Chapter 57: The Storm Looms

"Sir, this place is..."
The guards on either side tried to stop Yun Zhao from advancing, but Yun Zhao glared at them fiercely, bellowing, "Out of my way!"
His voice thundered in the guards’ ears, leaving them stunned and trembling.
They had never encountered such a muscular and imposing figure—Yun Zhao seemed like a living mountain before them, leaving them utterly powerless, able only to cower and obey.
As the guards instinctively stepped aside, Yun Zhao snorted, a flicker of flame bursting from his nostrils and extinguishing in the air. He then strode boldly inward.
The wolfhounds kept in captivity lifted their heads at Yun Zhao’s arrival, growling low in their throats, unsettled and alarmed by his sudden presence.
Yun Zhao swept his gaze across the wolves with disdain, as if he held them in no regard.
To him, these wolfhounds were nothing more; should he fight them, they would be slaughtered in mere moments, leaving not a single survivor.
Wherever Yun Zhao’s eyes landed, each wolf instinctively lowered its head, unable to meet his gaze.
Survival among wolves followed the law of the strong—Yun Zhao, the Totem Warrior, was clearly mightier than any of them, and the pack knew well enough not to challenge him, not even with their eyes.
Yet, exceptions exist to every rule.
When Yun Zhao’s gaze fell upon a lone grey wolf lurking deep in the shadows, an inexplicable tremor seized his heart, a suffocating pressure tightening his chest, as if witnessing something incredible.
"What?"
Yun Zhao was stunned; he sensed the aura of a Feather Shaman emanating from the grey wolf!
A wolf bearing the aura of a Feather Shaman—
How could this be possible?
Yun Zhao’s expression shifted; uncertain, he held his breath and stared again at the grey wolf, only to find, to his astonishment, that the sensation was real—a dangerous aura, undeniably shamanic, radiated from the animal.
In the instant Yun Zhao looked at it, a chill enveloped him, and for a moment he felt as he had in childhood, powerless and small.
His heart sank; he understood at once.

Among the captive wolves of Feather God City, there was... there was a Qi Cultivator!
Damn it, what on earth were the people of Feather God City doing? How had a Qi Cultivator appeared among the wolves?
Yun Zhao had heard rumors: decades ago, Feather God City, striving for its own ends, had fed Feather God Fruit to livestock in order to awaken them.
Now it seemed those rumors were true—this was no myth but reality!
The people of Feather God City deserved punishment.
Yun Zhao kept his thoughts hidden, feigning ignorance, and spoke loudly, "Beasts are just beasts—even if tamed, they would never dare challenge us Featherfolk. If you ask me, they might as well eat only vegetables from now on. They’re useless anyway."
The Featherfolk around him, unable to sense spiritual energy, laughed uproariously and echoed Yun Zhao’s words, oblivious to the shock and dread roiling within him.
"Let’s go. We’ve seen these beasts; it’s time to meet the City Lord."
Yun Zhao’s tone was scornful as he turned and strode out.
The Featherfolk who had come with him quickly followed, unwilling to linger, trailing behind the foremost warrior of their kind.
Only after they had gone a considerable distance did Yun Zhao relax, beads of sweat rolling down his forehead.
He gasped for breath, struggling to steady his tumultuous emotions.
The Featherfolk accompanying him were taken aback; one scholar stepped forward, concerned. "Commander Yun Zhao, are you all right?"
"Back to the Ancestral Land—right now, return with me at once!"
Having gathered himself, Yun Zhao wasted no time. "Do not linger—return immediately to the Ancestral Land and report everything to the Feather Shaman!"
A wolf, possessing intelligence and Qi cultivation, forced to endure daily humiliation, bullied and called a lackey by the Featherfolk—such patience must conceal a scheme, one Yun Zhao dared not even contemplate.
"This is a matter of utmost importance—a crisis for the very survival of the Featherfolk!"
The Featherfolk around him were bewildered; they could not fathom Yun Zhao’s sudden urgency.
The changing of the City Lord seemed an internal affair, surely not a threat to the entire people’s existence?
But with Yun Zhao as the leader, his word was law—they would obey.
Thus, under Yun Zhao’s command, the Featherfolk spread their wings and raced with all speed toward the Ancestral Land.

...
"What? The delegation from the Ancestral Land has left, and at a tremendous speed?!"
Upon hearing this news, Yun Yi, City Lord of Feather God City, grew anxious.
He had intended to keep the delegation waiting, then seduce them with feasts and luxury, hoping to win them over and secure his own position.
Now, however, the delegation from the Ancestral Land had merely toured the city and hurried back—was the Ancestral Land preparing to take action against them?
Yun Zhao was returning because of Old Ancestor Howling Moon, but the powers within Feather God City were oblivious, imagining the delegation had uncovered evidence of their corruption and decadence, and were rushing back to report to the Feather Shaman.
"City Lord, what should we do?"
A Featherfolk clad in leather armor was panicked; he understood well that if their secrets were exposed, their heads would surely roll.
Yun Yi did not hesitate. "Deploy the troops. Pursue them. Kill them all. We cannot let them report back!"

...
"That Featherfolk just now may have noticed me."
Old Ancestor Howling Moon was deeply troubled.
Ordinarily, he could suppress his spiritual energy, disguise himself as an ordinary wolf, and no one would suspect a thing.
But now, as he prepared to transform, spiritual energy coursed through his body, unable to retract, unable to conceal his nature.
He knew the Featherfolk’s Feather Shamans were Qi Cultivators, but had not expected there to be more than one among them—perhaps quite a few.
This left Old Ancestor Howling Moon uncertain how to proceed.
"No more delay—tonight, I will attempt to transform, to rise in revolt, and utterly overthrow the Featherfolk’s rule!"
"Even if I cannot topple them, I must at least stand against them before they realize what has happened!"