Chapter 9: Chapter 9 Saving People
Gu Sheng's face changed instantly.
Clearly.
A wild wolf had entered Gu Erniu's home. Now that Gu Erniu had gone up the mountain and wasn't home, Li Lian and the child were no match for the wild wolf.
Looking in that direction, Gu Sheng's face showed some hesitation, then gradually became resolute!
From his earlier encounter killing a wild wolf, he discovered that with his Great Achievement Realm in chopping wood, he could handle a one-on-one situation with a wild wolf without much trouble.
"Brother Erniu's family has been incredibly kind to me. Before heading into the mountains, Brother Erniu specifically asked me to take good care of Sister Erniu and Xiao Wan. Now that the mother and child are in danger, if I don't go, my conscience will never be at peace!"
Gu Sheng had his own principles for conduct.
If he couldn't handle the wild wolf, he would simply leave it be. But since he had some ability to protect himself, he couldn't just sit back and ignore it.
He valued his own life, and while others might not take risks, he couldn't be completely cold-hearted and indifferent.
"Judging by the wolf howls over there, it seems there's only one. If I'm careful, I can handle it."
"The wild wolf has already been in the village for a while now. The martial artists in the village should arrive soon. Even if I can't kill the wild wolf, I just need to delay it for a bit."
Gu Sheng made up his mind and stopped hesitating.
He pulled the blood-stained chopping knife from the wild wolf's abdomen, the blade now looking menacingly sharp, prompting Gu Sheng to take a deep breath.
Holding the chopping knife in his right hand and a wooden stick in his left, he cautiously headed toward Gu Erniu's house.
Wolf howls echoed all around, but they were far away—this was the reason Gu Sheng dared to step outside.
For some unknown reason, the wild wolves had split up to launch attacks. Besides the one near Gu Sheng's house, the closest wolf was at Gu Erniu's.
...
Gu Erniu's house.
Li Lian held Gu Wan tightly, staring in terror at the wild wolf outside the house, her hand desperately covering Gu Wan's mouth to prevent him from making any sound.
Gu Wan's eyes were filled with fear as he clutched the woven grasshopper in his hand, tears streaming down his cheeks and dripping onto Li Lian's hand—causing her heart to ache even more with worry.
Moments ago, awakened from her sleep, Li Lian had heard the endless howls of wolves and prayed for safety.
But then she discovered a wild wolf had leapt into her yard over the fence.
Outside the house.
A wild wolf, even more robust than the one that had attacked Gu Sheng earlier, twitched its nose. Its ruthless eyes made Li Lian tremble from head to toe in fear.
She took deep breaths repeatedly, clutching a wooden stick in one hand and shielding Gu Wan behind her with the other.
Awo~!
The wolf let out a low growl, its blood-colored pupils locking onto its target, ready to charge at the wooden door.
Its powerful hind legs dug into the ground, its gray body darting forward in a blur.
Li Lian couldn't help but scream. The impact felt overwhelmingly real, leaving her terrified and trembling uncontrollably, crying out instinctively.
Bang!
It wasn't the sound of the wolf hitting the wooden door—it was the sound of stone and flesh colliding.
Li Lian's eyes showed a trace of excitement; this was something she had nearly forgotten.
This was the simple trap Gu Erniu had set up before leaving home. He had firmly insisted on its importance, and fortunately, Li Lian had heeded his advice, locking the door every night and setting up the trap.
At this critical moment, it played its role.
A stone, the size of a basin, flew straight at the wolf. The gray wolf tried its best to dodge, but the stone struck its hind leg, reducing it to a bloody mess as it curled up.
Woo~~!
The wolf whimpered deeply, the pain irritating its nerves. If it were any regular wolf, it might have retreated.
But this wolf was different—it continued pacing back and forth in front of the wooden house, refusing to give up.
Li Lian's initial glimpse of relief was replaced by a heavy expression.
Her final fallback was gone; if this wolf charged into the house, even with one crippled leg, she and her child were no match for it.
Li Lian made up her mind, hugging Gu Wan tightly as she stared into his eyes. In a trembling voice, she said:
"Wan'er, if this beast breaks in later, Mommy will hold it down. You must seize the chance to run outside—don't look back no matter what you hear, just run straight to the village!"
"Do you hear me?!"
Since they were already exposed, Li Lian could no longer suppress her voice and yelled at Gu Wan as loudly as she could.
Gu Wan's eyes filled with tears of fear, but he obediently nodded.
"Mom...I'm scared..."
Li Lian couldn't hold back her tears as she hugged Gu Wan tightly, her heart breaking.
"My poor child..."
"Erniu, you bastard! Still not back yet?! If I die, so be it—but if anything happens to Wan'er, I'll haunt you as a ghost!"
She cursed Gu Erniu, who had still not returned from the mountains. Holding the wooden stick firmly, Li Lian stood up resolutely as the lame wolf outside began to lose patience and prepared to attack again.
Awo~!
The wolf growled deeply, its roar sounding like the howl of a demon.
But unexpectedly, the wolf's head abruptly turned, staring at the fence in the distance!
"Is that... Asheng?!"
Li Lian was both thrilled and alarmed, instinctively worrying for Gu Sheng.
Beyond the fence, a low figure approached stealthily. The distance of a hundred meters took Gu Sheng no more than a dozen breaths to close.
"Brother Erniu left a trap!"
Gu Sheng's eyes lit up as he spotted the wolf's mangled hind leg and the large stone nearby.
A crippled wolf, deprived of its agility, would be easier to deal with.
"Quick strike—don't attract other wolves!"
Seeing the wolf turn its head toward him, Gu Sheng secured the chopping knife behind his back, gripped his wooden stick tightly, and his eyes became resolute. Though there was still some nervousness, killing a wild wolf earlier had bolstered his confidence greatly.
"Sister Erniu, stay hidden. Don't come out!"
He shouted loudly and charged at the wolf with his wooden stick.
The wolf's injured hind leg had slowed it significantly, making it weaker than Gu Sheng. At this moment, Gu Sheng used the wooden stick to drive the wolf from afar, forcing it to retreat repeatedly.
In earth's human history, after spears were invented, mankind's threat to beasts increased dramatically, laying the foundation for their dominance.
Gu Sheng's eyes sparkled with joy. Though he had reached the Great Achievement Realm in chopping wood, it required being close-range. This moment was about slowly creating an opportunity.
A man and a wolf faced off, continuously adjusting their positions.
Li Lian's nerves were on edge as she watched.
The wolf suddenly let out a low snarl, opening its jaws wide to clamp down on Gu Sheng's wooden stick, yanking and tearing at it with tremendous force. Gu Sheng's face changed.
He swiftly let go of the stick and rolled to the ground, dodging the wolf's sudden attack.
"Damn beast!"
Gu Sheng's expression turned savage as he gripped the chopping knife and swung it toward the wolf's other hind leg.
Though he had just risen and hadn't fully gathered his strength, the knife still carried considerable force, slicing deep into the wolf's leg and leaving it bleeding profusely—turning the knife redder still.
The wolf howled in pain and turned to bite.
But Gu Sheng somehow summoned strength from within, dodging again and pulling out the chopping knife to slash viciously at the wolf's waist!
This time, the power of his Great Achievement Realm in chopping wood exploded in full force, surpassing his previous battle at home.
His arm muscles swelled, channeling all his strength into the knife, which cut through the wolf's waist like tofu, slicing it cleanly in two—even its bones couldn't withstand the blow!
The wolf's scarlet blood and its various organs spilled messily across the ground.
Even Gu Sheng himself was momentarily stunned.
Li Lian stood frozen in place, staring in shock.