Chapter 2 Tank or Savior? "Musk has this... "
Ning Lu gripped his cool wrists tightly with both hands, gazing sincerely into his cold eyes.
"No matter what, let's focus on staying alive first, okay?"
Although the man in front of her wanted her dead, Ning Lu found the wolf pack in front of her to be more terrifying.
“You’re injured, so one person definitely doesn’t have a better chance of winning than two. Let’s cooperate; we can only talk about anything else if we survive.”
The man's gaze swept quickly across her face, still assessing her credibility.
"If the two of us team up, even if a wolf pounces on me first, you'll survive longer. It's a sure win."
Ning Lu increased her bet, while simultaneously releasing one hand as if making a vow.
In that instant of focused concentration, the man scanned his surroundings. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the alpha wolf hesitating and taking a step forward.
Above was a cliff, behind was a steep slope, and in front of us were a pack of wolves.
Heavy rain is approaching, he is seriously injured, and this woman... is highly suspicious.
He quickly made a decision, bracing himself against the ground for leverage, and stood up with his back pressed against the tree trunk.
Seeing that his breathing was intermittent due to the pain, Ning Lu quickly reached out to support him.
A chill ran down my neck.
The dagger was once again held against his neck.
Help! How vicious!
He actually pulled her in front of him to act as a human shield and... a crutch?
"In that case, let's give it a try."
His robes fluttered at his sides, the stench of blood wafting through the air with each movement, and the wolves' eyes gleamed with a sharp light. The man's voice was soft and alluring.
Ning Lu resigned herself to her fate, closed her eyes, and was powerless to resist.
"withdraw."
Caught in a dilemma, she had no choice but to comply.
As the two men moved, the wolf pack followed suit.
They might be dozing, leaning over, or intently watching.
One or two men tried to step forward, but were all intimidated by the sound of the man brandishing his dagger and ended up pacing in circles.
No matter how they moved, there was always a woman between the wolf pack and that person.
After an unknown amount of time, the two followed the man's instructions and pushed themselves to the edge of the cliff, where they had nowhere left to retreat.
The force behind him disappeared, and the man fell to the ground with a thud.
Tighten your back and waist, tilt your head back and press it against the rock wall.
Ning Lu regained her freedom and immediately observed the current situation.
A rock about half a person's height temporarily concealed their figures. To their side and behind was a steep slope whose destination was unknown, and diagonally above were withered trees growing windingly in the rocks.
Catching a glimpse of the mottled bloodstains at their feet, Ning Lu peeked out.
Sure enough, there was blood on the road. The wolf pack was tightening their encirclement along the bloodstains.
If they run backwards, one is wounded and the other is vulnerable; they certainly won't be able to outrun the wolf pack.
Climbing upwards seems to be the only way out.
only……
So high, so difficult.
As she looked up, the man conjured several wooden branches from nowhere, deftly tore off strips of cloth from his clothes, tied them into torches, and placed them on one side of the bunker.
Under the shock of the firelight, the wolf pack in the distance dispersed slightly, reverting from an attacking posture to a lurking one.
Judging from his swift and decisive movements, Ning Lu would never have guessed that he was seriously injured.
My gaze shifted downwards, landing on his chest, which was heaving with effort.
"We still need to stop the bleeding first."
"Too late."
The man shook his head and pointed to the tops of their heads.
He saw it too.
The crooked tree grew out of the crack in the rock, and no matter how the wind blew, its branches did not sway.
Looking up again to assess the distance between the rock and the branch, and between the branch and the extended stone platform, Ning Lu considered herself to be very self-aware. She really didn't think that someone who did aerobic exercise by breathing every day could achieve this advanced parkour move.
"Isn't there any other way?" she asked, her eyes wide, hoping that this man with great potential for being a "bking" (a derogatory term for someone who is overly confident or arrogant) could provide her with a new escape plan.
"You don't have to."
The man glanced behind him.
The torchlight dimmed, and the wolf pack drew ever closer.
The dark clouds seemed to press even lower.
Rain only makes it easier for wolves to hunt.
The man pressed his chest against his body and slowly rose, blood immediately seeping from between his fingers.
Ning Lu hesitated, glancing at him and then at herself.
