Chapter 18: The Girl Riding on the Wolf's Back

As these words settled, a sharp, clear wolf howl echoed outside the house once more. Soon after, I saw several wolves cautiously approaching the house. They moved with extreme wariness, stepping forward three paces, then sideways two, as if treading carefully.

At that moment, Master Chen whispered to me, “San Qi, don’t move yet! These wolves are just the vanguard.”

Before I could reply, he asked again, “Did you notice the white chalk circles densely drawn on the outer wall of this Duizi Fang?”

I nodded. “Yes, I saw them! What are they for?”

He explained, “These white chalk circles on the outer wall serve to repel fierce animals, especially wolves. Wolves are naturally very suspicious, and when they see these white circles, they mistake them for traps.”

“Wow! So that’s the reason!” I exclaimed, amazed. No hunter in the hunting grounds had ever told me this before.

“Yes, it’s a common practice among mountain dwellers. Not only wolves but other wild beasts, upon seeing these white circles, tend to hesitate and become cautious,” Master Chen elaborated.

While we were talking, the wolves outside had cautiously advanced to about five or six meters from us. Master Chen pressed his lips tightly and fell silent, slowly extending the hunting rifle out through the window.

Then, something strange happened.

From the forest outside the house came another piercing wolf howl.

Upon hearing it, the lead wolves halted and suddenly dashed back into the woods.

They were retreating!

I was baffled, my head spinning. I turned to look at Master Chen.

He too looked bewildered, leaning against the wall, murmuring, “The wolves… the alpha must be ordering them to retreat.”

Squinting, I asked, “Master Chen, isn’t this odd? From what I understand, once the alpha commands an attack, they never give up until the goal is achieved. So why would they order a retreat now?”

Master Chen was silent for a moment. Then he took a deep swig of his wine and nodded slowly. “That may be true… but there’s another possibility. Perhaps an even more ferocious beast has appeared, forcing them to…”

I caught only fragments of his words.

Because at that moment, I saw a scene that would haunt me for nearly half my life.

Beneath a colossal poplar tree, a wolf the size of half a cow emerged slowly from the shadows.

Its grey fur was sleek and glossy, and its eyes, like tiny lanterns, stared fixedly at me, freezing me in place, dumbstruck.

But that was not the most astonishing part.

Sitting upright on the back of this immense grey wolf was a girl.

She wore animal skins, her short black hair framing her ears, from which dangled earrings of an indistinguishable material.

Her face was painted with vivid colors, making it impossible to discern her exact features, though her eyes sparkled beautifully.

I noticed a simple bow and arrows slung behind her back, and a rustic dagger hanging at her waist.

This girl on the wolf’s back locked her gaze with mine, drawing me in irresistibly.

…

At that moment, Master Chen suddenly tapped me, snapping me back to reality.

“San Qi, what are you staring at so intently?” His voice broke the silence.

I looked at him as if spellbound, then pointed outside.

“Master Chen, I saw a girl… a girl sitting on the back of a wolf.”

His pupils constricted sharply.

But when he quickly followed my gaze outside, the girl who had been on the grey wolf beneath the poplar tree was gone.

“What girl? San Qi, are you drunk? Seeing things?” Master Chen scolded.

“No… that’s not right! I really saw her just now…” I stammered, incredulous.

To convince him, I described the girl’s appearance in detail.

Master Chen frowned, staring at me in shock.

“Master Chen, I swear I’m not drunk. I saw her clearly! We should go outside and look. That grey wolf was huge—half the size of a cow. Its paw prints must be enormous!”

I began to stagger toward the door, wanting to pull him along.

But Master Chen grabbed me firmly and said coldly, “Do you want to die? Who knows how far those wolves have gone? If you want to check, wait until daytime tomorrow.”

With that, he threw me back onto the bed.

I tried to get up, struggling, but the effects of the alcohol were too strong. Soon, I lost strength and collapsed onto the bed, unconscious…

That night, I dreamed.

The girl appeared again beneath the poplar tree, her gaze deep and haunting, making my heart race…

…

The next morning, I awoke with a splitting headache.

Opening my eyes, I found Master Chen sitting across from me, smoking, his eyes fixed on me with a strange expression that gave me goosebumps.

“What’s wrong… Master Chen?” I rubbed my head, bewildered.

He took a drag, then squinted as he asked, “San Qi, are you sure… you really saw a girl sitting on the back of a wolf as big as half a cow?”

I was stunned.

Then I quickly asked, “Yes, Master Chen! Did you check the paw prints? That wolf must be much larger than ordinary ones; its footprints must also be huge…”

Master Chen nodded silently. “I already checked. Last night, beneath that big tree, there was indeed a very large wolf…”

“Yes, Master Chen, I’m telling the truth!”

He waved his hand. “San Qi, I’m not saying you’re lying. I’m just thinking—if there really was a girl on that wolf’s back, as you saw, then that girl is what we call… a ‘wolf child’.”

“What?” I asked, not quite catching the term.

Master Chen lifted his eyes and explained, “A wolf child—literally, a child raised by wolves.”

I was shocked.

In the hunting grounds, all the hunters had always taught me that wolves are cunning, ruthless, and bloodthirsty; they show no mercy to their prey.

And now, hearing Master Chen speak of a child raised by wolves?

It felt so unfamiliar, almost unreal.