Chapter 31 Instinct
The people who climbed into the cars drove off without looking back, and three of the four cars were gone in the blink of an eye. The only one left was because the keys were with Li Xiaojun, and no one else could drive it.
Caught off guard, Li Xiaojun was pushed by his relative and stumbled. Luckily, he was young and strong; after rolling on the ground, he quickly got up, and the wooden stick he had grabbed became his only weapon for survival. Li Xiaojun brandished the stick as he backed away towards the car.
His heart pounded in his throat, his temples throbbed, and large beads of sweat rolled down his face. He was panting heavily, his face deathly pale. He had never encountered such a terrifying situation in his life. Without weapons and the protection of his house, he was so close to death.
At that moment, regret and remorse filled his mind. He kept thinking: If only I hadn't left home today, if only I hadn't gone to save that ingrate...
However, no matter how much he regrets it, time cannot be turned back, and the predicament remains.
The giant wolf, its skin scorched by the flames on the stick, looked at it warily, yet reluctant to part with Li Xiaojun, this piece of easy prey. Li Xiaojun took a step back, and the wolf immediately followed suit, taking a step forward.
Even through the fire stick, Li Xiaojun could smell the stench of the wolf's mouth. He believed that if the wolf got the chance, it would bite off his throat without hesitation. Fortunately, he wasn't far from the car; after taking a few steps back, his back hit the car door. Pulling open the door, Li Xiaojun threw the stick at the giant wolf, then quickly climbed back into the car and closed the door.
The stick arced through the air before crashing to the ground, sending sparks flying. The giant wolf sprang to its side, dodging the stick. Finding it harmless, it actually walked over and sniffed it.
The moment the car door closed, Li Xiaojun's tense nerves finally relaxed for a moment. Cold sweat poured down his body; heaven knows how terrifying that moment had been. No wonder his father-in-law ran away without looking back; in those few short seconds of confrontation with the giant wolf, his legs had been shaking uncontrollably. If he hadn't gotten into the car, who knows what might have happened.
Li Xiaojun's hands trembled as he fumbled for the keys and struggled to start the car. The moment the headlights came on, he felt his soul finally drift back to him. All he wanted now was to leave as quickly as possible; he never wanted to face the mutated wolves again.
However, his legs were too weak, and he couldn't press the brake pedal. The car only had power, but hadn't actually started. In despair, he cursed, "You heartless bastard!"
He now understood what it meant to repay kindness with enmity. He had taken such good care of that relative all this time, yet when he risked his life to save him, he was instead pushed into a pack of wolves.
It's impossible to be a good person in this world anymore; good people don't get good rewards, and they die young.
Anger gave him courage, and his weak foot finally stepped on the brake. As the car key turned again, the car engine finally roared to life.
Li Xiaojun breathed a sigh of relief. Just then, he felt a cold gaze fixed on him from outside the window. Turning his head, he saw the giant wolf staring back at him through the window. The wolf's eyes glowed green, its emerald pupils like two requiem lamps, sending chills down Li Xiaojun's spine.
It's about to pounce! Li Xiaojun's heart, which had just settled down, jumped into his throat again.
However, the giant wolf gave Li Xiaojun a cold look, then turned and ran to the side.
Li Xiaojun looked in the direction the giant wolf was heading, and after just one glance, he felt his blood freeze. The wolf was heading towards Qianqian and her daughter, and what was most terrifying was that there was another giant wolf approaching from behind them.
Qianqian and her daughter stared blankly in the direction the convoy had left, their eyes unfocused and disoriented, having given up all resistance. They slumped to the ground, huddled together, completely oblivious to the two giant wolves approaching behind them.
The mother-in-law's expression was numb, and she muttered to herself, "What a cruel heart... so cruel..."
She and her husband had been married for over thirty years and were considered a model couple by their relatives and friends. Before today, she always thought her husband was the most responsible man in the world, but when disaster struck, he abandoned her and their daughter without hesitation.
It's ridiculous. Blood ties and marital affection are nothing compared to the test of life and death.
If her mother-in-law was deeply affected, Qianqian was even more devastated. She watched helplessly as the family who had always cherished her abandoned her; the immense contrast left her feeling dizzy. She closed her eyes and prayed that this was just a nightmare, and that everything would return to normal when she woke up.
No matter how much she prayed or pinched herself, all she saw when she opened her eyes was a dark, winding mountain road. Qianqian stroked her belly, and the baby inside her moved restlessly with excitement.
Feeling the baby's movements, Qianqian burst into tears.
