Chapter 2

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Dragging his heavy steps, Li Wenjun walked until the late hours of the night. Suddenly, he heard unusual sounds coming from the riverbed ahead.

Auuu...

The sound was mournful, weathered, and faintly tinged with pain.

Li Wenjun was startled. It was the howl of a wolf. He had heard adults describe the howl of a wolf many times before. They told him about the ferocity, greed, and unity of wolves, and advised him to avoid them whenever possible, and not to provoke them.

If possible, Li Wenjun really wanted to turn back and stay far away from the wolves. However, turning back was just a beautiful illusion.

Since leaving the small village, he had been walking for several days without food or water. Turning back would not change this situation; it would only lead to a dead end.

If he left the riverbed and walked in a direction perpendicular to it, his chances of finding water would be even slimmer, leading to the same dead end.

After much consideration, Li Wenjun realized that his only remaining option was to continue forward, to pass by the wolf and snatch a chance at survival from its jaws.

If he couldn't avoid the wolf, even if it ate him, becoming its meal, it would be better than suffering half-dead. Perhaps dying this way would be a form of release.

The prolonged suffering had already made Li Wenjun, who originally had a strong will to survive, entertain the idea of giving up.

At this moment, it was almost dawn. The dry riverbed revealed its true appearance in the hazy morning light.

Li Wenjun noticed that the riverbed ahead of him took a turn, and the wolf's howls were coming from behind that bend.

Li Wenjun slapped his cheeks to keep himself more alert. Then he tiptoed toward the river bend, trying to make his steps as light and silent as possible. However, he lacked the strength to control the heaviness of his steps.

Auuu...

The wolf continued to howl, seemingly warning Li Wenjun not to approach. Fortunately, the wolf only howled and did not try to intercept him.

Li Wenjun climbed up the riverbank, poked his head out, and looked in the direction of the wolf's howls. What he saw first was not the wolf, but a shimmering ripple of light, reflecting from the water.

For the current Li Wenjun, water was life, representing hope for survival and the possibility of reuniting with his family.

Li Wenjun almost couldn't resist rushing out, but the continuous howls of the wolf made him suppress his impulse. With water, there was hope, and his will to survive became strong again.

He didn't want to die! He wanted to live! For this, he had to plan carefully.

Li Wenjun carefully observed the situation at the river bend.

Perhaps due to the river's bend, the long-term erosion had formed a circular water pit about two to three zhang in diameter, from which the shimmering light came. From a distance, the water in the pit was very scarce, covering an area smaller than a bathtub, just a little bit.

The wolf that had lured Li Wenjun was guarding the water pit. It lay on the ground, head raised, howling from time to time. When it got tired of howling, it would lower its head and lap up a few sips of water from the pit.

Seeing the wolf drink, Li Wenjun swallowed hard. However, he couldn't produce much saliva, and this unconscious action only brought pain to his throat, making him more alert.

Li Wenjun forced himself to shift his gaze from the water pit and the wolf. He suddenly noticed that the area leading from the riverbank to the water pit was covered with dark red patches of dried blood. There were several human corpses lying there, men and women, old and young, apparently a family.

These corpses were incomplete, some missing arms, some legs, some with their bellies torn open, as if they had been eaten by some wild animal. They were warning Li Wenjun of the wolf's ferocity.

Li Wenjun realized that with his small frame, it would be extremely difficult to snatch the life-saving water from the wolf's claws. But if he didn't, he would not survive, just like the family lying on the ground, knowing it was impossible but still trying.

To survive, he had to fight.

Li Wenjun continued to observe the terrain around the wolf, hoping to discover some overlooked details. Soon, he noticed sticks and other objects near the corpses of the people the wolf had killed, including a machete.

Li Wenjun's heart filled with renewed hope. If so many people could attack a single wolf, it must have sustained some injuries.

What further confirmed his suspicion was that the wolf had noticed him. He saw the wolf occasionally looking in his direction, but it remained lying on the ground, unwilling to move.

This was very unusual. The wolf must be injured.

To confirm his suspicion, Li Wenjun picked up a clod of earth and, with all his strength, threw it at the wolf.

The clod of earth fell a few feet away from the wolf.

Thud...

The wolf immediately stood up, looked in Li Wenjun's direction, and howled a warning.

Li Wenjun, without hesitation, picked up another clod of earth and threw it at the wolf again.

Thud...

This time, the clod of earth fell even closer to the wolf.

Unable to tolerate this provocation, the wolf staggered to its feet.

Li Wenjun was overjoyed.

