Chapter 97: The Snow Has Not Stopped, the Journey Continues (Part 2)

The onlookers whistled and jeered. They had been excitedly waiting for a good show when they saw two men on horseback coming to save someone, but Liu Zhongwu and Han Gang's performance was far from impressive.

"Hey, get closer! What are you shooting for?" A few troublemakers shouted.

Liu Zhongwu remained unperturbed by the jeers. His temperament was always calm, which was why he had earned Xiang Bao's favor. However, continuing to shoot arrows would waste them, and neither he nor Han Gang had many left. He stopped, put away his bow, and drew a pair of iron rods, turning to seek Han Gang's opinion.

Han Gang considered for a moment, nodded, and also put away his bow. He drew his saber, pointed it forward, and Liu Zhongwu charged out. The horse was tall, and the wolves were low, so the iron rods couldn't actually hit the wolves, but holding them changed the momentum. The hooves sounded like heavy drums, and the horse and rider charged through the wolf pack. A few vicious wolves didn't even react before being knocked away by the chestnut horse. The unfortunate wolves howled in the air and landed with a thud, too scared to turn back, and instead retreated to tend to their wounds.

Han Gang followed closely behind Liu Zhongwu, splashed with snow kicked up by the chestnut horse. He couldn't help but admire the horse's bravery, thinking that a well-trained warhorse was indeed different from the timid post horse he was riding. If he hadn't whipped it a few times and had the chestnut horse leading the charge, he wouldn't have dared to charge into the wolf pack.

Liu Zhongwu broke through the wolf pack and reached the carriage, shouting, "Hurry up and get out!"

A plump old man immediately emerged from the carriage, dressed like an official. Liu Zhongwu inwardly cursed his bad luck and pulled the old man onto the horse. As soon as the old man was pulled up, a beautiful face appeared from the carriage behind him.

The contrast between the old man's white hair and the young woman's rosy face was a perfect example of the phrase "a tree of pear blossoms pressing down the crabapple," which Su Shi used to mock Zhang Xian. Han Gang, following closely behind Liu Zhongwu, felt lucky to have rescued a beauty.

"Sorry!" Han Gang rushed to the carriage, grabbed the beauty's delicate hand, and pulled her into his arms. With his left arm around the beauty, he spurred his horse to follow Liu Zhongwu out of the wolf pack.

Liu Zhongwu placed the old man across the front of the saddle like a bag of rice. A few vicious wolves circled around him, baring their teeth and trying to bite. However, Liu Zhongwu's horse, being excellent, easily accelerated, and in a blink, it had charged to the other side of the road.

The beauty in his arms clung tightly to Han Gang, her plump body soft and elastic. Normally, Han Gang would have been happy to be held longer, but in the midst of the wolf pack, he wished to escape as soon as possible. His post horse, being timid, refused to move despite his efforts. A wolf saw the opportunity, opened its mouth, and leaped to bite. Its yellow, saliva-dripping teeth aimed for Han Gang's foot.

Han Gang swung his saber down, not using much force, but the tip of the blade still cut a bloody wound on the wolf's nose. Though the wound was small, the nose is a vital point for canines. The wolf fell to the ground, circling and howling, blood flowing down its fur. The other hungry wolves, smelling the blood, became even more agitated. Except for those still feasting on the dead horse, the other twenty wolves surrounded them with glowing green eyes.

"Damn!" Han Gang smiled bitterly, realizing he was stuck. He pushed the beauty back into the carriage, swung his saber to keep the wolves at bay, and jumped off the horse with his bow and arrows. He stood at the carriage door, turned, and slashed the timid post horse with the back of his saber. The horse screamed and jumped, charging out of the wolf pack.

"Damn beast!" Han Gang cursed.

However, dismounting improved his situation. The post horse led away most of the wolves, heading towards the onlookers. The onlookers scattered in panic, and Han Gang felt a sense of satisfaction. He thrust his saber into the wooden carriage, drew his bow, and shouted, "Liu Zhongwu, shoot the ones behind! Li Xiaoliu, control the horses!"

Liu Zhongwu had already thrown the old man to the ground, where his servants, who had been useless earlier, now rushed to help. The old man was well-preserved, with white hair but a ruddy complexion, and his plump, wealthy appearance softened his wrinkles.

