Shi Kai said irritably, "Uncle, I'm not joking with you. You look about the same age as my dad, there's no need to exaggerate like that."
The man tossed a freshly grilled skewer of meat at Shi Kai. Shi Kai caught it with his hand, only to jump up immediately from the heat. Seeing Shi Kai's awkward reaction, the man continued, "Uncle or whatever, call me anything you like. As for my name, I've long forgotten it. Now tell me—how old is your father, and what makes you think he can compare to me?"
Hearing this, Shi Kai felt both grief and anger. He picked up the skewer and slowly sat back down. What hurt him was that his father had already been killed; what made him angry was that this so-called "uncle" not only refused to tell him his name, but even bragged about forgetting it. Who in the world forgets their own name so easily? And now he was belittling his father, questioning why he could compare with him.
Thinking of this, Shi Kai took a bite of the meat and said with suppressed anger, "My father is Shi Tianqun, Commander-in-Chief of the Huaxia Military Region."
"Oh, never heard of him." The man let out an exaggerated "oh" of mock realization, then dismissed it with a single "never heard of him."
Shi Kai glared at the man with anger. "My father is the person I respect most. You can't talk about him with that attitude."
The man looked at Shi Kai, took a slow sip of wine, and nodded. "Alright, alright, I understand. Sit down first—looking up at you like this is tiring."
Shi Kai, still full of unspent anger, had no choice but to sit back down. "My father joined the army when he was very young. He fought many battles for the country, in both the north and south. Since I was little, he's been the man I respected most. But now…" At this point, tears streamed down Shi Kai's face.
"Why are you crying? You were speaking just fine—what's with the tears? Such trouble…" The man flusteredly tried to comfort him. "Don't cry. I get it now. I respect him too."
Hearing this, Shi Kai felt a little less grief. After all, the most painful days had already passed. He kept eating the roasted meat, staring coldly at the fire. "Later, half a year ago, my father was murdered during a trip. My mother and older sister… they were killed in that same trip. I must avenge them."
The man, unmoved, dug at his ear and said flatly, "Is that so? Do you know who the killer is?"
Shi Kai let out a sigh, like a deflated ball. "No. If I knew, I would've gone after him with my life."
"I think you'd better not. If you tried, you'd definitely be the one to die," the man said, taking another swig of wine. "What do you have to fight him with? You're overestimating yourself."
Shi Kai glared at him fiercely. His entire family was dead, and yet this man still poured salt on his wounds. He wanted nothing more than to rush over and punch him twice.
The man took another bite of roasted meat and said, "I know what you're thinking—you want to hit me, right? Go on, go on, I bet you don't even have the guts."
These words stung Shi Kai like a provocation. He lunged forward, kicking straight at the man—but just as his foot was about to connect, the man was gone.
Then, from behind him, came a voice: "This meat tastes pretty good. Would be a shame to waste it."
Shi Kai turned around and saw the man sitting comfortably in the exact spot he had just been in, chewing on the roasted meat Shi Kai hadn't finished. Cold sweat instantly broke out across Shi Kai's back. When did he get behind me? he thought. Just now my kick was about to hit him—how could he have moved so fast and be sitting in my place already? The thought left him utterly puzzled.
He didn't attack again. He understood that even if he struck once more, the result would be the same. So, as if they had simply swapped seats, Shi Kai quietly sat down in the spot the man had just vacated and began thinking.
The man chuckled and tossed the skewer in his hand to Shi Kai. Snapping out of his daze, Shi Kai picked it up and kept eating, no longer daring to speak.
The man smiled darkly. "Kid, do you want to avenge your family?"
Those words hit Shi Kai like a bolt of lightning, leaving him frozen on the spot.
The man took a swig of wine, wiped the remaining drops from the corner of his mouth with his hand, then flicked his fingers lightly. At once, a few sharp thuds sounded from the door behind Shi Kai.
