Chapter 2, The Wolf Pack

The person behind the obstacle let out a long sigh, "It seems that the little cub has encountered a pack of wolves; I fear the odds are against him. Gentlemen, shall we continue the pursuit?"

The wolf pack assumed an aggressive stance, with several young male wolves eager to try their luck, but they were all driven back by her. She lowered her limbs and inched closer, revealing the face of a small infant who had lost its parents, pale and frozen, yet still resilient.

No one believed that the Muni Divine Jade would vanish into thin air. In the end, Yue Renyu met his demise in the snowy lands, a remote and rarely visited secret realm, which became a frequented place for martial artists amidst the hustle and bustle of the rivers and lakes.

The person wearing a mask looked down from a height, their tone tinged with sadness: "What a pity for a generation of beauties... Search their bodies and see if we can find any clues about the whereabouts of the divine jade."

The Yue family holds a tremendous secret: the Muni Divine Jade is the key to unlocking the treasure of the Lonely Mountain's Mermaid Palace. It is said that the wealth contained within is sufficient to establish one hundred golden dynasties. Who wouldn't want to get rich, to become immensely wealthy? Isn't the Yue family a prestigious and righteous clan? By splashing a few buckets of dirty water and spreading rumors, they could easily justify the pursuit of Yue Rengyu as a means to rid the martial world of a menace. Ultimately, the only one standing in the way of the Yue family is Yue Rengyu, for he inherited this secret from his father.

The so-called ferocious beasts are, in fact, a misconception. However, snow wolves do exist, but their movements are erratic; aside from some footprints, no one has discovered their hiding places

With that said, it is ultimately best to refrain from action. Yue Renyu was once incredibly formidable; even now that he is deceased, he still instills a lingering sense of fear in people's hearts

Most of the success in the world is reserved for those who possess perseverance and consistency, regardless of whether they are righteous or wicked. Time acts like a sieve; after six years of filtering, all the impetuous factions have been eliminated, leaving only the Wave Moon Pavilion still connected to this snowy region. As the stars shift and the seasons change, the once fierce atmosphere of the assassin Mi Cheng has long dissipated. The Wave Moon Pavilion's regular visits, occurring several times a year, with groups ranging from three to five people or even solitary individuals, have gradually accustomed the overlord of the snowy region to the occasional disturbances from the outside world.

Maternal instinct is universal; even among different species, acceptance requires time, yet it does not hinder the desire of the mother wolf to approach.

Zuo She Ti Dao said, "Yue Hai Chao has already taken over Chang Yuan." After a slight hesitation, he asked, "Is the investigation of the divine jade really coming to an end here? Yue Ren Yu and the others have been working tirelessly these days and have no time to transfer the divine jade at all"

Once this matter is concluded and they return to the martial world, the heroes will still be heroes. Out of a sense of duty, they hastily buried their opponent, and no one will mention the surprise attack in Yanyu Prefecture or the ambush outside Cangwu City. Nor will anyone lament the tragic fate of Liu Jiangnian, who met a premature end—after all, pursuing a pregnant woman is not a particularly honorable act

The scent of blood ultimately attracted the wolf pack. The wolves lingered ten paces away from the rocks; they are intelligent yet solitary creatures, unable to assess the level of danger, and do not advance recklessly. Typically, they move in groups, lurking and waiting.

Astonishing and terrifying, those snow wolves turned out to be much larger than they had imagined. Their bodies could rival those of two adult men, and if they stood upright on their hind legs, they would truly give the impression of a massive stone pressing down. They are highly tactical, encircling from three sides, pursuing and blocking, and with just a dozen of them, they can send a flock of sheep into a panic.

The wolf pack seemed to be startled, retreating rapidly but not going far. The child's cries were deafening, far too noisy for the snow-covered land that had been tranquil for millennia. The wolves looked at each other, hesitating once more, listening as the cries gradually shifted from high-pitched to faint, eventually whimpering softly, resembling the whines of wolf pups.

