Chapter 82: The Azure Wolf King Appears!

The carriage had been moving for several days and nights without pause, and everyone’s spirits were growing weary. Sitting atop the carriage’s canopy, Sikong Xu gazed impatiently at the distant sunset. The constant jostling of the carriage had worn down his patience—after days of travel, he’d had enough of the endless bumps and jolts.

The Mohist Mechanical City was only a few hundred li from the Xiang clan’s territory—no more than one or two hundred kilometers by modern standards, a distance that would take merely two or three hours to cover today. Yet here they were, days on the road by carriage, which explained Sikong Xu’s restlessness.

“What’s wrong? You look annoyed. Want some wine?” Shaoyu, sitting nearby, noticed Sikong Xu’s impatience. He nudged Sikong Xu’s shoulder and offered him a wine gourd, evidently filled with liquor.

After these few days together, Shaoyu and Tianming had grown much closer to Sikong Xu. They were, after all, of similar age, and Sikong Xu’s martial prowess was impressive.

“No, thank you. I don’t really drink,” Sikong Xu replied with a smile.

“Pfft, can’t even drink? That’s no fun,” Shaoyu scoffed, then took a swig himself.

“Hey, over there—look, Sikong! There’s someone there! And what are those things?” Suddenly, Tianming stood up, pointing excitedly into the distance.

“Give it a rest, will you? There’s not a soul for dozens of li around—no way anyone’s out there,” Shaoyu said, lounging atop the carriage. He was used to Tianming’s mischief and reflexively assumed he was causing trouble again.

“No, wait... there really is something out there...” Sikong Xu sat up, following Tianming’s gaze. His senses were sharper than Tianming’s, and his eyesight keener. In his view, a dark shadow flickered and vanished, leaving nothing behind.

“Could it be...” Sikong Xu murmured. He hadn’t seen the shadow clearly, but he did notice the dust rising not far away.

Through the swirling dust, he saw wolves—packs of them, fierce and coordinated, running as if guided by an unseen hand.

“Wolves! But how can there be so many?” Shaoyu tossed aside his wine gourd, unwilling to drink in such a dangerous moment.

“Looks like we’ve been targeted,” Sikong Xu narrowed his eyes. He knew—the Wolf King, one of the Four Lords of Quicksand, had appeared!

When it came to the Wolf King, Sikong Xu wasn’t sure what to make of him. Weak? He’d fought Ge Nie several rounds in the early part of the story, even leaving wounds on him—though Ge Nie was injured at the time. Strong? In the second part of the original story, he was instantly defeated by Xiao Gao’s Water-Cold Sword. But that was more a matter of the Wolf King’s specialization.

His true strength lay in assassination; in direct combat, he was less impressive, though still formidable.

So, Sikong Xu genuinely couldn’t estimate the Wolf King’s true combat power.

“Everyone, gather here,” came Ge Nie’s voice from inside the carriage.

Upon hearing him, Sikong Xu immediately leapt onto the carriage, with Shaoyu and Tianming exchanging glances before following quickly.

“Does Mr. Ge have something to say?” Shaoyu asked, glancing at Fan Zeng and Xiang Liang, who had also been summoned.

Ge Nie nodded. His wounds were not as severe as in the original story, so he wasn’t particularly wary of the Wolf King’s strength—but he had to admit, the Wolf King’s assassination skills warranted a warning to the others.

“The situation is critical. We’re in the Wolf King’s sights,” Ge Nie said gravely to those gathered in the carriage.

“The Wolf King! That infamous assassin, known as the Shadow of the Night!” Xiang Liang exclaimed, clearly aware of his reputation.

“Indeed. The Wolf King prefers to hunt in darkness, taking lives unseen and unheard. He’s elusive, a silent killer who strikes when least expected.” Ge Nie’s gaze swept the encircling wolves, as if searching for the Wolf King’s shadow among them.

“The Wolf King? I heard he once served the King of Han. After Han fell, he vanished without a trace. Who’d have guessed he’d appear here?” Fan Zeng’s aged face was drawn with worry.

“He can control these wolves?” Tianming asked, his voice innocent.

Recalling what he knew from the original story, Sikong Xu replied, “He understands the language of beasts, especially wolves, and is utterly ruthless. His strength lies in assassination—if we face him head-on, our odds will greatly improve.”

“Exactly so,” Ge Nie agreed, giving Sikong Xu a look of surprise at his deep understanding of their opponent.

“We’ve been talking all this time—why hasn’t he attacked yet?” Tianming asked again.

“He’s waiting for the perfect moment...” Sikong Xu glanced at the sun, now dipping toward the horizon.

“What moment?” Shaoyu, unable to endure Tianming’s obliviousness, snapped, “Idiot, he’s called the Shadow of the Night for a reason—of course he’ll wait for darkness.”

“Hmph, as if you know everything,” Tianming retorted.

“If we can escape before nightfall, we’ll have a chance... To pick up the pace, we must abandon—” All along the way, Ge Nie directed the group, ordering torches lit to drive back the wolves.

But despite Ge Nie’s careful arrangements, the wolves caught up. Wolves, after all, were no slower than horses—especially horses burdened with carriages.

“Uncle Nie, how does the Wolf King compare to the Unrivaled Demon?” Sikong Xu gripped his sword, adopting a vigilant posture as he questioned Ge Nie.

Sikong Xu wasn’t worried about the Wolf King’s assassination skills—after all, he possessed Precise Perception, a skill that made ambushes nearly impossible. What concerned him was the Wolf King’s raw strength.

Judging from the original story, Sikong Xu couldn’t accurately gauge the Wolf King’s power, so he asked Ge Nie directly.

“In assassination, he’s among the best. But as for actual strength—I doubt he’s a match for you, at least not if you don’t use internal energy,” Ge Nie replied, studying Sikong Xu with interest.

This young man, who had appeared so unexpectedly and saved his life, fascinated him. Barely fifteen or sixteen, yet so formidable; his internal energy was lacking, but his combat skills were terrifying. Ge Nie sensed that, in a pure contest of swordsmanship, he himself might not be this youth’s equal. If Sikong Xu’s internal energy improved, perhaps the title of Sword Sage would change hands.

After Ge Nie’s assessment, Sikong Xu felt a headache coming on. His lack of internal energy was now his greatest weakness. The enemies in “The Legend of Qin” were not like those in “Attack on Titan,” where sheer technique could secure victory.

In this world, the deciding factor was—internal energy, or true qi.

When fighting the Unrivaled Demon, without using sword energy, Sikong Xu couldn’t break through his defenses, but neither could the Demon harm him. They were evenly matched. Yet the moment true qi entered the fray, the balance tipped decisively.

“Careful—there’s killing intent!” Suddenly, Ge Nie spoke up, startling Sikong Xu into activating his Precise Perception.

In an instant, the world fell silent. Within a hundred meters, every detail of the environment formed a three-dimensional map in Sikong Xu’s mind—and within it, the Wolf King’s figure stood revealed!