Ch 71: My Wolf Husband

Fuli said he needed to return, but in the end, he stayed for a few more days. Lin Shuishi, for some reason, was constantly tired and had a slight fever. After the intense battle, the city was filled with soldiers clinging to life, and the military doctors were overwhelmed. Lin Shuishi didn’t want to bother Sun Luqian with such a minor ailment, especially after seeing Sun Luqian faint from exhaustion the other night, the only rest he had gotten in three or four days since the battle ended.

Instead, Lin Shuishi took some medicine for a cold and tried to tough it out, figuring that once he recovered mentally and the horrifying images of the battlefield stopped haunting him, he would naturally get better. He thought he was simply shaken by the experience.

There weren’t enough tents for everyone, and with wounded soldiers everywhere, Fuli considered taking Lin Shuishi into the mountains but decided against it. Lin Shuishi needed the various herbs stored in the military’s small wooden boxes, so they stayed in an empty courtyard near the east gate of Xuancheng.

At dawn, the biting frost and mist finally froze over the blood-soaked city, bringing a hint of freshness to the air, which now felt clearer and more invigorating.

Lin Shuishi had been running a low fever all day and broke into a sweat. When he finally woke up, his eyes opened to a dim, ancient wooden beam and roof, rather than the familiar sight of a modern chandelier and pristine ceiling. He felt disoriented.

“I, I…”

As soon as he spoke, Fuli immediately leaped from outside to the side of Lin Shuishi’s bed, bringing with him a rush of cool air tinged with the scent of medicine.

The man carefully placed his large hand on the head of the dazed young man, gently stroking the soft hair at his temple. He looked anxious and unsure, the wild and fierce beast not knowing how to care for a sick mate.

In the wolf pack, even a wounded alpha would only ensure ample prey was available, leaving survival up to nature.

But this was different. Fuli had painstakingly learned human methods—he could now start a fire properly and brew a bowl of medicine with the right consistency and strength, though a few strands of his thick braid had been singed by the stove.

Lin Shuishi stared blankly at Fuli’s furrowed brows and tightly pressed lips, feeling a soft ache in his heart. In that moment, it felt as if they had already spent a lifetime together, their lives intertwined like vines wrapping around a tree, woven together from the very roots.

“Fuli,” Lin Shuishi murmured, reaching out to trace the man’s face, following the strong line of his eyebrows, down the bridge of his nose, and lightly brushing the stubbled chin.

Fuli tilted his head slightly, nuzzling into Lin Shuishi’s small hand. A faint rumble echoed from his chest, a soft, almost guttural sound, like the murmuring of a beast showing affection.

“It’s time to eat the herbs.”

Lin Shuishi, now fully awake, smiled as some color returned to his pale face. “I’ve told you several times, it’s called drinking medicine!”

Seeing Fuli’s puzzled expression, Lin Shuishi playfully poked his face. But on further thought, he realized that medicine is, after all, made from plants. He chuckled at the idea.

When Fuli brought over a bowl of thick “herb juice,” the strong smell made Lin Shuishi feel queasy. His chest tightened, but knowing he still had a slight fever, he steeled himself and gulped it down in one go.

He grimaced at the bitterness, sticking out his tongue to cool off. “You’ve made it well, but you don’t need to keep hovering around the soldiers at the medical tent. The military doctors say you’ve already scared away a few of them, and they don’t dare brew the medicine anymore.”

Fuli, having been unsure how to make the medicine, had been watching over the soldiers at the medical tent. Though he eventually learned how, his intense golden gaze had left them trembling with fear.

Fuli said nothing, merely squinting as he reached out to gently massage Lin Shuishi’s face and lips, which kept chattering despite his discomfort.

Once Lin Shuishi was warm and relaxed, Fuli finally spoke. “Sleep now. I’ll be back soon.”

Feeling drowsy again after taking the medicine, Lin Shuishi nodded and drifted off to sleep.

He slept in a state of semi-consciousness, unaware of the passage of time, only sensing a familiar presence and eventually sinking into a deep, restful sleep.

At some point, he turned over in bed and felt a sharp pain as something hard jabbed him. “Ouch!” He opened his eyes, startled.

The daylight streamed into the room, and he had no idea how long he had been asleep. To his surprise, he found himself clutching a hard, solid “large tusk” in his arms. He quickly released it, letting it thud heavily against the headboard. The weighty object made a loud noise, revealing just how substantial it was.

The “tusk” was large, pure white, though the tip seemed unusually sharp. Lin Shuishi had never seen anything like it before. He was momentarily stunned, thinking, “Wow! This could make a lot of ivory chopsticks!”

Just as he was lost in thought, Fuli, instead of using the door, as usual, vaulted over the courtyard wall and into the room, carrying a wild sheep’s leg on his shoulder—likely his share after hunting with the white wolves.

Lin Shuishi heard the noise and, like a reflex, he swiftly slid out of bed and crouched by the door, cautiously peeking through the crack. He only relaxed when Fuli came over, wrapped an arm around his waist, and guided him to sit by the “tusk.”

Realizing it was Fuli, Lin Shuishi calmed down, but he still reached out to rub the “tusk” beside him.

“Did you go hunt an elephant? This tusk is so big and sharp!”

“It’s not an elephant tusk.”

“Huh?”

“It’s a wolf’s fang.”

“!!!”

Lin Shuishi was stunned. “A wolf’s fang?” He glanced at the fang, then at Fuli’s strong, towering frame, blinking in confusion as his brain, sluggish from days of lying in bed, tried to process.

“You… you just… just changed your teeth?”

At his words, Fuli’s beastly eyes narrowed. He leaned close to Lin Shuishi’s face, baring his sharp canine teeth and extending his tongue to give a small lick, as faint golden beast markings appeared on his face.

