Chapter 150 The Wolf is Coming? No, it's the Husky who brought back the chef...
The first heavy snowfall of the winter lasted for two whole days.
Since the railway opened, Lin Yue's life has become exceptionally busy. Hope Town has ongoing research and development of steam engines and teaching arrangements at the Polytechnic Institute, while Blackrock City has the construction of the new district and cooperation matters with Ryan. He has to travel back and forth by train almost every two or three days.
He happened to be in Hope Town today, organizing accounts in the study of Lin's Restaurant. Little Black was dozing on the windowsill, its tail swaying idly.
Suddenly, a sharp whistle sounded outside the window.
It's a warning signal from the patrol team.
Lin Yue put down his pen and quickly walked to the window.
...
On the outskirts of Hope Town, atop a watchtower.
"Captain, something is rapidly approaching from the direction of the Cursed Lands!"
The patrolman on duty pointed to the edge of the forest in the distance, his voice tinged with tension.
The vice-captain, a veteran who had trained with Gray for over half a year, raised his newly issued binoculars. These new gadgets were much more convenient than monoculars; he could see with both eyes, and the field of vision was clear and stable. On the vast expanse of white snow, a blurry, grayish-white shadow was moving towards Hope Town at an astonishing speed.
"What is that? It's moving too fast, I can't see it clearly."
"Could it be a mutated beast?"
"Whatever it is, stop it first!" the vice-captain decided immediately. "Sound the horn and assemble! Archers, prepare! Bring out the net too!"
The urgent bugle call resounded over Hope Town.
In less than fifteen minutes, more than twenty patrol members had assembled on the edge of the town. The archers drew their bows and nocked their arrows, while the others unfurled a huge rope net, ready to meet the attack.
"Where are the shells? Should we use them?" someone asked.
“It’s too late,” the vice-captain shook his head. “That thing moves too fast; the cannonballs won’t hit it. Let’s try with arrows first.”
The gray shadow drew closer, and its general outline became clear. It was a huge beast, as big as a bull, covered in thick gray and white fur. When it moved quickly, it almost blended into the background on the snow, yet it had more gray and brownish patches than pure white.
"Release the arrows!"
"Swish swish——"
More than a dozen arrows shot through the air toward the gray-white shadow.
However, the creature reacted with astonishing speed. It seemed to have sensed the danger long ago, and with a swift movement, it executed a series of evasive maneuvers while running at high speed, dodging all the arrows.
"How is this possible?!"
"That speed...that agility..."
The patrolmen's expressions changed drastically.
"Cast the net!" the vice-captain shouted.
Several team members threw the large net with all their might, trying to trap the beast. But the gray shadow simply sidestepped and grazed past the edge of the net without slowing down at all.
"Oh no, we can't stop it!"
"Quickly go and call Fei Ye, only his archery skills are enough..."
Before the words were even finished, a gray figure had already flown in from a distance.
It was a flying leaf.
He had been instructing some young men on archery on the other side of town when he heard the warning horn and rushed over. His longbow was already fully drawn, the arrow tip pointed directly at the approaching grayish-white behemoth.
However, just as he was about to release the string, his movement suddenly froze.
"etc!"
"Feiye? What's wrong?"
Fei Ye put down his bow, an expression of disbelief on his face.
"That's... Xiaofen?"
"Xiao Fen?" The deputy captain was taken aback. "You mean... that wolf the mayor kept? Wasn't it said that it went back with its clan?"
“That’s right, it’s that!” Fei Ye’s eyesight was far sharper than that of an ordinary person. He had already seen the crescent-shaped white mark on the giant beast’s forehead. “It’s Xiao Fen, it’s back.”
"Everyone stop!" he shouted. "Don't hurt it!"
The patrol members looked at each other, but then put away their weapons.
The giant gray-white wolf had already rushed into the agricultural area. Its speed finally slowed, its four enormous paws carving deep furrows in the snow as it ran towards the town center.
"It's looking for the mayor," Fei Ye said. "Quick, go and inform the mayor!"
...
Lin Yue saw that familiar yet unfamiliar figure through the window.
A giant wolf with gray and white fur was galloping towards Lin's Restaurant. Its tail was wagging excitedly, and it was howling. Its silly, cheerful manner instantly awakened Lin Yue's memories.
"That is..."
