Lending a hand

"Haha! Saihu, did you see that? Tell me, are you impressed or what? Who else wants some? Hahaha!" Ye Huan immediately started showing off. Saihu ran over, retrieved the pheasant in his mouth, and tossed it at his master's feet.

"Woof, woof!" Saihu barked. Ye Huan understood: "You're amazing, all right?"

"I told you I was just out of practice before. Now you know how good I am!" Ye Huan said with a laugh.

Saihu turned and kept going. From his expression, Ye Huan could plainly see his contempt. "Damn it, Saihu, I'll show you what your big bro can do in a minute."

By then, he and Saihu were already quite deep in the forest. The light began to dim, and visibility grew poor. Ye Huan casually fired at random into places where animals could easily hide.

And wouldn't you know it, his luck really was pretty good. Two pheasants flew out of the grass he shot into. Saihu gave chase, but there was nothing he could do-they flew away. Ye Huan fired repeatedly from behind him, but failed to bring down either one.

With Saihu looking at him like that, how could Ye Huan stand it?

"What are you looking at? If you hadn't gone chasing them like an idiot, would I have let them fly away? I was afraid I'd hit you!"

Saihu nodded. Fine, you're right. Everything you say is right. It was my fault.

Ye Huan's face reddened for a while. It really had been a long time since he'd done this, and his skills had grown rusty. No, I have to get my touch back. Saihu, just you wait. Sooner or later, I'll slap you in the face and show you what the world's number one marksman looks like.

As Ye Huan kept grumbling inwardly and firing at random, a howl suddenly came from the distance. "Awooo!"

Ye Huan and Saihu stopped and exchanged a look. "That was a wolf howling, right?" Ye Huan asked.

Saihu nodded. There was no mistaking it-that was a wolf's howl. But why did it sound so miserable?

Ye Huan was already preparing to retreat. After all, they were deep in the forest, and that was a wolf. Although his recent training had left him feeling stronger, he didn't know whether he could hold his own against a wild wolf.

This wasn't the sort of wild wolf that danced disco, but a real one from deep in the mountains, terribly difficult to deal with. Besides, his grandfather had told him since he was little that when a wild wolf turned back, it was either to repay kindness or take revenge.

He had also said that wolves could never truly be tamed. Otherwise, why would an ingrate be called a white-eyed wolf?

Most importantly, wild wolves like these really held grudges. Someone in their village had once caught a wolf and tortured it in every possible way before killing it. In the end, its companions stalked him for over half a year and bit him to death.

"Come on, Saihu, we're pulling out. These things are bad news, and who knows how many there are? If we can't beat them, we won't even have time to run!" Ye Huan called Saihu back.

Saihu arched his body and let out a low growl. Seeing his posture, Ye Huan knew it was too late. He put away his slingshot, slowly lowered his back basket, then drew his specially made machete and stared in the direction Saihu was growling at.

Sure enough, a powerful grayish-white wolf slowly emerged from the grass. Unexpectedly, it showed no intention of attacking them at all. "Awoo."

The wolf gave a soft, low howl. Ye Huan looked at it, then at Saihu. "What does it mean?"

"Woof! Woof!" Saihu barked.

"It wants our help? Help with what? Is this a joke? Help fill its belly?" Ye Huan was speechless. What could they and a wild wolf possibly help each other with?

Saihu gave him a contemptuous look, then barked at the wolf.

Ye Huan understood: "My master's a dimwit. What's going on?"

"Awooo!" the wolf growled.

Ye Huan looked at Saihu in bewilderment. "Are you two having an affair? Chatting away so eagerly? Will your kids be called wolfdogs?"

"Woof!" Saihu barked at his master, and Ye Huan understood again: "I'll sue you for slander! We may know each other well, but..."

Actually, Ye Huan could tell that the wolf must have run into some difficulty and had ventured out to find help.

