I explored the temple area, gathered jade lotus seeds and a pill that permanently boosted my max health. After resting at a new shrine, I entered the Forest of the Wolf, cleared out a pack of wolf minions and a shield-bearer. In a hidden tunnel, I met a friendly horse-faced soldier who warned me about the greedy Black Wind Guai.
I started looking around the area right after the fight and spotted a crest sitting nearby. Checking the ground, I picked up a few small pieces of gold that I saved to sell at the shrine market later on.
Looking over at a small pond, I noticed some lotus plants floating on the surface and gathered a few jade lotus seeds, which seemed like useful materials for making medicines down the road.
Inside the nearby temple, I found a chest and opened it up to claim a Celestial Jade Lotus Pill. The item description noted that it was a miraculous pill, and swallowing it gave my character a permanent boost to maximum health, which is definitely going to help out in future boss fights.
With the temple cleared out, I stepped back outside to see what was waiting along the main path. I quickly came across a Keeper's Shrine, which was a huge relief since I didn't want to backtrack to the previous one and risk respawning the big boss I had just killed.
I offered incense, rested up to recover my health and focus, and saved my progress before heading into the Forest of the Wolf.
A small pack of basic wolf enemies was waiting up ahead on the trail. Having just survived a much bigger threat, these regular wolves weren't intimidating at all, so I moved in and started cutting through them one by one.
While I was taking out the basic wolves, a shield-bearing enemy slowly marched toward me. I waited for him to get close, cast my Immobilize spell to freeze him right in his tracks, and heavy-attacked him before the stun effect wore off.
Continuing down the path, I spotted the entrance to a hidden side tunnel and decided to duck inside to check it out. I heard a voice echoing from the darkness ahead, making me think I was about to walk into another surprise boss fight.
Instead, I ran into a large soldier with a horse's face who spoke to me peacefully, telling me not to be afraid because a noble soldier wouldn't attack a traveler.
I walked up to talk to him, and he mentioned that I didn't look like the local Yaoguai patrolling the region. He asked if I was here to win the favor of the Black Bear King, warning me that the bear was just a hollow shell who can't actually grant anything he promised.
He explained that the Black Wind Guai was a deceitful creature who preached virtue while being completely driven by greed, deceiving all of his followers. He told me not to waste my time or trust the bear's pleas and warned me to stay vigilant while traveling through the forest.
With his advice delivered, the conversation wrapped up, leaving me to decide my next move.
All the pictures are take by me, from my gameplay. I took help from the internet for some words/names/locations used in this post.