In a few months, she will become a mother. She should have been the happiest mother in the world, but now she has been abandoned by her family and is on the run for her life.
Cao Qian and her daughter's surrender only alerted the two wolves, who crouched low and cautiously approached them. As they drew closer, the wolves realized they were just two terrified prey, no different from the sheep they usually ate.
After testing the waters, the two wolves arched their backs, preparing to leap up.
Just then, the sounds of cars accelerating and braking rang out, followed by a loud bang, as a silver-gray sedan powerfully rammed into the mother and daughter from behind, sending the two wolves flying.
The impact was so powerful that the car's windshield shattered. One of the wolves, unable to dodge in time, was hit and howled a few times before falling lifeless. The other wolf, having jumped aside before the impact, bared its sharp teeth at the car, revealing its ferocious nature.
Li Xiaojun blocked the wolf and his wife with his car, and shouted through the car window in a trembling voice, "Get in the car! Get in the car!"
The mother-in-law looked up in disbelief: "Xiaojun..." She never expected that at this crucial moment, it would be her son-in-law, whom she usually looked down upon, who would step forward.
Qianqian's lifeless eyes suddenly lit up. She touched her belly and felt a surge of strength. "Mom, give me a hand, let's get in the car together!"
She didn't want to die, and she couldn't die. Her baby hadn't been born yet, hadn't seen its parents, and she couldn't give up so easily.
The mother-in-law quickly helped Qianqian to her feet: "Let's walk." Just as her hand touched the car door, a drop of warm water suddenly fell onto the back of her hand.
The heavy breathing of a wild beast came from above, and the mother-in-law and Qianqian trembled as they looked up. There stood a giant wolf on the roof of the car, looking down at them.
The mother-in-law trembled violently; she tried to scream, but only a weak breath escaped her lips. Qianqian was so frightened that her body went limp; she stared blankly at the giant wolf on the roof of the car.
It's over.
The two words uncontrollably popped into her mind: she and her mother were going to be eaten by wolves.
Just as the giant wolf was about to jump off the roof, a pale blue streak of light flew swiftly from west to east. This light was only a foot long, and it silently and irresistibly pierced through the giant wolf's head.
“哢”
A blue streak of light pierced through the giant wolf's skull, shattering it and sending red and white fragments flying out. The wolf's body jerked violently, its limbs stiffening as it leaned towards the direction the streak of light was heading. The streak of light, however, did not falter because of this small obstacle; it continued its flight forward.
The enormous wolf body crashed heavily to the ground from the roof of the vehicle with a dull thud, and crimson blood flowed out, forming large black patches on the ground.
Qianqian, still in shock, screamed while clutching her head. Just then, Li Xiaojun shouted, "Get in the car! Hurry up!"
As if waking from a dream, the mother and daughter quickly climbed into the car and closed the door. The silver-gray sedan honked its horn and sped off northward. At that very moment, the vines that had been binding the giant wolf loosened, and more than a dozen wolves swarmed forward, chasing the car northward.
Li Xiaojun saw the relentless pack of wolves in his rearview mirror and his scalp tingled with fear. He floored the accelerator, not daring to look back. If they caught up, his family would likely be reduced to nothing.
Jiang Rong witnessed the entire scene. She never expected Li Xiaojun to save his family at such a crucial moment; she had thought he would abandon his wife and children and run away. For that reason alone, Li Xiaojun was at least a man.
Watching the car disappear quickly down the mountain road, Jiang Rong turned to Guan Shao and nodded: "Not bad archery."
The mutated wolves had thick hides and tough flesh, so ordinary crossbows and arrows couldn't harm them at all. But crossbows and arrows imbued with lightning power were a different story. With the enhancement of lightning, the crossbows and arrows were dozens of times more powerful than before, and penetrating their bodies was a piece of cake. It was the crossbow and arrows fired by Guan Shao that killed the mutated wolf on the roof of the car.
Guan Shao could shoot a giant wolf dozens of meters away from the top of a tree, while he could only shoot prey within twenty meters on flat ground. When he got back, he would ask Guan Shao for advice on how he could use a crossbow and arrows so skillfully.
Guan Shao put down his bow and crossbow and stared in the direction the car had gone: "Not bad."
Actually, this arrow was originally intended for Li Xiaojun. If he abandoned his wife, children, and elderly parents to escape, Guan Shaohui would not hesitate to pull the trigger and shoot the car.
Jiang Rong looked north with a deep gaze: "We can go back now."