Actions spoke louder than words. With their faces practically touching, Lin Shuishi finally realized how awkward his assumption had been. “Oh… oh. So whose fang is this?”

Fuli slowly retracted his beastly appearance. “It’s from the remains of the wolf god in the ancestral land, long lost and now recovered.”

After talking for a while, Lin Shuishi finally snapped out of his shock, realizing why the array around the city of Xuancheng had been so powerful and why even looking at the formation diagram had left others disoriented. It turned out that the giant wolf fang from the remains of the wolf god had been used as the core of the formation!

Lin Shuishi quickly stood up, no longer daring to touch the fang. Feeling a sense of reverence and a bit of guilt for having slept with it, he hastily bowed to the wolf fang, saying, “Forgive me, ancestor, forgive me!” After some thought, he still felt uneasy. “Maybe we should hurry and return it to Dongshan. Keeping something so powerful nearby just doesn’t feel safe.”

Fuli nodded in agreement but was concerned about Lin Shuishi’s health. Still, after sleeping with the ancestor’s “fang,” Lin Shuishi seemed to have recovered a bit.

“The barbarians have just retreated. I’ll be safe in the camp. You can return quickly and easily on your own.”

It was the best solution. Fuli, seeing that his little mate was still a bit weak, didn’t want to subject him to the rough mountain journey. So, he accepted the plan.

That night, Fuli brought several white wolves into the courtyard to guard it, feeling assured before setting off with the wolf fang. However, as soon as the fang left the house, Lin Shuishi’s chest tightened, and he felt his heart race a few times, followed by a wave of nausea.

Fuli paused, his tall frame bathed in moonlight, his muscular shoulders and back making him appear even more wild and untamed. He tilted his head, puzzled, his sensitive ears twitching. Then, he moved closer, bending down to press his ear against Lin Shuishi’s chest and abdomen, listening intently.

After a long while, Fuli’s instincts made his hair stand on end, but he still couldn’t detect anything unusual about his mate. His eyes widened as he continued to stare at Lin Shuishi.

Lin Shuishi had never seen Fuli with his eyes this wide open before! The golden gleam in them looked strange, almost comical. As they stood there, bathed in the clear moonlight, they stared at each other for a long, bewildered moment, unsure of what to make of the situation.

In the end, Lin Shuishi also started to feel uneasy. He had no choice but to lean forward and plant a kiss on the mysterious, hunched-over beast in front of him. Before Fuli could react, Lin Shuishi quickly reached out and pinched his ear, trying to snap him back to reality. “Hurry up and take the fang back! If you’re late, the ancestors might get angry!”

Fuli, feeling a warm and tingling sensation from the playful gesture, was reluctant to leave but knew he had to. Despite his reluctance, he straightened up, tightened his waist, and leaped onto the wall with the fang in hand.

As he stood there with his back turned, he instinctively looked back.

The spring cicadas chirped softly, the branches swayed gently, and the starry sky above, like a silver veil, cast a hazy mist over the drooping tree branches, the gray-white tiles, the medicine pot in the courtyard, and the delicate face of his beloved.

This was his “moon in his arms,” now resting in this humble, earthly home.

It was also the blood of his heart, smiling with curved eyes at the end of the frosty night, baring small white teeth as if telling him to hurry back.

This scene would be forever etched in his vertical pupils, imprinted on his heart. Even years later, when he recalled it, it would still be tinged with a bittersweet ache.

Beyond the border river, in the barbarian army camp, the atmosphere was heavy with unrest, dark currents swirling beneath the surface.

The Barbarian King had finally awoken from the “Blood of the Infant Spirit” ritual bestowed by the Grand Shaman. The magic seemed to truly rejuvenate him, making the already towering king grow three feet taller, his muscles bulging, and his hair turning jet black, giving him an almost youthful appearance.

However, his temperament had become even more unpredictable, leaving his long-time confidants unable to read him, filling them with fear. It was as if he didn’t care about the recent defeat at all, issuing no orders.

The Fourth Prince, who had gradually gained the support of various barbarian factions, was constantly taking action. However, he was nearly killed in an assassination attempt by unknown individuals, losing an entire camp of guards in the process. Though he barely survived, he attributed the attack to assassins sent by the Central Plains, but deep down, he knew the truth. Every day, he lived in fear, like a bird startled by the mere twang of a bowstring.

On the day when the grand formation at Xuancheng was broken, the Grand Shaman, who was seated in the central military tent burning incense and praying, instantly opened his eyes. The lush vines and trees growing behind him withered by half in that moment!

Yet, rather than being dismayed, he was filled with a maniacal excitement, his eyes gleaming with a blood-red hue.

“Reporting to my lord, the formation is broken, and we failed to capture the target. The enemy’s arrows can pierce through the vine armor, or they shatter the soldiers’ chests even through the armor. The situation is unfavorable,” reported a tall, green-faced man. Despite delivering such urgent military news, his tone remained flat, without the slightest hint of emotion.

The shaman extended a withered vine from behind him and, with a decisive stroke, cut it off in front of his eyes!

“Make them eat it, all of it! Let the seeds sprout from their flesh, and the vines grow from their bones, turning them into my fearless followers!”

Without hesitation, the green-faced man obeyed the order, but he turned back to ask, “What about those secretly rebelling?”

“Don’t bother with them. After today, no one will be able to stop me.”

The shaman fiercely rubbed the small, black arrow in his hand. “No one can stop me. What use is bloodline anyway? Hehehe, hahahaha.” The shaman’s face darkened, appearing increasingly aged, though at times it would briefly revert to his original appearance.

In the midst of these bizarre and chaotic thoughts, the calm barbarian army had no idea what kind of hellish nightmare awaited them the next day.