Chapter 442: Returning Fully Loaded
“Boom!”
The gate of the small temple seemed to have been slammed open.
A wisp of gray smoke shot out, skimming close to the ground as it fled. Under the moonlight, its shape and movement were clearly illuminated as it darted toward the vast mountains shrouded in the night.
Behind it, tigers and wolves surged out of the small temple in an unending stream. Their sheer numbers far exceeded what the tiny shrine—barely the size of a single-room house—should have been able to contain. They gave relentless chase.
The entire mountain echoed with the sounds of wolves howling and the frantic rush of pursuit.
Unfortunately, neither the tigers nor the wolves had wings. No matter how agile they were on the mountain terrain, they couldn't outrun something that could fly. The only reason they managed to stay on the trail was because the countless swallows overhead constantly harassed and intercepted the fleeing smoke while guiding their pack toward its path, preventing them from losing track of their prey.
Thus, under the moon’s glow, a wisp of gray smoke could be seen darting swiftly along the ground, weaving between the hills. Above it, a flock of chittering swallows flitted noisily, their wings beating in unison like a single gust of wind.
On the ground, a flood of four fierce tigers and a pack of wolves pursued tirelessly through the mountain wilderness. Their relentless chase was further aided by groups of wolves stationed across different peaks, lying in wait to ambush. Yet, despite their numbers, they were unable to inflict harm on the elusive gray smoke.
Just then, a figure appeared in the distance.
It was a young Daoist in a worn robe, standing calmly in the middle of the narrow path, leaning on a bamboo staff. Behind him stood a well-behaved jujube-red horse. The moment the gray smoke spotted him, it immediately changed direction.
The young Daoist lifted his bamboo staff lightly—