Alas! Couldn't think about it anymore, the more I thought, the more my mouth watered. It was just a case of eyes bigger than the stomach. So Chen Lan stood up and let Xu Mingxuan and Er Zhuang continue to eat slowly.
Unconsciously, he looked up at the birch forest not far away. In the moonlight, Chen Lan vaguely saw three pairs of glowing green eyes. Those were wolf eyes, flickering with a ghastly, eerie light like marsh gas. Chen Lan's scalp tingled. He never expected to have provoked them.
So, without hesitation, Chen Lan took out a fine-arrowed crossbow and two pig snouts from the system's warehouse, along with two short knives and two high-powered stun batons. He handed this pile of items to Xu Mingxuan, who was already full and drinking chicken soup. Xu Mingxuan's mouth gaped open in astonishment upon seeing this pile of items.
As Chen Lan adjusted the red dot sight, his eyes fixed on the movements of the three wolves opposite, he said quickly, "There are three wild wolves in the birch forest ahead. They might have smelled the scent, or they might have been following us all along. Forget the chicken soup, save it for the wolves! Hurry and put on these pig snouts, then hide your short knives and stun batons. Make the fire burn brighter, and pick up all the chicken bones on the ground and throw them into the pot. Let's cook a pot of chicken soup for the wolves too."
Upon hearing there were wolves and Chen Lan's words, Xu Mingxuan and Er Zhuang immediately understood his implied meaning. They promptly put down their bowls. Xu Mingxuan first helped Er Zhuang put on the pig snout and checked it, then quickly put one on himself. Both he and Er Zhuang put away their short knives and stun batons.
Chen Lan quickly used his mind to purchase another pig snout and a large pork leg from the system. He asked Xu Mingxuan to help him quickly put on the pig snout as well.
Then, the three of them busied themselves in an orderly fashion. Er Zhuang was instructed to add more snow to the pot and add plenty of firewood, lest the fire dry out the pot later. Xu Mingxuan was to chop the large pork leg into large pieces and put them into the pot.
Chen Lan took out the packet of medicine powder given by his eldest son, Jiayao, from the system warehouse. He poured more than half of it into the pot. He glanced at the fire at the bottom of the pot, estimating that it would take at most five minutes for the water to boil. The smell of the medicine would also diffuse with the steam.
Then Chen Lan said, "Brother Mingxuan, Er Zhuang, get ready quickly. In five minutes, we'll leave here on the sleigh. We'll come back early tomorrow to collect the three wolves to make three wolfskin blankets. I heard wolfskin blankets are warm and can dispel rheumatism. There are many swamps here, and the area is quite damp. Wolfskin blankets would be perfect."
Er Zhuang chimed in, "I've heard that too, especially the snow wolves hunted in the depths of winter. Their fur is long and thick, making them top-quality for wolfskin blankets. It's just that wolves are too difficult to catch."
Before Er Zhuang finished speaking, the wolves, which had been growing impatient, suddenly let out a mournful howl. Instantly, countless wolf howls erupted all around. Those pairs of green wolf eyes flickered like marsh gas in the darkness, chilling the heart.
Chen Lan cursed inwardly. They had indeed been careless. It seemed they had been targeted by the wolf pack all along their journey. The reasons they hadn't attacked immediately were: first, perhaps because there were more of them and it wasn't dark yet; second, wolves, though very intelligent, are naturally suspicious. They are sensitive to and afraid of things they haven't seen or sounds they haven't heard, which is why they hadn't attacked immediately; third, it might be because Chen Lan had suddenly stored all the prey in the system's warehouse. Wolves might have become suddenly afraid of the prey that disappeared without a trace, and thus didn't act rashly. This, however, gave Chen Lan and the other two a chance to fight back. The three of them were now full and energized. Su Dan Novel Network.
The three of them stood back to back, each holding a crossbow, on guard, ready to snipe at any moment. At this point, the chicken soup in the pot had already boiled. The swirling steam was blown away by the wind, scattering in all directions.
The wolf pack became restless again. Another mournful wolf howl echoed, high-pitched and hoarse, sending shivers down one's spine. This was the signal from the wolf pack that they were ready to attack.
Chen Lan, Xu Mingxuan, and Er Zhuang stood their ground, ready to strike at any moment.
At this moment of life and death, a thunderous bear roar suddenly came from behind the wolves. The wolf pack immediately stopped their advance, turned their heads, and looked behind them. Under the moonlight, a large bear was ferociously charging towards the wolf pack.
The bear first lunged at a male wolf, grabbing it and tearing it in half. Chen Lan watched in terror. Then, it swatted another charging wolf so far that it tumbled a long distance on the snow before it could get up.
Witnessing this breathtaking scene, Chen Lan became puzzled. Wasn't the bear hibernating? Why would this bear suddenly attack the wolf pack? Were they natural enemies? That was possible. Or perhaps the wolves' howls had woken the bear from its comfortable hibernation in its cave. And it was cold and hungry upon waking. Wouldn't it be angry? Thus, it had a "waking temper."
Chen Lan thought this was most likely the case, except that the bear's "waking temper" was a bit too much! Otherwise, why would it have been so angry just now, killing two stout wolves with two swipes?
While watching the bear fight with the wolves, Chen Lan also kept an eye on the pot, worried that the fire might go out and needing to add firewood in time. Steam continued to rise from the iron pot.
The bear's ferocity immediately drew an attack from seven or eight wolves. But the bear was fearless, relying on its strong physique, great strength, and thick, long fur. It wielded its two paws like powerful weapons. Although the bear was also bleeding from the wolves' bites, it did not falter. It roared furiously, grabbed a wolf and crushed its head with its jaws, then snapped a wolf's hip bone with a single paw, and even sat on a wolf that was biting its backside, killing it. It was truly invincible and unstoppable.
After a few rounds of attacks from the wolf pack, the bear's temper was ignited. The bear became impatient and let out a roar, launching a counterattack. It swung its massive paws towards the wolf pack, clawing left and swiping right. With both paws, it brought them down on the heads of two wolves attacking it. It bit the middle wolf's head with its mouth. The wolf pack fought more bravely and did not retreat, but their movements were noticeably slower than before.
Although Chen Lan watched with bated breath, he was also observing the wolves' reactions. Seeing the wolves' state, he guessed that the medicine had taken effect, but because the area was too open, the effect was not as good as imagined.