Walking in the cycle of reincarnation

Chapter 38 Desperate Situation

Half a month passed, and the wind and snow finally subsided.

Taking advantage of the good weather, Zhang Nanfeng repeatedly dug open the snow at the entrance of the cave to go out and explore the area.

As far as the eye can see, all that remains is a vast expanse of white.

The frozen soil stretches for thousands of miles, boundless and reaching straight to the horizon.

The withered yellow grass stems stubbornly peeked out from between the snowflakes, pressed flat against the ground by the wind, resembling a yellow wave.

On the plains, a few withered, short, and solitary trees stand alone, their branches covered with frost.

This scenery vaguely overlapped with the grassland landscape he had seen in his previous life.

However, the similarity only deepened his vigilance.

The grasslands are vast, offering nowhere to hide. And he knew all too well that the most dangerous thing in such a harsh and cold place was not the wind and snow, but people, especially the nomadic tribes who followed the water and grass and were brave and skilled in battle.

He dared not venture far, and each time he explored, he would retreat back to his cave after only half an incense stick's time. After repeating this several times, he had memorized the surrounding terrain and was fully prepared for his future solo actions.

In the past two weeks, the mother wolf has brought back an exceptionally plentiful amount of prey.

Often, even after it has eaten its fill, it will still bring back the leftovers.

Mountain rats, snow hares, marmots, and all sorts of animals were present. As a result, the mother wolf's reaction was much milder than before.

Only when he overeats and his belly is round and he still doesn't stop will he growl and step forward, lightly nibbling at the back of his neck with his teeth to drive him away.

Thanks to the nourishment from the blood food, although he still failed to unlock his supernatural powers, his body grew stronger day by day.

The golden threads on its back grew ever brighter, its limbs were muscular and its claws and teeth were sharp as if tempered. The only thing it lacked was its size; it was always a size smaller than the three wolf cubs, as if it were born with a deficiency, its growth limited by some unseen rule.

Zhang Nanfeng never relaxed his caution.

Every time the she-wolf returned, he would first approach her fur and sniff it carefully. For that human scent remained like a thorn, stuck in his heart.

He secretly resolved that if he ever smelled a human scent on the mother wolf again, no matter how strong or faint, he would immediately abandon the wolf den and find another place to settle down.

Fortunately, that unsettling smell has not reappeared in the past two weeks.

......

Seven days passed in the blink of an eye.

Inside the wolf den, the snores of three wolf cubs rose and fell.

Zhang Nanfeng lay quietly in a corner, channeling his blood and qi to cleanse the seal on his supernatural powers.

Suddenly, a whiff of wolf stench mixed with the smell of blood drifted in from the cave entrance, followed by a dragging sound.

Zhang Nanfeng's nose twitched, his ear tip trembled, and a strange feeling arose in his heart.

You found food after only half a day out?

He looked up and instantly felt a chill run through his body.

The returning mother wolf was pierced through the ribs by a long arrow. White foam spilled from the corner of her lips, and her wolf eyes were filled with terror.

We met someone!

Without hesitation, Zhang Nanfeng pushed off the ground with all four claws and shot towards the cave entrance.

The mother wolf is so badly injured; the pursuers must be right behind her. If they don't escape now, when will they?!

As soon as he emerged from the cave, two figures came into view.

Two men from the grasslands stood at the entrance of the cave, their sheepskin coats wrapped tightly around their waists, with curved knives hanging from their waists.

The two were staring at the trail of wolf blood on the snow when suddenly a white figure darted out of the cave, and they both froze in surprise.

"Batu! Look! The white wolf!"

"By the Eternal Heaven above! It really is a white wolf!"

The two spoke in a rough and obscure tone, with the distinctive rolled 'r' and trills characteristic of grassland languages.

Zhang Nanfeng couldn't understand a word, but he could see greed in their eyes.

Damn, how could it be so fast?

Zhang Nanfeng's heart sank. He dared not linger and retreated to the wolf's den in a flash.

