C19 Devil Doctor Ye He

Zhang Heng's face tensed as he realized that, in the brief moment he had hesitated, the wolves had once again encircled him from behind and on both sides. The only direction without wolves was to the west. Without a second to spare, he dashed westward.

Fifteen minutes later, Zhang Heng had been pursued by the pack for dozens of miles. Yet, he noticed something peculiar. The wolves didn't seem intent on killing him. If he followed the path they had herded him onto, they merely trailed him quietly, neither too close nor too aggressive.

But Zhang Heng's unease grew with every step. The black wooden sign's inscriptions indicated he was nearing the heart of the Silverflow Canyon, typically the domain of the demon beasts' overlord, the true sovereign of the wolf pack.

"Could it be the Swift Shadow Wolf King's birthday today?" he mused with a hint of dark humor. "Am I the snack the Swift Shadow Wolves have prepared for their king's celebration?"

Under the wolves' coercive guidance, he trekked another two miles. Then, the dense forest gave way to a clearing, and a vast open space unfolded before him. Dominating the center of the hundred-yard expanse stood a towering stone cliff.

The cliff was a slate of greenish-gray, its form strikingly reminiscent of a Swift Shadow Wolf howling at the sky. As Zhang Heng gazed upon it, his eyes narrowed in recognition.

"So, I've made it here after all," he muttered.

This was Gray Wolf Cliff, the very place he had hoped to avoid. Even the notoriously unreliable Blackwood plaque had marked it as one of the rare forbidden zones on the outskirts of Silverflow Canyon, warning Qi Refining braves to steer clear.

Gray Wolf Cliff was the stronghold of the largest Shadow Wolf pack. Legend had it that the outskirts of Silverflow Canyon were home to over a hundred Shadow Wolf packs, ranging from a mere hundred to over a thousand members each. Every pack was led by a Wolf King, but the one ruling from beneath Gray Wolf Cliff was the king among kings, the so-called Lord of Ten Thousand Wolves.

"Have I somehow crossed paths with misfortune today?"

"Why on earth would I end up in such a perilous location?"

Zhang Heng questioned himself over and over, but no answers came.

Shadow Wolves were steadily advancing from behind and on both sides, herding him toward Gray Wolf Cliff ahead.

With trepidation, Zhang Heng continued his journey. After another three miles, he entered the vicinity of Gray Wolf Cliff.

The area was a surprisingly clean and tidy expanse of flatland, spanning a thousand feet in every direction, as if someone had meticulously swept the ground.

At the base of Gray Wolf Cliff, a fence had been erected.

From within, the bleating of herbivorous demonic beasts could be heard.

Nearby, a leisurely group of over a hundred Shadow Wolves lay sprawled on the ground, soaking up the sun and dozing off. It was the epitome of relaxation.

"What's going on here? The idyllic life I've longed for is being lived by a bunch of animals!"

Witnessing the tranquil and leisurely scene, Zhang Heng couldn't help but silently grumble.

"Hmm, all that's missing is someone waiting on them hand and foot, and their wolfish existence would be complete."

No sooner had Zhang Heng thought this than two burly human men emerged from behind Gray Wolf Cliff.

Both men stood over seven feet tall—one bald, with a bamboo basket half his height strapped to his back, and the other, with unruly hair, balancing a stack of over a hundred plates across his chest.

The contents of the basket and the weight of the plates were clearly substantial, as each step they took left deep impressions in the hard ground.

Yet, these robust men still had the energy to chat and laugh as they walked.

But the real question was, what place was this?

This was supposed to be the lair of the Shadow Wolves, wasn't it?

How could humans possibly be found here?

And it appeared that the humans and Shadow Wolves were on good terms.

Zhang Heng watched the unfolding scene with astonishment, envy, and a touch of resentment, thinking to himself, "Is there no justice left in the world? Have all the rules been thrown out the window?"

Zhang Heng watched in disbelief as two burly human men approached the pack of wolves. The bald one removed a large basket from his back, while his companion with disheveled hair set down a stack of wooden plates before the animals.

Together, they began placing the plates in front of each wolf. Then, they pulled out fragrant, cooked food from the basket and filled the wolves' plates. It was as if the basket contained a magic storage bag; in no time, every wolf had a plate piled high with a variety of human culinary delights.

Zhang Heng's sense of reality wavered as he observed the Shadow Wolves relishing the human food. It was as if he were in a dream.

Just then, the bald man who had finished serving the wolves turned and gave Zhang Heng a simple, warm smile, waving enthusiastically. Amidst this scene, the multitude of wolves in the distance had already begun to devour their meal with ravenous gusto.

The man with the unruly hair affectionately stroked the massive, fierce head of one of the wolves, which responded by purring contentedly, much like a husky from Zhang Heng's past life. It even went so far as to affectionately lick the man's hand.