Little Black jumped up, its emerald green eyes staring out the window, its tail bristling like a brush.
[That aura... it's that stupid dog.]
Lin Yue rushed out of the study and ran outside.
The giant wolf slammed on the brakes, barely stopping in front of him. Then, just like when it was a cub, it excitedly rubbed its head against Lin Yue's body, causing him to tumble over.
"Awoo!"
Lin Yue was completely stunned.
In just a few months, the giant wolf before him had grown to almost the same height at the shoulders, its size comparable to that of an adult bull. Its fur was no longer the soft, light gray of a cub, but had become thick and coarse, displaying a mottled color of gray and white in varying shades. Only the crescent-shaped mark in the center of its forehead remained as white as snow, shimmering with a faint silver light.
But those watery eyes were filled with "I miss you, I miss you so much," clearly the same whiny girl from back then.
"Is it really you? Xiao Fen?" Lin Yue reached out and touched its fluffy head, his voice trembling slightly. "How did you grow so big?"
Xiao Fen made a "woo-woo" sound and licked Lin Yue's face with her huge tongue.
"Alright, alright, stop licking, it's disgusting." Little Black jumped onto Lin Yue's shoulder, shaking its paws in disgust. "I told you this stupid dog would come back, but you wouldn't believe me."
"Woof!" Xiao Fen became even more excited when she saw Xiao Hei and went over to rub against it, but Xiao Hei jumped away in a flash.
A crowd had already gathered around, drawn by the commotion. They were both surprised and moved by the sight of the enormous gray-white wolf and Lin Yue's affectionate interaction.
"It really is Xiao Fen."
"It's back."
"He's grown so much, I almost didn't recognize him. His fur color... is different from before?"
"Wolves all grow up like this, they become more like real wolves!"
Lin Yue was about to catch up with Xiao Fen when he noticed that it suddenly quieted down, turned its head to look in the direction of the distant forest, then looked at Lin Yue again, made a "woof woof" sound, and gently nudged his leg with its nose.
"What's wrong?"
Xiao Fen took a few steps toward the forest, then looked back at him, wagging her tail as if signaling him to follow.
"Where does this silly dog want to take you?" Little Black said.
Lin Yue frowned, but still followed.
Seeing this, Fei Ye led several patrol members to follow at a distance, just in case.
...
Xiao Fen led Lin Yue through the agricultural area, through a sparse grove of trees, until they reached the edge of the forest where Hope Town and the Cursed Land met.
"Xiaofen, where are you taking me...?"
Lin Yue suddenly stopped talking.
Behind a large tree not far ahead, a figure was trying to hide.
The problem is, the trunk of that tree wasn't even as thick as that guy's waist.
He was an exceptionally tall man.
He was over two meters tall, with broad shoulders and strong muscles; he was clearly the type with incredible strength. His skin was slightly rough, with a healthy tan, and his features were regular, though his profile was much more rugged than average.
At first glance, he looks like an exceptionally robust northern man.
Don't be fooled. This guy is an orc.
Lin Yue felt a chill run down his spine, but his face remained impassive.
Are you sure?
"I'm sure." Xiao Hei's tone was certain. "His aura doesn't lie to me. Although he looks similar to a human, his beastly nature can't be hidden. Look closely into his eyes."
Lin Yue looked as instructed.
The man's eyes were amber, and at that moment, his pupils were round, not much different from those of an ordinary human. But the instant his eyes met Lin Yue's, he seemed startled by the sudden eye contact; his amber pupils abruptly contracted, becoming thin slits, like the reaction of a startled feline.
In an instant, his pupils returned to normal. But Lin Yue had already seen it clearly.
"See?" Xiao Hei said. "This change in pupil size is a characteristic of orcs. They act like humans normally, but they give themselves away when startled or in combat."
Lin Yue's expression darkened.
Orcs.
He recalled that when he adopted Fern as a cub, Grey had said: Orcs grow up to be cannibals, violent, and a menace.
Although Xiaofen's personality has always been adorable, and even when they encountered her people, the golden-eyed man and the group of young orcs didn't engage in anything too violent, it's clear from the confrontation between the golden-eyed man and Gray that orcs possess exceptional physical strength and incredibly quick reflexes. Xiaofen dodging so many arrows from the patrol earlier is clear evidence of this.
This kind of ability is simply too difficult for ordinary people to deal with.
