Chapter 50: Besieged by Wolves

Li Mumu was deliberately provoking Lin Siyan.

Those who steal another's husband deserve to have their own taken away ruthlessly.

"Brother Yuan~"

Li Yuan refused to look at her. Weighing the pros and cons, he knew very well that the Gu family had been his best choice ten years ago, and even a decade later, they remained his best option.

"Just let her mother deal with her as she sees fit." Li Yuan spoke with utter nonchalance.

It was as if Lin Siyan were nothing more than a lifeless object.

Li Mumu felt no sympathy for her. Even though having a wife and concubines was normal in ancient times, Lin Siyan should never have harbored malicious intentions to harm others.

If Lin Siyan had never plotted against them, she would have merely helped her mother leave the scumbag and spared her any further torment.

Li Mumu watched as the light in Lin Siyan's eyes vanished visibly, realizing that she had probably completely given up on this worthless father of hers.

Yet, they were inevitably bound together—a scumbag and a bitch locked in a lifelong embrace. That was the most amusing part of all.

Li Yuan thought these words would soften Gu Yuru's heart. Little did he expect that, having finally woken up, Gu Yuru now saw right through his true nature. She only hated herself for being so blind back then, touched by how he had risked his life to save her when her horse had bolted.

Looking back now, it was hard to say he had done it without an ulterior motive.

Li Yuan did not receive the moved response he anticipated; instead, he only saw a cold sneer on the corner of Gu Yuru's lips. At that exact moment, the bailiffs urged everyone to move along.

Gu Yuru did not even spare him a glance, as if looking at him for a second longer would pollute her eyes. "Mumu, let's go."

To reach the next post station, they barely rested even as night fell. This stretch of the journey was entirely through mountainous terrain, a place where wild beasts frequently roamed.

It was already pitch black, yet the nearest inn was still over a dozen miles away—a journey that would take at least a full hour of fast walking. With a group of the elderly, the weak, the sick, and the disabled in tow, it would undoubtedly take much longer. Eager to reach the inn and rest early, Zhang Xiang decided to take a shortcut.

Normally, Elder Gu preferred not to meddle in extraneous matters, but when Zhang Xiang led the convoy into a valley surrounded by towering peaks, anyone with military experience knew that such terrain was extremely disadvantageous.

He might not care about the safety of the Li family, nor the lives of the bailiffs, but he could not afford to disregard the safety of his own flesh and blood.

"Official."

Zhang Xiang glanced sideways at him. "What is it? If you need to pee, go quickly, and keep moving!"

The wind in the valley was bone-chilling, and Zhang Xiang shrank his neck defensively.

Gu Jian shook his head. "No, I mean... perhaps we should take another route. If we go any further ahead—"

Before he could finish, Zhang Xiang harshly interrupted him. "Change routes? What nonsense! This road is the shortest. Taking another way will add a whole half-hour to the journey."

Gu Jian looked at the barren, completely exposed valley, a deep sense of foreboding gripping his heart. Once attacked by wild beasts, they would have nowhere to hide.

The original novel had not mentioned changing routes. In fact, many things had already deviated from the plot, and she had even entertained the fleeting thought that they might not encounter a wolf pack at all.

However, she trusted her grandfather's experience. Since he said so, he must have sensed something amiss.

What she hadn't anticipated, however, was that the Li family members also began to complain.

Especially Li Rong, who chimed in, "Whose words should we listen to—yours or the official's? You might still have the strength to walk, but we are completely exhausted. Let's just get there already!"

"Exactly! I bet he's just doing this on purpose, harboring malicious intentions." Madam Zhao was always loose-tongued, and no commotion was ever complete without her input.

"Official, let's keep moving. Don't listen to that old fogey," Li Ye said feebly.

Amidst the urging and pressure, Elder Gu's warning was completely ignored. Li Mumu had considered trying to persuade them as well, but when even her grandfather—a veteran of countless battles with profound life experience—was disregarded, what chance did a mere child have?

