Chapter 11: Powerful and Cunning |
Claiming not to covet this Frostback would be a lie.
But reality dictated otherwise. Even if Boulder Camp had crossed boundaries, the current Xia Hong had neither the energy nor the strength to intervene.
Not only could he not intervene, he had to actively avoid contact with Boulder Camp.
In fact, according to Xia Ding's past accounts, relations between Boulder Camp and Great Xia Camp had always been relatively good.
But times had changed. The current Great Xia was at its weakest. If outsiders discovered their true situation, their fate would no longer be their own.
Having reasoned this through, Xia Hong's expression relaxed as he continued observing the group below.
The Boulder Camp members had now approached the Frostback's body.
"Tsk tsk, this must weigh four to five hundred jin. We've struck gold."
"Enough to last the camp two or three months."
"Enough chatter. Hurry up and move it. This is Great Xia's territory—we don't want them discovering us."
The sharp commanding voice from earlier clearly belonged to Boulder Camp's leader.
His words instantly silenced the group.
One man stepped forward to remove the arrow embedded in the Frostback's eye.
But the moment he grasped the arrow, disaster struck.
The seemingly dead Frostback suddenly flipped over with terrifying speed.
Caught completely off guard, the man was yanked into midair before he could let go.
By the time he tried to release his grip, the Frostback charged forward violently—smashing him into bloody fragments midair. Not just knocking him away, but literally shattering him.
"The damn beast was playing dead!"
"Fall back!"
"Everyone retreat! Scatter and run! Now!"
Despite their terror, Boulder Camp's members reacted swiftly.
Especially the sharp-voiced leader, who instantly ordered a scattered retreat.
His men immediately obeyed, fleeing in all directions.
But they were already too close.
After shattering its first victim, the Frostback charged toward the man who'd spoken first.
Simultaneously, it twisted its head toward the second speaker, baring bloody fangs as an icicle-like tongue shot from its maw.
Thud!
The lightning-fast tongue pierced clean through the second man, then curved midair to spear toward the fleeing leader's back.
"Leader! Behind you!"
The leader, focused solely on escape, couldn't monitor his rear.
Two loyal subordinates threw themselves between him and the attacking tongue—one being Boulder Camp's sole swordsman.
Clang!
The swordsman barely intercepted the tongue with his blade.
Relieved when his weapon held, he had no time to celebrate before the tongue whipped around his right side—impaling his unarmed companion.
"How damn long is this thing's tongue?!" the swordsman roared in frustration.
"Shut up, idiot! No noise! It's blind—retreat silently and it can't track us!" the leader snarled, instantly recognizing the key.
But proximity doomed the swordsman.
The tongue that had just killed his comrade now lashed around his neck like a living rope.
Realizing his fate, the swordsman hurled his blade toward the leader with all his strength.
The next instant, the Frostback's muscles bulged—decapitating the swordsman with a sickening pop.
This horrific sight froze the survivors in terror.
The leader caught the thrown blade, face contorted with silent fury.
Everyone stood motionless, not daring to breathe.
Under the crystal fruit tree, deathly silence fell.
High above, Xia Hong remained absolutely still—even controlling his breathing.
The entire massacre had occurred in mere seconds.
He'd planned to descend after they left with their prey.
Yet within moments, Boulder Camp had lost three men.
This Frostback wasn't just powerful—it was unnaturally cunning.
Beyond feigning death, it had lured them in deliberately.
Notably, it hadn't moved until both archers revealed themselves.
And this Long-Tongued Frostback was merely a low-tier Frost Beast.
How much more formidable must mid or high-tier beasts be?
Now Xia Hong understood why Redwood Ridge's surroundings hosted only one proper hunting team—Rogge Camp's—while others like Great Xia could only maintain lumberjack teams.
Whoosh!
An arrow suddenly cut through the snowy night.
Xia Hong traced its path to a distant tree, where the impact shook down icicles that shattered loudly on the ground.
Distracted, the Frostback scampered toward the noise.
Xia Hong immediately understood—the second archer had created a diversion.
Once the beast was sufficiently distant, Boulder Camp's survivors fled west in panic, abandoning their dead.
The Frostback, finding nothing at the tree, soon returned to the crystal fruit tree.
Snorting steam, it pawed the ground intermittently—its rage still simmering.
Xia Hong remained frozen. Even when the Frostback eventually lay motionless beneath the tree, he dared not investigate.
Sure enough, thirty minutes later, the blind beast suddenly raised its head—tilting to listen for threats.
Xia Hong silently thanked his caution.
Only after another lengthy wait did the Frostback clumsily climb back into the crystal fruit tree.
Moving unsteadily, it settled on a thick branch, its form gradually blending with the icy bark.
An hour passed. Xia Hong still didn't move.
Not from fear—the Frostback was likely asleep now. Leaving would be safe.
Yet departing empty-handed gnawed at him.
The beast's labored climbing revealed its deteriorating condition.
Plus, it was blind.
Four to five hundred jin of Frost Beast meat...
Letting this opportunity slip felt unbearably wasteful.
But the Frostback's demonstrated lethality and cunning made "opportunity" a deadly understatement.
Boulder Camp's shredded corpses served as grim reminders.
Pondering deeply, Xia Hong's eyes suddenly lit up with inspiration.
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