Wu Yue had developed an addiction to eating meat.
In his earlier years on Nine-Move Mountain, he used to hunt wild animals for food. But as his powers grew and his demon strength increased, he no longer needed to eat for sustenance. Besides, the spiritual energy on Nine-Move Mountain was abundant, and even the smallest creatures, after a hundred years of cultivation, could possibly take on human form. Wu Yue had thus rarely hunted for food anymore
As for human food, Wu Yue had never had any before. After eating the bowl of meat Meng Huaize had gotten from Aunt Li at noon, he lay in the sun savoring it for a long time. The more he thought about it, the more he craved, and soon he was asking Meng Huaize to go and find him more.
The day was sunny and dry, and Meng Huaize took advantage of the good weather to move his herbs into the courtyard to dry. When he heard Wu Yue’s demand, he turned around with a frown. “You just ate. Besides, where am I supposed to get more meat for you?”
Wu Yue wasn’t satisfied. “Why did that man have some?”
“His child is sick, so they killed a chicken to nourish him,” Meng Huaize explained. “You’re not sick, and it’s not a holiday, so why would you need meat?”
“I don’t care,” Wu Yue said stubbornly, baring his teeth. “Go get me more, or I’ll kill you.”
After a day of these threats, Meng Huaize had become somewhat numb to them. Hearing the wolf cub say he’d kill him didn’t frighten him like it did at first, so he just turned back to his herbs without much concern.
Wu Yue hadn’t expected to be ignored, and his fury boiled over. Letting out a growl, he leapt from the table, baring his teeth as he launched himself at Meng Huaize.
Startled, Meng Huaize dropped his herbs and scrambled to flee.
He had only managed to stagger forward a few steps when he heard a loud thud behind him. He turned back in shock to see the wolf cub had only made it halfway through the air before crashing down. Now a fluffy little ball, Wu Yue tumbled forward, rolling a fair distance before ending up face-first in the herbs that Meng Huaize had just laid out to dry.
It took a moment, but eventually, Wu Yue got up, looking dazed, with a few herb leaves stuck to his head and fur. His eyes were still spinning, and he was covered in bits of crushed leaves.
Seeing him in this state, Meng Huaize couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
Wu Yue shook his head a few times until his vision cleared. When he realized what had just happened, Meng Huaize quickly stifled his laughter and pretended he hadn’t seen a thing. But he was too late. Embarrassed and furious, Wu Yue gathered his strength and pounced on Meng Huaize with renewed determination.
Although Wu Yue’s spirit power had started to recover a bit thanks to Meng Huaize, most of it had gone toward healing his injuries. As a result, his fighting ability was still about the same as that of a real wolf cub.
Wu Yue had all four of his paws latched onto Meng Huaize, using both his claws and teeth to tear furiously at him. Despite his fierce efforts, all he managed to do was shred the hem of Meng Huaize’s robe, doing no real harm to Meng Huaize himself. On the contrary, Wu Yue exhausted himself, eventually loosening his grip and collapsing, tired and dejected, into the herbs.
Realizing he couldn’t kill this troublesome human for now, Wu Yue closed his eyes in frustration, deciding that out of sight meant out of mind.
Once Wu Yue had finished his tantrum, Meng Huaize squatted down and gently picked off the pieces of leaves stuck to the wolf cub’s fur.
Wu Yue shook his head irritably under Meng Huaize’s touch, but Meng Huaize chuckled softly. “Alright, you may not be sick, but since you’re technically injured, I’ll let you have a good meal. How about that?”
Though Wu Yue kept his head down, his ears twitched at the mention of more food.
Meng Huaize’s robe had been ruined by Wu Yue’s attack, and though it pained him, there was nothing he could do. He went inside to change into a clean robe and returned to see Wu Yue still lying on top of the herbs, unmoved.
“I’m heading out now,” Meng Huaize said, “Don’t run off.”
He took a few steps, then stopped, still not entirely at ease. “You stay here, alright? Don’t go anywhere.”
Wu Yue, sensing that this human wouldn’t leave until he got a response, begrudgingly gave him a glance and snapped, “I got it!”
Meng Huaize felt a bit frustrated. He was going out to get meat for the wolf spirit, yet Wu Yue acted like Meng Huaize owed him something, being so arrogant and ungrateful. But with his life in Wu Yue’s hands, Meng Huaize could only grumble silently to himself, too afraid to voice his complaints.