"Who are you?" His voice turned colder. "Why are you here with Xiaofen?"
The man was startled by his tone, his pupils contracted again, but quickly returned to normal. He stepped out from behind the tree, awkwardly rubbed his hands together, and said in broken but fairly fluent human language:
"Hello. My name is A-Qiang. I am..."
He paused, seemingly considering his words.
“I know what you are,” Lin Yue interrupted him. “An orc, right?”
Ah Qiang's body visibly stiffened for a moment.
He looked up, a hint of surprise flashing in his amber eyes.
"...How did you know?"
"That's not important. I just want to know what your purpose is in coming here?"
“I meant no harm,” A-Qiang hurriedly waved his hand, his voice pleading. “I was driven out of the tribe, really, I just wanted to find a place where I could survive…”
"Kicked out? Why?"
Ah-Qiang lowered his head, his voice muffled: "Because I don't like fighting."
"You don't like war?"
“Hmm.” A-Qiang’s shoulders slumped. “The people in the tribe all say that a true warrior should take pride in fighting and find pleasure in killing the enemy. But I… I really have no interest in fighting and killing. I prefer… figuring out how to make food taste better.”
He gave a bitter smile: "They called me a piece of trash, a coward, and a disgrace to the tribe. Later, when the tribe was going to attack a human caravan, I refused to participate and was kicked out."
“I’ve been wandering for a long time, and then I met Xiaoyue… uh, Xiaofen.” He glanced at the gray-white giant wolf standing next to him, looking at him expectantly. “It said there was food and kind people here, so it brought me here.”
【Xiaoyue?】
[This guy almost called out Xiao Fen's orc name. Looks like he knows Xiao Fen's parents; he's got quite a background.]
Lin Yue didn't reply, but just silently looked at A-Qiang.
He admitted that the orc's words sounded sincere. But an orc is an orc after all; who knows if he's just acting? What if he enters the town and suddenly becomes unrestrained, harming the townspeople? He's not like Xiaofen, who was raised from childhood.
Judging from his sharp reflexes just now, once he makes a move, ordinary people simply can't stop him.
"I'm sorry," Lin Yue shook his head, "I can't take you in."
Ah Qiang swayed, and the expectation on his face instantly turned into disappointment.
“I understand…” his voice was hoarse, “Humans are afraid of orcs, that’s normal. I was too naive, I thought…”
"Sorry to bother you. I'll be going now."
He turned around and walked step by step into the depths of the forest, his figure appearing particularly lonely against the white snow.
"Awoo!"
Xiao Fen suddenly darted out and blocked A-Qiang's way, preventing him from leaving.
Ah Qiang was stunned: "Xiao Fen?"
Xiao Fen whimpered and nudged A-Qiang with her head, pushing him toward Lin Yue. Then she ran to Lin Yue, squatted down, and looked at him with her big, watery eyes.
"Awoo..."
Its call was pleading, like a child begging for an extra piece of meat.
Lin Yue had a headache.
"Xiaofen, this is different..."
"Awoo!" Xiao Fen cried even louder, and even stretched out her paws to pull at Lin Yue's trouser leg.
It ran to A-Qiang's side, rubbed against him, and then ran back, continuing to look at Lin Yue with that "I won't get up until you agree" look.
This silly dog is actually quite loyal.
It brought this orc back, clearly intending to help him. If you don't take him in, it probably won't give up.
Lin Yue rubbed his temples.
He looked at Xiaofen, then at Aqiang standing in the distance with his head down, his mind in turmoil.
If this orc is truly a bad person, would Xiaofen's parents, the chief of the Windseeker tribe, allow him to approach Xiaofen?
"……never mind."
Lin Yue sighed.
"You can stay."
Ah Qiang suddenly raised his head: "You...you're serious?"
"I'm serious," Lin Yue said, his expression still serious, "but I have conditions."
"What are the conditions?"
"First, your identity must not be known to anyone else. In Hope Town, you are just an ordinary homeless person. Understand?"
Ah Qiang nodded repeatedly: "Understood, I won't expose myself."
“Second,” Lin Yue’s gaze sharpened, “I will have people watching you at all times. If you harm anyone in town, I will not give you a second chance.”
Ah Qiang's expression became serious.
“I swear, in the name of Fenrir, the wolf god, I will never harm anyone here. If I break this oath, may I be punished by the heavens.”