If he can do it, why can't she?
Even if she can't, what if the original owner could?
In a daze, she remembered the woman in her memory who had the courage to face the pursuit and then leap off the cliff. She must not be an ordinary person.
I glanced again at the branch that represented life.
"I'll climb!"
Ning Lu straightened her chest and raised her head, clenching her right fist and resolutely punching her left shoulder, displaying a tragic heroism.
She took a deep breath, mustered her courage, and walked toward the boulder that was blocking their view, preparing to climb over it.
"etc."
Her wrist was grabbed by the man, and she was pulled off the rock and fell to the ground.
What are you doing?
The man pulled a torch from the crack in the rock and handed it to Ning Lu, then patted the ash off his hands and pointed behind him.
"I'll go first."
"No... Big brother... I already shielded you from harm. What more do you want?"
"You were the one who said you wanted to cooperate." The man said dismissively, "The meat shield is just a pledge of loyalty."
"Now is the time for you to demonstrate your value."
"Hey! I'm completely defenseless. If a wolf charges at me, I'll be dead for sure!"
Before the last word had even finished, he narrowed his phoenix eyes, let out a soft hum, and remained noncommittal.
Seeing that he didn't intend to persist, Ning Lu had no choice but to step forward, grab him tightly, and speak gently.
"Brother, let's talk this over. Even if I climb up first, I might not be able to make it... You have martial arts skills, so your chances of fighting the wolves are much higher than mine."
"If you can't climb up, then there's no need to waste your time."
His eyes fell on Ning Lu's dark gray clothes.
Her hair, cuffs, and trouser legs were tightly bound together. Although they had become looser during the fight and had some scratches, they were still genuine night clothes.
He's not stupid; he won't believe her.
Ning Lu followed his gaze and looked herself up and down.
My heart skipped a beat.
She was on edge and in the shadows, so she had no idea that she was dressed like a naked assassin.
A pack of wolves is watching.
My palm missed its target.
The man had no intention of lingering at this moment, so he stopped looking at her and stepped onto the stone.
Blood dripped down the stone wall, and the wolves drooled even more. Seeing that they were about to move, the encirclement tightened again, and they were poised to attack.
With things having come to this point, her will to survive reached its peak. Ning Lu had no choice but to wave the torch in the air.
While trying to drive away the wolves with fire, she would anxiously turn back to check on the man's climbing progress whenever she had a spare moment.
Perhaps because of his injury, his movements were not very fluid, and he had to stop and adjust himself almost every time he moved.
Ning Lu was so anxious that she stomped her feet, but she was afraid that if she urged him, he would deliberately slow down, so she could only silently chant Amitabha in her heart.
The sounds on the rock face gradually faded. Ning Lu turned back to confirm, and was dumbfounded.
It's completely empty and clean.
There wasn't even a ghost in sight?
Where are the others?
"Why!!"
"Hey! Where did he go?! You just left like that?!"
They agreed to cooperate, but then they used her and ran away?
How can people be so evil?
Ning Lu gasped, and when she looked back at the alpha wolf, she felt only blatant mockery in its eyes.
The alpha wolf bared its fangs and leaped into the air as lightning struck the valley.
This time, Ning Lu didn't even have time to scream or complain. Relying on instinct, she threw the torch in her hand with all her might, turned around, and jumped onto the rubble.
The torch struck the wolf's head, scattering sparks everywhere.
"Wow! That's accurate!"
Thunder roared.
Amidst the deafening roar, the wolf pack withdrew its attack. Ning Lu glimpsed a glimmer of hope and, using both hands and feet, hooked onto a protrusion on the rock face, struggling to climb up a tree branch.
There was a moment of panic as if I had stepped into thin air and felt weightless.
But this body seemed to be used to falling after making a mistake, and it could always react before Ning Lu's mind could, leading her out of danger.
It went more smoothly than she expected, and she was almost there...
With her fingertips hooking onto the edge of the rock, Ning Lu straightened up and gripped the edge, placing her upper body in a safe position.
Before she could even catch her breath, she saw the man sitting on the edge of the cliff, looking at her with a mocking gaze.
"Not bad."
Calm and composed, indifferent and unconcerned.
