Chapter 181
“Wolves are definitely not dogs,” Mo Ke said, thinking Zhou Qi’s question was a bit silly.
“Wolves are much fiercer than dogs!”
Zhou Qi chuckled, while Tang Yu’an’s eyes lit up. He quickly equipped the special title “Dog Lover.”
[Dog Lover: A true friend to dogs, loved by all canines. Grants a favorability boost from all canine species, with higher boosts for lower intelligence levels. All canine creatures will refrain from attacking you proactively.]
Logically, wolves should fall under the canine family. After all, dogs were domesticated from wolves, and even Yuanbao and the others’ original forms closely resembled wolves.
So, the Dog Lover title’s aura should apply, right?
Whether it worked or not, it wouldn’t hurt to try!
After resting for two hours, Tang Yu’an felt the wind energy in his body recover and ready for normal use again. They continued their journey.
Although the break was long, Mo Ke didn’t mind. Compared to trekking down the mountain on foot, he much preferred being flown by the two boys. During their rest, he even managed to catch some sleep.
Once they reached the grasslands, Mo Ke shifted from being merely a guide to taking on a more active role.
Mo Ke was confident.
Thanks to the Lightening Spell lasting five hours, the spell’s effects were still active when they set off again. Even without flying, their pace remained swift.
Feeling light as a feather, Mo Ke couldn’t help but marvel, This is amazing!
They soon passed through the forest and entered the grasslands, a vast plain under the scorching sunlight.
It was clear that the clouds formed by the Desolate City’s moisture were blocked by the mountains and hadn’t reached this area. The grasslands had a significant day-night temperature difference.
However, the plants here had adapted to the harsh environment over time and thrived. Instead of a barren desert, the grasslands were lush and green as far as the eye could see.
The wind on the grasslands was strong and carried a dry heat, making it quite uncomfortable.
“Let’s go. From now on, stick close to me,” Mo Ke said, his expression serious.
Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi exchanged glances, sensing the gravity of the situation. Without further questions, they followed closely behind Mo Ke as he began moving quickly.
The tension in the air was palpable as they entered the grasslands. Mo Ke’s nerves were visibly on edge.
Tang Yu’an, trailing right behind, could feel it too. As Mo Ke had mentioned, the wind energy here was indeed chaotic. Even he struggled to manipulate it effectively, and Zhou Qi, who was less adept at controlling wind energy, faced even more difficulty.
With their flight plans shelved, the two boys focused on following Mo Ke.
Given how much time they had already saved on the journey, the trip wouldn’t take the originally estimated five to six days.
Trouble soon found them.
A hawk screeched overhead, its wings creating powerful gusts of wind. If not for Tang Yu’an stabilizing the wind energy, the three of them might have been blown away.
The enormous hawk flapped its wings harder. Realizing its wind attacks had no effect and seeing its prey running farther away, it ceased the wind assault and gave chase.
However, as its sharp eyes scanned the grasslands below, it couldn’t find a trace of its prey.
Frustrated, it let out a piercing cry before finally flying away.
In the grass below, Mo Ke cautiously lifted the edge of his camouflage tarp. Seeing the hawk disappear, he didn’t immediately rise.
Instead, he waited. Sure enough, the hawk circled back.
After thoroughly scanning the area and confirming there was no prey in sight, the hawk reluctantly flapped its wings and left to search for another target.
“It’s safe now…” Mo Ke finally removed the tarp and sat up.
“Mo Ke, you’re amazing!” Tang Yu’an exclaimed sincerely.
Mo Ke grinned sheepishly. “That’s thanks to Old Li. I learned all this from him.”
As he prepared to resume their journey, he noticed Tang Yu’an pulling a strange umbrella out of his backpack. Mo Ke was momentarily stunned.
The length of the umbrella… didn’t seem to match the size of the backpack.
Then he saw Tang Yu’an open the umbrella and say, “Mo Ke, let’s walk under the umbrella. It’s green, so it blends in.”
Mo Ke glanced at the umbrella and saw it was indeed green. But…
“I don’t think this camouflage is going to work,” he began.