Lin Yue was slightly taken aback.
The way this vow was made...
[Interesting.] Little Black noticed it too.
"Get up. Come back to town with me."
Lin Yue turned and winked at Fei Ye in the distance. Fei Ye understood, nodded, and indicated that he would send someone to secretly keep an eye on the new homeless man.
Ah Qiang was assigned to the kitchen.
Lin Yue's explanation to the public was: This was a homeless man he found on the edge of the forest. He was tall and strong, and since the kitchen was short-handed, he was asked to help out.
The townspeople were curious, but didn't think much of it. Hope Town already had plenty of homeless people; one more or one less wouldn't make a difference.
This homeless man was indeed ridiculously tall, standing out from the crowd wherever he went.
"Wow, this person is so tall!"
"I heard they came from further north, and people from the north are taller."
"I've never seen anything this tall before."
Ah Qiang ignored all the gossip, keeping his head down and following behind Aunt Lian, behaving as obediently as a primary school student.
His performance in the kitchen was initially disastrous.
While chopping meat, the cutting board shattered into three pieces. While kneading dough, the dough was rolled into a flat, iron disc. While stir-frying vegetables, one swipe of the spatula sent the iron wok flying.
Aunt Lian approached Lin Yue with a mournful face: "Mayor, this gentleman isn't here to cook, he's here to tear down the kitchen."
But Lin Yue noticed that although A-Qiang had poor control over his strength, he had an amazing intuition for ingredients and spices. So he put him in charge of seasoning.
The result was astonishing.
Ah Qiang's "Wild Barbecue Sauce" quickly became a hit throughout the town, with Hope No. 1 Store and Hope Canteen selling out every day.
...
However, what truly allowed Ah-Qiang to gain a foothold in the town was something else entirely.
As winter sets in and the weather grows colder, prey becomes scarcer in the forest. Some hungry wild animals begin to move towards populated areas in search of food.
That evening, a commotion suddenly broke out at the farm on the edge of town.
"There are wild animals! Wild animals are attacking the sheepfold!"
When Lin Yue arrived, he saw three starving gray wolves tearing at the sheepfold fence. They were larger than ordinary wolves, and their eyes gleamed with a ghostly green light, clearly indicating that they had been hungry for a long time.
The patrol team had arrived, but the three wolves were exceptionally fierce, and several attempts to drive them away were thwarted by their counterattacks.
"Archers, prepare!"
Just then, a tall figure rushed out from the crowd.
"Wait, what's that homeless man doing?"
"Has he gone mad? Going to fight those wolves with his bare hands?"
What happened next left everyone speechless.
Ah Qiang rushed in front of the three gray wolves, his figure blurring as he moved so fast he was almost invisible.
The first wolf pounced on him, but he grabbed it by the neck and slammed it to the ground.
The second wolf attacked from the side. He dodged to the side and kicked it in the stomach, sending it flying.
The third wolf, seeing the situation was not good, tried to escape, but he caught up with it in one stride and grabbed it by the back of the neck.
From the moment he made his move to the moment he subdued the three-headed wolf, it only took a few breaths.
The whole process was clean and efficient, without any unnecessary delays.
"This...this..."
The onlookers were all stunned.
Ah Qiang, however, acted as if nothing had happened. He picked up the three gray wolves he had knocked unconscious and turned to ask the patrol team, "What should we do with these?"
"Uh... lock them up? Or... kill them?"
"It's a pity to kill them." Ah Qiang thought for a moment. "It's so cold, they only came because they were starving. Let's release them. They'll remember the scent of this place this time, and they probably won't dare to come near the town easily in the future."
His tone was calm and decisive, as if he were talking about something extremely ordinary.
Lin Yue stood at the back of the crowd, watching this scene thoughtfully.
"See that? This guy's skills are far beyond what ordinary tribal warriors possess. And did you notice how methodical he is in handling problems? That decisiveness..."
Lin Yue nodded. This wasn't the first time he'd noticed Ah Qiang's unusual nature.
Once, he chatted with A-Qiang and casually asked about life in the tribe. As A-Qiang talked, he inadvertently brought up some issues about tribe management and resource allocation.
