After dawn, the brilliant sunlight poured down without reservation, as if laying a golden carpet on the earth.
The snow around the shelter had long since melted away, leaving only a few damp patches on the ground, which shimmered with a delicate, enchanting light under the gentle caress of the sunlight, like scattered stardust.
Lu Fan slowly woke up from his sleep, stretched comfortably, and felt the fresh and pleasant morning air instantly fill his lungs, invigorating him.
Suddenly, the image of the taro and chili peppers he had planted himself popped into his mind, and he walked enthusiastically toward that small "vegetable patch".
Arriving at the vegetable garden, he gently removed the bamboo basket covering the seedlings.
The taro leaves were turning slightly yellow, and the chili plants looked somewhat wilted, swaying gently in the breeze as if telling him about the hardships of survival.
Lu Fan slowly squatted down, examined it carefully, and then breathed a sigh of relief.
"It's alright. Although it doesn't look very healthy, the root system is still very strong and won't affect its future growth. I guess it got a little cold from the snow. With more sunshine and more water, it will recover soon."
As he spoke, he casually pulled out the newly sprouted weeds around him.
Back at the shelter, Lu Fan and An Lan enjoyed a simple breakfast together.
After finishing his meal, a strong desire to explore quietly welled up in Lu Fan's heart.
As he packed his simple gear, he said to An Lan, "An Lan, I'm going out for a stroll to see if I can find any more treasures."
Just as Lu Fan was about to set off, Da Hei, who had been quietly lying in the corner, suddenly stood up and instantly became restless, roaring incessantly in one direction.
Its cry was sharp and urgent, breaking the tranquility of the early morning. The fur on its neck stood up like steel needles in anger and vigilance. Its tail swayed stiffly, and its whole body exuded an aura of being on high alert.
Lu Fan and An Lan were both puzzled. They looked at each other and saw worry and confusion in each other's eyes.
"What's wrong with Dahei?" An Lan's voice carried a hint of unease as she instinctively moved closer to Lu Fan.
"I don't know, but there's definitely something going on."
Lu Fan frowned, his expression serious, his eyes fixed on the direction Da Hei was staring at, trying to find out why Da Hei was behaving so strangely.
Just then, Big Black could no longer restrain itself and suddenly darted out in that direction. Its speed was like a black lightning bolt, and it disappeared from sight in an instant.
Lu Fan's heart tightened suddenly. He knew that Dahei wouldn't act like this for no reason; it must have encountered some danger or discovered something extremely unusual.
"Big Black might be in trouble!"
Without a second thought, he turned and rushed to the corner where the equipment was stored, quickly grabbed the explosives, skillfully hung his bow and arrows on his body, and then chased after the trail where Big Black had disappeared.
Seeing this, An Lan followed closely behind without hesitation.
They ran through the dense jungle, branches and vines whipping against them, stinging them, but they couldn't care less at the moment.
With his keen observation skills, Lu Fan kept a close eye on the footprints left by the big black cat on the ground and the marks on the branches and leaves it had knocked over, and sped along.
"Lu Fan, what's wrong with Dahei?"
An Lan asked breathlessly, her voice tinged with the panting from running, each breath seeming to be pulling at her exhausted body.
"I don't know, but it must be very urgent. Be careful to protect yourself at all times!" Lu Fan shouted without turning his head, his voice echoing through the dense jungle.
His heart was pounding, and images of Big Black possibly being in danger kept flashing through his mind. He quickened his pace, creating a whooshing sound in the wind.
As they ventured deeper into the jungle, the atmosphere around them grew increasingly eerie.
The originally noisy chirping of insects gradually disappeared, as if isolated by an invisible curtain, leaving only their hurried footsteps and heavy breathing, which sounded particularly abrupt in the silent jungle.
Suddenly, a deep roar came from ahead. The sound was powerful and intimidating, making one's eardrums ache. It was definitely not something an ordinary wild beast could produce.
Lu Fan and An Lan exchanged a glance, both seeing the shock and tension in each other's eyes.
Lu Fan subconsciously tightened his grip on the explosives in his hand, and gently gestured for An Lan to stop with his other hand.
He cautiously approached, taking each step extremely slowly, afraid of making the slightest sound and alerting the unknown dangers ahead.
[Wolf Pack Found]
Lu Fan peered through the dense foliage and saw a pack of wolves spreading out in a fan shape on the grass in front of him.
They were agile and lithe, their fur gleaming coldly in the dim light, their eerie green eyes gleaming with a bloodthirsty light as they stared menacingly ahead.
Directly opposite the wolf pack, Big Black stood tall and proud, its fur bristling, confronting a particularly large wolf, presumably the pack's leader.
Lu Fan instantly understood about 70-80% of the situation; he deduced that this was the wolf pack that Big Black had been with before.
After being defeated, Big Black had no choice but to leave the pack. Now, the competitive Big Black seems to want to challenge the new wolf king and reclaim his former status.
Just as Lu Fan was pondering, the wolf pack's keen sense of smell detected the presence of Lu Fan and An Lan.
They quickly turned their heads, their gazes locking onto the two people, a gaze that seemed to carry a tangible weight, making it hard to breathe.
Then, they began to move slowly in unison, gradually shrinking the encirclement until they surrounded Lu Fan and An Lan.
Sensing danger, Dahei turned around without hesitation and ran quickly to Lu Fan and An Lan.
Its body was taut, its muscles bulging, each muscle brimming with power, and it let out a deep growl from its throat, demonstrating to the wolf pack that it would not allow them to harm its master behind it.
The tense atmosphere was like an invisible net, tightly enveloping everyone.
Each wolf lowered its body, its front paws on the ground, poised and ready to attack at any moment.
Their tails sometimes sway from side to side, as if testing the waters; at other times they hang down stiffly, showing their inner vigilance and excitement.
The air seemed to be ignited by the tense atmosphere, as if a thrilling battle could erupt at any moment.
"Anlan, don't panic, slowly lean back, keep your backs together."
Lu Fan tried his best to make his voice sound calm and composed, but he couldn't help feeling a little scared inside, after all, these were wolves.
His eyes never left the wolf pack, while he slightly turned his body to allow An Lan to stand behind him in a defensive posture.
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