Chapter 23 – 19: Hunting Wolves

Zhou Leng looked over and saw a group of teenagers similar to himself walking towards him.

Zhou Leng vaguely remembered seeing a few of them recently, and upon careful recollection, he realized.

Before the martial arts examination started, some candidates were wearing colorful clothes, chasing each other on the steps of the Martial Arts Dojo, and among them were a few of these people.

They all had their hair dyed in various colors.

“Isn’t that Young Master Chang? What brings you here?” Xue Chengsong said with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes, looking at Chang Luan.

“Nothing much. Are you also studying martial arts?” Chang Luan, a tall, pale, thin guy with long hair slicked back, looked a bit mature for his age. He was sizing up Zhou Leng’s team, then glanced at Guo Xiaohao and another person behind them.

“Yeah,” Xue Chengsong answered casually.

“Alright, I won’t disturb you then. Be careful, don’t get killed by demons.” Chang Luan said.

“Thanks for the good wishes, watch out you don’t drown in the water.”

“I’ve got a big life.”

Ding Yan quietly asked, “Will they cause trouble here?”

“Chang Luan isn’t a great person, but he’s not foolish. During such a critical time in martial arts study, he won’t stir up trouble. Don’t worry, most of his people aren’t strong hands; they’re mostly just bags of straw,”

“Just afraid of running into enemies.”

Xue Chengsong looked at the back of Chang Luan, and said, “My dad and his dad both run pioneer branches. They don’t see eye to eye, fought over resource sites, had some wins and losses, and later reconciled. Both sides engage in small tricks from time to time, but it doesn’t break the surface. We’ve sparred a few times, happy when we win, harsh words when we lose, some bickering, but it’s not worth becoming enemies.”

“That’s good.” Ding Yan said.

“These days, who hasn’t got a few enemies? It doesn’t matter.” The tallest and strongest muscular man in the team crossed his arms, unbothered.

This man was named Cui Mingcong, visibly strong in physique.

“With your build, of course, you’re not afraid.” Ding Yan said while looking around.

“Why come to Demon City if you’re afraid to die?” said a short-haired girl.

Cui Mingcong’s muscle mass was the highest in the team, while the short-haired girl, Cao Jiajia, ranked second. Her muscular frame made men envious, with tiger stripe tattoos on her neck and wrists.

“You’re right because you’re strong.” Ding Yan laughed.

“I like what Jiajia says better.” Cui Mingcong said.

Cao Jiajia glanced at Cui Mingcong’s massive arms, then at her own, which were not even half as large, and frowned slightly.

Xue Chengsong smiled and said, “Let’s go, off to Wolf Valley.”

As Zhou Leng walked, he remembered Li Linhan’s advice: speak less in the team, observe teammates, and prepare well.

The team kept moving forward, walking for nearly an hour before Xue Chengsong spoke.

“Remember these red-spotted trees, they mark a vague boundary. Within this forest line, we can call for help directly using the War Merit Token. The military and nearby people will also come to assist. But once we go inside…”

Xue Chengsong looked at the dense forest ahead, and said slowly, “Life and death are at your own risk. The War Merit Token will lose contact with the outside, only able to signal position. In other words, now, you all have one last chance to leave.”

Xue Chengsong looked at the six team members.

The six gazed back calmly.

“Alright, let’s move out.”

The team entered the Red Spot Forest, and by the afternoon, Xue Chengsong took out a wristwatch-like demonized mini computer from his pocket. The computer projected a light display, revealing a three-dimensional map.

Feng Wenhao enviously eyed the demonized computer, then looked at his own cellphone.

“Up ahead is one of the more than thirty Wolf Valleys, also the goal of this martial arts study. Next, we conduct the final combat rehearsal. Everyone must be clear about their roles; any retreat, cowardice, or mistakes could trigger a chain reaction…”

Seven people gathered together, speaking consecutively about what they had practiced before.

Ding Yan said, “My stepping technique and body technique are strong. I mainly distract the demon wolf’s attention, attacking from behind…”

Cui Mingcong said, “I have the best physique, responsible for facing the demon wolf head-on…” while tightening his spiked armguard.

Zhou Leng said, “I have good stepping and palm techniques, focus on side attacks, and also responsible for rescue…”

Feng Wenhao said, “I’m the weakest, won’t take the first shot, responsible for rescuing and observing, avoiding being spotted by more demon wolves…”

The others also clearly stated their team roles.

In the end, Xue Chengsong glanced at Guo Xiaohao and another person not far away, then said, “Let’s go.”

As the sun set, the seven set off again, moving cautiously, slowing down through waist-high grass.

After walking for a quarter of an hour, Liu Teng, beside Guo Xiaohao at the back, whispered, “Should we warn them?”

“Wait a bit, until that demon wolf gets closer, then I’ll warn them.” Guo Xiaohao said.

“Okay.”

The seven moved forward quietly, barely daring to breathe.

Zhou Leng suddenly looked towards the front left and whispered, “Something’s not right.”

The team stopped abruptly.

“Where?” Xue Chengsong didn’t dare look back, focusing on the front.

“About the 10 o’clock direction ahead, something feels off, but it’s getting dark now, I can’t see clearly.”

The others all looked towards the same direction, suddenly, a blue-backed demon wolf stood up and charged straight at them.

Where the demon wolf moved, a strong wind blew, and wild grass bent over.

“Shit…” Cui Mingcong cursed, raising his arms, standing at the front of the team.

Zhou Leng watched wide-eyed. The demon wolf, excluding its tail, was about two and a half meters long, nearly one point six meters tall, much larger than a buffalo.

Although he had seen it in videos and books, the impact of it charging head-on caused an instinctive panic in his heart.

