Chapter 29: A Glimmer of Hope in Desperation
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The wolves were lithe and powerfully built, their coats glinting coldly beneath the dim moonlight. The largest stood at the front of the pack, ears erect and eyes fixed intently on Lin Yu.
Lin Yu’s heart was pounding like a drum. His palms were drenched in sweat, making the shaft of the fish spear slick and difficult to grip, while his legs trembled faintly of their own accord. His throat felt as though an invisible hand had clamped tightly around it. His breathing grew rapid and ragged, every inhalation tugging at his taut nerves.
Anyone who had never been surrounded by wolves could not possibly understand the terror he felt. Even during his wilderness survival in the Amazon rainforest in his previous life, he had never experienced fear like this.
Lin Yu quickly forced himself to calm down. He knew perfectly well that fear would do him no good now.
The wolves’ circle tightened by the moment. Lin Yu could even hear their heavy breathing and the faint scratching of their claws against the earth. The old donkey seemed to sense the approaching danger as well, letting out uneasy snorts. In the silent, tense atmosphere, the sounds resembled a countdown to death.
Tiny beads of sweat appeared on Lin Yu’s forehead. His eyes swept rapidly across his surroundings while he clutched the fish spear, searching desperately for a thread of hope in this hopeless situation.
To capture the bandits, one must first seize their leader. If he wanted even the slimmest chance of survival, Lin Yu knew he had to kill the alpha wolf.
So he kept his eyes fixed on the leader.
But the alpha was exceedingly cautious. Its gaze was crafty and savage, and it seemed to have sensed Lin Yu’s intentions. It paced restlessly along the outer edge of the encirclement, always keeping its distance and making no move to attack.
Its ears rotated from time to time, keenly catching every stir in the surrounding grass. Each step was measured with extreme care, its paws touching down softly and occasionally kicking up a trace of dust. It seemed to be testing Lin Yu’s strength—or waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
Lin Yu knew this was a contest with death itself. He had to remain utterly focused and calm, waiting for the instant the alpha revealed an opening. Otherwise, he would likely be buried in the bellies of these wolves before the night was over.
At last, the alpha lost patience. Foul saliva dripped between its sharp fangs. With a long howl, the other wolves suddenly charged toward Lin Yu’s donkey cart.
They were astonishingly fast, turning into streaks of gray lightning beneath the night sky. Dust rose from their pounding hooves, made strangely clear by the faint moonlight.
Lin Yu reacted at once.
He seized the reins and yanked hard. The old donkey seemed to sense the danger and cooperated readily, pulling the cart sideways until it stood between Lin Yu and the pack, forming a makeshift barrier.
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The foremost wolf leaped high into the air, jaws gaping wide as it tried to spring directly over the cart and attack Lin Yu. Seizing the moment, Lin Yu tightened his grip on the fish spear and thrust it viciously at the airborne animal.
The spear struck the wolf squarely in the belly. With a shrill, anguished howl, it crashed to the ground and rolled in agony, its blood staining the grass around it red.
The remaining wolves did not retreat. Instead, they spread out and continued closing in on the cart from different directions. Lin Yu moved swiftly around the cart, keeping his eyes on the pack while also watching the alpha’s position.
The alpha stood not far behind the other wolves. Its eyes were cold and cunning. It did not join the fight recklessly, seeming either to direct the pack’s movements or to wait for Lin Yu to expose a weakness.
At that moment, another wolf lunged from the side of the cart. Lin Yu hurled the fish spear with all his strength. It flew straight into the wolf’s leg. The animal lost its balance and collapsed beside the cart.
But Lin Yu had now fallen into an even more dangerous position.
The other wolves had already closed in, and his only weapon—the fish spear—was no longer in his hands. With nothing but the cart for cover, he could not hold out for long. The moment the others attacked together, he would be doomed.
The alpha noticed this as well. It let out a long howl, and the other wolves immediately charged at Lin Yu.
