Chapter 82 Cooperative Assassination of the Wolf Pack
Helpless, she squatted down and then put the dead wild boar into her spatial storage.
A sliver of sunlight was fragmented by the dense canopy of trees, casting swaying and distorted spots of light, making the wolf pack appear even more like evil spirits emerging from the shadows.
Xu Zhili's heart sank to the bottom.
Having just hunted a wild boar, the stench of blood was so strong that the wolves were clearly aroused by the smell and had found their way here.
She gripped the still-dripping Tang sword tightly in her hand; the cold hilt was stained with sweat and blood, yet it became her only support at this moment.
Her knuckles turned white from the force of her grip. She took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down, her gaze as cold as ice as she scanned the approaching pack of wolves, searching for any possible, even the slightest, glimmer of hope.
"Beast..."
She cursed under her breath, her voice hoarse yet carrying a ruthless edge honed by experience—not mockery, but the murderous intent that erupted from a desperate situation.
She quickly wiped the slippery bloodstains off the knife handle with the corner of her clothes to ensure a firm grip, her every movement taut like a bowstring.
Just at this critical moment, a sharp cracking sound of a dry branch breaking suddenly came from the depths of the dense forest to the side and behind!
"Snap!"
The sound was like a thunderclap in the deathly silence of the battlefield! Not only did Xu Zhili's muscles tense instantly, but the surrounding wolf pack also turned their heads in unison, their eerie green pupils shooting towards the source of the sound!
A slightly thin figure staggered out of the bushes, his face covered in mud and grass clippings. His clear eyes, though filled with fear, widened suddenly as he took in the scene before him.
It's Xie Yunce!
"elder sister?"
The boy's voice trembled with disbelief and obvious fear, and his face turned ashen instantly.
He was clearly drawn by the loud noise and the strong smell of blood, but he never expected to encounter such a horrific scene.
"Xie Yunce?" Xu Zhili's heart nearly leaped out of her chest, her shock far outweighing any joy. "Who sent you? Get out of here now! Immediately!"
Her voice rose in urgency, even taking on a commanding shrillness.
The boy's appearance at this moment would be tantamount to suicide, and she didn't want to implicate anyone else.
Xie Yunze's gaze swept over the dense, snarling pack of wolves, finally settling on Xu Zhili's blood-stained yet still upright back.
That figure, standing alone before the pack of wolves, resembled a reef about to be swallowed by raging waves.
A surge of adrenaline rushed to his head, overwhelming the fear that was almost consuming him.
"I'm not leaving!" the boy practically shouted, his voice cracking with stubbornness.
He suddenly drew the rather thin short knife from his waist, the blade flashing a faint, cold light in the dim light.
"I can't leave you alone!" Without further hesitation, he stumbled and rushed to Xu Zhili's side with almost reckless speed, standing back to back with her.
The dagger trembled slightly in his hand, but its direction toward the wolf pack remained unusually firm.
Sweat dripped down his temples, and his breathing was rapid like a bellows, but his eyes were fixed on the nearest gray wolf, burning with the determination of a newborn calf.
"you……"
Xu Zhili was both anxious and angry, wishing she could throw him out, but the wolf pack was even more agitated by the newly appeared "prey," with low growls rising and falling, clearly regarding the two of them as their meal.
Any unnecessary movement could trigger a full-scale attack.
She forcefully suppressed her turbulent emotions, speaking rapidly in a low but clear voice, like tempered steel: "Listen! Don't move! Stay behind me, don't let them flank you. The wolves will probe and feint, find their weakest point to break through, stabilize your stance, and strike only when you're sure. Don't waste your energy. Their weaknesses are their nose, eyes, waist, and neck. Listen to my commands!"
Xie Yunze swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing. He could clearly feel the strength and warmth emanating from Xu Zhili's slender back, which gave him a strange sense of support.
He nodded heavily, squeezing out two words through gritted teeth: "Understood!"
Before the words were even finished, the wolf pack's probing had already begun! A medium-sized gray wolf was the first to attack. Instead of charging straight at the wolf, it cunningly darted past from the flank, its sharp claws digging up dirt in the ground, trying to confuse the wolf and find an opening!
"Ignore it! Guard!" Xu Zhili shouted sharply, holding her Tang sword steadily in front of her, her eyes sharp as an eagle, unmoved.
Almost simultaneously, the wolf king, the most robust in size and with a mane of fur, suddenly let out a short roar.
Like a battle cry!
Two robust male wolves, like arrows released from a bow, pounced on Xu Zhili from the left and right, their fangs bared, bringing a foul stench with them.
Meanwhile, another cunning she-wolf silently darted along the ground from Xie Yunze's blind spot, aiming for his ankle.
"Left!" Xu Zhili roared, her body shifting to the side like a cheetah. Her Tang sword drew a chilling arc, precisely slashing at the male wolf that pounced from the left! The sound of the blade piercing flesh was teeth-grinding. The male wolf howled in agony as its front leg was cleaved open with a deep, bone-revealing wound, and it rolled on the ground.
But the male wolf that pounced from her right was already within arm's reach, and its stench assaulted her senses!
In that split second, Xie Yun, who had been on high alert, made his move!
He remembered Xu Zhili's warning and did not rush into anything. Instead, he focused all his attention on his own defense and on Xu Zhili's flank.
He suddenly ducked, and instead of stabbing, he forcefully swung the short knife upwards like a shield!
"Swoosh!" The short knife narrowly sliced through the soft belly of the male wolf that was lunging at Xu Zhili's right side!
Although the wound wasn't deep, it was enough to make that beast feel pain and halt its attack!
Xu Zhili seized this fleeting opportunity, twisted her body and slashed back with her blade, the back of the blade whistling through the air, slashing viciously at the male wolf's weak point, its neck.
"Awooo!" Blood gushed from the male wolf's neck. It howled and rolled away, lifeless.
However, the crisis is not over!
The mother wolf that had attacked Xie Yunze's ankle had already pounced.
Xie Yunze had just killed a male wolf when, without paying attention to the female wolf that pounced on him, its sharp white teeth about to bite his calf.
"Xie Yunce, be careful!" Xu Zhili caught a glimpse of him out of the corner of her eye, and her heart stopped! It was too late for her to save him!
At the critical moment, Xie Yunze displayed an amazing reaction.
Driven by instinct, he suddenly leaned his body backward, while simultaneously pulling his attacked leg back with all his might.
But it was a little too slow!
"Sizzle—!"
With the sound of tearing cloth and ripping flesh, the mother wolf's sharp claws grazed the outside of Xie Yunze's calf.
Blood instantly stained his trouser leg, and the excruciating pain made him groan and stagger!
"Ah!" Xie Yunze cried out in pain, his forehead instantly covered in cold sweat.
Seeing the boy injured while saving her, the bright red blood stung Xu Zhili's eyes.
An indescribable rage mixed with a strong protective instinct erupted in her chest like a volcano!
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