Howling Wolves in the Dense Forest

"This place is not safe to stay." The heavy scent of blood made Qin Meng feel a chill in his heart. If he delayed any longer, there was no telling what fierce demon beasts might be drawn here.

He immediately set about clearing the battlefield, swinging his blade to split open the head of the large iron-armored salamander demon and extracting a deep blue crystal core and an emerald bead.

The blue crystal was a treasure that only demon beasts of the second rank or higher could possibly condense. It was highly valuable; this single piece alone could sell for hundreds of taels of silver.

The emerald bead was only the size of a dragon's eye, yet it contained pure, surging vitality. Though Qin Meng did not know its origin, he knew it was by no means an ordinary object.

He carefully wiped the bead and the crystal core clean, wrapped them in cloth, and tucked them away close to his body. He then checked the head of the smaller iron-armored salamander demon, but found neither a crystal core nor a green bead.

He dared not dally. Using materials at hand, he quickly fashioned a makeshift sled out of rope and branches. He bled the silly roe deer, discarded its entrails, and lashed it securely to the sled along with the two salamander demon carcasses and his basket.

Qin Meng shouldered his bow and arrows, gripped his long blade, and dragged the heavy sled with one hand, leaving the bloody battlefield behind as he walked briskly along the mountain path toward the outside world.

He calculated in his mind that these spoils and demon materials would be enough to trade for a large sum of silver. He would keep the large iron-armored salamander demon for his own use and sell the smaller one.

Linshan Town was a tiny, insignificant place with low prices; he would have to find a shop that specialized in purchasing demon beast materials and, while he was at it, inquire about leads on core cultivation techniques.

Just as Qin Meng was deep in thought—

"Awoo!" A shrill wolf howl suddenly shattered the silence of the forest not far away.

His footsteps came to an abrupt halt.

Immediately following, a second and a third howl rang out in succession, rising and falling in a continuous chorus.

There were at least ten wolves in the pack.

Moreover, the howling was growing clearer, and the distance was closing rapidly.

Qin Meng's expression shifted slightly. He immediately held his breath, focused his mind, and pushed his wild instinct talent to its limit.

His invisible perception rippled outward. Beyond the scent of grass, earth, and blood in the wind, he clearly detected the rank stench of the wolf pack. Several auras were moving rapidly from different directions; they were clearly forming a perimeter.

What made his heart tighten even more was that his perception picked up a trace of human blood, along with faint cries masked by the howling of the wolves:

"Run! Run for your lives!"

Someone was in danger deep in the mountains, being hunted by the pack.

Qin Meng's eyes turned as sharp as a hawk's. He glanced down at the sled beside him, then looked toward the direction of the howls, weighing his options quickly.

He could almost conclude that these people in distress were likely hunters from Luming Fort.

Some time ago, he had hunted a spotted deer in the mountains. When word reached the fort, it made many hunters envious enough to come into the mountains to hunt themselves. This encounter with the wolf pack was nine times out of ten related to that.

Should he save them, or leave straight away?

He had just finished a life-and-death battle with the iron-armored salamander demons. Although he had recovered most of his injuries thanks to his self-healing talent, his physical exertion remained immense, and his right hand had not fully healed. He was not at his peak combat state.

Furthermore, with demonic beasts appearing in the mountains one after another and now the unusual activity of the wolf pack, it was clear that this forest had been far from peaceful lately. To rashly intervene would be no different than inviting disaster upon himself.

Yet, the shouting carried on the wind sounded vaguely familiar, causing his heart to tighten inexplicably.

Forget it. Since this matter started because of me, I will go and see.

Qin Meng pondered for only an instant before making his decision.

The next moment, he activated his environmental integration talent. His aura merged with the forest vegetation, and his figure transformed into a ghostly black shadow. Stepping over the fallen leaves, he moved silently toward the direction of the howling.

In the dense forest ahead, the sound of rustling and low growls made one's scalp tingle.

Three figures stumbled out, the scent of death clinging to their backs. The wolf pack pursued them relentlessly, and it seemed more wolves were closing in from the distance.

The man in the lead was Li Tiezhu. Though his build was as sturdy as a mountain, he was now dressed in rags and covered in wounds. His left arm was tightly supporting Qin Xiaoshan.

Qin Xiaoshan's thigh was a bloody mess, and there were deep claw marks on his shoulder. The pain from the wounds flared with every jolt, and cold sweat mixed with blood streamed down his face.

"Tiezhu... put me down!" he gritted out through clenched teeth. "I'm dragging you all down... let me stay behind to cover you!"

"Shut up!" Li Tiezhu didn't look back, his voice firm and beyond questioning. "We came together, we leave together. One more word and I'll knock you out and carry you."

On the other side, a stocky, dark-skinned youth was sprinting headlong—it was Wang Tieniu.

Though he was only fifteen or sixteen, he was already a martial artist at the peak of the boiling blood realm with terrifying strength. Even now, he was still carrying two massive spotted deer. Deer blood splashed along the path, the thick, pungent scent acting like a beacon for the wolves.

