Chapter 18: How to Win Back a Runaway Kitten

Night Wind tried to calm himself down and carefully surveyed his surroundings.

Finally, they found traces of someone passing by at one end of the stream.

Because of the lush vegetation around him, Su Yun habitually used a sickle to clear a path as he walked, cutting as he went, leaving very obvious marks.

"Are we inside the forest?" Ye Feng was somewhat bewildered. The forest was teeming with wild wolves, porcupines, mutated lynxes, poisonous insects... everything was fraught with danger.

Su Yun was aware of the dangers of the mountains and forests…

But... why did she still go in?

The night wind, without time to think carefully, chased after the tracks on the ground, rushing forward.

He quickly found the spot where Su Yun had fallen. A shallow ditch had been carved out of the wet ground, and a small pit had been formed by fallen leaves at the bottom of the ditch, clearly indicating that someone had slipped and fallen.

Ye Feng carefully observed the surrounding environment and saw that the place where Su Yun fell was a ravine with a great drop in elevation. The deepest part was four meters deep. If one was not careful, it would be easy to step on the wet fallen leaves and fall down the slope.

The ditch is full of dead branches and fallen leaves. If you fall down and hit a tree trunk or step on a snake or insect, it would be very dangerous.

Night Wind frowned, then leaped and landed lightly in the ravine.

Ye Feng stood in the ravine and saw a thick layer of fallen leaves that had sunk into a shallow pit, vaguely resembling the shape of a person sitting down. Judging from the traces left by Su Yun, Ye Feng could basically deduce what had attracted Su Yun here and caused him to fall.

Night Breeze frowned slightly, bent down to examine it carefully, and then his golden pupils widened slightly, revealing faint traces of blood on the scattered leaves on the ground.

Night Breeze hurriedly picked up the blood-stained leaf, sniffed it carefully, and smelled Su Yun's scent.

Ye Feng's brows furrowed even more deeply. Su Yun had fallen and was injured, bleeding.

A person wandering aimlessly in the mountains with blood and wounds is in a very bad situation; the smell of blood could easily attract some greedy wild animals.

We need to find Su Yun quickly.

The night breeze, sensing the scent in the air, immediately followed the trail left behind.

Su Yun was injured along the way and walked with great difficulty, stumbling and falling, not knowing how long she had been walking.

The wooden stick she used for self-defense had become her personal crutch. She walked forward with her feet sinking into the deep forest, completely unaware that she had already stepped into the heart of the forest.

Su Yun walked a distance before realizing she was lost. She looked around and saw that the terrain was low-lying, extremely damp, and covered with lush vegetation. The trees intertwined, making the whole forest seem very dark.

"Sigh, we're lost." Su Yun originally wanted to go around that ravine, but he didn't expect to be unable to find his way out even after wandering around for a long time.

In this deep forest, due to the tall trees and dense canopies, sunlight is rarely seen throughout the year.

The woods were unusually dark, with shadowy trees casting long, menacing shadows that resembled menacing ghosts, making it exceptionally frightening.

Su Yun listened intently, and occasionally, from the dense forest around him, came a strange "coo-coo-squeak-squeak" sound, always coming out of nowhere.

Each time, Su Yun would be so frightened that her nerves would tense up instantly, gripping the sickle and standing frozen in place, afraid to move, until the sound stopped and the surroundings returned to calm.

Then, like a timid mouse just emerging from its hole, Su Yun cautiously peeked out, carefully observing the direction from which the sound came. Only after confirming that there was nothing unusual did he feel relieved and, dragging his injured leg, slowly groped his way out.

Su Yun had been walking for an unknown amount of time. She was exhausted and hungry. Just as she was hesitating about whether to find a place to rest, a long-tailed sparrow suddenly darted out from the bushes, flapping its wings and flying over Su Yun's head. This time, the close contact startled her so much that she almost screamed.

Ah! Su Yun covered her mouth, swallowing back the scream.

He let out a breath. Sigh, his nerves were suddenly on edge, and no one could stand it! Su Yun was almost driven crazy by his own divine physique.

Su Yun sighed again, regretting why she had chased the pheasant into the woods and why she hadn't been watching where she was going.

This time even a little wild sparrow scared me. Serves me right, sigh.

Su Yun struggled to support her sprained ankle and continued walking forward. Just before she was about to leave, she suddenly felt a sense of danger and glanced out of the corner of her eye at the bushes from which the wild birds had flown. Then she noticed an unusual, low, and shadowy figure.

The figure almost blended into the shadow of the bushes, and could not be spotted without careful observation.

