Chapter Thirty-Three: Strictly Prohibited to Carry

I gripped my climbing pole in one hand and clutched the sharpened spike tightly in the other, pressing my body sideways against the bluestone along the bank.

I slowly turned my gaze toward the shore. Although everything remained shrouded in darkness and cold sweat was already pouring down my back, I forced myself to remain still. This situation was different from our earlier flight; after all, I had no idea where the opponent might be hiding.

He certainly wasn't acting without purpose, but since I couldn't pinpoint his location, I had to take the risk, even going so far as to use the other three as bait.

In truth, leaving them in the river had been intended to protect them. Yet, as I moved downstream and approached the bank again, a sudden flash of inspiration struck me. Since the pursuer was tracking us by scent, he would naturally be drawn to our last known location.

Then, through the gaps in the trees where faint light filtered in, I finally saw the dark shadow that sent shivers down our spines.

In the flickering, hazy light, seeing that terrifying silhouette—even with the psychological preparation I had braced myself with—made my hair stand on end. My breath hitched in my throat.

The figure was of a race typical to this region. With a prominent brow and deep-set eyes, his facial features appeared grotesquely distorted in the gloom. Under the moonlight, his eyes glinted with a scarlet, predatory malevolence, radiating a bestial greed. If I had encountered him anywhere else, I would have struggled to tell if this face belonged to a man or a demon.

His hair was short and spiked, like the eccentric, rebellious hairstyles of young people in the city. Strangely, against his dark skin, he wore a garment that resembled a woman’s sports bra. Under the moon, its vibrant colors shifted into a weird, monochromatic hue, adding to the eerie, sinister atmosphere.

"What the hell is this..."

I cursed inwardly, but I dared not move a muscle, my eyes locked onto him.

I could see he carried a bow on his back. A cruel, twisted smile played on his face, and he repeatedly jabbed his spike into the ground as he moved. If we had still been hiding anywhere nearby, we surely would have been pierced by it.

Before I could process my own reaction, I got a better look at his attire. Below his waist, he wore only a wrap made of animal hide, and hanging from his belt was a quiver stuffed full of arrows.

This wasn't particularly strange, but my heart tightened when I saw him crouching and creeping toward the reeds by the riverbank. If he started stabbing the spike into the water, he would surely discover Qu Xiang and the others.

But that wasn't what caused me the most anxiety. As he swung the spike and shifted his body to lean forward, I caught a glimpse of something on his back.

Under the faint moonlight, that sight made my blood run cold and my heart nearly stop.

Strapped to his back was a human arm—a severed limb. I felt as if my blood had ceased to flow. I knew I hadn't seen it wrong; I had checked multiple times.

I didn't know who this creature was, but at that moment, I realized that even if he were human, he was a deranged psychopath.

Was he alone, or were there more of them? Did he, or they, eat people like Brother Wen and his group did? Were they all working together? My thoughts were a chaotic mess.

"He's insane..."

Carrying a human arm on one's back—whatever the purpose—was an act of such depraved cruelty that, in any civilized society, it could only be the work of a monster.

"Ha! Ha! Ha! Hee, hee, hee..."

After a round of probing, he seemed to have found the location of the three women, as he began moving with clear intent toward the spot where they had entered the water.

He kept sniffing the air. At first, I didn't understand why, but when he raised his spike, my nerves snapped tight. He was tracking the scent of the blood Huang Jianfen had left behind!

I was certain of it now.

My hands were drenched in sweat. I am not a cruel person. Even holding the iron spike and the climbing pole, I did so only to bolster my courage; I had never dared to imagine actually using them to harm another human being. But seeing this man, with his quiver of arrows and his murderous gaze, I knew that if he struck, someone would surely suffer.

My mind raced frantically. Even if I could parry his spike, could I dodge his arrows if we fought? Having no experience in combat, my instinct was to flee, but what about the others?

As he drew closer, I felt myself spiraling into panic. I didn't know what to do. But as he reached the edge of the reeds with his weapon raised, the cold sweat turned to icy dread. I knew that if I didn't act now, they were doomed.

"Come... here..." I felt a sudden, feverish surge of adrenaline. I realized that regardless of what happened to me, the only solution was to take this guy down. My throat felt parched, and I was shocked to find that my voice was nothing more than a raspy, internal rattle.

"Ah! Don't come over! Don't..."

Under the moonlight, the man’s terrifying laughter made it clear he viewed them as nothing more than prey.

When he raised the spike to plunge it into the water, Qu Xiang, who had been watching in helpless, agonizing terror, finally saw his nauseating, monstrous face. Despair washed over her, and she let out a primal scream.

Unsurprisingly, the sound made him pause for a moment. But then, he bared his blackened, rotted teeth, extended a crimson tongue to lick the gleaming tip of his spike, and took his final step toward the water’s edge, striking down at Qu Xiang.