Seeing that Lin Chen remained stubborn and refused to submit, Black Mountain shook his head. He decided to beat him into submission first and discipline him at leisure later.
The black orb in his hand suddenly glowed with an eerie light, ready to shoot out.
Just then, a gust swept toward them from afar at tremendous speed, carrying dust and a rank animal smell.
Sensing something amiss, Black Mountain paused and turned to look.
A grayish-blue shadow burst out of the woods beside the road, wind swirling around its four paws as it charged straight at Black Mountain.
Black Mountain sidestepped, letting the creature skim past him. The wind in its wake sent the hem of his robe fluttering.
It was a grayish-blue wolf, utterly exhausted, every rib protruding beneath fur caked with mud and sweat.
It stopped in front of Lin Chen, arching its back and letting out a low growl.
Black Mountain froze for a moment.
A wolf on the verge of dropping dead from exhaustion?
Then he noticed what was on its back.
That figure had been lying low against the wolf's back, hidden by its body, so he had not gotten a clear look.
Now the figure slowly straightened and slid off the wolf, loose stones crunching beneath his feet as he landed.
It was a man in a worn gray robe, travel-worn and dusty. He had clearly covered a great distance.
His eyes were frighteningly dark and bright, like two bottomless wells.
"Dad!" Lin Chen called from behind him, his voice filled with incredulous delight.
Lynn nodded. Standing beside the Gale Wolf, he raised a hand and patted its neck.
"Thanks for the hard work, little fellow."
Facing the terrifying Black Mountain, the Gale Wolf's four legs shook like leaves, but it stubbornly remained standing.