Chapter 12: Braving the Lone Wolf

"Husband... husband, what’s wrong?"

Seeing Xu An's expression shift, the young girl asked with nervous tension.

"Yan'er, stay right where you are! Don't make a sound!"

Xu An stared fixedly into the thicket ahead, his demeanor one of extreme vigilance. Autumn nights fell early, and the sky was already quite dark. With the thick fog rolling through the mountains, the entire forest appeared draped in a murky grey. Yet, Xu An could clearly see a pair of glowing green eyes, peering through the brush and fixed intently upon them.

He squinted, and his heart skipped a beat—it was a wolf!

Su Yan'er, noticing Xu An’s reaction, followed his gaze. She immediately covered her small mouth with both hands, her face turning deathly pale with terror.

The wolf slowly emerged from the brush. It was nearly two meters long, its coat a charcoal grey. Saliva dripped from its jaws, and while it looked somewhat gaunt, its eyes burned with a fierce, bloodthirsty intensity.

Beads of cold sweat broke out on Xu An's forehead. He reached down to grab the basket he had been using to collect mushrooms and pulled out the wood-chopping axe hidden inside. Throughout the entire process, he never once took his eyes off the creature as it crept closer.

To say he wasn't afraid would be a lie. In his past life, he had never even seen a wolf! The most dangerous part was that wolves were pack animals; if one had left a trail here, a whole pack might be lurking nearby.

Xu An’s heart sank, but he knew that in such a moment, he had to remain calm. While keeping his gaze locked on the wolf, he used his peripheral vision to scan the surroundings. After a careful check, he realized there was no movement in the brush.

Did this mean it was a lone wolf? If that were the case, his and the girl’s chances of survival would increase significantly.

The laws of the jungle were simple: the strong survive, and the weak are culled. If this wolf was on its own, there was a high probability it was either injured or sick, unable to keep up with its pack. Consequently, its combat prowess would be significantly diminished.

After this calm assessment, Xu An felt their odds of survival had improved. He observed the wolf closely and noticed that one of its legs was indeed injured—seemingly quite severely, with a chunk of flesh torn away.

"Just as I thought!"

A spark of hope ignited in Xu An. He gripped the axe tightly, assumed a defensive stance, and braced for the clash.

"Awoo!"

The lone wolf, apparently starving and impatient for a meal, let out a howl and suddenly lunged toward him. Xu An dodged just in time. The sharp fangs grazed past his neck—the creature's speed was terrifying. Every hair on Xu An's body stood on end.

Just then, the wolf abandoned its attack on Xu An and pivoted toward Su Yan'er. The creature was cunning, knowing instinctively to pick off the weaker target.

"Ah... husband!" Su Yan'er screamed in terror, her small body curling into a ball.

"You beast! Back off!"

Xu An’s face hardened. Without a second thought, he lunged at the wolf, grabbed its tail, and yanked it backward with all his might.

"Awoo!" The wolf howled in pain. It turned, baring its white, jagged teeth to tear into him, but in the next instant, Xu An exerted himself once more and flung the beast aside.

Once it regained its footing, the wolf didn't dare to rush in blindly again. It kept its distance, circling him in a standoff. Xu An knew that wolves were patient creatures; a prolonged standoff could last forever, and the young girl’s injury couldn't wait. In this era, an infected wound was a life-threatening crisis. Countless soldiers on the battlefield had died from nothing more than infection.

Furthermore, it was raining, and the temperature would plummet as night deepened. They were both soaked to the bone; even a sturdy man would fall ill under such conditions, let alone the two of them. In two days, his debts were due; he couldn't afford to fall sick, or there was no telling what those loan sharks would do.

With this thought, a wave of ferocity surged within him. Raising the axe, he charged at the wolf!

So what if he had no system? So what if he had no secret weapon? Since he had arrived here, he would carve out a path to prosperity with nothing but this axe!

Seeing his resolve, the wolf adopted a defensive posture, trying to wear him down. But Xu An was fighting for his life; he ignored the wolf's tactics and hacked wildly at it.

"Awooo!"

With a spray of blood, the wolf let out a pained shriek as a gruesome gash opened across its neck. Sensing that this human was desperate and dangerous, the wolf realized it had met a hard nut to crack. It didn't dare linger, darting into the woods and vanishing into the darkness.

Xu An collapsed onto the ground, exhaling a long breath.

"Yan'er, are you alright?" Xu An asked, reaching her side with concern.

"I... I'm fine. Husband, are you hurt?" The girl’s bright eyes scanned his body nervously.

"I'm unhurt, don't worry. It's late and the mountains are dangerous. Let's head back, and then I'll tend to your wounds."

"Okay!" The girl, still shaken, nodded.

After gathering their things, Xu An hoisted her onto his back and began the descent. On the way, Su Yan'er rested against him, smoothing his dripping hair, and whispered, "Husband, I've been a burden to you."

"Don't say such silly things."

"Are you tired, husband? Maybe put me down for a bit. I think I can walk a little."

"I'm not tired. I can walk faster with you on my back."

"Husband, you were so brave today!"

"Yes, I think so too. And I’ll be just as brave from now on!"

They chatted as they walked, and before long, they reached home. Xu An sat the girl on a stool, lit an oil lamp, and immediately started a fire to heat water. They were both soaked and needed a hot bath to warm themselves. However, there wasn't enough firewood left to heat water for two, so Xu An went into the room and pulled out anything burnable—even the door to a side room.

The girl watched this in shock. Yesterday, he burned a stool; today, a door. Would he tear down the whole house tomorrow? A wave of guilt washed over her. It was because she had hurt her foot that he had to carry her back, and now he was forced to burn the house down to keep them warm. If only she could walk, he wouldn't have to do this. She vowed to be more careful in the future and not add to his troubles.

Xu An didn't know what she was thinking. He only wanted to get some hot water to wash off the cold rain. He couldn't let either of them fall ill. As for the door, he could build a dozen more when he had the chance—it wasn't difficult. Besides, this dilapidated house would need to be renovated before the start of winter anyway.

Soon, the water was ready. He walked over to Su Yan'er.

"Yan'er, you're soaked through. I'll carry you over so you can take a hot bath and avoid catching a cold."

"Carry?"

At the word, Su Yan'er’s eyes brightened. She had never been carried by her husband before.