The alliance has disbanded, and the temporary coalition has collapsed, with everyone returning to their respective homes. Various groups left without looking back, but only the person wearing the mask reined in their horse and lingered for a long time, saying, "Yue Renyu cut open the child to await the rescue from the Yue family"

Indeed, later on, not only did the Wave Moon Pavilion continue its search for the Muni Divine Mirror, but all the major sects of the martial world also did not cease their pursuit; they simply went about their endeavors in a less ostentatious manner

Did you see? the right speaker trembled and said, That child is at most six or seven years old

Arriving with great enthusiasm, yet departing in disappointment, everyone wore expressions of unwillingness. There is no remedy for this unwillingness; the clues have run dry, and the whereabouts of the Muni Divine Jade remain unknown. Perhaps the martial world can instead enjoy a few years of tranquility.

Several yellow sheep lost their front hooves and broke their necks. However, the wolf pack was not satisfied with this achievement; they leaped high over the corpses, not even slightly diverting their gaze, and spread out more quickly and cohesively towards the two flanks. The vast and boundless plain was their battlefield, as they moved with such speed that they seemed to flash by. By the time the left and right flanks pursued, the wolves had long vanished from sight. All that remained were six or seven yellow sheep sprawled across the trampled snow, one of which had a branch embedded in its back, creating a regular fan shape in the snow as it convulsed in its dying moments. The vast and boundless plain was their battlefield, as they moved with such speed that they seemed to flash by. By the time the left and right flanks pursued, the wolves had long vanished from sight. All that remained were six or seven yellow sheep sprawled across the trampled snow, one of which had a branch embedded in its back, creating a regular fan shape in the snow as it convulsed in its dying moments.

The guardian of Boyue Pavilion examined the Tianrong acupoint at the necks of the Renyu couple and reported upward: "They have already ceased to breathe."

The people beside teased: "Aren't you afraid that Young Master Yue will come back to life and stab you in the backside with a sword?"

The lead wolf shook its ears, and a female wolf emerged from behind it. The female wolf's teats were full and her milk abundant; after losing her pups, her dim eyes suddenly sparkled upon hearing the cries of a baby

Looking at the two corpses embracing each other, they seem like the victims abandoned after a group of children’s prank. Although it is regrettable, no one is held accountable for this matter. Once dead, they are dead; it is not unusual for a few people to die in the martial world. After three to five years, with fresh blood flowing in, who still remembers Changyuan, Yue, and Renyu

"Who do you think would easily give up? After putting in so much effort to get here, no one would be willing to return empty-handed." He rode forward, lazily dragging out his words, "Let's do it another day, pick a good weather, and search again. After all, the child has died without a body; perhaps there might be unexpected good news."

Someone covered their mouth and nose, spitting out: "How ruthless! This fellow is harsh to outsiders, and equally so to his own people"

Wherever there are people, there exists a world of martial arts. The winds of this world are ever-changing; today you may be a hero, but tomorrow you could become the public enemy of the martial arts community. In life, one cannot escape the pursuit of profit. When you stand out too much and possess treasures that attract the masses, even if you have consistently done good deeds, you will still be hunted down by all.

The person behind the barrier turned their long and enchanting eyes, with a glimmer that held the subtlety of peach blossoms at sunrise

The climate is extremely harsh, and every morsel of food is hard-earned. The congealed blood, even though it no longer flows, emits an enticing aroma. The wolf pack, with their stomachs growling, has waited for a long time, yet there is no sign of their "food" moving. The alpha wolf issues a command, and a few bold ones slowly approach, sniffing the fingers and garments of the corpse. Just as they are about to call their companions, a cry bursts forth, a small body gathering all its strength, crying so hard that the snowfield trembles slightly.

