Chapter Forty: The Summoning

The Demonwood, within the territory governed by Nanyang Prefecture, is notorious as a perilous land. Ordinary folk would never set foot in such a place. In fact, the very mention of the Demonwood would elicit expressions of dread, for it is the lair of magical beasts whose shadows haunt every corner. Common people stand no chance against the onslaught of these creatures. Only martial artists who have stepped into the Blood Qi Realm might dare venture here, and even then, their courage does not stem from braving it alone. Instead, they band together in groups, seeking the safety of numbers—one more companion means one more chance at survival.

Even so, only a handful of warriors dare enter this treacherous domain at any given time.

At this moment, however, on a small hillside marking the border between the outer and inner regions of the Demonwood, the scene was anything but tranquil. Normally remote and silent, it now teemed with commotion, a crowd of figures gathering as their clamor startled the birds from the nearby trees.

More and more people arrived, their silhouettes flickering through the woods, swelling the already sizeable throng.

Ye Cheng, who had followed the previous band of mercenaries, had already arrived and now mingled among the crowd, listening in on the conversations around him to glean information. By their attire, Ye Cheng could discern that at least four or five mercenary groups were present, with roughly fifty people in total, including some independent warriors.

“Captain Wang! I didn’t expect you to take on this job too.” Several yards to Ye Cheng’s left, a burly man in a blue robe clapped a thick-browed middle-aged man standing before him, his words tinged with surprise.

The thick-browed man, equally startled, soon broke into a hearty laugh. “So it’s you, old friend! With such a generous reward, how could I pass up this opportunity? I brought my brothers along to try our luck.” He gestured to the warriors behind him.

Ye Cheng had already taken stock of the crowd. Among them, these two men were clearly the strongest, both having reached the peak of the Blood Qi Realm. The thick-browed man’s aura was especially restrained—he was but a step away from breaking through to the next stage.

“I wonder what kind of influential figure was able to put down tens of thousands of taels of silver at the mercenary guild just to hire so many people to hunt a few demon apes,” the burly man in blue mused.

“They’re just a bunch of half-blooded brutes. For us, this mission is a breeze! What’s more, the demon apes we kill belong to us—what a windfall,” another nearby warrior said gleefully.

“The person who issued this task probably has another motive. Otherwise, such extravagance makes little sense—they stand to gain nothing from this,” the thick-browed man remarked thoughtfully. After a pause, he continued, “I’m sure everyone knows demon apes are social creatures. They aren’t strong individually, but they’re numerous, and among them, there are bound to be Silver-haired Demon Apes. Those reside deep within the inner Demonwood. I suspect their real target is those apes, and our purpose is to clear the outer ranks to prevent interference.” At this, a trace of bitterness crept into his voice.

Perhaps because of his prestige, the others nodded in agreement with his analysis. It was a reasonable explanation. After all, Silver-haired Demon Apes were true primal beasts, extremely rare and valuable—worth far more than mere silver.

Venturing into the inner Demonwood was fraught with danger, but with so many warriors gathered, the risk seemed manageable. Besides, the task specified only ordinary demon apes, not the Silver-haired ones.

At the mention of Silver-haired Demon Apes, many eyes brightened, only to dim again—they knew such primal beasts were beyond their reach. Even with many peak Blood Qi Realm warriors present, they were no match for a beast of the Primordial Realm. The gulf between Blood Qi and Primordial was vast, an insurmountable chasm.

Ye Cheng now understood why so many had gathered here. Yet, despite the thick-browed man’s words, his instincts told him things were not so simple. He grew increasingly curious about the true intentions of whoever had commissioned this mission.

Suddenly, a rustling sounded from the woods, swiftly followed by the clatter of hooves. As all eyes turned, a convoy emerged slowly from the trees, led by an old man in a gray robe, his face expressionless as he surveyed the crowd on the hillside.

“Look, the employer has arrived,” someone whispered.

Recognizing the familiar convoy and the figure at its head, Ye Cheng’s eyes narrowed. This old man was the very same he had encountered two months prior at the Demonwood’s entrance, before he had first entered these woods.

As Ye Cheng gazed at him, the old man seemed to sense his scrutiny and returned his gaze. Perhaps unable to recall Ye Cheng’s face, the gray-robed elder’s eyes lingered only a moment before moving on.

Behind the old man, a retainer stepped forward, glanced over the assembled warriors, and whispered into the elder’s ear.

The old man remained impassive, but after hearing the report, he nodded slightly, then parted his thin lips and addressed the crowd in a deep voice: “I assume you are all here in response to the mercenary guild’s demon ape extermination task?”

The crowd nodded in confirmation.

Seeing their response, the gray-robed elder continued, “Very well. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Wu Fan, steward of the City Lord’s Mansion in Everbright City. I have already deposited a sum at the guild as a down payment. The more demon apes you kill, the greater your reward. However, let me make this clear: you are to obey my commands and follow me to the inner Demonwood, to the demon apes’ lair. During the battle, you are to act as I direct.”

“The inner Demonwood?” a few voices echoed in surprise.

Thus, the assembly was convened, and the terms laid bare for all to hear.