A Lone Wasteland Wolf

Ning Chen's body stiffened. With a ripping sound, his sleeve exploded into scraps that filled the air, and more than half of it vanished in an instant.

"#￥%&"

Ning Chen sprang to his feet and pointed at the old man, almost cursing him out—yet he forcibly swallowed the words.

He did not dare!

Ning Chen sat back down indignantly and gulped down half a pot of tea before suppressing the raging fire in his Ren and Du Meridians. One had to respect the elderly and cherish the young. This old man did not know how to cherish the young, but Ning Chen would not stoop to his level.

Endure. He absolutely had to endure!

Still, it was not as though he had gained nothing. At the very least, he had proven that he truly could not beat this old man...

Escape remained a distant prospect; he still had to work hard at cultivation.

Thus, over the following days, Ning Chen stopped bickering with the old man. Most of the time, he cultivated the cultivation technique recorded on the Golden Pages inside the carriage, circulating the True Qi within his sea of qi again and again.

At last, peace returned to the carriage. Naturally, the old man could not be bothered with what Ning Chen was doing. Besides, a first-rank martial arts fledgling truly was not worth his attention.

On the tenth day, the wedding escort had traveled over seven hundred li. They had left the Great Xia Imperial City far behind and entered a boundless wasteland.

It was already late autumn. The silent wasteland appeared even more desolate, and when the cold night descended, it brought an indescribable chill.

"Howl!"

"Howl!"

The wolves on the wasteland howled at the moon, putting the camped convoy on edge. Everyone knew that the most terrifying creatures on the wasteland were not tigers or leopards, but wolf packs.

Wasteland wolves were cunning and vicious by nature, most skilled at hunting by night. They were demons of the wasteland; once encountered, it was exceedingly difficult to survive.

There were many things in this world that could not be provoked, and one of them was the packs of wolves upon the wasteland. These vengeful, vicious beasts would cling to their target like maggots to bone once offended, never resting until they achieved their aim.

Fortunately, the wedding escort was large enough—over a thousand people in a mighty procession, along with five hundred Imperial Guards. Even ordinary wolf packs did not dare provoke them lightly.

As it turned out, the entire night passed peacefully. Nothing happened.

The Great Xia Imperial Guards were no ordinary army. Even from several li away, one could feel their extraordinary oppressive aura. Even martial arts experts were unwilling to casually test their edge.

It would have been impossible in the past for a wedding escort to receive Imperial Guard protection. Yet this showed how much the Xia Emperor valued this marriage alliance between Great Xia and Zhenji Kingdom. Great Xia needed stability along its northeastern border so that it could focus its energies on the Northern Mongol Royal Court to the north and the Eternal Night Divine Cult to the west.

Great Xia possessed the strongest military might in the world and held sufficient advantage against any side, but that did not mean Great Xia feared no one. Great Xia had stood invincible for a thousand years, yet it had never managed to win the hearts of all under heaven, because Great Xia did not believe in gods.

Great Xia did not believe in gods. For a thousand years, it had conquered through force and governed through Confucian teachings, establishing a dynasty at the height of prosperity.

A thousand years had passed, and the people of Great Xia had somewhat forgotten that a millennium ago, the strongest power across the Divine Continent had been neither the feudal lords dividing the land among themselves nor the Great Yin Dynasty overthrown by Great Xia, but the Eternal Night Divine Cult, whose believers filled the world.

Great Xia's ancestor had risen like a comet. His overwhelmingly sharp edge had forced the Eternal Night Divine Cult into a desperate corner, leaving it no choice but to hide in the shadows for a thousand years and await the day of its return.

Over Great Xia's thousand years of rule, the Eternal Night Divine Cult's influence within its borders had fallen to its lowest point. Beyond Great Xia's borders, however, the Eternal Night Divine Cult's influence remained deeply rooted.

As the saying went, Great Xia feared no one, but it could not simply sit and watch the world unite to attack it.

Zhenji Kingdom was the best point of breakthrough. Compared with the Northern Mongol Royal Court and the Eternal Night Divine Cult, Zhenji Kingdom shouted the loudest, yet possessed the weakest national strength and courage. As the saying went, barking dogs do not bite—much less a dog whose teeth had been pulled.

The twenty thousand warhorses sent by Zhenji Kingdom had arrived at precisely the right time. They not only relieved Great Xia's pressing need, but also severed half of Zhenji Kingdom's own military strength.

Great Xia had sacrificed one princess of the Imperial Clan in exchange for twenty thousand warhorses. In the end, it was worth it.