No sooner had he finished speaking than the umbrella in Tang Yu’an’s hands gave a violent shake, nearly escaping his grip.
Was the Shadow Umbrella offended by his comment?
Angry umbrella noises.
Fortunately, Tang Yu’an managed to hold onto it and gently patted its frame to calm it down. He opened it wide and invited Mo Ke underneath.
“Let’s just try it,” Tang Yu’an said with a smile.
Mo Ke hesitated but eventually nodded.
Experience teaches better than argument. This was one of Old Li’s lessons. So even though Mo Ke didn’t agree with Tang Yu’an’s idea, he decided not to stop him.
After all, if anything went wrong, Mo Ke was confident he could handle it.
“Let’s go.”
They set off again. With all three of them under the umbrella, they couldn’t run as before, but their bold stride meant their pace wasn’t much slower than before, where they had to frequently stop to assess dangers.
Along the way, Mo Ke seemed as though he wanted to say something but kept holding back.
Since Zhou Qi was the tallest of the three, he carried the umbrella, setting the pace for their progress.
Mo Ke had never walked so openly in the wild before! His nerves were on edge, as if an attack by mutated creatures could happen at any moment.
Yet…
Their journey was unnervingly calm. Occasionally, a rabbit-rat would poke its head out of a burrow, but it seemed unable to see them and peacefully went back inside.
Mo Ke held his concerns back, deciding to save his words for when actual danger arose.
After walking for two or three hours, they encountered a mutated giant hawk.
The hawk flew in from the distance, its silhouette growing larger as it approached.
Mo Ke instinctively tried to crouch down, but Zhou Qi stopped him. The three of them stood still in their tracks.
The hawk flew directly overhead… and simply passed by?
Mo Ke was stunned.
Was the mutated hawk blind?
The umbrella was dark green, which should have been quite conspicuous on the grasslands. Even if it blended from directly above, it should have been visible from the side.
How did it just fly away?
“Let’s keep going,” Zhou Qi said.
“Oh, oh, okay.”
Mo Ke followed the two boys closely. For the rest of the day, aside from acting as their guide, he didn’t really contribute much.
By nightfall, they set up camp near a pile of rocks.
Reflecting on the day’s journey, Mo Ke still felt as though he were dreaming. Wasn’t this a little too smooth?
Tang Yu’an had already packed up the Shadow Umbrella and set up the magical tent.
Mo Ke and Zhou Qi went hunting and caught two rabbit-rats. One was wrapped in clay and placed directly into the fire, while the other was cleaned and roasted over the flames.
After a satisfying dinner, Mo Ke crawled into his tent to sleep, leaving the night watch to Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi.
“You should sleep in the tent. I’ll keep watch,” Zhou Qi said.
“No way.”
Tang Yu’an curled up beside Zhou Qi, leaning against him with his eyes closed for a light nap. Green Gem was placed by his feet, slowly replenishing itself with water from a glass.
The grasslands at night offered a vast, open view of the starry sky.
Around midnight, Mo Ke emerged from his tent, looking refreshed. “Traveling with companions really is the way to go!”
Of course, the companions had to be reliable ones.
“You two go rest now. I’ll take over the watch,” Mo Ke said as he sat by the fire.
“Thanks for taking over,” Zhou Qi replied.
Mo Ke waved dismissively, and Zhou Qi gently woke Tang Yu’an. The two of them retreated into the tent and back into the cozy wooden house inside. The little black orb floated over to greet them.
[The magical core greets you: Master, welcome back.]
Tang Yu’an responded with a smile, poking the orb’s soft, jelly-like body with his finger.
After a quick midnight snack, the two of them climbed into bed. When they woke the next morning, it was already past eight.
Mo Ke greeted them cheerfully as they emerged.
“Mo Ke, why didn’t you wake us up today?” Tang Yu’an asked, glancing at the high sun.
By this time yesterday, they’d already been on the move for two hours.
Mo Ke chuckled. “We’ve been moving fast these past two days. No need to rush—we should prioritize rest.”
