Chapter 1603: Territory Contest Between the Wolf Pack and the Monkey Troop 2

"Wooo—" Old Four let out a solemn low growl, commanding Scarface Pup not to move.

Scarface Pup retracted his fangs and lay back down on the scree, watching his fighting companions below with restless anxiety.

Broken-Waist Wolf looked at Old Four, then at the wolves fighting inside the valley; after a few thoughtful seconds, he let out a complex howl of "awoo, awoo."

Old Four ignored Broken-Waist Wolf and continued to stare solemnly at the great wolf-monkey battle in the valley.

Inside the river-bend valley, most of the icicles hurled by the monkeys on the fir trees lacked the angle and speed to kill. Black-Nose Pup's thick fur blocked the bulk of the attacks; only his thinly furred legs and face took some wounds.

After landing under his companions' cover, he once again coordinated with another speed-evolved companion, springing up to attack the macaques in the trees.

On the slope, Scarface Pup stopped scraping at the stones, and Ye Yiyi, amid the howls and monkey cries, regained control of her body. She gripped a stone and peered downward with a trembling body. Zhang Shiyi gave her furry protective mask a reassuring pat, then turned to look down as well.

Below, the wolves and monkeys were still fiercely contesting this river-bend valley rich in food and water. When Grey-Spot Monkey King saw his current attacks could not win, he howled out a command, and all the macaques climbed higher, retreating to the treetops.

No matter how strong the wolves' leaping ability, they could no longer jump up to attack the monkeys. Likewise, the monkeys could no longer hurl icicles down at wolves shielded by the branches.

The battle between monkeys and wolves deadlocked, both sides continuously roaring in fury.

It looked as though the monkeys could not defeat the wolves and seize this territory today. The Xiang Hui human task force had barely exhaled in relief when the forward observation post spotted danger. "Captain, a monkey has appeared on the peak to the left—it may have spotted us!"

During a territory contest, humans appearing on the Xiang Hui southern wolves' outer territory would also be identified by the wolves as invaders.

The wolves had fought the monkeys to a stalemate; if they split off some members to deal with the humans, the monkeys would regain the upper hand and resume wearing the wolves down with hurled ice.

If this was the monkeys' stratagem, then that Grey-Spot Monkey King's intelligence was no weaker than a human's. This mountain region absolutely cannot fall to the Grey-Spot monkeys—its troop must not be allowed to grow stronger again!

The task-force captain gave a decisive order: "We cannot clash with the wolves. Withdraw from their territory at top speed!"

Even if we must wipe out the Grey-Spot monkeys, there's no rush to do it this instant.

"Squeak-crack, squeak-squeak—"

"Awooo—wuuuuu—"

The moment the little macaque that had spotted the humans let out its shrill cry, the Wolf King also gave a command, and three evolution wolves lying in ambush in the distance immediately revealed themselves to hunt down the human invaders.

Humans are more dangerous in the wolves' eyes, because they capture pregnant she-wolves and newborn pups!

Seeing the wolves' ambush party in front had run off, the Grey-Spot Monkey King in the trees let out a string of commands with rising and falling tones; over thirty macaques spread across several trees leapt onto a single fir and violently shook its branches.

Hidden in the bushes beneath that tree were three wounded wolves!

As accumulated snow and icicles rained down from the tree, the three wounded wolves had no choice but to turn back to their hiding spot. The Grey-Spot giant monkeys and main combat monkeys, rapidly lowering their height, smashed icicles down at the exposed wounded wolves. The wolf pack split in two—one part protecting the wounded, the other attacking the monkeys.

The battle turned white-hot; casualties on both sides climbed rapidly, and Black-Nose Pup's ear and neck were also clawed open.

Seeing his companion wounded, Scarface Pup on the slope couldn't help but bare his fangs and growl low again. Ye Yiyi's magnetic field became chaotic, her breathing rapid, her body curled up and trembling—she was showing clear signs of a stress reaction.

The accompanying medic, Broken-Waist Wolf, keenly caught the change in this non-combat human child. He stopped watching the battle below and, his face solemn, carried out his medic duties, using gestures to signal his assistant Zhang Shiyi to be ready to intervene at any moment.

Zhang Shiyi nodded and pulled a blanket from his pack.

Scarface Pup and the three giant wolves paid no attention to Ye Yiyi; they kept their eyes fixed on the battle in the valley.

Broken-Waist Wolf stole a glance at the brutal fighting in the valley, gave two "awoo" calls warning Scarface Pup not to intervene in the territory contest before the southern wolves sent out a rescue howl, then continued watching his patient.

The battle in the valley continued, gradually approaching the running-water area.

Victory in sight, the Grey-Spot Monkey King roared to press the attack. Leaping from the fir that had run out of icicles and snow toward the crown of a tall neighboring fir, the Xiang Hui southern Wolf King, holding the high ground, rushed forward at top speed and plunged into the valley toward the Grey-Spot Monkey King!

Little monkeys squeaked warnings; little wolves howled encouragement.

The suspended Grey-Spot Monkey King hurled the icicle in his claws viciously at the Wolf King. Because of that throwing motion, his leap trajectory deflected, and he could not land on the high branches of the opposite fir. The monkeys immediately surged forward to intercept the wolves charging their king.

As the Wolf King tilted his head to dodge the blindingly fast icicle, a she-wolf clearly nursing pups stepped on a sprinting companion and leapt high, her sharp claws slashing at the falling Grey-Spot Monkey King.

At the same moment, a spring-evolved monkey gripping a glittering icicle pillar lunged at the spring-evolved she-wolf. Black-Nose Pup also leapt high and bit down hard on the spring-evolved monkey's tail!

The nursing she-wolf's claws tore open the Grey-Spot Monkey King's shoulder at the same instant the spring-evolved monkey's hurled icicle struck her hind leg. The speed-evolved Wolf King, charging forward again, abandoned his attack on the Grey-Spot Monkey King, precisely clamped his mate's scruff in his jaws, and carried her down to a steady landing.

When he turned and charged again at the climbing Grey-Spot Monkey King, he was already a step too late. The Grey-Spot Monkey King had reached the top of the tall fir and was furiously howling, "keh-keh, kah-kah."

His cries were angry enough, but the wound on his right shoulder bleeding freely was striking enough, and the smell of blood was strong enough.

Two speed-evolved vultures circling overhead caught the scent of blood, let out cries heralding a feast, and lowered their altitude.

The three evolution wolves that had driven the humans out of the territory returned to the river-bend valley, joined their companions, and together let out furious howls at the monkeys in the trees.

The Grey-Spot monkeys had failed to capitalize on the war opportunity created by the human invaders. The Monkey King was wounded, one arm unable to exert force, and the troop's attempt to seize the territory ended in failure.

The Grey-Spot Monkey King let out angry cries, led his troop leaping through the treetops, and withdrew from the wolves' territory. The wolves let out long howls.

In this battle, thirteen monkeys and eight wolves were wounded. In an evolution forest rife with snow-jump bugs and cold-resistant pathogens, a wound could easily mean death. So although the wolves had won, there was no joy in their howls—only fury and killing intent.

Zhang Shiyi's gaze pulled back from the heart-stopping valley and settled on Ye Yiyi, who was gripping a stone and looking down.

Though her breathing was rapid, her magnetic field unstable, her hands trembling, and her eyes unfocused, Zhang Shiyi could see that this child suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder was, by sheer willpower, struggling to regain control of her own body.