Chapter Sixty-Six: Thomas and Thos

Chu Han was extremely cautious; Mangdang Mountain was a place fraught with danger, and even with his current strength, he dared not take it lightly. Most of the magical beasts here lived in groups, and if he encountered a pack, his only option would be to flee—though escape was by no means guaranteed.

By now, he had already entered the inner circle of Mangdang Mountain. After such a long time, the Xuanming Sect would surely have finished searching the outer perimeter. If the princess had been in the outer circle, she would have been found by now. Since she was still missing, there could be only one explanation: she must be somewhere in the inner circle.

Or perhaps, in his estimation, the princess might already be nothing more than a corpse—maybe just a pile of bones. He couldn’t believe that a pampered princess could survive in the perilous wilderness of Mangdang Mountain.

Along the way, he encountered many magical beasts, but he used his true energy to cloak himself, preventing any trace of his aura from leaking out. Thus, none of the beasts detected him. Yet searching for a single person in Mangdang Mountain was no different than looking for a needle in the ocean.

The sky grew ever darker, and as night fell, Chu Han decided to find a place to rest. Just as he discovered a cave, he unexpectedly heard the voices of humans.

“Hey, what do you think this little girl’s here for? Judging by her clothes, she’s either rich or noble, and her skin’s so tender—just looking at her makes my mouth water.”

One man spoke in a low voice, but his tone was lewd enough that even a fool could guess what was on his mind.

“Enough—you’d better not think about it. I’m telling you, this woman is no ordinary person. With her in our hands, we can exchange her for that item with those old geezers. Without it, you might not survive past next month. So, you’d better not touch her.”

Another voice sounded, elderly and rasping. Chu Han, listening from outside, was at a loss—he had no idea what they were talking about.

Still, he didn’t act rashly. After all, he had no idea what strength these people possessed. The fact that they had entered the inner circle of Mangdang Mountain and found a cave to rest in alive was proof enough that their power was considerable, so he dared not make a sound.

“Ah, what rotten luck. I only wanted to grow stronger, and yet I ended up with this illness. If not for that, how could that old bastard act so arrogant? Every time I see him strut about, I wish I could kill him.”

Yet another voice, this one frustrated and helpless. Chu Han nodded to himself—so the man had pushed himself too hard in pursuit of power, and his body had suffered as a result. Another faction possessed something capable of controlling this affliction, but demanded something in exchange—most likely the woman.

“Who’s there?”

Just as Chu Han was about to slip away, the elderly voice inside suddenly rang out, laced with murderous intent and immense power. The mere leakage of true energy from the speaker froze Chu Han, rendering him unable to move.

Chu Han’s body was immobilized; he could only watch as two figures rushed toward him. When he saw their appearances, he was utterly shocked—their features were far from those of ordinary humans.

One of them had two horns sprouting from his head, eyes blazing red, and his physique was powerfully built. He wore clothes made from beast pelts, and as he looked at Chu Han, drool trickled from his mouth.

The other sported a white goatee, and his eyes seemed to pierce through all things with their ancient gaze. His face was lined with wrinkles, and behind him floated a tail.

“Oh? A human male? Seems pretty strong. I’m hungry—why don’t we eat him right here?” The horned man laughed boisterously, speaking softly, while the other simply stared at Chu Han without blinking, lost in thought.

Chu Han was in a predicament—his opponents were too strong. Under the pressure of their presence, his body was rendered utterly helpless, left to be slaughtered.

“Fine, go ahead—but be quick about it. Don’t forget, tomorrow you have to trade with that old bastard. If you don’t get what you need, I won’t be able to save you.”

The elder sighed, waving his hand as if granting permission for the man to devour Chu Han. Cold sweat broke out across Chu Han's body—was he really about to die here tonight?

Truth be told, he was unwilling; after all, to die without even a fight was a humiliating end. Yet at that moment, a voice rang in his mind. Hearing it, Chu Han froze for an instant, then nodded quietly.

Once the elder gave his assent, the horned man burst out laughing, his face alight with excitement. He reached out with both hands, fingers tipped with long claws, and opened his mouth—two huge, razor-sharp fangs gleamed in his maw.

“Ha! Don’t be nervous—it’ll only hurt for a moment. After I’ve eaten you, I’ll bury your bones. You won’t be left to rot in the wild.”

The man sneered, opening his gaping mouth and lunging forward. At that instant, Chu Han’s body suddenly moved; he stepped back, dodging the man’s claws, and faced them with a solemn expression.

He was able to move again, which was utterly inconceivable to them—even the elder looked on in astonishment.

“Oh? You can still move under our pressure? Truly remarkable. Well then, don’t blame me for what happens next.”

The horned man bellowed, charging straight at Chu Han; his body transformed into a massive wolf, eyes glowing red, immense and imposing. Now Chu Han understood—these two weren’t human, but magical beasts.

Moreover, they were magical beasts capable of taking human form—such powerful creatures. But Chu Han had no time to ponder this, for the horned wolf was already upon him.

Chu Han shouted, and a rainbow-hued shield enveloped his body, blocking the wolf’s attacks. No matter how fiercely the wolf struck, the shield remained unchanged. Frustrated, the wolf grew furious.

“Toma, wait,”

The elder hurried over and pulled the wolf aside, his gaze peculiarly fixed on Chu Han.

“My name is Tos, his is Toma. We are Double-Horned Demon Wolves. Who are you, and why have you come here?”

Tos seemed much steadier than Toma. Seeing Chu Han’s formidable shield, he knew that even together, they would struggle to break his defenses. Deciding not to attack further, Tos began to converse.

“My name is Chu Han. I came here searching for someone. I meant no offense—hearing voices, I stopped to listen, never expecting to find two magical beasts. If I’ve disturbed you, I sincerely apologize.”

Seeing Tos’s polite manner, Chu Han returned the courtesy with a respectful gesture.

He knew he was no match for these two magical beasts. If words could resolve the situation, all the better; otherwise, his only option would be to run—though he couldn’t be sure he could outrun them.

Tos remained silent, studying Chu Han. Just as he was about to speak, Chu Han took the initiative:

“I know what’s wrong with Toma, and I can help him. Would you like my assistance?”