"Waa, waa, waa," sobbing could be heard from afar. Village Head Zhao hurried his pace, only to be met with a sight that stunned everyone. Sun Yinu's thigh was completely severed, his abdomen ripped open, exposing bone. His entire abdominal cavity had been drained of blood, staining a wide patch of the meadow crimson.

"Wh-what is happening here?" Village Head Zhao clutched his head, swaying slightly...

"Village Head Zhao, Village Head Zhao, are you alright?" A villager stepped forward to support him.

"I'm fine?" Village Head Zhao pressed his temples, his emotions surging. "This, this..." He gasped for breath. "What has happened?"

"Village Head Zhao, you must dispense justice for us!" Sun Yinu's wife knelt on the ground, weeping uncontrollably.

"What exactly happened?"

"Yi-Yinu said he was going to check the fields," Sun Yinu's wife choked out. "I told him to wait until tomorrow! It was nearly time for dinner, but he insisted on going. When he hadn't returned after a long time, and the sky was getting dark, I went to the fields to look for him, but instead I found..." Sun Yinu's wife burst into wails again.

"Village Head Zhao, we searched for a wolf all day and found nothing. How did this one get here?"

"Indeed? Village Head Zhao, something feels terribly wrong?"

"Dad? Dad!"

"Dad? Dad!"

"Dad? Dad!"

Sun Yinu's three sons rushed over upon hearing the news. Seeing their father half-eaten by a wolf, they fell to their knees, their cries a jumble of different sounds...

"Village Head Zhao, you must deliver justice for us!"

"My dad..."

"Village Head Zhao..."

"Rest assured, the famished wolf will definitely be eliminated. It is a major scourge to our village, it must be eradicated!"

"Eradicate..."

Village Head Zhao stepped forward to soothe the family as they began to gather Sun Yinu's remains. Not long after, darkness completely enveloped the area, and the villagers started heading back to the village...

"Eat before you go?" The old woman was setting dishes onto the kang.

"No." Village Head Zhao turned and stepped off the heated bed.

"This..." The old woman looked at the food.

"You eat it?" Village Head Zhao walked out, bent over slightly.

The old woman sighed as she watched his retreating figure.

Clack, clack, clack—a flurry of hurried footsteps brought Village Head Zhao to Zhang Da Xian's house. Zhang Da Xian and his wife were eating dinner when they saw the Village Head enter and immediately urged him to join them.

"Not eating? No appetite," Village Head Zhao sighed.

"I heard there was trouble in the village again?" Zhang Da Xian asked while chewing a piece of cornbread.

"Yes. Sun Yinu died right where Sister-in-law Hu died."

Hearing of another incident, Zhang Da Xian gave an unnatural shudder.

"What's wrong?" Village Head Zhao asked. "Is it about this..."

"Exactly!" Zhang Da Xian put down his chopsticks. "I also feel that place is rather strange!"

Village Head Zhao nodded. "Today we searched almost every nearby mountain for wolves, but didn't see a single strand of fur. Where did the wolf that bit Sun Yinu come from? There have never been wolves here before. Why would one suddenly appear now? And it just so happens that this occurred right after the panic about the Jiangshi in the next village subsided. Do you think that's a coincidence?"

Zhang Da Xian let out an "Mm" sound, closed his eyes, and ran his thumb over the knuckles of his other fingers. He shivered slightly, then quickly opened his eyes. "This is not good. It is an ominous sign of great misfortune!"

"Then what do we do?"

"The wise man has his own methods!"

"Do you really have a way?" Village Head Zhao asked, perplexed.

"I do. As they say, a hefty reward brings forth brave men!"

"You mean, offer a reward to recruit someone willing to hunt the wolf, or perhaps the Jiangshi?"

Zhang Da Xian nodded.

"This money..."

"Isn't that simple? We'll raise funds! As long as the villagers don't want to get hurt..."

Heh heh heh... Heh heh heh...

"Where's the food?" Village Head Zhao pulled open the door and walked back in from outside.

"Didn't you say you weren't eating?" The old woman sat on the kang, glancing at Village Head Zhao as she continued to patch her shoe sole. "What? You seem to be in a good mood?"

"Of course." Village Head Zhao rarely chuckled toward his wife. "I've thought of a solution now. Why wouldn't I be happy?"

"The food is on the shelf. Go eat it yourself!"

Village Head Zhao grunted, picked up the oil lamp resting on the edge of the kang, and walked toward the outer room.

"The light, the light." The old woman called out. "I can't see."

Village Head Zhao didn't reply, walking out with a chuckle.

In the morning, the sound of dang dang dang gongs and drums began to ring out. Upon hearing them, everyone rushed to the old temple to assemble; it was the village custom...

Soon, Village Head Zhao walked through the crowd, standing before everyone and raising his voice to shout, "I have called everyone here today because of an important matter: a man-eating wolf." As he spoke, Village Head Zhao glanced at Zhang Da Xian.

