Chapter Thirty-Seven: Puppet

“Roar~~~!” Ji Hao was blocked by two warriors of the Ka Clan. Nearby, all the mining slaves curled up on the ground, trembling in fear. The fat bear, soaked through, suddenly leaped out from the cold creek, its massive paw swinging fiercely at one of the Ka warriors.

“Fat Bear, stand down!” Ji Hao’s brow twitched; he hastily shouted. The bear’s small eyes turned blood red, white mucus foaming at its mouth, with its shaggy fur bristling like steel needles. Its huge paw, carrying a vicious gust, continued its attack without pause.

The Ka warrior under assault lifted his head, casting a mocking glance at the fat bear. He sidestepped, his enormous body leaving blurred afterimages, and abruptly appeared beneath the bear, his right fist whistling strangely as it smashed into the bear’s hefty belly.

With a shrill wail, the bear’s massive form was sent flying, like a small mountain launched more than a mile away, crashing headfirst into the icy creek. The water quickly turned crimson, and the bear’s body began to float, drifting downstream until a cluster of rocks halted its progress.

Dust surged more than ten yards high as dozens of Fire Crow warriors stationed at the end of the valley rushed over. Spotting the two Ka warriors from afar, the Fire Crow warriors shouted in unison, fiery light surging behind them. They raised their arms, hurling their spears across several miles.

Blazing flames wrapped around the spears crafted from green mulberry wood. Dozens of flaming spears shot forward, sealing off every possible escape route for the Ka warriors.

The Ka warrior wielding the horse-blade sword turned and gave Ji Hao a twisted smile, then unhooked the heavy shield at his waist. Raising it high, he uttered an odd scale, and the thick shield suddenly shone with dazzling light. A radiant shield several yards wide enveloped the two Ka warriors.

The spears struck the luminous shield with deafening force, splintering into fragments, yet the shield did not waver. On its thick surface, at the apex of a tower, floated a blood-red vertical-eye emblem gleaming sinisterly. That eye seemed alive, its crimson light chilling Ji Hao to the bone.

The other Ka warrior dropped his flail, flexed his hands, and aimed his palms at the charging Fire Crow fighters. His ten fingers suddenly flicked rapidly, as if playing a lute.

Sharp cracking sounds echoed as the Ka warrior’s fingers stirred the air, sending fist-sized gusts whistling forth like a storm, battering the Fire Crow warriors. Heads, chests, abdomens, limbs—all shuddered violently. With every flick, hundreds of windblasts struck their bodies. Like fragile grass in a tempest, accompanied by faint sounds of breaking bones, they spat blood, flying high, battered by countless gusts, drifting backward as if weightless.

“Pathetic! What a disappointment. We truly haven’t met any opponents worth our attention this time.” The Ka warrior ceased his attack, his ten fingers steaming visibly from the friction with the air.

Ji Hao bit his lip, staring at these terrifying foes. The heavy shield was one thing—an artifact of formidable defense. But the one who felled dozens of elite Fire Crow warriors in an instant—Ji Hao felt not even a trace of magical power from him. He relied purely on physical strength to stir the air, effortlessly overwhelming the warriors.

Crow Duke’s wings spread slightly, a cold gleam flickering in his crimson eyes, his talons gripping Ji Hao’s shoulder tensing minutely.

Ji Hao patted Crow Duke and shook his head faintly. Having grown up with him, Ji Hao understood the meaning behind the bird’s unusual behavior.

There were enemies in the deep forest far more powerful and dreadful than these two Ka warriors. Crow Duke had refrained from acting, guarding against that greater threat.

“You are strong, but this is the territory of our Fire Crow tribe.” Ji Hao addressed the two enemies, who hadn’t even broken a sweat, with earnest gravity: “No matter where you come from, you have invaded our lands. You…”

The Ka warrior with shield and sword cut off Ji Hao, his four eyes glinting coldly as he sized him up. “This place is far from the heartlands of the Fire Crow tribe. We do not fear your clan’s retaliation. Trying to stall for time? Little one, I must say, your performance surprises us. Your insignificant cunning only makes you more valuable!”

The other Ka warrior picked up his weapon, swung it with force, grinned, and said, “You’ll fetch quite a price. I can already see sacks of gold and jade coins. We’re in for a long stretch of comfortable, happy days.”

All the defending warriors in Cold Creek Valley had been defeated, and hordes of barbarians poured in.

These undisciplined barbarians were like wild beasts, rampaging through the valley, destroying everything in their path.

Thanks to Ji Shu’s kin, there was nothing of value left in Cold Creek Valley—no food, no tools, nothing. After rummaging for a while, the barbarians finally set their sights on the cowering mining slaves.

“Meat—delicious meat!” The barbarians rubbed their hands, advancing on the slaves. After the chaos, hunger gnawed at them. To these barbarians, who saw all living things as food, these powerless slaves were the most tempting feast.

From afar came faint sounds of friction, accompanied by the snap of branches. Three colossal metallic constructs strode out of the dense forest.

Ji Hao stared in horror at these three gleaming monsters—black as pitch, shaped like spiders, their central bodies spanning two or three yards, eight jointed limbs nearly ten yards long, moving with stunning speed.

These three giant metal spiders were exquisitely crafted, their structure perfectly mimicking real spiders except for their immense size. As they moved, faint metallic sounds issued from within, and dim streaks of light flashed along their limbs.

Soon, the trio of metal spiders entered Cold Creek Valley, opening their mouths to emit piercing screeches. The nearby barbarians howled and clutched their ears, driven off by the spiders, abandoning the mining slaves in their rush to flee.

The three giants scattered the barbarians and quickly reached Ji Hao’s side. They lowered themselves, and the central spider’s abdomen split open. From within, a chilling voice echoed:

“Tie up all the captives. We need only wait for those outside to return, and deal with them as well. Then we’ll have a perfect hunt.”

After a pause, the voice chuckled coldly. “Our month-long wait in this cursed jungle was well worth it. This harvest pleases me greatly.”