Chuyuan was the name given by the Four Clans to the region they inhabited, which included the four cities—Yun, Xiong, Wu, and Huang—and the towering, impassable mountain range that lay between them.
This mountain range was densely covered with vegetation and was known as the Hundred Beasts Forest.
Few people ever ventured into this area, and communication between the cities relied on a limited number of roads, all located along the forest’s edge.
Su Mo was well aware of the dangers but pressed forward regardless.
His bold move quickly attracted the attention of several powerful demon beasts, all curious to see which foolish human dared to trespass into the Hundred Beasts Forest.
A strong leopard cat growled and thrust its head out, intending to intimidate the intruder. But the face it saw was all too familiar—stunningly beautiful yet utterly terrifying!
Ahhh! That human is here!
The leopard cat immediately pulled its head back, its torn ear a lasting reminder of their last encounter.
Nearby, younger beasts paid no mind and curiously poked their heads out to get a better look at the stranger approaching slowly.
Before they could get a clear view, their parents snatched them back and scolded them urgently, much like human parents warning their children about kidnappers who would chop off their arms and legs.
Su Mo hadn’t believed those warnings as a child, but as he grew older, he realized there was some truth to them—though instead of arms and legs, it was kidneys that got taken.
Now, Su Mo was playing the role of the villain every parent warned their children about.
“Hello there, little kitty. I remember you tried to block my blade with your head.”
“Well, if it isn’t… what’s your name again? One-Ear, right?”
“Hey, Brother Bull, how’d your horn break? Oh right, I chopped it off. Almost forgot.”
…
The forest echoed with low growls, but not a single beast dared approach him.
Even as Su Mo ventured deep into the core territory of the demon beasts, none dared come near him—everyone kept their distance.
A few unfamiliar beasts were about to show off their strength, but thankfully, kind-hearted neighbors warned them just in time, saving them from disaster.
Su Mo found it all rather boring. He had come expecting a dangerous showdown, but the hundreds of fierce warriors lying in ambush were all too afraid to face him. The only ones capable of putting up a fight were seated calmly in their places.
As Su Mo walked, the soil beneath him suddenly shifted. He leaped aside just as a giant ant, over a foot long, burst from the ground and struck at the empty air where he had been standing.
Following the principle of reciprocity, Su Mo retaliated with a strike from his “Tetanus Blade.”
He used the flat of the blade, so the ant was only injured, not killed.
Still, the force of the impact left Su Mo inwardly astonished.
Despite its small size, the ant possessed astonishing strength—its raw power was even greater than his own.
If that was the case, wouldn’t the Giant Ant King he had seen earlier be able to pound him into the ground without breaking a sweat?
The thought made him call out urgently, “Beast Kings, come out and let’s talk! If you don’t show yourselves, I’m leaving.”
He turned around, pretending to go.
Sure enough, the Giant Ant King was the first to appear. Nearly two feet long, it looked terrifying.
“How dare you come here? Aren’t you afraid we’ll kill you and use you as food?”
“I’m barely a snack—there’s not enough meat on me to even fill the gaps between your teeth,” Su Mo joked.
The Giant Ant King remained silent and didn’t respond, but the Sonic Bat King, whom Su Mo had also met before, appeared at that moment.
“Human, state your business. If you don’t have a legitimate reason, we will consider you an intruder and attack.”
Su Mo sheathed his Tetanus Blade and said calmly, “King Bat, you jest. Since I’ve come here, I naturally wish to discuss a business proposal with you.”
But these two weren’t the ones in charge, so Su Mo didn’t plan to elaborate with them.
Just as expected, a sudden gust of wind swept across the ground as a large dog launched a surprise attack. Su Mo turned to look—wait, a Husky?
Whoa~ (Imagine Teacher Yu Qian’s meme expression here)
Since the attack carried no killing intent, Su Mo easily dodged it.
“Human, what business do you want to discuss?” The Husky stared with round, wide eyes, its expression adorably dumb. No one would ever guess it was the leader of the Beast Kings.
All around, the moment it appeared, every beast bowed in submission. Even the Giant Ant King and the Sonic Bat King behaved more obediently than the Husky itself.
Su Mo, on the other hand, felt his earlier tension vanish the moment he saw it. He couldn’t help but grin, and his smile was harder to suppress than an AK-47.
“I gotta… hehehe… no, wait, let me laugh for a bit first… hahahaha!”
Su Mo burst into laughter, clutching his stomach, completely oblivious to the Husky’s gradually darkening expression.
The other beasts, noticing their king’s shift in mood, held their breath in fear. Only Su Mo continued laughing foolishly.
It wasn’t that he meant to mock them—he just couldn’t help it.
The Sonic Bat King immediately suggested capturing this arrogant human to let the king vent its anger, but the Husky stopped it with a look.
“Are you done laughing?” the Husky asked expressionlessly.
“Done… pfft—”
“Maybe you should laugh a little longer. You look like you’re struggling to hold it in.”
Su Mo took a deep breath, wiped his flushed face, and composed himself. “Alright, I’m done. Let’s get down to business.”
The Husky lay down on the spot, lazily glancing at Su Mo. “Go on, what is it?”
A cool forest breeze brushed against Su Mo’s face, quickly fading the redness away.
“It’s about Yun City.”
“You want us to leave Yun City alone, right?” The Husky’s eyes gleamed with intelligence, as if saying, “Look how smart I am!” “This is negotiable, but you’ll have to agree to one condition.”
Well, well, aren’t you clever.
“Go on, what condition?”
The Husky suddenly sat up, a playful glint in its eyes. “Next, I’m going to recite a passage. You must repeat it word for word. If you can do it, I’ll promise not to trouble Yun City for ten years. Otherwise…”
It grinned and made a slicing motion across its neck with its paw.
“Deal. But you have to swear to it,” Su Mo agreed readily.
It was a test of memory. He didn’t think the Husky could come up with anything too complicated. Instant memorization? He should be able to handle that.
“Fine, I’ll swear to it. It’s not like you’ll succeed anyway.” It confidently took the oath, causing thunder to rumble in the distance.
Su Mo felt a secret thrill—he hadn’t sworn anything, and the Husky hadn’t mentioned it. Oh well.
The Husky cleared its throat and declared loudly: “The late emperor embarked on his great endeavor before it was half completed…”
Huh???
Su Mo froze on the spot.
He thought he must have misheard and strained his ears to listen more carefully.
“Yet the ministers within the palace and loyal soldiers abroad have not slacked in their duties, for they remember the late emperor’s exceptional kindness…”
Unbelievable. A dog reciting the “Chu Shi Biao” (Master’s Petition)—and almost flawlessly at that.
Not only was it accurate, but the delivery was full of emotion. When it reached the line, “To exert myself to the utmost until my dying day,” the Husky placed a paw over its heart, adopting a tragically heroic expression as if ready to brave any danger and shed its last drop of blood.
Su Mo felt a wave of relief that less than a year had passed since his college entrance exams. He hadn’t forgotten everything yet. If this had happened during his second or third year of university, wouldn’t he have been shown up by a dog?
The Husky lifted its chin smugly and said, “Your turn!”