章 1: Chapter One: The Bloody War
"Oh God, I've become a beastman." As Yuan Zhang opened his eyes, a torrent of information flooded his mind. "Fortunately, unlike those fantasy novels from my previous life, I don't have a wolf's head."
This was a world of beastmen, inhabited by wolfmen, tiger-men, leopard-men… Yuan Zhang came from an ordinary wolfman family. His mother had the form of a gray wolf, while his father bore the black wolf form—both the most mediocre types among wolfmen.
Beastmen were notoriously warlike; even a single day without a fight would leave them itching for combat. Small skirmishes were common, but it often escalated to battles involving thousands. Given Yuan Zhang's lowly background, he was naturally destined to be cannon fodder, yet he felt a twisted pride in being able to participate in such a grand battlefield filled with blood and gore.
Tragically, the ground was littered with the corpses of wolfmen and snake-men. Occasional groans of pain could be heard from the wounded. Among the critically injured, wolfmen and snake-men clung to each other, their last breaths spent trying to kill their adversaries.
What was the point of all this?
Yuan Zhang felt a sharp pain in his chest—he had been pierced by a blade. Thankfully, it hadn't struck his heart or lung, but the blood loss was significant.
He sensed a faint energy flowing within him. Oh right, this was a world of cultivation; as long as he wasn't missing limbs, a minor injury like his could be healed given enough time and his own meager spiritual power.
Although Yuan Zhang was merely a low-level warrior.
"Zhang Ge…" A nearby "corpse" stirred, a weak breath escaping as it moved its body.
"Siwa!" A flash of recognition hit Yuan Zhang—this was Siwa, a little brother from his village. He had guided Siwa into the world of cultivation, and despite Siwa being merely a three-spiritual-rooted individual, he was fortunate to have awakened his powers.
In the midst of the chaotic battle, Yuan Zhang had been stabbed by a snake-man. If Siwa hadn't smashed the snake-man's head in time, Yuan Zhang would have been severely wounded, perhaps fatally, by that blade.
"Siwa! It's okay; your head is hard enough. You were just knocked out!" Seeing a familiar face in this strange new world, Yuan Zhang felt a sense of camaraderie with Siwa, who had always been loyal and supportive.
"I thought my head was smashed in, hehe!" Beastmen were naturally less intelligent, and Siwa's naïve expression showed his simple-heartedness. He looked up to Yuan Zhang as his protector and mentor.
Having grown used to the cunning and deceit of his previous life, Yuan Zhang found himself somewhat out of place in this straightforward beastman world.
"Let's go!" The chaotic battle had temporarily subsided. As for the dead and injured, no one seemed to care—this world was unforgiving.
Suddenly, a group of wolfmen returned, likely celebrating a victory over the fleeing snake-men.
"Zhang Ge, here!" Siwa, recovering from the initial shock, tore off a snake-man's leg and, with blood on his face, excitedly offered it to Yuan Zhang.
"Uh… you should keep that for yourself." Cannibalism was a stark reality here, but Yuan Zhang recalled the memories of his past life, where such actions were an abomination. It was hard for him to accept that eating corpses was the best way to cultivate.
Not just Siwa; the victorious wolfmen were systematically scavenging the battlefield for snake-man bodies…
"Zhang Ge, are we going home? Why not fight a few more battles?" Siwa, having been brought to this large gathering of wolfmen—which Yuan Zhang called a military camp—seemed puzzled by the idea of leaving after such a victorious spree.
"Uh… it's been a long time since I left home; I want to check on my father," Yuan Zhang explained.
"Oh, right! We've won two in a row. I should bring some gifts for my adoptive father, hehe!" Siwa beamed with happiness. Yuan Zhang's father had always looked after Siwa, who had lost both parents. Without his kindness, Siwa's survival would have been in jeopardy.