Startled, Shi Kai turned his head sharply. The door was now dotted with tiny holes, as if pierced through by fine needles. His scalp tingled as he recalled that casual flick of the man's hand. In an instant, he understood—those were caused by the wine he had just tossed away. Such terrifying skill… if that flick had been aimed at me just now, I'd already be dead.
The man ignored Shi Kai's reaction and continued in that same sinister tone, "If you want revenge, I need to see your sincerity."
Shi Kai seemed to understand. He turned around, tears welling in his eyes, and dropped to his knees. "Master, please accept your disciple!" At last, he knew—his great vengeance could be fulfilled.
The man threw his head back and laughed. "Looks like you're not entirely stupid. Hmph! Truth be told, the only thing I find displeasing about you is that bald head. Everything else suits me just fine. When I was treating your injuries, I noticed your exceptional bone structure—you're a fine piece of material to be molded."
Shi Kai kowtowed heavily. "Please, Master, grant me this chance!"
With a sweep of his sleeve, the man said, "Rise." An invisible force lifted Shi Kai to his feet. He continued, "I'll tell you this—my training is strict, and at any moment you could lose your life. If you can't endure it, you'll be joining the King of Hell as his godson."
As long as I can take revenge, I can endure any hardship… even death, Shi Kai thought. Firmly, he said, "Please, Master, grant me this chance."
"Good. Then we'll start tomorrow. Rest for now and heal your injuries first." By the time he finished speaking, the man was already several meters away.
After his master left, Shi Kai stood there in a daze, thinking about everything he had gone through in the past half year. At last, he cried—this time from joy, for he finally knew what he truly wanted.
That day marked a fundamental change in Shi Kai's character, setting him firmly on a path of no return. It would become, years later, the turning point that led to the Black List War.
When his tears finally dried, he continued roasting meat by the fire. He knew his master would return.
The sky gradually darkened. Snow was falling heavier and heavier. Outside, all was deathly still. Shi Kai dared not go out—for this was the untouched core of the Shennongjia Forest, home only to fierce beasts.
He didn't know how much time had passed before drowsiness began to overtake him.
Just then, his master suddenly appeared before him and said, "What, you're already ready to sleep?"
Shi Kai jumped to his feet, blurting, "Master!" Any trace of sleep vanished instantly—banished by the shock of his master's sudden arrival. His movements are like a ghost's, Shi Kai thought.
His master gestured for him to sit, then tossed him a set of animal-skin clothing. "Try this on."
Shi Kai obeyed, putting on the outfit and turning around with a grin. "Master, it fits perfectly. Did you make it?"
While roasting meat and sipping wine, his master replied, "Of course. Who else could it be? Aside from us, is there anyone else here?"
Shi Kai sat down, puzzled. "Master, is it really true that no one can find this place? You've lived here for so many years—has no one ever discovered you?"
"It's not that no one can find this place—it's that I don't allow them to," the master said. "I've set up a Qimen Dun Armor formation within a two-kilometer radius outside. Anyone who steps into it will lose their sense of direction, making it nearly impossible to get here—unless they have me to guide them. Besides, this primeval forest is a natural barrier. Just getting past the arrow bamboo groves is already an achievement. Mountains surround this place on all sides, so coming in isn't easy. There are floods and fierce beasts everywhere, and few dare to venture deep inside.
"On top of that, there are many mysteries here, like mazes yet unsolved, so people don't set foot here lightly. A cunning rabbit has three burrows—I also have several places I can live in."
Shennongjia covers an area of 3,200 square kilometers. Its mountains are high, its valleys deep, and cloud-shrouded peaks stretch as far as the eye can see. The terrain is over 1,000 meters above sea level, with six peaks exceeding 3,000 meters. In this vast, ancient forest—where giant trees block out the sun—over 2,000 species of wild plants grow: fir trees towering forty to fifty meters high, maple poplars with trunks two meters thick, sprawling Malings, the famous Chinese "dove tree" (Davidia involucrata), and iron-hard Cunninghamia trees mottled with moss.
