Chapter One Hundred and Twenty: Possession

(Congratulations on the birth of the third alliance leader of Liaozhai, “Dawn Breaker”—thank you!)

As evening fell and dusk deepened, a sudden wind began to blow, whistling sharply against the face, carrying a coldness that felt like blades slicing through the air.

Yet colder than the wind was the dread that gripped the heart—

A seemingly ordinary jackal suddenly spoke human words: “I opened this mountain; I planted this tree. If you wish to pass through here, leave behind your life and wealth!”

If such words had come from a band of mountain bandits, they would have sounded fearsome and commanding, striking terror across the land. But coming from a wolf’s snout, they sent a chill creeping up the spine, freezing the blood, making every hair on one’s body stand on end.

Clang!

The guard standing with a sword to drive away the wolf suddenly felt an icy fear pierce his bones. His fingers loosened grip, and the blade clattered to the ground. “Monster!” he cried out, heart torn apart, and instinctively turned to flee.

Though he was a guard skilled in martial arts, he had never faced real combat. When confronted with the bizarre and uncanny, his courage and spirit faltered immediately.

He only cursed that his parents hadn’t given him more legs, for he had to abandon his lord and flee down the mountain in panic.

With their leader retreating, the two other sedan chair bearers grew anxious and prepared to run as well—

“Don’t move!” came a commanding shout from Li Yifeng.

Though merely a scholar, with more knowledge of poetry than muscle, Li Yifeng’s composure in the face of danger far surpassed that of common warriors.

He climbed out of the sedan chair and grabbed the nearby Master Zhang. “We have the Master here; what fear do we have of a wolf demon?”

At once, the two guards’ hearts steadied. Master Zhang was renowned for his flying sword technique—he could slay a century-old giant serpent from a hundred miles away. With him present, even a wolf demon did not inspire fear.

“Heh heh! What a joke—a fraud posing as a Master, nothing but a charlatan!” the wolf sneered, then rose on its hind legs and swaggered closer.

Li Yifeng and company were shocked, immediately retreating behind Master Zhang. “Master, unleash your flying sword!”

Sweat beaded on Zhang’s forehead, and his back was soaked with cold sweat. Inwardly, he cursed, “Flying sword? I’m so scared I just wet myself.”

Though a con man, Master Zhang had once practiced meditation on Dragon-Tiger Mountain and had a rudimentary understanding of Daoist arts. From his observations, he recognized this wolf was not a true demon, but possessed by a cultivator’s shadow spirit, a case of soul invasion and body usurpation.

He could tell because the talking wolf’s behavior and speech did not match that of a natural wolf demon. Its voice was unlike any beast’s, and more likely the result of a female cultivator’s shadow spirit inhabiting the body, manipulating it to frighten others.

Not to mention, the wolf’s bite was lethal.

Soul possession and body usurpation require formidable skill—certainly the possessor had achieved Golden Core or higher cultivation. A mere shadow spirit would not dare to forcibly seize a body, for unstable spirit control risks soul backlash and complete destruction.

Compared to humans, seizing a beast’s body is easier, but still demands Golden Core level cultivation—a critical threshold.

Regardless, the person behind this wolf was not one Master Zhang dared to offend. Even if called a fraud, he dared not speak up.

“Master, release your flying sword!” Li Yifeng urged.

“Alas… last time I performed a ritual, I exhausted too much spiritual power. I can’t summon the flying sword now…”

“What?”

Li Yifeng’s composure shattered. His usual elegance and commanding presence, his prestigious status as a scholar revered and feared by thousands, suddenly felt meaningless and weightless.

Before a wolf demon, would his rank and status inspire any respect?

Demons and humans belong to two different realms. The rules of the human world hold no sway over monstrous beings.

So, real monsters truly existed in this world...

“What now? You’re the Master, you must have a solution.”

Cornered, Li Yifeng grasped Master Zhang by the chest, desperate for a plan.

Zhang furrowed his brow and resolved to speak honestly. “My lord, I have a plan. This jackal has not truly become a demon; it is possessed by a human cultivator’s spirit using soul invasion.”

He carefully explained what he had deduced.

The wolf had now come close enough to hear, and it chuckled coldly, “So the charlatan has some insight after all!”

Li Yifeng gasped, but knowing the foe was human rather than demon eased his panic. “Who are you? Why do you pretend to be a spirit to scare us?”

The wolf snorted coldly. “I’m not here to scare you—I’m here to eat you.”

As the word “eat” left its mouth, fierce light blazed in its eyes. Suddenly it lunged, jaws snapping toward Li Yifeng.

“Ouch!”

Li Yifeng reacted swiftly, attempting a somersault. But years of indulgence in pleasures had worn down his body. The move was incomplete; he simply fell to the ground, shrieking, “Di Zi, Mo Qianfeng! Whoever kills this wolf, I’ll reward a thousand guan!”

Great rewards always attract brave men. Hearing this, the two guards, now emboldened by the knowledge that the wolf was possessed rather than a true demon, exchanged glances and charged forward.

Only Master Zhang knew that if the true master behind the soul invasion intervened, none of them were fit to be cannon fodder. His eyes darted, and seizing a moment, he turned and fled down the mountain.

Seeing this, Li Yifeng’s shock turned to anger. Realizing the truth, he gritted his teeth and ran after him, regardless of consequence.

“Heh heh, your masters have run away. Do you two want to be cannon fodder?” the wolf mocked, agilely dodging their blades as if toying with them.

Di Zi and Mo Qianfeng looked back—both their lord and Master Zhang had fled, the latter faster than anyone. Fear gripped their hearts, and abandoning all pretense, they turned and fled.

Thus, on the winding mountain trail unfolded a strange and almost comical scene: first, a Daoist priest sprinting without daring to look back; behind him, a richly dressed official in embroidered shoes gasping for breath; and further behind, two sturdy men running with long strides.

Soon, the two men overtook Li Yifeng.

Seeing this, Li Yifeng’s vision darkened. Gritting his teeth, he called out, “Stop and carry me! I can’t run anymore!”

The two men exchanged hesitant looks. But then came the wolf’s calm voice behind them: “If you’re not afraid to die, stay and carry him!”

Turning, they saw the wolf only three steps behind Li Yifeng.

Under such pressure, the two guards dared not hesitate. They sprinted faster, Mo Qianfeng calling over his shoulder, “My lord, we’ll rush down the mountain to fetch help!”

“You bastards! You two bastards, come back!” Li Yifeng shouted, staggering and nearly falling. But his men didn’t look back.

“Heh heh...” The wolf’s laughter drew near, filled with cruel mockery.