Ch 58: My Wolf Husband

Fuli stood alone at the alley entrance while Lin Shuishi greeted Dongsheng and was pulled aside to chat near a wall where some city soldiers were resting. Seeing that Fuli hadn’t followed them, Dongsheng finally let out a slight sigh of relief. Yet, he couldn’t help but feel a twinge in his neck, recalling the time when Fuli had nearly strangled him to death. Compared to that day when the giant bear was skinned and gutted, it was… polite, at least.

Upon hearing that Lin Shuishi had come to find his family, Dongsheng quickly reassured him, “You don’t need to worry about us. My eldest and fourth brothers and I have enlisted in the army, leaving my second brother to take care of the family. We’re currently staying in Gulue Alley on the east side of the city, so we can be close by to help.”

Lin Shuishi sighed in relief. “As long as your family is safe, that’s good. But enlisting… does that mean you’ll be going to the battlefield?”

“You silly kid, talking nonsense. The barbarians are nearly at our doorstep. How could enlisting not involve going to the battlefield? But for now, we new recruits are just helping to transport supplies to the frontline at Pingzhou.”

As Dongsheng spoke, he glanced again at the man in the distance, who seemed somewhat somber even in the sunlight. Hesitating, he asked, “So, um, are you two… Is he… well, you know… all good?”

Lin Shuishi quickly waved his hand. “No worries, he’s fine now. He treats me well. You can let Uncle know.”

“Ah! Aren’t you going to come with me to see the family?”

Lin Shuishi shook his head. “Knowing you all are safe is enough for me. I’ll head back with him now.”

Dongsheng sighed. “That might be for the best. These are troubled times. I’ve heard the barbarians have already crossed Minshan and could be at Pingzhou any day now. Let’s hope General Jiang Xing can hold the city. You’ll be safer back in the mountains.”

Beyond Dongshan, it was still winter. Lin Shuishi noticed that Dongsheng’s hands were chapped from carrying supplies in the cold. He called Fuli over and took out some cotton gloves and a bit of the money they had earned from selling the deer, trying to hand them to Dongsheng.

Dongsheng felt a bit fearful as Fuli approached. This man was much more imposing than the last time they met, and there was an indescribable aura about him. Instinctively, Dongsheng tried to refuse, but realizing it was just a pair of gloves, he awkwardly scratched his head and accepted them without further protest.

However, before they could say their goodbyes, the city gate erupted in chaos, filled with shouts and panic. The city soldiers, including Dongsheng, immediately gathered and rushed to the gate to enforce order.

Fuli quickly pulled Lin Shuishi into a protective embrace, keeping him close to the wall for cover. From within the safety of his partner’s strong arms, Lin Shuishi saw a large group of soldiers in broken, blood-stained armor pushing carts meant for transporting grain and weapons back into the city. The carts were filled with wounded soldiers and civilians, covered in blood and lying haphazardly.

Leading the group into the city was the bearded General, Shen Ping, who was clearing the way and shouting, “Quick! Get the wounded into the city! Make way! You there, go and fetch the general and Master Sun to the guard camp immediately!”

Lin Shuishi watched as the large group of soldiers and carts swiftly passed before him. The carts, filled not only with armored soldiers but also with common folk in plain clothing, carried a heavy stench of blood that seemed to envelop him.

For the first time, he truly grasped the reality of war here.

In this era of cold weapons, battles were raw, brutal confrontations between men. It was a clash of armies that left the ground littered with severed limbs, where the flesh and blood of ordinary people were spilled in the most primal and gruesome way.

He noticed Dongsheng, who had joined in pushing the carts, quickly merging into the overwhelming flow of people, just like a drop of water silently merging into the vast ocean. Amidst the chaos, Dongsheng briefly looked around and, upon spotting Lin Shuishi, waved frantically, urging him to leave and return to the mountains.

Lin Shuishi, still in a daze, wondered if this might be the last time he would ever see Dongsheng. The world was so unpredictable; there was no way to know what might happen next.

Fuli’s ears twitched slightly as he strained to listen to the frantic conversation between a blood-streaked officer and Shen Ping amid the clamor of people and carts. His arm tightened around Lin Shuishi, snapping him out of his thoughts and making him look up.

Fuli gazed down at Lin Shuishi’s pale face, his sharp golden eyes hidden beneath the brim of his hat. He spoke in a steady voice.

“They crossed Minshan, burning forests and mountains to attack Pingzhou. The vanguard wears rattan armor, impervious to ordinary weapons. Many soldiers have died.”

