Chapter 4: North Talisman Gate (Part 1)

Hong Changfeng quickly passed by the Talisman Warriors, slapping each one on the back as he went by. The Talisman Warriors, as if stimulated by drugs, became instantly energetic, with the talismans on their skin emitting a faint glow. It was only after careful observation that Guo Shier discovered this secret. He asked, “Leopard, Grandpa Hong… what’s he doing?”
Huo Bao had the potential to become a Talisman Warrior and thus knew some of their secrets. He said, “Grandpa Hong is a Talisman Master; he’s activating the runes on the Talisman Warriors.”
Guo Shier was surprised. “Can’t they activate them by themselves?”
Huo Bao smiled. “They can, but no one can do it as quickly or effectively as a Talisman Master.”
Guo Shier nodded and continued to observe.
Hong Changfeng circled once, activating the runes on all the Talisman Warriors, then quickly retreated. Talisman Masters were not suited for combat.
“Ugh… ahh…”
The wolf pack let out howls, but instead of charging immediately, they ran in a circle around the sled. Over four hundred wolves moving together were terrifying—almost no sound could be heard as they ran across the snow, appearing like ghosts, and they were extremely fast.
The fur of the Blood Ice Wolves wasn’t red but a mix of light blue and white. Gradually, an extremely cold aura spread out—this was the unique freezing breath of the Blood Ice Wolves. Though it couldn’t kill people, it could slow down their movements and reactions. Once the freezing breath became strong enough, it was time for the Blood Ice Wolves to launch an attack.
“Over my dead body! Fire Rain Descends!”
Guo Shier stood on tiptoes and looked ahead. A red line rose from Chen Chunzhai’s hand. With his shout, the red line shot out rapidly, multiplying—one becoming two, two becoming four, four becoming sixteen… The red lines multiplied endlessly. Along with the words “Fire Rain Descends,” they burst forth suddenly, with countless sparks pouring down like a waterfall.
The wolf pack was too fast. Even if that rain of fire were meant to attack, it could only hit one direction. Yet not a single wolf fell; they all ran through the fire rain, and the freezing breath was instantly extinguished. A few wolves that ran slightly slower had much of their fur burned off.
With a howl, the wolf pack stopped running and launched an attack.
They gathered quickly and charged from one direction. Guo Shier was astonished. “Even the wolf pack knows how to concentrate their forces?”

A talisman warrior shouted loudly, waving a stick as thick as a duck egg and only one meter long. Strangely, he held the stick with both hands and swept it horizontally. A blood ice wolf leaped up suddenly and charged at him viciously. Guo Shier opened his eyes wide and watched carefully. The top end of the stick flashed briefly, and the charging blood ice wolf was split in two.

It all happened in an instant. Guo Shier saw clearly—a crescent-shaped blade of light appeared suddenly at the top of the stick, vanished in the blink of an eye, lasting less than two seconds. In such a short time, it had cut a wolf in half.

Huo Bao seemed to know what Guo Shier was thinking. He said, “That’s a talisman blade. This talisman warrior is very skilled; he controls it well. A talisman blade doesn’t last long, but with his method of activation, it can be used many times. It’s probably a relatively advanced talisman weapon.”

The battle intensified the moment the two sides came into contact. The howls of the wolves and the shouts of the humans filled the air. Then Hong Changfeng roared, “Shoot!”

A few talisman warriors standing behind, armed with long bows, began shooting arrows. With just one glance, Guo Shier realized these bows and arrows were different from what he had known before. The talisman warriors didn’t throw their arrows but shot them straight ahead. The arrows were fast and exploded upon hitting their targets.

One arrow could kill a blood ice wolf, almost like a sniper rifle from his past life.

There were far too many wolves—over four hundred—while only about twenty talisman warriors were defending them. With the support of a few more talisman warriors shooting arrows from behind, they managed to hold back the attack, but they were already showing signs of weakness.

Chen Chunzhai hadn’t intervened since using the spell “Fire Rain from the Sky.” His responsibility was heavy—he had to protect the entire team and couldn’t act recklessly. He kept waiting for the right moment to act.

A few more talisman warriors rushed into the wolf pack. Even with twenty talisman warriors, they couldn’t completely block the wolves’ attacks. Many blood ice wolves took the opportunity to break through the circle formed by the sleds. About a dozen dog handlers immediately ordered their snow dogs to attack. There were over eight hundred snow dogs, a dark mass of fierce animals. Any blood ice wolves that managed to jump into the sled circle were instantly torn to pieces.

Freezing breath was the blood ice wolves’ greatest strength. Once that ability was neutralized, their power became insignificant.

Howl… howl…

The wolf king let out a sharp howl, and the pack suddenly stopped attacking and began retreating slowly. In just three minutes, over seventy Blood Ice Wolves were killed, with another dozen covered in blood. Many of the Fu Warriors were also severely injured; one had his neck torn open and lay in a pool of blood among the wolves.

Guo Shier didn’t feel any discomfort at this grim sight. In his previous life, he had experienced battles a hundred times more brutal than this. He said, “The wolf pack is retreating!”

Huo Bao asked, “How do you know?”

Guo Shier replied, “Because continuing the fight won’t benefit them. Even if they kill us all, they won’t survive long… A losing deal like this— the wolf king surely won’t agree to it. Heh, with all his followers dead, the wolf king won’t live much longer either.”