In just over a day, they’d already covered half the journey. If things went smoothly, they’d likely arrive within the next day or two.
Tang Yu’an nodded, and after a leisurely breakfast, they packed up and continued their journey.
With the Shadow Umbrella shielding them, they encountered no dangers along the way. Even on foot, their pace remained steady.
Just as Mo Ke started feeling confident that they could reach Lanhu Town without any issues, they were forced to stop.
By the afternoon, figures appeared ahead—some standing, some crouching.
Mo Ke’s face darkened. “It’s a wolf pack! We need to leave immediately and take a detour.”
Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi nodded, not daring to take any chances.
They began to circle around the wolves, aiming to avoid them from a distance. However, before they could get far, the wolves started howling.
At the same time, the previously calm winds grew violent. The fierce gusts whipped through the grasslands, making it difficult to move. Zhou Qi struggled to keep hold of the Shadow Umbrella as it threatened to flip inside out. Unable to maintain his grip, he instinctively let go.
The Shadow Umbrella was blown away!
“Umbrella!” Tang Yu’an froze for a moment, then dashed after it.
Mo Ke and Zhou Qi’s faces turned pale—the wolves had spotted them.
“Howoooo—!”
“Howoooo—!”
The wolves howled as they charged toward the intruding trio.
Two of them, seemingly possessing speed abilities, closed the distance within moments, almost upon them.
Zhou Qi grabbed Mo Ke and bolted. Glancing at Tang Yu’an in the distance, he gritted his teeth and ran in the opposite direction.
Tang Yu’an had the Shadow Umbrella and a map. Even if they got separated, he could find them quickly. Given the situation, splitting up was the safest choice.
Mo Ke ran for his life but quickly realized that no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t keep up with Zhou Qi beside him.
The tall, lean boy was running effortlessly at an impressive speed, and out of nowhere, he pulled out…
A cat toy?
“Jingle-jingle—jingle-jingle—”
The sound of bells rang out, attracting even more prairie wolves to chase after them.
Meanwhile, Tang Yu’an had finally caught the Shadow Umbrella, but the fierce, chaotic wind was too much for him to control. To prevent the umbrella from being blown away again, he reluctantly stored it in his inventory. Turning to find Zhou Qi, he suddenly realized—
The wolves had caught up to him. Three of them were circling, cautiously observing him with wary, sharp eyes.
As Tang Yu’an locked eyes with one of them, it surprisingly wagged its tail and stuck out its tongue in a playful gesture.
But before it could come closer, a much larger wolf, at least a third bigger than the others, smacked it with a paw, sending it yelping away.
Tang Yu’an turned his attention to the large wolf.
Its build was smaller than Yuan Bao’s original form but larger than the rest of the pack. Its back was covered in gray-black fur, its belly and chest snowy white. Its sharp, black eyes were full of authority and ferocity.
It looked intimidating—was this the wolf king?
Tang Yu’an cautiously stepped forward. The large wolf didn’t move, continuing to scrutinize him with a stern gaze.
“Uh… hello. I’m just passing through… I don’t mean to disturb you…”
Having spent time with Black Pearl and Yuan Bao, Tang Yu’an had learned that these mutated creatures were often highly intelligent, even capable of understanding human speech.
Besides, judging from the behavior of the wolf that was just scolded, his Dog Lover aura seemed to be working.
Encouraged by this, Tang Yu’an decided to try communicating with the wolf king.
“I-I’ll just go find my friends now…” he said, attempting to sidestep the wolf.
But after just a few steps, it blocked his path.
Tang Yu’an glanced at the wolf and then at the remaining wolf nearby. When his eyes met the other wolf’s, it instinctively wagged its tail and tried to approach him, only to be swatted away by the wolf king, yelping just like before.
Once its subordinates had retreated, the wolf king turned back to Tang Yu’an and, to his surprise, leaned in to lick his face.
Tang Yu’an squinted, enduring the impromptu “wash,” and then saw the wolf king crouch down in front of him.
He blinked. “Do you… want me to ride you?”
