Wolf Howl

Night fell. Gale winds howled, and a torrential downpour descended alongside a peal of thunder that seemed to blast apart heaven and earth.

It shattered the stillness of the night and crashed down upon the mortal world.

Deep in the mountains.

Inside a long-abandoned, dilapidated temple.

Liu Chunmei and her young lady, Wang Qingyan, listened to the rolling thunder outside as they huddled trembling in a corner.

They stared into the darkness, afraid that at any moment, someone carrying a long blade would suddenly appear.

This ruined temple had fallen into disrepair long ago. It did not even have a door, and half its structure had collapsed, making it exceptionally conspicuous amid the open mountains.

But the rainy season was like this. If the two of them did not take shelter inside, caught a chill, and fell ill, their fate would only be worse.

"Chunmei, should we find somewhere else?

Otherwise, those people will catch up to us soon," Wang Qingyan said in a trembling voice.

Noticing that her young lady was shivering from the cold, Liu Chunmei held her tightly in her arms.

During her five months with the Wang family, her dark, swarthy skin had faded, replaced by the refinement of a maidservant from a wealthy household. Her timid, cowardly nature had also improved considerably.

In the past, Liu Chunmei would only have been utterly at a loss, trailing behind Zhao Rui and Duan Xuan without daring to have any ideas of her own.

But today, she shook her head. "Do not panic, Miss. My brother Zhao Rui led those people in another direction after sending us into the mountains.

They will not find us deep in the mountains anytime soon."

Wang Qingyan recalled Zhao Rui, that elegant and high-spirited young official, and could not help asking with concern, "He helped us. Will he be in danger?"

"No. Brother Zhao has always been steady and clever. Since he offered us his help, he must be completely certain.

I only hope Madam's reinforcements arrive before the others do, so Miss will not have to suffer cold and hunger."

"Miss, just sleep peacefully in Chunmei's arms. I am here!"

Though she said so, neither of them closed their eyes that night.

The torrential rain and fierce wind battered what remained of the temple walls. The joined wooden beams creaked and rattled, making for an utterly terrifying sound.

The rain continued until the following dawn. Fortunately, no one chased them to this ruined temple.

The two little ones curled into a ball. On this chilly summer morning after the rain, they finally felt a trace of warmth.

"Miss? Miss?"

Wang Qingyan opened her bleary eyes. "Chunmei, your dark circles are so bad!"

Liu Chunmei gently wiped the tears from the corners of Wang Qingyan's eyes and laughed. "Miss's are no better.

Come on. We must hurry toward the location Madam gave us. Only once we reach it will we truly be safe!"

When they left the Wang family, Wang Qingyan's mother had given Liu Chunmei a location. It was a wooden cabin deep in the mountains, where a retainer who had been recuperating there year-round resided.

He was a hidden-strength martial arts expert whom Wang Qingyan's mother had saved years ago. Unwilling to become embroiled in the open and covert struggles of great families, he had secluded himself in these rarely traveled mountains. Yet he had promised Wang Qingyan's mother that if danger arose, he would certainly lend a hand.

As long as they reached that place, ordinary hidden-strength experts would never dare act rashly.

Outside the ruined temple, the ground was a sea of mud, with mixed rainwater still flowing across it.

The moment Liu Chunmei stepped out, Wang Qingyan drew her two little feet back and pressed them together.

Her little hands were clasped together as well.

Clearly, having grown accustomed to a comfortable life, she had suddenly encountered calamity and lacked even the most basic survival skills.

For instance, she did not want her pretty shoes to get muddy.

"Miss, come!" Liu Chunmei's feet sank into the mud. She bent down and patted her back for quite a while with a smile.

Only then did Wang Qingyan purse her lips and jump onto her back.

Having grown up hunting with Zhao Rui and Duan Xuan, Liu Chunmei naturally had no issue with stamina.

Following a relatively passable path, she stomped briskly up the slope.

Not long after the two left, four or five people arrived before the ruined temple.