Ning Lu was too lazy to talk to him, so she turned her face away and forcefully lifted her leg to try to climb onto the platform.
The original owner was petite, so her legs were naturally short.
Ning Lu tried several times but failed, and felt as if she were a tattered rag that had been scraped against a cliff.
You can't blow it away, and you can't climb up it.
She turned and glared at him: "Give me a hand."
Where is the list?
Another list... She hasn't remembered a single name since she arrived here, she can't even make up a list.
Ning Lu was furious and wished she could throw him down to feed the wolves.
But she is now in a precarious situation herself.
Her eyes darted around, and she put on an innocent, pitiful smile, saying in a high-pitched voice, "Brother, if you pull me up, I'll give you something."
The man chuckled at the sound, seeing through her rambling nonsense.
Unlike the previous contemptuous sneer, this time it seemed like... looking at a fool with pity?
"Look down."
His voice was soft and extremely alluring.
Something unusual must be going on.
"I'm afraid of heights, I won't look."
"oh?"
He raised an eyebrow without speaking, only pressing his hand to his chest and lowering his eyes to wait patiently at her feet.
I don't know if he's just naturally good at waiting, or if he's seen through Ning Lu...
Sure enough, Ning Lu, who was extremely curious, soon obediently looked down, her heart stopped, and her feet slipped.
Of the eight wolves, only two remained.
The two horses are trying to leap off that rock.
Moreover, they…
Each jump is higher than the last?!
My arms, hanging on the stone wall, were sore and weak that I could barely support them.
Ning Lu gritted her teeth and scooted upwards a little, but suddenly lost all strength and weight, and slid down rapidly.
"Mother!"
Just as she felt her heel collide with the wolf's fangs, the afterimage of the stone swept past her temple and struck the wolf between the eyebrows.
The wolf, struck and thrown back two steps, lay prone and growled, preparing to attack again.
"You'd better hurry... cough... the alpha wolf will find this place soon."
The man leaned back leisurely, coughing softly as he tossed two pebbles to scare away the wolves that were leaping up in turn, but he made no attempt to reach out and help her up.
A treacherous and petty person, mean and selfish.
Ning Lu prides herself on being Buddhist-like and detached, never getting angry with bad people, and never making things difficult for herself out of spite.
But this person forced him to lose his composure, and he became furious, his face turning red.
"Wait for me to go up!"
Instead of seeking help, she focused on observing and actually caught a glimpse of a small bulge a few steps away from her right foot.
Without even thinking, she instinctively stepped on it, pushed off with all her might, and leaped onto the platform.
Saying it's too polite to say it's a leap. Ning Lu rubbed her sore face, rolled over to lie on her back, and glared fiercely at the person.
He was definitely not a good person. He deserved to be seriously injured and left there.
The man seemed oblivious to her resentful gaze, glanced at the situation below, and slowly rose, clutching his chest.
The trees rustled, the short grass swayed, and I turned my head to follow the sound, not looking directly at it but already understanding what it looked like.
He nudged Ning Lu's arm: "Now that we're up here, let's go."
"Let's go? He's rested enough, but she's still catching her breath."
Her legs and arms are weak and she can't even stand up. Where can she go?
Ning Lu sighed, rubbing her arm resentfully. Although her body didn't move, her eyes were already looking around for a way down the mountain.
If she could find a way to survive and part ways with this treacherous villain, she might be able to live a little longer.
Four eyes... six, eight, ten...
"Wolf?"
Like a carp leaping out of the water, she launched herself forward, passing the ungrateful man. Ning Lu took pity on him and grabbed him, then sped off without looking back.
"Hurry! There are wolves!"
The wolf pack followed closely behind them.
The man stumbled, falling half a step behind, and was about to bite the hem of the other man's clothes. Ning Lu pulled hard, half dragging and half carrying him, and ran forward wildly.
The wind blew stronger and stronger at her temples, and large raindrops pelted the ground.
Ning Lu, who had been running 800 meters and whose mouth was full of the taste of rust, was now as if she had divine assistance. She moved with the wind, leading the man through twists and turns, and gradually distanced herself from the wolf pack.
"So, in the end, it was only because I, your elder sister, couldn't hold a grudge that you were able to keep one... Ah!!"