As his master spoke, Shi Kai perked up and asked with a grin, "Master, I heard people say there are wild men in Shennongjia. They're not talking about you, are they?"
His master tossed him a freshly grilled skewer of meat. This time, Shi Kai had learned his lesson—he didn't try to catch it with his hand. Instead, he let it land against his chest, then cupped it in his sleeve.
Taking a bite of meat, the master replied, "Of course not. How could I be a wild man? The basic features of the so-called wild man are: an adult stands about two meters tall, walks upright with slightly bent legs, and has no tail. Except for the face, palms, and soles, its body is covered with reddish-brown, chestnut, gray, or even white hair—soft and downy like fur.
"The hair on its head is long—at the front, it can cover the forehead or face; at the back, it falls naturally over the shoulders like a woman's shawl. The head is small, the neck turns freely, and the sagittal muscles are well-developed. The face is darker in complexion, the nostrils tilt upward and are recessed. The forehead and chest protrude, the arms are short, and the legs are long. When moving on all fours, the front is low and the back high, with arms that can rotate freely.
"The feet are 29 to 48 centimeters long—longer than human feet—and shaped wide in front, narrow in back, with no arch. The big toe is opposed to the other four toes. Now, tell me—do I look like that to you?"
Chewing on the meat, Shi Kai asked, "Master, what meat is this? It's delicious. Oh—have you ever actually seen a wild man?"
"I told you—it's a legend, and legends are often unreliable. I've spent seventy years in Shennongjia and roamed every corner, yet I've never seen a wild man. Maybe I've just had bad luck—but that doesn't mean they don't exist." His master's tone grew impatient. "You're lucky, brat. This is venison. Eat it while it's hot, quit the chatter." He took a swig of wine.
History's river keeps flowing, and everything on Earth is in constant change. For over 2,500 years, there have been countless reports and tales of "wild men."
Today, there are four great unsolved mysteries of the natural world: the wild man, UFOs and extraterrestrials, the Loch Ness Monster and dinosaurs, and the Bermuda Triangle—questions that the whole of humanity ponders. Shennongjia's "wild man" ranks foremost among them.
On the vast land of China, wild man legends have existed for over a thousand years. Ancient Chinese books contain numerous descriptions and accounts, with dozens of different names for the creature, such as "mountain ghost," "hairy man," "bear man," "lei," and "baboon." Of course, it's hard to tell which of these countless folk legends and myths are pure fabrication and which have some basis in fact.
Shi Kai grinned foolishly. Now he found his master not frightening at all—on the contrary, there was something especially endearing about him. Happily, he followed his master's advice and took large, eager bites of the meat.
From a bag on the ground beside him, the master pulled out another kind of meat skewered on small wooden sticks and began grilling it. Shi Kai asked excitedly, "Master, what meat is that?"
"Stop shouting. It's white snake. They're hibernating now, so I caught them and butchered them. This stuff is a real delicacy." The master poured some wine over the meat, and the flames flared high.
"White snake… Bai Suzhen, huh?" Shi Kai stared blankly at his master.
Seeing Shi Kai staring at him, the master feigned impatience. "Don't just sit there gaping—it's almost ready. Catch it!" With that, a piece of snake meat flew straight at Shi Kai's face. It landed right in his mouth, and he quickly spat it out, hopping around from the heat.
The master laughed heartily at the scene—he had done it on purpose.
His aim had been perfect—just enough to scald, but not to harm. After running around the hut with his tongue sticking out, Shi Kai settled back down, unharmed but much more cautious.
The master had a huge appetite. After swallowing a piece of snake meat, he continued, "Yes, it's a white snake—but not some Bai Suzhen spirit. In Shennongjia, no animal is absolute. There are even mutant white snakes here that don't hibernate and are extremely venomous."
