Su Muyao thought to herself that the ginseng couldn’t wait to be slowly processed. It would be better to take it to sell fresh within the next couple of days.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The Su family was still inside discussing what to do when the loud noise outside startled them. Everyone jumped up from their seats at once.
The two elders led the way and hurried out.
From the sound of it, something was running outside—something large. There were also shouts from the villagers.
The commotion made Old Madam Su extremely uneasy. With so many children at home, she feared someone might get hurt.
“Old man, could it be some wild beast from the mountains?” she asked nervously.
Old Master Su was just as puzzled. They had only sent off a few large wolves at noon.
The unease in his heart hadn’t even settled yet—could more beasts really have come down again?
Su Muyao heard it too.
She thought about the wolves from earlier. That can’t be… they just went back up the mountain at noon. Could they really be back already?
As it turned out—she was right.
With a loud crash, the door was slammed down.
A white wolf had knocked it over.
Behind it came several gray wolves in a rush, each carrying prey in their mouths—wild chickens, rabbits, and further back… a massive wild boar weighing several hundred pounds.
The leading wolf let out a series of howls at Su Muyao.
“You said you’d bring me that tasty water next time you came up the mountain! I had just returned to my cave when I caught your scent again. But when I went looking for you, you were already gone. Did you forget to bring it?”
Su Muyao froze.
“Didn’t I say next time? You just drank it at noon!”
The wolf king looked aggrieved.
“Exactly! ‘Next time’ meant when you came up the mountain again!”
“…Wait here.”
With that, Su Muyao went into the kitchen, grabbed a large wooden laundry tub, and filled it with spiritual spring water from her hidden space.
Then, huffing and puffing, she dragged it outside.
When her family saw her struggling, they quickly helped carry it out. The moment the wolf king caught that familiar scent, it tried to rush forward eagerly.
“Stop right there! If you keep barging around like this, I won’t let you drink it next time!”
The wolf king immediately halted.
Outside the Su family home, the villagers had already gathered. Some held pitchforks, hoes, shoulder poles—two even had large machetes.
They had already been shocked enough earlier that day. The wolves had just left at noon, and now they were back again.
If not for the fact that the wolves were carrying so much prey, the men would have already attacked them.
Some couldn’t help recalling what that old Taoist had once said—that this blessed child, if treated well, would bring good fortune.
After all, this was meat—something they themselves rarely had the luxury to eat.
The wolf king stared eagerly at the little girl, drool dripping from its mouth onto the ground.
Seeing this, Su Muyao couldn’t help thinking how adorable it was—she almost wished she could record it.
“Go ahead and drink. But once you’re done, go back and don’t come down again.”
Hearing this, the wolf king nodded rapidly, delighted.
The villagers watching outside burst into murmurs again.
“Look—that white wolf must be the wolf king. It actually listens to the child!”
“I saw it too—it even nodded! That’s incredible!”
A young woman nearby chimed in, “I kind of want to touch its fur… it looks so soft.”
“What are you thinking, wanting to touch it? Don’t forget—that’s a wolf. One bite and it could snap your thigh in half!”
An older woman nearby scoffed.
But inwardly, she thought: That little girl is blessed—that’s why the wolves don’t harm her. If it were you, they’d leave nothing but bones behind.
The wolf king led its pack and gulped down every last drop of water in the wooden tub.
“Xiao Bai, tell me—how many wild animals are there deep in the mountains? Are there any particularly dangerous ones?” Su Muyao asked.
The wolf king thought for a moment.
“There are a lot. Just wild boars alone—I know over a dozen herds. Each herd has about a hundred or so.
There are also elk, roe deer, pheasants, and rabbits—plenty of them. Oh, and there are four tigers… and one lion.”
Su Muyao nodded. No wonder the older generations always warned against going too deep into the mountains.
“Alright, you should head back now. Next time I go up the mountain, you’ll be able to smell me. I’ll wait for you near the outer edge.”
The wolf king howled in agreement.
“Okay, I’m leaving. But next time, don’t call me Xiao Bai. I have a name—they all call me Ba Wang (Overlord).”
Su Muyao’s lips twitched. Is that name really better than the one I gave you? No taste at all…
As the wolf king prepared to leave, the villagers who had been crowding around quickly scattered to make way.
Just like that, the white wolf led its pack of followers back toward their territory in a grand procession.
But the villagers didn’t disperse so easily this time. They lingered outside Su Muyao’s house, chattering excitedly.
Even the clan elder was alarmed enough to come. Nearly eighty years old, he arrived leaning on a cane, supported by his son.
The crowd immediately parted to let him through.
“Old Su, come inside with me. I need to talk to you,” the elder said.
Old Master Su quickly stepped forward to help him into the house.
Meanwhile, Su Muyao was surrounded by villagers.
“Sweet girl, let Auntie hold you!”
“Shoo, don’t scare our precious child—come, Second Grandma will hold you.”
And just like that, she was passed from one pair of arms to another without mercy.
She felt completely overwhelmed—but what could she do? She could only let these well-meaning, affectionate people fuss over her.
Only after the clan elder finished speaking did he come out and send everyone away.
But before leaving, even he couldn’t resist picking her up.
“Call me Great-Grandfather, let me hear it.”
Su Muyao nearly rolled her eyes.
Just moments ago, he had been scolding everyone:
“What’s all the noise? Go home and eat! What’s so special about holding her every day?”
And now even he wanted a turn.
At last, the crowd dispersed.
After everyone left, Old Madam Su looked at the pile of game still lying on the ground—especially the massive wild boar, easily over four hundred pounds.
Su Sanlang circled it in amazement.
“This boar is huge… could it have been on the verge of becoming a spirit before the wolf king took it down?”
Old Madam Su immediately smacked the back of his head.
“Enough with your nonsense. Hurry up and carry it inside!”
“Good thing the weather isn’t too hot, or the meat would spoil. Tomorrow is our precious girl’s first birthday banquet—this meat will come in handy. And you all slaughter and process the boar right away.”
Old Master Su came out from the house at that moment.
“Set aside about thirty jin of meat to send to the clan elder’s family later.”
With that, the father and sons happily carried the boar to the well in the courtyard.
By then, the younger boys in the house had also gathered around. They had been strictly forbidden by their grandmother to come out earlier, but now that everything was safe, they finally dared to sneak out of their rooms.