49: Taming the old wolf

A man and a wolf engaged in a fierce tug-of-war under the moonlight.

The Old Wolf was incredibly strong, and the rope bit painfully into Lu Fan's arms, but he refused to let go.

Standing to the side, Big Horn stamped its feet in anxiety, unable to do anything but roar repeatedly.

During the struggle, Lu Fan continuously offered comfort, lowering the Old Wolf's guard and projecting his goodwill.

After a period of intense grappling, the Old Wolf was gradually influenced by Lu Fan's Animal Affinity.

It slowly relaxed its body and collapsed onto the ground, panting heavily.

Lu Fan was also drenched in sweat from exhaustion. He slowly approached the Old Wolf, squatted down, and whispered, "Stop struggling. Follow me from now on, and you'll be well-fed."

The Old Wolf raised its head and looked at Lu Fan; there was much less wariness in its eyes, replaced by a sense of submission and dependence.

Lu Fan quickly took out the herbs he had prepared earlier. He had gathered these back when he had diarrhea, just to be ready for an emergency.

Lu Fan applied the herbs to its wound and bandaged it up.

Throughout the bandaging process, the Old Wolf no longer resisted, simply watching Lu Fan quietly.

"Alright, you're safe for now." Lu Fan patted the Old Wolf's head and stood up.

"That was damn thrilling." Lu Fan couldn't help but wipe the sweat from his forehead.

Although he possessed Animal Affinity, its effect was weaker on animals with stronger wild instincts.

Therefore, he hadn't been very confident when facing this Old Wolf.

But he still wanted to take the gamble. After all, this was a former Wolf King; once it recovered, it would add significant combat power to Lu Fan's side.

At this moment, the barrage comments in the livestream room were scrolling frantically.

"Oh my god, Great God Lu Fan is too amazing! He actually dared to tame a wolf!"

"This plot is so exciting, it's more satisfying than watching a movie!"

"Be careful, Great God! A wolf is still a wolf; don't let it turn around and bite you."

After dealing with the Old Wolf, Lu Fan was utterly exhausted.

He returned to the Shelter, and Big Horn immediately ran over, nuzzling his leg with its head as if expressing worry and concern.

"Big Horn, it's okay now." Lu Fan stroked Big Horn's head to comfort it.

The next morning, the sunlight was like a golden veil, gently filtering through the gaps in the leaves and spilling into Lu Fan's Shelter.

Lu Fan woke up slowly, feeling sore all over as if he had been severely beaten.

Last night's intense struggle with the Old Wolf had truly drained too much of his energy.

"Hiss..." He took a sharp breath, slowly sat up, and his gaze fell upon the Old Wolf lying at the entrance.

Bathed in the morning light, the Old Wolf appeared exceptionally quiet. The neatly bandaged wound on its hind leg silently told the story of last night's peril.

Meanwhile, the online world had exploded because of a video.

It turned out that a viewer in the livestream room last night had recorded the entire process of Lu Fan taming the Old Wolf and uploaded it to various social media platforms.

Once the video was released, it was like a heavy bomb, instantly detonating across the entire internet.

Clickbaiters swarmed into action, with exaggerated titles like "Shocking! He Actually Tamed a Wolf King in the Wilderness!" and "Wilderness Legend: A Life-and-Death Struggle and a Miraculous Bond Between Man and Wolf" appearing one after another.

Click rates, shares, and comment counts soared like rockets. Overnight, the name Lu Fan became a frequent guest on the internet's trending searches.

"How is this possible? Can a human really tame a wolf?"

"Great God Lu Fan is too awesome. He's practically a real-life 'Tarzan,' just with a wolf instead."

"The person above me doesn't get it. This is called 'hidden masters among the people'—miracles happen in the wilderness."

"I'll bet fifty cents that this is definitely special effects. There's no way something so divine could happen."

"What on earth did I miss? I stay up late every night, but last night was the one night I didn't."

Opinions varied online, but the Chinese audience was full of praise.

As for viewers from other countries, some were amazed and admired him, while others were skeptical and questioned it, unwilling to believe a Chinese person could be so capable.

Some even started their own livestreams, talking at length to the screen about their views on the video, trying to ride the wave of popularity.

In the wilderness, Lu Fan knew nothing of this.

He took a long stretch, washed up briefly, and began preparing breakfast.

He took out the leftover grouse meat from last night and cut it into small pieces, handing some to Big Horn and placing the rest in front of the Old Wolf.

"Hey, old fellow, eat something so you'll heal faster," Lu Fan said softly, his voice full of concern.

The Old Wolf raised its head, its gaze shifting between Lu Fan and the food, seemingly hesitating.

After a moment, it slowly leaned forward, cautiously picked up a piece of meat with its mouth, and began to chew.

"Haha, looks like even you can't resist the temptation of good food," Lu Fan joked with a smile.

Seeing the Old Wolf eating with gusto, he was incredibly happy; this was a vital step in the Old Wolf trusting him.

Next, Lu Fan gave the Old Wolf the sheep bones he had gnawed on earlier.

This time, the Old Wolf didn't hesitate, grabbing the bones and gnawing away.

Even when Lu Fan placed his hand on its head, it didn't show much of a reaction.

Inside the shed, Big Horn was still shivering with fear; carnivores naturally exerted a sense of suppression over animals like it.

Lu Fan fed Big Horn a handful of grass, stroked its head, and comforted it softly: "Don't be afraid, Big Horn. It will be our partner from now on. Don't be afraid."

Under Lu Fan's comfort, Big Horn gradually calmed down.

The morning sun was warm and felt very comfortable on the skin.

Lu Fan sat on a rock, stroking the Old Wolf's head.

The Old Wolf just lay there quietly, an expression of enjoyment on its face.

Besides making it a great asset for himself, Lu Fan had another consideration for taming this wolf.

And that was the sock; that sock was currently kept inside his Shelter.

If needed, he could use the Old Wolf's sense of smell to find the owner of that sock.

Furthermore, if a conflict really did break out, he could let the Old Wolf take the lead.

If an enemy was bitten to death by a wolf, then no matter what, the blame couldn't be placed on a human.

Lu Fan could certainly do it himself, but this was a global livestream after all; he represented the face of China and couldn't leave any openings for others to find fault.

In the livestream room:

"Woke up this morning and saw the video of Great God Lu Fan fighting the wild wolf."

"It's truly incredible, simply invincible."

"Hahaha, I didn't sleep last night and saw the whole thing. It was so exciting."

"The scene was so dangerous; my heart was in my throat the whole time."

Zhao Hangjun pushed up his glasses: "In the Paleolithic era, humans began to have contact with wolves."

Early humans lived by hunting and gathering, and wolf packs also moved within the surrounding environment.

Initial interactions were likely a competitive relationship based on the struggle for food and territory.

But over time, some wolves may have discovered that staying close to human camps allowed them to obtain scraps, such as leftover bones and organs, forming a rudimentary symbiotic relationship.

Some wolves might have been captured by humans after being injured or losing the protection of their pack. In the process of raising these wolf cubs, the wolves gradually became accustomed to the presence of humans. This is one of the possible origins of wolf domestication."