He only wanted to teach Li Xiaojun and his group a lesson, but he didn't expect the mutated wolves to suddenly appear. However, this was even more effective; as long as Li Xiaojun and his group remembered the terrifying moment they had experienced today, they would at least not dare to turn back rashly.
In addition, the appearance of the mutated wolf has turned the existing rifts among the group into an irreparable rift, making it impossible for the team to return to its original state.
For a team to survive in the wild, unity and trust are paramount. Although Li Xiaojun and his group seem to have escaped, the real test is just beginning. In the journey ahead, they have no supplies, no trust, and no help from those with superpowers… whether they can reach the base alive depends entirely on their luck.
Suddenly, an explosion came from the north. Looking in the direction of the sound, flashes of fire appeared in the mountains to the north. The howls of wolves came from the north, sending chills down one's spine.
Jiang Rong frowned slightly: "Li Xiaojun and the others have been caught by a pack of wolves?"
Even the most terrifying mutated wolf can't outrun a car, right? He at least bought Li Xiaojun half a minute to escape. Given the urgency of the situation, if he were Li Xiaojun, he would have floored the accelerator without wasting a single second.
Guan Shao shook his head: "The distance is wrong."
Jiang Rong nodded thoughtfully. Li Xiaojun and his group had just set off and hadn't reached the location of the explosion yet. The northern highway had several consecutive curves, and out-of-town drivers could easily plunge off if they were traveling too fast. Those who had set off earlier weren't familiar with the roads, and their panic combined with the darkness made it difficult to see the road clearly, so it was normal for their vehicles to lose control.
But how do we explain the wolf howling?
Guan Shao analyzed, "It's possible that the car that set off earlier was blocked by the wolf pack."
Wolves are highly skilled at ambush. Although they have been domesticated by humans for a long time, their genes are ingrained in their bones, teaching them how to surround and trap prey. A good leader will assign tasks to the pack, including ambushing, driving, and surrounding.
It's possible that those who set off earlier ran right into the wolf pack's encirclement, and in their panic, crashed into the roadside, causing the vehicle to explode.
However, this is no longer relevant to Jiang Rong and the others; they have already achieved their goal for today.
After climbing down from the treetop, the two headed straight for the military truck. Guan Shao felt around under the engine and found a nail. Li Xiaojun never dreamed that a single nail could cause the engine to lose power.
After closing the hood and turning the key, the military truck started successfully. Guan Shao rolled down the window and called to Jiang Rong, "Jiang Rong, get in."
Jiang Rong stood before the wolf carcass, its head blasted off by Guan Shao's arrow. In the dim light of the campfire, he spotted a blood-stained crystal core in the wolf's blood. The crystal core was about the size of a thumb, a vibrant green that emitted a warm glow.
Upon seeing the crystal core, Jiang Rong felt a surge of desire; he wanted to absorb it. The desire was so intense that he couldn't help but reach out and touch the crystal core.
The crystal core, still warm from the wolf's body, released a familiar power the moment it was held in his hand, flowing into his body. Having just exhausted a large amount of his energy controlling the vines, Jiang Rong felt a comfortable tremor run through every cell of his body as he received this replenishment.
If the time and place hadn't been wrong, he would have absorbed the crystal core completely. Suppressing his longing, Jiang Rong put the crystal core in his pocket.
Seeing Jiang Rong squatting in front of the wolf carcass in a daze, Guan Shao assumed he wanted to take the carcass back. The two wolves weighed four or five hundred pounds, and even after removing their fur and internal organs, there was still a considerable amount of meat left. In this day and age, getting a bite of meat is only getting harder and harder, so it really shouldn't be thrown away.
Guan Shao strode over, carrying the wolf by its hind legs, and headed towards the military truck. The truck was mostly filled with supplies at the back; he jumped in and cleared a space. To prevent the blood from the corpse from soiling the truck, he also laid a layer of plastic bags inside.
After dragging both wolves into the car, Guan Shao called to Jiang Rong again, "Get in the car."
On her way home, Jiang Rong remembered something important: "Do you think those wolves might turn back?"
If those wolves turn the nearby mountains and forests into their territory and patrol them from time to time, wouldn't that be terrible? Not only would Uncle Li and Aunt Li be in danger, but I and my son would also be in trouble.
After thinking for a moment, Guan Shao said, "They should be gray wolves living in the north. They were previously kept in captivity by humans, and now that they are free, they will follow their instincts and head north. However, it is possible that they have adapted to the local climate and environment after mutation. In any case, we should be prepared. If they interfere with our normal lives, we will find a way to get rid of them."