As the pack’s assault grew fiercer, Lin Yu seized his chance, rolled across the ground, and quickly crawled beneath the cart. The undercarriage was low, forcing him to curl up as he made his way toward the carcass of the wolf struck by the spear. He pulled the weapon free in one swift motion.
He gripped the fish spear tightly with both hands and watched the movements outside through the gaps between the wheels.
The wolves surrounded the cart in an instant, weaving back and forth around it and periodically clawing at the wooden frame with a horrifying rasping sound. One particularly reckless wolf tried to squeeze through the gap between the wheels. Without hesitation, Lin Yu thrust out the spear. Its tip grazed the wolf’s nose, and the animal yelped in pain before retreating awkwardly.
Lin Yu gasped for breath. Sweat soaked through his clothes and mingled with the blood from his wounds, clinging wetly to his skin. He could hear the pack breathing, as well as the alpha’s deep growls nearby, as though it were urging the others to break through the defenses as quickly as possible.
Beneath the cart, Lin Yu struggled to regulate his breathing and calm his racing heart.
He knew this stalemate could not last. He had to find a way to strike first, or wait for the perfect opportunity to deliver the pack a fatal blow. Above all, he had to eliminate the alpha before he could truly resolve the crisis.
But the alpha was extremely intelligent. The moment it saw Lin Yu hiding beneath the cart, it swiftly ordered the pack to attack the old donkey instead.
That terrified Lin Yu.
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The donkey was the village chief’s prized possession. If the wolves killed it, Lin Yu had no idea how he could ever compensate him.
Frantic with worry, Lin Yu ignored the danger he was in. A single thought filled his mind: he absolutely could not let anything happen to the village chief’s donkey. He hurriedly crawled out from beneath the cart, his body awkward with tension. He scraped his arm against the ground without even noticing. The instant he emerged, the biting night wind and the heavy stench of wolves rushed into his face, and his figure was exposed to the entire pack.
It seemed the wolves had been luring him out. The moment he appeared, they wheeled around and fixed their grim eyes on him once more. Suppressing his fear, Lin Yu tightened his grip on the fish spear and planted both feet firmly, ready to face their attack.
His heartbeat thundered in his ears. Every nerve was stretched to its limit. He stared fixedly at the pack as it slowly advanced, as though he could drive them back with his gaze alone.
Though his heart was filled with unease and dread, he knew there was no way out now. Only by fighting to the death could he hope to protect the village chief’s donkey—and win himself a chance to survive.
Just as Lin Yu prepared to make his final stand, a gunshot tore through the night like a thunderclap.
The alpha had been poised to strike, ready to deliver Lin Yu a fatal blow, when it was suddenly hit by an immense force. Its body flew through the air like a kite with its string cut, tracing an arc before crashing heavily to the ground and sending up a cloud of dust.
The other wolves trembled in shock. The savagery vanished from their eyes, replaced by terror and confusion. After freezing for a moment, they tucked their tails between their legs and fled in all directions with frightened whimpers, disappearing into the darkness in the blink of an eye.
The gunshot left Lin Yu stunned as well. Before he could recover, he saw a burly, middle-aged man slowly approaching from the distance. The man’s stride was steady and powerful. He carried a hunting rifle still trailing wisps of smoke, and the moonlight carved his face into sharp relief, revealing an expression of stern resolve.
Lin Yu gazed at him, overwhelmed by relief and gratitude at having survived the ordeal. His tense body finally began to relax. The fish spear slipped from his hand with a clatter, and his legs gave way beneath him. He collapsed onto the ground, breathing heavily.
The big man kept his rifle raised as he walked once around the donkey cart, carefully surveying the area. Once he had finished his inspection, he strode toward Lin Yu.
When he reached him, he brought his broad, fanlike hand down heavily on Lin Yu’s shoulder, making him sway slightly. The man tipped his head back and broke into a teasing grin.
“Not bad, kid! Just look at those skinny arms and legs of yours. You actually took down two wolves with that battered fish spear. Even I wouldn’t dare pull something like that. Heh, you’ve got guts. You smoke?”
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