Huang Liang thought of the Crow, and at the same time, he thought of the person with the Crow on their head.
Hong Kui and the Indian guide had obviously heard the Crow ' cries as well, and they looked up at the distant clouds. Even the white wolf in the mist seemed to be affected, raising its neck.
But the dark figure above the clouds had long since vanished.
The Native American guide muttered something, then knelt down devoutly, prostrated himself on the ground, and chanted incantations.
Huang Liang didn't know what he was doing and didn't want to stop him, so he looked at Hong Kui.
Hong Kui said, "They worship ravens. In many parts of North America, among Native Americans, Haida People... and even some Inuit tribes, wolves and ravens are the most common totems. In many myths and legends, ravens are gods who bring light to humankind. Among the Native American tribes near Mount Denali, there is a myth. Legend has it that in the beginning of creation, the world was dark, without stars, moon, or Sun, and people could only live in darkness. Later, a raven crossed the night, passed through the clouds, and carried the Sun from the creator god to the summit of Mount Denali. That became the Sun's home."
"So, he's sure he saw a raven?" Huang Liang asked.
Hong Kui nodded thoughtfully, as if he had remembered something, and then smiled at Huang Liang.
Huang Liang didn't expect the Native American god to come and guide them, since they already had a white wolf, but he really hoped that the Crow was the one he knew.
After the Native Americans finished their prayers on the ground, they stood up and looked up at the clouds again.
From his actions, Huang Liang was certain that the Indian couldn't see the white wolf; otherwise, there was no reason for him to worship the raven so devoutly while ignoring the white wolf. But strangely, the Alaska Malamutes reacted; they clearly saw the white wolf, perhaps sensing the spirit of their kind, since wolves and dogs can be considered family.
The Indian hadn't originally intended to go any further; he had insisted on retreating in the face of the storm. But after seeing the Crow, his attitude changed. Without Hong Kui and Huang Liang urging him, he led his dogs ahead. He certainly didn't know where to go, but fortunately, the Alaska Malamutes could sense the white wolf's presence and quietly followed behind it.
This saved Hong Kui and Huang Liang a lot of trouble. After all, they couldn't even open their eyes in the storm, and sometimes they couldn't see where the white wolf was. Moreover, the spiritual energy was faint and intermittent, which made them very worried that they would lose the white wolf.
The storm continues and is getting stronger; the howling winds could sweep people away at any moment, and show no signs of stopping.
Huang Liang asked the Indian, "How long will this blizzard last?"
The guide said, "It's hard to say; it could take half an hour, or it could take all night. If we can't reach our destination before dark, we'll have to find a place to rest and avoid the wind."
Huang Liang then asked, "How long will it take us to climb to the top of the mountain?"
The Native American guide said, "The real Denali Peak is impossible to climb in this weather. If you want to climb the main peak, you're definitely going the wrong way. Although I don't know where you're going or what you're doing, since you're being guided by spirits, the route shouldn't be wrong."
"A deity leading the way?" Huang Liang was momentarily confused.
"Yes, the Indian said, 'I just heard the cawing of a raven. It wouldn't appear on the plateau during a storm for no reason. It must be a divine summons. Didn't you see my dogs are all on their own? I didn't tell them which way to go.'"
Huang Liang and Hong Kui laughed at the same time. Although the howling wind drowned out their laughter, a sense of ease could still be felt in the air.
"Are you sure which way we're headed?" Hong Kui asked.
The Native American nodded and said, "This route is very remote; few people travel here, whether tourists, hunters, or explorers. I once passed through here while hunting a pack of gray wolves. I remember there was a not-too-high mountain ahead, somewhere between the two main peaks of the Mount Denali. At our current pace, we should reach it in about three hours, barring any unforeseen circumstances."
The guide's words reassured them somewhat, but Hong Kui's biggest worry at that moment was that if the awful weather didn't improve, they wouldn't be able to see the moon even after reaching their destination.
Perhaps the storm affected the guide's judgment, as it took them a full five hours to reach the summit they had seen in Huang Liang dream. Fortunately, the path was relatively flat, and nothing unexpected happened; not only were the people unharmed, but even the nine dogs were unharmed.
Night fell quickly. Just as Hong Kui had predicted, the snowstorm had lessened but showed no signs of stopping, and the moon was nowhere to be seen.
At this point, even the white wolf could no longer be seen. Huang Liang tried to establish a connection with the white wolf using his Mental Power, but found that he could do nothing. It was just an empty hill covered with thick ice and snow.
Huang Liang asked Hong Kui if he had seen the white wolf. Hong Kui shook his head and said, "I can't see him, but I can feel that he's still here."
Huang Liang sighed, "Then let's wait and hope that God will help us so that we can see the total lunar eclipse tonight."
Hong Kui said, "We have to rely on ourselves. If the sky doesn't clear, we can only seek guidance in our dreams. Do you remember the direction of that glowing point you saw in your dream that day?"
Huang Liang stood up, looked around in the distance, and shook his head, saying, "No, after the total lunar eclipse comes complete darkness. Without light to guide me, I can't determine my direction. Besides, in this kind of weather, I can't see anything."
Hong Kui patted him on the shoulder and said, "Then let's rest first and talk about it when the weather clears up."
The advantage of having sled dogs is that they can pull much more cargo. They set up a makeshift tent behind a large rock that offered some shelter from the wind, replenished their water and food supplies, and then quietly waited for the weather to improve.
Just as they were praying inside the tent that the snowstorm would stop, the dogs outside started barking.
The Indian guide was the first to rush out of the tent, worried that something might have happened to his beloved dogs. Hong Kui followed closely behind, and Huang Liang was the last to leave.
As soon as he crawled out of the tent, he saw a strange scene:
Outside, the wind and snow continued to rage, and the nine Alaska Malamutes huddled together, shivering in the fierce wind. But they all tilted their heads back, whimpering towards the sky.
And in the sky, a bright, shining moon was hanging.
A huge white wolf stood on a protruding rock in front of them. Its fur was whiter than the snow in Mount Denali. Its eyes gleamed with a green light, like two emeralds left on the snowfield.
On a peak nearly 5,000 meters high in the Mount Denali, on a snowy night, a white wolf howled at the bright moon.
Its white body became a black silhouette in the bright moonlight.
The howling sound pierced through the darkness, the sky, and the earth.
Immediately afterwards, a small notch appeared on the edge of the moon.
The total lunar eclipse has begun.