Chapter 179: Wei Gu
Chapter 179: Wei Gu
For an ordinary person, holding a gun, facing a Corpse Hound would leave them utterly helpless.
Fortunately, Hodai Shiki was experienced. He shifted his center of gravity, his whole body tilting backward as he dropped to the ground, landing on his rear. The hand holding the Vajra Pestle rested under his other hand, which gripped the gun. Bang! Bang! Bang! He fired several shots, hitting the head of the Corpse Hound right in front of him.
This was a classic CQC tactical skill, a method for handling close-range threats while armed.
At extremely close distances, cramped spaces, or amidst crowded people, someone with a gun struggles to utilize the weapon’s range effectively against threats like bare-handed combat, grappling, or blades. Specific movements were necessary.
He fired while falling to his side, then rolled backward into another evasion. He lunged back up, pinning the Corpse Hound whose head had been pierced. Simultaneously, he stabbed the Vajra Pestle into its back.
Even if it was a sub-species Exorcism Blade, piercing a vital spot would still unleash the blade poison, corroding flesh and blood. In an instant, the Corpse Hound transformed into a pile of ash.
“Why… didn’t I notice that person was a Corpse Hound?”
This was the first time Hodai Shiki had encountered such an unexpected situation. Identifying Corpse Hounds was basic training for Fang Hunters. Over long years, Fang Hunters learned to track Corpse Hounds by their scent, the color of their blood, and traces left in partially eaten corpses. This accumulated experience and methodology, coupled with an exceptional sensory ability akin to a sixth sense possessed by a rare few who suited being Fang Hunters, formed the appraisal technique called the “Kang Cang Method.”
Thanks to this, Fang Hunters could locate traces of Corpse Hounds within human settlements and carry out precise hunts.
But now, Hodai Shiki realized that he had just lost his ability to identify a Corpse Hound a moment ago.
Why was that? What had gone wrong? Could it be he had been careless? Had he made some mistake?
A series of questions flooded his mind. And it was the moment he paused, a long-opportunistic shadow, waiting its chance, leaped down from the tree branches above. It pounced fiercely toward his back.
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Riiip!
Kamichiruzuru opened her eyes to find her hands and feet bound.
She tried to speak, but only muffled “Mmph! Mmph!” sounds escaped her mouth, sealed tightly shut with tape.
…That’s right! I was knocked out earlier.
Weird?
Who could possibly have done this?
Where was this place?
She lifted her head to see several men pinning her to the back seat of a van.
Her shirt had been violently ripped open at the chest, her bra torn off as well.
Large soft mounds were exposed, grabbed and kneaded by filthy hands.
In that instant, she understood the situation she was in.
Confusion, terror, and anger warred inside her. For the first time, she felt unprecedented fear.
“Whoa ha! Liangzai, we hit the jackpot! This pair’s even bigger than I imagined…”
“Hold up, look! Guys, see this dip here? Never seen anything like it!”
Laughter, lewd and coarse, came from the unfamiliar men. Kamichiruzuru’s face turned ashen. She struggled desperately, trying to escape the van.
“Bastards, don’t let her slip away.”
“Trying to run? Not that easy!”
It took the group of young men considerable effort to pin her down again.
“This bitch doesn’t appreciate it!”
The man called “Liangzai” by his companions was furious. He slapped her hard across the face with a loud crack.
Half of Kamichiruzuru’s face swelled instantly. Her head slammed against the van’s interior. Dizziness descended; a buzzing filled her ears as her thoughts fragmented.
“Enough, just kill her then.”
Liangzai thrust his hands forward, grabbing her neck with bone-crushing force. His fingers dug in, depriving her of air.
Kamichiruzuru choked instantly. Her face drained of color; her tongue protruded helplessly.
“Hey! Hey! Chill out! Last time the one we killed pissed herself before dying. Man, that smell was unbearable!”
One of the other young men pulled Liangzai back.
“Exactly, Liangzai. Besides, roughing her up like that ruins the meat. Just let me have my turn first!”
Another man at the back erupted in thick black fur. In moments, he transformed into a half-human, half-wolf monster. He had already discarded his pants, revealing his swollen lower body.
“Damn, getting to do things like this after turning into a Corpse Hound… feeling this good? Never felt this way even when hopped up!”
The transformed young Corpse Hound’s erect member, half-mast amidst a thicket of dark hair, was nearly as thick as a forearm and glistened moistly.
“Mmph! MMPPH!”
Futile cries strangled in Kamichiruzuru’s throat. Two men dragged her further into the van and forced her onto her back on the floor.
“Don’t worry, little sow! I’ll get you enjoying this too! Hehehe! Just… this size? Normal women wouldn’t be able to handle…”
He smirked wickedly, bending down to enter the van further, intending to invade her.
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Kaidai Yumei raced frantically through the mountain area.
She knew the “Hunters'” footsteps were closing in faster than she could outrun.
If she couldn’t make it out alive, death awaited her.
Suddenly, a sharp pain stabbed between her brows. A chilling wave of dread washed over her entire body. Goosebumps erupted all over her skin, particularly on the back of her neck.
Something was closing in from behind.
“No escape. Gone.”
Without hesitation, she whirled around. The Exorcism Blade at her waist slid free of its sheath.
Shhhtk!
A flash of silver light tore through the darkness. Kaidai struck out at the Corpse Hound lunging at her claws-first, slicing deep into its arm. Blood sprayed out.
The creature screamed, then dissolved into nothing but drifting ash mid-air.
Drops of scalding blood slid down the blade. None touched the ground; the blade poison evaporated them instantly.
Dozens of half-human, half-wolf monsters roared in rage and ferocity, continuing their relentless pursuit of Kaidai’s fleeing form.
