possibly be so high, and their temperament could never be so peaceful.

Barbarian?

I've never heard of such a powerful expert, one that even the eight barbarian tribes of the far north don't recognize, emerging from here.

"You can call me Taotie."

Before he finished speaking, Qin Huai made a hand seal and used a transformation technique to reveal his true form. His bones immediately cracked and creaked, his skin cracked, his face grew silvery-white hair, his lips split into three pieces, his teeth grew longer, and his whole body expanded rapidly as if being inflated with air. In a short while, he became a huge monster more than three zhang tall and more than four zhang long!

At the same time, thick, long, silvery-white and dark-black hairs grew all over his body, spreading like wild grass breaking through the soil; his tailbone grew rapidly, and white hairs grew around it, turning him into a giant beast with a human face and a tiger's body in the blink of an eye!

It raised its head and growled, moving slowly with tiger-like steps. Its massive claws trod upon the city wall, its golden eyes flashing with ferocity. Its gaping maw revealed fangs and sabers sixteen feet long, like menacing longswords; the fangs interlocked, and its thick, long tongue was covered with barbs and hooks. Its entire body was covered in silver fur with black markings, a magnificent and colorful display. The fur was over three feet long, trailing on the ground. Its white tail, over two feet long, sometimes curled up, sometimes straightened, sweeping across the ground like a storm, creating sonic booms.

"This this"

Seeing Qin Huai so open and revealing his true form and introducing himself, the terrified barbarian soldiers immediately took several steps back to make way for Qin Huai, unconsciously tightening their grip on their weapons, fearing that the Taotie would suddenly attack and devour them at any moment.

After all, they were barbarian soldiers who had fought against ferocious beasts for many years. They knew very well that the Taotie was the most vicious of beasts, with a human face and a tiger's body. It was fierce, warlike, and would fight to the death. Among them, the Frozen Wilderness Taotie was the most ferocious. Although its numbers were extremely rare, it was born with silver fur and black stripes, long teeth and a steel tail. It had been the most ferocious beast in the Frozen Wilderness since ancient times, and very few people dared to provoke it.

Although there were strong individuals among the barbarian soldiers, they had only cultivated for a thousand years and were no different from ants in the eyes of the Taotie. Naturally, they dared not let their guard down at this moment.

"Ah! Lord Totem!"

Looking at the genuine human-faced giant tiger before him, Yan Kuang subconsciously thought of the legend of the Fierce Wilderness and blurted out.

Legend has it that the Ferocious Beasts of the Cold Wilderness were all transformed from the corpses of the ancient Ferocious Beast God. Therefore, the eight major barbarian tribes of the Cold Wilderness both respected, feared, and hated these ferocious beasts, and regarded them as their tribal totems and sacred beasts. Although the Ferocious Beasts of the Cold Wilderness had long been killed by the combined efforts of the experts of the various tribes and their primordial spirits were sealed in the Snow-Covered Mountains, they were still treated with great respect and held a sacrifice every year without daring to be negligent in the slightest.

Yan Kuang's Winged Leopard Clan is one of the eight great barbarian clans, with the Cold Wilderness Taotie as their totem. Seeing Qin Huai reveal his true form, Yan Kuang was filled with mixed emotions and many questions. He stepped forward and asked, "Totem Lord, are you from the Mountain of Beasts?"

"No, I rescued your child from Taotie Mountain."

Seeing that Yan Kuang's expression didn't seem fake, and that the original Taotie really did have some connection with the eight barbarian tribes, Qin Huai also transformed back into human form and calmly answered.

"I see. Since you are the sacred beast Taotie, then please follow me."

Following Yan Kuang down the tall, thick city gate built of massive diamond-like rocks, what came into view was a bluestone avenue running across the central axis, and crisscrossing streets and markets.

As the sun set, the city remained bustling and lively, seemingly unaffected by the raging flames of war.

The long street is wide and the steps are orderly. The tall buildings stand side by side with their eaves at different heights.

Crowds surged, and traffic flowed like a river. One could see heroes and warriors clad in furs of various colors and wielding all sorts of weapons weaving through the streets and alleys, carrying loads of wild game into blacksmith shops, fur stores, and slaughterhouses.
Although the afterglow was warm and night had not yet fallen, the stone lanterns on the eaves of the tall buildings were already lit, swaying in the biting wind. From a distance, the lights flickered and reflected each other, like stars forming a whole.

Qin Huai followed Yan Kuang through the crowd, around several streets and alleys, and stopped in front of the city lord's mansion, which covered dozens of acres.

Outside the main gate of the city lord's mansion, facing the street, there are eight lifelike sculptures scattered about. Qin Huai could easily find the giant tiger with long teeth and a steel tail among them, which must be the peerless ferocious beast worshipped by the barbarian tribes of the Cold Wilderness.

"Lord Totem, the current city lord is a member of the Mi tribe, and the sacred beast he worships is the Snowhorn Bear. Its temperament seems to be quite at odds with yours. If it has unintentionally offended you, please do not take it to heart."

Yan Bao took out the city garrison general's token and was about to swipe it to open the tightly closed city lord's mansion gate when he suddenly paused and gave Qin Huai some instructions.

(End of this chapter)