Chapter 49 You’ve Been Given a Chance, Still Not Leaving?

Ronghua stood in front of him and said, “See that?”

“See what?” Rongnuan asked in confusion. Ronghua pointed at the lone wolf and said, “A lone wolf would never act on its own.”

Upon knowing that, Rongnuan’s face turned pale. “Monsters like the lone wolves are gregarious indeed, and they often hunt together. Once they sense the smell of blood, they will hunt their prey to its end. Here, Ronghua had taken one down. We thus would be in big trouble tonight,” thought Rongnuan.

Rongnuan clung to Ronghua’s hand and said, with a shivering voice, “Then what should we do. I…I can’t fight.” He then thought, “There were so many lone wolves.”

Ronghua knew that he couldn’t fight the wolves for sure, and he wouldn’t be standing here if he could anyway. “He couldn’t even fight a single lone wolf, let alone a pack!” thought Ronghua. She then walked toward the wolf. Rongnuan didn’t have a choice but to put himself together and follow Ronghua. Though the lone wolf was lying on the ground and could not fight back, it was not to be underestimated.

Ronghua squatted down, summoning a tongue of flame on her fingertip with a snap. This lone wolf was pretty. Its fur was silver-white, with a strong body hiding underneath. If it had not been taken down by Ronghua’s surprise attack with a fireball, Ronghua could still be struggling with how to handle it. Ronghua’s face was lit by the dim flame. “This fur is not bad for a coat,” she said.

Rongnuan was worried about Ronghua’s remark and asked, “… Ronghua, what are you doing?”

Ronghua did not reply to him. “Wanna scream?” Ronghua said to the wolf in a strange voice. This seemed to reaffirm Rongnuan’s guess, “… Ronghua, are you going to kill it?” he asked.

Ronghua turned her face around to give him a comforting look and finally replied, “It’s alright.” Rongnuan became increasingly uneased when he sensed something strange in Ronghua’s eyes. Ronghua placed her hand on the lone wolf and started to slowly stroke her hands on the wolf’s body. Out of Rongnuan’s sight, Ronghua’s pupils turned golden.

Though the lone wolf could not move, it made clear that it wanted to eat Ronghua with the grim look on its face. It had not reconciled with its state of being stricken down by Ronghua with one hit and now trampled by her. As unreconciled as it might be, it could not do anything to Ronghua. It was very unfortunate that this is how its first encounter with a human ended up.

Surprisingly, though it could not move, the pain started to fade away from its wounds.

It thought Ronghua was trying to heal it. But that illusion was quickly broken by Ronghua’s cold words. “You think I am saving you, right? But that was because the monster’s core inside you is not weak, and it could be of use. I will not spare your life for sure. I have heard that wolf’s blood can be used as a medicinal material, and wanted to know if that was true,” she said.

“Could he opt to die? Where on earth did this demon come from? He was just out of home for a while, but now his core could be taken out, and his body skinned. Could someone help!?” the wolf thought.

Rongnuan could not bear it. “Ronghua, cultivation for it is not easy, and he did not harm us. Maybe we should let it go?” he said.

“That was so right! Let me go! Let me go! Cultivation was hard!” thought that lone wolf.

Ronghua turned around. Her telling eyes were filled with doubts. “Are you sure? Its core could boost the effect of alchemy,” she said.

Rongnuan, “… Then maybe you should kill it!”

The lone wolf was shocked. “NOOO!” it thought.

Ronghua turned around and looked at the wolf. “Are you afraid?” she asked.

“That’s bullshit. Of course, I am afraid when you want to kill me,” thought that wolf.

Ronghua closed her eyes to contemplate. “Rongnuan, how about we peel off its skin and pluck out its sinews. Then take out its core and drain its blood. Sounds good?” asked Ronghua.

Rongnuan froze for a second and did not quite catch her words. “What sounds good?” he asked.

Ronghua tried to explain, “That is…”

“Is that killing it?” asked Rongnuan.

Ronghua was surprised that Rongnuan interrupted her. It was the first time that he talked to her like that. “If I use its blood to satisfy my needs, then what is the difference between me and those who prisoned me?” said Rongnuan. “Is he trying to…reason with me?” thought Ronghua.