“What’s happening? Where did so many Corpse Hounds come from all of a sudden?”
It was only thanks to Kita’s warning that she had sensed the danger bearing down.
This offline gathering was clearly a trap. Half the party attendees were disguised Corpse Hounds.
They, a group of five, had been completely deceived. She, Hodai Shiki, and Kita had all failed to notice beforehand how thoroughly the Corpse Hounds had infiltrated them.
Midway through the party, the Corpse Hounds launched their murderous assault, utterly brazen. Within an instant, chaos engulfed the gathering grounds. The scene was a bloodbath.
“Woman…you…resist no more…”
A hunched-over Corpse Hound stepped forward from the horde. It tossed something forward – a severed human head. It rolled on the ground before stopping at Kaidai Yumei’s feet.
She looked down. Her body froze.
It was Kita’s head – mangled, flesh torn. Smeared with blood, his face locked in a hideous expression of agony, clear evidence of horrific torture before death.
“This… this is the fate of the companion who shielded your escape. Your strength is considerable… getting this far. But it signifies nothing!”
The Corpse Hound grinned savagely.
“A pity you cannot escape our hunt. Yet… fortune smiles. I offer you an opportunity. Become our ally. Serve us…”
AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!
A guttural, soul-shaking roar erupted from a distance.
BOOOOMMMM!!!!
An explosion-like sound detonated like celestial thunder. Instantly, every Corpse Hound present felt an intangible shockwave. It wasn’t physical felt in their bodies, but a profound tremor resonating through their very life source, a pulse echoing through their shared bloodline.
For that split second, their eyes glazed over, emptied, filled with bewildered loss.
“Impossible! Why?! Could it be… Wei Gu… dead…?”
“No! The Elder cannot die! Turn back! All units return! Support the Elder!”
“Go! NOW!”
The Corpse Hounds howled in unison, a chilling chorus. As one entity, they spun around and withdrew at full speed, abandoning their pursuit completely.
In that instant, the woman before them was like forgotten air; beneath their notice amidst this unforeseen crisis.
Only minutes later did Kaidai Yumei finally let out the breath she’d been holding. Her heart pounded violently against her ribs. Cold sweat beaded like pearls on her forehead and streamed down, the delayed, debilitating terror of near-certain death finally crashing over her. The next moment brought a dizzying wave of relief. She was alive. Survived.
“I’m sorry, Kita. I couldn’t help you.”
She took off her outer shirt and carefully wrapped Kita’s head in it.
This time, her own life had been spared. A reprieve.
But why? Why had she gotten this second chance?
She remembered. “Reportedly… among high-level Corpse Hounds… when facing extreme danger… they can unleash a bloodline resonance… an alarm summoning their clan… to protect them…”
Only a select few among Elder-class Corpse Hounds possessed such an extraordinary capability.
Within the rigid hierarchy of a Corpse Hound group, the highest ranks reigned supreme. Lower-ranked Hounds would throw their lives away without hesitation to shield them.
“So… a high-rank Corpse Hound here… is in trouble?”
But to confront an Elder-class Corpse Hound… wouldn’t they need to deploy at least two of the “Named Weapons”?
Had the Fang Hunter Organization learned about their plight? Sent reinforcements?
What… was really going on?
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It was at the precise moment when tears welled in Kamichiruzuru’s eyes, naked terror contorting her face, her legs forced open…
KRAAAAAASHHHHH!!!!
The van buckled violently as if struck point-blank by artillery. The entire right side imploded with a deafening metallic shriek. The vehicle hurtled into the air, spun wildly end over end, then slammed back down onto the earth with an impact like muffled thunder, bursting apart, debris scattering like shrapnel.
Wei Gu, slammed against a thick tree, vomited chunks of congealed blood. The entire right side of its skeleton structure had splintered under the titanic impact. Groaning in pain, it frantically channeled its regenerative ability, repairing the catastrophic damage.
(This degree of monstrous power… beyond any human capability! Curse it! This bastard… just what the hell is he?!)
A bloody red light ignited within Wei Gu’s eyes, burning with pure hatred. They locked onto the far end of the forest. Emerging from the deep gloom and shadow woven by the trees, a human-silhouette approached at a run unnervingly swift.
“Heh… trash. Can’t even hold up that long?”
Fang Jing crouched low as he ran, muscles coiled springs beneath his skin. Knees bent explosively; he launched himself forward. The simple jump covered over ten meters. His boots slammed into the earth upon landing like pile drivers penetrating bedrock, crushing dirt and stone, leaving twin craters where they touched.
“Human… you show promise. But understand… I have yet to display my true strength.”
Wei Gu shook its cranium forcefully, the motion setting a disturbing symphony of clicking and grinding bone-on-bone throughout its frame. A dense, palpable energy and spirit radiated from it, its aura intensifying like banked coals catching air, flaring with raw aggression.
(Hmm… It must be at least forty years… since last tasting a human worthy to make me fight seriously!)
“Corpse Hounds dwell beneath night’s mantle. We are the lineage blessed by the ‘Moon Fiend’s Blood’. Indeed. By innate nature, we far surpass humanity. Within the immutable law governing this world’s food chain… you are yet insects. Merely prey. An eternal truth.”
“You… weak to the point of being ludicrous. Frail to this extreme… yet prone to boast like others? Hoping your weak punchlines alone will slay me with laughter?”
His right arm abruptly thickened, knotted cords of muscle contracting like the pistons of a gargantuan engine building unbelievable pressure. The entire limb became a hydraulic piston tightening to rupture. He swung. Wind shattered before the fist. Air ripped apart as the punch lunged forward like a tsunami wave — pure concussive violence launching toward its target.