The market was too far away, and Meng Huaize didn’t want to leave the spirit alone for too long, so he decided to buy a chicken from one of the villagers who raised them. Enjoying the story? Read on at g.com.
The nearest place was Li Dahai’s house at the village entrance, but Meng Huaize had once treated Li Dahai for a long-standing ailment. Since then, Li Dahai had been extremely grateful and constantly looked for ways to repay him. Not wanting to take advantage of Li Dahai, Meng Huaize bypassed his house and headed further into the village.
After wandering through the village for a while, Meng Huaize still hadn’t decided where to buy the chicken. As the village’s only doctor, he was highly respected, and he feared any purchase would come with the risk of being offered the chicken for free out of gratitude. He wasn’t good at handling social obligations like this, and just the thought of it made him break out in a cold sweat. Luckily, he soon ran into Caizhi, who was on her way home with a chicken in tow.
“Doctor Meng!” Caizhi called out as she ran over to greet him with a smile. “I heard you adopted a puppy?”
Meng Huaize was surprised at how fast news spread. “How did you know?”
“I heard it from Aunt Li at lunch,” Caizhi replied. “She said you rescued a puppy from Chuanki Mountain.”
Meng Huaize smiled awkwardly, feeling a bit helpless. “I didn’t adopt it. It’s just injured. Once it’s healed, it’ll leave.”
Whether it left on its own or took Meng Huaize’s life with it, he didn’t dare to think too much about it.
“What does it look like? Is it cute? Can I…”
“Miss Caizhi,” Meng Huaize interrupted quickly, nervous that she might want to visit and see the troublemaker, “About that chicken—are you selling it? I’d like to buy it from you.”
“Huh?” Caizhi was momentarily confused, but then followed his gaze to the chicken at her feet. She smiled and said, “If Doctor Meng wants it, of course!”
With that, she bent down and grabbed the chicken by the neck, lifting it up. The chicken, startled, squawked loudly and flapped its wings wildly in her grasp.
Meng Huaize reached out to take the chicken, but Caizhi, noticing how clean his hands were, hesitated. Looking at the struggling bird, she pulled it back and said, “Doctor Meng, why don’t I help you slaughter it first? That way, it’ll be easier for you to carry it home.”
Blushing, Meng Huaize looked at the chicken and hesitated for a moment. In the end, he nodded shyly. “I’d appreciate that.”
After Caizhi swiftly and skillfully slaughtered and cleaned the chicken, Meng Huaize carried it back home, his face still red with embarrassment. He couldn’t help but think that ever since meeting that wretched wolf cub, nothing had gone smoothly for him.
When Meng Huaize returned home, Wu Yue had kept his word and remained in the same spot, fast asleep.
Meng Huaize stepped over him and went into the kitchen. As soon as he squatted down to light the stove, he looked up to see the wolf cub perched on the countertop, eyes gleaming as he stared at the meat, his ears perked up in excitement.
Meng Huaize had never been particularly picky about food, and his cooking skills were quite basic. Now, faced with Wu Yue’s intense anticipation, he started to feel a bit nervous. He quickly explained, “Uh, I’m not a great cook. It might not taste very good…”
Wu Yue, completely absorbed in watching the pot, didn’t bother to turn around and respond.
Forget it, Meng Huaize thought. Let’s leave it to fate.
With Wu Yue watching him like a hawk, Meng Huaize didn’t make any major mistakes. Soon enough, the aroma of the meat began to fill the air.
As soon as Wu Yue smelled the meat, he reached out with a paw to lift the lid, but Meng Huaize quickly pressed it down.
“It’s not ready yet! What do you think you’re doing?”
Wu Yue, driven by his hunger, begrudgingly held back. But after a few moments, he asked impatiently, “Is it done now?”
Meng Huaize shook his head. “It’s not that fast. You’ll have to wait a bit longer.”
After several rounds of this, Wu Yue grew increasingly frustrated, barely managing to restrain himself. Seeing the wolf cub’s irritated but helpless expression, Meng Huaize couldn’t help but feel a sense of satisfaction, a small taste of revenge. Ah, how the tables have turned! he thought, as he continued to hold down Wu Yue’s paw, shaking his head with a smug smile.
Just then, the fire in the stove flared up with a loud crackle. Wu Yue’s eyes flashed dangerously, and he swatted Meng Huaize’s hand away with a swipe of his paw, his voice filled with a deep, menacing authority that didn’t match his cub-like appearance.
Meng Huaize’s brief moment of triumph was instantly extinguished, and he quickly backed down. “I understand, I’ll serve it right away.”
