Chapter 28: The Night Visitor

The sound came from the stable after midnight.

Lin Yuan opened his eyes.

A heavy thud followed.

One of the Ironhoof Beasts snorted loudly, and another began stamping against the stable floor.

Lin Yuan got out of bed.

The tavern had gone quiet hours ago. Most of the guest rooms were occupied, but no one should have been moving around the courtyard this late.

He picked up his sword and left his room.

Another restless cry came from outside before he reached the stairs.

Lin Yuan stepped into the courtyard.

Moonlight fell across the stone ground.

The stable stood near the western wall. Several Ironhoof Beasts shifted inside, pulling uneasily against their ropes.

Something darker moved behind them.

Lin Yuan drew his sword.

He approached the stable entrance.

A shape crouched near the far wall.

It was roughly the size of a large wolf, though its body was longer and leaner. Dark gray fur covered its body, broken by black markings running along its back.

Two pale eyes watched him from the darkness.

Lin Yuan stopped.

The creature didn’t move.

Then he noticed the blood.

One of its hind legs was stained dark, and several smaller wounds marked its side. Its breathing came fast and uneven.

Injured.

That didn’t make it harmless.

Lin Yuan’s Qi began circulating.

The beast lowered its body.

Its gaze shifted briefly toward one of the Ironhoof Beasts.

Lin Yuan stepped between them.

The creature’s attention snapped back to him.

Neither moved for several breaths.

Then the beast sprang.

Lin Yuan stepped aside.

His sword moved with him.

The beast’s claws missed his chest as his blade struck against its shoulder, redirecting its charge.

It landed badly.

Before, Lin Yuan would have pulled his sword back and returned to the stance he had practiced thousands of times.

This time, he didn’t.

His foot shifted as the deflection ended.

The sword followed naturally into the next movement.

The beast had barely turned when Lin Yuan’s blade stopped beside its neck.

Both became still.

The creature’s body trembled.

Its injured hind leg nearly gave way beneath it.

Lin Yuan could feel the opening.

One movement would be enough.

He didn’t make it.

The beast slowly backed away.

Lin Yuan allowed it.

It retreated until its side touched the stable wall, then lowered itself to the floor.

Its pale eyes remained fixed on him.

But it didn’t attack again.

Lin Yuan lowered his sword slightly.

The pause between his defense and counter had disappeared.

Lu Feng’s swordsmanship had shown him the problem.

Several days of practice had begun correcting it.

And now, for the first time, he’d used the change when something was actually trying to hurt him.

There was no time to think further about it.

Footsteps came from behind.

"Owner Lin?"

Su Mei stood near the tavern entrance holding a lamp.

"Stay there."

She stopped.

The stronger light reached partway into the stable.

Su Mei’s gaze settled on the creature.

"What is that?"

"I don’t know."

The beast’s ears shifted toward her voice.

Lin Yuan raised his sword slightly.

It remained where it was.

He watched it for a while.

Something was strange.

The creature had entered a stable filled with other spirit beasts, yet it wasn’t trying to hunt them.

After its failed attack on Lin Yuan, it had made no attempt to escape either.

Instead, it remained against the wall.

Its breathing was already beginning to slow.

Lin Yuan glanced around the stable.

Then he understood.

The creature had chosen this place to rest.

The noise had woken two of the guests.

They appeared near the tavern entrance but stopped when Su Mei warned them about the wild beast.

One of the men stared into the stable.

His expression changed.

"I’ve seen one of those before."

Lin Yuan looked back.

"What is it?"

The cultivator stepped a little closer but kept his distance.

"Nightwind Hound."

Lin Yuan returned his attention to the creature.

"You’re sure?"

"Pretty sure."

The man studied the dark markings along its back.

"Yes. Nightwind Hound."

"Are they common?"

"Not around roads."

The cultivator shook his head.

"They usually avoid places with too many people."

That made its presence here even stranger.

Lin Yuan glanced at the wounds along its side.

"How dangerous?"

The man considered the question.

"If this one were healthy? Enough to give a late Qi Refining cultivator serious trouble."

Lin Yuan nodded.

That matched the speed he’d felt during the attack.

The Nightwind Hound might be injured, but its first charge had still been fast.

"What injured it?"

The cultivator looked at the wounds.

"No idea."

