Chapter 12: The Alpha Wolf's Decision

The arrow was released by that young man. Having just slain more than twenty gray wolves that had besieged him, he immediately let loose this shot, then, despite his extreme weakness, began making his way toward Li Zhan.

Although Li Zhan could not see the young man’s health bar, the wounds that covered his body and the violent rise and fall of his chest made it clear that he was on the verge of death. Even the priest, upon seeing him, could not help but utter an exclamation to God.

Yet, despite his condition, the young man resolutely forced his weary legs forward, step by step, toward Li Zhan. He understood perfectly well that Li Zhan’s group had gotten themselves into this perilous standoff with the dire wolves in an attempt to rescue him, and now that they were in grave danger, he had to stand with them. Even if he were to die, let him be the first to fall.

Li Zhan wanted to tell him not to come closer, but he dared not be distracted; he only managed a quick glance back when the arrow struck the ground, then immediately returned his gaze. The five dire wolves were watching him intently, ready to pounce at the slightest opening.

He could feel that their killing intent was now focused solely on him.

Without thinking, Ruyan and Zhao Ming edged closer together, pressing themselves to Li Zhan’s side. They, too, sensed that Li Zhan was likely the wolves’ next target and prepared themselves to counterattack at any moment.

At that moment, the priest finally did something that gave Li Zhan a sense of relief. Seeing the young man approaching, the priest did not wait for Li Zhan’s instructions; while the three of them faced off against the wolves, he took the opportunity to move forward, closing the distance until the young man was within range of his healing spell. One hand cradling his thick tome, the other stretched toward the young man, he began to chant. In moments, the young man’s wounds eased, and his weakness seemed to recede, though only a little.

With another companion by their side, there was an added sense of safety.

The priest, wiping the cold sweat from his brow, muttered inwardly and continued to pour his efforts into healing the young man.

The pack leader, meanwhile, was full of conflicting thoughts.

(These dire wolves will play a larger role later on. Here, Old Wu is giving a bit of background and personality—please don’t think he’s just dragging things out for word count.)

Only five days before, the dire wolves had no connection with the gray wolves. In the grasslands under the jurisdiction of Jiuxian County, a small town on the upper river just like Danyang County, the dire wolf and his six companions spent their days hunting and playing together—a group of seven wolves, as it happened, with quite a reputation.

But five nights ago, a fierce tiger invaded their territory and claimed it as its own, even injuring one of the wolves. In response, the pack leader led his six companions into a desperate battle. The struggle moved from the grasslands to the hills, and finally to a cliff by the Yangtze River. In its dying rage, the tiger struck two wolves off the cliff and into the river below. Afterward, abandoning the tiger’s corpse, the pack leader and his four remaining companions searched all night for their lost brothers but to no avail. At dawn, they howled in grief at the sky, their hearts heavy with loss.

When the howling ceased, the pack leader gazed at the surging river and decided that the two missing wolves must have been swept downstream. With resolute purpose, he led his four companions to leap into the river, letting the current carry them all the way into Danyang County. Exhausted and hungry, they were finally forced to come ashore to rest.

They had just caught a wild hare when a large, savage-looking gray wolf led a pack to them and, without a word, tried to snatch their catch. Furious, the dire wolf watched the gray wolf lunge at him—he dodged aside and struck, snapping the gray wolf’s throat in an instant.

That gray wolf was the leader of the gray wolves—a pack leader in its own right. The others, seeing their fierce chief felled so swiftly, immediately bowed their heads in submission and offered to follow this new pack leader. The dire wolf had little interest in joining forces with these undisciplined gray wolves, but since their leader had been killed by his own fangs, abandoning them seemed wrong. He reluctantly took up the role of their leader, hoping they wouldn’t cause too much trouble.

But his worries proved justified. In daylight, the gray wolves behaved under his watchful eye, but at night, they roamed in groups, stealing chickens and ducks from nearby villages and even injuring people. To the dire wolves, this was incomprehensible; they had always kept their distance from humans—where there were dire wolves, there were no people, and vice versa.

Enraged, the pack leader punished several undisciplined gray wolves, but though cowed during scoldings, they returned to their habits once his back was turned. Disgusted, the pack leader could only ignore them. At that very moment, their presence was discovered by the authorities, and this very morning, a young man bearing a bow had come seeking them.

Though all the gray wolves perished, the pack leader felt no sorrow—if anything, he felt unburdened, as if a weight had been lifted. If not for the man before him injuring his nose with a staff, he might even have felt grateful for their help.

The standoff continued, the pack leader torn: should they rush forward and take down this human to vent their anger, or should they act with reason and leave in search of their two missing companions?

His gaze swept over his four companions, who looked back at him in unison. Seeing the two wounded packmates, the leader’s heart ached; he approached and nudged their bodies gently with his head. The two injured dire wolves whimpered softly, like wronged children seeking comfort from their big brother, their eyes full of longing.

The pack leader raised his head and let out a long, mournful howl. The four other dire wolves joined him, lifting their necks and howling into the air. Li Zhan and the others looked on, baffled by the scene.

Turning back, the pack leader shot Li Zhan a cold, disdainful look, then, with his four companions, slowly made his way toward the depths of the forest. Though retreating, they showed not a trace of fear or panic; their movements were calm and composed, as if Li Zhan and his companions were of no consequence. They knew well that the pack leader’s decision to withdraw was not out of fear of these humans.

His hope was for his brothers to be reunited.

And for them, reunion meant not a single one of the seven could be missing.