Confronted with this surreal tableau, Zhang Heng couldn't help but question aloud, "Who am I? Where am I? What on earth is going on?"

Nevertheless, he composed himself and stepped forward. The bald man noticed Zhang Heng approaching and felt a sense of admiration. He remembered his own first visit, how he had been too terrified to speak, and he respected the young man's composure.

"You've arrived," the bald man greeted Zhang Heng warmly.

"I have," Zhang Heng responded, his face devoid of emotion, feeling as foolish as the husky he had compared the wolves to.

But given his current predicament, what else could he do?

Thankfully, the bald man didn't follow up with a discouraging "You shouldn't have come." Zhang Heng wasn't sure how he would have responded to that—perhaps with a resigned "But I'm already here."

The bald man seemed to grasp Zhang Heng's situation and, preempting any questions, he reassured him, "Don't worry, it's quite safe here."

"These Shadow Demonic Wolves may look menacing, but they pose no real threat. They've developed a taste for cooked food and show no interest in humans."

"That appears to be the case," Zhang Heng observed, looking into the distance.

There, a Shadow Demonic Wolf lay atop the messy-haired man's legs, blissfully allowing him to clean its ears with a grass stalk. The wolf seemed immensely pleased with the attention and quickly dozed off, snoring loudly.

"But what I'm trying to understand is why? What exactly transpired here? Why does the intelligence I have differ so drastically from reality?"

At this point, Zhang Heng thought of the ebony token in his grasp, which he despised so intensely.

Nearly all the errors stemmed from the misinformation on that ebony token. Had Zhang Heng known that beneath Gray Wolf Cliff lay over a hundred Swift Shadow Demon Wolves...

Each of these Demon Wolves had surpassed the complete first grade of Qi Refining and had advanced to the second grade. Even Zhang Heng couldn't discern their exact level. Why would he, knowing his own limits, dare to provoke such a formidable group?

The bald man, observing that Zhang Heng remained composed rather than succumbing to the hysterical breakdown he himself had once experienced, admired Zhang Heng's self-control even more. He chuckled and said, "To understand why, you must first learn about a certain individual."

"A certain individual? Who might that be?" Zhang Heng asked, his brow furrowed in confusion.

"The Devil Doctor — Ye He."

Upon hearing Zhang Heng's question, the bald man didn't respond but instead glanced at the man with unkempt hair who was scratching a Swift Shadow Demon Wolf's itch. Without pausing, the man with the wild hair uttered softly,

"Devil Doctor Ye He!?" Even as a member of the demon race, Zhang Heng had some knowledge of the Devil Doctor Ye He.

"He's the Devil Doctor who has traveled across various nations and ventured into the lands of demons and monsters. He doesn't discriminate by nationality, race, wealth, or status. If a patient meets his criteria, he's willing to provide treatment."

"It's said that he once brought back to life the prince of Qin who had been dead for seven days, with no heartbeat, breath, or pulse."

"He also healed the great demon lord of the Demon Clan, who had been left for dead after an ambush by the high-ranking braves of the Human Clan, his bloodline depleted and his demon crystal shattered. Yet, under his miraculous care, the demon lord's strength was fully restored, and he remains a significant threat to the Human Clan to this day."

The man with the messy hair was somewhat pleased with Zhang Heng's response. He gave a slight nod and added, "Did you know he also once traveled to Pofreyae?"

Zhang Heng shook his head; he had indeed never heard such a tale before.

"In the capital of Pofreyae, he merely caught a glimpse of the previous king and diagnosed him with a grave illness."

"Despite the king being in the prime of his life, fighting off invaders and quelling internal strife with youthful vigor, he dismissed the diagnosis outright."

"Yet, who could have predicted that merely half a month later, the king would fall gravely ill? By the time they sought out the Devil Doctor Ye He, he had vanished without a trace, leaving behind only a note stating that the king's condition was beyond help and that no medicine could cure him. True to his word, the king passed away three days later."

"The previous king of Pofreyae died in his prime because he ignored his illness?" This was a secret Zhang Heng was hearing for the first time.

"And it didn't stop there. Following the king's sudden death, Pofreyae was plunged into a state of disarray, with weak leadership and strong subordinates, the king's authority confined to the capital. To this day, the situation remains unchanged."

Zhang Heng was even more astonished. "I was aware of the current power imbalance in Pofreyae, but I never realized that this was the root cause!"

It wasn't just Zhang Heng who was in the dark; even the common folk of Pofreyae were unaware of this pivotal detail.

The man with unkempt hair gave a slight smile before posing his question, "Do you know where the Devil Doctor Ye He went after he departed from the capital of Pofreyae?"

After a moment of contemplation, Zhang Heng's eyes sparkled with realization. "Could it be that he actually came here?"

The man returned Zhang Heng's gaze with a smile and a subtle nod.

"Then, after his arrival, the world never heard from him again. Could it be because he never left this place?"