20: Chapter 20 We were never on the same path

Wang Dongxin's shout echoed across the clearing, but Gu Changming acted as if he hadn't heard it, remaining where he stood, motionless.

A murderous glint flashed in the Shadow Wolf's eyes. It pushed off with its hind legs, its massive body lunging toward Ye Qing, who had just stopped rolling, bringing with it a gust of bloody wind!

Right at this critical juncture—

"Swish!"

An arrow tore through the air, aimed precisely at the Shadow Wolf's neck.

The Shadow Wolf reacted with extreme speed, twisting its body violently to dodge. The arrow grazed its fur and flew past; though it caused no serious injury, it successfully interrupted the pounce.

The arrow had come from Li Haoxing's direction.

He stood not far away, his bowstring still vibrating slightly. The usual grin was gone from his face, replaced by a tight, tense expression.

Taking advantage of the gap, Ye Qing quickly rolled and stood up. Her movements were somewhat disheveled but fast enough.

She panted heavily, her gaze subconsciously sweeping over Gu Changming, who was still standing quietly in place. Her eyes held a mix of lingering shock and a trace of gloom.

Wang Dongxin took in the whole scene. He also glanced at Gu Changming, his brow furrowed and his lips pressed into a thin line.

It was one thing normally, but even at a time like this...

He immediately suppressed his emotions and turned his attention back to the immediate threat.

"Roar!"

Incensed by the arrow, the Shadow Wolf let out a low growl, its attention temporarily shifting away from Ye Qing.

On the other side, the four-man team had reorganized. The Scarface Captain, with a ruthless look on his face, roared, "Kill this beast!"

Wielding their weapons, several people took the lead in launching an attack on the Shadow Wolf.

"Go!" Seeing this, Wang Dongxin let out a raspy shout and closed in with his machete, forming a pincer movement with the other team.

Ye Qing gripped her short blade tightly, moving along the perimeter to find gaps for harassment and support.

Li Haoxing nocked another arrow, his bow half-drawn, his eyes locked onto the constantly moving Shadow Wolf, ready to fire a lethal shot at any moment.

For a moment, the clearing was a cacophony of shouts, the whistling of weapons, and the howling of the wolf.

Only Gu Changming stood there quietly.

He still showed no intention of making a move.

Under the joint siege of the seven people, the battle situation gradually stabilized.

At first, their coordination was somewhat clumsy; attacks often missed or were nimbly dodged or parried by the Shadow Wolf.

But as time passed, their teamwork continued to improve.

"Slash!"

Ye Qing seized an opening, her short blade carving a bloody gash into the Shadow Wolf's hind leg.

Almost simultaneously, Wang Dongxin's machete slammed heavily into the front paw the Shadow Wolf was trying to swipe with. Although he failed to sever it, the wolf let out a pained howl, its movements visibly faltering.

New wounds began to accumulate on the Shadow Wolf's body. Its grayish-black fur was soaked with blood, sticking together in clumps.

Its breathing grew heavier and heavier, and its speed seemed to slow down. The fierce light remained in its ghostly green pupils, but a hint of fatigue and weakness was beginning to show.

"It's almost finished! Give it your all!" the Scarface Captain shouted excitedly.

Everyone's spirits were lifted, and their attacks became more frequent, pressing in step by step.

The struggle continued for about another five minutes.

"Roar!"

The Shadow Wolf let out a roar filled with unwilling defiance, its massive body suddenly staggering.

Dongxin saw his chance, let out a thunderous shout, and brought his blade down with all his might!

At almost the same moment, another team member's spear plunged deep into the side of its neck!

"Boom!"

The Shadow Wolf finally could no longer hold on. Its massive body crashed heavily to the ground. Blood gurgled from the massive wound in its neck, and after its limbs twitched a few times, it stopped moving entirely.

The clearing instantly fell silent, leaving only the incredibly heavy breathing of the seven people.

They looked at each other, their faces weary but their eyes shining with excitement.

They had done it; together, they had killed a Shadow Wolf that had run out from the inner perimeter.

But soon, everyone's gaze once again fell, as if by prior agreement, upon Gu Changming, who had stood on the edge of the battlefield from start to finish without making a single move.

As their eyes landed on Gu Changming, the atmosphere in the clearing quietly changed.

Li Haoxing panted heavily, staring at Gu Changming with his brow tightly knit.

His chest heaved as he took a few steps forward, seemingly unable to suppress the urge to demand an explanation.

"Haoxing."

Wang Dongxin's low voice rang out, interrupting him.

Then, Wang Dongxin looked toward Gu Changming and said slowly, "This Shadow Wolf was killed by the others working together, so we won't be sharing it with you."

The words weren't sharp—one could even say he was just stating facts—but the meaning was very clear.

Ye Qing had just been in danger, yet Gu Changming, as a teammate, had actually stood by and watched. That action was enough to chill their hearts.

Even if you were a bit weak and usually didn't dare to fight...

But at a critical moment when a teammate was facing danger, you weren't even willing to lend the most basic hand. Who would dare to trust a companion like that?

Li Haoxing's face was clearly still full of indignation. His lips moved, but in the end, he didn't say anything more.

To think they had kindly thought of helping him adapt earlier by letting him hunt that Steel-Maned Rabbit. They hadn't expected him to be so heartless.

Ye Qing looked at Gu Changming silently, her gaze also somewhat complicated.

They all knew that after this trip, this temporary four-person team would have to disband.

Gu Changming and they were destined to never be on the same path.

However, under their collective gaze, Gu Changming finally moved.

His right hand slowly reached behind him, resting on the long object that had been wrapped in black cloth.

The black cloth fell away at his touch.

A narrow-bladed Tang sword was revealed.

Wang Dongxin and the others were all startled, not understanding the intent behind his current action.

In the next second, Gu Changming's feet suddenly exerted force, and his figure lunged forward like an arrow from a bow!

At almost the same moment, a violent gust of wind blew through the dense surrounding forest without warning, sending leaves and branches into a wild dance.

Its target was clear, aimed directly at Ye Qing, who was closest to the forest and unguarded because the battle had ended!

The speed was unimaginably fast. Wang Dongxin and the others' pupils shrank, their bodies freezing in place.

Ye Qing's mind didn't even have time to react before the shadow completely enveloped her.

It was down to the wire!

"Clang!"

A crisp, piercing sound of metal clashing exploded!

Gu Changming had actually sprinted in front of Ye Qing. The Tang sword in his hand unsheathed fiercely, its snow-bright blade slamming hard against a massive, sharp claw!

Under the collision of immense force, Gu Changming's body sank slightly, and he slid back half a step.

The lunging dark shadow was also blocked by the counter-force. It flipped in mid-air and landed steadily on the ground, forming a brief standoff with Gu Changming.

As the wind died down slightly, everyone was finally able to see the full form of the shadow that had launched the attack.

It was a wolf-like creature, but its size far exceeded the Shadow Wolf from before. Its shoulder height was nearly two meters, and its body length exceeded three meters, like a small moving hill.

Its fur was darker, almost pure black, and a faint black mist swirled around its body. Just by standing there, a sense of pressure several times stronger than that of the previous Shadow Wolf spread out, making everyone present catch their breath.

"A... Ghost Wolf!" the Scarface Captain's voice was dry.