Myriad Rivers to the Sea

Chapter 877: The Dao of the Wild

The heavy and suffocating silence returned to the ancient woodland. The echoes of the massive explosion faded into the distance, leaving only the crackling of their small campfire to fill the void. The tension in the air slowly dissipated as the ambient Qi stabilized and whatever territorial dispute had just taken place miles away was now finished, decided by a brutal and final display of destructive power.Li Yu picked up a thick branch and tossed it into the flames. Sparks danced upward into the dark canopy as he settled back onto his log and looked across the fire at his companion. Zhan was still eating his portion of spiced meat, his scythe-like arms moving with rhythmic precision.

"That explosion confirms your warning." Li Yu said while watching the dancing flames. "The powerful beasts of this realm possess devastating strength. Wandering into their conflicts would be a foolish mistake."

"The Ferine Realm does not tolerate tourists." Zhan replied in his direct voice. He swallowed a bite of meat and looked at the human. "You said you wanted to gather information from Elder Mu. Aside from a map of the borders, what exactly are you hoping to learn from an ancient tree?"

Li Yu thought about his Koi Sanctuary. While he had gathered various species over his journey, he always felt the need to diversify and populate the waters further. What better place than a realm that was overrun with beasts.

"I want to understand the layout of this realm to see if there are unique environments I can take advantage of." Li Yu explained. "Specifically, I am looking for aquatic rulers or regions dominated by aquatic species. I want to collect different types of water dwelling beasts if I can find them."

Zhan paused his meal as his multifaceted eyes locked onto Li Yu. The insectoid beast tilted his triangular head in a gesture of curiosity.

"Are you going to talk to them and convince them, capture them or kidnap them?" Zhan asked bluntly.

The direct question made Li Yu pause. He looked down at his hands and realized he never truly considered the morality of his actions. He was a cultivator who walked a path paved with conflict but he always tried his best to maintain a core set of principles.

"I usually buy those that are already captured." Li Yu answered honestly. "When I visit cities, markets or auction houses, I purchase beasts that have already been enslaved or trapped by hunters. I bring them into my Koi Sanctuary and give them a new life. However, taking them from a cage and placing them into my inner world could technically be considered another form of capture."

Li Yu began to think that maybe he was just as bad as the hunters but then quickly firmed up his conviction and met Zhan's gaze.

"I do not regret doing it." Li Yu stated. "They are not living a bad life inside my sanctuary. The Qi is incredibly dense, the waters are pristine and there are no predators hunting them for their cores. They were captured beforehand and most likely destined for a terrible fate. I bring in those who are in bad situations."

Li Yu took a breath and decided to offer the full truth of his collection. It was more for himself rather than for Zhan. "I have captured a few directly, I will admit that. But I do not feel bad about it because it always happened as the result of a fight they initiated or they belonged to a hostile force that tried to kill me first. I have never gone to a peaceful village of aquatic species and just taken everyone against their will. I do not go out to conquer and bring in thousands upon thousands of sentient beings just to fill my space."

Zhan listened to the explanation without interrupting. The Heaven Severing Mantis processed the human's moral dilemma through his own straightforward logic. To a beast born in the wild, the concept of feeling guilt over taking the spoils of victory was highly confusing.

"You should not overthink it." Zhan said while using the tip of his scythe to pick a piece of meat from his mandibles. "Being beaten, captured and subdued are the natural ways of the world. It is the core of cultivation and the Dao of the wild. The strong always take from the weak. That is the absolute truth."

Zhan gestured to the dark woods surrounding them.

"If a weaker beast crosses my path and challenges me, I will kill them and harvest their core to strengthen my own foundation." Zhan explained smoothly. "If you defeat a group of aquatic beasts who attacked you and instead of killing them, you place them in a rich home, you are already treating them better than most ever would. While being captured against your will is never a great or ideal situation, at least you are taking care of them."

The mantis offered a dry clicking sound that served as a chuckle.

"If they stayed here, they would be eaten, killed or forced into brutal slavery by a tyrant." Zhan continued. "You have captured them, yes. But they are living freely in your sanctuary without the constant fear of death. To a beast of the Ferine Realm, that is not capture. That is winning a rare prize. There’s no need to dress it up or down, it is what it is."

Li Yu listened to Zhan's words and felt a sense of clarity wash over him. He often judged his actions by the standards of his own morality, forgetting the harsh reality of the cosmic food chain. Zhan was right. The Ferine Realm was a place where weakness meant death.

This tale has been pilfered from NovelFire. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

'It is not a flawless moral high ground,' Li Yu thought to himself. 'But it is the truth. They are alive and living a good life in a rich environment. I am providing a safe haven in a universe that offers no mercy. Even if that is not the truth, it won’t stop me from adding to my collection, that is also a truth.’ Li Yu thought.'

"I see your point." Li Yu said while offering a small nod. "I agree with you. It is just the way of the Dao. I will continue my current methods without carrying unnecessary guilt."

Zhan nodded in approval and went back to finishing his spiced meat. The conversation reached a natural end, leaving the two companions to enjoy the warmth of the fire and the quiet ambiance of the forest.