At this moment, the mother wolf stood in front of her cubs, her fur standing on end, and a menacing growl rumbled from her throat.

Despite being severely wounded and on the verge of death, it still protected its three wolf cubs under its belly.

Zhang Nanfeng had no time to pay attention to the mother wolf's agitation. Only one thought occupied his mind—

Back cave!

Deep within this wolf den, the mother wolf had previously dug a path for escape, but now it is completely blocked by rubble and snow, making it extremely well hidden.

He had already done a quick clean-up, so it was easy to break through with just a little effort, making it extremely safe.

He rushed to the bottom of the cave, used his claws to dig through the snow, and used his shoulder to push aside the rocks blocking his way, squeezing out a gap in the rock wall that he could pass through.

As soon as he poked his head out, he saw a human face.

Outside the back cave, there was another person lying in ambush.

It was a dark-skinned middle-aged man with a tangled beard covering his chin, wearing a tattered wolfskin cloak, squatting behind a weathered rock, smoking and resting.

Their eyes met, and the man was stunned for a moment, then his eyes lit up with wild joy. Without saying a word, he raised his hand and fired an arrow straight at Zhang Nanfeng's head.

Zhang Nanfeng was terrified and, without thinking, instinctively turned his head sharply.

The arrow grazed his ear and embedded itself in the rock wall behind him.

Before he could regain his composure, the man pulled out a rope net and swung it over him.

With nowhere to hide, Zhang Nanfeng had no choice but to stagger back into the cave.

The cave was dark, the mother wolf howled incessantly, and the three cubs trembled with fear.

Faced with dire straits, Zhang Nanfeng remained calm and composed.

With both the front and rear routes blocked, there was no way to escape.

Moreover, even if he manages to escape, those three men, having witnessed his unusual appearance, will surely gather a large force to search the mountains and capture him. The former Mengjia Village serves as a cautionary tale.

He had supernatural powers back then, but now he is just a wolf cub. How can he possibly contend with them?

Moreover, the man in the back cave only saw him once before he shot a deadly arrow.

It seems these people have no intention of capturing him alive. All they want is his fur.

With no escape, the only option is to fight to the death!

His wolf eyes swept across the entire cave, then landed on the mother wolf protecting her cubs. A well-thought-out plan had already taken shape in his mind.

In a head-on confrontation, he would be no match for him.

But this small wolf den was his advantageous position. It was also the place where those three met their demise.

......

Outside the cave, two men from the grasslands did not rush in rashly, but squatted in the windy spot to discuss their plan.

The burly man said in a deep voice:

"Batu, this cave is difficult to enter. That she-wolf has gone mad; if you rush in, you'll likely fall."

The skinny man called Batu rubbed his frozen, red hands and grinned, saying:

"What's the panic? Just wait for Hassen's signal. Once the signal sounds, both sides will pour smoke in together. They'll choke these beasts to death, and at the same time, the white wolf's fur will be intact."

The burly man nodded upon hearing this, clicking his tongue in agreement:

"Speaking of which, we've really been lucky. With the old chief gone, the Wanyan tribe scattered like flies, and the three of us were just wondering where we'd find a place to stay..."

Batu chimed in, his eyes gleaming:

"That's right! Everyone in the Northern Plains knows that the White Wolf is the darling of the Eternal Heaven, an auspicious omen for the Northern Plains!"

He swallowed hard and continued:

"The Tuotuo tribe is powerful now and values ​​such auspicious omens. If we offer them the white wolf pelt, what won't we have in the future: grasslands, cattle, sheep, and beautiful women?"

After hearing this, the burly man was deeply moved and kept rubbing his hands together.

"Thank God! I've lived for thirty-seven years and this is the first time I've ever seen a white wolf."

The two became more and more excited as they talked, as if they could already see themselves kneeling in front of the Tuotuo tribe's tent, holding a wolf skin.

Batu composed himself, took out a bone whistle from his pocket, put it to his lips, and blew a series of whistling sounds.

A moment later, a response came from the direction of the back cave.

The whistles mingled in the wind and snow, sounding like death knells.