Thud, thud!
The earth trembled as Tang Wen burst into a sprint, moving as swiftly as a bird in flight.
In just a few leaps, he arrived at the hill where the Sand Wolves were located.
"Howl!"
"Howl, howl, howl~"
The howls of the wolves echoed one after another.
Tang Wen looked down from the hill and saw a canyon below, overgrown with thorns and green grass. Near the shadow of the stone wall, there were several small ponds.
The Sand Wolves closed in from all sides.
Looking at the herds of cattle, sheep, donkeys, and deer below, Tang Wen thought it would be a good opportunity to replenish his household's meat supply.
"Howl!"
A piercing howl rang out.
Tang Wen's heart tightened as he looked toward the mountain peak across the canyon.
A massive, light-gray wolf.
Larger than the average Silver Wolf.
The giant wolf let out a long howl.
Tang Wen didn't sense any malice, but he frowned.
If he wasn't mistaken, it seemed to be offering him some food?
Tang Wen was filled with confusion.
It must be that my "Beast Taming Art" isn't refined enough. That Sand Wolf across the canyon is undoubtedly a top-tier Superior Exotic Beast.
Even though I am a first-class Martial Master, surrounded by a pack of wolves, I can't say for sure that I would win.
At that moment, after the giant wolf finished its howl, the Sand Wolves blocking his retreat path backed away, and the encirclement dispersed.
Two Sand Wolves appeared in the canyon, herding a half-grown bull and two goats toward the canyon exit.
Tang Wen's astonishment was frozen on his face.
In the gentle breeze, he muttered to himself:
"Impossible, it can't really be giving me this... can it?"
About ten minutes later, two Sand Wolves emerged from the west.
In front of them ran the bull and the goats.
This left Tang Wen completely baffled: "Why do I suddenly feel a sense of guilt? It's like I've become the villain in a cartoon who bullies small animals."
Another giant wolf appeared across the canyon.
It was slightly smaller, seemingly a female wolf.
Yet, Tang Wen felt a hint of danger emanating from it.
Clip-clop, clip-clop.
The hooves of the cattle and sheep clattered on the ground.
The Sand Wolf that had brought them let out a howl, and the three herbivores trembled in place.
The Sand Wolves' behavior was more professional than that of well-trained sheepdogs.
Tang Wen stepped forward, took a rope from his waist, and tied it around the necks of the three prey.
Turning back, he looked at the two giant wolves, feeling that he should say something.
Thank you for the hospitality? Thanks for the meal?
Hmm, it sounds like I'm here as a guest.
Well, should I just say goodbye?
Hmm, it feels like I'll come back after eating.
A sense of absurdity rose in Tang Wen's heart.
He had never imagined that one day he would be troubled over how to greet and thank a pack of wolves.
"Ahem, in the future, if your pack doesn't attack the people from our camp first, I think we can coexist peacefully!" Tang Wen pointed in the direction of the camp and added, "Anyway, thank you for the gift!"
The giant wolf responded with a low growl. Tang Wen waved at them, feeling a mix of emotions as he led the cattle and sheep away.
How did I, a first-class Martial Master, end up like a beggar?
And the ones I'm begging from aren't even humans...
Hundreds of miles to the west of the wilderness.
A black mountain range with rugged terrain, easy to defend and hard to attack.
The Black Mountain Camp was hidden within the black mountain.
"How is my son?" Old Black Devil asked in a deep voice.
"Commander Black Fang, he, he, he needs time to recover."
"How long will it take?"
"This, this, Master..."
Bang!
Old Black Devil struck out with his palm, and the leading physician died on the spot.
"You speak!" He pointed at another healer.
"Two years, two years! Commander Black Fang will surely recover!"
"Two years? I can't wait that long!"
Old Black Devil suddenly stood up, and moments later, there were no survivors left in the room.
Only Black Fang lay half-dead, unconscious on the bed.
"Flame Camp!"
"Tang Wen!"
