Chapter 46

In the twilight forest, a misty haze enveloped the surroundings as the night fog gradually rose, and the sky was dotted with countless stars. Lin Zheng lay on a green stone, gazing up at the sky, his mind lost in thought. Beside him, the rogue wolf lay with his hands behind his head, also looking up at the night sky, lost in his own thoughts.

Suddenly, both man and wolf sighed deeply, as if trying to expel all their melancholy from their bodies. Perhaps hearing each other's sighs, they glanced at each other, then both grunted and turned their heads away.

After a long while, Lin Zheng softly said, "Old Wolf, thank you for everything these past days."

"..." The rogue wolf was taken aback; he hadn't expected Lin Zheng to thank him. For a moment, he didn't know what to say. Then, the rogue wolf chuckled and said, "No need for thanks. Do you have any more clothes? Give me another pair of pants."

"..." Lin Zheng was at a loss for words. Over the past few days, the rogue wolf had continuously taken pants from him, cutting them into large shorts. Lin Zheng had never seen the rogue wolf store anything, yet he would occasionally produce a pair of large shorts and put them on.

This had left Lin Zheng in a predicament, as he now faced the awkward situation of having no pants to wear. He was currently wearing a tattered pair, while his upper body was clad in a brand new but oddly fitting garment. Lin Zheng pointed at his pants, made a gesture of disdain, and closed his eyes to sleep. The rogue wolf chuckled, stroked his large shorts, and smiled without a word.

The night passed quietly.

The next morning, Lin Zheng woke up early and roused the still sleeping rogue wolf. They quickly set off, and according to Lin Zheng's calculations, they should reach the village by noon.

From dawn to midday, Lin Zheng finally saw the village in the distance. At first, it was just a small black dot, but as they approached, the dot grew larger, and soon the outline of the village became visible.

Lin Zheng and the rogue wolf slowly walked toward the village. They could hear the sound of blacksmithing, the clinking of turtle shells as the fortune-teller played with them, the laughter of Xuanxuan, Tiantian, and Kongkong playing, the sounds of Lin Dao and others practicing, and the gentle strumming of Lin Qin's zither...

For a moment, Lin Zheng felt a mix of emotions. The rogue wolf looked at him and suddenly crossed his arms, letting out a long howl that echoed into the village.

"Your Wolf Lord has returned with Lin Zheng. Prepare a feast for the Wolf Lord! Awooo..."

Lin Zheng's tender feelings were once again interrupted by the rogue wolf's shout. Before he could confront the rogue wolf, a series of sounds broke the air, and familiar figures ran toward them.

With a thud, the ground in front of Lin Zheng cracked, and cracks spread from the feet of the newcomer. It was Uncle Hong, who always made a grand entrance. Then, Lin Zheng's uncle and other relatives appeared before him.

"Good, good, good! Little Zheng, you've done well. Your cultivation speed is truly astonishing," Uncle Hong said, examining Lin Zheng closely and shouting loudly.

"How are you? Everything okay?" This was Lin Zheng's uncle.

"Tell us, how have these months been?"

Before Lin Zheng could answer, a gentle, fragrant figure rushed toward him. Lin Zheng opened his arms and embraced the person tightly.

Who else could it be but Li Ruoshui? After a long while, they separated, and Li Ruoshui stood behind Lin Zheng, still holding his hand tightly. Everyone laughed kindly, and then a child's voice rang out from the crowd.

"Really, Xuanxuan wanted to be hugged by her brother too, really... really... what's that saying again, Tiantian?" The little girl seemed to have forgotten a common saying.

"Marry a wife and forget your sister-in-law!" Tiantian added in a child's voice.

Everyone was speechless.

Before anyone could react, Kongkong spoke up, "Hey? What a big dog! Did your brother bring this for us to play with? That big shorts look so unique. What a strange dog."

Everyone looked at the rogue wolf, who had been looking up at the sky. Hearing this, he nearly choked. He had expected some attention, at least a greeting. Even if they didn't greet him, they shouldn't ignore him completely. Finally, he was noticed, even by a child, but... the rogue wolf was stunned.

After a long while, the rogue wolf shouted, "Kid, look carefully. Your Wolf Lord is a wolf, a mighty wolf, not a dog!"

"Hey, he can talk?" The children quickly gathered around the rogue wolf, having ignored his earlier howl.

"..." The rogue wolf was speechless.

Fortunately, Lin Zheng's uncle promptly defused the awkwardness, inviting everyone back to the village. It was also time for lunch, so everyone gathered in the hall to eat and talk.