Liu Zhongwu also dismounted. Earlier, he and Han Gang had been afraid of the wolves charging back, so they hadn't dared to dismount. Now that Han Gang had attracted the wolves' attention and his horse had led half of them away, Liu Zhongwu could stand safely on the ground and aim his arrows.

"Hit!"

The bowstring twanged, and a long arrow from Liu Zhongwu's bow pierced a lean wolf, the remaining force dragging the prey far across the snow. After warming up, Liu Zhongwu's archery skills returned to their usual level. Though his two-stone bow wasn't as powerful as the legendary Qin Feng Western Road Inspector Liu Changzuo's, it was still among the best in the army.

"Hit!"

Another arrow shot out, and a wolf howled as it was carried away by the powerful arrow.

"Hit!"

"Hit!"

"Hit!"

"Hit!"

Liu Zhongwu shouted with each shot, his voice echoing across the field. The bowstring twanged rapidly, and one by one, the hungry wolves were pierced and dragged away. His earlier embarrassment was now redeemed, and in a moment, the number of wolves around Han Gang was halved.

Han Gang, holding his bow and arrows, stood firm. He wasn't unskilled; he had learned some archery from Wang Shunmin and could shoot four arrows in quick succession, though his accuracy wasn't perfect. At close range, shooting a target the size of a wolf wouldn't be too difficult.

However, Han Gang didn't intend to show off his bravery. He half-drew his bow, his sharp eyes locking onto the few wolves in front of him, a method he knew was effective when facing wild animals. The wolves in front of him growled and bared their teeth, threatening but not daring to advance.

The two sides stood off, and Liu Zhongwu cleared the wolf pack from behind. As the number of wolves decreased, Han Gang's attention shifted mostly to Liu Zhongwu, fearing he might "accidentally" shoot him.

A warm, soft touch came from behind, plump and elastic. The beauty from the carriage, perhaps out of fear, pressed against Han Gang's back. With wolves in front and a beauty behind, Han Gang felt as if he were in a world of ice and fire.

"Hit!"

Liu Zhongwu shot another arrow, piercing a wolf's waist. With howls of pain, the wolf pack finally scattered, fleeing the road and heading into the snowy plains. Seeing this, Han Gang quickly pulled the beauty from the carriage and led her away. The wolves would return as long as the dead horse wasn't fully devoured.

Liu Zhongwu approached with his bow, "Mr. Han, are you alright?"

Han Gang released the beauty's hand and smiled at Liu Zhongwu, "Brother Ziwu's archery skills are indeed outstanding. I'm sure you'll excel at the imperial examination."

"Thank you for your kind words." Liu Zhongwu, having performed well, was in high spirits. Though he appeared calm, his raised eyebrows and slightly upturned lips betrayed his excitement. "But you have more courage, standing before the wolves without flinching. No wonder you became an official before twenty."

The two men flattered each other, laughing and exchanging pleasantries. The woman Han Gang had rescued stood nearby, listening in surprise. She had thought they were just passing warriors, but now she realized they were an official and a prospective official.

"The old man, Zhang Yu, thanks you both for saving his life..." The rescued old man, supported by his servants, approached to thank them. The woman quickly left Han Gang and walked to Zhang Yu's side, supporting him and whispering something in his ear. Zhang Yu's expression changed.

"Both of you are officials," Zhang Yu's demeanor became more serious. "I was in danger, nearly falling prey to the wolves. Thanks to your bravery, I was saved. I must repay this debt. Please accept my gratitude, and we can discuss further."

Zhang Yu, after a quick tidy-up, no longer looked as disheveled. He had a dignified air, not like an ordinary country gentleman. Though he was old and somewhat plump, his straight features suggested he had been a handsome young man. His speech was that of a scholar, but his accent was unfamiliar to Han Gang, suggesting he wasn't from the northwest.

"He's from Fujian," Lu Ming whispered from behind Han Gang. Behind him, Li Xiaoliu was leading several horses, including Han Gang's timid post horse, which had been chased by wolves but remained unharmed.

'Why is someone from Fujian in Shaanxi? From his speech, he doesn't seem to be an official here.' Han Gang's curiosity quickly faded, as it didn't concern him. He stepped forward to help Zhang Yu up, "It was nothing. Since you are unharmed, I must continue on my journey. Please don't take it personally."

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