"Woo woo..."
In the dark cave, a pack of green-eyed wolves, like their alpha, cowered on the ground, tails tucked, whimpering. This submissive display left Zhou Fugui and Lin Yue astonished, their mouths agape, unable to speak.
Their astonishment stemmed from two things: first, the reappearance of a red light that protected them; second, the fact that both of them were now enveloped in this protective red glow.
However, the red light protecting Lin Yue was larger and brighter, subtly containing a fiery phoenix within its crimson aura. Zhou Fugui's red light, by contrast, was much dimmer.
"General Zhou, you..." Lin Yue finally noticed a small black wolf totem on Zhou Fugui's bare back. The Wolf God Bone necklace he wore also pulsed with a faint red light.
Lin Yue had indeed seen Zhou Fugui's bare back before, but the black wolf totem, being behind him, hadn't drawn her attention. She had also dismissed the Wolf God Bone around Zhou Fugui's neck as a mere trinket. Many people on the plains fashioned necklaces from animal bones.
Could he be...? Lin Yue dared not even contemplate the thought.
Zhou Fugui felt the same. He had always felt a sense of déjà vu with Lin Yue, and this feeling had only intensified with their growing acquaintance.
In this situation, Zhou Fugui found himself utterly bewildered, unable to make sense of it all.
Since he couldn't figure it out, he decided not to think about it. He walked up to the alpha wolf and reached out to stroke its massive head.
The alpha wolf whimpered, head bowed respectfully, allowing Zhou Fugui to pet it. It even extended its foul-smelling tongue, licking Zhou Fugui's hand with remarkable docility, much like a pet dog.
The pack of wolves behaved similarly, a mixture of awe and fear in their eyes as they circled the two humans.
"Haha, good dog!" Zhou Fugui exclaimed with laughter.
Lin Yue rolled her eyes at his remark.
These were man-eating wolves, yet he called them "good dogs"... He wasn't afraid they'd understand and be provoked, reigniting their predatory instincts.
"Good dog, good dog, good boy..." Zhou Fugui's words became increasingly absurd, and even harder for Lin Yue to comprehend. Stroking the alpha wolf's soft fur, he asked, "We have come to your esteemed territory and are lost. Could you lead us to escape?"
"You're being ab-" Lin Yue couldn't hold back any longer and was about to chastise him. Before she could finish, the alpha wolf let out a low howl towards the heavens and then walked deeper into the cave. Seeing that Zhou Fugui hadn't followed, it wagged its tail and returned, licking Zhou Fugui's hand as if to urge him to follow.
Witnessing this, Lin Yue was rendered speechless.
"Come on, what are you waiting for?" Zhou Fugui, delighted, clapped Lin Yue on the shoulder and followed the alpha wolf into the cave.
"We can talk properly, why are you laying hands on me?" Lin Yue gave Zhou Fugui a sidelong glance and then followed the alpha wolf into the cave.
"Good dog, where have you brought us?" Zhou Fugui and Lin Yue followed the alpha wolf deeper into the cave. The further they went, the narrower the passage became, until they could only crawl. The alpha wolf, however, seemed unaffected. Zhou Fugui couldn't help but ask.
The alpha wolf could only respond with a "woo."
"Rumble!"
"Sluice!"
"Ouch!"
"Woo..."
The alpha wolf led Zhou Fugui and Lin Yue to a downward slope. The slope was wet with trickling water, and the ground was slippery. Zhou Fugui and Lin Yue, losing their footing, tumbled into the water together and slid down the hillside. The alpha wolf stood on the slope above, letting out a triumphant howl to the heavens.
"You bastard! What good dog? Dead dog, bad dog, trash dog, bad boy..." Zhou Fugui cursed as he rolled. Before his curses ended, he landed with a splash in a pool of water, soaking wet.
"Ah! Help!"
Zhou Fugui, disoriented by the fall into the pool, hadn't recovered when a white shadow descended from above, hitting him and plunging him further into the water...
"General Zhou, where are you?" Lin Yue, protected by a "cushion," was not significantly affected. She scanned the pool, unable to see Zhou Fugui.
"Gulp... gulp... I... gulp... am... gulp... here... gulp..." Zhou Fugui, having swallowed some water after being submerged, surfaced and responded.
"Pfft..." Lin Yue couldn't help but laugh. "General Zhou, are you thirsty? Is the pool water delicious?"
"Why don't you taste a bit and find out?" The pool wasn't deep. Zhou Fugui stood up, glared at Lin Yue, and walked towards the bank. Lin Yue smiled sweetly and walked alongside him towards the shore.
It was a valley of breathtaking beauty!
As far as the eye could see, everything was a vibrant green. The hillsides were covered with various verdant vegetation, including snow pines, Chinese junipers, weeping willows, hackberry trees, and mulberry trees. The grasses included cockleburs, hemp, nightshades, daturas, thistles, and Saxifraga, all lush and stretching beyond sight. Amidst the verdant vegetation, on the emerald green meadows, bloomed a myriad of flowers: chrysanthemums, peonies, hibiscus, crape myrtles, sunflowers, clematis, and more, a riot of color.