It was late at night when the two arrived home. Guan Shao parked the military truck in the parking lot outside the west wall of the courtyard. As soon as they got out of the car, they heard the familiar music of the Meow Meow Team. Looking up, they saw a tablet on the wall, with Little Fairy leaning against it, her thorns swaying and making a rustling sound as the music played.
Jiang Rong was stunned. What was going on?
Seeing Jiang Rong get out of the car, the fairy waved the ball on her body perfunctorily: "Engineer Jiang".
Jiang Rong: ...
The little fairy looks just like Jiang Xiaoheng, who's engrossed in watching cartoons. The question is, why would a cactus watch cartoons? Did Xiaoheng put cartoons on it?
With a loud bang, Guan Shao opened the back panel of the military truck and unloaded baskets of fruit and supplies from it: "Is there any room at home to store things?"
Jiang Rong snapped out of her daze: "Yes."
The car was mostly filled with fruit, along with a small amount of rice, flour, and gasoline. Jiang Rong decided to accept the fruit and repackage the rice and flour the next morning to deliver to Uncle Li and Aunt Li.
After carrying all the supplies home, Guan Shao dragged the two wolves off the vehicle. "What are you going to do with this vehicle?"
The military truck is working properly, and having it will make future travel much more convenient. However, it's a vehicle that Li Xiaojun and his group used, and if Uncle Li and Aunt Li see it, Jiang Rong won't be able to explain herself.
Jiang Rong understood this principle, and after thinking for a moment, he called out to the fairy, "Fairy, please move aside."
The little fairy stood up straight, its sharp thorns gripping the tablet on the wall. Jiang Rong felt that even if the sky were to fall, nothing could stop the little fairy from watching TV. With the cactus upright, a path appeared between its body and the wall, allowing a military truck to easily drive in.
When the fairy mutated, she happened to be stuck in the middle of his parking lot, with more than ten meters of space behind her for parking. It was perfectly safe for a military truck to park there; no one would be foolish enough to risk being stabbed through by the fairy to investigate.
After the truck stopped, Jiang Rong summoned the kudzu vines to entwine it. In no time, the military truck was completely submerged by the kudzu vines, and unless you looked closely, you wouldn't even notice there was another vehicle underneath.
After observing the surroundings, Guan Shao nodded slightly: "Good place." With the double protection of Ge Teng and Xiao Xiannv, apart from Jiang Rong, no one should be able to drive the military truck out.
With the military truck issue resolved, it was time to deal with the wolf carcass. Looking at the enormous carcass, Jiang Rong felt a bit overwhelmed. In both his lives, aside from killing chickens and fish, he had never handled such a large animal. "This… Guan Shao, do you know how to handle this?"
Guan Shao was clearly experienced: "No problem, I'll find a tree to hang the wolf up first." This would make it easier for him to do it.
As soon as she finished speaking, a dusty gray "pillar" suddenly appeared between the two of them. Upon closer inspection, it was no pillar at all, but a flower pillar extended by the fairy.
The fairy proudly twitched her quills: "There's a problem!"
The two understood the fairy's meaning: she wanted Guan Shao to hang the wolf on the flower pillar. It must be said, the fairy was very thoughtful, but could her flower pillar bear the weight of the wolf's carcass?
Guan Shao jumped up and hugged the flower pillar with both hands. After doing several pull-ups, the seemingly soft flower pillar remained motionless. After confirming that the flower pillar was firm enough, he let go and landed on the ground: "No problem."
After the wolf was hoisted up by the neck, Guan Shao used a knife to make a cut around the bottom of the rope. After loosening the fur around the neck, he pulled the wolf skin down with both hands. A slight pulling sound was heard, and the entire wolf skin came off like a piece of clothing.
Jiang Rong leaned against the wall, quietly watching Guan Shao skin the wolf. Despite the bloody act, Guan Shao's hands remained spotless. His movements were fluid and graceful, a sight to behold.
Just as Jiang Rong was engrossed in watching, a tablet suddenly appeared from the side, blocking his view. A sweet, ingratiating voice rang out: "Jiang Gong~ Jiang Gong~"
The screen displays: You have been watching for five hours, please take a break~
Jiang Rong: ...
He took the tablet and slammed it shut: "You're not allowed to look at it anymore."
The little fairy whimpered and hesitated for a long time before finally uttering three words: "Why?"
Jiang Rong was stunned. The little fairy could actually say other words? Did this mean that as long as it learned systematically, one day it would be able to express its meaning fluently?
