Chapter 31: Just Being Alive Is Enough

The gray wolf, which had intended to launch another attack, was in no hurry now. It turned and let out a series of howls toward the pack, and the wolves immediately responded in kind.

In the silent night, the howling echoed through the valley. A faint moonlight spilled over the Liangwei Mountains, casting a hazy glow. The flickering light of an oil lamp waxed and waned, and Gu Qingbai clearly felt death creeping toward him.

A chaotic rush of emotions flooded his mind: his elderly parents, his delicate and beautiful wife, his brothers, and the child who had yet to be born.

If he were to die, what would become of them? The family finally had money—a great deal of it—but they hadn't yet opened their shop, they hadn't yet begun to live a good life, and he hadn't even had the chance to place that money into their hands. Now, he was to be buried here, leaving them with nothing but a mangled corpse.

Yet, this situation was of his own making. At this thought, his eyes grew hot and welled with red. So be it. Though his life had its regrets, he had been born to loving parents, shared a bond of mutual respect with his brothers, enjoyed a harmonious home, and a loving marriage. He had not lived in vain.

Facing death, Gu Qingbai suddenly felt less afraid. He unfastened the rope from his waist, balled his hands into fists, and leaped from his horse. He snatched a long wooden staff from the ground, the darkness in his eyes merging with the night.

The gray wolf actually recoiled a step, startled by the aura of a man ready to die.

Then, emboldened by the presence of its pack, it regained its courage. Baring its fangs, it let out a snarl and lunged at Gu Qingbai once more.

Gu Qingbai struck out repeatedly, but he was no match for the wolf’s speed. Before he could swing his staff again, the wolf tackled him to the ground. During their close-quarters struggle, his shoulders and arms had been raked by long, bloody gashes. As the wolf’s claws pressed into his wounds, Gu Qingbai gasped in agony, unable to lift his arms again.

Seeing his opponent pinned, the gray wolf howled in triumph at the moon. Once it had finished gloating, it ground its sharp teeth, aimed for the hunter's throat, and opened its jaws to strike.

With a sudden thud, Gu Qingbai felt the weight upon him vanish. When he opened his eyes, he saw that the gray wolf had been kicked several yards away by a foot that seemed to materialize from thin air.

Gu Qingbai looked up and saw his third younger brother, Gu Tingzhi, standing alone like a descent of a celestial being. His dark hair whipped in the wind, and his pale, cold skin seemed to blend with the moonlight; he radiated a strength that brought an immediate sense of peace.

Seeing their companion injured, the pack grew agitated. With vicious snarls, they charged forward as one.

Gu Qingbai tried to scramble up, but the more he struggled, the weaker he felt. Frustrated and panicked, he could only gasp out to Gu Tingzhi, "Third brother, leave me! Go!"

Gu Tingzhi merely turned his head to look at him, confused as to why his second brother would tell him to run.

"Look out!" Gu Qingbai’s eyes widened, his breath catching in his throat.

Gu Tingzhi turned, but he was caught off guard and tackled to the ground by an exceptionally fierce green-furred wolf. His head struck the pebble-strewn ground with a sickening crack.

"Third brother!" Gu Qingbai struggled to turn over, crawling a few steps toward him, his fingers digging deep into the gravel. He tried to kick the wolf off his brother, but after only a few movements, he collapsed, hating his own helplessness.

"Third brother!"

Gu Tingzhi felt his head buzzing. A barrage of fragmented images crowded his mind, causing a splitting headache.

Hearing his second brother’s call, he shook his head to cast off the pain. Then, as the green wolf moved to sink its teeth into his neck, he reached up, grabbed its throat, and with a sharp twist, snapped its neck clean.

Gu Tingzhi hoisted the carcass of the wolf and swung it at the pack, knocking several of them down with a heavy thud.

Seeing the body of their leader, the wolves paced in place, not daring to advance, yet stubbornly refusing to retreat.

Suddenly, a fire ignited in the distance. The burning straw sparked, setting the dry grass at the foot of the mountain ablaze. Seeing the fire drawing ever closer, the wolves were overcome with terror. Fearing to linger, several of them dragged the carcass of their leader and retreated hastily into the mountains.

Gu Qingsong let out a sigh of relief as the wolves scattered. He hurried toward the prone form of Gu Qingbai, his face full of anxiety. "Second brother, how are you?"

Gu Qingbai pulled his lips into a strained, comforting smile. "Big brother, you’ve come too. I’m fine."

Gu Qingsong’s eyes turned red, and he nearly wept. It was his own uselessness as the eldest that forced his second brother to always take the lead. If only he had been the one to go to the county to sell those two bears, his second brother would never have been hurt!

"Enough, let’s get you home first," said Gu Lizong, who was holding a torch. He freed a hand and, together with Gu Qingsong, lifted Gu Qingbai onto the carriage.

"Husband, are you alright?" Seeing the blood on Gu Tingzhi’s shoulder, Zhen Mi’er stood on her tiptoes, frantic to check on him.

"Manman, I’m fine." Gu Tingzhi lowered his head so she could see his shoulder.

Fortunately, it was only a scratch where the wolf’s claws had torn his clothes, drawing a little blood. A bit of medicine would heal it. The real concern was his second brother, who looked badly wounded.

The burning straw wouldn't last long, and fearing the pack might return, they dared not stay.

Gu Qingsong drove the carriage, moving slowly to avoid jostling Gu Qingbai’s wounds. Zhen Mi’er tore a strip from her skirt to bandage the worst of the bleeding, and Gu Tingzhi followed suit, helping her tear the cloth.

Gu Lizong followed behind, driving the ox cart.

They hadn't traveled far when they saw a man holding an oil lamp, hurrying toward them.

"Fourth brother! Fourth brother! Have you found Erlang?"

Seeing that the man was Gu Litang, Gu Lizong quickly told him to climb onto the cart. "Big brother?"

Gu Litang climbed onto the cart, gasping for breath. "I heard Erlang was traveling by night and feared something might happen, so I wanted to come and see if I could help, but I couldn't catch up to you. I went to the village head’s house to borrow an ox cart, but he had been drinking and was fast asleep, and his wife is a petty woman who wouldn't lend it to me. I had no choice but to run. I didn't think I’d be late, but thank goodness Erlang is safe. As long as he’s alive, that’s all that matters."

Gu Litang was still visibly shaken. Many people had gone missing in the Liangwei Mountains in the past; to have survived traveling through here alone at night was a miracle of great fortune.

Gu Lizong watched his elder brother, who was hunched over and struggling to climb into the cart. He turned back to continue driving, his eyes hot and stinging with unshed tears.