"If it were me, I would distribute the prey according to the size and needs of the families, not just based on the warriors' merits. Warriors certainly deserve to be rewarded; they risked their lives to bring back food. But the continuation of the tribe requires more than just present bravery. The elders also shed blood and sweat for the tribe in their youth; their experience and wisdom are invaluable. Children are the future of the tribe; only by ensuring they are well-fed and grow up healthy can the tribe have a tomorrow. Merit should be acknowledged, but when distributing the spoils, we cannot only ensure that those who are best at plundering are well-fed, while those who have contributed and will bear the future go hungry."
"And then there's the issue of salt. Instead of risking raiding human caravans, why not find a way to trade with humans? We have furs, medicinal herbs, and spices unique to the grasslands—things that humans also need. Wouldn't it be much better to exchange these for food and salt than to fight?"
He spoke eloquently, his eyes gleaming, not at all like a good-for-nothing who had been kicked out.
...
The story of Ah Qiang subduing the wild wolf quickly spread throughout the town.
At first, everyone was a little afraid of him. After all, his skills were truly terrifying; ordinary people simply couldn't do that.
"That Ah Qiang, could he be some kind of monster?"
"Didn't you see how fast he was, like a demon?"
"Don't talk nonsense, they saved our sheep!"
Gradually, fear was replaced by gratitude and admiration.
Although Ah Qiang is incredibly skilled, he is usually as docile as a big cat. He never initiates conflicts with anyone, and despite his large size, he always speaks softly and always has a kind and honest smile on his face.
Moreover, he is extremely enthusiastic.
If anyone needs to move heavy objects, he will go to help without saying a word; one person can do the work of five or six strong laborers.
If anyone's livestock ran away, he could run faster than a horse and catch up with them in no time.
Later, he was attacked by wild animals several times, but he dealt with them easily and never killed anyone. He always caught the wild animals and locked them up or released them far away.
"Ah Qiang is such a good person."
"That's right, he's so strong, but he never bullies anyone."
"Last time my cow ran away, he was the one who helped me chase it back."
"Master Qiang's barbecue sauce is also delicious."
As he walked through the town, people kept greeting A-Qiang with genuine smiles on their faces.
Ah Qiang would always pause for a moment, then respond with that simple, honest smile. But his eyes would always be slightly red.
Once, Lin Yue asked him, "What's wrong?"
Ah-Qiang was silent for a moment, then said in a low voice, "In the tribe, everyone is afraid of me. Because of me... because of my status, they either revere me or are jealous of me..."
He looked up, his amber eyes glistening with tears.
"But here, they don't know who I am, yet they are genuinely kind to me. This feeling... I have never experienced anything like it before."
Lin Yue looked at him but didn't ask any further questions.
Some secrets will naturally be revealed when the other person is willing to tell them.
“Cherish your life here.” He patted A-Qiang on the shoulder. “In Hope Town, people don’t care about your background, they only care if you are a good person. If you are a good person, everyone will naturally accept you.”
...
That evening, Lin Yue found A-Qiang, who was researching a new formula, and talked to him about the situation of the orc tribe.
"How is your tribe doing now?"
Ah Qiang paused for a moment, a complex expression flashing across his face.
"Not good. There are fewer and fewer prey on the grasslands, and many tribes are starving. Salt is even scarcer; sometimes you can't find a single grain for months."
"That's why you went to rob?"
"Yes. Actually, nobody wants war. Who doesn't want to live a peaceful life? But if we don't fight, we'll starve. What about the elderly and children..."
He couldn't continue, and his eyes turned red.
"What if someone is willing to do business with you? In exchange for grain and salt, your furs, medicinal herbs, and other unique products from the grasslands?"
Ah Qiang suddenly raised his head: "Are you serious?"
"I'm just hypothesizing," Lin Yue smiled. "After all, peaceful trade is always better than war. What do you think?"
Ah Qiang opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he just nodded heavily.
"Yes...it's better than war. If...if trade could really be possible, that would be wonderful."
His eyes held an emotion that Lin Yue couldn't quite understand.
"Alright, let's not talk about that anymore. How's your new formula research coming along?"
Ah Qiang's eyes lit up immediately, and the previous heaviness vanished.
"Yes, yes, yes! I discovered that mixing fire crystal peppers with a type of wild onion, plus a little animal fat..."
He talked on and on, completely absorbed in his passion for food.
Regardless of who this Ah Qiang is, at least for now, he seems to be a good person.
In Hope Town, good people will always have a place.
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