The convoy pressed forward amid the bickering. Li Mumu prayed silently that the plot from the novel would not unfold, but some things simply could not be altered.

Suddenly, a piercing howl rent the air. Under the clear moonlight, a lone wolf stood atop a ridge, issuing a command to the sky.

Elder Gu instantly tensed up. Zhang Xiang turned pale with shock, realizing too late that regret was futile. "What... what do we do?"

"Should we run?"

Gu Jian calmly replied, "We can't outrun them. That's the alpha; it's calling more wolves over."

Panic seized Zhang Xiang. "Then... what about—"

As he spoke, several more silhouettes appeared on the slopes. The next instant, dozens of wolves emerged in twos and threes atop the small hills surrounding the valley.

At that moment, they were like fish trapped on a cutting board, waiting to be sliced up by the pack.

Zhang Xiang panicked, and the rest of the group lost their composure. Those who had just been demanding a faster pace turned around and tried to flee.

Gu Jian barked an authoritative order, "Don't move!"

Yet no one heeded his warning, and two bailiffs bolted in blind panic.

Gu Jian frowned. How could anyone possibly outrun a wolf pack?

"Old master, you... you tell us what to do!" Zhang Xiang finally understood the severe consequences of ignoring good advice, but remorse came far too late.

"Don't panic."

Before his voice faded, the blood-curdling screams of the two bailiffs who had just fled echoed sharply through the valley.

The wolf pack slowly tightened their encirclement. They wanted every single one of them, leaving no survivors.

"Unlock the cangues first. We have to fight to the death now."

Zhang Xiang nodded vigorously; whatever else happened, he could not afford to die. "Right! What are you lot standing around for? Hurry up and unlock the old master!"

That the Gu family members were formidable fighters was common knowledge throughout the capital. Elder Gu was still vigorous and strong despite being over sixty, and his three sons were all peerless heroes who had swept across battlefields.

"Boss, what if they escape?" a timid voice muttered among the bailiffs.

Li Mumu frowned. With the wolf pack right before their eyes, was escape even a remote possibility?

Yet she genuinely feared that Zhang Xiang might actually heed such stupidity.

Fortunately, Zhang Xiang was not entirely devoid of sense. "Shut your mouth! One more word of nonsense and I'll kill you myself."

"Old master, you haven't blinked even when facing hundreds of thousands of enemy troops. These wolves shouldn't be too much of a problem, right?" Zhang Xiang asked tentatively, desperate for a shred of reassurance.

Gu Jian's brows knitted tightly. "Not necessarily."

When leading a large army, tactics mattered, and the soldiers he commanded were elite. But right now, their group consisted mostly of the elderly, the weak, the women, and the children. The only ones capable of fighting were his own family members, and even counting Li Yuan, the total was meager. The bailiffs were clearly spineless cowards who would crumble at the first sign of real danger.

"Then... what on earth do we do? We can't possibly perish in a place like this!" Zhang Xiang shed his usual arrogance, weeping uncontrollably.

"Quickly untie everyone. Even if we can't beat them, we must find a way to break through and escape," Gu Jian ordered.

"Oh, oh! Listen to him! Hurry up, the wolves are closing in!"

At that moment, the wolf pack was not tightening their circle quickly; they seemed to be toying with their prey deliberately, thoroughly enjoying the sheer terror etched across their victims' faces.

The bailiffs were indeed terrified out of their wits, their hands and feet refusing to obey. Their trembling fingers fumbled with the keys, repeatedly missing the locks.

Gu Mingjing grew utterly impatient and snapped, "Never mind!"

The next second, he exerted force in both his arms and legs, shattering the wooden cangues and iron chains with a resounding snap.

"As if this trifling junk could trap your young master! Humph, if I had wanted to escape, I would have bolted long ago," he said with absolute disdain before snatching a saber from a nearby bailiff. "Father, leave this to me!"

Gu Jian nodded. Though his youngest son was rebellious and unruly, he was both courageous and resourceful—the most formidable fighter among his three brothers. It was just that... he was a bit too flamboyant.