The hound in the center, a towering beast with a long, jagged scar cutting across its snout, lowered its head, its dark nostrils flaring as it caught the faint, lingering scent of jasmine in the air.
"Back," Wei Xiang spoke, his voice cold and steady as he lifted his silver sword, pointing the tip directly at the lead hound's eye. "You are far from your master's kennel, beasts. There is no meat for you on this mountain."
The lead hound let out a low, gravelly snarl, its powerful hind legs tensing against the wet earth.
*Snap!*
The beast lunged forward with terrifying speed, its massive jaws snapping shut right where Wei Xiang's throat had been a microsecond before.
Wei Xiang moved with a fluid, lightning-fast grace. He dodged to the left, his silver blade cutting through the air in a clean, horizontal arc.
*Slash.*
The sword sliced deeply through the hound's shoulder scales, releasing a thick spray of dark, smoky blood that smelled of burning tar.
