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Liu Quan, who had just finished treating his wound and lay down, was startled by the sounds coming from deep within the forest. He quickly sat up. “What is that sound?”
“A wolf’s howl.”
Old Physician Yu, while organizing his newly acquired medical kit, spoke without lifting his head.
“It’s not surprising to hear wolves in the mountains.”
Their camp for the night was near the road, on the edge of the forest, still quite a distance from the deeper parts of the mountain.
“The old man spent years traveling as a physician, often staying in mountain villages, where he would frequently go up the mountains with the villagers to collect medicinal herbs.” Old Physician Yu’s understanding of the wild animals in the mountains was far greater than the people of the Wei family, who had lived in the capital for so long. Not to mention wolves—he had seen bears and even tigers during his time in the mountains!
“Under normal circumstances, wild beasts that have lived deep in the mountains rarely leave the forests, and they generally don’t provoke humans easily.” The wolf’s howl sounded distant, and since they were on the edge of the forest, they should not be worried.
Wei Yunlan, who had quietly returned to the campfire at some point, continued the conversation. “But what if this isn’t a normal situation? Don’t forget, sir, there has been a great disaster recently.”
Though the area they were in had already passed the worst of the damage, it was still not too far from the affected zone. There could be changes in the deep mountains that might affect the wild animals.
Wei Yunlan’s cautious tone made Old Physician Yu take the matter more seriously. “You raise a valid point. There’s still half a pack of odor-neutralizing powder left here…”
As he stood up and prepared to take the powder from his pouch, he suddenly heard rustling sounds from the bushes ahead. Startled, he instinctively took a half-step back.
Seventh Lady Yu and the others tightened their grips on their weapons, and the remaining members of the Wei family, still awake, sharpened their senses and scanned the source of the sound.
A small deer leaped out from behind the bushes. Upon spotting Wei Yunlan and the others, it paused in panic for a moment before changing direction and sprinting off into the distance.
Old Physician Yu’s expression grew serious. “This doesn’t feel right.”
With no news of Mingxuan’s whereabouts, the Wei family could not afford to lose anyone else. Wei Yunlan immediately made a decisive order, “Wake everyone up, gather our things, and we leave at once.”
During the journey, everyone had grown accustomed to relying on Wei Yunlan as their anchor. At her command, no one questioned it. Those still awake immediately began to get busy. Liu Quan and Old Physician Yu gathered the things around the campfire, while Dong Da went to rouse Steward Wang and the others.
Wei Yunlan quickly walked over to Madam Gao and Cheng Yue’e. “Mother, Sister-in-law, wake up quickly!”
The sudden noise first roused not the two women, but the children lying between them—Jiayan and little Jiarong.
Little Jiarong, resembling a round dough ball, immediately started crying loudly.
The sound of her crying startled Madam Gao and Cheng Yue’e awake. Cheng Yue’e quickly picked up little Jiarong, while Madam Gao anxiously asked, “Yunlan, what’s happening?”
Wei Yunlan explained swiftly, “There may be a wolf pack nearby. Mother, we need to leave immediately.”
Upon hearing this, Madam Gao and Cheng Yue’e both gasped in shock.
Cheng Yue’e hurriedly patted the swaddling blanket around little Jiarong, trying to stop her crying, while Madam Gao quickly rolled up the blanket they had been lying on, holding it with one hand and grabbing Jiayan’s hand with the other. She hurried towards the carriage.
Having experienced an escape once before, the Wei family worked together with practiced efficiency. Within just a few moments, they were all ready to leave.
This situation was different from when they had encountered a land dragon upheaval in Qingfeng County. There were no servants or military officers around this time. The family no longer needed to disperse and move secretly. As long as they stuck together, no one would be left behind.
The campfire went out, and the atmosphere in the night grew even more tense.
Suddenly, pairs of glowing green eyes appeared in the darkness. They seemed to form a semi-circle, gradually closing in on the Wei family, surrounding them in the middle.
There were more than they had expected—at least sixty or seventy in total.
The guards quickly raised their weapons, positioning themselves at the front to protect the family. The eerie green eyes, which had been fixed on the Wei family, shifted in an instant, now focusing on the guards.
The two sides faced off, with the wolf pack not advancing any further. It seemed they were assessing each other’s strength, or perhaps waiting for the right moment to strike.
“Don’t resist head-on,” Wei Yunlan quickly made a judgment in her mind.
Even though the guards from Tianshu Pavilion could take on five, or even ten opponents at once, the number of wolves was simply too great. A fight would be inevitable, but escaping unscathed was unlikely.
“Throw the meat from the carriage, especially the raw meat,” Wei Yunlan murmured in a low voice.
Granny Wang clenched her teeth, then took two large bundles of smoked chicken and smoked duck from the carriage. She untied the ropes and handed them to Dong Da, swinging her arms to throw them in the direction of the wolves.
Manager Wang also retrieved the large bones and pork that had been bought in Suining after completing their business the previous day, tossing them all to the wolves.
Wei Yunlan kept her eyes fixed on the lead wolf. If the pack had descended from the mountain because food was scarce, then as long as they provided enough to eat, there would be no need for the wolves to fight them.
The lamb and pork they had stockpiled in Sujiang were now put to good use.
Wei Yunlan’s gaze never wavered from the lead wolf, and she focused her concentration, thinking about moving the six sides of pork and two sides of lamb from the space to the spot behind the lead wolf. In the next moment, the meat that had been positioned in the space was indeed partially gone.
A commotion rippled through the wolf pack behind the lead wolf.
However, the lead wolf, standing at the forefront, merely glanced at the disturbance, then tilted its head to emit a long, warning howl. The wild wolves that had begun to crouch and gnaw on the smoked chicken, smoked duck, and fresh meat immediately stopped, releasing their jaws and standing up straight, their piercing gazes now directed at the Wei family and their guards.
The target of the wolves was not food.
It was people!
The realization hit Wei Yunlan with a strange unease.
The wolves’ focus was so intense that it made her suspect they were not wild wolves native to the area, but had perhaps been deliberately raised in this region.
If that were the case, they could not afford to stay any longer.
Wei Yunlan exchanged a quick look with Seventh Lady Yu, who nodded sharply. She immediately turned and urged, “Everyone, get to the carriage, move out!”
As Madam Gao, who had been nearly at the carriage, tried to take another step, she suddenly tripped, causing her to fall to the ground.
In the process, she lost her balance and seemed to twist her ankle.
Wei Yunlan saw this and quickly signaled Suihe to support Madam Gao. She rushed over, scooping up Jiayan, who had fallen.
At that very moment, the lead wolf, which had been waiting for the right moment, suddenly lunged toward them with a powerful leap.
“Young Lady Wei, be careful!”
Seventh Lady Yu and Pei Hu, who had been on high alert, drew their swords and rushed to intercept the wolf.
The sword light flashed, but before the blades could strike, a shadow suddenly flew out from the side, moving faster than the swords!