Rongnuan was uneased. “Sparing its life, and it will kill you. What then?” asked Ronghua. Seeing Ronghua’s smile fade off her face, Rongnuan knew that she was becoming difficult to deal with. He then said, “I don’t wanna kill.”

Ronghua looked at him. “Of course. He grew up there and simply could not change much even after many years and so many torments he had endured. That’s human weaknesses!” thought Ronghua.

Ronghua looked at the lone wolf lying at her feet. With a smile on her face and an uncanny light in her eyes, she said, “Then… let’s get out of here.” Rongnuan looked at her. “Is this a sign that she agreed with me? So easily?” he wondered.

Ronghua reluctantly smiled at Rongnuan. “Lone wolves can smell blood in the distance, and this wolf’s blood probably has attracted many of its kinds. Let’s get out of here at once, or we shall risk getting caught here,” said Ronghua.

Upon saying that, Ronghua picked up Rongnuan’s hands and walked away from the lone wolf.

Leading Rongnuan in the front, Ronghua slowed her walking pace purposely. Because of the chains on him, Rongnuan couldn’t walk fast. But he was trying his best to keep up with her and was afraid of dragging her back.

In fact, Rongnuan didn’t think that Ronghua could be convinced so easily at all, and was expecting much more talking before she could agree with him. “That was easy,” he thought, “She only got to know me for a while, and now she is helping me with everything she has. And she also says ‘yes’ to nearly everything I say, only with some tantrum to throw. She is probably a little girl that didn’t quite grow up and was forced to venture out here.”

Rongnuan smiled. His eyes, with depth like a deep pond, were filled with something special.

Noticing that this route did not seem to be leading them out, Rongnuan asked, “Ronghua, where are we going?”

Ronghua did not turn back, walking forward with Rongnuan’s hand. “We are going to find some medicinal herbs. To make the soul-restoring pill for you, remember?” she said.

“Yes, we are trying to find the medicinal herbs, but why is this route so devious?” thought Rongnuan, “It looks like this route is leading us deep into the mountains. How come there are any medicinal herbs? And no one ever tried to gather them?”

But, conservatively speaking, people couldn’t fly in this mountain, and their spiritual power would also be suppressed here. However, it could not guarantee that no one had been here before to gather the herbs. “So, the herbs would still be there?” asked Rongnuan.

Ronghua stopped and looked at him impatiently. “Am I doing the alchemy, or you?” asked Ronghua. Rongnuan lowered his head. “… You,” he said.

An unfathomable desire to tease Rongnuan struck Ronghua when she saw Rongnuan lowered his head. Ronghua lifted Rongnuan’s head with her index and middle finger, and said, “Don’t look down too often. It makes people want to tease you. Understand?”

Rongnuan looked up, gazing at her with sparkling eyes. “What about you?” he asked.

Ronghua’s heart hitched for a second. “Did he just flirt with her? But maybe he doesn’t understand these things at all,” she thought.

“Will you bully me?” asked Rongnuan.

Ronghua pulled her hand backed with embarrassment. “Oh, that… of course not,” she said.

After saying that, Ronghua immediately walked forward. When she turned around, what she did not notice was that Rongnuan smiled with satisfaction.

A howling sound reached them from behind, “AWOOO~”

“The lone wolves are coming! But how come?! That was way too soon!” thought Ronghua. Though she was surprised by how fast the wolf pack responded, she blamed herself for carelessness. Looking around in the darkness, Ronghua realized that the only thing she’s got is the flame in her hand, and nothing else. The lone wolves hunt in a pack. Even if she could take down one or two, a pack would be too much for her.

“Rongnuan…” Ronghua turned around and looked at him. She could know that his face must be pale without even seeing it in the lights. “He probably has never seen things like this before,” thought Ronghua.

Surprisingly, Rongnuan was trying to put himself together with Ronghua’s hand in his. “He must be afraid,” thought Ronghua. She then tried to comfort him and said, “It’s alright. I am here, and I won’t let anything happen to you.”

Though Ronghua’s words were reassuring, Rongnuan still couldn’t stop himself from shivering with all the howlings that surrounded them.

“Ronghua, am I going to die here?” asked Rongnuan with a lowered head, trying to control his fear. Ronghua lifted his face and said, “No, you are going to be alright.”

Lone wolves were not just any other wolves. They are ferine and nocturnal, and without exaggeration, they would stalk and prey on its victims all the way to their nests.