"That fourth branch's young lady sure can run. We have chased her for so long without even catching a glimpse of her!"

"Big Brother, look! There are footprints here. They were left this morning!"

"That is not right. That fourth branch's young lady fled with a female servant. Why is there only one set of footprints?"

"You can tell this trail is very deep. To throw us off, she must have had the fourth branch's young lady climb onto her back.

Keep chasing. We cannot be wrong. We must see the person alive or the corpse dead. Remember, this Fourth Miss is extremely valuable. Every item on her can be exchanged for money from the madams of the third and seventh branches. Do not waste anything!"

"But this direction seems to be nearing the martial examination grounds."

The imperial examinations were sacred and inviolable. They were, after all, secrets among secrets of the imperial court.

They concerned the futures of countless poor scholars, as well as the court's fortunes in martial arts.

Based on previous years, heavily armed soldiers would surely guard the examination grounds to prevent outside interference.

But this year's examination site had been chosen in the vast mountains, and manpower was severely lacking.

The martial artist leading them pondered briefly. "These mountains are so vast that even if they sent everyone in the imperial court, they could not seal them off.

Hurry up and follow them. Do not let those two go any deeper.

The fourth branch's madam must have left backup inside!

As long as we intercept them first, do not kill them. You can have your fun with them however you like."

The men behind him licked their lips and quickened their pace, mud splattering with every slap of their feet.

Yet their figures grew ever more distant.

"Oh, five people in total. Judging by these powerful tracks, they must be martial artists!" After handling the corpses yesterday, Duan Xuan had quickly rested once he returned home, packed his gear, and brought his traps.

But the rain had been too heavy. Even wearing a rain cape and bamboo hat, he could hardly see the faintest glimmer in the night.

He had no choice but to wait until this morning. The instant the rain stopped, he rushed out.

After circling around for a full hour, Duan Xuan finally spotted a ruined temple. Before he even entered, he saw the chaotic footprints of varying sizes outside it.

However, Duan Xuan did not rashly follow the tracks. He was unsure whether the enemy had guessed that Wang Qingyan had backup following her.

If they set an ambush along the way, it would be troublesome. He might as well take another route and circle around; that way, he could catch them off guard as well.

When facing martial artists born into great families, recklessness was the greatest taboo. One had to be cautious, cautious, and cautious again in all things to remain undefeated.

His body bent slightly, his blood and qi surged, and strength burst from the soles of his feet. The muddy print beneath him exploded apart.

Yet with one step, Duan Xuan had crossed three or four meters.

He was incredibly fast, like a wolf king returning to the forest.

"Hold on, Chunmei. I am coming!"

The chase continued for an entire day. The martial artists pursuing them from the third and seventh branches had no idea how Liu Chunmei and Wang Qingyan were running.

Even with their visible-strength cultivation, they could not catch up. They even began to wonder whether they had gone the wrong way.

They were so angered that they laughed.

Dusk descended upon the mountains, and night arrived even faster.

The lush, verdant trees of the day now blocked the moonlight, while borrowing that very moonlight to cast frightening shadows.

"Awoo!!"

Hearing that long wolf howl, the men could not help shuddering.

"Big Brother, I keep feeling like someone is watching us. Why are my legs shaking so badly?"

"Do not say it—you really should not say it. I feel it too. It is like someone has been watching us from the shadows. No matter how fast we run, his gaze remains fixed on us."

"Me too. Being watched makes my whole body feel uneasy!"

The leader smoothed down the goosebumps on his arms and cursed, "Damn it, now that you have said that, I am a little scared too.

Get lost, get lost. There are four or five visible-strength experts here. Even a hidden-strength martial artist would have to think twice.

And our helper is right behind us. He is a genuine hidden-strength expert who has been in the hidden-strength realm for more than three years. He is Madam Third Branch's final trump card.

With him here, what the hell are we afraid of?"

After that speech, the other four finally looked at Chen Zhou with somewhat more ease.

Just then, suddenly—

"Awoo!"