Chapter 101 – Wolf Pack

“This person is truly vicious; even if attacked, there was no need to kill.”

“Exactly, so many hounds died, and we even got punished because of it.”

“Actually, it’s something to be grateful for that the person didn’t die,” a young man timidly argued. Human life is always more important than a dog’s, and it was their mistake to begin with.

Xiao Shaobai shot him a disdainful glance. “Zhu Yang, you might be cowardly, but we’re not. She was skilled enough to escape, yet she killed our hounds—clearly provoking trouble.”

“Enough!” Cheng Zhigao said gloomily. “With so many yellow hounds gone, forget the punishment; our team’s hunting score will probably drop a lot. Instead of wasting time, we should hurry and find more prey.”

As they talked, rustling grass signaled a gray wolf leaping out, its back torn open, blood matting its fur.

“Hey, isn’t that the wolf we were chasing?”

The group quickly spread out, forming a semi-circle to surround it.

The wolf, suddenly encountering hunters, arched its body in fright. It wanted to retreat but seemed to hesitate about something, only spinning in place with a pitiful, exhausted look in its eyes.

Suddenly, the sound of arrows whistled through the air. Dozens of arrows thudded down, fencing the gray wolf in like a barrier.

Cheng Zhigao and the others looked up in shock to see six figures landing swiftly. The leader, with cold, stern features, wore tight black attire that hugged his tall, powerful frame, exuding an imposing aura. The gray wolf whimpered before him, not daring to jump out of the arrow circle.

Bad luck—they’d actually run into this cold-faced deity. Cheng Zhigao sighed; it seemed this gray wolf was out of their reach.

“What a coincidence,” Cheng Zhigao and his group stepped back three paces, signaling they wouldn’t try to take it.

The cold-faced youth glanced at them without a word. The girl beside him had already drawn her bow, poised and spirited, smiling at the group. “What a coincidence.”

Her bow was fully drawn.

Xiao Shaobai stared at the gray wolf that had cost them over half an hour and ten hounds, feeling deeply resentful but helpless. The other team were all experts; facing them head-on wouldn’t end well.

Over there, Zhan Changfeng paused while wrapping a cloth strip around her wrist, tilting her ear before suddenly saying, “According to hunting etiquette: hunters do not hunt young beasts, do not collect bird eggs, do not shoot birds returning to their nests, do not kill pregnant animals, and do not wipe out entire groups. If I’m not mistaken, that wolf is pregnant.”

“Huh?” The girl holding the bow looked at Zhan Changfeng in surprise, then scrutinized the gray wolf’s belly carefully.

The gray wolf seemed remarkably understanding; it actually rolled over to expose its belly, whimpering mournfully.

The girl’s hand trembled, and she lowered her bow involuntarily. “The belly is slightly swollen, and the teats are full—it really is pregnant. What do you think, Leng Yi’an?”

The others couldn’t help but glance over. The cold-faced youth twitched the corner of his mouth, whispering, “Speak more ladylike, Leng Yuzi.”

As he spoke, he stepped forward and pulled out one of the arrows, indicating agreement to release it.

The gray wolf jumped out of the circle and dashed into the bushes with its tail between its legs.

Xiao Shaobai sneered at this hypocritical behavior. “It’s just a bit fat; how is that pregnant?”

“Since you don’t want it, I won’t refuse the offer.” He drew his bow and shot an arrow, which disappeared into the bushes, immediately followed by a mournful howl.

“What do you mean by that!” Leng Yi’an glared at him fiercely.

Xiao Shaobai’s action could be seen as a slap in the face or a provocation. Leng Yi’an and his six companions were displeased: we just released it, and you kill it right after—what are you trying to do!

The six stepped forward to confront them. Cheng Zhigao and the others naturally protected Xiao Shaobai, also stepping forward, unwilling to lose face.

The gray wolf let out a dying wail, its eyes filled with venomous resentment, howling with all its might. Instantly, wolf howls echoed in response from near and far, as if all of Bijia Mountain was enveloped in a chorus of cries within a single breath.

Everyone’s faces turned pale—this was a pack leader!

Down the mountain, the teachers waiting to tally the students’ results were shocked. Head instructor Lin Wu grabbed his long spear and led the instructors rushing into the mountains. “I hope those little rascals haven’t stirred up some trouble.”

Threatening growls came from the silent forest. Everyone saw pairs of green, glowing eyes closing in from all directions.

“Xiao Shaobai, you’re going to get us all killed,” someone shouted.

Xiao Shaobai watched coldly, the veins on his hand gripping the bow standing out. “Enough talk.”

“The wolf pack is gathering more and more. Break through and get out of the mountain; don’t get bogged down in fighting,” Leng Yi’an instructed, using a rain of arrows with his team to open a gap, while Cheng Zhigao and the others provided cover on the flanks.

They often used hunting as military training, so their coordination was quite skilled.

An unwarranted disaster—Zhan Changfeng could only fight and retreat alongside them for now. Whether out of confidence in their skills or sheer boldness, these people faced the dire situation of being chased by a wolf pack without fear, even showing a hint of competition over who could kill more.

A few even had the mood to chat, like Leng Yuzi, who had somehow ended up next to Zhan Changfeng, asking cheerfully, “Little girl, why are you alone on the mountain? The mountains at night can be very dangerous.”

“You mean now?” Zhan Changfeng automatically ignored her form of address.

“I can’t tell if she’s being sarcastic or just stating facts,” Leng Yuzi thought to herself, then offered comfort, “It’s alright, we’ll protect you.”

