Proper arrangements

The time to leave has come.

Ling Zhan's gaze fell on the figures frolicking by the beast pool.

Frostblade was clumsily lunging at the golden-brown monkey, but the monkey nimbly dodged to the side.

Instead, it took the opportunity to tug at the tip of Frostblade's fluffy tail, which made the wolf cub turn around and chase after it angrily.

Lan Ying lay quietly on the warm edge of the pool.

Its wet, grayish-blue fur clung tightly to its body.

Amber eyes follow the playful companions, occasionally extending a claw to lazily stir the misty pool water.

The golden-brown monkey seemed to sense the heavy atmosphere of parting in the air.

She abruptly stopped playing, her small figure frozen in place, looking up in Ling Zhan's direction.

Those eyes, which always sparkled with curiosity and cleverness, now clearly reflected worry and reluctance.

Ling Zhan had no more hesitation. She walked towards the warm boulder beside the spring.

The White Wolf King was lying there, seemingly asleep, his massive body rising and falling slightly with his breathing.

Sensing her approach, those golden eyes slowly opened, calmly meeting her gaze.

Without words, a profound and tacit trust flowed silently between man and wolf.

"The Wolf King."

Ling Zhan's voice was deep and resonant, penetrating the howling wind and reaching straight into the soul. His gaze swept over the wolf cubs and monkeys playing not far away.

"The monkeys will have enough food here to last until the snow melts. You will have to find your own meat. I must return to the human village."

The wolf king let out a low growl, as if he had already anticipated her decision.

Its gaze shifted to Frostblade and Storm Shadow, filled with deep longing, before finally returning to Ling Zhan's face with a silent inquiry.

Ling Zhan slowly shook his head, pointing to the two wolf cubs.

"They are too small. They can't withstand the arduous journey over mountains, deep snow, and bitter cold. The monkeys' food... is enough for them to survive the winter."

She paused, her gaze becoming as solemn as a rock, as if she were making a blood oath.

“I’m leaving them here. Entrusting them to you, and to the monkey troop. They… are the bond that holds this place together.”

Her gaze swept over the monkeys shivering in the cold wind, yet still diligently searching for the last remaining berries in the crevices of the rocks by the hot spring.

The White Wolf King's deep golden eyes gazed at Ling Zhan.

It was as if I was weighing the weight of every word she spoke, feeling the heavy entrustment she was carrying.

After a long while, it slowly and solemnly nodded its enormous head.

That action carried the promise and responsibility of a king.

It raised its head and let out a deep, long howl that pierced through the howling wind and snow and echoed far and wide.

The wolves on guard stopped moving, the monkeys foraging nearby quieted down, and countless eyes turned toward the spring.

A silent response is the strongest guarantee.

Ling Zhan said no more and turned to silently prepare his luggage.

A bamboo basket reinforced repeatedly with tough old vines, lined with the thickest and softest animal hides. Several pieces of roasted, hardened, and best-preserved meat, a small packet of precious, gold-like salt, a dagger gleaming with a cold light, and a small piece of ore carefully wrapped in multiple layers of animal hides, shimmering with a strange, dark blue light—she had dug it deep within the hot spring, warm to the touch, harder than iron, and containing some indescribable energy.

She left most of the dried meat and edible tubers stored in the cave and neatly arranged them in the most conspicuous position in the center of the cave.

The journey began on a clear morning when the snow had stopped and the sky was just beginning to lighten.

The leaden clouds still hung low, making it hard to breathe.

The howling wind that had raged all night had subsided, leaving only a bone-chilling cold.

The steam rising from the hot spring was thicker than usual, condensing into tiny ice crystals in the crisp air, drifting down slowly like dust.

Wolves and monkeys.

They spontaneously gathered on the high ground at the edge of the depression, standing silently—

My gaze followed the departing black figure.

Frostblade and Storm Shadow seemed to have a premonition of something.

It paced anxiously around Ling Zhan's legs, rubbing its wet nose against her trouser leg, and letting out a pitiful and fearful whimper.

