Chapter 29: Ch 29 Bait.

Long minutes after Wan Ling issued instructions to the guards, he walked through the now empty streets of the village.

Doors were closed, windows shut and if it wasn’t because of his sharp senses he might have actually believed this was an abandoned village.

"Good!" Satisfied with the town’s compliance he walked straight ahead and soon reached the outskirts that lead to a forest full of thick trees.

From the outskirts to the forest was an upwards slope so as he climbed he could see vast amounts of the village.

"This is its vantage point!" He muttered and cast his gaze at the village.

Envisioning himself as the demonic beast, he could see it waiting here, tracking the movement of life and anything that got too close to or was isolated long enough would be snatched away by it.

A genuine predator.

Finding such a creature wouldn’t be easy so he opted for the easiest solution and slit his own palm with his blade.

A cut, deep enough to gush blood then dripped onto the ground staining the leaves red.

The easiest way to find this shy creature was by food.

Now he wasn’t planning on becoming its supper but he could act as one by baiting it with his blood.

It might probably mistake him for an injured human and following the scent of his blood it will be led towards him.

Then Wan Ling could kill it.

"I hope it’s not anything past grade five because then I might actually become its supper!" He chuckled at that thought and continued climbing up the slope.

Night had arrived, leaving the forest veiled under the evening skies while darkness slowly encroached everywhere.

Wan Ling’s violet eyes flickered like lanterns as they swept pass the trees in search of the creature he was certain had noticed him.

Because of his Cultivation body, the wound he infringed on his palm was slowly closing up, resulting in only light tickles of blood instead of the previous gush.

If he was being honest he didn’t want to slit his palm again.

It was painful and rather discomforting and most of all he hated how easily he could do it.

Back on earth he would never indulge in self harm and to do that now was a sign of his deteriorating sanity.

Simply no matter how logical his actions were he couldn’t deny how insane it was.

And becoming insane was something he didn’t want to become.

Fortunately it seems the favour of the gods were still with him because right after he thought about that, he heard the sharp echo of a branch snapping into two, almost like something had stepped on it.

Something was approaching....nay following him and though he couldn’t see it, he could sense the mass killing intent directed at him.

Wan Ling’s lips curled into a faint smile as he continued walking.

Once he has distanced himself from the village, the damned beast finally showed itself.

It slipped out the shadows, its red hair bathing within the moonlight.

It stood twice as tall as him and it was on all four of its legs.

Its eyes were a dull grey and when they locked onto him, they lit up with a predator gaze as its maws widened with a growl.

Rows of sharp teeth were exposed while its blood stained tongue dangled out.

Red manes covered the sides of its face up to its neck and they whistled against the evening winds like undying flames.

The creature looked quite majestic and equally savage.

Even so Wan Ling wasn’t frightened and the feeling was mutual for the beast as it softly grazed the ground with its paws.

A set of sharp and glistening claws grew out the tip.

Behind it, its tail wiggled dangerously and a second later sparks of flames ignited before it crouched.

" A flaming lion!" Wan Ling muttered and also readied a stance.

A demonic beast like this was usually found in the Northern parts of the moon Country and Sun Nation.

For one to be here, it was probably being transported by a merchant that delved in trading and taming demonic beasts.

"I wonder if it has a tag."

Right as he thought that, the flaming lion moved.

For a creature of its size, it was terrifying as a single pounce allowed it to bridge the gap in distance between them before it fell with a sweeping paw.

Wan Ling leaped back, watching as its claws brutally ripped through a nearby tree before completely shredding it into pieces.

Pieces that ignited into flames and were burnt till only their ashes remained.

"You have fire and I have ice. How poetic!"

After saying that, Wan Ling’s hair shifted into a beautiful shade of white while a mist of frost began emitting from his body.

His Qi surged and his sword now cloaked in said frost lite with a serene glow.

A second later he kicked off the ground, leaving a trail of ice as he dashed towards the flaming lion.

The creature let out an irritated growl and swung at Wan Ling again.

He dodged with a calm eye and pushed his blade forward in an attempt to cut it but the creature quickly turned, its flaming tail lashing out at him like a whip.

Wan Ling was forced to duck before rolling forward to distance himself.

When he rose the creature pounced on him again but this time he didn’t dodge and parried its claw sweep with ease.

It growled, pained and staggered back.

Wan Ling followed and thrust his blade straight into its head.

It squealed in pain but Wan Ling drove it in further.

The flaming lion shook violently before its entire body was cloaked in a layer of frost.

A similar situation happened with its inside as he was frozen to death.

Confirming its death, Wan Ling plucked out his blade with a crisp sword.

Frozen blood decorated the surface of his blade but with a clean sweep of his hands on the surface, they were swept off it before he calmly turned towards the village.

Though the battle had been far easier than anticipated, he was at least glad to be done with it.