Chapter Forty-Five: The White-Headed Eagle King

“Good brother, be careful.” Quan Meiyu’s eyes, bright as peach blossoms, brimmed with concern, while Quan Zhenzhu’s gaze, misty and alluring, held a trace of plaintive longing. The sisters, in perfect unison, murmured their tender admonitions to Lu Hu.

Lu Hu nodded, turned away, and brushed past Shi Gengxiang and the other generals who stood protectively before him. With hands clasped behind his back and a tranquil bearing, he strode toward the Celestial Shaman.

With a subtle motion of his left hand, he loosened the bindings, letting the electric baton slide into his right hand. “Celestial Shaman, enough of your feigned madness and frantic posturing. Where is your god? Have you summoned him yet?”

The Celestial Shaman, arms sore from beating the drum, seemed to tire of the commotion and paused to listen to what Lu Hu had to say. Though his body still twisted and swayed, the drum fell silent.

Lu Hu shouted, “Demon! Today, I, the true god, will reveal your true form with a stroke of lightning!” He moved with blinding speed, jabbing the electric baton into the shaman and thrusting the switch—all the way to its highest setting.

With a thunderous roar, a ball of fire shot forth, forcing the soldiers ahead to hastily steer their horses aside. The Celestial Shaman burst into flames—more precisely, his hair and garments ignited, and his burning form thrashed violently on the ground. His agonized screams echoed until the fire was spent, then fell silent.

All that remained of the Celestial Shaman was a heap of blackened charcoal.

A true god! This is a true god, a god descended to earth.

The shamanic warriors threw down their bows and arrows, fell to their knees, and kowtowed so fervently their faces were smeared with blood.

Every soldier dismounted and fell prostrate. “O Divine One, you are indeed a true god!”

Even Lu Hu was startled; he had not expected the baton’s full power to be so overwhelming.

He knew a little of the principle and function of electric batons from his previous life, but never had he imagined such destructive force.

This divine weapon must have been forged by some advanced civilization in the cosmos—its power immense, its workings beyond his comprehension. He resolved to experiment with it further when the opportunity presented itself; perhaps it held other secrets.

Calming himself, he noticed that after pressing the switch, a surge of heat had traveled up his arm, burrowing into his dantian, which now burned like a furnace.

True energy—he tested its flow, and found it coursing through his limbs and bones, his spirit invigorated, his body brimming with boundless strength.

Had his cultivation advanced?

Bending his knees slightly, Lu Hu tapped his toes against the ground and leapt into the air—soaring more than twenty feet high.

He flipped midair and landed steadily at the entrance of the command tent, gathering the mesmerized sisters, Quan Zhenzhu and Quan Meiyu, into his embrace.

At the crucial moment, the sisters had been willing to lay down their lives for him; how could he not cherish their sincere devotion?

Of course, he could not forsake Fuyana Li either; he would treat the two sisters as beloved kin, caring for them as he would his own.

“Shi Gengxiang, organize the twelve squads of guards to hunt on the mountain, using the opportunity to train the entire unit’s coordinated combat skills. Within three days, you must forge them into a single will—united in action, absolute in discipline.” As Lu Hu spoke, he cast a glance at the sky.

Twelve squads of personal guards? We’ve become the chosen of the god himself! Heavens above! What fortune have we cultivated to deserve this? Many soldiers knelt, weeping tears of joy; some sobbed aloud.

“Divine One, just now I lost my senses, deceived by slanderous words and bold beyond measure, I harbored ill intent toward you. I beg for death as atonement.” A soldier, weeping, crawled forth from the ranks, drawing his blade and pressing it to his throat.

Immediately, more than a hundred soldiers followed, crawling out, their faces streaked with tears, wailing for Lu Hu to deliver their punishment.

“You were bewitched by the demon; you nearly made a grave mistake, but ignorance is no crime. I do not blame you. Stand up, return to your duties, and strive for merit. In time, rewards and promotions will be yours.” Lu Hu comforted them, all the while casting frequent glances skyward.

“Divine One, you are our savior, our father reborn!” The soldiers, wiping their tears, kowtowed in gratitude.

“Good brother, what are you looking at?” Quan Zhenzhu, seeing Lu Hu’s gaze fixed on the distant sky, followed his line of sight, straining her eyes.

Lu Hu pointed. “There’s an eagle soaring up there, carrying a wolf in its talons. Do you see it?”