"Last night, I observed the stars and discovered the baleful star has shifted position. This is an omen of great misfortune!" Zhang Da Xian cleared his throat and continued, "This is why several incidents of man-eating wolves have occurred in the village. Remember, there has never been a case of wolves eating people in our village! Why has this happened repeatedly recently? The reason is simple: there is something unclean in the village, and we must work together to destroy it."

"Then the village is doomed," one villager said.

"What should we do?"

"Will more people die?"

"Don't argue, don't argue. Quiet down, listen to me," Village Head Zhao waved his hand. "We now have a method to eliminate the famished wolf, but someone must go and destroy it. Who is willing to go?"

"Isn't that just sending someone to their death?"

"So many have already died?"

"I'm not going."

"Not going."

"Alright, alright, alright," Village Head Zhao said loudly. "Since you lack the courage to go, but still wish to live peacefully in the future, I propose now that everyone donate money, pool a certain amount, and hire someone to eliminate this wolf. How about that?"

"Pooling money? Aren't you afraid of being swindled?"

"Yeah?"

"What if we don't catch the wolf, but the money disappears too?"

"I think that's acceptable."

"Acceptable!"

"Stop arguing." Village Head Zhao waved again, signaling for quiet. He continued, "I'll start. I donate three grain coupons." With that, he dropped three coupons featuring a harvester into the censer. A nearby villager shouted, "Village Head Zhao, three!" Another immediately jotted it down in a notebook.

"He's really donating?"

"Yes!"

"Seriously?"

"I donate one." A villager stepped forward.

"Mazi, one ticket." As soon as it was called out, someone recorded it.

"Tang Xiaoye, three tickets."

Swish, swish, swish—Sun Yinu's eldest son threw down a handful of grain coupons.

"Sun family, twenty tickets."

"Oh my goodness, twenty tickets!"

"So many?"

"Being rich makes a difference!"

The villagers began to mutter. Village Head Zhao walked over with a smile.

"Village Head Zhao, I hope you won't let down the whole village!" Sun Yinu's eldest son said.

"Rest assured, I will spend a great deal of money to hire a sharpshooter to take down the wolf!" Village Head Zhao leaned close to his ear. "To eliminate the pest for the entire village, and to avenge your father."

Upon hearing this, Sun Yinu's son nodded and left with a smile.

Every villager contributed what they could, and soon a thick wad of grain coupons was collected.

After Li Yiqiang left, everyone anxiously awaited news that he had killed the wolf. Time passed, minute by minute. One day went by with no word. Two days passed, still nothing. Three days went by, still no news. In the blink of an eye, a week had passed, and there was still no information.

Village Head Zhao couldn't sit still this time. He sent someone to inquire at Li Yiqiang's home, only to receive the news that Li Yiqiang had left for the Great Wolf Mountains over half a month ago and had not yet returned.

"Village Head Zhao, bad news! Someone has died! Someone has died..." A villager ran to Village Head Zhao's house.

"Who died now? Why are you in such a rush?" Village Head Zhao was worrying at home and spoke irritably. "If someone died, go find Director Zhou, don't bother me."

"Village Head Zhao, it's not that! Someone else was eaten by the wolf!"

"What?" Upon hearing this, Village Head Zhao ran out of the house without even putting on his shoes. This was a sensitive topic, after all. He quickly asked, "Who was eaten now?"

"We don't know yet. No family has reported anyone missing."

"Quick, quick, take me to see!"

The villager led Village Head Zhao deep into the grove of big trees on the front mountain. Many villagers had already gathered there, all coming to see after hearing that someone else had been eaten by a wolf.

"Village Head Zhao, you're here! Someone else was eaten."

"Village Head Zhao, figure something out! If this continues, we'll all end up in the wolf's belly."

"Where is the body?"

"Here." The villagers pointed to where Village Head Zhao stood.

This person, like the previous victims, had been torn to shreds. The body was already moldy and emitted a foul stench, even the crickets avoided it. It appeared to have been dead for several days.

"Which family does this person belong to?" Village Head Zhao asked, looking at the corpse.

"We don't know?"

"No family has reported anyone missing?" the villagers replied...

"Strange. Could this person not be from our village?" Village Head Zhao murmured softly.

"Village Head Zhao, I think these clothes look familiar." When a villager said this, Village Head Zhao scrutinized the attire closely. The clothes did look familiar, as if he had seen them somewhere before, but he couldn't immediately recall where.

"The clothes look like someone I know?"

"Who?"

"They look a bit like Li Yiqiang's clothes."

"Yes!"

"I think he was wearing those clothes that day!"

"Li Yiqiang?" Village Head Zhao repeated, examining the body again. When he had seen Li Yiqiang that day, he seemed to be wearing this exact outfit. Moreover, the messenger had reported that Li Yiqiang had been gone for half a month. Could it be—could he have been eaten by the wolf?

"Village Head Zhao, it is Li Yiqiang."

"Indeed!"