“Stay calm! The hunting level of an ordinary blue-backed demon wolf is Qi Nourishing Level Four, which means four ordinary soldiers in the Qi Nourishing Period can kill it. We have seven people…”

The demon wolf lunged forward, opening its mouth to bite Cui Mingcong.

“Get lost!” Cui Mingcong roared, striking directly at the demon wolf’s neck. The wolf twisted in mid-air, forcibly avoiding the blow as it landed.

“Let’s just go for it!” Cui Mingcong unexpectedly charged at the demon wolf.

Zhou Leng kept to Cui Mingcong’s left front, looking for an opportunity.

Ding Yan crawled on the grass, using both hands and feet like a gecko, circling to the rear of the demon wolf.

The others each played their part.

The demon wolf glanced at the six people and charged straight toward Ding Yan. Ding Yan immediately retreated back to the team, and the others rushed the demon wolf.

The demon wolf hurriedly turned around, with the group forming a semi-encirclement to attack it.

The demon wolf either swung its claws or stretched its head to bite, testing its enemies in various ways.

Among the seven-member team, five had experience hunting demon wolves, showing no sign of panic.

For Zhou Leng, it was the first battle against a demon wolf; his heart was pounding, but he was too focused to panic, instead feeling a surge of fighting spirit.

Feng Wenhao stood at the back of the group, hands tightly clasped, looking at the demon wolf and then at the surroundings, his whole body tense.

“Charge!” Cui Mingcong advanced proactively as the demon wolf hesitated to come forward.

Five people attacked from five different directions, while Ding Yan continued to circle.

The blue-backed demon wolf, enraged, swung its claw toward Cui Mingcong.

Cui Mingcong raised his left arm, blocking with his spiked armguard, the sharp spikes driving into the wolf’s paw.

The demon wolf whimpered softly, quickly retracting its paw.

The other experienced team members launched an attack in unison, with Zhou Leng lagging slightly but still managing to keep up.

Qi surged from the dantian, power circulated through the waist, and a palm strike was launched.

The demon wolf easily retreated to avoid it.

The five pressed close repeatedly, and the demon wolf, hit a few times, seemed unaffected.

After a few minutes of fighting, the demon wolf suddenly let out a low growl and turned to run.

“Very good.” Xue Chengsong, the captain, nodded in approval.

Feng Wenhao, dumbfounded, said, “Is that it?”

Xue Chengsong replied, “Of course that’s it. When we first came, we thought the same—either an easy kill or a bloody battle. But demons are quite smart; unless ordered by higher-ups, they seldom fight to the death when facing a strong enemy.”

Feng Wenhao suddenly understood and said, “Even ordinary wild animals know to flee and fear. A magical beast is stronger and smarter; it makes no sense for it to only fight desperately. Seeing it ambush us, we can guess this demon wolf is quite cunning.”

“It could also be that all the less clever demon wolves have been wiped out by the Sea Suppression Army,” Zhou Leng said.

Feng Wenhao said softly, “I was hoping to eat some magical beast meat.”

“You’re dreaming,” Ding Yan said, “The contract clearly states that if we truly hunt and kill a demon wolf, we won’t be able to carry it; we can only use the war merit token to mark and locate, so the military can send someone to retrieve it.”

Xue Chengsong said, “Once we get stronger, when a few of us can eat an entire magical beast, we can cook it on the spot. For now, safety first. Also, we must thank Zhou Leng.”

Everyone expressed their gratitude to Zhou Leng.

Zhou Leng hurriedly said, “It was just a coincidence, no need for thanks.”

“You’re wrong,” Xue Chengsong said sternly, “My previous Pioneer Team captain said that any help to the team could save everyone. We must cultivate the habit of thanking our teammates, to avoid a complacent mindset. Now we have bodyguards, but what about later? In Demon City, only teammates can truly be relied on!”

Zhou Leng nodded.

“Let’s keep going.”

The team continued forward.

They encountered demon wolves three times overnight; although they didn’t manage to kill any, the battles went smoothly, and they mostly suffered only minor injuries.

After leaving the Wolf Valley area, the team set up camp to rest.

After dinner, the seven took out their phones or mini computers to reflect on their experiences and write study notes.

In Demon City, it was dangerous, and they didn’t light any fires; only the screen s emitted a faint glow, illuminating their faces.

Once everyone finished writing, Ding Yan said, “Zhou Leng, you’re more observant than all of us. You noticed all three demon wolves first.”

Zhou Leng honestly said, “Half a year ago, I was attacked by a demon, and by a twist of fate, my spiritual will was refined, giving me a slight advantage in some areas.”

Xue Chengsong looked at the other four and said, “Didn’t I say we found a gem? This ability in Demon City is more important than a tenfold advantage in the same realm of mastery.”

Cui Mingcong looked at Zhou Leng and asked, “Is this really your first time in Demon City?”

“It really is.”

“Your mindset is impressive, your moves hardly faltered during combat. When we first entered Demon City, our instructor berated us harshly. Look at Feng Wenhao, I just can’t help but laugh.”

Everyone chuckled and looked at Feng Wenhao.

Feng Wenhao blushed and said, “I can’t compare to you experts; I’m mainly a lookout and errand runner. Honestly, when the first demon wolf came, my legs wouldn’t move; I almost went to change my pants.”

“Ha ha…”

The seven chatted and shared their insights, assigning the three-watch shifts, and gradually went to sleep.

Pioneer Base.

In the monitoring room, a series of alarms suddenly went off.

Everyone looked towards the main screen.

Three green nodes turned red, spreading red ripples.

“Points 791, 792, and 793 all detected abnormal space fluctuations simultaneously, all of them class-one fluctuations. Abnormal space fluctuations are equivalent to class-two fluctuations. Please promptly proceed to investigate.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep