Chapter 70: Slaying the Wolf
<Previous Chapter<Table of Contents>Next Chapter>
The space had become even smaller, resembling a reduced practice arena. However, her opponent had transformed into a bloodthirsty beast. In this moment, He Yan had no weapons at her disposal, not even the bamboo stick that had been broken into two pieces.
The wolf’s eyes gleamed with excitement. These creatures were intelligent and cruel; in this situation, human survival was impossible.
A bitter smile tugged at the corner of He Yan’s lips. Fate had certainly dealt her a unique scenario. She wasn’t a miraculous superhero who could overcome every danger with ease.
This was probably a trap set by a hunter to catch rabbits or foxes. Over time, it had been completely covered by fallen leaves and branches, leaving no traces behind. Who could have known that as she fought with the wolf here, they would both tumble down? There was no way out now.
As the wolf slowly rose, He Yan also attempted to stand up. However, a single movement informed her that things weren’t well. When she fell, her leg had taken a hit, and now her left leg throbbed with a piercing pain whenever she moved it.
She had to support herself against the rock wall to stand up.
The wolf crouched low, emitting a low growl from its throat. He Yan looked at it, her back against the wall, remaining still. It paced around a few steps and suddenly lunged towards He Yan.
Its gaping maw was right before her, and she could almost smell the nauseating scent of blood. In her mind’s eye, she saw the remains of carcasses she had encountered on the road, picked clean by wolves—disfigured, with only decaying flesh left.
In this critical moment, she abruptly extended her left arm. The wolf charged towards her neck, but she managed to push it away with a single palm strike. Though she had used some force, it was still inadequate against a wild animal. It only shielded her neck. In the next instant, the wolf clamped down on her arm.
Without needing to look, she knew the bite was severe. Yet, she didn’t flinch; instead, she pushed forward, as if trying to push her arm even deeper into the wolf’s mouth. The wolf’s grip didn’t falter, and in the same motion, He Yan’s right hand came down fiercely—
A pitiful cry erupted from the wolf’s mouth. The crafty and determined creature thrashed about in the pit, its eyes scratched by sharp stones, blood splattering everywhere.
He Yan released her grip, revealing a not-so-large stone in her palm, one end of which was sharp and stained with blood.
She had blinded the wolf’s eyes.
From the moment she fell into the pitfall, she had been searching for anything around that could be used for defense. Unfortunately, within the pit, there were only scattered stones, and she managed to find the one that could be put to use.
The wolf had lost both of its eyes, rendering it blind and unable to see anything. The excruciating pain also prevented it from focusing on anything else, causing it to thrash and go mad within the pit. He Yan gritted her teeth, propping herself against the rock wall, and exerted all her strength to press down on the wolf’s head. She grasped the stone again and forcefully slashed open the wolf’s throat.
Blood slowly seeped out, initially warm before gradually turning colder.
She sank down slowly, her body devoid of strength. Her left arm bore a bite mark from the wolf, with blood now sticking her sleeve to the wound. Her left leg couldn’t be lifted, and her neck was scraped raw. There was no need to think about it; at this moment, she was undoubtedly in a sorry state. However, she only gazed at the lifeless wolf, a wave of desolation surging within her.
She and this wolf were so alike, both left at the mercy of others after losing their sight. Now, witnessing the pitiful death of the wolf she had killed, even though she was the one responsible, memories of the past resurfaced. She felt utterly exhausted and powerless to do anything more.
The sun had set, and the daylight faded away, leaving the forest in darkness. She sat there quietly, head bowed, silent. In an instant, it seemed as if she wasn’t even breathing—just sitting there, quietly succumbing to the moment.
…
Within the Liangzhou Garrison, no one knew about the heart-pounding scene that unfolded on the mountainside.
After returning to the garrison, Zheng Xuan, along with the other two, went to find their instructor. Deliberately lingering at the base of the mountain for a while before returning, the sun had already set, leaving only a hint of bloody twilight at the horizon, its brilliance spreading across the water’s surface.
Shen Hong didn’t accompany them; he went back to his room.
When he returned, the others had all finished dinner and come back. Upon seeing Shen Hong sitting there absentmindedly, someone laughed and asked, “Hey, how did it feel going up the mountain today?”
“Why does he look so dazed? Could he be exhausted to the point of being out of his mind?”
“Possibly, hahaha, he can’t handle even this much, so weak.”
The group teased him for a while, assuming Shen Hong was just tired, and went about their own business. After a while, Wang Ba walked in. Sharing a room with Shen Hong, he was greeted by the other recruits as he entered; despite losing to He Yan in archery, he still held a certain status here.
Wang Ba also noticed that Shen Hong was sitting on the bed in a daze, so he casually asked, “What’s wrong with him?”
“I don’t know. He went up the mountain today and came back like this,” someone replied.
Wang Ba glanced at Shen Hong, finding his behavior odd. Despite having teased him many times before, he had never seen Shen Hong so disoriented. He approached Shen Hong and gave him a push. “What’s going on? Did you encounter some wild animal on the mountain that frightened you out of your wits?”
Not saying anything would have been fine, but the moment he mentioned the word “wild animal,” Shen Hong’s body trembled even more intensely, his mouth stammering without knowing what to say. Wang Ba leaned in to listen closely, only catching him saying, “I’m sorry.”
“Sorry? Who are you apologizing to?” Wang Ba furrowed his brow inquiringly.
Shen Hong continued to mutter to himself, and Wang Ba’s patience wore thin. He grabbed Shen Hong as if picking up a chick and asked, “Kid, spill the beans about everything you encountered on the mountain today. If you don’t tell me, I’ll make you regret it!” He gestured threateningly with a clenched fist.
Startled by Wang Ba’s sudden grab, Shen Hong seemed to snap out of his thoughts. Staring at Wang Ba’s fierce expression, he felt guilty and anxious. He blurted out, “He Yan… He Yan is still on the mountain!”
He Yan? Wang Ba’s heart skipped a beat upon hearing his name. This person seemed to be linked to him by fate. Nonetheless, he was curious and asked, “What on the mountain? You all went up the mountain together today? How could he still be on the mountain when you all came down? What’s going on?”
“There were wolves… many wolves! He Yan led the wolves away to save us,” Shen Hong sobbed, speaking in a rush without pause, “Zheng Xuan wouldn’t let us tell the instructor, and he wants to blame He Yan for crossing the mountain. No, that’s not it. They crossed the mountain, and He Yan saved them, but they want him dead. They even want to slander He Yan! He Yan is alone on the mountain without any weapons. He’s going to die. It’s all our fault that we’ve killed him!”
He spoke incoherently, his words jumbled, but Wang Ba was perceptive enough to grasp the meaning behind Shen Hong’s words. He paused for a moment, suddenly understanding, and then a surge of anger engulfed him. He slammed his fist onto the table, startling Shen Hong.
“He saved you, and you left her alone on the mountain?”
Shen Hong cried, “I didn’t want to… I couldn’t…”
Wang Ba cast a disdainful glance at him and said, “Pathetic!” He turned and walked out of the room.
<Previous Chapter<Table of Contents>Next Chapter>
