Fierce Battle with Evil Wolves

Wild kudzu roots usually grow deep underground, with some reaching over ten feet long. Old kudzu roots often have many wormholes and are prone to being hollow. However, this particular root was exceptionally thick and solid, without a single wormhole.

It started with the thickness of a wrist, growing larger the deeper it was dug. It had only been dug about two feet diagonally downwards, but it was already as thick as Er Gouzi's leg.

Wang Hong dug with increasing excitement, his face flushed red, sweat dripping from his chin unnoticed. After digging for two hours, the true form of the root was revealed. It was about ten feet long in total, and the thickest part was as thick as Wang Hong's waist, weighing about sixty to seventy catties.

Carrying this root back would at least ensure that the two brothers could safely pass the winter without worrying about starving to death.

However, at this moment, Wang Hong tossed the root aside, his attention focused on an item in his hand. It was something he had dug up next to the root – a bead the size of a fist.

The object was smooth as a mirror all over, as if it had been carefully polished. It was crystal clear like jade, emitting a green glow, and covered with blood-red patterns that sparkled dazzlingly under the sun.

The object was exceptionally hard. Accidentally, when he struck it with his hoe earlier, the hoe had chipped, but the stone itself showed no trace of a white mark. It felt smooth and warm to the touch, and holding it even reduced his fatigue considerably.

"This should be a gemstone, it should sell for quite a bit," Wang Hong muttered. Although he didn't have much experience, he had followed his father to the county town before and had seen the various gemstones worn by the young masters and ladies of wealthy families from afar. He felt that none of them were as good as this one.

Wang Hong pondered how to sell this gemstone. First, he had to keep it a secret, not to spread the word, and not to let outsiders know. After all, an innocent man is guilty if he possesses a treasure. The current times were not peaceful, with horse bandits and thieves rampant.

Two years ago, Zhang Tie Zhu from Er Li He Village found a three-leaf Ganoderma lucidum on Cangyun Mountain. The night the news spread, his entire family was wiped out; all six members perished.

After selling the gemstone and getting money, he would definitely buy a few acres of land. As a farmer, all he dreamed of was owning his own land. With land, he would have the capital to survive and the foundation to continue his lineage. This might be the aspiration of all farmers.

"If I had land, I could also raise a few chickens and eat an egg every few days. The egg drop soup last night was delicious, but it was gone before I could savor the taste," Wang Hong swallowed hard.

"And white rice, big white steamed buns, and tender, fatty meat stewed until it's falling apart." He couldn't think about it anymore, or he'd drown in his own saliva.

Wang Hong was fantasizing about a beautiful future while packing up the dug-up kudzu root. Suddenly, he felt an inexplicable sense of dread and looked around vigilantly.

At the same time, he picked up the stick he had used to clear the path and quickly sharpened the tip with his hunting knife, tucking the knife into his waist.

Holding the stick with both hands, his eyes scanned the surroundings rapidly. Suddenly, he saw the grass on his right parting rapidly to both sides. Before he could get a clear look, a black shadow lunged towards him.

Wang Hong quickly turned his body to the right, pointing the tip of the stick at the black shadow and thrusting forcefully. Just as he was about to hit it, the black shadow, in its rapid charge, managed to dodge a few inches to the right. This thrust only struck the left side of the black shadow.

Simultaneously, a tremendous impact force sent him stumbling back several steps, almost making him fall.

Only then did he have time to get a good look at what was in front of him. It was a wolf, with mixed grey and white fur. It should be an old wolf. He had just hit its left leg, and it was bleeding.

It was now baring its teeth, a trace of saliva hanging from its lips. The fur on its back stood on end, and its back was slightly hunched as it prepared for its next attack.

Wang Hong felt his heart pounding like a drum, his hands and feet trembling uncontrollably. He tightened his grip on the wooden stick.

Wang Hong was filled with fear. Such a large wolf, its size was no smaller than his. He sighed inwardly, "I'm afraid I won't survive today."