Ning Chen had never met Princess Miaoyu, but after hearing that she had personally requested to become a pawn in this marriage alliance, he could not help feeling a trace of curiosity.

Unless she was a Great Sage, Great Virtuous Person who cared for all beneath heaven, this princess's motives were worth pondering.

Thinking it over carefully, there were traces to follow in this matter. The masses bustled about for no more than the word "profit." Reasoning from that, one could glimpse clues like spider silk and horse tracks.

Great Xia had nineteen Imperial Princes and princesses in all, but only five truly held power.

The four kings, plus the Ninth Princess.

Yet behind each of the four Imperial Princes granted kingship stood the shadow of the Imperial Clan Relatives.

Now that he considered it, Princess Miaoyu and Prince Hua did not seem as detached from worldly affairs as they appeared.

Xia Miaoyu's journey to Zhenji Kingdom for the marriage alliance carried immense consequences. The Xia Emperor would surely offer Prince Hua considerable compensation. At such a time, gaining Prince Hua's support would be a great help to any of the four kings.

An idle prince had suddenly become a figure everyone scrambled to court. If anyone said it was merely a coincidence, not even a fool would believe it.

More interestingly, the powerful and noble figures of the imperial city all knew that the Ninth Princess and Xia Miaoyu were quite close. Compared with many of their so-called full siblings within the palace, the relationship between the two women could already be considered intimate.

And the Ninth Princess's full brother was the First Prince, Xia Ziyi. Born of the late Imperial Noble Consort, he possessed an exalted status and had Changsun's support behind him. He could be called the most legitimate heir to the throne.

Therefore, no matter how one looked at it, the marriage alliance could not be separated from the First Prince.

But that was precisely the most unreasonable part.

Everyone beneath heaven knew that First Prince Xia Ziyi was a successor of the Confucian school. Filled with Grand Righteous Qi, he disliked scheming and intrigue most of all. Had he not been born into the imperial family, he might even have been the likeliest candidate to inherit Grand Tutor's position as leader of the Confucian school beneath heaven.

Not only could Ning Chen not understand this matter; no one in the world could understand it.

And the person who knew the truth most clearly was seated within the luxurious carriage, never once showing herself.

For that very reason, Ning Chen became the most idle person in the entire convoy.

The wasteland was vast. After traveling an entire day, the wedding escort still had not seen its end. Ning Chen spent most of his time cultivating in the old man's carriage. People possessed an instinct to seek fortune and avoid calamity, subconsciously choosing the place they believed to be safest.

Clearly, in Ning Chen's mind, the old man was the strongest person in the convoy, and being beside him was the safest place.

Ning Chen had never believed this wedding escort journey would go without a hitch. There were simply too many people in the world who did not want Great Xia and Zhenji Kingdom to form a marriage alliance—so many he could not count them even with both hands and feet.

The Xia Emperor had dispatched five hundred Imperial Guards and secretly added a martial arts expert. Clearly, he too was guarding against those with ulterior motives.

Within Great Xia's borders, it was absolutely impossible to openly mobilize a large force to attack the wedding escort. The only option was an ambush and assassination by martial arts experts.

Ning Chen still could not comprehend the heights a martial arts expert could reach, but he had previously watched the seriously wounded Qing Ling make a move. The power she displayed with every gesture was something ordinary people could never withstand.

He did not know how strong the old man before him was, but his instincts told him that this old man was definitely no weaker than Qing Ling.

A few days ago, he had clearly felt just how fast that sword was. Had the old man possessed killing intent, Ning Chen would already have been buried in a foreign land.

"Howl!"

"Howl!"

"Howl!"

All of a sudden, wave after wave of wolf howls resounded across the wilderness. The wedding escort immediately fell into chaos. Up ahead, the heavily armored general pulled hard on the reins, and the five hundred Imperial Guards halted, focusing their minds as they observed their surroundings.

Among the convoy, the Zhenji Kingdom envoy, who had remained silent for over ten days, suddenly gleamed with sharp light in his eyes. His expression became exceedingly strange.

If Princess Miaoyu died within Great Xia's borders, the responsibility would fall upon Great Xia. The marriage alliance between the two dynasties would once again be thrown into uncertainty. More than that, Zhenji Kingdom could use it as an excuse to renegotiate the matter of the twenty thousand warhorses.

"Be on guard!"

The heavily armored general shouted in a deep voice. Something was wrong. Wasteland wolves were spiritual creatures and would never throw away their lives for no reason. With five hundred Imperial Guards here to deter them, for the wolf pack to dare appear, there had to be something manipulating them from the shadows.