The wolf king nodded, its actions almost human-like.
Tang Yu’an hesitated. He wanted to refuse—his pet slots were already full, and he couldn’t tame the wolf king as a companion. Without control, it was risky to interact with a mutated creature.
But staring into the wolf king’s deep black eyes, he couldn’t bring himself to say no. Carefully, he climbed onto its back.
“Can you take me to my friends?”
As soon as he spoke, the wolf king bolted, carrying him swiftly. Riding the wind, it commanded the surrounding wind energy with ease.
Clinging to the wolf’s back, Tang Yu’an felt like he was beginning to understand something.
The wolf king soon caught up with Zhou Qi and Mo Ke. By that time, the prairie wolves chasing them were nearly upon Zhou Qi.
Suddenly, Zhou Qi threw a dog frisbee, instantly diverting the wolves’ attention.
“An’an!”
As Zhou Qi tossed the frisbee, he caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of his eye. Turning his head, he nearly tripped over a rock.
Mo Ke quickly steadied him and followed his gaze—then almost collapsed himself.
What the—?! Tang Yu’an was riding the wolf king?!
The wolf king, carrying Tang Yu’an, was also drawn to the dog frisbee. It abruptly changed course and joined the chase.
Unfortunately, it arrived a moment too late—the frisbee had already been caught by the prairie wolf that had nearly bitten Zhou Qi earlier.
Once the wolf bit into the frisbee, its distracting effect vanished. The rest of the wolves, including the wolf king, suddenly snapped back to their senses.
They skidded to a halt, narrowly avoiding a pile-up.
The wolf king watched helplessly as its most capable subordinate, after biting the frisbee, began to shrink—turning into a small wolf pup.
“Yip yip yip!” the tiny pup barked in a high-pitched, puppyish voice.
“…”
It had turned into a puppy!
This scene was truly extraordinary. The wolf pack immediately lost interest in Zhou Qi and Mo Ke, turning their attention instead to the tiny pup. They surrounded it, sniffing and examining it curiously.
Its scent was unmistakable—it was indeed their companion!
But why had it shrunk to such a tiny size? Its aura had been strong before…
The little pup, having dropped the frisbee from its mouth, looked around at its now towering packmates. It whimpered pitifully, appearing small, helpless, and pitiable.
Then, a mother wolf gently picked it up by the scruff of its neck and carried it back toward the den.
The rest of the wolves seemed to remember their mission to chase the intruders. They turned their sharp gazes back to Zhou Qi and Mo Ke, baring their fangs as they prepared to attack again.
Tang Yu’an, startled, quickly patted the wolf king’s head and spoke softly. “They’re my friends. We mean no harm. Could you please not hurt them?”
The wolf king looked at the pack, which had become riled up again, and let out a commanding howl.
The wolves surrounding Zhou Qi and Mo Ke hesitated, glancing back at their leader.
The wolf king shot them a cold glare, and they immediately tucked their tails and retreated, heading back toward the den.
Seeing this, Tang Yu’an smiled in relief.
“Thank you…”
He expressed his gratitude and was about to go join Zhou Qi and Mo Ke when the wolf king suddenly turned and started running in the opposite direction, carrying him away.
Tang Yu’an almost tumbled off but quickly grabbed onto the wolf king’s head to steady himself.
“An’an!” Zhou Qi shouted. Seeing Tang Yu’an being taken away, his expression darkened. He grabbed Mo Ke and flew after them, picking up the fallen frisbee along the way.
Mo Ke, utterly bewildered by the situation, remained silent in shock.
As Zhou Qi brought them closer to the wolf pack, Mo Ke became so terrified he nearly screamed but managed to clamp his hand over his mouth at the last moment.
Oddly, the wolves paid them no attention. Instead, they wagged their tails and focused all their attention on the wolf king—or rather, on Tang Yu’an.
Tang Yu’an lay on the wolf king’s back, his heart racing as more wolves began to gather around. He couldn’t deny his fear, but seeing most of them wagging their tails and playfully sticking out their tongues, he relaxed slightly.
