Clang!
Chains rattled as a massive, bull-like shadow emerged from the darkness.
The creature's paws were as thick as a bear's, and its rippling muscles bulged like chiseled stone. Around its thick neck hung a studded collar, supporting a grotesque, wrinkled dog's head.
Fangs jutted from its lower jaw, grotesque and terrifying, while its crimson eyes burned with malice. It snorted loudly, exhaling hot, visible air.
Simply standing there, it exuded an overwhelming sense of menace.
"Holy crap! Is that even a dog?" Jing Jian gasped, stunned by its monstrous form.
The beast's size and ferocity dwarfed the three red-eyed dogs they had already taken down.
Following the monstrous dog, a short, stocky man appeared, his face hardened with muscle and fury. He gripped the heavy chain tied to the creature.
"That's him!" Lu Fei's eyes narrowed.
This was the dog seller—the man Jiang Hao and his wife had been searching for.
"Boss, help us!"
The three lackeys on the ground cried out desperately.
Tiger and A-Long responded by knocking them unconscious with a few solid punches before moving to Lu Fei's side, glaring fearlessly at the dog seller.
"Why did you kill my dogs?" the man asked coldly.
"You'll find out when they're all dead," Lu Fei replied, not wasting words.
"Jing Jian, take the shot."
"Got it!" Jing Jian took a deep breath, raising the repeating crossbow to aim at the monstrous dog.
The dog seller sneered. "I was wondering what to feed my dog. You've brought yourselves as the perfect meal!"
With that, he unhooked the chain and slapped the beast's muscular back, his face twisted in cruel satisfaction.
"Go on! Feast!"
The monstrous dog let out a deafening roar and charged at the group like a runaway truck.
"Watch out!"
Lu Fei shouted, pulling Jing Jian aside as he dodged the beast's ferocious lunge. Tiger and A-Long narrowly avoided the attack as well.
Boom!
The dog barreled through, kicking up a cloud of dust before turning to charge again.
"Jing Jian, we'll distract it! Find your shot!" Lu Fei yelled as he and Jing Jian split up.
"Understood!" Jing Jian responded, running toward an open area to avoid drawing the dog's attention.
He stopped, panting, and turned to see Lu Fei, Tiger, and A-Long keeping the monstrous dog occupied, their footsteps echoing like thunder.
Wiping the sweat from his forehead, Jing Jian raised the crossbow and began tracking the dog's movements.
Though the creature moved quickly and unpredictably, its massive size made it an easy target.
As he locked onto the beast, a glint of light flashed behind him.
Instinctively, he twisted away just in time to avoid a knife that sliced through the air, narrowly missing his side.
The attacker was the dog seller, wielding a razor-sharp boning knife. The blade gleamed under the moonlight, reflecting the malice in his eyes.
"You killed my three pups that I painstakingly raised. You'll pay with your life!" he growled, lunging at Jing Jian.
Jing Jian turned and ran, shouting, "Lu Fei!"
With his injuries, he couldn't risk a direct confrontation.
Lu Fei, engaged in dodging the dog's relentless attacks, tensed at the sound of Jing Jian's cry.
"Tiger, A-Long, hold it off!" he ordered.
Dodging a swipe from the dog's massive paw, Lu Fei rolled away and sprinted toward Jing Jian.
Tiger, desperate to draw the dog's attention, grabbed a rock and hurled it at the beast's rear.
"Come on, ugly! Try me instead!"
The enraged dog spun toward Tiger, growling ferociously. Tiger smirked and taunted it with a beckoning gesture.
The beast roared and charged, forcing Tiger to retreat at full speed. Just as it was about to reach him, A-Long hurled another rock, diverting the dog's focus once more.
The two worked in tandem, dodging and distracting the monstrous creature. Despite its brute strength, the dog's low intelligence left it vulnerable to their coordinated efforts.
Meanwhile, Lu Fei reached Jing Jian's side.
"He's..." Jing Jian gasped.
"I know. Focus on taking out the dog. I'll handle him," Lu Fei said, stepping between Jing Jian and the dog seller.
Jing Jian nodded, catching his breath before aiming his crossbow at the beast.
The dog seller's face twisted with rage. "Who are you people? I've done nothing to you, so why kill my dogs?"
"Those kids you've harmed didn't do anything to you either, yet you ruined their lives," Lu Fei shot back coldly.
"So it's you!" the dog seller roared, his chest heaving with anger. "You killed my Yin Dogs, and I haven't even sought revenge yet. Now you dare to come here!"
With that, he blew a sharp whistle.
From the shadows, dozens of spectral figures emerged—Yin Dogs.
They resembled shadowy apparitions of dogs, their presence cold and eerie, in stark contrast to the physical savagery of the monstrous beast.
"Rip them apart!" the dog seller commanded, waving his hand.
The spectral dogs silently surged forward.
Lu Fei gripped his lightning-struck jujube wood staff tightly, channeling his magic into the weapon.
Meanwhile, Jing Jian seized his chance.
Whoosh!
A poisoned arrow shot through the air, striking the monstrous dog squarely.
Despite its thick hide, the arrow penetrated deeply. The beast howled in agony, thrashing wildly.
One arrow wasn't enough to bring it down. Jing Jian fired again and again, each shot finding its mark.
The dog's movements slowed, its massive frame staggering as the poison took effect.
"It's working!" Jing Jian exclaimed, only to feel a chilling wind rush behind him.
The Yin Dogs were closing in.
Lu Fei remained calm, swinging his staff at the nearest spectral dog.
Zzzap!
Blue lightning arced through the air, disintegrating the ghostly creature on contact.
The dog seller's eyes widened in shock. "Who are you people?!" he shouted, his voice trembling.
Lu Fei's staff crackled with residual electricity as he turned to face the remaining Yin Dogs.
The dog seller, desperate, blew his whistle again, urging the spectral dogs to attack en masse.
Even Lu Fei began to feel the pressure as the spectral dogs swarmed him. Jing Jian, now wielding his repaired peachwood sword, braced himself for the onslaught.
Suddenly, from the shadows, a lean, wolf-like dog emerged. Silent as a ghost, it crept behind the dog seller.
Its eyes gleamed with an unsettling intelligence as it prepared to strike.