"Rustle, rustle."

In the silent atmosphere, the sound of wolves treading over withered grass reached everyone's ears. Gradually, it grew clearer and clearer. One wolf, two wolves, ten wolves, a hundred wolves...

In just a few breaths, hundreds upon thousands of wasteland wolves gathered from every direction. There were so many that no one could count them all.

"Ooo..."

A low flute note drifted over. The wolf pack's formation abruptly changed, and all their attention focused upon the luxurious carriage in the middle of the convoy.

"Ooo..."

Another low flute note sounded. The wolves threw back their heads and roared. The bloodthirsty madness vanished from their vicious eyes, and then they charged toward the carriage like lunatics.

"Protect the Princess!"

At the front of the convoy, the heavily armored general shouted sternly. With a wave of his hand, the five hundred Imperial Guards moved swiftly. Blade light linked together as they desperately blocked the wolf pack's charge.

Great Xia's Imperial Guards were the finest of the elite among soldiers. With one man guarding a pass, ten thousand could not force their way through. Amid flashing blades, wolf blood fell like rain.

Yet there were simply too many wolves. A black mass surged forth like a tide. Human strength would eventually run dry, and gaps began to appear.

Ning Chen stepped down from the carriage and stood guard beside Princess Miaoyu's carriage. At this moment, the woman in the carriage was the most important person. If anything happened to her, no one present would survive.

The old man remained calm. The sword resting upon his knees was likewise silent and cold, utterly unmoved.

Ning Chen knew exactly how terrifying that sword was. He was the only person in the convoy who had come into close contact with it, so whether they could overcome this ordeal depended most crucially on that sword.

"Howl!"

The wolves' madness exceeded everyone's imagination. Even under the Imperial Guards' near-slaughter, they still charged forward without fear. Finally, the first wasteland wolf broke through the blockade. Wounded, it arrived before the carriage.

The Imperial Guards were held back, and the old man showed no intention of acting. Faced with the only wasteland wolf to break through, no one could step forward to stop it for the moment. The bizarre situation instantly tightened the atmosphere.

Ning Chen was the closest person. Standing beside the carriage and facing the wasteland wolf directly, he became the final barrier.

Yet anyone with eyes could see that Ning Chen was no martial arts expert. He was not even a match for an ordinary Imperial Guard.

However, only Ning Chen remained between the wounded wasteland wolf and the carriage. If the wolf wanted to attack Princess Miaoyu in the carriage, it had to kill the human blocking its path.

Ning Chen was dumbfounded. He had not expected the old man to truly refuse to help. Watching the wasteland wolf bare its fangs, cold sweat poured down his entire body.

At such close range, it was already too late to run. Besides, Princess Miaoyu's carriage stood behind him. If he dared run, he probably would not live to see tomorrow's sun.

"Grrr..."

The wasteland wolf fixed its ghostly green eyes upon Ning Chen. Low growls continuously rumbled from its throat. Its front claws bent slightly, then it suddenly pounced.

Ning Chen's scalp went numb. His mind could not react in time, and he instinctively dropped to the ground and rolled aside, evading the pouncing wolf. But with a ripping sound, fabric tore, and the wolf's passing claws ripped open most of his shoulder.

At the moment between life and death, Ning Chen rose and lunged forward, grabbing the wolf's head in a tight hold. He stared at its neck, then...

Bit down...

"Howl!"

The wasteland wolf howled in pain and struggled violently, but Ning Chen clung desperately to its head, refusing to let go even in death.

Human strength had limits, yet human strength was limitless. At the moment when life was threatened, the potential for survival within humanity was impossible to measure. Ning Chen feared death more than anyone, so he bit the wolf's neck, straddled its body, and held its head. No matter what, he never let go.

The wasteland wolf struggled—from pain, from fury, and even more from fear.

Every beast had a major artery in its neck. Lose enough blood, and even if it did not want to die, it would have no choice.

Naturally, Ning Chen knew that as well. So he bit down even harder.

Then, the wolf died...

(PS: I've been in good form recently when writing, but Yan Yu's body can barely hold up. Writing for seven or eight hours a day is truly exhausting. Yan Yu has some back problems; after sitting too long, it hurts like needles stabbing into it. I don't know whether it is an old problem left over from my student days. I hope all of you will take care of yourselves and not keep running to the hospital like Yan Yu does. Health is the capital of revolution, so take care, everyone!)