Lin Yuan hadn’t expected him to know.

The Nightwind Hound shifted.

Everyone went quiet.

It raised its head, looked at them, then lowered it again.

The tension inside the stable had changed.

Even the Ironhoof Beasts weren’t pulling as hard against their ropes anymore.

Lin Yuan sheathed his sword.

The cultivator stared at him.

"You’re leaving it there?"

"For tonight."

"What if it attacks the other beasts?"

"I’ll stay."

The man looked at the Nightwind Hound once more.

Apparently deciding that Lin Yuan could deal with it, he returned to the tavern with the other guest.

Su Mei remained.

"You sure?"

Lin Yuan nodded.

"It’s exhausted."

"It still attacked you."

"I got too close."

Su Mei looked at his sword.

"That usually doesn’t stop wild beasts."

"No."

Lin Yuan walked toward the well and filled a wooden basin with ordinary water.

When he returned, the Nightwind Hound immediately raised its head.

Lin Yuan placed the basin several steps away.

Then he backed off.

The beast watched him.

A minute passed.

Then another.

Finally, it stood.

Its injured leg barely touched the floor as it limped toward the basin.

It lowered its head and drank.

Su Mei watched from behind Lin Yuan.

"Maybe it really did come here to rest."

Lin Yuan looked around the stable.

"Seems like it."

The Nightwind Hound finished drinking and returned to the wall.

This time, it lay down without watching them constantly.

Lin Yuan pulled a wooden stool near the stable entrance.

Su Mei placed the lamp beside him.

"Wake me if something happens."

"I will."

She returned to the tavern.

Lin Yuan rested his sword across his knees.

The courtyard became quiet again.

Inside the stable, the Nightwind Hound’s breathing gradually settled.

Eventually, its eyes closed.

Lin Yuan remained there for the rest of the night.

He didn’t spend every moment watching the beast.

Once it became clear that the Nightwind Hound wasn’t going to attack again immediately, he closed his eyes and circulated his cultivation technique.

Part of his attention remained on the stable.

The rest followed the familiar movement of Qi through his body.

Hours passed.

The Nightwind Hound woke once to drink more water.

It ignored the Ironhoof Beasts.

Lin Yuan ignored it.

Neither seemed interested in another fight.

By the time the eastern sky began to brighten, the beast’s breathing had become steady.

Lin Yuan ended his cultivation.

The Nightwind Hound opened its eyes almost at the same time.

It slowly stood.

Its wounds were still there.

The stable hadn’t healed them.

But after several hours of rest, the beast no longer trembled when it put weight on its good legs.

It began limping toward the entrance.

Lin Yuan stood and moved aside.

The Nightwind Hound passed him.

Then stopped.

Its head turned.

Not toward Lin Yuan.

Toward the old well.

Lin Yuan followed its gaze.

For several seconds, he did nothing.

Then he walked to the well.

He filled a small wooden bowl with Spirit-Touched Water.

When he returned, the Nightwind Hound watched every step.

Lin Yuan placed the bowl on the ground.

The beast didn’t approach immediately.

It looked at him first.

Lin Yuan backed away.

The Nightwind Hound lowered its head.

Its tongue touched the water.

Then it began drinking.

The bowl was empty quickly.

The beast lifted its head.

For a moment, its pale eyes remained on Lin Yuan.

Then it turned away.

It crossed the courtyard and passed through the open gate.

Lin Yuan followed as far as the road.

The Nightwind Hound moved slowly because of its injured leg, but its steps were steadier than they had been during the night.

It continued east.

Between the scattered rocks, its dark gray fur became harder to see.

Then it stopped.

The Nightwind Hound looked back.

Lin Yuan stood beside the road.

Neither moved.

A few breaths later, the beast turned away and continued into the wasteland.

Soon, it disappeared.

The tavern door opened behind him.

Su Mei stepped outside.

"Gone?"

"Yes."

She walked over and looked toward the empty eastern road.

"Think it’ll come back?"

Lin Yuan glanced at the stable.

The Ironhoof Beasts had settled completely.

Then he looked back toward the wasteland.

"Maybe."

Su Mei stood beside him for another moment before returning inside to prepare for breakfast.

Lin Yuan remained near the road.

Blackstone was becoming easier to live in.

Apparently, people weren’t the only ones noticing.