Gu Jingang

Li Lian watched Gu Sheng unleash his might and cleave the vicious wolf in two, hardly believing her eyes. This brave youth was worlds apart from the frail image he had shown in the past.

"When did A-Sheng become this formidable...?"

Even Gu Sheng himself was a little stunned.

That slash just now had felt as though the gods were aiding him. He had been in exceptionally good form. In his vision, the wolf had seemed to truly turn into firewood, with distinctive "grain." Only by following that "grain" with his blade had he been able to cut it cleanly in half.

But this was not the time to dwell on it. The danger had not yet passed.

Gu Sheng pulled his woodcutter's blade from the wolf's waist. After being stained with blood repeatedly, even the wooden handle was soaked through and somewhat slippery.

He tore several strips of cloth from his clothes and wrapped them around the blade's handle several times to keep it from slipping out of his hand.

After warily scanning the surroundings, he swiftly dragged the wolf corpse aside. Li Lian reacted quickly as well. Suppressing her fear, she came out to help Gu Sheng pick up the scattered wooden sticks, then said urgently:

"A-Sheng, get inside!"

There were still wolves roaming the village. At least the house offered some protection.

Gu Sheng did not hesitate and rushed into the wooden house in a few quick strides.

Li Lian shut the wooden door. Only then did the two finally breathe easier. Gu Sheng took several deep breaths and slumped to the ground. He had not noticed while his mind had been tightly strung, but the moment he relaxed slightly, he realized that the muscles all over his body were trembling uncontrollably.

His back in particular was stinging badly.

Gu Sheng grinned.

"Sister-in-law Erniu, Xiao Wan, are you two all right?"

Li Lian repeatedly shook her head, while Gu Wan looked at Gu Sheng with surprise and admiration. Though his eyes had been covered, he could still hear the sounds of the battle.

"Good thing you came in time, A-Sheng. Otherwise, my son and I today..."

As she spoke,

Li Lian's eyes immediately reddened.

"For saving our lives, once Erniu comes back, I'll definitely make him repay you properly!"

Gu Sheng waved his hand.

"We're family. Brother Erniu and Sister-in-law Erniu treat me like their own younger brother. I couldn't possibly stand by and do nothing."

Just as he finished speaking, he sucked in a sharp breath. The wound on his back had been tugged, and it hurt.

Li Lian cried out in alarm:

"A-Sheng, your back is injured!"

Gu Wan sensibly stepped forward to support Gu Sheng. Li Lian hurriedly searched through the house, and soon came over carrying a jar of black, sticky ointment.

"This is the medicinal plaster Erniu used before. It helps stop bleeding and heal wounds."

Li Lian did not waste words. She directly lifted the clothes from Gu Sheng's back, revealing several bloody marks of varying depth. This made her even more grateful.

If Gu Sheng had not come,

they would have died in the wolves' jaws today.

Once the black ointment was applied to the wounds, Gu Sheng immediately felt a cool sensation. Even the stinging pain eased considerably. Fortunately, the injuries were not too deep. After applying the ointment, he could still move around.

Gu Sheng nodded to indicate that he was fine.

He gripped the woodcutter's blade and stood, listening to the activity outside through the window.

At this moment, the wolves' howls in the night sky grew ever louder. It seemed that more wolf packs had joined in. Gu Sheng's expression changed, and Li Lian became tense as well.

"Sister-in-law Erniu, bring out the heavy things in the house. We'll barricade the door and wait for rescue from the village."

Gu Sheng said solemnly.

Li Lian quickly agreed, and the three began moving stones, wooden stakes, and other objects to block the wooden door.

Gu Sheng made up his mind to wait here quietly. As for everyone else, they could only rely on their own fate.

He had chosen to save Li Lian and her son

first because Gu Erniu's family had truly taken good care of him, and his conscience would not have let him ignore them.

Second, because the risk had been manageable. They had been less than a hundred meters away, and Gu Sheng had been confident he could fight and kill that lone wolf.

