17: A cunning pack of wolves

The next day, the weather was favorable; the heavy snow that had fallen for several days stopped, and the sun, long unseen, finally broke through.

Last night, Lu Xuan used his Talent and found that there would be no great opportunities when entering the mountain today. He felt a little regretful, but then he thought that he might be getting a bit greedy.

Su Jing started preparing dry rations for Lu Xuan before dawn.

She prepared a bag full of things like dried meat, flatbreads, and hot water, along with a coat made of deerskin.

"Safety first when you're out. I'll be waiting for you to come home."

Su Jing looked at Lu Xuan affectionately. Although Lu Xuan had entered the mountain several times already, Su Jing was still worried. After all, every year, old hunters lost their lives in Thousand Peaks Mountain.

"Don't worry. With my Second-Rate Peak strength now, as long as I don't go into the depths, I won't be afraid even if I run into a tiger.

Besides, I have Lu Dashan and the whole group with me.

Next spring, once these fields are planted, I won't go into the mountain for a while. The grain will be enough for us to eat."

"Mhm, it's good that Husband knows what he's doing. I'm just a woman, and I don't understand these things."

Su Jing lowered her head, tidying Lu Xuan's clothes and weapons.

Hearing this, Lu Xuan knew that Su Jing was still upset about him risking his life to enter the mountain.

He hugged her tightly and kissed her cheek.

"I'll be back by evening. Have dinner ready for me!"

With that, he left the house without looking back.

At Old Lu's house, Lu Dashan, Lu Dahai, and the others were nearly ready.

"Dad, everyone is here. Lu Xuan won't fail to show up, will he?"

"What's the rush? It's not even light yet. How are we supposed to go up the mountain? First, tell everyone to eat something warm. Once we're in the mountain, we won't get to eat."

Lu Dashan ignored his foolish son and sat in the main hall.

When Old Lu was young, he was a soldier and had killed people, so few people in the village weren't afraid of him.

The people who had been whispering quietly immediately lowered their heads and checked their gear when they met Old Lu's gaze.

Zzz zzz zzz~

Someone walked on the snow outside the door.

"Sorry to keep you all waiting."

Lu Xuan hadn't expected everyone to be present. It was still pitch black. He had intended to arrive neither too early nor too late, but everyone else was already here.

This made him feel a bit embarrassed.

"You're right on time. We only leave when it's light, otherwise, going up the mountain is dangerous."

Old Lu stood up from his chair and smoothed things over.

"Alright, now that everyone is here, prepare yourselves. If you need to relieve yourselves, do it quickly, so we don't have too many interruptions halfway up the path."

Lu Dashan said to the crowd.

"We leave in the time it takes for half an incense stick to burn."

Old Lu pulled Lu Xuan aside.

"Young Lu, I'm entrusting their lives to you. I know you have real capabilities."

Old Lu's tone was sincere. After all, the wolf pack was numerous, and although they were mindless beasts, he was still worried.

"Don't worry, Old Man. As long as no one causes trouble, I'll try my best to bring everyone back in one piece.

Besides, they're just beasts. Maybe I won't even need to make a move."

Since Old Lu had spoken to this extent, Lu Xuan naturally wouldn't refuse him.

"Your words put my mind at ease."

The time it took for half an incense stick to burn quickly passed. Under Lu Dashan's lead, the group entered West Mountain Village, while Lu Xuan trailed at the very end of the line.

The winter sun slowly rose.

The pale sunlight offered no warmth whatsoever. Before entering the mountain, everyone was still chatting amongst themselves. Even Lu Xuan had some conversations with the Hunting Team members and learned about their situation.

As they continued deeper into the mountain, everyone grew quiet and reserved.

Heavy snow covered the entire periphery of Thousand Peaks Mountain. In the summer, everyone might walk cautiously, as snakes, insects, and fierce beasts could be hidden beneath their feet. But in winter, all they could see was snow and bare trees, occasionally spotting a snow deer or a wild rabbit.

However, their objective today was the wolf pack, so they didn't waste time shooting these other animals.

"Everyone take a break. We still have half an hour of mountain path to walk before we reach the area where the wild wolves appear."

Lu Dashan shouted from the front.

Everyone collapsed onto the ground.

They took out their food and water and began to fill their stomachs.

Lu Xuan also sat on a bluestone slab, drinking the hot water prepared by Su Jing.

Lu Dashan walked over.

"Lu Xuan, my father said you are a man of great capability. When we surround and suppress the wolf pack, we'll be relying on you."

Lu Dashan was a straightforward man. He hadn't witnessed Lu Xuan's skills, and although Lu Xuan was a strong hunter, he believed that he could achieve the same results if he acted alone, without the Hunting Team.

However, he didn't look down on Lu Xuan; he was just a bit unconvinced and wanted to secretly compete.

"Brother Lu, don't take it to heart. Dashan has a temper, but he's not bad at heart. My father has never misjudged a person in his life, and I trust his judgment."

Lu Dahe was slightly better tempered than Lu Dashan.

Just as Lu Xuan was about to speak.

Awooo~~

A wolf howl appeared in the woods not far away.

"Be on guard!!!"

This wolf howl made Lu Dashan roar immediately.

Everyone instantly stood up, formed a circle, and took down the bows, arrows, and long spears from their backs. "How are these beasts here?"

Lu Dashan looked nervous, his shocked voice carrying a subtle tremor.

After all, their plan was to set traps in the area where the wolves frequented, then use the Wolf Attracting Incense they brought to lure them over, allowing them to wait at leisure and hunt the pack.

But now, the sudden appearance of the wolf pack caught them off guard. Furthermore, looking at the pack rushing towards them from the distance, there were definitely more than thirty wolves, though probably no more than fifty.

Moreover, on the distant hillside, a silver-white wild wolf appeared. Its size was nearly double that of an ordinary wild wolf—that must be the Wolf King of this pack.

Shh shh shh~

The wolves running on the snow shook the accumulated snow off the branches, causing it to fall heavily. Combined with the sound of the wolves panting, it made the group increasingly tense, forcing them to clutch their weapons tightly.

Woo—

In the blink of an eye, the pack arrived before the group, baring their teeth and emitting low growls, circling the people but not initiating an attack.

"Dahe, I'm afraid this time we're in serious trouble."

"There aren't just thirty heads here; there must be at least forty."

Lu Dashan swallowed hard as he stared at the wolves encircling them layer after layer.

Awooo————

Without giving them time to react, the howl of the Wolf King came down from the hillside.

It was as if all the wolves had received a command, and they began to charge toward the group.

"Shoot arrows quickly! Don't let them get close!"

"Shoot these beasts dead!"

"Damn it—"

Various shouts erupted from the crowd. Fortunately, they were all veteran hunters. Although scared, they didn't panic.

Lu Xuan was also among the group, shooting arrows at the wolf pack.

Almost every arrow hit a wolf's body.

But the wolves seemed to be insane, completely disregarding their injuries as they continued to charge.

Five meters.

Four meters.

Three meters... The wolf pack finally closed in on the group and started biting.

"Ah, my leg..."

"My hand..."

As soon as they got close, three old hunters were bitten by wolves and screamed in agony.

The people nearby quickly stepped forward to help, slaughtering the wild wolves.

Awooo————

Another howl from the Wolf King came.

Then, everyone witnessed a scene they would never forget.