Chapter 74: Head Wolf

( ) Chapter 85 Head Wolf

In the wolf pack, every Qingwolf Beast has a tuft of golden‑yellow "V"‑shaped fur on its forehead; eighteen Qingwolf Beasts in an inverted V formation stood before Li Bucai, the few closest to him constantly howling from their throats, ready to pounce at any moment.

At this moment, the Head Wolf let out a howl; all the wolves, hearing it, fell silent and stepped back a few paces, clearing a space for the leader in the middle. The Head Wolf moved to the center with leisurely steps and suddenly roared at Li Bucai, as a challenge.

Li Bucai lazily stared into its eyes, took slow steps forward, stopped ten paces away, lifted his sword and, together with the scabbard, drew them out and placed them a step beside him. Dealing with a Qingwolf Beast that cannot rely on external aid, fighting bare‑handed is only fair; he does not wish to take advantage of it.

He straightened his body, extended his hand forward, and made a pleading gesture.

The Head Wolf clearly took his abandoning of the sword as contempt, snarled angrily, baring its teeth, and pointed its front paw at the sword on the ground.

"When you can lift the sword again, I won't take advantage of you, come." Li Bucai made the pleading gesture again.

The Head Wolf raised its head and let out a howl, as if mocking that he would pay the price, then lowered its body, thrust all four legs forward, lunged at him with astonishing speed, generating gusts of wind that could be felt even a few steps away.

Li Bucai steadied his footing, crossed his arms to shield his chest, and used the force of his arms to test how strong it truly was. With a muffled "Peng" sound, the Head Wolf's head slammed solidly into his arm; after the impact it rebounded, a golden bowl fell to the ground, and it involuntarily stepped back a few paces, leaving four deep claw marks on the stone floor.

The massive inertia also caused Li Bucai to keep sliding backward until he reached the edge of the crevice, where the backward force finally ceased. He glanced back, breaking into a cold sweat; a half‑inch further retreat would have caused him to slip and be swept by the current into the abyss, and his arms, struck by the impact, throbed with a lingering pain—indeed, great force.

After the Head Wolf steadied itself, it did not linger and immediately charged again. Seeing the attack still fierce, Li Bucai substituted his fist for a spear, launching a "Wind‑Assault Stab" forward, aiming directly at the Head Wolf's head. Just as his blow was about to strike, the Head Wolf lowered its body, dodging the fist, and his body moved backward. When Li Bucai's forward momentum was spent, the Head Wolf leapt upward, snapped its jaws shut on Li Bucai's arm, and extended its four legs, attempting to claw his chest with its razor‑sharp paws.

Li Bucai felt his arm tighten as the wolf's fang sank slightly into his gauntlet; the four icy‑glinting claws were about to rake his chest, and if they succeeded, his chest guard would no longer fully cover his body, guaranteeing that some part would be torn. In desperation, he swung the arm that the wolf had clamped toward the side; the Head Wolf, now without footing, had its legs involuntarily splay to the side and failed to grasp. Seizing the chance, Li Bucai withdrew that arm, pulled the Head Wolf into his embrace, used his other hand to seize its neck, and while turning it around, pressed downward so its four legs pointed upward, leaving it no leverage, flailing uselessly in the air, while he pressed his elbow against its throat.

The Head Wolf still clung to his arm, and a "Kaka" sound rang out as, under its tremendous bite force, the finely crafted copper gauntlet was pierced by its teeth. Li Bucai felt a drilling pain; the teeth had already embedded into his arm, which gradually went numb, and immediately a "buzz" resonated in his head.

"Are the fangs poisonous?" Li Bucai thought grimly, feeling his strength waning. In this state, releasing it would make it hard to regain the initiative, likely leading to defeat. He clenched his teeth, focused all his power into the elbow pressing on its throat, using his body weight as well, letting the four claws rake his body, and strained to hold it down. The armor on his chest had already been torn with several cracks, blood seeping through, yet he still held it fast.

As the struggle continued, the venom spread to every corner of his body, leaving Li Bucai able to exert only about a third of his strength. At the same time, the Head Wolf's throat began to emit intermittent spasming sounds, its power waning as it could not breathe smoothly for a long time.

The wolf pack's discipline was strict; without the Head Wolf's command, the other Qingwolf Beasts could only stand aside, continuously howling to cheer.

The Head Wolf's howl grew fainter, and the four claws that had once flailed wildly no longer moved with conscious intent but became instinctual struggles, weakening further. After a long time, it lacked the strength to continue struggling, slowly releasing its grip on the arm, yet its gaze remained sternly fixed on Li Bucai's eyes, showing no sign of pleading, until its breathing ceased and it slowly closed its eyes.

What a steadfast great wolf; Li Bucai has always revered wolves. Since it had conceded defeat, he withdrew the arm that had been pressing its throat, struggled to stand, while his mind still buzzed.

"In the first round, you already lost; which one will you send next?"

Li Bucai forced his eyes wide open; the wolf's venom could not make him faint, only sap his strength. At present only about a third of his power remained inside, his right arm's bone was wounded by the fang, and any slight movement would cause excruciating pain. He gritted his teeth against the agony, and two cold‑lightning‑like gazes swept across the wolf pack.

These wolves, aside from being slightly larger than Earth's wolves, possessed almost identical wolf nature. He knew that if the Head Wolf lost, the entire pack was considered defeated, and there would be no situation where a group of wolves would charge together again.

The Head Wolf had already lost; the other wolves stood in place, casting complex looks at Li Bucai—some fearful, some hostile. Only two Qingwolves slowly approached, and when they reached three steps away, they halted, continuously howling at him, no longer advancing.

After a while, the Head Wolf caught its breath, struggled to stand, glared angrily at Li Bucai, let out a wild howl, did not attack again, but walked into the wolf pack's formation, turned back to glance at Li Bucai, and led the pack toward the deep of the cave.

The wolf pack vanished from sight shortly after, and Li Bucai was about to follow when, from the waterfall, another Qingwolf Beast surged through the water behind him and leapt beside him. It was the one Wu Zhuoyue and the others had pulled from the water, still bound by a rope. Upon seeing the pack had disappeared, it gave Li Bucai a puzzled look, bared its teeth, stepped in front of him, and gestured to have the rope on its body untied.

Once Li Bucai untied the rope that had been fastened to a large stone at the cave's edge, the Qingwolf Beast silently chased after the pack deeper into the cave.

Wu Zhuoyue and the others used the rope bridge, employed light‑step technique, and smoothly crossed the waterfall, arriving beside Li Bucai.

"Lord, are you injured?"

"It's nothing, just a minor skin wound. Come, follow me to see where this light is coming from." According to the cave's layout, they should still be deep within the mountain, yet here it was as bright as daylight. Li Bucai was very curious, ignoring his injury. Di Wan'er used a "Healing Technique" to mend his wound, then led everyone onward.

The group walked a distance and found that the farther they went, the brighter the light ahead became. At that moment, six identical caverns appeared before them, each intensely luminous.

Which direction should they take? Where will the wolf pack go?