The northern slope of the Holy Mountain is the shaded side. After walking upstream along the river for a while, the terrain suddenly became steeper, and the accumulated snow grew deeper and thicker. Even with thick fur boots, I felt every step was uneven, my toes growing cold, numb, and gradually losing all sensation. I gritted my teeth and said nothing; after all, it was I who had suggested coming upstream to look, so it would hardly be right to give up halfway.
Besides there had been plenty of harder times in the past, and I had always endured them on my own; I was used to it.
I bowed my head and coughed into my sleeve. When I looked up, I was surprised to see Sai-He-Chinna extending a hand toward me. The young man tilted his head, his brow furrowed, his blue eyes staring fixedly at me. When he saw I didn’t move, he stepped forward and scooped me onto the back of the big white wolf.
I blinked. “…?”
Sai-He-Chinna smiled and half-knelt on the ground to brush the wet snow off my boots.
“Hey, you…” I couldn’t help but pull my legs back; I wasn’t used to being served like this.
Sai-He-Chinna held me tighter, refusing to let me move, and even glared at me with dissatisfaction until every last bit of snow was brushed away. My earlobes grew warm, and I stuck out my tongue secretly.
Sai-He-Chinna stood up and patted the white wolf’s back, signaling for Ota to carry me steadily. He didn’t think there was anything wrong with Gu Chengyan doing this after all, when he was small and in the snow mountains, he had also been carried by wolves.
With a wolf as a mount, our speed increased significantly. Before long, we reached the source of the river a series of lakes in the Holy Mountain. Here, the biting cold wind whistled, the air was thin, and the snow-capped ridges were covered in blankets of white, with glaciers in the river valley flowing slowly.
From far away, I saw a large patch of vibrant yellow flowers in the glacier, which were flowing into the lakes and swamps with the water. In such a high, frigid place, plants shouldn’t grow, and there certainly shouldn’t be flowers of such vivid color. I patted the big white wolf to move closer, only to realize they were all Yellow Snake-Leopard Flowers. The entire plant, from flower to leaf, was highly toxic; ingestion would lead to vomiting and diarrhea, numbness in the limbs, and in severe cases, seizures, fainting, and death.
Thinking of this, the snow finches lying dead on the riverbank truly seemed to have been poisoned by the Yellow Snake-Leopard Flowers—although these flowers were hardy, they favored damp, clay-rich soil and grew mostly in the moist marshes between forests or on slopes with red clay and limestone.
I jumped off the white wolf’s back and stepped into Sai-He-Chinna’s footprints, heading toward the river valley. Looking closely, I knew these flowers had been deliberately moved here—the roots had been dug up, and the foliage dropped during the drag hadn’t even been buried.
As I crouched down near the river valley to investigate, a shadow suddenly fell before me. Sensing something was wrong, I looked up, but the white wolf behind me had already leaped—it opened its gaping maw and bit into the throat of a Snow Mountain wolf that had lunged out of nowhere. Wolf blood splattered everywhere, even dripping onto my forehead.
My expression turned cold; my hand immediately went to my hunting knife. I turned to sound the alarm, only to discover that a group of Snow Mountain wolves had appeared on the gentle slope behind us their pure white fur made for the best camouflage in this frozen world, so close that I hadn’t even noticed them.
The black wolf’s fur stood on end, and the small grassland wolf growled, glaring fiercely at the pack. The big white wolf threw the dead Snow Mountain wolf aside and, without waiting for Sai-He-Chinna’s command, stepped in front of me.
At that moment, a white wolf roughly the size of the big white wolf slowly emerged from the pack. It had a broken front leg but an imposing, vicious aura. As soon as it stepped out, it bared its fangs at Sai-He-Chinna.
—It was that wolf!
I recognized it: it was the male wolf that had attacked the Snow Mountain Villa. The wolf’s expression was treacherous. After surveying the surroundings, Sai-He-Chinna ignored its provocation and retreated to my side. He gave me a reassuring look, then lowered his head to order Ota: Take the Wolf Queen away first.
I couldn’t understand wolf language, but I knew the look of hesitation on the big white wolf’s face, and the worried gaze of the little wolf as it looked at Sai-He-Chinna.
The male wolf had been plotting for a long time, not hesitating to set a trap: first poisoning the water source with the Yellow Snake-Leopard Flowers to lure them up the mountain, then ambushing them here, just waiting for them to walk into the snare. I knew wolves were vindictive, but this was the first time I had ever seen one plot revenge with such deliberation.
I frowned and drew my hunting knife with a clink. Sai-He-Chinna and the black wolf, tense and on edge, turned back upon hearing the sharp sound. I, however, twirled the knife in my hand:
“They are many, we are few; this is not the place to stay. Fight and retreat.” I gripped the gleaming silver hunting knife and raised an eyebrow at Sai-He-Chinna. “You know the terrain of the Holy Mountain better. You lead the way—”
I leaped onto the back of the big white wolf, bent down, and hugged its neck. “Let’s go to that small wooden cabin.” If I remembered correctly, there were plenty of hunting tools there that could be used.
Sai-He-Chinna was stunned. After a moment, even in the face of life and death, he burst out laughing: Good heavens, my wife is so cute.
The male wolf was also taken aback by his sudden laughter, and the wolves poised to attack naturally didn’t dare to move. After laughing, Sai-He-Chinna turned and scanned the black wolf; the black wolf understood and, with perfect coordination, launched a feint attack on the male wolf.