Su Yun's heart skipped a beat; it was a lurking wild wolf.

We can't alert them. Could it be that we've accidentally wandered into their territory?

We need to leave quickly before the other side launches an attack.

Su Yun pretended nothing had happened, gripped the sickle tightly in his hand, and slowly moved forward.

She walked a distance, but the wolf did not attack. Just as she was about to breathe a sigh of relief, she accidentally caught a glimpse of the wolf still hiding in a clump of bushes not far from her, watching her every move closely.

Su Yun's heart tightened. Enduring the pain from her twisted ankle, she quickened her pace, leaning on her crutches. She stumbled along, walking several hundred meters.

Behind them, all was still quiet; there was no sound or attack.

They must have shaken them off?

Su Yun held a sliver of hope, yet dared not let her guard down. She cautiously stopped, pretending to rest against a large tree, while secretly observing her surroundings.

really!

The wolf was still there, hidden in an inconspicuous low bush!

The wolf was crouching low, its dark fur almost blending into the shadows of the bushes, making it virtually impossible to spot.

What? !

This wild wolf actually followed her the whole way?

It seems she didn't accidentally wander into the wolf's territory; rather, the wolf had been eyeing her injured state for some time, following her and waiting for the right opportunity to attack.

What should we do?

Fine beads of sweat appeared on Su Yun's forehead, and she began to panic.

Not only was she injured, but she was also targeted by wild wolves. She didn't know if it was just one or a pack, or how long they had been following her. Were they planning to make her their lunch?

Su Yun's heart leaped into her throat. Her hands instinctively gripped the wooden stick tightly, and her body trembled slightly. No, no, she couldn't panic. She had to stay calm, she absolutely had to stay calm. She had to observe carefully first!

Su Yun let out a soft breath, trying to slow her breathing and calm herself down. Then, dragging her injured foot, she pretended to be fine and continued to walk slowly forward, leaning on her cane.

She pretended nothing was wrong and hurried on her way, while secretly observing her surroundings and thinking of a way to escape.

Su Yun walked slowly for a while, observed for a while, and finally confirmed that there were no other wolf companions around.

Before me is a lone wolf!

Moreover, according to her observation, the wolf looked rather thin, which is why it kept following her, waiting for an opportunity to strike, rather than attacking when they met.

Su Yun guessed that he probably wanted to wait until she was exhausted and defenseless before pouncing on her from behind and biting her neck off in one go.

Thinking of this, Su Yun couldn't help but shrink his neck. He didn't know how long it had been following him. If it weren't for the lark that suddenly flew out, he really wouldn't have been able to find its trail. Then he continued to walk foolishly by himself until he was exhausted. This wolf was really patient!

Thinking of this, Su Yun couldn't help but shudder, fearing that it would be difficult to shake off this wolf.

Wolves have always been known as very resilient and intelligent animals. Once they are targeted, escaping is not an easy task.

Fortunately, it was just a lone wolf. If it had encountered a pack of wolves, Su Yun would probably be dead by now.

Although Su Yun was filled with panic, she didn't show it on her face. She quietly observed the situation without making a sound. She saw that the wolf was quite thin, about the size of an ordinary hunting dog, with grayish-brown fur that almost blended into the surrounding shadows. It was almost impossible to notice without careful observation. If Su Yun's foot hadn't been injured, she could have fought back with all her might, but now...

Su Yun had injured her foot and had been walking for a long time, leaving her exhausted and fatigued...

No, she couldn't keep going blindly like this. She had already lost her way and had been walking for a long time. If she continued, it would truly be a dead end.

So she tried her best to move to an open space, then held a wooden stick in one hand and a sickle in the other, and stood with her back against a thick tree. She had an injury on her foot and could not climb the tree, and she did not know if the wolf could climb trees, so she could only press her back against the tree trunk to protect her back from being attacked.

We have no choice but to take a gamble!

After Su Yun stood still, he tried his best to calm himself down, staring intently at the spot where the wolf was lurking.

Su Yun's gaze met the wolf's without warning; her eyes were firm and fearless.

When the wolf saw Su Yun suddenly stop, raise his weapon, and face it, it knew it had been discovered and stopped trying to hide.

Two faint green lights shone from the shadows of the bushes, revealing a wolf with fierce eyes and sharp fangs.

Su Yun was equally defiant. He raised the wooden stick in his hand and slammed it heavily on the ground, kicking up a cloud of sand. He shouted threateningly, "Damn it! Get out of here, you beast!"

Caught off guard by the shout, the wolf shuddered slightly upon seeing Su Yun's ferocious expression, then slowly retreated and disappeared behind the bushes.

