Chapter 88

The green wolf, however, did not charge at Hu Xiaotian. Instead, it suddenly turned around, and the other green wolves did the same. Hu Xiaotian was greatly surprised, thinking to himself, "I must be so fierce and intimidating that I can scare off these vicious wolves?" Soon, he realized what had happened: Murong Feiyun had arrived just in time. Her sword flew through the air, cutting a bloody path. Any animal has a premonition of danger, and the seven green wolves that had climbed onto the boulder immediately recognized Murong Feiyun as the most threatening killer, so they turned to deal with her.

Murong Feiyun swung her sword, and in an instant, two green wolves were dead. These vicious wolves were no longer as fierce and stubborn as before. Seeing their companions killed, they became frightened and leaped down one after another.

The black eagles that had been circling in the sky were the first to scatter. Not long after, the wolf pack gradually retreated. The wolves driven by the beast master did not belong to the same pack, and during their retreat, the two packs engaged in a fierce battle. For a moment, screams, roars, and howls echoed, and the scene was extremely bloody and unbearable to watch.

When the wolf pack finally dispersed, dawn had arrived unnoticed. The three of them were covered in blood, exhausted. Hu Xiaotian sat down on the ground first, thinking to himself that his life was indeed tough. At the last moment, he had resigned himself to death, but he had managed to survive. He owed Murong Feiyun a great favor, and the only way to repay her was to offer himself. However, he wondered if Murong Feiyun needed such a repayment.

Murong Feiyun was also extremely tired, too exhausted to speak. She sat on the edge of the boulder, her eyes still alert, watching for any signs of the wolves returning.

The eastern sky gradually turned a soft lavender and fish-belly white. The pale dawn and the light morning mist blended together, coloring the mountains and rivers. The night quietly dissolved into the fresh morning light.

A black eagle still circled in the sky but did not dare to land. When the golden rays of the rising sun broke through the morning mist, the black eagle finally gave up its plan to attack and flew away towards the sun, becoming a lonely dot on the horizon.

Watching the black dot finally disappear from his sight, Hu Xiaotian let out a long sigh. Although Murong Feiyun did not speak, her face also showed a sense of relief. Qiqi, who had been leaning on Murong Feiyun's shoulder, had fallen asleep at some point. Her sleeping posture was peaceful and serene, and although her face still had a hint of childishness, it was not difficult to see that she would grow up to be stunningly beautiful.

What truly impressed Hu Xiaotian was not her beauty but her extraordinary calmness and wisdom. He wondered what kind of trouble this little girl would become when she grew up. The words "ruining the country and harming the people" came to his mind, and he involuntarily smiled with a hint of helplessness, then slowly shook his head.

Murong Feiyun seemed to understand Hu Xiaotian's thoughts and said softly, "She is still just a child." Even as she said this, she herself did not fully believe it. Although Qiqi was a child, she did not have the innocence of a typical child. Murong Feiyun added, "Let her rest a little longer."

Hu Xiaotian, however, reached out and gently patted Qiqi's thin shoulder. "It's morning, we should set off!" It was not that Hu Xiaotian was heartless or cruel; they needed to leave this dangerous place and get out of Pengyin Mountain as soon as possible.

Qiqi had sprained her right ankle. Although it was not broken, she could not walk. Since their horses had been taken back by Hufo, as the only male in the group, Hu Xiaotian had to carry Qiqi, even though he was reluctant. There are many things in this world that one must do against one's will.

Helping a lonely little girl was not a big deal, but Hu Xiaotian was forced to do it. Qiqi was cunning and had used the Seven-Day Soul-Cutting Needle to stab him, forcing him to escort her to Xiezhou. This was not a matter of repaying kindness with kindness.

Hu Xiaotian's left arm was now red up to the elbow. Qiqi had mentioned giving him the antidote at a critical moment, but Hu Xiaotian, believing he was doomed, had proudly refused. Now that the danger had passed, the little girl no longer mentioned the antidote and even fell asleep on his back, feeling completely at ease.

Hu Xiaotian now deeply regretted not taking the antidote earlier.

Murong Feiyun glanced at the sleeping Qiqi and asked Hu Xiaotian, "How is your arm?"

Hu Xiaotian replied, "It's numb and sore. It seems the poison is getting closer." He was clearly saying this for Qiqi to hear.

Murong Feiyun frowned, thinking to herself that they needed to find a way to get Qiqi to hand over the antidote.

At that moment, Qiqi opened her eyes and sighed softly, "Why didn't you take the antidote when I offered it to you last night?"

Hu Xiaotian, no longer concerned about his pride, said, "Times have changed. Not taking it last night doesn't mean I won't take it now. I will see you through to Xiezhou, and I won't abandon you halfway." His words were grand, but it was clear he was giving in.

Murong Feiyun added, "I can vouch for him."

Qiqi looked at Hu Xiaotian and then at Murong Feiyun, and sighed again, "Sister Murong, even if I don't trust him, I trust you. But the antidote for the Seven-Day Soul-Cutting Needle is not in my possession."

Hu Xiaotian inwardly cursed the girl for lying with her eyes open and wished he could throw her off his back.

Qiqi blinked her eyes, looking innocent and naive, "Fortunately, you didn't believe me last night. The vial I gave you contained a highly toxic poison. If you had taken it, I would have pushed your body down, and the wolves would have eaten your flesh, all of them would have been poisoned, and I would have had a chance to escape."

Hu Xiaotian gasped, "You little devil, how can you be so vicious at such a young age? Fortunately, I was alert, or I would have been killed without even knowing it." But then he thought that Qiqi might have been inspired by his words and was now using this as an excuse not to give him the antidote. With his life in her hands, he could only endure, as the saying goes, "Endure, and the anger will pass." He decided not to argue with the little girl.

Hu Xiaotian could endure, but Murong Feiyun could no longer hold back. Although she agreed to take Qiqi to Xiezhou, she did not approve of the methods used by Qiqi and An Dequan. Hu Xiaotian had saved them from danger, but they had repaid him with ingratitude. Murong Feiyun said, "We are almost to Xiezhou. We will take you there as agreed, and we expect you to keep your promise." She spoke with a cold, serious expression, making it clear that she was on Hu Xiaotian's side.

Qiqi, with her sharp mind, understood the hidden meaning in Murong Feiyun's words. She smiled innocently, "Sister Murong, why are you angry? I will keep my promise."

Murong Feiyun said, "Make sure you do!" She had already made up her mind that if Qiqi tried to trick them, she would not let her off easily.

At noon, the three of them successfully descended from Pengyin Mountain. They all looked back at the mountain, recalling the dangerous scenes from the night before, and felt extremely relieved.

Murong Feiyun pointed ahead, "The main road is just ahead."

Hu Xiaotian nodded.

Qiqi said, "Brother Hu, are you tired? I feel my foot is better. Why don't you put me down and rest for a moment?" Since their escape from the beast pack, she had been more polite to Hu Xiaotian on the surface.

Hu Xiaotian thought to himself, "Do you think I want to carry you?" He crouched down and put Qiqi down, then took a few sips of water from the water bag Murong Feiyun handed him. Qiqi tried to walk a few steps carefully and found that her ankle was no longer as painful as before, and she could move slowly.

Murong Feiyun said, "When we reach the market, we will hire a cart." As she said this, she suddenly remembered a very troublesome problem: all their luggage and money had been carried by Liang Dazhuang, who had fled at the first sign of the wolf pack and might have already become a meal for the wolves. They had no money left.

************************************************* It's my birthday today, and it seems I didn't even get a VIP membership, so no one even wished me. Well, I'll have to gather my own wishes!