“Brother, all I see is a tiny black dot. Is that really an eagle?” Quan Zhenzhu nestled closer, widening her lovely eyes for a better look.

“Oh! There really is a little black dot,” said Quan Meiyu, clinging to Lu Hu, finally spotting the target.

Could my eyesight have improved so drastically? Lu Hu wondered, delighted, but wanting confirmation. “Shi Gengxiang, Yakexi, do you see it?”

“Divine One, there is a black dot in the sky,” the surrounding generals replied in unison.

They revered Lu Hu as a living god, and dared not entertain improper thoughts toward the sisters, though their beauty inevitably drew admiring glances whenever they chanced to look.

Thus, when Quan Zhenzhu gazed upward, the others did so as well, out of curiosity.

Since his internal energy had advanced so far, why not test its limits? Lu Hu gently patted Quan Zhenzhu’s delicate cheek and, with his other hand, caressed Quan Meiyu’s slender waist. “Cover your ears, both of you. I’m about to call out with all my strength.”

Obediently, Quan Zhenzhu covered her ears, while Quan Meiyu trembled, her soft hand grasping Lu Hu’s and her body nearly melting in his arms.

Steadying his mind, Lu Hu let out a long, piercing cry, an eagle’s call that soared through the sky: “Friend, your skill is formidable, snatching wolves as though it were a game! May I ask who you are?”

The great eagle, keen-eyed, homed in on the sound, circling the camp. Seeing no fellow eagle, it eyed the source warily and replied, “I am the White-Headed Eagle King. Who are you, hiding among these humans?”

“I am the Eagle God, having taken human form. These fools are fond of hunting and capturing our kind, but now I am here to toy with them in turn, to ensure they no longer harm us.” Now that the conversation was begun, Lu Hu was quietly pleased; soon this eagle would be his companion.

Sure enough, the great eagle began to glide closer. “O god, I am in awe. You have avenged the eagle clan.”

I will have you follow me faithfully yet. “White-Headed Eagle King, come with me. I will have these humans kneel to you, and together we shall sport with them as we please.”

The white-headed eagle flapped its mighty wings, drawing nearer but keeping a wary eye on the soldiers, ready to soar away at any sign of a drawn bow.

The soldiers’ ears rang from Lu Hu’s piercing cry, their heads throbbing, but they, too, saw the eagle approaching, a wolf clutched in its talons.

“By the gods! At a single command, even the eagle answers his call!”

“Never in my life have I seen the like.”

“This is no ordinary eagle—look, it carries a wolf beneath its claws!”

The soldiers craned their necks, marveling.

As the eagle drew near, Lu Hu called out, “All ranks, face the eagle and kneel in salute!”

His words were the will of heaven itself; the soldiers immediately turned and prostrated themselves toward the great bird.

The white-headed eagle’s sharp gaze took in the scene, and, convinced that Lu Hu was the Eagle God, it uttered a long cry and swooped down.

Letting go, it dropped the half-dead wolf onto the open ground before the command tent; the beast struck the earth, blood streaming from its orifices, kicked its legs feebly, and expired.

The eagle circled once, then landed upon the wolf’s body, folding its wings.

The entire camp was struck dumb with awe—the eagle’s wingspan was at least ten feet, and standing, it was nearly as tall as a man.

Such a mighty eagle might better be termed a roc.

The White-Headed Eagle King uttered a series of guttural calls to Lu Hu. With calm air and at close range, there was no need for shrill, piercing cries.

It asked, “How is it that you cultivate like a man? Why do these humans obey you so? Can you teach me?”

Lu Hu replied in kind, “To become a god takes years of effort. Follow me and cultivate, and you will achieve it in time.”

“Very well. I am willing to follow and learn, but where shall I reside?”

“I will have these soldiers build you a great tent beside mine, twice the size of the current one, and fill it with the finest wool for your nest. If you need anything, tell me, and I will have them provide it. Will that suffice?”

“Excellent! If you require anything of me, just command it!”

“Of course, there is much I need your help with. My cultivation is not yet complete, and for now, I cannot fly. All matters of the sky will rely on you.”

“No problem—so long as these men dare not harm our kin, all will be well.”

“That will take our joint effort,” Lu Hu replied, then commanded, “Erect a great tent before mine—twice the current size, with the best wool for the White-Headed Eagle’s nest.”

“At your command,” the soldiers replied, rising to follow Shi Gengxiang’s orders.

The White-Headed Eagle tore open the wolf’s hide with its sharp beak and began to feast on the flesh.