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They all took a deep breath, and Second exclaimed, "Damn it! They're coming for revenge again!"
Alpha Wolf howled at them a few times before diving down.
Seven remarked, "Coming over here all alone." But to their surprise, the new Alpha Wolf ran up to Second and gently nudged its head against Second's knee, clearly showing friendliness.
The group was puzzled.
Seven suggested, "Could it be that we created an opportunity for it to become the new Alpha Wolf, and now it's thanking us?"
Second had always been friendly to those who were kind to him, and animals were no exception. He reached out to pat New Alpha Wolf on the head. New Alpha Wolf wagged its tail at them, its eyes filled with emotion as if expressing gratitude.
Second called out to it, "Go on! Return to where you belong, and don’t do those harmful things anymore."
New Alpha Wolf let out a few low whines, as if saying, "I will."
After watching New Alpha Wolf leave, the group felt a sense of relief wash over them. Second finally stopped forcing himself to stay upright and collapsed onto the ground. The other two also sat down, gasping for breath. They were still shaken! If the pack of wolves had attacked them, they would have surely met their end there.
Now, each of them bore some injuries. Li Shengma was supported by Third as he hobbled over; one of his legs had been bitten through by a wolf's teeth. He was losing blood rapidly, and his complexion had turned a shade of dark blue.
Wang Er Gou stood up to help support Li Shengma.
Third said to Wang Er Gou, "Quickly get the bleeding control medicine." With that, he laid Li Shengma flat on the ground.
Third continued, "I’ll help clean your wound later; just bear with it."
Li Shengma nodded as beads of sweat began to form on his forehead.
Wang Er Gou returned with the medicine.
Third first disinfected the dagger with a torch, then began to cut away the rotten flesh from Li Shengma's leg. At first, Li Shengma managed to endure it, but soon the pain became too much, and he fainted.
Third treated the wound, applying medicinal powder and wrapping it with bandages. Then, he took out a pill from his bag and gave it to Li Shengma to swallow.
At that moment, Second called out, "Hey Third, come help check Seven's wound."
Third immediately ran over, examined Seven's injury, and said, "It's nothing serious! Just help me with the treatment."
The remaining few tended to their minor wounds, helping each other bandage and clean up until everything was sorted.
By now, it was deep into the night, and the moon hung low in the sky. The crisis seemed to have passed.
Everyone felt exhausted and naturally fell asleep.
Only Third lay there with half-open eyes, staring at the bright moon until the sun rose in the east. The others were still asleep, likely too tired to wake up.
Li Shengma, however, stirred groggily and called for water. Third helped him drink a bit, and he gradually came to. He realized he had no feeling in his leg.
He lifted his leg with both hands. Third calmly said, "You haven't lost it." Hearing this made Li Shengma feel relieved. But then Third added, "You might end up limping." Li Shengma froze for a moment! He didn't say anything; his eyes suddenly lost their spark.
Third remarked, "For this thing, you always have to pay a price."
Upon hearing those words, Li Shengma seemed to regain some spirit. He patted his bag and confirmed that his belongings were still there before falling silent again. He sighed and said, "For it, I wouldn't mind dying."
Third chose not to respond further.
Yet Li Shengma continued speaking: "Fate is like this; it has shaped me but also destroyed me."
Third replied, "Your life is in your own hands."
Li Shengma shuddered and sighed helplessly. Yes, he lacked the courage.
The sun rose, illuminating the earth, its arrival slow yet seemingly inevitable. Many wolf corpses lay on the ground. The blood of the Alpha Wolf had dried into a dark stain. The world continued to turn, indifferent to the absence of anyone.
After a while, the other three gradually got up, the smell of blood beginning to spread, making them feel nauseous. They gathered their belongings and supported each other as they left this place of turmoil.
By the time the sun reached its zenith, it was already afternoon.
"After walking for another three or four hours, we should be able to get out," Seven said.
After replenishing their water and food at noon, they had run out of supplies. However, their destination was ahead, so it was not too serious.
They trudged on for another three or four hours, exhausted and in tatters, with dried blood caked on their bodies.
The wounds of those who healed quickly were already scabbing over. Of course, only Third could manage that. Seven was clearly being overly optimistic. Since they were all injured, especially Li Shengma, they hadn’t made much progress after three hours.
At this pace, it would take at least another three hours.
As they continued walking until sunset, a remnant of red hung high in the sky. Now they could see the greenery outside through the stone pillars.
The sight felt like a glimmer of hope, and they instinctively quickened their pace toward the exit.
“Damn it, we finally made it out!” Second shouted.
“Er Gou, go check if our cart is still here!”
Wang Er Gou swiftly ran out of the Stone Forest and then shouted loudly. The others hurried out after him. Third lagged behind as he was supporting Li Shengma.