A few minutes passed in peaceful silence. Then, their senses detected someone coming and eventually a sharp sound of snapping twigs broke the calm. Li Yu and Zhan both turned their heads toward the dense undergrowth to their left. The rustling grew frantic and desperate. A heavy scent of fresh blood and burning ozone drifted into the clearing.

A moment later, a beast stumbled out of the shadows and into the flickering light of their campfire.

It was a female beast in her natural form and she was an incredibly unique sight. She was a Weaver Fox. Her fur was a shimmering coat of ethereal silver and deep violet but right now, it was matted with thick and dark blood. She possessed three long tails that seemed to phase in and out of reality, leaving faint trails of illusionary light in the air.

However, her current state was miserable. A massive, jagged wound stretched across her flank, exposing pale bone and torn muscle. One of her illusionary tails was violently severed halfway down and she was gasping for breath with her silver eyes wide with terror.

The Weaver Fox took two more stumbling steps toward the fire before her front legs buckled. She collapsed onto the dirt just a few yards away from where Li Yu was sitting before either of them reacted. She let out a weak, pitiful whine, her chest heaving as she bled onto the forest floor.

Li Yu felt his protector instincts flare immediately. He was accustomed to helping those who were injured, it was the silent doctor within him. He stood up from his log and his eyes scanned her wounds to determine if his laws of life could stabilize her fading Qi.

As he took a step toward the collapsed fox, the trees at the edge of the clearing parted violently.

Another beast stepped into the light, radiating a dense and aggressive aura. This creature was in a humanoid hybrid form. It possessed the muscular, upright torso and thick arms of a man, but its head was that of a Brutal Iron Bear. Thick, dark metallic fur covered its broad shoulders and chest. Heavy iron plates grew naturally along its forearms and shins. It carried a massive spiked club and was resting it casually over one shoulder.

The hybrid bear beast stopped at the edge of the camp with its small and cruel eyes darted from the fire to Zhan. And then locked onto Li Yu standing near the fallen fox. The bear beast let out a low and rumbling growl that vibrated in the air.

"That girl is my prey." The hybrid beast declared in a rough and grating voice. "She ran into your camp but she belongs to me. I am taking her."

The hunter tightened his grip on the spiked club as his aura expanded to show a solid Law Seed foundation. He was ready to fight if the human and the mantis decided to claim the spoils for themselves.

Li Yu narrowed his eyes and channeled his Qi into his legs. He was fully prepared to step between the aggressive hunter and the bleeding fox. His immediate reaction was to defend the injured creature lying helpless on the ground.

Before Li Yu could move forward, Zhan spoke up. The Heaven Severing Mantis did not stand up to do so. He remained seated on his rock, casually using a scythe to wipe a drop of grease from his mandibles.

"Go ahead." Zhan told the hybrid bear beast with a dismissive wave of his arm. "We are just sitting here eating our food. We have no claim to your hunt."

Li Yu turned to look at Zhan in surprise. He opened his mouth, ready to object and say they could not just let this brutal execution happen in front of them but the words died in his throat.

Li Yu stopped. He looked at the injured fox, then at the heavily scarred bear and finally back at his companion. He remembered the conversation they had just finished having. He remembered the harsh and brutal logic of the Ferine Realm.

'This is the way of the wild,' Li Yu thought while forcing his doctor instincts back down. 'I do not understand the full situation here. Trying to play the hero without understanding is stupid.'

His mind raced through the countless possibilities. He felt pity for the fox but what if she had invaded the bear's territory and slaughtered his cubs? What if her group was in the wrong and she was fleeing from a justified retaliation? What if she was a notorious thief who had stolen a vital resource from a starving tribe?

Jumping into a conflict without knowing the context was the fastest way to make terrible enemies and mistakes. He was walking the in between paths to avoid unnecessary battles. Interfering with a wild hunt went against everything Zhan had taught him about surviving in this land.

Li Yu took a slow breath, released his gathered Qi and stepped back. He lowered his guard and sat back down on his log, forcing himself to watch the fire instead of the injured beast. Seeing the human back down, the hybrid bear beast offered a gruff snort of satisfaction.

The hunter stomped forward, his heavy iron plated feet leaving deep prints in the dirt. He reached down with a clawed hand and grabbed the Weaver Fox roughly by the scruff of her neck. The female beast let out a weak cry of pain but she was too exhausted to fight back.

The bear hoisted her into the air like a discarded sack of grain. He gave Li Yu and Zhan one last warning glare before turning around and marching back into the dark woods, dragging his bleeding prize away. The sounds of the hunter crushing through the undergrowth slowly faded into the night, leaving the camp quiet once again.

Li Yu stared into the flames and felt a heavy weight settling in his chest. It was a difficult thing to watch and his conscience stung slightly but he knew it was probably the correct choice for this environment. He could not save every creature in the cosmos, especially when he did not know who was truly at fault.

Zhan picked up his last piece of spiced meat and tossed it into his mouth. The mantis looked at the human and offered a slow, approving nod.

"You controlled your impulse." Zhan noted as his metallic voice carried a rare trace of respect. "You are finally getting it. Welcome to the Ferine Realm."