Chapter 34: Mount Five Immortals

Within the grand hall, the fragrance of tea curled gently through the air.

“Do you think there’s a significant chance these wolf packs will actively attack Golden Sands Valley?”

Taking a sip of tea, Jiang Chen turned his gaze to the Thin Monkey, whose arm was wrapped in bandages, and posed the question.

Upon hearing this, Thin Monkey nodded.

“Third Master, the wolf pack this time is enormous—my estimate is at least a hundred strong. Moreover, they’re robust individuals. This mountain forest simply cannot sustain them. To sate their hunger, they’re likely to turn their sights toward humans, for in their eyes, humans are equally suitable prey.”

“I boldly surmise that, even if we hadn’t encountered them, they would have followed the scent straight to Golden Sands Valley. The human scent here is far too strong.”

With a solemn expression, Thin Monkey laid out his thoughts one by one. This hunt was truly perilous; had it not been for his keen hunting experience and sensitivity to danger, and his early discovery of something amiss, he might not have returned at all.

This time, it was not they who hunted the wolves, but the wolves who hunted them—they were the prey.

Jiang Chen pondered these words.

“So, it’s highly likely these wolf packs are outsiders, having just arrived here. Where do you think they might have come from?”

Setting down his teacup, Jiang Chen found Thin Monkey’s speculation reasonable.

Hearing this, Thin Monkey hesitated slightly. Qingyuan County was three parts flatland, seven parts mountain, mostly rugged and inhospitable. Humans generally lived along rivers, and none could say what lurked deep within the forests.

“Third Master, I suspect these wolves may have come from Five Immortals Mountain. Only that place could easily sustain so many fierce wolves.”

After a moment’s contemplation, Thin Monkey offered an uncertain answer.

“Five Immortals Mountain?”

Jiang Chen murmured softly, his gaze drifting toward the outside.

His knowledge of Five Immortals Mountain was limited, drawn only from books—he knew it to be the foremost mountain in Qingyuan County, astonishing in its landscape, fraught with peril, and truly a place rarely trodden by man.

“Take this bottle of Blood Spirit Pills. It will help not only with your recovery but also aid your cultivation. In the coming days, you must lead the men in heightened vigilance to guard against a wolf attack.”

From his bosom, Jiang Chen produced a porcelain bottle and handed it to Thin Monkey.

He had prepared this long ago. The so-called Blood Spirit Pill was in fact a mixture of several medicinal herbs, carefully packaged around a clotting stone.

He had already completed the purification of the blood essence, but for safety’s sake, Jiang Chen had run further tests to confirm there were no obvious side effects. Only now was it truly perfected.

Upon hearing this, Thin Monkey accepted the Blood Spirit Pill, gratitude shining on his face.

“Rest assured, Third Master—I will defend Golden Sands Valley.”

His words rang firmly, expressing his resolve.

After Thin Monkey departed, Jiang Chen gazed into the depths of the mountains, sensing an approaching storm.

“According to Thin Monkey and the other hunters, the wolves they encountered were individually fierce, capable of challenging lions and tigers. Such a pack must have even stronger members, perhaps a wolf king—likely a beast of magic, for without such, it could never lead so many wolves.”

Jiang Chen’s thoughts whirled, considering every possibility.

“The threat of the wolf pack is real, yet it may also present an opportunity. My research into blood essence is nearly complete, and I require copious amounts of it now. The essence of blood is tied to living creatures.”

“Ordinary humans or beasts possess little blood essence, but the fierce beasts of the mountains are not only abundant in essence but also more refined. Absorbing theirs yields better results. These wolves could serve as resources. Still, their strength must be assessed more accurately before making any move—I cannot simply plunge in headlong.”

“If I inadvertently run into a formidable magical beast, it would be courting death.”

With this plan forming, Jiang Chen immediately summoned Mouse Tianjiao.

As dusk fell, in unseen corners, mice began to emerge from Golden Sands Valley.

“Squeak, squeak, squeak…”

Standing atop a large stone, Mouse Tianjiao appeared to be issuing commands to the gathered mice.

Moments later, his form enlarged, and he released a piercing screech.

Upon hearing this, the mice seemed to receive the order, transforming into streams of shadow that surged into the dense forest, disappearing entirely into the night.

Soon after, having successfully driven the mice into the woods, Mouse Tianjiao flicked his tail and followed them.

His abilities were limited—he could only exert rudimentary control over the mice. If they ventured too far, the connection between him and them would be severed. Thus, he had to go himself. Besides, according to Thin Monkey and the others, the wolves were fierce, and ordinary mice would likely gather little useful information.

Yet, after only a few steps, Mouse Tianjiao remembered something and quickly stopped.

With a hum, his magic activated, his body shrinking visibly until he was no larger than a common mouse, even appearing somewhat frail. This was a clever use of the Enlargement Spell, and under Jiang Chen’s guidance, Mouse Tianjiao had grown ever more adept at manipulating his own magic.

He inspected his form, hopped in place, and, satisfied there were no issues, nodded approvingly.

Following Jiang Chen, he had heard many stories. He understood the lesson that trees growing too tall could be destroyed, and that outward weakness could sometimes be a powerful weapon.

“Squeak, squeak, squeak—I must learn to read and write soon. Master says that a cultured person fears nothing wherever they go. I too want to be a cultured mouse.”

Shaking his head in determination, Mouse Tianjiao vanished into the darkness.

Meanwhile, on the southern slope, Jiang Chen silently watched it all.

“In terms of strength, even carefully trained mice could never match those fierce wolves. But for gathering intelligence, they are sufficient. I hope this experiment won’t disappoint me.”

“If the mice perform well, perhaps I can further their training, even find ways to breed more mutant mice.”

His thoughts churned, and deep contemplation filled his eyes.

He had given Mouse Tianjiao a simple task: to ascertain the size of the wolf pack and to locate a wolf with pronounced spiritual intelligence. If one such wolf could be found, Jiang Chen would act, hunt it, and thereby gain a true understanding of the pack’s strength.

As Mouse Tianjiao led his mice into the forest in great numbers, a peculiar war began. In the darkness, mice and wolves collided—it was a contest between two clans.