The male wolf’s leg had been broken by Sai-He-Chinna; to save itself, it had simply bitten off its own broken leg. Now, as the black wolf attacked its stump, the male wolf instinctively backed away. But just as it took a step back, the black wolf abruptly turned around. In that brief second, I patted the big white wolf, Sai-He-Chinna let out a long howl, and the two men and three wolves turned and fled—
By the time the Snow Mountain wolves reacted, the big white wolf had carried me at least thirty paces away, while Sai-He-Chinna and the black wolf covered the rear.
The male wolf, ashamed and angry, howled and led its new pack in pursuit. As he ran, Sai-He-Chinna told the big white wolf the destination and ordered the little wolf to return to the territory to report. The Snow Mountain wolves were fast; several times I heard the snap of jaws closing on empty air behind me. I pressed as low as I could against the white wolf’s back, preventing the wolves that leaped up to bite me from finding their mark. As for the ones reaching our sides, I handled them with my hunting knife.
The Snow Mountain wolves couldn’t get the better of me, so they turned to surround Sai-He-Chinna and the black wolf, but the two veterans were not easy to deal with.
After the long chase, the big white wolf reached the wooden cabin first. It whimpered at me twice and then turned to join the battle. I took a hurried glance back; Sai-He-Chinna’s face was splashed with someone else’s blood, and the black wolf was soaked, as if it had rolled in the snow.
There were at least a dozen Snow Mountain wolves in hot pursuit. I couldn’t dwell on the details; I entered the cabin and snatched the felt cloth hanging from the window. Stepping aside to avoid the thick dust, I grabbed the straw raincoat and bow and arrows from the wall by the light filtering into the room.
The wooden cabin had been abandoned for a long time; the raincoat was dry and perfect for starting a fire. I took out my fire steel and had a fire going in the pit in no time.
The Rongdi heavy bow was sturdy; it took at least two years to craft one, involving hundreds of steps. I pulled it back to test it; it was truly usable. I had fought in the field with Ling Xu for a decade; I was more than familiar with how to occupy a strategic position to repel an enemy or how to make incendiary arrows. I tore a strip off my robe, shredded the soft cotton fabric into small strips, and tied them to the arrows one by one.
After organizing my quiver, I stood up with the bow, lit the fabric on the tips of the arrows, and aimed from the window at the Snow Mountain wolves pouncing on Sai-He-Chinna.
The heavy bow twanged. The flaming arrowheads whistled out the window; the lead wolf couldn’t dodge in time and was struck right between the brows. It didn’t even have time to cry out before collapsing into the snow. There was no grease applied, so the flames on the fabric strips soon died out, but the pack, seeing their companion struck down with a single blow, showed signs of fear and whimpered, not daring to advance.
The black wolf seized the opportunity, teaming up with Sai-He-Chinna to take down a large wolf nearby—Sai-He-Chinna choked its neck while the black wolf bit its belly.
I held the strategic advantage; the wooden cabin had become a sturdy fortress. My arrows never missed, preventing the Snow Mountain wolves from getting close.
Seeing this, some of the Snow Mountain wolves following the male wolf felt the urge to retreat—there was no point in continuing if it only meant increasing casualties. This wasn’t a battle for food; losing just meant the revenge had failed. They didn’t want to fight to the bitter end.
But the male wolf had suffered three consecutive defeats at Sai-He-Chinna’s hands; having finally managed to set up this ambush, it was unwilling to give up. The male wolf bristled its fur, crouched low, and bared its teeth at the wolves wanting to retreat, growling threats to keep them in place.
My ear twitched; I noticed the friction within the wolf pack. In war, winning the heart is always the superior strategy; I immediately turned my aim toward the male wolf. Actually, I didn’t have many arrows left; using them to sow discord was the best move.
Several arrows whistled after the male wolf. After dodging a few times, the other wolves suddenly realized the enemy’s target was only the male wolf. Several Snow Mountain wolves looked at each other, bristled their fur, and barked wildly at the male wolf—
I curled the corner of my mouth: It’s done!
The male wolf didn’t expect the pack to turn against it. Its eyes grew bloodshot, and it glared at them viciously. But since the pack had already decided to rebel, they were no longer afraid; they lowered their bodies and growled, baring their teeth in an attack stance.
At the same time, the little wolf I had sent to sound the alarm finally appeared with Sai-He-Chinna’s entire pack. The sheer number of them caused several Snow Mountain wolves to turn and flee immediately.
The battle shifted in an instant; the male wolf was surrounded from all sides. Even then, it tried to escape, but Sai-He-Chinna wouldn’t give it another chance. He let out a long howl, ordering the pack, and the remaining Snow Mountain wolves were quickly surrounded and killed.
Sai-He-Chinna stepped up to engage the male wolf. He was nimble and agile, and within a few moves, he had locked his arms around the male wolf’s neck. The male wolf struggled and kicked wildly, but he only sneered, slowly tightening his grip while leaning in to whisper into the male wolf’s ear:
“I gave you a chance.”
The male wolf’s eyes bulged, its tongue lolling out, yet it still growled hoarsely, its jaws clicking as it tried to bite him.
“Hmm? What?” Sai-He-Chinna dodged easily, his expression one of pleasant amusement. “You say I rely on my wife?”
His arms suddenly sank, his shoulders and chest exerting force in unison, and he snapped the male wolf’s neck blood flowed from the male wolf’s mouth. Sai-He-Chinna didn’t let go; instead, hugging the carcass, he curled his lips and whispered into its ear once more:
“So what if I rely on my wife? My wife is smart, beautiful, and fierce. Sigh… how unfortunate. You don’t have one; don’t be too envious of me.