Chapter Forty-One: Wolf and Bear (Part Three)

As Qianyin and Lengxue were halfway through luring the beast, they suddenly realized the wolf-bear had left. The two were very close to each other, so they quickly regrouped. Seeing the dusky sky, they had no choice but to leap into the trees, lean against the trunks, and rest with their eyes closed.

“Do you think they’re all right? I feel a bit uneasy.” Qianyin didn’t know why, but her brow had been twitching, and that sense of foreboding made her deeply uncomfortable.

“You have to trust them,” Lengxue replied coolly, meaning nothing more.

An Feng was near collapse when he reached the cliff’s edge. For the first time, he took out the four-leaf clover, hoping she was safe.

He wanted to search his way down, but doing so would almost certainly leave him battered and wounded.

Xiao Qi had just caught up when the old immortal arrived as well. Liu Fei hurried over too, and upon arrival saw three people at the cliff’s edge. His face paled—why was no one going down?

“Captain An Feng, I’ve brought everyone. You take command now.” Liu Fei edged toward the cliff, peering down, trembling slightly as he spoke.

An Feng finally turned to glance at them and immediately ordered, “Quick, get the gear.”

Each of them set down their packs, which contained ropes, knives, and cords tied to their shoes.

An Feng gave everything a once-over; the preparations were neat and thorough. He strapped the medicine pouch to himself, packed some water and food, and walked to the cliff’s edge, finding the largest rock. He tied the longest rope to it, tested its strength several times, and, satisfied with its security, jumped down.

“A few of you come with me. Use the other rocks—be careful.” Liu Fei grabbed another rope, packed supplies, and swiftly followed.

Xiao Qi wanted to help but was pulled aside by a policeman. Her brow furrowed deeply. Though he didn’t like Xiao Qi, seeing her injured, he had to bandage her wounds.

“Thank you,” Xiao Qi said quietly, head bowed.

The policeman was taken aback, surprised that someone so aloof would apologize. It seemed the vice-captain had changed her.

An Feng and Liu Fei moved with remarkable speed, bounding downward. From a distance, their leaping figures might have looked playful, but only those descending knew the dangers.

Jagged rocks were everywhere. One careless step, or if the rope slipped, would mean certain death.

The further down they went, the more strenuous it became. The mist thickened. Even though it was nearly noon, everything below remained shrouded in a white haze. Still, neither considered giving up, inching downward with careful, deliberate steps.

Those following behind were far slower and paused for long stretches whenever danger arose. Their descent was at least twice as slow.

Meanwhile, deep at the bottom of the gorge, Mo Lan finally stirred. Startled to find herself in the wolf-bear’s embrace, she struggled lightly, and to her surprise, the creature let go.

Mo Lan sat up and turned to look at her rescuer—only to find it dead. Gazing at its battered body filled her with sorrow. All those wounds had been suffered for her sake. Without its protection, she might have been the one lying lifeless here.

Surveying the area, she found only sharp rocks surrounding the wolf-bear. Walking here would be difficult. The valley was chilly, the air biting.

She retreated into the wolf-bear’s embrace again. Her belongings had been destroyed in the fall—no food, no water. She could only wait for rescue. Xiao Qi wouldn’t abandon her, would she?

After more than an hour, An Feng and Liu Fei finally reached the bottom. The valley floor was vast and strewn with unyielding stone, making each step exhausting. The mist was everywhere, impossible to see through.

“Mo Lan!”

“Captain! Where are you?”

Unable to see, they groped forward, arms outstretched, calling Mo Lan’s name into the fog.

Mo Lan, on the verge of drifting off again, suddenly heard their voices—delight surged through her. She didn’t push away the wolf-bear but listened intently, trying to pinpoint the direction.

As the voices drew nearer, Mo Lan shouted, “I’m here.” But hunger had left her weak, and she could only conserve her strength, saving her voice for the crucial moment.

Hearing her call, the two men quickened their pace. As they neared, the rocks thinned out around the wolf-bear. Their steps grew clumsy—after so long among the jagged stones, both bore scrapes and bruises.

An Feng quickly took out his phone and turned on the flashlight. When he saw Mo Lan cradled in the wolf-bear’s arms, he was astonished.

“You’re not hurt, are you?” An Feng’s voice trembled with the question. Seeing the wolf-bear, he felt uncertain. Though it hadn’t begun to rot, its wounds were clearly fatal.

Liu Fei didn’t speak, simply gazed at Mo Lan, her pale face making his heart ache as if gnawed by ants.

“I’m fine, just hungry,” Mo Lan answered with a faint smile. She was so ravenous she could barely muster the energy for that smile.

Relief flooded the two men—only minor injuries, thank goodness. They quickly rolled the wolf-bear aside to let Mo Lan sit on it, then brought out water and food.

Mo Lan drained more than half a bottle of water in one go and devoured a piece of bread, finally regaining a little strength.

“That wolf-bear suffered wounds so grave it died. Are you sure you’re unharmed? We should leave at once,” An Feng said anxiously, but seeing her still wearing the four-leaf clover, he felt reassured.

Mo Lan didn’t speak, only shook her head vigorously. She felt a pang of guilt over the wolf-bear’s death, but it was its charge that had led to this accident.

The rest of the team soon arrived, and all were astonished to see the wolf-bear—it was the first time any of them had seen such an odd, hybrid creature.

“Help me gather stones. We’ll bury it here. If not for it, I might be dead,” Mo Lan declared resolutely now that everyone was present.

The others frowned. The rocks here were hard, and the wolf-bear’s body was enormous; covering it would take considerable time and effort.

Liu Fei didn’t hesitate to carry out the order. In his heart, the wolf-bear had saved Mo Lan’s life. For that alone, it deserved to be buried here.

The rest of the team, seeing no alternative, joined in. Thanks to the combined effort of a dozen people, the task was finished in under an hour, though everyone ended up with cuts on their hands.

There was no time to tend to their wounds—they had to prepare to climb out before the wolf-bears emerged again at night.

When Qianyin and Lengxue arrived, they could only wait above, frustrated at being unable to help. Qianyin’s gaze toward Xiao Qi was full of murderous intent. This time, Xiao Qi wasn’t afraid; she simply stood there in silence.