They left so easily?

Su Yun dared not let his guard down any longer, still gripping his weapon tightly and guarding his back, maintaining this posture for more than ten minutes—

Then Su Yun discovered its tracks again. It hadn't gone far, but instead, taking advantage of her inattention, it silently circled around from the side. A pair of fluorescent green eyes were lurking in the shadows, staring intently at her flaws.

After being spotted by Su Yun again, it moved nimbly, flicked its tail, and changed its position. Then, it stared at her intently from the inconspicuous shadows for more than ten minutes until she was exhausted and shouted to stop it. Then it turned around and slipped away, only to move to another place...

Wolves are known for their tenacity. Once they have identified a target, they rarely give up halfway, unless they are killed or seriously injured.

The wolf in front of her was very clever. It knew that a direct attack would not be effective. It slowly approached Su Yun by taking roundabout routes, in order to exhaust her energy and find her weakness.

Su Yun originally wanted to make a desperate attempt, but the wolf was very patient in playing a war of attrition with her, slowly and patiently waiting for her to become mentally and physically exhausted.

whoosh whoosh—

Su Yun's breathing became slow and heavy; unknowingly, he was already at his limit.

She leaned against the tree, panting heavily. The long period of mental tension had left her extremely exhausted, and she could barely hold the wooden stick in her hand. Seeing her fatigue, the wolf quickly seized the opportunity. Its eyes gleamed with a sinister light, and then it bent its hind legs slightly and lunged forward at Su Yun. Su Yun reacted extremely quickly, dodging the wolf's attack.

In his haste to dodge, Su Yun lost the support of the tree trunk, and his injured foot throbbed with pain. "Hiss—"

Su Yun felt a sharp pain in her foot and couldn't support herself, so she fell to the ground.

Seeing her fall, the wolf seized the opportunity to pounce again. Su Yun, disregarding everything else, hurriedly dragged her injured leg and retreated rapidly, trying to find new support to cover her back. But the wolf didn't give her a chance, lunging forward and biting her calf before she could dodge. Its sharp teeth dug deep into her flesh, causing Su Yun excruciating pain. Immediately, she raised her wood-chopping knife and, without hesitation, slashed at the wolf's body.

The wolf, in pain, went berserk, bared its teeth, and pounced on Su Yun. Su Yun retaliated with a blow from his staff.

The man and the wolf began to fight.

In the chaos, Su Yun pulled out a fruit knife for self-defense and stabbed the wolf repeatedly. The wolf also lunged at Su Yun fiercely...

How could a delicate modern human withstand the battle-hardened wolves of the apocalypse? Su Yun was attacked and bitten, his body covered in wounds and bleeding profusely, and he was about to die.

Just then, a dark figure finally arrived, rushing out of the forest like lightning. A flash of cold light appeared, and a pair of sharp claws emerged from the armor sheath, plunging deep into the wolf's neck. In the blink of an eye, the wolf's life was over. The wolf's head lolled to one side, and it slumped to the side, revealing Ye Feng's worried face.

Very good!

Finally rescued! Su Yun had almost thought she was going to die here. Seeing that Ye Feng had finally arrived at the last moment, Su Yun could finally relax. She then let go of the dagger in her hand and fell to the ground.

Su Yun, weak and lying on the ground, was covered in wounds and blood, a truly gruesome sight. Seeing that it was Ye Feng who had arrived, Su Yun finally broke down in tears, sobbing, "Ye Feng! Waaah! Where have you been? I've been looking for you for so long, I almost died..."

Seeing Su Yun crying loudly with blood and tears on her face, Ye Feng was at a loss. Su Yun's clothes were torn and she looked covered in blood and wounds. He wanted to hug her, but he was afraid of touching her wounds. He stood there, not knowing what to do.

Su Yun was injured and exhausted. Finally, he saw Ye Feng.

Overwhelmed with mixed emotions, she sobbed, "Waaah, I thought I'd never see you again... I've been looking for you for so, so long..."

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..."

"Waaaaah...it hurts so much...I almost died..."

Upon learning that Su Yun had been injured while searching for him, Ye Feng felt a pang of guilt and heartache, and stammered an apology: "I, I... I'm so sorry... It's my fault... I shouldn't have left..."

"Waaaaah... You're finally here... I thought I'd never see you again."

"I--"

"Waaaah... I want to go home..."

Su Yun was finally rescued.

Although she was covered in wounds, having fought with the wolf and been bitten several times by its sharp teeth, the deepest wound on her calf had even torn off a piece of flesh, and the wound was bleeding profusely, which was quite frightening. However, this was not the time to cry.

