Chapter 37: Chapter 37: An Unholy Alliance
The moonlight was obscured by a thick layer of clouds. The sky, however, wasn’t pure black, but rather a deathly, deep gray.
Inside the thatched hut, Wang Wen woke up in a daze. He felt a chill run through his whole body, his teeth chattering uncontrollably.
He opened his eyes to take in the situation and found that he had tossed and turned in his sleep, moving his body away from the campfire. As a result, he was thoroughly chilled.
Wang Wen cursed under his breath a few times, then squatted by the campfire, shivering, to warm himself.
The two Fireworkers on night watch glanced at Wang Wen but didn’t have the energy to talk to him.
Their gazes swept vigilantly over the deep, endless night, but visibility outside the hut was only about ten meters.
Once Wang Wen had warmed up, he suddenly felt the urge to relieve himself. He couldn’t help but clutch his stomach as he walked toward the door.
Seeing this, a Fireworker quickly reminded him, "It’s pitch-black out there right now. Don’t go too far."
"Got it. I’ll be right back."
Wang Wen moved the furniture away from the wooden door and stepped out of the thatched hut.
The cold wind outside made his legs tremble. The air was heavy with moisture that seemed to bore straight into his bones.
Wang Wen muttered a few words and walked slowly to a nearby patch of grass.
This short distance felt like a different world entirely. The faint moonlight was blocked by the shadows of the trees, not a single ray penetrating through.
His heart couldn’t help but pound in his chest as he fumbled to untie his waistband.
Steam rose.
After relieving himself, Wang Wen couldn’t wait to run back to the thatched hut.
Just as he was about to step out of the grass, he was suddenly tripped by a tree branch underfoot. He tumbled hard several times and accidentally fell down a shrub-covered slope.
To make matters worse, he realized his blade had probably fallen in the grass where he’d relieved himself.
Wang Wen wanted to cry out for help.
But then he remembered he was the eldest in the group. Having made such a mess of just relieving himself, he kept his mouth shut out of pride.
He had no choice. Terrified, he began to crawl toward the thatched hut.
He let the thorns tear at his skin, the stinging pain intensifying his fear.
The path, only a dozen meters or so in the daytime, seemed impossibly long in the darkness.
He finally managed to crawl up the slope, but before Wang Wen could even catch his breath, he suddenly felt a heavy panting behind him.
His expression froze. He glanced out of the corner of his eye and saw pairs of glowing green eyes gradually approaching. It was the starving Mountain Wolf Pack.
"AHHH!!!"
The scream rang out, but it also provoked the Mountain Wolf Pack.
The largest of them, the alpha wolf, pounced, sinking its teeth directly into Wang Wen’s thigh and dragging him into the darkness.
The cunning of the Mountain Wolf Pack was on full display at this moment.
They did not continue their assault on the thatched hut. Instead, they retreated in an orderly fashion, preparing to wear down the stamina of their other prey.
Everyone in the thatched hut was startled awake. They looked out the window, which had fallen silent again, unsure of what to do.
Suddenly, a window in the corner was knocked open with a CREAK.
They turned their heads instinctively and saw the window wide open. Ren Qing, who had been lying by the campfire, was already gone.
In the darkness, Wang Wen tried to struggle, but he immediately felt hot breath on his ear and was instantly too scared to move.
The alpha wolf didn’t kill its prey. It carried him in its mouth as it ran toward a location outside Pingding Mountain Village.
When the alpha wolf finally stopped, the discarded Wang Wen was able to catch his breath.
The pack circled him, growling, as if waiting for something.
The thick clouds split open, allowing a sliver of moonlight to spill down.
Wang Wen was so terrified by the scene before him that he lost his voice. If he hadn’t already relieved himself earlier, he probably would have wet his pants.
The wolves parted to form a path, and a small, gaunt Beishou Beast limped forward.
The Beishou Beast’s front legs were shorter, forcing it to walk with a limp.
But the intelligence in its eyes was unlike that of any normal beast, and it was exceptionally greedy.
Wang Wen recalled the stories he’d heard from old Hunters about wolves and Beishou Beasts colluding.
According to legend, the Beishou Beast was extremely clever and would partner with wolf packs to hunt. Because of its inconvenient legs, it would usually ride on a wolf’s back.
Once they joined forces, the wolf pack would become as orderly as an army.
What terrified Wang Wen the most was that the Beishou Beast had an extra eyeball growing on its chin, which it would occasionally lick with its tongue.
The moonlight was once again swallowed by the gloom, plunging everything back into boundless darkness.
The wolf pack gradually closed in.
Wang Wen knew the Beishou Beast wanted to take his life, but before he could even resist, four mountain wolves seized his limbs in their jaws.
The Beishou Beast sniffed the air lightly, then placed its claws on Wang Wen’s abdomen, intending to start with the tenderest part: the internal organs.
Wang Wen’s pupils contracted. He suddenly remembered the corpse he had seen just after leaving Sanxiang City; the similar wounds on its body looked like they had been made by a Beishou Beast.
A desperate whimper escaped his throat as the claws pierced his skin, drawing blood. He thought this was the end, that he was bound for the Yellow Springs.
Just then, a fierce wind blew toward them.
The crisp sound of a blade being drawn rang out, and the wolf pack retreated a step in unison.
Wang Wen couldn’t see the movement in the darkness, but a flash of blade light, like a full moon, streaked across his vision. It was followed immediately by the sound of the blade being sheathed.
The heads of the mountain wolves biting his limbs fell cleanly from their necks.
Ren Qing’s Double Pupils locked onto the Beishou Beast as it tried to escape. He immediately crouched, gathering his strength.
Dirt flew.
His feet left two shallow pits where he had stood.
SHING!!!
The Great Miao Blade was drawn again. Ren Qing leaped into the air, its edge naturally piercing the Beishou Beast’s body from top to bottom.
As Ren Qing landed, he kicked Wang Wen unconscious to keep him from running around in a panic.
However, he didn’t quite hold back enough, causing Wang Wen to roll a good few meters.
As the Beishou Beast breathed its last, the surrounding Mountain Wolf Pack snapped to awareness, as if waking from a dream. They wanted to counter-attack but found no trace of Ren Qing.
The Waning Moon revealed itself. Ren Qing stood on the branch of a giant tree.
He glanced around but didn’t detect any sign of Song Rong, so he returned his focus to the Mountain Wolf Pack.
’They’re just mere beasts.’
His feet tapped lightly.
The giant tree shook as if struck by a heavy blow, and leaves rained down.
Moonlight, falling leaves, blade flashes.
Ren Qing weaved and dodged among them.
He seemed to merge with the darkness. With every swing of his blade, a mountain wolf’s head was severed, and the stench of blood filled the air.
This instinctively drew other nocturnal beasts closer.
Ren Qing flicked the blood from his blade, sheathed it, and grabbed Wang Wen. He then used his Abnormal Mouth to collect some of the Wolf Blood.
He had to reluctantly give up on the wolf eyes. After all, a corpse with its eyes gouged out would be too obvious and might make Song Rong suspicious. Besides, there was no more room in his Abnormal Stomach.
Then, in a few flashes, he vanished from the spot.
However, for the beasts that came to fight over the wolf pack’s corpses, another vicious battle was about to begin.
Inside the thatched hut, the group was ready to set out. They had made torches from wooden sticks, intending to go out and rescue Wang Wen and Ren Qing.
Just as they were about to leave the hut, they saw a figure striding toward them.
Ren Qing strode back into the thatched hut, carrying the unconscious Wang Wen on his shoulder.
The others all stared at him with looks of disbelief.
"What are you standing around for? Help me bandage Wang Wen’s wounds. I have herbs in my pack."
"Oh, oh, right..."
Xiaowu hurriedly took Wang Wen’s body. Most of the latter’s injuries were scrapes from the bushes.
Since Wang Wen had put up almost no resistance, the wounds left by the wolf pack were actually not that severe.
The main reason he was unconscious was the large, swollen lump on his forehead...
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