"Am I, Wang Hong, going to die here? I'm only twelve years old. What will happen to my little brother if I die? I still want to buy land, and my good life hasn't even begun. I don't want to die!"

The strong desire to survive made him calm down. He carefully weighed the advantages and disadvantages of both sides. In terms of strength, he was not as strong as the wolf; in terms of speed, he was far inferior. In terms of combat skills, these beasts had survived countless battles, and he couldn't even catch up to them while driving horses.

His advantage was having a knife and a long stick. The only ways the wolf could injure him were its claws and teeth, mainly its teeth.

Wang Hong quickly formulated a plan. He should first fight the wolf with the long stick, avoiding close-quarters combat as much as possible to maintain his distance advantage.

If it got close, he would primarily defend his vital points. Since he was slower, he would use his knife to trade injuries, seeing who would give out first.

When facing a life-or-death crisis, one's mind becomes exceptionally active. It only took an instant to figure all this out.

"Beast, today let's see if you eat me, or I eat you. Come on!" Wang Hong's heart hardened after figuring things out. He shouted at the wild wolf.

"Come on!"

"Bite me!"

He feinted a thrust at the wild wolf. The wolf, seeing this, pounced directly at him. Wang Hong still thrust straight at its chest. Unfortunately, the wooden stick was too blunt, only breaking the skin and sliding off its side. The wolf managed to bite him on the leg, but he also inflicted a bloody gash on the wolf's chest and abdomen, further inciting its ferocity. Wang Hong quickly retreated a couple of steps.

The wild wolf lunged from the side again, aiming for his leg. As Wang Hong retreated, he raised the stick and chopped down diagonally with all his might. The stick hit the wolf's back with a "crack," breaking into two pieces.

The wolf then bared its teeth and lunged for his abdomen. If it bit him there, his insides would spill out. As Wang Hong retreated, he used the remaining half of the stick in his left hand to guard his abdomen while drawing his knife with his right hand.

The wolf bit his left arm. Wang Hong ignored the pain in his left arm and swung his knife down, striking the wolf's neck near the ear. Blood spurted out. He had heard old hunters say before that this spot could kill any person or beast with a single blow, and it proved true.

At this moment, the wolf lay on the ground, letting out a sound of unwilling whimper. Wang Hong collapsed onto the ground, gasping for breath. After the fierce battle, his body was completely exhausted, and he couldn't muster any strength.

His left arm throbbed with intense pain, and several other places stung sharply. They must have been scratches from the wolf's claws.

"That was close! I almost died. Fortunately, only a piece of flesh was bitten off my left arm."

"Misfortune and fortune are indeed intertwined. I just got a treasure, and I almost died."

Having narrowly escaped death, the first thing he thought of was the gemstone. He was truly greedy. He quickly took the gemstone out of his bosom and looked at it, finally feeling relieved.

Looking at the gemstone in his hand, Wang Hong discovered something very strange. The blood flowing from his wound was absorbed as soon as it touched the gemstone.

He leaned closer to examine it and found that the blood was automatically flowing into the red patterns on it. He moved it to another spot, and it absorbed the flowing blood again. The gemstone's brilliance seemed to have increased, and it was slightly warm.

Wang Hong was astonished by this sight. He had never heard of any gemstone that could absorb blood. After a moment of hesitation, he pressed the gemstone directly onto the wound on his left arm. The blood from the wound rapidly surged towards the gemstone, faster and faster, and the gemstone became scorching hot.

Just as he was about to remove it from the wound, a colorful, iridescent light flashed, and it drilled into the wound, disappearing. Then, he felt a stream of heat traveling up his arm, passing through his shoulder and neck, rushing straight towards his head. It was too fast.

Wang Hong was anxious, but there was nothing he could do to stop it. Then, the stream of heat rushed into his brain, and he felt a "boom" in his head, his entire consciousness plunging into darkness.