Ling Zhan squatted down and, one last time, vigorously rubbed their furry heads, which carried the unique milky scent of young animals and the sulfurous aroma of hot springs.

I buried my face deep into their warm, soft neck fur and took a deep breath of the scent that was infused with the essence of life.

When he looked up again, his dark eyes had regained their composure.

She gently pushed the two wolf cubs toward the wolf king.

The wolf king let out a low growl.

The two gentlest and strongest female wolves immediately stepped forward.

With gentle yet irresistible movements, it seized the wolf cubs by the scruff of their necks and carried them away from Ling Zhan's side.

The golden-brown monkey sat quietly on a warm rock damp with mist, its small figure almost swallowed by the white fog.

It watched quietly as Ling Zhan packed her bags and as she bid farewell to the wolf cub.

Complex emotions surged within those bright, expressive eyes:

The fear of the unknown journey and the reluctance to part with the warm spring and playmates eventually transformed into an almost stubborn, do-or-die determination.

Just as Ling Zhan shouldered his pack, tightened the vines, and prepared to step out of the depression—

"Chirp—!"

A short, sharp cry tore through the heavy air!

Like a golden lightning bolt that had been gathering momentum, the golden-brown monkey suddenly shot down from the rock!

It used all four limbs to run wildly across the cold frozen ground and gravel at an astonishing speed!

Under the watchful eyes of Ling Zhan, the wolf pack, and the monkey troop, it did not hesitate at all and leaped with all its might using a low rock nearby!

The small body drew a precise arc in the air and landed steadily and resolutely in the rattan basket on Ling Zhan's back!

It curled up on the thick animal skin cushion, with only its fluffy, golden-brown head showing.

A pair of incredibly bright eyes were fixed on Ling Zhan's face, which was inches away from his.

Its small chest heaved violently, and it made rapid, firm "chirp! chirp!" sounds from its throat.

Those eyes, those cries, were a silent cry:

"Take me with you!"

This sudden action plunged the entire depression into a brief silence.

The wolf king slightly raised its enormous head, a deep and unfathomable light flashing in its golden pupils.

Ling Zhan paused, turned his head, and looked at the little guy in the basket on his back.

She stretched out her fingers, the tips carrying the chill of the mountain peak, and gently brushed across the soft, silky golden-brown fur on the little monkey's head.

The little monkey immediately stretched out its icy little paws and tightly hugged her fingers, the force carrying an undeniable dependence and determination.

It is more agile than a wolf cub and more adapted to following humans; it is clever enough to perhaps provide cover for her to blend into the crowd…

More importantly, it chose her, in such a resolute way.

A faint, almost imperceptible warmth quietly rippled in Ling Zhan's deep, still eyes.

She looked into the little monkey's eyes, which seemed to say, "Take me away."

The sound wasn't loud, yet it clearly pierced through the drifting icy mist, echoing in the silent hollow:

"Okay. Come with me."

She paused, her gaze falling on the little monkey's golden-brown fur, which shimmered even in the dim light.

From now on, your name will be 'Jinbao'.

“Jinbao…”

She repeated it in a low voice, as if confirming the name for the last time, or as if leaving a silent mark of a contract.

The little monkey in the basket, Jinbao, seemed to understand.

It released its paws from Ling Zhan's fingers, its small body rubbing contentedly against the warm animal skin cushion, finding the most comfortable position, and curling up peacefully, leaving only its eyes alertly darting around, observing the world outside where a snowstorm was about to break.

Ling Zhan slung his bag over his shoulder.

The last gaze fell upon the white wolf king, upon the two white and gray-blue wolf cubs being carried by their mother, still struggling and whimpering in vain, and upon the monkeys shivering in the cold wind, their eyes filled with confusion, reluctance, and a hint of new responsibility.

"Stay home for me."

Her voice wasn't loud, but it was like a cold, hard stone thrown into stagnant air, carrying immense power and an unquestionable entrustment.

His gaze swept over Frostblade and Storm Shadow once more. "Wait for me to come back."

The White Wolf King slowly rose and walked with steady, mountain-like steps to the two wolf cubs who were still whimpering and struggling in their mother's mouth.