Those who have seen them say a white snake's body is pure as jade. Coiled up, it looks like a fine sculpture; standing tall, it's like a silver rod. It moves with lightning speed, gliding along the ground, and vanishes in the blink of an eye.
Chewing on the snake meat, Shi Kai asked in puzzlement, "They don't need to hibernate? That's incredible."
"You don't believe me?" His master raised an eyebrow, then reached to his neck and pulled off something, placing it on the ground. Shi Kai leaned in for a closer look—it was a black scorpion pendant, exquisitely crafted, so lifelike it seemed real.
His master warned, "You'd better not touch it. It's only in temporary dormancy. The moment an outsider touches it, it'll wake up."
Shi Kai drew in a sharp breath and stared at his master. "It's alive?"
His master nodded without hesitation. With his master present, Shi Kai wasn't afraid. He cautiously extended his right index finger and poked the little scorpion. Feeling the disturbance, the scorpion instantly turned a fiery red, swelling in size until it was as large as a man's palm. It stopped growing then, its two crimson pincers waving menacingly at Shi Kai in a show of dominance.
Startled, Shi Kai immediately bolted behind his master, peeking out from the side.
His master calmly set his right hand flat on the ground. The blazing red giant scorpion strutted up onto it, making Shi Kai's skin crawl.
"Don't be afraid," his master said evenly. "From now on, he's your pet. You'll need to communicate with him often."
Shi Kai cried out, "What do you mean, my pet? Master, are you joking? I don't want it—I'm scared!"
"As my disciple, you dare to say 'scared'?" His master frowned, then sighed. "Well, you're still just a kid, of course you'd be afraid. Take it slow. But this little guy is very obedient, and he's a treasure—one of Shennongjia's secrets. At his largest, he reaches twelve meters long and sixty centimeters wide. This is an ancient divine creature, the king of all scorpions."
As he spoke, the palm-sized red scorpion shrank back down, its body turning pitch-black until it looked no different from an ordinary scorpion.
Shi Kai sat down, still pale and sweating, staring at the scorpion in his master's hand.
His master tucked the scorpion into his robe and took a drink of wine. "Don't be afraid. One day, you'll understand its power."
"Master," Shi Kai asked nervously, "is it poisonous?"
At that, his master burst into hearty laughter. "Of course—and its venom is a hundred times more potent than those mutant white snakes."
Shi Kai sucked in another breath. Over my dead body will I ever keep that thing! he thought.
"What, are you scared now?" his master teased, amused by his disciple's cowardly expression.
Shi Kai swallowed hard and nodded slightly. Who wouldn't be scared? he thought. That's the most terrifying thing I've ever seen.
He couldn't know then that this Scorpion King would one day play a decisive role in the Black List battles to come.
Seven hundred million years ago, the land of Shennongjia began rising from the ocean floor, enduring countless upheavals before forming the terrain seen today. So it's not hard to believe that descendants of ancient creatures could still survive here.
Still shaken, Shi Kai continued eating his snake meat.
Seeing his disciple's pale face, the master chuckled. "Look at you—your guts have shrunk all the way into your stomach."
Clearing his throat, Shi Kai inched forward and said, "Master, that scorpion is really strange."
Ignoring him, the master finished the last of the snake meat, then pulled something else from his pack. Smiling, he said, "Now this—this is my favorite. Bear meat. It's the best. In Shennongjia, bears are everywhere." He smacked his lips in anticipation.
Shi Kai's eyes nearly popped from his head. Bear meat? he thought. My master really is something else. He eats better than the head of state. Most people never even see a bear in their lifetime, let alone eat one.
"Yes, bear meat," his master confirmed. "It needs to roast longer, so be patient. Oh, and the clothes you're wearing? They're made from bear hide. I just finished them this afternoon." He gave Shi Kai a wink.
Hearing this, Shi Kai almost fainted. No wonder the animal skin still carried a faint tang of blood—it was his master's handiwork. He couldn't help but feel genuine gratitude and admiration for the man.