Sure enough, the wolf king howled a few more times, and the pack quickly ran back into the deep mountains.

Eight Fu Warriors were injured, two seriously, and one dead. Chen Chunzhai looked grim. Running into a wolf pack so close to home annoyed him even more, especially since one of his warriors had died. He said, “Start treating the injuries immediately. Save their lives first. Hurry to the last supply station— it’s about to get dark. Quick! Get the sleds ready.”

Everyone understood the seriousness of the situation. Nights in the mountains were not only cold but also full of dangerous wild beasts. If they encountered a fierce one, it wouldn’t be surprising if the entire group perished, so they were all very anxious.

Nights in the mountains came quickly. The group rushed toward the supply station. Chen Chunzhai shouted, “Stay alert! Watch out around us. Archers, keep away any wild beasts that try to approach!”

Seeing Huo Bao looking nervous, Guo Shier said, “Bao, relax. We have so many people— nothing will happen.”

Lan Yi was also nervous and hugged Guo Shier tightly. Huo Bao said, “Shier, you don’t know how dangerous the mountains are at night, especially for a group moving fast like us. We’re vulnerable to attacks from large wild beasts. I hope we can reach the supply station soon.”

“There are dog barks in the distance… horse hooves!”

“The rescue team is coming!”

The sound of horse hooves grew louder and louder. Guo Shier closed his eyes and listened carefully. After a moment, he said, “There are 120 riders, with a difference of no more than two horses.”

Huo Bao laughed, “How can you be so accurate? You can’t even see… I heard there are few horses in your hometown.”

Guo Shier smiled slightly and said, “I guessed it!”

The horse squad is a highly mobile force in the mountains. The horses here are strong and robust, capable of long distances as well as quick sprints. In his past life, Guo Shier had his own cavalry unit. He was also a man who loved horses; on several occasions when fleeing the battlefield, he relied on his large black horse to save himself.

“Lao Chen, make the sled go faster. I’ll lead the men to protect it—there’s no problem! Twenty riders are ahead to clear the way, and I’ll follow with a hundred riders. Go ahead without worry; no one will fall behind!”

Someone who could call Chen Chunzhai “Lao Chen” must be quite powerful. Hearing that voice, Chen Chunzhai immediately breathed a sigh of relief and shouted, “Lao Dao! I’m counting on you then…”

The sled team kept moving forward without stopping.

Huo Bao was shocked. “One hundred and twenty riders!” He couldn’t believe it. “It really is one hundred and twenty riders! Shier, how did you guess that? That’s impossible!”

Guo Shier chuckled, tucked his head in, and hid back in Aunt Lan’s arms. After all, he was just a child now and didn’t have to worry about much. To be honest, he felt warm in Aunt Lan’s arms—the outside was too cold, with winds as sharp as knives, cutting painfully into his face.

Huo Bao suddenly found Guo Shier mysterious. Since Guo Shier didn’t answer, he had no choice but to accept it.

About an hour later, faint lights appeared in the distance. Huo Bao said excitedly, “I see the lights! We’ve arrived!” After all, he was just a twelve-year-old child. After a day of hardship and danger, the thought of reaching their destination filled him with joy. It had indeed been a difficult day.

Although the supply station wasn’t large, it was relatively safe, surrounded by walls that could ward off most wild beasts. Moreover, the supply stations had underground hidden rooms that served as shelters in case they encountered beasts too fierce to fight.

Upon entering the supply station, housing was allocated first. As soon as they settled in, hot roasted meat and large bowls of meat soup were brought to them. Everyone was exhausted, especially the children, whose faces were pale from fatigue. They devoured their dinner quickly and then crawled into their beds to sleep soundly.

The next morning, after breakfast, everyone set off again toward Beifu Gate. The day was peaceful, as the horse squad escorted them, and no accidents occurred.

Beifu Gate was the dominant force in the north, with countless families relying on it. In the north, Beifu Gate represented everything.

Guo Shier saw a massive mountain city, which was the headquarters of the Northern Talisman Gate. Spanning thousands of square miles, it not only housed countless experts but also many ordinary people who made a living there. The headquarters of many major merchants were also located here. It was the largest city in the north, a sacred place for learning talismans, and a hub for talisman-making materials.

After entering the city, the twenty-six children with potential to become talisman warriors were quickly taken away. Guo Shier and the other fourteen children were led by Chen Chunzhai and boarded carriages to head toward the back of the mountain city. It took them half a day to cross the city. The area behind the mountains was a restricted zone accessible only to those of the Northern Talisman Gate.

As he passed through the city, Guo Shier noticed that although it was enormous, the people living there did not lead a luxurious life. So far, this world had given him the impression of being very simple and strong. What fascinated him the most was the mystery of talismans. He resolved to study them thoroughly so that in his next reincarnation, he would possess more life-saving secrets.

He had always wondered: With such a large city and so many people, all of whom had high food consumption, how was food supplied? If hunting was the source, it seemed exaggerated. Even if three people ate one pig per day, with at least several million people in the city, would they need to consume millions of pigs daily?

He knew that no grain was produced here; all food was imported from outside. The people of this world did not mainly eat grain but meat instead. So where did they get their meat?

Of course, this was not something he should worry about—it was just a question in his mind.