OBS Chapter 186 Reencounter with the Old Wolf King
Chapter 186 Reencounter with the Old Wolf King
"It's getting dark. Why don't you come with me? There's a cave to the north; I used to rest there when I was hunting. Let's go take a look; maybe we'll find someone. Even if we don't, we'll have somewhere to stay tonight."
Looking at the sky, He Mancang offered his suggestion.
"Alright."
Hearing this, Li Xiangyang nodded.
Obviously, if they can't find anyone in the cave, they can't continue searching tonight.
Xuanmao and Xiaohu led the way, but their steps were noticeably more cautious than before.
After walking for about an hour, He Mancang stopped: "We're here."
After saying that, he took out a torch wrapped in pine resin from his backpack and lit it with a match.
The firelight illuminated the dark entrance to the cave.
The cave is not deep, and can accommodate about seven or eight people. There is a crack in the cave ceiling that allows smoke to escape.
There were some withered branches and fallen leaves on the ground, as well as some animal droppings, but none of them looked very fresh.
"Nobody's here. Looks like we'll have to spend the night here," Li Xiangyang said, looking around.
"Sigh, that's all we can do. I wonder where those troublemakers have gone."
As He Mancang sighed, the group quickly cleared a space inside the cave and used stones to create a fire pit.
Li Xiangyang took out his flint and steel and lit some dry grass. He carefully added firewood until the flames were burning steadily.
Leaning against the cave wall, He Mancang rubbed his injured ankle and muttered, "This cave isn't big, but luckily it's on high ground, so the water can't get in."
Wang Ergou added a few more pieces of dry firewood to the fire, and the flames rose higher, dispelling some of the chill.
He stared at the firelight and said, "I hope those educated youth can also find shelter from the wind."
Li Xiangyang did not respond.
After all, it's been several days already. If the other party can't find a shelter, they're likely dead.
The group of people were all feeling rather heavy-hearted.
“Listen to me.” He Mancang suddenly perked up his ears.
The mountain wind whistled through the trees.
Wolf howls could be heard intermittently in the distance, sometimes high, sometimes low, rising and falling, clearly indicating that there was more than one wolf.
The black cat's tail stood high, its body tense, and its eyes fixed on the cave entrance.
Little Tiger was also restless, pacing back and forth by the fire.
"The wolf pack is active." Li Xiangyang gripped his gun tighter. "In this awful weather, they must be starving."
He Mancang nodded: "Yes, this season is the most dangerous. Starving wolves wouldn't hesitate to attack people entering the mountains, let alone run into villages..."
“Alright, we can only hope those educated youth get lucky,” Li Xiangyang interrupted. “Let’s take turns keeping watch. I’ll keep the first shift, you two can rest first.”
He Mancang shook his head: "Although my foot is straightened, it's still a bit swollen, and I can't sleep. I'll stay with you and keep watch."
Li Xiangyang did not refuse.
In places like this, having more eyes is always a good thing.
Wang Ergou wrapped his clothes tightly around himself, leaned against the wall, and closed his eyes.
Before long, exhaustion made him fall asleep, his breathing even.
The firewood in the bonfire crackled and popped, illuminating a small area.
The sounds of wind and animal roars rose and fell outside the cave, but no one came any closer.
"Xiangyang, your cat is really good, even better than a regular hunting dog. Where did you get it?"
Looking at the black cat helping to keep watch at night, He Mancang asked curiously.
"Last year I went hunting in the mountains, and it insisted on coming with me. So I kept it."
Li Xiangyang said with a smile.
Even the black cat himself couldn't explain its origins.
As night deepened, the chill became increasingly biting.
Li Xiangyang broke the last piece of dry ration in half and handed one half to He Mancang: "Eat this to tide you over; we'll have a lot to do tomorrow."
He Mancang took the dry food and chewed it slowly.
After a while, he suddenly said, "Do you think those educated youth might have gone to Fox Fairy Valley? The terrain there is peculiar; what if they heard something..."
"Unlikely," Li Xiangyang shook his head. "Fox Fairy Valley is the territory of a white fox, and that white fox is exceptionally intelligent. If an outsider approaches, it can detect it in advance, at best driving them away, and at worst attacking them."
"I see," He Mancang said thoughtfully. "No wonder those who went to Fox Fairy Valley over the years either returned empty-handed or never came back."
Li Xiangyang did not speak again.
That's true. Without the Black Cat, he wouldn't have been able to enter Fox Fairy Valley.
He added some firewood to the fire, and the flames flickered, casting shadowy images on the cave walls.
"So where should we look tomorrow?" He Mancang asked, rubbing his ankle.
"Let's go check out Sanchagou first," Li Xiangyang thought for a moment. "There's a stream there; if they're thirsty, they might go there to find water."
Just as he finished speaking, a rustling sound suddenly came from outside.
The black cat's ears immediately perked up, and the little tiger stopped pacing.
Both men held their breath and gripped their guns tightly.
The sound grew closer, and in the darkness where the firelight couldn't reach, several blurry shadows could be vaguely seen moving about.
Li Xiangyang and He Mancang exchanged a glance, both noticing the wariness in each other's eyes.
Wang Ergou was also awakened, and upon seeing this, Li Xiangyang quickly made a shushing gesture.
The black cat's tail swayed slightly a few times, but it did not let out a warning meow.
This made Li Xiangyang relax a little; at least it wasn't a large, ferocious beast.
Soon, several wild rabbits hopped out of the darkness and appeared at the entrance of the burrow.
They seemed to be attracted by the firelight, but dared not get too close, only tentatively moving around near the cave entrance.
“Interesting,” He Mancang said in a low voice. “Looks like they’re hiding from a pack of wolves.”
Li Xiangyang nodded.
Wild rabbits typically don't stay active at night during this season unless they are driven away by something.
Presumably, a pack of wolves was hunting nearby, forcing these rabbits to seek refuge.
"Don't worry about them for now," Li Xiangyang said softly. "They'll leave once the wolves are far away."
He Mancang agreed: "Yes, if we open fire now, it will be too loud. Besides..."
Before he could finish speaking, a shrill rabbit cry suddenly came from outside, followed by a chorus of wolf howls.
The wild rabbits hiding at the entrance of the burrow scattered and fled instantly.
The black cat and the little tiger both bristled and stared intently at the cave entrance.
Li Xiangyang and He Mancang also picked up their guns, and Wang Ergou was so nervous that his palms were sweating.
"They've arrived faster than I expected," He Mancang muttered, carefully observing the movements outside the cave.
In the firelight, several gray shadows flashed by.
The wolves did not rush into the cave directly, but lingered outside, occasionally letting out low howls, as if probing the situation inside.
"Don't act rashly," Li Xiangyang whispered a reminder. "We have fire; they shouldn't dare to come in recklessly."
That's what they say, but the wolf pack clearly doesn't want to give up easily.
They began pacing back and forth at the entrance of the cave, occasionally letting out eerie growls.
Just then, heavy footsteps came from outside the cave, accompanied by low breathing.
The howling of the wolves suddenly stopped, replaced by an eerie silence.
"Something's not right," He Mancang said in a low voice. "The wolf pack wouldn't retreat so quickly."
Before the words were finished, a huge figure appeared at the cave entrance.
Under the moonlight, Li Xiangyang instantly recognized the old acquaintance in those eyes that gleamed with an eerie light. It was the old wolf king he had encountered in the mountains last year, the one that had given him an extreme sense of crisis.