Su Yun cried for a while, then forced herself to stop crying. Her voice was trembling with sobs, but she decisively ordered Ye Feng, "Take off your shirt and tear it into strips. Use it to stop the bleeding."

Su Yun first had Ye Feng tear her shirt into strips with his sharp claws.

Upon hearing this, Ye Feng did as he was told without hesitation. He quickly took off his shirt, tore it into strips, and handed them to Su Yun.

Su Yun's calf had a piece of flesh bitten off, the wound almost exposing the bone, and now the blood was flowing non-stop—the situation was very bad.

Seeing the amount of bleeding, Su Yun could only immediately tie a strip of cloth tightly around the area near the wound. This is an arterial hemostasis method used in emergencies, which stops the bleeding by blocking the arterial blood flow near the wound and can be life-saving in critical moments.

After bandaging the wound, Su Yun wrapped the entire wound with a piece of cloth and simply bandaged it. This was a method of stopping bleeding by applying pressure to the wound.

"Night Breeze, help me pick some tender mugwort leaves, and if you have any hemostatic herbs, pick some too." She then directed Night Breeze to pick mugwort nearby. The tender shoots of mugwort also have hemostatic properties, but since she didn't have the tools to crush them, Su Yun could only endure the bitterness of the mugwort, chewing it haphazardly and applying it to her arms and thighs. Saliva contains antifungal agents, which can disinfect in emergencies. In addition, saliva can slightly stimulate the closure of skin wounds, but it has little effect on large wounds. Su Yun didn't care about that now; she applied the chewed mugwort hemostatic herbs to the wounds, and then, with Night Breeze's help, wrapped them with cloth strips. Basically, all the areas with significant bleeding on her body were simply bandaged.

Su Yun let out a soft breath, enduring the excruciating pain, and moved her foot with difficulty. Because of the forced movement, her foot injury was getting worse and worse. It was now swollen like a steamed bun, and every movement caused excruciating pain.

Su Yun took a deep breath, trying to control the contorted expression on his face caused by pain. He forced a smile at Ye Feng, who was full of worry, and said in a relaxed tone, "Ha, I'm finally half-dead. Thank goodness you're here."

Seeing that she was so badly injured, her face contorted in pain, yet she still pretended to be nonchalant and comforted him as he worried and blamed himself, a warm feeling welled up in Ye Feng's eyes. Ye Feng rubbed his reddened eyes and gently shook his head. He was filled with guilt. If Su Yun hadn't come out to find him, she wouldn't have been injured, and she wouldn't have almost died. All of this happened because of him.

Because of him, Su Yun almost died.

Thinking of this, his heart ached slightly. Looking at Su Yun's pale and fragile face due to excessive blood loss, he opened his mouth, wanting to apologize.

But Su Yun seemed to see right through him and stopped him from speaking: "Don't say sorry. Without you, I would have died long ago."

Ye Feng shook his head again, looking at Su Yun covered in blood, his heart ached as if someone had squeezed it hard.

He almost lost her forever.

God knows how panicked he was the moment he smelled blood and saw the wolf; he was terrified that he would see a figure lying in a pool of blood.

The thought of that scene made his heart sink into water...

He shook his head, trying to banish those images and those terrible thoughts from his mind. He made a decision in his heart: nothing would hurt him more than Su Yun dying like this.

Even if he is hated and loathed, he will never leave again, unless... unless... she doesn't want him anymore...

Thinking of this, Ye Feng forcefully held back the tears that were about to spill from his eyes, bent down and picked up the battered Su Yun, and whispered, "I'm sorry, don't hate me, I will never leave again."

Upon hearing this, Su Yun was taken aback at first, but then she suddenly understood. She relaxed her tightly furrowed brows with a sigh of relief and gently smiled.

"This is wonderful. Night Breeze, I've finally found you."

She looked up, reached out and gently hooked her arm around Ye Feng's neck, nestling her head in his neck. Listening to his heartbeat, Su Yun felt a sense of relief. It was wonderful; she had finally found her cat.

Su Yun buried her face in the soft fur of Ye Feng's neck and took a deep breath. She then wiped away the tears that welled up in her eyes, and finally looked up at Ye Feng with a smile, saying, "Ye Feng, let's go home together."

Ye Feng lowered his head and reached out to hug the fragile girl in his arms tightly, as if she were a rare treasure. His gaze towards the girl was gentle as water, and his voice was deep and melodious. He said, "Okay, Su Yun, let's go home together."