Chapter 25

Arriving in the valley, Wei Ling and his team hadn’t figured out why wild boars and wolves had ventured near the outer mountain regions. But as dusk was settling in, they decided to stop and rest for the night.

After a bit of searching, they found a small shelter hidden by the lakeside.

As night fell, the dozen or so men all huddled into the shelter. It wasn’t very large, so it was a bit cramped with so many people, but in the cold weather, the closeness didn’t matter. In fact, the closeness kept them warm.

After finishing their rations, Wei Ling stepped outside to take the first night watch while the others quickly took the chance to sleep.

The mountain night was both quiet and lively.

It was quiet because of the absence of human voices, giving the surroundings a feeling of stillness; it was lively with the natural sounds that filled the air. Wei Ling’s sharp ears could catch the sounds of snow slipping off branches and the rustling of small animals moving through the forest.

All these sounds intertwined, creating a vibrant nightscape.

A large bonfire burned in front of Wei Ling, warding off the winter cold.

With the nearby hot spring lake adding warmth, and wrapped in his military coat, he didn’t feel cold at all. In fact, he felt a sense of beauty in the scene before him.

The view was breathtaking.

So beautiful, in fact, that he found himself wishing he could bring Qin Qingman here to see the lake and the flowers. Because of the hot springs, the lakeside was dotted with vibrant blossoms of every color, creating a surreal beauty under the night sky’s soft, misty glow.

What Wei Ling didn’t know was that as he thought about Qin Qingman, she and Chuchu were talking about him, thinking of him as well.

In the stillness of the night, time passed swiftly for someone with thoughts of a loved one, and before he knew it, it was time to change shifts.

As the soldier arrived to take over, Wei Ling offered a few words of advice before returning to the shelter.

Built from thick tree trunks, the shelter was incredibly sturdy—not even a wolf pack, or perhaps even a bear, could break through. Lying down in the corner, Wei Ling fell asleep to the different tones of snores echoing around him.

The former noble heir had long grown accustomed to sharing meals and quarters with soldiers, and the mixed sounds of snores no longer bothered him. In moments, he was in a deep sleep.

Come morning, Wei Ling woke to the crisp, chirping birdsong.

He was the first to wake, his energy restored before anyone else.

He did not go to relieve the soldier on night watch; instead, he went to freshen up.

The lake water was from a hot spring, suitable for bathing but not for washing up. So Wei Ling walked a bit further to rinse his mouth and wipe his face with snow.

The cold snow rubbing against his face instantly made him feel wide awake.

After a simple wash, Wei Ling went to the lake, removed his clothes, and stepped into the water. In this weather, nothing could feel more comfortable than soaking in a hot spring. The previous night, they had arrived late and were uncertain if there were any dangers in the lake, so no one had bathed. After a night of observation, Wei Ling saw no sign of danger in the lake, so he was the first to go in.

It was like being the trailblazer for the others.

The water temperature was just right. The initial dip was a bit scalding, but after enduring that brief discomfort, it became pleasantly soothing.

After soaking for about ten minutes, the others began to wake up one after another.

The night guard was relieved, replaced by two other soldiers on alert, while the rest of them eagerly stripped off and jumped into the lake all at once.

As soon as they leapt in, each of them scrambled out even faster.

“Endure the initial heat, and it becomes the perfect temperature to relax.” one of the two experienced hunters who had come with Wei Ling advised, pointing at Wei Ling in the lake to reassure the hesitant soldiers. “See? Colonel Wei is soaking quite comfortably.”

Hearing Zhang Yongfu’s words, the soldiers suddenly noticed Wei Ling in the lake, bathing contentedly.

Instantly, their faces turned red with embarrassment as they climbed back in.

In their minds, Colonel Wei was a friendly person but also reserved and very strict during training sessions. In truth, they were somewhat intimidated by Colonel Wei. Now that he had seen them making such a fuss, they were sure they’d be reprimanded later.

Wei Ling, however, was oblivious to what they were thinking. At that moment, he swam over to Zhang Yongfu and inquired, “Comrade Zhang Yongfu, do you know anything about this lake?” He had been stationed here for over a year and had patrolled the surrounding area, yet this hot spring lake was new to him.

Zhang Yongfu held Wei Ling in high regard.

Perhaps because of his encounters with wild animals, he had an innate respect and a bit of fear toward Wei Ling.

In response to Wei Ling’s question, Zhang Yongfu paused to think before replying, “I know this place, but it wasn’t a lake before.”

“What was it?” Wei Ling felt a vague sense of familiarity.

“Colonel Wei, based on the topography and location, this likely used to be a small volcanic crater. It may have turned into a hot spring lake because the recent underground heat melted the snow on the surrounding mountains.” Zhang Yongfu spoke after careful consideration.

