"Ah Gu Shi, what exactly do you mean by this?"
Gu Xiong Mu recognized the newcomer at a glance—it was someone from Red Blood Village.
Accompanied by a malicious, chilling laugh, a bald, burly man stepped out from the forest. He held a short axe in his hand, with a javelin strapped to his back.
Behind him were more than a dozen sturdy men carrying hunting blades and short spears. They also brought hunting dogs with them—but unlike the white dogs, these dogs were pitch-black and lacked the ability to sense danger in advance.
"Gu Xiong Mu, stop putting on an act," Ah Gu Shi sneered. "This area is our Red Blood Village's hunting ground. You've been sneaking around and poaching quite a bit of our prey lately, haven't you?"
His grin turned ferocious.
"Hand over all your prey immediately. And from now on, don't ever set foot in this hunting ground again. Otherwise—"
He raised the short axe in his hand and barked coldly,
"I'll make sure you learn the consequences of offending Red Blood Village."
Gu Xiong Mu glanced at the white dogs pinned lifeless to the ground, a surge of fury boiling in his chest. He wanted nothing more than to release the Jade Centipede Gu and slaughter everyone before him.
But Red Blood Village was a major settlement.
They couldn't afford to provoke them.
Clenching his teeth, Gu Xiong Mu growled lowly, "Drop the goods. We're leaving."
"Boss?!"
"Leader?!"
The hunters' faces twisted with anger and unwillingness. Someone even drew his blade and shouted,
"What are we afraid of? Let's fight them!"
"Didn't you hear me?" Gu Xiong Mu roared, veins bulging on his neck as blood rushed to his head. "Drop the goods. Leave!"
His prestige in the village was unquestionable. No matter how unwilling they felt, the others could only grit their teeth and set the prey down.
"Hahahaha! Gu Xiong Mu, at least you know when to bow your head," Ah Gu Shi laughed arrogantly. "Trash like you dare bare your fangs at me? I could chop all of you into mince if I wanted. A bunch of idiots who don't know their place."
The men of Red Blood Village burst into unrestrained laughter.
Gu Xiong Mu said nothing, leading his people away at once.
No one noticed that a Jade-green centipede had quietly slipped out from his sleeve, silently disappearing into the dense forest.
Its emerald body blended perfectly with the foliage, leaving no trace behind.
But Wu Tian noticed Gu Xiong Mu's subtle movement.
Agility hadn't only boosted his speed and reaction time—his perception had also become exceptionally sharp.
"So Gu Xiong Mu is ruthless as well," Wu Tian thought.
White Dog Village truly couldn't afford to clash with Red Blood Village directly. That was why Gu Xiong Mu avoided open conflict.
But striking from the shadows with the Jade Centipede…
Who knew how many from Red Blood Village would survive?
In these savage mountains, the law of the jungle was laid bare—Red Blood Village's tyranny, and Gu Xiong Mu's cold-blooded patience.
Wu Tian did not interfere with the Jade Centipede's hunt. If Red Blood Village discovered traces of a white dog, it could easily backfire.
…
"Hahaha! A bunch of cowards. If it weren't for Skull Mountain, we would've wiped out White Dog Village long ago," Ah Gu Shi laughed wildly, ordering his men to collect all the prey left behind.
Someone beside him asked in confusion, "Lord Ah Gu Shi, does White Dog Village have some connection to the immortals of Skull Mountain?"
Ah Gu Shi's laughter faded. His tone turned solemn.
"Someone from White Dog Village ascended Skull Mountain as well. Though his status isn't as high as Red Python Shi from our village, he still entered an immortal cave."
"Every spring, that person returns to White Dog Village. So we can suppress them—but not go too far. Otherwise, if we anger the immortals, we won't be able to bear the consequences."
Hearing this, the others showed reverence on their faces.
"Relax," Ah Gu Shi continued smugly. "Our Red Blood Village has three people on Skull Mountain. Lord Red Python Shi is even a direct disciple of the Skull Cave Master."
"Hahaha! Even if Gu Xiong Mu grew a hundred times bolder, White Dog Village still wouldn't dare offend us."
As they spoke, a palm-sized Jade Centipede shot out from the forest at terrifying speed, lunging at a man who was bending down to carry prey.
Puchi!
The centipede bit down viciously, injecting its venom.
Blood stained its fangs, making it look even more savage.
The centipede burrowed back into the ground, seeking its next target. The man it bit stiffened on the spot, completely motionless.
Only after three people had been killed did the others realize something was wrong.
"Ah—something's wrong!" someone cried out in panic. "They've been poisoned!"
"Go check—"
"Stop! Don't get close!"
Ah Gu Shi shouted, but it was already too late.
Those who touched the poisoned corpses collapsed within a few breaths, faces turning bluish. Death was inevitable.
Ah Gu Shi's face turned deathly pale as he roared,
"No one touch the bodies! Retreat! Everyone retreat!"
The survivors were terrified by the horrific poison and fled in panic.
But the Jade Centipede did not stop.
Hidden within the forest, its bloodstained fangs gleamed with murderous intent.
It followed the fleeing men, striking whenever an opportunity arose, injecting its venom into their bodies.
One corpse after another fell.
Ah Gu Shi's face was drained of all color.
"What is this… a poisonous creature that's cultivated intelligence? Or a gu insect?"
Countless thoughts flashed through his mind, yet he didn't dare turn back.
Their frantic escape also drew the attention of other predators in the forest. Hungry wolf packs and cloud-patterned forest leopards fixed their gazes on the fleeing men.
Even crows, unable to resist hunger, began pecking at the fallen corpses—but soon, they too dropped dead.
Such a scene struck fear into even the forest's predators.
When the last body fell, Ah Gu Shi's widened pupils reflected the image of a jade-green centipede.
In his final moment of awareness, he recalled a terrifying gu art from Skull Cave—
Six-Winged Flying Centipede Gu.
"Isn't the one cultivated by White Dog Village… the Six-Winged Flying Centipede…?"
"So it was White Dog Village that struck at me…"
His eyes remained wide open as his consciousness sank into darkness.
…
The people of White Dog Village knew nothing of the massacre in the forest.
Having lost all their prey, Gu Xiong Mu had no choice but to lead his people elsewhere to hunt. By the time night fell, their gains were meager.
That evening, Wu Tian noticed that the Jade Centipede had quietly returned. Its body was stained with blood, making it look especially ferocious.
Gu Xiong Mu acted as if nothing had happened. He didn't even return to the forest where Red Blood Village had appeared, despite the poor harvest.
Wu Tian silently observed everything.
From this man, he learned more lessons about survival in the savage mountains—
Patience.Ruthlessness.Endurance.
These were the qualities of a true hunter.
(End of Chapter)