But now, who knew how many wolves were attacking the villagers under the night sky? Gu Sheng was not arrogant enough to think himself invincible. In the end, Wood Chopping at the Mastery Realm only made him somewhat stronger than an ordinary person.

He knew exactly what he was capable of.

He would not recklessly try to show off.

As for everyone else, they could only pray for their own safety.

Once the wooden door had been firmly barricaded, the two finally let out a breath of relief.

This way, a lone wolf would not be able to smash through the door. As long as they were not targeted by a pack, they should be able to hold out safely until rescue arrived.

Gu Sheng let out a long breath.

But he did not lower his guard. He held the woodcutter's blade and kept watch on the situation outside.

Seeing this, Li Lian found several meat pies and handed them to Gu Sheng.

"A-Sheng, replenish your strength."

Gu Sheng was the only one who could fight now. Li Lian knew what mattered most.

Gu Sheng did not hesitate. Washing them down with water, he quickly swallowed the meat pies. He immediately felt his rapidly depleted strength recover considerably. He did not eat too much, lest another fight come and leave him unable to run.

Gu Sheng kept the string in his heart taut, while Li Lian held Gu Wan close with a worried expression.

The wolf howls and screams that occasionally reached their ears made it impossible to feel at ease.

No one knew whether rescue or the wolves would arrive first.

Time passed slowly.

Suddenly, Gu Sheng's spirits lifted, and he listened intently.

He heard the wolves' agonized cries!

And they were not isolated cries. They seemed to be growing increasingly frequent.

"The village's martial artists have finally begun hunting the wolves!"

Gu Sheng and Li Lian exchanged a look. Both saw joy in the other's eyes.

However, the more critical the moment, the less they could afford to relax. If they failed at the last moment, they would not even have a place to cry about it.

Gu Sheng stared fixedly at the activity around them, guarding against wolves fleeing their way.

Things were developing in a favorable direction.

After an unknown amount of time, the wolf howls became fewer and fewer. Flames could be seen soaring into the sky in the distance. The village's martial artists had arrived with a large group of people. The overall situation was settled!

A deep shout rang through the night sky:

"All villagers, remain in your homes and do not move around carelessly, lest you encounter fleeing wolves!"

Li Lian said excitedly:

"That's Instructor Gu Jingang's voice. We're saved!"

Gu Sheng narrowed his eyes and looked out the window.

Outside,

several gray wolf silhouettes were fleeing. Each one was stronger and larger than the wolf Gu Sheng had killed earlier. Their nimble speed made Gu Sheng's pupils contract. If he encountered such wolves in open ground, even Wood Chopping at the Mastery Realm might not be of any use.

Yet at this moment, these wolves were fleeing for their lives.

Behind them, a tall, powerfully built figure gave chase, moving just as quickly. There was nothing mysterious about his footwork—he simply charged straight ahead—but every step carried him an enormous distance.

By the moonlight, Gu Sheng saw him clearly.

The man was bald like a monk, his muscles swollen all over his body, his face ferocious and filled with killing intent.

He was none other than the village instructor, Gu Jingang.

"You vile beasts, die!"

The bald man's thunderous roar echoed through the night. He caught up in two or three strides, charging into the wolves like a tiger. His massive fist struck out like a Vajra's giant hammer.

Bang!

The wolf's head exploded like a watermelon.

Gu Sheng's pupils shrank sharply. Wolves were said to have copper heads, iron bones, and tofu waists—their heads were among their toughest parts—yet Gu Jingang had casually shattered one with a single punch. The sight was utterly terrifying!

Gu Jingang burst into laughter, his fists incomparably fierce. With only a few punches, he slaughtered all the remaining wolves.

Against the backdrop of the night, he looked incomparably mighty.

"So... this is a martial artist?"

Gu Sheng clenched his fists, his eyes gradually burning with fervor.

Witnessing a martial artist fight from such close range made his entire body tremble from the impact. Only then did Gu Sheng understand why martial artists were held in such high esteem.