Lin Shuishi shuddered at the mention of rattan armor, his eyes widening as he stared at Fuli. “Rattan armor?”

He watched as Fuli clenched his jaw, his eyes flashing with cold fury. “They shouldn’t have wantonly slaughtered living beings.”

Lin Shuishi understood. While war might be an unavoidable part of human history, driven by irreconcilable conflicts, no side should resort to wanton killing—destroying not just people but entire ecosystems, with countless living beings suffering the consequences.

As he watched the distant, departing troops, Lin Shuishi thought to himself that this time, there would be no peaceful resolution.

That night, Fuli still took Lin Shuishi back to the mountains, but along the way, Lin Shuishi noticed many more injured and weakened animals in the Eastern Mountain. These were the lucky ones who had managed to escape; those that hadn’t likely perished along with the forests where they had lived for generations, reduced to ashes.

Lin Shuishi said nothing, but carefully prepared their warm, cozy den. He packed away the stove outside and sealed the various dried fruits and vegetables.

Lin Shuishi loved every plant, every creature in the mountains. This was an isolated paradise, a sanctuary in the world. It was the ancestral land of the wolf pack, Fuli’s homeland. Here lay the graves of Fuli’s “parents” and ancestors, and it was where his clan thrived.

Fuli was the child of these mountains and valleys, and also the protector of the beings that lived there.

Lin Shuishi was ready. How could they survive unscathed when the entire nest was threatened? With the enemy hidden and themselves exposed, the best strategy was to strike first. He was determined to find out exactly who this so-called barbarian tribe was.

Fuli didn’t say much, but he knew that his companion understood. So, on that night, under a sky full of stars, he held Lin Shuishi close as they stood atop a solitary cliff, gazing out over the vast expanse of Dongshan Mountain and its fields.

Here, he would gain an unmatched conviction and a continuous source of strength.

Fuli never considered leaving Lin Shuishi alone in the safe corners of the mountains; it never even crossed his mind. A wolf and its mate follow each other throughout life, always loyal, always protective—nothing, not even death, could separate them.

The next day, after descending the mountain, the two headed straight for Pingzhou, intending to investigate the barbarian tribe. The best place to do that was at the front lines of the battle.

In the barbarian camp, the soldiers were celebrating their victory, bare-chested and boisterous. Piles of bones lay by the fires, the remains of some animal, stripped of meat, leaving only white bones tinged with red.

They spoke in their coarse language, “Hahaha, this place is truly bountiful, even the women are more tender! Better than the desert.”

“Drink up! Tomorrow we’ll follow the king, charge in, and plunder!”

Inside a tent adorned with a wolf’s head, the barbarian king, a towering figure with bulging muscles, fierce and powerful, downed a large bowl of red liquid. He turned to the soldier beside him and commanded, “Is the shaman’s potion ready? Go hurry them up!”

The soldier quickly complied, but before he could leave, a small child entered, carrying a tray, and bowed naively to the king. “Greetings, Great King. The Grand Shaman sent me to deliver your elixir.”

The barbarian king grinned menacingly, his face twisted with a sinister smile. He waved away the guards and servants in the tent, exposing his sharp teeth as he beckoned the child closer.

The guards outside heard the sound of crunching and chewing from within the tent, but they were unfazed, accustomed to such noises. Eventually, a voice from inside called them back to clean up the remains.

In a solitary tent perched atop a mountain, the atmosphere was eerie and quiet, with wisps of smoke curling through the air. The Grand Shaman continued to kneel before an altar, while a tall, purple-faced man appeared silently outside the tent.

“I report to you,” he announced. The candlelight inside the tent flickered as he slipped inside.

“What is it?” came the raspy voice, sounding as if it was scraped out of sandpaper.

“Reporting to the Grand Shaman, the barbarian king has followed your advice, burning the mountains and driving out the creatures within. The rattan-armored soldiers have gathered, but there has been no word from them.”

“Nothing else?”

“Not yet. Once they enter Pingzhou, they should find the missing rattan soldiers.”

The figure in the tent, facing away from the entrance, raised a hand to dismiss the subordinate but then paused, remembering something. “Wait. Send another batch of spirit children tomorrow; we’ve almost used them up.”

“Understood.”

After the subordinate left, the figure stepped out of the tent. In the sky, a crescent moon was partially obscured by dark clouds, making it difficult to see clearly. Looking down from the mountaintop, the barbarian army was not camped in tents but rather sat on the ground, scattered and surrounded by foul air. They tore at their food with wild abandon, fueled by alcohol.