Looking at the nearly two-meter-tall figures of Yuan Zhang and Siwa, it was hard to believe they were only ten years old. Once beastmen began cultivating, their height would drastically increase, even from just breaking through to low-level warrior status.
"Isn't that Zhang Ge?" Suddenly, a few figures blocked Yuan Zhang and Siwa's path, their voices mocking. "Our great wolfmen are in battle. Are you two trying to run away?"
Yuan Zhang's town, Seven Town, and this obnoxious character named Sun Yang from Six Town were separated by a small river. Even among wolfmen, they were known for their competitiveness, often brawling with each other. No one took it personally.
Just because you were a wolfman didn't mean you were a cultivator; the percentage of wolfmen with spiritual roots was quite low. For Yuan Zhang's parents to be able to cultivate at all was a remarkable achievement, giving them a high status and respect in their small Six Town.
Out of the tens of thousands of wolfmen in Six Town, no more than ten, including Yuan Zhang and Siwa, had the potential to cultivate. The neighboring Seven Town was hardly better. The only difference was that Sun Yang had a knack for rallying others against Yuan Zhang and Siwa, who had little interaction with the other warriors from their town.
"Sun Yang, what position do you hold on this battlefield at Moqi Peak?" Yuan Zhang glared coldly at him.
"I… you…" This was a different scenario; usually, the story would lead to a brawl. Sun Yang often bullied Yuan Zhang and Siwa because of their smaller numbers. What was Yuan Zhang trying to accomplish?
"We've fought two battles and killed four enemies. What right do you have to stop us?" Yuan Zhang challenged.
"I…" Beastmen were generally not the sharpest tools in the shed, and especially not these young kids. They were nowhere near as sharp-tongued as Yuan Zhang, a former police officer with nearly forty years of experience solving cases.
"I don't believe you just joined the battlefield and got promoted to captain. Sun Yang, bullying us with your trivial tricks is one thing, but disrupting military order on this battlefield and persecuting accomplished soldiers—who gives you the audacity?" Yuan Zhang's words became increasingly cutting.
"I… you're talking nonsense!"
"Am I talking nonsense? Why are you blocking us? Didn't you see we were injured in battle? Were you here for a vacation, wearing pristine clothes?" Yuan Zhang pressed the advantage.
"I am…"
"What you are is irrelevant to me! Get out of my way!" Yuan Zhang's voice grew stern.
"What's going on? What are you two doing? This is a military camp; why are you shouting?" Surprisingly, a captain appeared, where normally private fights went unchecked.
"Captain!" Coincidentally, it was Liu Feng, the nominal superior of both Yuan Zhang and Sun Yang. Liu Feng hailed from a larger town and had brought a squad of twenty warriors to join the battle, which made him inherently more respectable than a small-town captain.
Beastmen valued strength; the larger the following, the greater the leader. It was no surprise that Liu Feng became the deputy captain of a hundred-man squad due to his connections.
"Captain! Zhang Ge is trying to leave the battlefield without permission, and I caught him," Sun Yang feigned righteousness.
"Enlistment is voluntary; if he wants to leave, it's none of your business," Liu Feng's response surprised Sun Yang.
This was unexpected. Were they really not concerned about the pride of being a warrior?
Yuan Zhang also paused. His planned excuse seemed unnecessary now, as Liu Feng was clearly siding with him.
"Brother Zhang, you've been away from home for years. It's perfectly reasonable to want to check in. The sooner you leave, the sooner you can return. Your brothers here are looking forward to fighting alongside you again, hehe!" Liu Feng's tone was much friendlier, almost sycophantic.
"Thank you, Captain Liu. To fight under your command is a blessing for me. Your strength and decisive command…" Yuan Zhang couldn't help but return the favor with some flattering words, realizing it was wise to stay on good terms with a powerful captain, especially since they might work together in the future.
"Zhang Ge, your way with words…" After leaving the camp, Siwa looked at his awe-inspiring leader with surprise. "When did you become so eloquent?"
"Is it strange?"