Soon, steaming hot and delicious dishes, sweet and tasty fruit drinks, and various pastries were served. Lin Zheng sat next to Li Ruoshui, while Lin Qin took the best spot for listening to stories. Lin Dao and the others sat on one side of Lin Qin, and the rogue wolf was dragged away by a group of unafraid children...

Li Ruoshui first served Lin Zheng a few bowls of clear soup to warm his stomach. After a long time in the mountains, eating too much too quickly could be overwhelming. Although Lin Zheng's cultivation was now advanced, he appreciated Li Ruoshui's care and drank happily.

After a few rounds of drinks and dishes, Lin Zheng began to recount his experiences in the mountains in detail, without any concealment. He even described meeting the rogue wolf and their time together in the valley.

As everyone listened to Lin Zheng's battles, they couldn't help but feel tense. Li Ruoshui occasionally let out a soft exclamation, and when she heard about Lin Zheng's injuries, she tightly gripped his arm, deeply concerned.

Everyone was immersed in Lin Zheng's story, but there was an exception!

"Ha ha ha, you three have good eyes. Back then, your Wolf Lord fought a hundred beasts alone, how mighty! A single howl from the Wolf Lord scared those beasts so much they didn't dare to fart!" The rogue wolf spoke with relish, occasionally taking large bites of food, using his chopsticks more skillfully than the three children.

"What happened next?" Xuanxuan asked with wide, innocent eyes.

"Next, your brother Lin Zheng, under the guidance of your Wolf Lord, advanced in cultivation at an incredible speed."

"Wow, Wolf Brother is so cool." Then Xuanxuan's tone changed, "Wolf Brother, do you think Xuanxuan and the others are cute?"

"Ha ha ha, Wolf Brother? Not bad, not bad. Your Wolf Lord allows you to call me that. Yes, you are all very cute, very cute. Xuanxuan, bring me that plate of bamboo shoots."

"Okay." Xuanxuan jumped off her stool and ran to the table, carrying a plate of bamboo shoots and meat back. Then she said, "Now, can you give us our gifts?"

"Huh?" The rogue wolf was taken aback, seeing the three children's serious and expectant faces.

"Yes, we are so cute, and we brought you food. Don't you have gifts? Sister Ruoshui brought us gifts before she came!"

"Huh?" The rogue wolf was stunned again. He saw the children's faces turn from sunny to cloudy, looking very sad and on the verge of tears. He put down his chopsticks and, with his paw, gently rubbed their heads. "Of course, I have gifts. Your Wolf Lord is not the kind of wolf who doesn't bring gifts."

"Really?" The children's faces quickly brightened, their eyes shining with excitement.

"Of course!" The rogue wolf waved his hand, and three light balls appeared in his hand. The light balls slowly floated to the children's faces and then entered their foreheads.

The others had been watching the scene. When the rogue wolf let the light balls float toward the children, they were about to stop him, but Lin Zheng's glance stopped them.

By the time the light balls entered the children's bodies, it was too late to stop them. Everyone watched the children closely.

After a while, the children, who had been closing their eyes, suddenly opened them and thanked the rogue wolf happily. They then sat on their little stools and listened to him continue his boasting.

It seemed the children and the rogue wolf got along well. The rogue wolf kept eating and drinking while telling the children strange and unusual stories, completely stealing the spotlight from Lin Zheng.

Finally, Lin Zheng's aunt couldn't help but ask, "Xuanxuan, are you okay?"

"Mother, I'm fine. I feel warm all over, and I seem to have become stronger."

"Me too, me too," Tiantian and Kongkong nodded in agreement.

"Tch, don't worry. Your Wolf Lord is an expert among experts. These three children have a mysterious energy inside them, which you probably know. Your Wolf Lord just gave them a little gift to help them absorb this energy more easily. It will only benefit them, not harm them!" The rogue wolf waved his paw, looking very proud, signaling everyone to relax, and gave Lin Zheng a smug look.

Soon, everyone was laughing and chatting again. The elders took turns toasting the rogue wolf. They were all experts and understood the significance of the rogue wolf's actions for the children. Although they didn't know the rogue wolf's background, Lin Zheng's story and his kind gesture told them that this wolf was a friend, not an enemy. There was a good chance he had a connection with the family, and their encounter was a fortunate one. Although the wolf seemed a bit strange and unpredictable, they still treated him warmly.

In the end, the rogue wolf displayed his ultimate skill, devouring all the food. Then, to everyone's amazement, he patted his belly and took the three children outside for a walk!

Ultimate skill: Wolf's Gorge!

Lin Zheng watched the rogue wolf's back, worried about the village's food supply!

PS: Ha ha! Hand over your food! Red tickets! Favorites! Everyone, please support! Speaking of which, I've also eaten a lot and need to go for a walk! Everyone, spread the word! I will work hard!