A mountain spring seemed to cascade from the heavens, falling onto a series of cliff ledges resembling steps, forming multiple white waterfalls that looked like a pristine white ribbon. The spring water tinkled, like pearls falling onto a jade plate.
The mountain spring formed a clear pool. The water was transparent to the bottom, soft and serene, with small, unknown fish swimming back and forth. What was truly remarkable was that the pool's water was warm, bubbling and steaming from the earth, never ceasing. A mist enveloped the pool, creating an ethereal haze.
In the frozen north, this was a scene of vibrant spring, like an oasis in a desert.
Despite the stunning scenery, neither Zhou Fugui nor Lin Yue were in the mood to appreciate it. As they reached the shore, they both turned simultaneously and asked in unison, "Who are you?"
"I asked first, so you answer first," Zhou Fugui then said to Lin Yue.
"It's better if we ask together, isn't it?" Lin Yue gave Zhou Fugui a sidelong glance and said.
"Haha, I'm a man, and you're a woman, so you should speak first. What is your surname and given name? Quick, tell me," Zhou Fugui argued unreasonably, with a thick skin.
Lin Yue was merely her given name or title, a fact Zhou Fugui knew well.
"What does it matter if you're a man? What does it matter if you're a woman? Should women be subservient?" Lin Yue argued logically.
"The superiority of men over women is the natural order of the world, don't you know that?" Zhou Fugui continued his unreasonable argument.
"The superiority of men over women?" Lin Yue sneered. "Lin Yue is also aware of texts like 'Lessons for Women,' and the pronouncements that heaven is above and earth below, creating the universe; distinguishing the high and the low, establishing the positions of the noble and the humble; that the Way of Heaven creates man, and the Way of Earth creates woman. 'A husband may remarry, but a wife is bound to her first husband,' therefore it is said that the husband is heaven; and since heaven cannot be escaped, nor can the husband be disobeyed.' This is the rule set by you men. Why should Lin Yue obey it? Lin Yue not only refuses to obey, but one day, she will make men like you prostrate themselves at her feet."
Zhou Fugui was secretly alarmed.
Lin Yue had inadvertently revealed her ambition, or perhaps her aspiration.
Zhou Fugui did not agree with the notion of male superiority, but he was absolutely unwilling to bow down to any woman. This was one of the reasons why Zhou Fugui was not truly willing to join Lin Yue's faction.
"Alright, alright, I can't argue with you. If you want to talk, talk. If you don't want to talk, I won't talk either. Let's see who can outlast whom?" Unable to best Lin Yue in an argument, Zhou Fugui resorted to a show of defiance...
In reality, Zhou Fugui was also very curious about Lin Yue's background and her connection to him. However, his pride wouldn't allow him to back down. At the same time, Zhou Fugui understood that when facing a strong woman like Lin Yue, he needed to appear even more assertive.
Having said that, Zhou Fugui stopped paying attention to Lin Yue and began to look around, searching for something to eat.
The valley had wild rabbits, pheasants, and badgers, but Zhou Fugui had nothing but a few strips of cloth barely enough to cover himself. His only recourse was his hands and his mind.
"Chik!" Lin Yue suddenly drew a dagger from her boot shaft and walked towards Zhou Fugui.
Zhou Fugui looked famished, but Lin Yue had no idea what he was thinking.
Zhou Fugui was startled and clenched his fists, his stance wide. He stammered at Lin Yue, "Wh-what do you... want...? A gentleman... speaks, not fights!"
How many weapons did she have hidden on her? Zhou Fugui wondered, watching Lin Yue approach.
However, Lin Yue's dress was torn and barely clinging to her body, wet and molding to her figure. He saw no other obvious weapons.
"You're a great general who has fought on many battlefields, are you afraid of a small knife and a woman?" Lin Yue smiled charmingly at his words.
"Slap!" Zhou Fugui suddenly lunged and grabbed Lin Yue's fair, jade-like wrist. Lin Yue's hand went limp, and the dagger fell. Zhou Fugui caught it and chuckled, "As a soldier, I like to feign weakness and strike when the enemy is unprepared. Besides, with a sharp blade in hand, what difference is there between a man and a woman? Both can kill."
"General Zhou..." Lin Yue shook her wrist, saying resentfully, "If Lin Yue wanted to kill you, why would she wait until now?"
"Oh, so you mean I should be grateful to you?" Zhou Fugui asked, playing with the exquisite and sharp dagger.
"Shouldn't I be?" Lin Yue tilted her lotus-like chin and asked Zhou Fugui.
"Outside Xue Lin City, if it weren't for my mercy, you would have long been dead. How do you explain that?" Zhou Fugui said with a cold laugh.
The two began to spar verbally again...
"Hee hee..." Lin Yue gracefully walked up to Zhou Fugui, reached out, and plucked a wolf hair from his hair... She said sweetly, with a sugary tone, "Of course, this matter is thanks to the General. This humble one thanks you for sparing my life..."
At this moment, Lin Yue's body was almost pressed against Zhou Fugui.
"Your Highness, the Prince's Consort, you'd best stay away from me, or if anything happens, don't blame me," Zhou Fugui said, glancing sideways at Lin Yue.
"You don't even know who I am, and you still dare?" Lin Yue asked coyly, with a charming smile.
Zhou Fugui was immediately rendered speechless by her words.