Fine, fine. No need to scare me…
Even though Wu Yue was in the form of a cub, his appetite was nothing short of ravenous. He devoured the entire chicken in no time, leaving nothing behind. Meng Huaize squatted nearby, not even getting a taste of the broth.
That meat smelled delicious, Meng Huaize thought to himself, swallowing hard as he sat among his herbs.
By the time they were done, the sun was setting, casting a soft golden glow across the courtyard. Meng Huaize began gathering the herbs he had laid out to dry, while the wolf cub, having eaten his fill, had already drifted off to sleep.
Wu Yue was curled up on a thick pile of herbs, hugging his fluffy tail close. As he slept under the golden rays of the setting sun, soft snores could be heard coming from him.
As Meng Huaize approached where Wu Yue lay, his movements slowed.
Now and then, faint voices could be heard from the road outside the courtyard, but within the courtyard, there was only the peaceful sound of the wind rustling the crabapple tree and the soft rustle of dry herbs being gathered.
Amidst the tranquility, Wu Yue slept soundly, his black fur gleaming under the sunlight.
Watching the sleeping cub, a gentle expression came over Meng Huaize’s face. Though this little troublemaker posed a great threat to his life, at this moment, with Wu Yue sleeping so defenselessly beside him, Meng Huaize felt an odd sense of contentment.
He had lost his parents at a young age and was raised by his grandmother. When she passed away when he was fourteen, he was left to live on his own. After finishing his medical rounds during the day and closing the clinic, the courtyard often felt overwhelmingly empty. Though he wasn’t particularly fond of noise, there were moments when he found himself wishing he had someone to talk to.
Late into the night, after Meng Huaize had finished his dinner and read through a medical text, he was ready to go to bed. The wolf cub in the courtyard was still fast asleep, having not moved an inch since the afternoon.
Meng Huaize crouched in front of him and carefully poked at him. The wolf cub merely twitched his nose in response, still clutching his tail with his paws. The tip of his tail rested under his chin, and with each breath, the fur at the tip swayed slightly.
Amused by the sight, Meng Huaize couldn’t resist reaching out to touch the tail. Wu Yue, disturbed from his sleep, grumbled in annoyance but didn’t open his eyes. He merely rolled over, now lying on his stomach, hiding his tail beneath his body.
Not wanting to bother him further, Meng Huaize left him alone and went back to his room to sleep.
In the middle of the night, Meng Huaize was once again awakened by a familiar heavy pressure on his chest.
Groggily opening his eyes, he realized that at some point, Wu Yue had come back inside from the courtyard and climbed onto his bed. The wolf cub was sprawled across his chest, sleeping soundly, his furry head nestled against Meng Huaize’s neck, causing a thin layer of sweat to form on his skin.
What else could he do but endure it?
Just as Meng Huaize was about to lie back down, something caught his eye, and he froze. To his amazement, he noticed that where Wu Yue’s fur was pressed against his chest, a faint golden light was emanating from the spot. The light, thin and thread-like, looked like scattered rays of sunlight, flowing from his chest into Wu Yue’s body.
Meng Huaize unconsciously held his breath, watching the phenomenon in stunned silence. After a moment, he cautiously reached out and touched the faint golden light.
Though the light wasn’t tangible, Meng Huaize felt an immense wave of emotions stir within him. Wu Yue had mentioned earlier that he needed to absorb the energy from the inner core, but Meng Huaize had only complied without fully understanding what that meant. Now, seeing this golden light with his own eyes, he finally grasped the reality of the situation—the inner core truly existed within him.
He glanced again at the wolf cub lying on his chest, and to his horror, realized that Wu Yue had grown significantly in just a few short hours. While still in his cub form, he was noticeably larger and more robust than before.
No wonder he felt so heavy, Meng Huaize thought, mind spinning in chaotic confusion. Sleep was now the furthest thing from his mind.
Judging by the current pace of Wu Yue’s recovery, it wouldn’t be long before he transformed back into his full-grown wolf form. It certainly wouldn’t take as long as Meng Huaize had initially thought. And once Wu Yue regained his full spirit power, killing Meng Huaize would be effortless.
The more Meng Huaize thought about it, the colder his heart grew. He turned his head, looking around the room at the familiar items bathed in the soft moonlight. Although Meng Huaize had never been one for grand ambitions, he realized in that moment that the fear of death was all too real. Desperation filled him, and he thought bitterly that, given the choice between a deadly companion or a lonely life, he would gladly choose the latter.