Its massive head lowered, and with a warm tongue, it solemnly licked the foreheads of Frostblade and Storm Shadow, one by one, with an almost sacred solemnity. Then, it raised its head, its golden eyes gazing intently at Ling Zhan, and a deep, resonant howl emanated from its throat, seemingly capable of piercing through time and space.

The howl, imbued with ancient power and promise, resonated for a long time in the cold air.

Then, it did something that made all the living beings present hold their breath—

With its enormous nose, carrying an irresistible yet gentle strength, it gently nudged the two wolf cubs, slowly and firmly pushing them toward the older, sparsely haired female monkey who had once carried the old monkey.

The mother monkey was taken aback at first, and a trace of instinctive panic flashed in her cloudy eyes.

He then seemed to understand the wolf king's intentions and this weighty entrustment.

It let out a few short, soothing cries from its throat!

With unprecedented courage and gentleness, she stretched out her sparse gray hair and weathered arms, and carefully and tentatively embraced the approaching Frostblade and Storm Shadow, who were still trembling slightly.

The other older monkeys immediately gathered around, their initial surprise replaced by a newfound sense of responsibility.

They stretched out their furry hands, with the gentle touch characteristic of monkeys, and curiously and soothingly touched the wolf cub's fur.

It made a low, lullaby-like murmur.

Frostblade seemed bewildered by the mixture of the unfamiliar monkey scent and the warmth of the hot spring; its struggles lessened, and it blinked its wet blue eyes blankly. Storm Shadow was quieter, even sticking out its pink little tongue to gently lick the mother monkey's wrinkled fingers.

The wolf pack stood silently, without any disturbance, offering only a quiet testimony.

Ling Zhan nodded slightly but solemnly to the White Wolf King, without any further hesitation.

The figure resolutely plunged into the depression beyond the leaden sky, into the vast, desolate expanse where a snowstorm was imminent.

One step deep, one step shallow.

Her footprints and the faint trails left by the wicker basket behind her were quickly covered by the drifting snow blown up by the howling wind, and then mercilessly buried by even finer, colder snowflakes. From the direction of the mountain peak behind her, a young wolf's tender yet long howl faintly echoed, piercing through the wind and snow, carrying an intense longing and yearning, reverberating for a long time in the vast and desolate天地 (heaven and earth).

Inside the basket, Jinbao shrank back nervously and let out a trembling "chirp".

Ling Zhan did not turn around.

He simply raised his hand, with a hint of awkwardness yet determination, and gently patted the outside of the basket.

The journey home did not entirely follow the path taken on the way there.

As we rounded a massive, steep, and precipitous mountain wall riddled with jagged rocks, a deep, guttural roar, as if emanating from the depths of the earth, pierced through the deathly silence of the forest wind, growing louder and closer!

The rocks beneath our feet trembled slightly with the continuous roar, carrying a sense of overwhelming, destructive, and violent power.

Following the sound, Ling Zhan parted a thicket of thorns covered in sharp icicles. The sudden, open view before her caused her pupils to contract sharply!

A raging river, not yet completely frozen!

Like a giant silver serpent breaking free from the shackles of the mountains, it roared and swooped down from the dark, icy ravine that was impossible to climb!

The river, carrying immense power, surged, squeezed, and tore apart everything in its path in the narrow, dramatically shallow channel! The source of this river must be connected to the water system near her mountain peak secret realm. Its ferocity, power, and destructive force far surpass the gentle streams that nourish the village at the foot of the mountain!

Ling Zhan stood on the edge of a slippery, snow-covered boulder high above, a strong wind whipping at her face with icy, biting moisture, causing her clothes to flutter wildly. Her sharp, hawk-like gaze, like the most sophisticated detection instrument, scanned the raging "river of clouds" inch by inch.

We were already halfway up the mountain, and the chill was slightly less than at the summit.

If a flesh and blood body were caught in it, it would probably be instantly reduced to dust, leaving no trace of its remains.

However, a thought, like a thunderclap piercing the chaos, suddenly exploded in her icy mind—

What if we could go downstream with this rapid?!

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