“What should we do now?” asked Rongnuan. “At least we should do something about it and make it to the daybreak. Since the lone wolves will leave by then,” he thought.

Ronghua held Rongnuan’s waist with one hand and pressed a tree aside with another. “This tree is tall and strong enough. It should be able to make it,” thought Ronghua.

“Dear, close your eyes,” Ronghua said with tenderness. Rongnuan obeyed and closed his eyes. After making sure that Rongnuan could not see. Ronghua held him tight and flew slowly to the tree’s branches.

If Rongnuan could open his eyes, he would see that Ronghua stretched a pair of wings that shined golden.

Ronghua moved about slowly. Which made Rongnuan think that maybe she was not exactly experienced in cultivation, or she had some powerful artifacts to help her fly. “But why she asked me to close my eyes? And I thought that nobody could fly here, how could she fly?” thought Rongnuan.

Ronghua landed on a relatively safe spot on the tree. They were surrounded by darkness. Rongnuan was an ordinary man, and could not see anything, so he clung to Ronghua lest he should fall down the tree.

“Ok, open your eyes,” said Ronghua.

Rongnuan, “…” “It makes no difference if I open my eyes!” he thought. But he dared not say that out loud, for that might anger Ronghua, who could just leave him.

“Ronghua, how long are we going to stay here?” asked Rongnuan.

Ronghua thought about it roughly and replied, “Maybe…till the dawn.”

“So long!” thought Rongnuan. He then asked, “till the dawn? Really?”

Rongnuan suddenly tightened his grip, hurting Ronghua. Upon hearing Ronghua’s groan, he let go of her and apologized, “Sorry. I am sorry! I…”

Ronghua interrupted, “No big deal. But, what is wrong with waiting till the dawn?”

“… I am afraid of cold,” Rongnuan said with embarrassment. It reminded Ronghua that he was just an ordinary man, and there was no cultivation to protect him. “Nights in the mountains are cold, he probably couldn’t bear that,” thought Ronghua.

Ronghua put a coat on him and asked, “Still feeling cold?”

Receiving no reply from Rongnuan, Ronghua thought that he was still feeling cold. “Maybe you could hug me,” said Ronghua.

Rongnuan was shocked by her offer, and thought, “Hugging her? Is that appropriate?”

Ronghua held Rongnuan without waiting for a response, putting his head on her lap. She then used her fire magic to warm her surroundings. Ronghua did not feel much cold when she grabbed Rongnuan’s hands again, but she held onto it. His hands were warmed up in no time.

“Still feeling cold?” asked Ronghua. Rongnuan could even feel the warmth was flowing into his heart, so he sincerely replied, “Not at all.”

Holding Rongnuan’s hand in the darkness, Ronghua could not see the expression on his face. She then toughed Rongnuan’s face with hers and said, “Your face… is cold too.”

Rongnuan was surprised that Ronghua just put her face onto his. “Bang, bang,” his heart was pounding out loud with excitement. But he quickly got over that as he felt that his soul was leaving him when he sensed Ronghua’s smooth skin on his face.

Sensing the warmth in Rongnuan, Ronghua lifted her head and said, “Ok, time to sleep!”

It took Rongnuan quite a while before he gradually calmed himself down.

With glowing green eyes, a pack of lone wolves was howling from beneath. They clearly had sensed that their scents disappeared here, and none of them left. Some are even hitting the tree with their bodies.

Fortunately, this tree was strong enough to make it till the dawn.

Though Rongnuan could not see her, Ronghua could see him clearly. She moved her fingers, and the branches all congregated around them, shielding them from the cold winds.

Sensing Rongnuan’s steady breaths, Ronghua thought that he must be asleep. Ronghua summoned a flame on her fingertip with a snap and threw it off the branches. When the flame reached the ground, without any surprise, it was besieged by ring upon ring of lone wolves. Those wolves seemed to understand the danger of the flame. Though they were staying away from the flame, they glared at it with grim looks.

Ronghua touched Rongnuan’s face and said, “I am not in the mood for killing today. Leave while you still can.”

The pack’s Alpha was enraged by Ronghua’s remark and started to howl even louder. The rest of the pack soon followed suit.

Ronghua smiled ironically, and said, “Still not leaving? I have given you a chance. And now… no one is leaving.”