Chapter 30: Another Encounter with the War Wolves

In “Rise of the Empire,” the scene before Li Zhan unfolded just as he had anticipated: Ruo Yan, after pressing her lips together, gradually awakened. Upon realizing how close she was to Li Zhan, she was startled, quickly covering her delicate mouth with her hand, managing not to cry out.

After a moment, reassured that Li Zhan remained "asleep," she gently lowered her hand. Her bright eyes lingered on Li Zhan for only a few seconds before a blush swiftly colored her fair cheeks, and she hastily averted her gaze. Sitting up, she smoothed her slightly disheveled hair, glanced at Li Zhan once more, then stood and lightly stepped over his legs to descend the stairs.

Li Zhan waited until Ruo Yan’s footsteps faded from hearing before exhaling a long breath, turning onto his back, resting his arms behind his head, and gazing up at the ceiling in thought. He shook his head, stood, and headed toward the stairs.

Under the dye shed, Wang Hui and Xiao Feng had just completed another loom, which the villagers carried over. Now the settlement boasted three looms, and, judging by the pace of production, they would meet the goal of five looms before nightfall.

All three looms were in operation. Zhou Min and two female villagers each worked a loom, while Ruo Yan and two other women gathered around a makeshift wooden table. On it lay the “cloths” Li Zhan and Ruo Yan had jointly developed the previous night. Ruo Yan, holding a measuring tape in one hand and scissors in the other, instructed the two villagers on basic cutting techniques, occasionally drawing lines and making cuts, encouraging them to try their hand at cutting. The women listened attentively, nodding and occasionally asking questions, which Ruo Yan patiently answered one by one.

The dyeing results of the two bundles of cotton thread yesterday had been very satisfactory, so today was the time to expand the dyeing scale. Li Zhan instructed Zheng Jun to lead several villagers to fill the remaining four dye vats with river water, add dye, and stir until fully dissolved. Then, they submerged five bundles of cotton thread in each vat—the maximum capacity—and waited five hours before removing and draining them.

After placing the threads in the vats, Li Zhan made his customary inspection of the settlement. Starting from the center, he passed through the fields, the lumberyard, the stone warehouse, the shipyard, and interacted with farmers, lumberjacks, stonemasons, fishermen, and other villagers, listening carefully to their opinions and suggestions. These conversations not only brought him closer to the villagers but also boosted their enthusiasm for work.

His last stop was the shipyard. Since the settlement had halted fishing, and the processing of fresh fish was nearly complete, only two female fishermen remained there, while the other four men, including Zhang Chong, had gone hunting with the mounted archer Zhang Feng.

Zhang Feng had arrived at the settlement yesterday noon. Zheng Jun arranged lodging for him at the barracks, but soon after, Zhang Feng approached Li Zhan, requesting to lead villagers on a hunt, hoping to put his skills to use. With no military threats currently facing the settlement, Zhang Feng felt guilty for idly consuming rations (archers consumed three units of food daily). Li Zhan readily agreed, allowing him to take four fishermen hunting—ideal candidates due to their fishing and hunting skills.

Yesterday afternoon, Zhang Feng and the four hunters returned with several rabbits. Although the haul was modest, it at least diversified the settlement’s meals. This morning's yield was much better: they had hunted two wild deer, placed on the beach near the shipyard. Two hunters remained to butcher the meat, while the other two, along with Zhang Feng, ventured back into the forest to hunt.

Li Zhan watched the hunters work on the beach for a while, then started to return to the settlement center. Suddenly, the two female villagers at the shipyard cried out in alarm. Li Zhan and the hunters turned quickly toward the sound. The women were backing away in fear, and at the edge of the forest, more than a hundred meters away, two war wolves had appeared.

Once again confronted with war wolves, Li Zhan's heart raced. He had encountered them just yesterday morning in the northwest woods of County Dan; their terrifying damage and speed still left him uneasy. Why were they here now—and not the original five, but only two?

There was no time to deliberate. The villagers were very frail; a single swipe from the wolves could be fatal. Li Zhan urgently instructed the women to hide in the shipyard, following with the hunters.

Inside the shipyard was a design room. Li Zhan and the four villagers took shelter there, and the hunters quickly secured the wooden door. Peering out through the small window, they watched the wolves’ movements.

The two war wolves hesitated at the forest’s edge. One stepped forward, surveyed the area for danger, then looked back at the other. The second wolf, noticeably smaller, limped forward, clearly injured. Only then did Li Zhan and the villagers notice the limp.

When the injured wolf caught up, the first started walking, frequently glancing at its companion. The pair moved side by side, slowly because of the injury.

They headed directly toward the two dead deer, about thirty meters from the shipyard. The injured wolf even paused to rest, clearly exhausted. While it rested, the other stood guard, vigilant until its companion rose again.

Finally, both wolves reached the deer. Li Zhan noticed now that the other wolf was also wounded: a deep gash crossed its face, and the wound was infected, beginning to fester.

In "Empire," to enhance realism, injuries have various side effects: the most common are continuous damage (like poisoning or wound infection), weakness (when health drops below a certain threshold or excessive hunger), and impaired movement (from severe limb trauma). These effects can be treated medically.

The wolf with the injured leg immediately bit into the deer meat, tearing at it. Despite shaking its head and clamping its jaws, its weakened body could barely manage; it took nearly a minute to tear off a palm-sized piece.

The wounded wolf with the facial injury sat nearby, its wary eyes scanning the surroundings. Only after its companion had eaten three mouthfuls and regained some strength did it stop watching, lower its head, and bite into the smaller deer, dragging it back toward the forest.