Her smugness lasted only two seconds before Ning Lu's foot slipped, her knee buckled, and she tumbled down the steep slope with the man in tow.
When they came to their senses, the two were already at the entrance of a pitch-black cave.
The man was injured and had fallen, so his complexion was not good.
Ning Lu silently thanked the original owner of the body one hundred and eight times in her heart before reluctantly helping the person into the cave.
Seeing the veins bulging on her long, fair neck and her lips pressed together like snow, she didn't utter a single muffled groan.
"You rest, I'll go find some stones to block the hole and keep the wolves away."
"No matter how you look at it, I saved you this time, so don't repay kindness with enmity."
Ning Lu used stones of varying sizes to build a human-high fortification at the entrance of the cave, then looked up outwards.
"They seem to still be outside."
The man calmed down a bit, and upon hearing her words, he got up and started a fire. In just a few moments, he had ignited a large bonfire from the scattered sparks.
Ning Lu watched from the sidelines, completely convinced, and chose to sit down in a seat furthest away from him.
The rain grew louder, pounding on the rocks at the entrance of the cave.
The howling of wolves and the sound of footsteps echoed outside.
"If the wolves break in, will we be trapped here and die?"
From childhood to adulthood, Ning Lu has always been a well-behaved girl focused on exam-oriented education, and her wilderness survival skills are pitifully few.
Now that I want to survive, I don't care whether he's a good person or a bad person.
clang--
The dagger that had once been pressed against her neck now lay at her feet.
"do what?"
He picked up the palm-sized dagger and weighed it in his hand. The narrow, willow-leaf blade was delicate and lightweight, like something a girl would use.
Upon closer inspection, the leather strap on the handle clearly shows signs of repair.
He looks like a pampered gigolo, but surprisingly he's quite frugal and nostalgic.
He then took out a porcelain bottle from his pocket, poured out a pill and swallowed it, then slightly raised his eyes and looked at Ning Lu's face.
In the firelight, her small, panicked face looked pitifully pale. Her brows furrowed slightly, and she lowered her eyes while raising her hand.
With a flash of light, the porcelain vase landed in Ning Lu's arms.
"What's this"
Ning Lu poured out the last pill from the porcelain bottle and smelled it.
"If I eat it, will the wolves stop eating me?"
"Grind it into powder and sprinkle it into the fire."
The man's voice was low and weary, sounding somewhat weak in the light and shadow.
"The medicine contains musk."
Seeing that she still didn't understand, the man explained.
As soon as he spoke, he frowned silently, dissatisfied with his own loose tongue, and fell silent.
Ning Lu, unaware of what was going on, moved closer to the fire and obediently did as she was told.
During the job interviews after graduation, HR asked her to summarize her strengths, and her answer was always: strong execution ability.
Although she knew little, she was diligent. No matter how much she disliked her boss, she could concentrate on her work.
The pungent aroma of medicine filled the cave, and the soft noises outside indeed subsided.
She peered into the cave and saw that the wolves had clearly retreated much further away.
"Musk has such practical uses."
She thought the harem was the main battleground for this thing.
Ning Lu clapped her hands and casually handed the dagger back to the man.
He looked up in surprise, and she stood there stunned.
Seeing that the man did not immediately take it, and that the look in his eyes changed from suspicion and inquiry to pure incomprehension, Ning Lu quickly put the dagger back into her bosom.
“You’re injured, I’ll carry it for you.”
Remembering the repair marks on the dagger, Ning Lu quickly added, "I'll keep it safe for you. I'll return it to you when I get down the mountain."
In times like these, even law-abiding citizens of the 21st century must protect themselves.
The man's expression instantly became complex, and he spoke in a low voice, "Who sent you?"
"I haven't asked yet, what should I call you?"
The sounds collided, and the cave fell silent.
The two looked at each other.
The cave was brightly lit by the firelight, and Ning Lu could clearly see herself reflected in his deep eyes.
She pursed her lips and held her breath.
This was the first time she had seen herself after time travel.
A shadow devoid of warmth and color, with pale and unremarkable features, thin and frail.
That faint sense of loneliness and bitterness welled up in my heart again.
"What's your relationship with Liu Yunying?"
The man stared into her eyes and changed the subject.
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