On the back of a slightly smaller wolf, there was a small child, his skin revealed through tattered clothing, almost blending seamlessly with the ice and snow of this snowy realm. He must have been well-versed in this form of riding, his body pressed low, one hand gripping the wolf's thick mane, the other holding a straight branch. Suddenly, he raised his hand to throw something, and the flock of sheep was immediately thrown into chaos, like a banner adorned with wolf teeth, fluttering rapidly in the wind before swiftly moving forward

In such a frigid and snowy environment, a newborn child, without milk to drink and clothes to wear, would find it remarkable to survive. However, since Yue Rengyu has brought the child into this world, it is possible that the Muni Divine Jade has already been transferred to the child.

Hope is faint, and with Yue Renyu's temperament, even in death, he would not make it easy for anyone. It is nearly impossible to extract the divine stone from him. Let us put on a show; if we truly cannot find it, we can only explain it this way to the entire martial world

It may be that a herd of yellow sheep is not easily found in the snow, which is why the wolf pack has emerged in full force. That day happened to be shortly after Zuo You and She Ti had entered the snowy region, and they had not yet had the chance to conduct their routine inspections when they heard the thunderous sound of hooves, like an army of thousands galloping towards them. Both were taken aback, initially thinking they had encountered another sect, but to their surprise, it was a panicked flock of sheep, with swift snow wolves in pursuit behind them.

The vigilance has not completely dissipated, but it is no longer as acute as it was at the beginning. Snow wolves roam in packs, and one can even witness scenes of their hunting.

The assassin in black was rummaging through incessantly when suddenly someone exclaimed: "Liu Jiangnian's stomach has been opened up!"

The relentless pursuit, like a malignant tumor attached to the bone, finally brought the killers to their destination. They dismounted to inspect, only to find two cold corpses.

The mother wolf sniffed for a long time, hesitatingly extending her tongue to lick her child's face. At that moment, the sound of thundering hooves filled the hills, coming closer and closer, like the roar of wind and thunder. The wolf pack immediately became agitated; the lead wolf glanced back and decisively led the pack into the dense forest. The mother wolf was left behind; she could not abandon her child, hesitating and whimpering for a long time. Finally, she used her forelimbs to dig out the swaddled body from the embrace of the corpse and picked it up in her mouth to chase after the wolf pack.

Some of them asked: "Should we bring the body back?"

The leaders of several major sects dismounted to inspect the situation, finding that the flesh had already frozen, leaving only an empty blood hole in the abdomen, and the child inside was nowhere to be found

Chasing after the wolf pack, and then dissecting them one by one for examination? After all, the snow wolf is the king of this snowy domain, and no one knows how many members are in their clan. Wolves hold grudges; if they are provoked, it is uncertain whether one can escape unscathed.

Two people watched, feeling fortunate to witness such a rare spectacle in their lifetime, but they were soon overwhelmed by another sight that nearly made them cry out.

The month and night when Yue Rengyu and Liu Jiangnian died happened to be exactly six years ago today

The snowy region begins to swirl with mountain winds, one wind eye after another, stirring up a vast expanse of desolation. Grabbing a torch to illuminate the surroundings, numerous footprints are left on the ground, each the size of a palm, belonging to the unique snow wolves of this snowy domain

Unfortunately, the wait will never end, and within the Yue family, everything has changed. With the divine jade missing, the newly appointed head will not simply let this matter rest.

The incision is neat, made with a blade. The remaining edge is only caught on the robe, while the outer garment is nowhere to be found, indicating that he has extracted the child from the mother's body

To live is to have some pursuits. Love and ideals are the byproducts after one is well-fed and satisfied, but ultimately, the most important thing is still money. Money is the most effective weapon in the world. A gentleman is clear and noble, not bowing for five pecks of rice, but that is because five pecks of rice is indeed too little. What if it were gold and silver filling the cart, and pearls covering the bed? It is probably akin to the saying, "A man does not shed tears lightly; it is just that he has not reached the point of heartbreak."