Chen Xiaobei finally breathed a long sigh of relief. Perhaps the wolf's howl was just a greeting.
Sun Gui chuckled, "Damn it, scared the hell out of me."
He then turned to Sun Jian and said, "Brother, let's go."
Sun Jian, however, shook his head.
"No, we can't go any further. Normally, wolves shouldn't appear in broad daylight like this."
Chen Xiaobei didn't know much about wolf behavior.
Many stories he heard as a child involved wolf packs attacking herds of sheep and horses at night.
So, they were likely nocturnal creatures.
"Brother, the wolves have already disappeared. Maybe they're afraid of us," Sun Gui said dismissively.
Sun Jian shook his head again, refusing. "No, we can't risk it. Let's go back and return in a couple of days when we're better prepared."
Hearing they were to return, Chen Xiaobei was naturally pleased.
However, he maintained a façade of sincerity. "Brother Sun, I don't think there's anything to worry about, as the wolves have already left."
Sun Jian shook his head once more, his expression grave.
"It was my oversight. I didn't expect wild wolves on this mountain and didn't bring the repeating crossbow."
The repeating crossbow was a highly advanced weapon in the age of cold weapons. It could fire multiple bolts in quick succession, possessing great destructive power, making it truly suitable for dealing with fierce wild beasts.
After speaking, Sun Jian waved his hand, signaling everyone to return the way they came.
The journey back was much faster.
After passing just two forks in the road, another wolf howl echoed from far behind, followed by another.
Sun Jian's expression shifted slightly as he heard it. He quickly shouted, "Everyone, hurry! I fear we've disturbed the wolf pack."
Indeed, more wolf howls erupted from behind them, and soon three or four more calls joined in. It was clear they were from different wolves.
Hearing this chorus of howls, Chen Xiaobei inwardly felt fortunate. He was glad Sun Gui wasn't in charge.
He was also thankful they hadn't pressed onward, or he might have met his end there today.
They ran back through four or five forks in the road.
Ahead lay a steep slope, about four or fivezhang high and extremely precipitous, almost a sheer drop.
They had descended using ropes when they arrived.
To climb back up, they would naturally need to use ropes again.
Sun Ce took a coil of rope from someone nearby, slung it over his shoulder, let out a loud shout, and rapidly sprinted towards the top of the slope.
Watching Sun Ce's agility, as if scaling walls and leaping over roofs, Chen Xiaobei marveled silently.
He knew that even a lifetime of practice wouldn't bring him to such a level.
Sun Jian reached the top of the slope, found a rock, tied the rope, and was about to lower it when he spotted a gray shadow appearing in the distance.
"Oh no, it's a wolf."
While lowering the rope, he shouted down, "Wild wolves are catching up! Everyone, hurry!"
Sun Gui responded, took the rope, and began climbing. The others followed suit, scrambling to ascend.
After all, facing a pack of wolves instilled a sense of primal fear in everyone.
Chen Xiaobei's heart was pounding with fear, but there was nothing he could do. He couldn't outpace them and had to climb last.
Fortunately, the wolves were still a considerable distance away, and the climb was uneventful for Chen Xiaobei.
As he climbed, a chilling thought crossed Chen Xiaobei's mind.
When danger struck, Sun Jian, Sun Gui, and the others hadn't offered a single word of comfort; they were solely focused on their own escape.
These men weren't loyal. He had accompanied them into the mountains this time for the sake of money, but he wouldn't do so again.
Sun Jian and Sun Gui, however, felt nothing amiss. They stood there, watching with keen interest as a few wild wolves appeared in the distance. But they only appeared; they didn't advance further.
Looking at the steep slope, Chen Xiaobei suddenly felt a sense of relief. If it was this difficult for humans to climb, wolves, tigers, and leopards would likely find it even harder to ascend. This might be one of the reasons why there were no fierce beasts around the Mountain God Temple.
After watching the wolves for a while, Sun Gui grumbled hatefully, "You scared me badly today. I'll skin you alive another day."
The phrase "skin you alive" immediately jogged Chen Xiaobei's memory. That's right, Liu Ce, the steward of Liu Rumei, had once mentioned that if he could procure a live wild wolf, he would be rewarded with a hundred taels of silver.
Looking at the wild wolves in the distance, Chen Xiaobei secretly swallowed. This was hundreds of taels of silver.
"Ah, walking ATMs."
However, he didn't have enough confidence to capture a wolf alive at the moment, so he had to temporarily forgo this moneymaking opportunity.
Upon returning to the Mountain God Temple, Chen Xiaobei feigned fear. "Brother Sun, those wild wolves are terrifying. If you hadn't made the decisive call, I would have been eaten by them long ago."
Sun Jian chuckled and patted the saber hanging at his waist.
"Don't be afraid. I would protect you even if it cost me my life."
Chen Xiaobei seized the opportunity to suggest, "Brother Sun, let's rest for a few days. It was too frightening. I really don't dare to go anymore."
Sun Jian stroked his chin, pondered for a moment, and then chuckled, "Alright, alright. We'll rest for a few days and then decide."
You said it yourself, Chen Xiaobei quickly bid farewell and headed home.
As Chen Xiaobei walked away, Sun Gui beside him couldn't help but say, "Brother, I don't think we should bring this burden up the mountain again. He doesn't know martial arts, and we'll have to protect him if we encounter wolves."
Sun Jian thought for a long time, then finally sighed, "We'll go back and gather more men. We'll explore first to see how many wolves there are."
By the time Chen Xiaobei descended the mountain, the sun was already setting in the west.
The thatched hut at the foot of the mountain was nearly complete. Li Dong was directing people in the final repairs.
Seeing him descend, Li Dong looked quite proud. He pointed to the thatched hut as if seeking praise. "Brother Xiaobei, what do you think? Give me some feedback!"
Chen Xiaobei smiled and waved his hand. "No feedback. It's very good, very good. You all carry on with your work; I'm going home."
Taking a few more steps forward, Chen Xiaobei suddenly noticed Cui Hongyu and Chen Qiao'er fishing by the river.
Upon seeing her brother suddenly appear, Chen Qiao'er was thrilled. She shrieked and ran towards him, hugging his leg. Pouting proudly, she said, "Brother, brother, we caught some big fish! Praise sister-in-law!"
Before Chen Xiaobei could speak, Cui Hongyu chuckled from nearby. "Oh, Qiao'er, it's just a few fish. What's there to praise?"
Chen Xiaobei walked over to the wooden bucket and looked inside. He couldn't help but be amazed. There were three or four large fish in the bucket, each about a foot long.
There were also several fish about half a foot long.
"Husband, I want to put these half-foot-long fish into our fishpond. Otherwise, if we only have small fry, when will they grow?"
Her words sparked an idea in Chen Xiaobei.
Yes, he had only worried about the big fish eating the small ones, but he had overlooked the growth of the small fish. Natural growth was too slow.
He needed to find a way to get some feed.
Hearing his thoughts, Cui Hongyu looked surprised.
"I've never heard of feeding fish. If we do that, can we still make money?"