The reason for his joy was simple: the wolf was indeed injured, its right hind leg broken and hanging limply. This would significantly reduce its killing power. Additionally, it appeared to be a young wolf, smaller than the adult dogs Li Wenjun was familiar with.

However, Li Wenjun was also worried.

The wolf was not emaciated; it had water to drink and food to eat, which kept it in good physical condition. In contrast, Li Wenjun had been without food and water for several days, his strength depleted, and even walking was a struggle. Fighting the wolf to snatch the remaining water would be extremely difficult.

But no matter how difficult, he had to try.

Li Wenjun stopped testing and opened his water pouch, drinking the last mouthful of "water" inside. The pungent, foul-smelling "water" moistened his throat and esophagus, slightly reviving his spirit.

Li Wenjun looked up at the sky; the eastern horizon was turning white, and the sun was about to rise. He had to resolve the fight before the sun heated the earth again. Otherwise, the sun would evaporate the little water left in his body, weaken his strength, and reduce his agility. Then, his already limited advantages would vanish, and he would likely end up under the wolf's claws.

Li Wenjun removed everything that might hinder him from his body, placed them on the ground, and picked up the two-foot-long jujube wood club. With his eyes fixed on the one-legged wolf, he dragged his heavy legs and walked step by step toward it.

The wolf's triangular eyes revealed a mix of ferocity and disdain. Even with a broken leg, it was confident it could tear apart this challenger who dared to steal its life-saving water.

Auuu...

When Li Wenjun was still some distance away, the wolf howled and charged at him. Despite having only three legs, its speed and agility were still better than Li Wenjun's, who was severely weakened. Moreover, its will to survive was no less strong than Li Wenjun's.

Ah...

Li Wenjun also let out a hoarse, weak cry, like a dying beast.

The wolf pounced, leaped, and opened its massive jaws, aiming for Li Wenjun's throat. Its movements were swift; it needed only a moment to bite Li Wenjun, tear his throat, and kill him.

Li Wenjun remained calm. Knowing his physical strength was inferior to the wolf's, he sought an advantage through skill. At this critical moment, he aimed at the wolf's mouth, swung the jujube wood club, and thrust it into the wolf's open jaws.

The wolf's jaws instinctively closed, and its sharp teeth bit into the jujube wood club. The club was extremely hard, breaking several of the wolf's teeth.

Li Wenjun, not letting up, grabbed the club with both hands and pushed it further into the wolf's mouth, hitting the soft throat.

Blood flowed from the wolf's mouth, and it quickly released the club and shook it off.

Li Wenjun quickly retreated, holding the jujube wood club and maintaining a distance from the wolf.

The smell of blood made the wolf even more ferocious. It circled around Li Wenjun, looking for an opportunity to strike a fatal blow.

In the first round of the fight, Li Wenjun had a slight advantage, giving him a glimmer of hope. He crouched low, circling with the wolf, always facing it head-on.

The wolf's stamina was much better than Li Wenjun's. After a few circles, Li Wenjun stumbled on something and staggered.

The wolf immediately seized the opportunity, howled, and pounced at Li Wenjun.

Li Wenjun dodged, but his speed was a bit slow. He narrowly avoided the vital areas, and the wolf leaped over his shoulder.

Unexpectedly, the pounce failed again. The wolf moved its left hind leg, and its claws scratched Li Wenjun, knocking him to the ground and leaving a long scar on his body.

Before Li Wenjun could get up, the wolf charged again. Li Wenjun rolled on the ground, avoiding the vital areas, but the wolf's bite this time was successful. It bit into Li Wenjun's thigh, tearing away the remaining flesh and breaking his thigh bone.

Li Wenjun let out a惨叫声, sat up abruptly, and swung the jujube wood club at the wolf.

This blow, perhaps due to the release of Li Wenjun's potential, was extremely fast. The wolf couldn't dodge it. The jujube wood club hit the wolf's head with a loud thud.

No matter what animal, the head is always the hardest part. Combined with Li Wenjun's weakened state, the blow didn't shatter the wolf's brain, but it did daze it.

Li Wenjun's force was too great, and the impact of hitting the wolf's head sent the jujube wood club flying out of his hand, landing far away.

The wolf shook its head, trying to clear its dizziness. Li Wenjun, in a panic, looked around for a weapon to defend himself. Suddenly, he saw the machete left by the previous people. The machete was old, with notches and bloodstains, but it was made of iron and had a blade. More importantly, it was the closest "weapon" to Li Wenjun.

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