Zhan Changfeng responded with a noncommittal smile. In the moonlight, it carried a hint of coldness, making Leng Yuzi wary of underestimating her.

Everyone’s arrows were limited and ran out after a few volleys. They switched to swords, spears, and halberds for close combat. The wolf pack also realized this and stopped evading, slowly closing in.

“Brothers, charge!” someone shouted with fervor, and the students unleashed their skills, diving into the wolf pack.

Leng Yi’an thrust with his long spear, lifting several wolves off the ground in two or three moves. In the blink of an eye, Leng Yuzi leaped up, her blade flashing horizontally and diagonally. Several wolves died before they even hit the ground.

Cheng Zhigao gathered strength in his palm, his palm force mighty as if to split stone. With one slap, he sent a wolf flying several meters, blood gushing from its mouth and nose—its skull clearly shattered.

As for Xiao Shaobai, he wielded a scimitar and charged straight into the wolf pack, attacking relentlessly without defense, like a reckless warrior. His blade technique wasn’t immediately lethal, leaving his opponents with a breath of life, but it was extremely fast and precise. For a time, the number of wolves writhing at his feet was the highest.

Zhan Changfeng observed their fighting styles while distracted. How could she not know these were all warriors who had entered the postnatal realm? Leng Yi’an and the others were likely already at the postnatal realm great completion stage.

She had long heard that besides students focused on the unified exams, Plum Gazing Lodge also housed a group of young martial artists. These were generally people who, after failing the selection for the Six Academies, remained at the Community School for further training, waiting for an opportunity to join another family or sect.

Zhan Changfeng’s true qi circulated slowly, and she gradually grew fatigued. Naturally, she couldn’t slaughter wildly like these excited individuals. Dodging and leaping, she slowly withdrew from the battle circle.

They were now not far from the mountain pass. Leng Yuzi suddenly said, “We can’t let them go down the mountain and harm the village. Let’s hold them off for a quarter or half an hour. The instructor must have heard the commotion and come looking for us by now.”

The number of wolves kept increasing, at least a hundred. The twelve of them couldn’t hold out much longer, but they had to endure.

Suddenly, the wolf pack let out long howls, their front paws retracting, showing a hint of retreat. Amid everyone’s surprise and suspicion, a massive shadow emerged faintly from the forest, step by step pressing toward them.

At the edge of the firelight’s reach, half of a ferocious wolf face appeared, its eyes bloodthirsty.

Wolves are beasts with an extremely strong sense of vengeance, relentless until their goal is achieved. Their persistence was fully conveyed through those green, glowing eyes, particularly chilling.

Many gasped, instinctively stepping back, both from the wolf’s approach and its gradually revealed enormous size.

This must be the Wolf King—tall as a person and three meters long. It bared its teeth in a roar, fangs exposed, as if capable of tearing any prey to shreds.

It pounced on the nearest youth. The youth reacted swiftly, dodging to the side, but the next instant, he was knocked to the ground by the Wolf King’s iron whip-like tail, a trickle of blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.

Leng Yi’an, Leng Yuzi, Cheng Zhigao, and Xiao Shaobai surrounded it, unleashing their ultimate moves. Unexpectedly, the Wolf King had thick, tough skin and was extremely fast. Eighty to ninety percent of their attacks missed. Then it turned, pouncing, sweeping, and biting, forcing the four to retreat repeatedly.

The wolf pack, emboldened, grew fiercer, truly trapping the twelve in the middle with no retreat.

Xiao Shaobai’s face was now truly pale; the others were all sweating profusely.

No longer caring whether they might lead the wolf pack into the village, Leng Yi’an said, “I’ll hold off the Wolf King. Those who know lightness technique, leave quickly! Break through one by one!”

Someone trembled, “What if I haven’t learned lightness technique?”

Moreover, the wolf pack almost filled the surrounding open space, not even giving them a chance to climb a tree.

No one answered him. Several figures darted out. The wolf pack grew restless, and several wolves gave chase.

The four being closely watched by the Wolf King dared not move. Leng Yi’an suddenly feinted with his spear, drawing the Wolf King’s attention, and engaged it in combat. “Go now!”

“Enough talk! Better to take it down together!” Leng Yuzi refused to abandon him. When stubborn, these siblings could infuriate each other to death.

Cheng Zhigao also refused to be someone who abandoned his companions and joined the fight. Surprisingly, after a moment of silence, Xiao Shaobai didn’t retreat either.

The four became fools willing to live and die together, all bearing wounds on their hands, arms, faces, and bodies.

Xiao Shaobai’s cultivation was weaker. As time passed, his movements slowed by a beat. The Wolf King seized this opening, its sharp claws slashing down, shredding his chest clothing and tearing flesh. He cried out in pain, nearly fainting.

How would the Wolf King stop there? Its fangs aimed for his neck. A spear swept in horizontally, thrusting and forcing the Wolf King away from Xiao Shaobai.

Seeing Xiao Shaobai’s wound, the others shared the same grave thought: they might not return intact this time.

Just as they prepared for a fight to the death, a clear, bright wolf howl echoed from the distant mountain.

That direction seemed to be where they had first encountered the wolf pack.

Hearing this howl, the wolf pack all turned to look, even the Wolf King.

While remaining vigilant, the group also strained to see. Beyond the dense trees, there seemed to be a strangely shaped shadow, cloaked in hazy moonlight.

The Wolf King twitched its nose, growled low, abandoned the group, leaped, and gave chase. That shadow also quickly ran out of sight.

As if receiving some revelation, the entire wolf pack chased after the Wolf King.

(End of Chapter)