Outside lay many corpses. A foul odor wafted through the air. Second and Seven crouched down to examine the bodies. Second remarked, “These people must have been dead for two or three days.”
"Seven" nodded in agreement. "And they all used daggers, killing with a single strike."
"Wang Er Gou" crouched down and suddenly spotted a familiar face. Having been in "South Town" for over ten years, he had lived among the local ruffians and had come to know many unsavory characters.
"This is a gang of robbers!" "Wang Er Gou" exclaimed, pointing to a corpse. "This is their leader."
" Second " moved closer after hearing this. The man had thick eyebrows and big eyes; his face was stiff in death, but there was still a hint of terror etched on it.
"Third," supporting "Li Shengma," also arrived, though he didn't react as strongly as the others.
"Li Shengma," feeling weak, immediately gagged at the sight of so many corpses and the stench of death, throwing up everything he had eaten for lunch.
"Don't worry about that," "Third" said. "Let's go look for the carriage!"
The others agreed and followed "Wang Er Gou" to search for the carriage. However, " Second " remained crouched, examining the characteristics of the bodies.
Suddenly, " Second " called out, "Third, come over here and take a look."
"Third" leaned "Li Shengma" against a stone pillar and walked over. " Second " pointed out, "Look, all these people have the same mark on them."
After hearing this, "Third" felt a surge of suspicion. He began to check each body one by one and said, "This is a 'clan mark.'"
"What does that mean?" " Second " asked.
"It's a mark of a large family."
"This might not be just an ordinary band of robbers." "Third" rummaged through the leader's belongings and found a token with the character for 'foreign' inscribed on it. After examining it for a moment, he tucked it into his pocket and searched through the others but found no similar tokens.
This token must be a symbol of identity, "Third" concluded.
At that moment, Wang Er Gou and Seven arrived, pulling a cart behind them. However, it was not the same cart they had come in; it was a strange one, without a roof, just a simple cargo cart.
The group had no time to dwell on such details. They hurriedly climbed onto the cart, with Seven taking the reins.
They were now completely out of supplies and needed to escape quickly.
It would take about a day to return from Stone Forest to South Town. The group endured hunger and cold. Finally, they reached South Town the next morning.
Fortunately, they had found a torch along the way, which made their journey smoother.
As soon as they entered South Town, an indescribable silence enveloped them—quiet, too quiet.
Li Shengma stopped at the entrance of South Town and told the others to split up; he said someone would be there to meet him. The four did not insist on staying together.
Once inside South Town, Old Zhang sent someone to greet them.
South Town and Stone Forest felt like two different worlds—one heavy with life and death, the other stable and comfortable.
The group entered Zhang's residence without any hindrance, but instead of the previous Fat Steward guiding them, they were led by a house servant this time.
The maids in the house still looked as splendid as ever. It seemed as if nothing had changed.
They were directly taken to the same basement as last time—a basement that needed to be lit even during the day! The old man appeared even more aged; he coughed more frequently, and the wrinkles on his face had deepened.
The old man did not inquire about the missing members nor did he comment on the new face among them.
After a while, when all the dishes were served, he dismissed the other attendants with a smile and said, "Thank you for your hard work! Let's have a drink first to wash away the dust from your travels!"
With that, he raised his cup and took a sip. Afterward, he coughed for a while and used a gray handkerchief to wipe his mouth.
A few people exchanged no further words. Second said, "We've found what you were looking for. Now hand over the Antidote."
The old man’s face clearly showed a hint of excitement, but he forcefully suppressed it. He replied, "Once I see the item, I will naturally give you the Antidote."
Wang Er Gou was filled with questions upon hearing the word "Antidote," but he knew it was not the right time to ask.
Third took out a delicate bronze box and said, "This is what you wanted." He opened it just enough for the old man to take a glance.
The old man reached out to grab it, but Third pressed down on his hand and said, "First, give us the Antidote." At that moment, the old man could no longer maintain his composure and let out a few hearty laughs.
He pulled out a white medicine vial from his robe and tossed it to Third. Third opened the cap and sniffed it before handing over the bronze box.
Once the old man received the bronze box, he could no longer contain his overwhelming joy. He quickly tucked it away. Raising his wine glass, he laughed heartily and said, "Come on, everyone, let’s have another drink!" It seemed as if he had suddenly regained his youth.
The others also lifted their glasses and drank.
At that moment, Second said, "Old man, didn’t you say you would reward us handsomely?"
The old man quickly replied, "Of course! Please rest for a moment, and I will present you with a proper gift."
After everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, the old man eagerly wanted to take his leave while the others were already feeling a bit hazy from the alcohol. Third leaned in close to whisper a few words to the old man. After listening, the old man began to cough severely and asked, "What should I do now?"
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