Chapter 21: The Ashen Wolf King

Nevertheless, these wolves—especially the gray-white alpha—were remarkably intelligent. Perhaps they had long roamed near human settlements, grown accustomed to dealing with people, and already developed a keen understanding of human nature.

For now, though, they lingered where they were, issuing menacing growls from deep in their throats, but not recklessly advancing to eat the meat. This made Li Yuanjing increasingly anxious. After all, the night was bitterly cold. He and Jade were both wrapped in thick sheepskin coats and could withstand the chill, but Zhang Kun, along with the two girls, Da Ya and Er Ya, were only wearing thin clothes and were already struggling. If they didn’t build a fire soon, someone might actually die!

Still, Li Yuanjing knew the outcome depended on patience. If they acted rashly, not only would all their efforts be wasted, but they could also suffer dearly for it. He quickly motioned to Zhang Kun and Jade to keep waiting patiently.

Even with Li Yuanjing and Zhang Kun standing guard with hatchets, the terrifying sounds the wolves made from not far away only heightened the fear of the three women. Their teeth chattered more and more loudly.

Li Yuanjing was just about to urge them not to panic when suddenly he noticed movement. The gray-white alpha wolf was finally doing something. It let out a low growl. Immediately, a young wolf, which had been eager for a chance, cautiously crept forward, heading straight for the pile of rotten meat.

Li Yuanjing immediately understood what was happening. Wolves, for all their ferocity, were never foolish. When hunting, even a large pack would rarely charge headlong at prey; instead, they would wear down their victims’ strength and stamina, especially applying psychological pressure.

Throughout history, the Mongol Empire of Temüjin’s Golden Family conquered all before it partly by developing wolf-pack tactics learned from such creatures.

Just now, Li Yuanjing had shown no hint of fear, unwavering and resolute. How could the wolves dare make a reckless move in the face of such confidence?

The young wolf reached the bait and had just grabbed the rotten meat, eager to show off to the gray-white alpha behind it, when the trap suddenly sprang. With a piercing yelp, the young wolf plunged into the pit, howling in agony.

Almost at once, the sharp scent of blood drifted on the wind. The young wolf had been caught.

At that moment, the gray-white alpha and the two she-wolves let out heart-wrenching howls, their ghostly green eyes fixed on Li Yuanjing and his group, as if longing to tear them to pieces. Yet they clearly remained wary of the pit ahead and dared not advance.

Li Yuanjing’s spirits soared. He waved his fists and directly taunted the alpha, “Come on, you filthy beast! If you’ve got the guts, get over here!”

With the young wolf caught, Li Yuanjing was already guaranteed at least a few taels of silver tonight—enough to secure his earnings. His confidence grew, bolstered by his understanding of wolf nature. Wolves bore grudges. If they set their sights on you, they could stalk you not just for days, but for months on end.

If there was a chance to wipe them out in one go, Li Yuanjing would show no mercy. This was the law of the world—the survival of the fittest.

The gray-white alpha sensed Li Yuanjing’s provocation. Its growl deepened, but it still did not dare to rush forward, nor did the two she-wolves beside it.

Seeing the deadlock drag on with no end in sight, Li Yuanjing suddenly conceived a bold idea. He exchanged a glance with Zhang Kun, then climbed down from the wooden platform, hatchet in hand, and walked right under the old pine tree, openly taunting the gray-white alpha and imitating beastly growls from his throat.

Jade and Zhang Kun were stunned, unable to believe Li Yuanjing would do something so reckless. Their eyes widened in horror.

Li Yuanjing signaled them to stop and continued provoking the wolves.

Seeing Li Yuanjing’s brazenness, the alpha could no longer restrain itself and growled low at the two she-wolves. Instantly understanding, the pair began to close in on Li Yuanjing from left and right.

Li Yuanjing jeered, “So you send your bitches to do the dirty work while you cower in the back! Pathetic!”

Though sweat trickled down his back, his spirits were high and his vigilance at its peak as he continued to taunt the alpha.

Suddenly, as the two she-wolves drew within five or six meters of the pit, they leapt forward in a desperate attempt to clear the trap and pounce on Li Yuanjing.

But they had misjudged the width of the pit—or perhaps hunger had sapped their strength. In an instant, one after the other, they fell into the trap, howling in despair.

Li Yuanjing burst into triumphant laughter. “You mangy beasts! You think you can outsmart me?”

With one young wolf and two she-wolves caught, even selling just their pelts would fetch about fifteen taels of silver—a most satisfying outcome.

But just as Li Yuanjing was reveling in victory, a sudden rush of wind swept past him. Before he could react, Zhang Kun, eyes wide with alarm, shouted from the pine platform and leapt down, hurling himself at a gray-white blur.

In that split second, Li Yuanjing realized the truth: the alpha had used the two she-wolves as decoys; its real plan was to attack itself. Without expending much effort, it had bypassed the pit and lunged straight at them.

The alpha was fierce, but Zhang Kun was no weakling. A veteran of the Liaodong front, he had fought and killed Tartars in battle—even with one arm missing, he was still formidable. He rammed his whole body into the gray-white wolf, knocking it to the very edge of the pit.

The old wolf’s green eyes now glowed red with rage, its fangs bared as it snarled at Zhang Kun.

“Master, get up the tree! I’ll deal with it!” Zhang Kun shouted, brandishing his hatchet.

Yet even with fear gnawing at him, how could Li Yuanjing abandon Zhang Kun and flee? As the wolf readied to attack Zhang Kun, Li Yuanjing had a sudden flash of insight. With a roar, he hurled his hatchet at the alpha like a missile.

Startled, the wolf instinctively dodged backward—straight onto the thin layer of oiled paper that covered the pit. Its hind legs slipped in, and soon its whole body began to sink. Desperately, it clawed at the dirt, howling pitifully as it struggled to climb out.

But Li Yuanjing would give it no chance. He grabbed a stone and smashed it down on the wolf’s skull, shouting to Zhang Kun, “Brother Zhang, kick it down!”

Li Yuanjing’s aim was true; the stone struck the wolf’s head with a bloody thud, leaving it dizzy and dazed. Still, the alpha tried frantically to scramble out.

But now Zhang Kun had recovered. Like a wolf himself, he charged forward and delivered a powerful kick to the wolf’s head.

With a final, despairing wail, the gray-white alpha tumbled into the depths of the pit.