Li Tiezhu glanced back, his eyes splitting with rage. "Tieniu, are your ears stuffed with donkey hair? Throw the deer away! Can't you smell the blood?"

"I won't!" The veins on Wang Tieniu's neck bulged as he roared back stubbornly. "We worked so hard to catch these, why should we let these beasts have them?"

The howling drew closer; the foul wind was already at their backs!

Two ancient trees appeared ahead, standing close together. Li Tiezhu made a split-second decision. "Up the tree!"

The three of them stumbled toward the base of the trees. Li Tiezhu first hoisted Qin Xiaoshan onto a lower branch before climbing up himself.

Even at this point, Wang Tieniu was still reluctant to part with his prey. He set one deer down and began to climb while carrying the other.

Halfway up, he glanced back at the deer on the ground. His eyes turned red, and he threw the deer he was carrying onto a branch before leaping back down.

"Tieniu!" Li Tiezhu and Qin Xiaoshan's roars erupted simultaneously.

The moment Wang Tieniu bent down to grab the deer, several green shadows lunged from the forest, their blood-stained maws snapping directly at his neck.

At the critical moment!

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Two sharp arrows tore through the air, pinning into the eye sockets of two vicious wolves almost simultaneously.

The wolf howl turned into a miserable shriek, and their offensive faltered.

It was Qin Xiaoshan! He was leaning half his body against a tree trunk, his face as pale as a ghost, yet his bow-wielding hand was steady as a rock. Blood dripped from his fingertips, but he still swiftly nocked a second arrow. Every shot was tricky and vicious, aimed specifically at the wolves' eyes and throats, forcing back the ones that had lunged first.

Li Tiezhu also fired arrow after arrow. Though not as precise as Qin Xiaoshan, his shots were heavy and fierce, knocking over the wolves that tried to flank them.

It was in this split second of desperate fighting that Wang Tieniu let out a roar like a tiger. Instead of running, he drew the hunting knife from his waist, spun around, and slashed fiercely.

A flash of steel flickered, and a cyan wolf rolled away, howling in pain.

He kicked the wolf toward the pack behind him, seized the chance to throw the dead deer onto his shoulder, and scrambled to the tree in a few quick steps. Using both hands and feet, he climbed up in a flash and wedged both deer firmly into the tree forks.

"My goods... no one is taking them!" He panted heavily, his face still showing the shock of the ordeal, yet his words carried that same teeth-grinding stubbornness.

However, beneath the trees, the pack had completely surrounded them.

More than a dozen giant wolves, the size of calves, circled the two ancient trees. Their ghostly green eyes were locked onto the people above, saliva dripping down.

An exceptionally robust alpha wolf with crimson fur raised its head and let out a long howl, causing the pack to grow restless instantly.

They split into several groups. Their hind leg muscles bulged as they leaped, their sharp claws digging deep into the bark as they scrambled upward.

Three of the strongest giant wolves stepped back a few paces, then slammed their shoulders hard into the tree Wang Tieniu was in.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The heavy thuds echoed through the forest like muffled thunder. The thick, ancient tree shook violently, leaves falling in a frantic shower. A sickening cracking sound came from the trunk; bark split, and wood chips flew everywhere.

Wang Tieniu was shaken off balance, his face turning deathly pale. He could only cling to the main trunk for dear life, yet he still kept his hands pressed firmly over the two deer.

"Drop the deer and hold onto the tree!" Li Tiezhu's voice was hoarse with anxiety. He wanted to go over, but he was entangled by several wolves leaping at him from below, unable to break free.

"No... this is silver. My grandpa needs money for medicine." Wang Tieniu shouted amidst the violent swaying. Whenever he thought of his grandfather—whose old illness was acting up again, his health deteriorating day by day—the fear in his eyes was replaced by stubbornness.

"You..." Li Tiezhu was burning with anxiety, wanting to curse but stopping himself. If he had known it would come to this, he never should have been soft-hearted and agreed to let this blockhead come into the deep mountains.

Qin Xiaoshan's vision was already blurring. Excessive blood loss made him increasingly weak; even holding his position was incredibly difficult, and he could only barely lean against the tree.

Swish. Swish.

The last few arrows were fired. The quiver was empty.

The pack's assault beneath the trees grew even more frantic. The crimson-furred alpha wolf's eyes gleamed with malice as it joined the ramming itself.

The cracks in the trunk of Wang Tieniu's tree were spreading, visible to the naked eye...

A desperate situation—a true dead end.

Just as the three of them were about to be swallowed by despair:

At the edge of the dense forest, the withered yellow bushes moved slightly, and a figure crept closer like a ghost.

It was Qin Meng who had arrived! His wild instinct talent had not detected a sense of crisis. Immediately, he stopped hiding, his figure suddenly darting out. He crouched silently in the shadows closer by, preparing to save them.

Before him, the scene opened up. It was exactly that life-or-death, cornered-beast situation.