Barbaric, venomous, cruel, and filthy.

The shaman sneered, “Fools.”

On their journey, Lin Shuishi and Fuli frequently stopped, not due to exhaustion but because they were constantly intercepted by various animals. There were slow-moving sloths, deer with flared tails, white owls carrying their nests, and wild boars leading their young in a line.

Whenever these creatures saw Fuli, they would pause, pay their respects, and then, as an afterthought, ask for directions.

These were all survivors who had lost their homes. Determined to find a safe and livable place, they figured there was no better being to ask than the “Wolf God.”

Finally, they reached the outskirts of Pingzhou, stopping in a forest that had been half-burned. The air was thick with the smell of smoke from the fire, and the once fresh air and lush greenery were nowhere to be found. Fuli clenched his fists as he looked at the charred trees.

After resting for a moment and preparing to move forward, Fuli suddenly halted. Lin Shuishi immediately became alert, carefully scanning the surroundings. In the grass ahead, they saw a large ape, its red shoulder fur singed but otherwise unharmed. It stood there, scratching its head.

Lin Shuishi, perched on Fuli’s shoulder, stood on tiptoe to get a better look. To his surprise, the red-furred ape was holding a “person” in its arms! The person was covered in blood, their condition unknown, and the blood had stained the ape’s arm.

The ape, upon spotting the towering Fuli, brightened up! It ran toward them, still carrying the injured person.

Upon reaching them, the ape dropped the soldier onto the ground with a thud and began gesturing wildly, making screeching noises. It turned out that the red-furred ape’s valley had been burned, but it had managed to survive by hiding in a cave, only singeing a bit of its fur. When it emerged after the fire had died down, it was met with a scene of devastation and was forced to find a new home.

Thirsty and parched from being scorched, the ape had not had a single sip of water. But unexpectedly, it encountered a dying man on its way, who, with his last bit of strength, opened his water bag and offered it to the ape, allowing it to drink.

The red-furred ape thought all humans were terrible—they had burned its home! But it was unbearably thirsty and, after much hesitation, cautiously drank the water.

After quenching its thirst, the ape turned back to the wounded soldier, who had already passed out. The ape cautiously poked the soldier with its hand, then quickly jumped back, repeating this several times before pressing its ear to the soldier’s chest to listen for a heartbeat.

He wasn’t dead! But he wasn’t waking up either. The ape looked at the now-empty water bag, screeched a couple of times, and decided to carry the “human” along as it fled.

What else could it do? It had drunk the man’s water, after all!

The wounded soldier, being carried upside down by the ape as it ran, gradually regained consciousness from the blood rushing to his head. He thought he had been rescued by fellow soldiers, but when he looked up, he saw—good heavens—a giant monkey!

He had been carrying important military information, trying to reach the nearest city, Dingping County, to request reinforcements. But the big monkey was running south, which was the wrong direction! Desperate to deliver his message, he used the last bit of his strength to struggle.

This was the scene Lin Shuishi and Fuli came upon: the ape standing there, scratching its head in confusion.

Seeing Fuli, the red ape didn’t hesitate to throw the wounded soldier at his feet. Lin Shuishi, startled, noticed the soldier’s armor—it was the same type that Dongsheng and the others wore! He quickly rushed forward to check and provide first aid.

The soldier had lost an arm and was unconscious due to severe blood loss. Upon being shaken awake by the ape, he was fortunate to see Lin Shuishi in his dazed state. With a final burst of strength, he grasped Lin Shuishi’s hand tightly and managed to utter a few words from his throat.

“The rattan armor is hard to pierce. General Zhao is trapped in Xuan City, Pingzhou. No food, no supplies—hurry to Dingping and find Jiang Zhao!”

With that, the soldier fell back into unconsciousness. Lin Shuishi, seeing the severed arm, quickly tore off a piece of cloth to tightly bind the artery, slowing the blood loss. He then retrieved the green ointment from their homeland and applied it to the wound. They had brought plenty of this medicine with them when they left, just in case, and now it was being put to good use.

The soldier’s blood had already begun to coagulate, and the ointment stayed on the wound. Lin Shuishi didn’t know if it would save him, but he did what he could.

Afterward, Fuli had the ape carry the wounded soldier on its back, and the group hurried towards Dingping County. Along the way, Lin Shuishi gently prodded the large red ape, pointing to the soldier.

Don’t carry him upside down anymore! He’s not a monkey cub—he’s a human! You might end up suffocating him from all the blood rushing to his head…