"Ah, let's go take a look. If you can't beat them, join them. Better to be friends than enemies. I reckon Saihu can't beat you either," Ye Huan told the wolf.

Saihu barked twice. Ye Huan understood: "Who are you talking about? I can't beat it? Do you even know what you're saying? Don't you know I'm the biggest badass in the whole village? My harem stretches from one end of the village to the other!"

"Tch! You think I'd believe that?" Seeing the wolf turn around, Ye Huan followed with his machete in hand. He would go see what was happening. As long as they didn't fight, everyone was a good friend.

Saihu followed, watching their surroundings warily.

After walking for about five minutes, Ye Huan finally understood the scene before him. A young white wolf had its leg held fast in a trap set by a hunter and was struggling in pain.

"Is this your child?" Ye Huan looked at the wolf, his tone questioning.

The wolf gave him a puzzled look. Then Saihu barked, as though confirming it, and the wolf nodded, its eyes filled with pleading and expectation as it looked at Ye Huan.

Ye Huan sighed and shook his head helplessly. "All right, looks like there's no getting out of this today. But let's get one thing straight first. I'm not giving in because I can't beat you. I'm just afraid Saihu might get hurt."

As he spoke, he stuck his machete into the ground and carefully approached the little wolf.

Squatting down for a closer look, he discovered that the trap had sunk deep into the little wolf's flesh. Bone was exposed, and blood poured from the wound. The little wolf's agonized whimpers stirred pity.

Seeing this, Ye Huan hurriedly cupped a handful of Spirit Spring Water and carefully brought it to the little wolf's mouth, coaxing softly, "Here, little fellow. Have some water first. I'll get you out in a moment."

Perhaps the little wolf was tired from crying, perhaps it was terribly thirsty, or perhaps the fresh fragrance of the Spirit Spring Water had drawn it in. It lowered its head and began lapping the cool water from Ye Huan's palm.

Its wet smacking made it sound as though it was drinking with great delight. After finishing, a little life gradually returned to its eyes. It looked at Ye Huan as if conveying its gratitude and hopes.

The sight warmed Ye Huan's heart, and he cupped another handful of Spirit Spring Water. The little wolf seemed to have understood his intentions. Without any further hesitation, it happily drank again.

"Bear with it. I'll get you out." Ye Huan gripped both sides of the trap and forced them apart. The little wolf swiftly pulled its leg back and escaped.

But its injury was quite severe, and it couldn't stand. Ye Huan looked at it.

Then he looked at its father. "I don't have any medicine!" He also rinsed the little wolf's wound with the spring water. An infection would mean trouble.

"Awoo!" The wolf howled once, turned, and walked away.

"Hey! Hey! You-where are you going? What's this supposed to mean?" Ye Huan was dumbfounded.

"Woof, woof!" Saihu said.

"It wants me to take it home? Damn, how can you be so trusting? You really don't have a care in the world, I have to say." Ye Huan was utterly speechless. Take a wolf cub home to treat its injuries? Why do I find this so hard to believe?

The wolf looked back at him, then retrieved a roe deer from the bushes behind it and tossed it to Ye Huan.

"Hey, we're all friends here. Why be so polite? I'd already been thinking of taking your kid home for treatment. After all, there's no medicine here." Ye Huan nodded readily and agreed.

It wasn't for the roe deer. It was purely their friendship. Yes, their friendship.

The wolf nodded, then looked at the little wolf, licked it, and ran off.

"I'll come find you once it's healed!" Ye Huan shouted after the wolf.

"Awooo!"

"Saihu, did you see that? Isn't your big bro an absolute badass? Isn't he impressive? Haha!" Ye Huan shouldered his back basket. It wouldn't hold the roe deer.

He could only find a vine, tie up the roe deer, and drag it home.

"Saihu, let's go home! We're having extra food tonight!"

"Wooof!"

"In your dreams! You want a whole leg? Why don't you just ask for the whole thing?" Ye Huan gave him a scornful look.