Chapter 85: Chapter Thirty‑Five【Ferocious Beast】 (Part 2)

A shrill howl rose from the forest; under the moonlight, dozens of vicious wolves surged out of the thicket like a gale, rushing at them. Liang Da Zhuang screamed "Mom!" in terror, too frightened to hear what Murong Feiyan said. This guy was clearly scared stupid; he flung his big feet and ran downhill, but after two steps he realized his baggage was seriously slowing him down, so he hurled the bundles down the slope. The two bundles rolled away, rumbling, unknown where they'd end. Liang Da Zhuang only thought of saving his life—he even tossed his master aside, not caring about luggage anymore. Making up his mind, he clutched his head, curled up, and rolled down the slope like a meatball. Normally he wouldn't have the guts, but death was certain either way; better to fall to death than be torn apart by the wolves.

Hu Xiaotian no longer had the mood to scold him; gripping a Water Fire Staff in both hands, he turned with the little girl on his back and ran toward the boulder cluster where they had just rested, his first thought being to climb onto a rock to perhaps escape the wolves' siege.

Murong Feiyan followed close behind. A Blue Wolf lunged first; when it was about two zhang away, it crouched its hind legs, then leapt up, jaws wide, rows of white fangs aimed at Murong Feiyan's face. She swung her longsword, cleanly cutting the wolf's neck—*Puff! *—the head severed at the base, hot blood spraying from the severed cavity.

Murong Feiyan's motion didn't pause; she backhanded a thrust, striking a Blue Wolf sneaking from behind squarely, the blade piercing through its body. Pulling the sword free, the wolf let out a mournful moan and collapsed.

Two Blue Wolves closed in on Hu Xiaotian from left and right; Murong Feiyan followed, slashing left and right to beat them back, shielding Hu Xiaotian and the others as they retreated to the rock pile. Hu Xiaotian's Water Fire Staff was also busy, waving up and down to fend off the wolves' encirclement. Fortunately the rock pile wasn't far; they returned to their former resting spot, Hu Xiaotian first shoved the little girl onto the boulder, then climbed up himself. Murong Feiyan consecutively beheaded three Blue Wolves before retreating onto the boulder. Only Liang Da Zhuang, when encountering the wolf pack, did not return but rolled straight down the mountain, his fate unknown—dead or alive.

Retreating to the rock pile was their only option; though the wolves were ferocious, they were poor climbers, so only by gaining high ground could they temporarily escape the wolves' siege.

Within a short time nearly thirty vicious wolves had followed them into the rock pile, circling the boulder where Hu Xiaotian and company hid. Some wolves stood upright, forepaws on the stone, their sharp claws scraping the wall and producing a piercing screech. Wolf howls rose and fell, utterly shrill.

As the wolves gathered ever thicker, Hu Xiaotian and Murong Feiyan looked down at the tide-like surge of the pack, both feeling a chill run through them. The little girl was cold and frightened, clutching her shoulders with both hands, biting her lip hard to stifle the urge to scream.

Hu Xiaotian said, "How did so many vicious wolves appear all of a sudden?"

Murong Feiyan shook her head; the wolves kept coming, she roughly counted sixty or seventy around them, incessantly howling, calling for reinforcements.

The little girl suddenly said, "Beast Tamer! These wolves are being driven by someone."

Hu Xiaotian and Murong Feiyan turned at the same time; Murong Feiyan asked, "How do you know?" Immediately she realized the girl must have previously encountered such danger, hence her conclusion. This girl really is a big trouble—since meeting her, they've had nonstop misfortune, and now they've even attracted the wolves.

The little girl offered no explanation, merely whispering, "Beast Tamers control and drive these wild beasts with special methods; to escape this predicament we must quickly locate the Beast Tamer hiding nearby and eliminate him, otherwise the beasts will only gather more and will never withdraw until their goal is met."

Murong Feiyan nodded; she had heard of this before, but had never before come into contact with that mysterious Beast Tamer faction. She listened closely; amid the rising and falling wolf howls she seemed to hear a distinct sound—thin, fine, and drawn out—mixed in with the howls. The sound appeared to come from their southwest. Gripping her sword tight, she told Hu Xiaotian, "Stay here and wait for me; I'll be right back."

Hu Xiaotian said, "Feiyan, I think it's safer to stay put; wait until dawn, and these vicious wolves will disperse on their own."

The little girl replied, "You're oversimplifying; as long as the Beast Tamer keeps issuing orders, the wolves will only grow in number, and other beasts may join them as well."

Hu Xiaotian gazed at the seemingly simple little girl, his heart filled with utter vexation—just who is this girl? How could she have provoked so many powerful figures to pursue and besiege him? His eyes fell on the Lan‑printed bundle in her hand; could she truly be carrying something important.

Seeing Hu Xiaotian's gaze, the little girl instantly grew wary, clutching the Lan‑printed bundle tightly to her chest and turning her body aside. This indirectly confirmed Hu Xiaotian's suspicion, but he had no designs on her treasure; right now survival was paramount, and even if she bore a priceless jewel, it would be worthless compared to life.

Murong Feiyan was ready to depart when she heard Hu Xiaotian say, "Feiyan, you must come back safe!" Turning, she saw his eyes full of care and concern, and a spontaneous warmth filled her heart. She gave Hu Xiaotian a smile bright enough to melt ice and snow, saying, "Sir Hu, we haven't even taken office yet." After speaking, she tapped the boulder lightly with her toes, her lithe body launching into the air. Having already chosen her landing spot, she leapt out of the wolves' encircling ring, paused briefly on a lower rock, then sprang onto another.

Hu Xiaotian watched her move as light as a swallow, leaping back and forth on the rocks as if on level ground, and gradually his heart eased. Even if Murong Feiyan's martial skill couldn't rout the wolf pack, self‑preservation should be no problem.

Just as Murong Feiyan was about to break free of the rock pile, the moment her foot touched the stone, a calf‑sized Blue Wolf sprang up from behind the rock; in the moonlight its jaws gaped to the limit, its white fangs flashing a cold gleam, and even from afar Hu Xiaotian could see the saliva flying from its mouth.

Murong Feiyan reacted instantly, aiming for the wolf's gaping maw; her sword flashed like lightning into its huge jaws, stabbing straight through for a chilling thrust. Though she avoided the wolf's savage bite, the suddenness left her too close to dodge fully, and the beast's forepaw remained planted on her shoulder.

Hu Xiaotian silently cursed his misfortune, yet saw Murong Feiyan lift her leg, kick the wolf away, and leap off the rock. The instant she left that stone, three Blue Wolves lunged at her almost simultaneously; a second later she would have fallen into their encirclement.

Seeing Murong Feiyan draw farther away, having successfully broken free of the wolves' encirclement, Hu Xiaotian also breathed a sigh of relief from the bottom of his heart.

Below, the wolf pack had gathered roughly a hundred strong, each howling and circling the boulder in turmoil. Though Hu Xiaotian's mental fortitude was extraordinary, even he couldn't help feeling tense and fearful; one could say the trio's entire hope of breaking out rested on Murong Feiyan. If she could locate the Beast Tamer, perhaps they could drive off the wolves; but if she suffered any mishap, it would mean their total annihilation. In other words, the fate of the two of them now hinged entirely on the success or failure of her mission.

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