Some of the wolves even nudged closer to sniff him, only to be swatted away by the wolf king’s tail.
As Tang Yu’an glanced back and saw Zhou Qi and Mo Ke unharmed, his last bit of worry faded.
But why was the wolf king bringing him back to the pack? Was it planning to keep him here?
He soon found out why.
The air became thick with the scent of blood, and the wolf king slowed its pace.
Tang Yu’an looked ahead and saw a wolf, roughly the same size as the wolf king, lying on the ground. It was gravely injured, with deep, bloody gashes running from its back to its belly, likely inflicted by a giant eagle’s talons.
The wolf king crouched slightly, allowing Tang Yu’an to climb down. Then it stepped forward, licking the injured wolf’s head as if to comfort it.
Turning back, the wolf king fixed its deep, dark eyes on Tang Yu’an, a plea evident in its gaze.
“You want me to save it?” Tang Yu’an asked.
The wolf king nodded.
“Alright,” Tang Yu’an replied, stepping closer to the injured wolf.
This wolf’s fur was lighter than the wolf king’s, a silvery gray, and its eyes were a soft, clear green.
It looked at Tang Yu’an, seemingly wanting to wag its tail, but it was too weak to do more than a slight twitch before giving up.
Tang Yu’an’s heart ached at the sight. “Here, drink this first, and then I’ll bandage you up,” he said.
He took out a mid-grade healing potion, letting the silver wolf drink two drops, and prepared healing bandages. Since he didn’t have enough strength on his own, he sought the wolf king’s permission to call Zhou Qi and Mo Ke over for help.
Mo Ke, trembling, carefully made his way through the wolf pack, feeling like this was the most nerve-wracking experience of his life.
Unlike Tang Yu’an, the wolves weren’t nearly as friendly toward Zhou Qi and Mo Ke. They bared their fangs and watched them warily, their icy gazes ready to attack at any moment.
Zhou Qi felt his scalp tingle, but his focus remained on Tang Yu’an, which helped him stay calm.
When they reached Tang Yu’an, Zhou Qi sighed in relief and immediately got to work disinfecting the silver wolf’s wounds with alcohol. He gently lifted the wolf, allowing Tang Yu’an to wrap the bandages around it.
Mo Ke, terrified of the mutated creature, refused to touch it. Judging by its injuries, it wouldn’t have survived long in the wastelands…
Seeing the two boys working diligently to save the wolf, Mo Ke silently prayed that it wouldn’t die before they left.
Finally, Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi finished dressing the silver wolf’s wounds. They were both drenched in sweat from the effort.
Fortunately, the high-quality healing bandages worked wonders. After wrapping the wolf’s wounds a few times and restoring its health to over 60%, its condition stabilized.
As Tang Yu’an gently stroked its head and murmured comforting words, the silver wolf extended its tongue to lick his hand lightly.
It then closed its eyes and began to rest.
The wolf king checked on its companion’s condition and then let out a triumphant howl, its voice filled with joy and relief. The once-fierce winds softened, becoming gentle breezes.
The pack joined in the wolf king’s howl, their cries rising in waves, celebrating their comrade’s recovery.
Amid the howls of the wolf pack, a couple of soft, puppy-like barks stood out.
Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi couldn’t help but let out a sigh of relief.
After the wolf king finished its howling, it walked over to nuzzle Tang Yu’an with its head. Its attitude toward Zhou Qi had also become much friendlier.
As for Mo Ke… he was completely ignored.
By this time, the sky had darkened. Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi decided to spend the night with the wolf pack and check on the silver wolf’s condition in the morning.
When Mo Ke heard their decision, his face turned pale, but with the wolf king watching him intently, he swallowed his protests.
Looks like I won’t be getting any sleep tonight…
Tang Yu’an, meanwhile, was happily patting the wolf king’s head. Smiling, he said, “Too bad my pet slots are full… but I guess you wouldn’t want to come with me anyway.”
“How about I give you a name? How does Obsidian sound?”
The wolf king’s large tail lifted and wagged quickly twice before stopping just as abruptly.