So he used the same excuse he used on Jiang Xiaoheng: "Watching TV for too long is bad for your eyes. Besides, if you watch for five hours, even the kittens in the Meow Meow Team will get tired. Okay, how about we watch it tomorrow?"
The fairy twisted her body, remained silent for a moment, and then reluctantly spoke: "There's a problem..."
That voice clearly showed outward obedience but inward rebellion. Jiang Rong smiled gently and said softly, "Little fairy, you're the most obedient and well-behaved. We like you the most. How about you and Brother Xiao Heng study together from now on? You can read books and watch TV every day, okay?"
The little fairy became happy and "popped" a flower: "There's a problem!" Guan Shao, who was dissecting a wolf in front of the flower pillar, was caught off guard and got pollen all over his face.
Guan Shao: ...
Nighttime is the cactus's active time. The little fairy hummed the Meowth team's theme song intermittently, starting her guard duty in a great mood. Every thorn on her body remained alert, and if any foreign object entered her territory, she would not hesitate to launch her sharp thorns.
Seeing the little fairy's joyful expression, Jiang Rong felt a mix of happiness and worry. It was as if his family had gained another child. If the child was raised well, all would be well; if not… there would be a rebellious phase.
Just then, Guan Shao's voice came from beside me: "What are you thinking about?"
Jiang Rong replied softly, "I was thinking about my little fairy's rebellious phase." Children's rebellious phase involves crying, tantrums, threats of suicide, and even running away from home. What would my little fairy be like when she's rebellious? He couldn't bear to imagine.
Guan Shao's expression twisted: "Let nature take its course." After all, no one has ever seen a talking plant before, and Jiang Rong's little fairy is quite an unconventional creature in the world of mutated plants.
As he spoke, he held out his hand to Jiang Rong: "Here you go."
Jiang Rong looked down in confusion: "What is that?"
Guan Shao released his grip, and a warm, hard object landed in Jiang Rong's palm. Jiang Rong's heart skipped a beat—a crystal core! This was the feel of a crystal core. Guan Shao had actually found a crystal core on another wolf.
Guan Shao said gently, "I saw you looking for this just now, and I thought it might be useful to you."
It turned out that Guan Shao had seen his actions just now. Jiang Rong twirled the crystal core in her hand, her eyes filled with complex emotions: "Do you know what this is?"
Guan Shao pondered for a moment: "Crystal core? I've never seen one before, but I've heard of its existence."
Jiang Rong was stunned: "Where did you hear that from?" Could it be that someone in the world was reborn like him and then learned how to use the crystal core?
Guan Shao said seriously, "I have a teammate who is obsessed with novels. I often hear him talking about apocalypse, superpowers, and crystal cores. The great crisis we experienced can be considered another kind of apocalypse. You and I are both superpowered, so I think the appearance of crystal cores is only a matter of time."
Jiang Rong: ...
Guan Shaodao said, "I think the powerful energy inside should be able to be absorbed by those with superpowers."
Jiang Rong responded without denying it. This wasn't his first time encountering crystal cores; he had previously absorbed the crystal core of a mutated ant. But... knowing that crystal cores were useful to ability users, why didn't Guan Shao keep them for himself?
Guan Shao seemed to see the question in Jiang Rong's eyes, and he smiled and said, "The power inside this crystal core is not suitable for me, but I think it is more suitable for you."
Jiang Rong opened his palm, revealing a transparent crystal core the size of a fingernail. He touched it with his supernatural power, and the power within obediently flowed out—power he could easily absorb.
Without prior comparison, he now found the power within the green crystal core in his pocket to be more vibrant and more to his liking. Could it be… that ability users also consider the nature of the crystal core when absorbing it? Should wood-type ability users absorb the power of wood-type crystal cores?
Recalling his experience of absorbing the mutated ant's crystal core, a crack appeared on Jiang Rong's calm face. His breathing became somewhat unsteady: "You were clearly handling crystal cores for the first time, so how do you know so much?"
Guan Shao looked somewhat innocent and puzzled: "Isn't this instinct? For example, if you have a steamed bun and a stone, you can eat the steamed bun, but you can't eat the stone. Isn't it easy to tell them apart at a glance?"
Jiang Rong felt as if she had been stabbed hard. "I'm sorry, I don't have that kind of instinct."
Author's Note:
Guan Shao: Isn't this obvious? Absorbing unsuitable power is like eating something you shouldn't have; isn't that just making things difficult for yourself?
Jiang Rong: I understand the logic, but I just want to know what kind of crystal cores you can absorb.
Old Cat: He doesn't necessarily have to absorb crystal cores; he can climb onto the roof during thunderstorms...
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