Old Black Devil leaped onto the roof, gazing into the distance, his deep eye sockets filled with a black mist darker than the deepest night.
"Achoo!"
"Don't put ice cubes on your head anymore, or I'll spank you!"
Cuilian scolded Xiao Taozi with a stern face.
The latter wasn't afraid at all, hiding behind Tang Tang, tugging at the hem of her dress, and making faces at her mother.
"You!"
"The little one is just being playful."
In the courtyard, the women were busy with household chores, and Tang Tang had made some Meat Buns for everyone.
Meat Buns were no longer sold outside.
Not just Tang Tang, but except for the merchants designated by the camp to sell grain and food.
Other vendors also stopped setting up stalls outside.
This summer, the farmlands in the mountains yielded almost nothing.
Only the fields in Peach Blossom Spring and the newly cultivated land by the lake could produce some grain, but not much.
As the number of refugees increased, the camp had no choice but to recruit more Martial Apprentices and Martial Practitioners, and the pressure on food supplies grew daily.
General's Mansion, Council Hall.
The Queen was still in seclusion, and Generals Zhou and Zhao were in charge of all camp affairs.
Tang Wen sat in the corner; he had come to return the snake-skin Soft Armor and happened to catch the meeting, so he sat in the corner to listen.
He practiced martial arts every day and was quite out of touch with the news, so it was good to understand the current situation.
The first to speak was Qian Sanduo, who had just returned from a tour of all nearby territories: "No one is willing to sell us grain unless we trade them full-body steel plate armor and send them a batch of blacksmiths."
The commanders shook their heads; this was an outrageous demand.
The reason Flame Camp had its current status was largely due to its poor iron mine, which allowed them to forge steel armor.
For Martial Apprentices, Martial Practitioners, and even third-tier Martial Masters.
Wearing steel armor in battle made a huge difference, even a matter of life and death.
Everyone discussed fervently, but no actionable ideas emerged.
Tang Wen sat thoughtfully at the back, pursing his lips, not speaking.
"No one can say for sure when the drought will end," General Zhou spoke, and the room fell silent. "Finding new food sources is still the most important thing now!"
The camp had a lot of stored grain, but it was necessary to prepare for the future.
Everyone was at a loss.
General Zhao suddenly called out: "Tang Wen, you're full of ideas, what do you think?"
Tang Wen indeed had an idea. He recounted his encounter with the Sand Wolves the day before and then said:
"Wild Mutated Beast tribes have the habit of raising prey. Since we can cooperate with the Silver Wolves, we can also cooperate with the Sand Wolves. Sand Wolves are weaker than Silver Wolves, and the strongest in their tribe won't exceed the level of a General. They survive in the southern wilderness and must have competitors. We can cooperate with them to eliminate their competitors, we get the prey, and leave the territory to them."
"Good idea!"
"The young man's brain works well!"
"I think Commander Tang should speak more often in the future."
"Exactly! Don't just focus on martial arts."
Tang Wen, hearing this, modestly declined, repeatedly refusing.
What a joke, achieving Transcendence as soon as possible is the real deal; I don't have time to negotiate with wolf packs.
In the end, General Zhao decided to take matters into his own hands.
Food was the top priority, so it was only natural for the General to take action.
Of course, the deployment of a Transcendent from the camp also meant that the Sand Wolf pack had no choice left.
They could only agree and cooperate.
Otherwise, the prey they had raised was also quite substantial.
That night, in a corner of the palace, continuous rumbling and vibrations echoed from the courtyard.
A passing guard shook his head and said:
"Why does it feel like Commander Tang Wen's seclusion this time is making more noise than before?"
"Who knows! Maybe he's testing some new technique?"
The guards speculated on various possibilities, but no one mentioned the most direct and obvious one!
When one's realm breaks through, the intensity of training naturally increases.
The thought had crossed everyone's mind, but they quickly dismissed it themselves.
Commander Tang Wen had become a first-class Martial Master?
How could it be that fast!
Even the most talented would need a year or two to break through, right?
(End of Chapter)