When they had arrived here yesterday, he’d felt a sense of familiarity, though he hadn’t understood why. But after comparing the terrain in the morning light, he finally pieced it together.

In fact, this volcanic crater wasn’t particularly far from their Kaoshan Village. By foot, it would take several days; by skiing, only about half a day. Since few people ventured into the mountains in winter, no one had noticed this transformation immediately.

Wei Ling, upon hearing Zhang Yongfu’s explanation, instantly understood why boars and wolf packs had been frequently appearing at the mountain’s outskirts recently.

The geothermal activity had not only altered the terrain but also affected the temperature, causing animals that would normally stay dormant in winter to move around more frequently. Even the wolf packs were lingering here, staying close to the warm lake for the winter.

No wonder he had seen so many animal tracks while circling the lake that morning.

“In that case, this place is both suitable and unsuitable for hunting.”

Suitable, because the geothermal warmth would attract plenty of prey; unsuitable, because large wild animals would be more than the villagers of Kaoshan could handle.

As an experienced hunter, Zhang Yongfu also grasped the essential dilemma.

Enduring the bitter taste in his mouth, Zhang Yongfu looked at the lake with a sigh.

Unless the wolves were driven away and large beasts dispersed, it would be hard for the villagers to hunt, whether in summer or winter.

“Let’s think of a way to drive the wolf pack farther off.” Wei Ling said, knowing how tough life was for common people in these times. He wasn’t one for needless formalities and felt the responsibility to help.

“Colonel Wei, we’re incredibly grateful to you all.” Zhang Yongfu’s spirits lifted, and he felt a surge of energy. With the soldiers’ help, not even a bear would worry him, let alone a pack of wolves.

Wei Ling, however, didn’t take credit. He simply explained, “Life is not easy for the people living in these lands. We’re not only here to protect the border but also to protect the people, to ensure they have food to eat, clothes to wear, and the means to survive.”

Survival, he knew, was the fundamental driver behind everything.

“Colonel Wei, thanks to the country, to the party, and to you, the soldiers of the people. Here in the mountains, we have little farmland but plenty of forests. Hunting has been our tradition for generations, but don’t worry—we don’t hunt for excess, just enough to feed ourselves.” Zhang Yongfu grinned, exposing a few missing teeth.

Wei Ling found himself momentarily lost in the simplicity of Zhang Yongfu’s smile.

No wonder the people had so much faith and love for the Party. It truly prioritized the well-being of the people.

At least, their Military Camp’s duty was to protect the people and put them first.

If only the rulers of his own time had been equally committed to their people’s welfare, perhaps the dynasty could have lasted centuries.

But alas, all of that was now history.

Now that they had discovered why the animals were behaving strangely in the mountains, there was no further reason for Zhang Yongfu and the other hunter to stay; handling threats in the forest was the soldiers’ responsibility from here on.

Wei Ling did not plan to carry out the clearing operation with only his immediate team.

After his bath, he ordered his men to escort Zhang Yongfu and the other hunter back to Kaoshan Village and to report back to the colonel with a request to deploy a battalion to clear the forest. More hands meant greater strength, and this would allow the villagers to enjoy a peaceful New Year.

“Colonel, are you sure you don’t want anyone to stay with you?”

Soldier Zhou Nong seemed uneasy about leaving Wei Ling alone in the mountains.

“That’s an order. Go report the situation to headquarters quickly—I’ll continue inspecting the area around the lake.” Wei Ling declined Zhou Nong’s offer. Truth be told, he was more at ease navigating the forest alone.

Seeing that Wei Ling had given an order, Zhou Nong immediately stood at attention, saluted, and then took his men to escort Zhang Yongfu and the other hunter back.

Once everyone had left, Wei Ling returned to the shelter, added some wood to the campfire, then washed his undershirt and set it to dry by the fire.

After setting his clothes to dry, Wei Ling rummaged through a corner of the shelter and pulled out an old, soot-covered pot.

Though blackened on the outside from years of campfire use, the inside of the pot was clean. With a quick scrub using snow, it shone as if new.

The lake water, heated by geothermal energy, contained sulfur; it wasn’t suitable for drinking or cooking. So Wei Ling filled the pot halfway with snow and set it over the fire. As the snow melted and came to a boil, he tossed in some dried grain.

The dried grain was roasted wheat. It had a charred aroma when eaten dry, but when cooked, it could be either a porridge with more water or a solid meal with less. Wei Ling was making the latter.

When the water had evaporated to the right consistency, he sprinkled in a little salt, and it was ready to eat.

His cooking skills weren’t exceptional, so he considered it an achievement just not to burn the grains. However, he was quite good at roasting meat.

In the quiet mountain forest, he hunted down an unfamiliar bird, cleaned it, and placed it on a spit over the fire. By the time the rice was ready, the bird was perfectly roasted. A satisfying breakfast made Wei Ling stretch with contentment.

With no one around, he was free of formalities. He practiced a set of martial arts moves, loosening his entire body. Once his meridians felt fully relaxed, he began inspecting the lake’s surroundings again. The previous night, he’d sensed something unusual nearby and had decided to investigate now that everyone else was gone.

The valley was small, surrounded by towering mountains, with the lake—a pool of deep blue—nestled at the foot.

Although the northeastern weather was cold with frequent snow, on clear days, the sky appeared an intense, sapphire blue.

Wei Ling walked slowly along the lake’s sapphire edge, accompanied by the cheerful chirping of birds perched on nearby branches.

Along the lake’s shore, lush green plants were sprouting, and low shrubs were budding. This burst of life attracted birds, as well as numerous squirrels and chipmunks.

These small creatures showed no fear of Wei Ling.

Perhaps they had no sense of the martial skills that could snatch their lives from a distance without warning.

Wei Ling left the small animals undisturbed and followed the sound he’d heard, leaving the lake and entering the forest. Eventually, he stopped in front of a massive, weathered tree trunk.

He bent down, using his ski pole to poke around. A hidden opening appeared.

Inside the opening, he found himself face-to-face with a bear.

Looking into the eyes of the black bear, Wei Ling realized he had a tricky situation on his hands.

This black bear had woken up from hibernation early due to the geothermal warmth. In a few days, it would be fully active, yet only this small area of the mountain had thawed to a semblance of “spring.” Without larger animals migrating here, there wouldn’t be enough food to satisfy the bear’s hunger.

In that case, the bear might very well head down to the villages in search of food.

Black bears are thick-skinned and tough, and ordinary hunting rifles typically can’t bring one down. If this bear ventured into the village and harmed someone, there would certainly be consequences from higher authorities.

Wei Ling found himself in a bind. Right now, the bear hadn’t caused any harm, so he couldn’t just take it down; but if he waited for an incident to happen, it could be too late to act.

It was a headache: he couldn’t kill it, nor could he drive it away. Without enough food, the bear would surely cause trouble. This same situation explained why the wolves had been troubling the villagers over the winter. The wolves’ territory bordered the valley, and the changes here had disrupted them, leading to more frequent and aggressive hunting.

The black bear lay lazily in its den, staring blankly at Wei Ling.

Having just awoken, the bear’s mind was still groggy. For now, it neither attacked nor showed anger toward its uninvited visitor.

Covering the den’s opening with leaves, Wei Ling studied the surrounding environment and the tracks on the ground. With a determined look, he continued forward.

After about half an hour, Wei Ling spotted the wolf pack.

Today, the wolves seemed calm, lacking the tense, aggressive stance they typically displayed. Even when they spotted Wei Ling, a few of them merely stood up watchfully without charging or howling.

“Xiao Hei.” he greeted the majestic white wolf. (Xiao Hei – means Little Black or Little Blackie)

The alpha wolf looked at Wei Ling with a cold, assessing gaze, gave a dismissive shake of its fur, and continued to bask in the warm sunlight.

Wei Ling leaned his ski pole against the mountain wall and climbed the large rocks with practiced ease until he reached the alpha’s side. Before sitting down, he reached out and ruffled the wolf’s thick fur.

The alpha wolf, its once-proud fur tousled: “… Humans are so annoying.”

“Xiao Hei, is there something you wanted to show me?” Wei Ling asked, not concerned whether the wolf could understand him or not, voicing his question regardless.

The alpha wolf, as if understanding, stood up and shook its glossy coat. Once its fur settled, it lifted a paw and, with dignified steps, trotted past Wei Ling, heading towards a cave in the mountain wall—the wolves’ den.

Looking at the alpha wolf’s proud stance, Wei Ling simply lay down on a rock, imitating the way the wolf had previously basked in the sun.

The alpha wolf walked a few meters and noticed that Wei Ling hadn’t followed. He turned back.

Then his entire body stiffened on the spot.

How could this human be so annoying!

Wei Ling didn’t care if the alpha wolf was pleased or not. Lying back comfortably, he thought about how he had spent the whole day playing along with the wolf, and now, instead of getting any reward, he was given the cold shoulder. He wasn’t going to put up with that.

The alpha wolf stood there waiting for several minutes, realizing that Wei Ling was genuinely ignoring him. Finally, the wolf had no choice but to lift his dignified paws and walk over to where Wei Ling lay.

Lowering his head, the wolf bit onto the hem of Wei Ling’s shirt and tugged hard.

“Stop pulling, you’ll tear it, and then I’ll have nothing to wear. What do you want?” Wei Ling reluctantly asked.

His relationship with this wolf had started off rough. Since arriving in the vast, sparsely populated borderlands, he had completely immersed himself in this land. When he wasn’t training, he roamed the mountains daily, and even during training, he never left the mountain area.

One time, when he ventured alone into the mountains, he encountered the alpha wolf.

Both were prideful by nature, and their first meeting inevitably led to a fight. Wei Ling’s body wasn’t his original one, so his agility was somewhat limited. They barely managed to end in a draw, with neither able to overpower the other.

But grudges were made.

After that, every time they saw each other, they fought, and eventually, through repeated encounters, they developed the relationship they had now.

Wei Ling, harboring a touch of pettiness, named the wolf with its beautiful silver fur “Xiao Hei” or “Little Blackie.” Whether or not the alpha wolf liked it, he always called him “Xiao Hei” whenever they met.

Luckily, the alpha wolf didn’t know what “Little Blackie” meant. Otherwise, he would’ve fought Wei Ling for three days and nights.

“Awoooo…” a soft sound escaped from the alpha wolf’s throat.

“Alright, stop pulling, stop pulling. I’ll come and see.” Wei Ling said, seeing the wolf lower his head and sensing a genuine urgency in the tugging. Guessing there was something serious, he got up and followed the wolf into the den.

Wei Ling had never entered the wolf den before—this was his first time.

As he walked, he maintained a cautious vigilance.

After all, he was only familiar with the alpha wolf, not with the rest of the pack. If he ended up in trouble, it would be a real problem.

Thankfully, the alpha wolf’s integrity was decent, and he wasn’t attacked.

A few minutes later, Wei Ling stopped in his tracks.

“Awooo…” The alpha wolf pawed at Wei Ling’s pant leg, looking visibly anxious.

Wei Ling chuckled wryly and squatted down to soothe the agitated alpha wolf. “I don’t know how to help deliver pups, I really don’t.”

Lying on the dry grass before him was a black wolf—deep, gleaming black, the kind that shone in the dim light.

Wei Ling’s first thought upon seeing this black wolf was that he’d named the alpha wolf perfectly. Who would’ve guessed he’d be hiding a “Little Blackie” that was so dark it practically sparkled?

“Grrrr…”

The black wolf lying on the hay growled cautiously at Wei Ling, her eyes wary, and she tried to conceal her large belly. But her belly was so round that there was no hiding it.

The alpha wolf grew more anxious seeing Wei Ling standing there unmoved. Unable to hold back, he nudged Wei Ling with his head, then turned to the black wolf, softly making reassuring noises.

Wei Ling, to his surprise, sensed gentleness and affection in the alpha wolf’s soft whimpers.

Responding to the alpha wolf’s reassurance, the black wolf finally let down her guard a bit toward Wei Ling, turning her belly toward him.

Under the alpha wolf’s insistence, Wei Ling reluctantly moved closer to inspect the black wolf’s condition.

After a careful examination, he realized that this must be her first litter. The pups in her belly were relatively large, making the delivery difficult. Realizing the problem, the alpha wolf must have brought him here to find a solution—but what could he do?

He didn’t know anything about delivering pups.

He gently felt along the black wolf’s belly, and from the movements he detected, Wei Ling guessed there were two pups inside.

“Grrrr…”

Impatient from waiting, the alpha wolf nudged Wei Ling once more, this time almost knocking him over, showing just how urgent he felt. So much for all the dignified posturing he’d put on earlier.

“I’ll go find someone to take a look.” Wei Ling decided. If he had to help deliver the pups himself, he figured all he could do was wield a knife—not exactly the right approach. He thought of Qin Qingman; she was a girl and would likely know more than him.

After patting the alpha wolf’s head and murmuring a few words, Wei Ling left the den, strapped on his skis, and sped through the forest.

Despite all the time he’d spent with the wolves, he still managed to arrive in Kaoshan Village faster than Zhang Yongfu and his group, who had left earlier.

Around two in the afternoon, Wei Ling reached the Qin family home.

Seeing him arrive so suddenly, Qin Qingman and her brother were first surprised, then delighted.

“Qingman, come with me—I need your help.” Wei Ling said as he leaned in close, quietly explaining the situation with the alpha wolf’s mate.

The idea of going to assist in the birth of wolf pups left Qin Qingman stunned for only a second.

Then she quickly gathered her things. Although she wasn’t a doctor and hadn’t assisted in a birth before, she had knowledge from her studies in modern medicine.

A few minutes later, Qin Qingman followed Wei Ling out, both gliding over the snow, leaving Chuchu to guard the house alone.

Of course, there were also two large geese at their home.

Two extremely fierce geese.