"His marksmanship was so good, and yet he was eaten by a wolf. What will become of us now?"

"Right, Village Head Zhao..."

Village Head Zhao sighed. "Since he sacrificed himself for our village, let's find a coffin and bury him!"

Several more days passed. During this time, everyone lived in constant fear. Who wouldn't be afraid of being eaten by a wolf? The villagers were essentially confined to their homes; no one dared to wander about. Even when going to the fields to work, they made prior arrangements and brought weapons. Days passed one after another under this tension. During this period, it was impossible to hire anyone. The reason was simple: even 'Northeast's Number One Shot' had been eaten by the wolf. Who would take on such a task now? Out of options, the grain coupons were too few. Village Head Zhao initiated a second round of fundraising. This time, the yield was even smaller; the villagers had already been scraping by to donate the first time, and now they had no spare cash. Fortunately, the village's few wealthy households donated more. The grain and oil coupons rose from the original twenty to fifty, which was a considerable sum at that time. Village Head Zhao arranged for someone from another county to come; his name was Li Fei. This man was formidable. He had served in the army, acting as a sniper in a KMT company. His shooting skills needed no introduction—he could shoot a willow leaf at a hundred paces, hitting the mark every time. However, during one battle, his leg was shattered by shrapnel, leaving him with a permanent disability. His arrival brought renewed hope to the entire village. Village Head Zhao hosted him enthusiastically, even slaughtering the only laying hen he owned. This hen was Village Head Zhao's treasure, but for the safety of the entire village, he had to part with it painfully. As the chicken was being killed, Village Head Zhao couldn't help but shed tears...

Dinner commenced with Li Fei's arrival. Village Head Zhao and Zhang Da Xian personally went to the village entrance to greet him.

"Village Head Zhao, you are too kind!" Li Fei felt a little embarrassed by Village Head Zhao's warmth.

"This is what we should do. As long as you can help our village kill the famished wolf, you will be the great savior of Xiushui Village." Village Head Zhao ushered Li Fei inside.

"Don't worry. With me here, I will definitely kill the wolf for you to see!" Li Fei sat on the edge of the kang. For him, killing one wolf—or even ten—was nothing compared to the battlefields he had walked through.

As soon as Li Fei sat down, Village Head Zhao moved the low kang table over, and the old woman brought out a large basin of stewed potatoes, chicken, and mushrooms. A rich aroma wafted from the basin, making mouths water. Such a dish was a rarity, even during the New Year. Village Head Zhao and Zhang Da Xian also sat on the kang. The old woman brought bowls and chopsticks, along with a small pot of clear liquor. Village Head Zhao poured a cup for Li Fei...

"I'll do it myself," Li Fei quickly took the liquor pot.

"Let me do it," Village Head Zhao chuckled. "A guest in the house, after all?"

After pouring for Li Fei, he poured for Zhang Da Xian...

"Here, let's have one," Village Head Zhao raised his cup—a nine-ounce cup borrowed from the Sun family.

"Good."

"I really appreciate you going to this trouble," Li Fei also raised his cup.

"Bottoms up."

"Cheers."

Swish—they all drained their cups.

"Village Head, rest assured, I will definitely take care of that famished wolf!" Li Fei took a bite of food.

"Your word is enough." Village Head Zhao raised his cup again. "Come, another round!"

Swish—the three men took another sip.

"The wolf in our village is fierce; it's already eaten several people."

"Don't worry, I've seen all kinds of scenes," Li Fei said confidently. "Do you know what I used to do?"

Village Head Zhao and Zhang Da Xian looked at Li Fei and shook their heads.

"Sniper!"

"What does a sniper do?" Zhang Da Xian asked, confused.

"A sniper is someone who specializes in shooting enemies from hidden positions." As he spoke, Li Fei picked up the walking stick resting by the kang, unwrapped the cloth around it, revealing a pistol inside, and aimed it as if taking a shot.

"That's good!"

Cluck, cluck, cluck, cluck, cluck, cluck...

A rooster crowed from outside. Village Head Zhao looked up; it was still dark, the window a hazy grey. Village Head Zhao felt an urgent need to urinate, so he got up to go to the latrine. As he reached the courtyard, he heard movement. Turning back, he saw Li Fei. Li Fei, seeing him, quickly said, "Village Head Zhao, up so early?"

Village Head Zhao smiled. "Urgent need."

"Me too."

Splash, splash—the two men began relieving themselves against the corner of the wall...

"Do you have confidence?"

"What do you mean by that?" Li Fei glanced at Village Head Zhao. "You don't seem to trust me much?"

"I—I didn't mean it that way." Village Head Zhao smiled awkwardly.

"Old Village Head, put your mind at ease! A mere wolf..."

"Be careful hunting this wolf this time?" Village Head Zhao shivered slightly as he pulled up his trousers. "That wolf isn't ordinary! It's... it's very evil!"

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing." Li Fei nodded carelessly.

The sky slowly began to lighten. The old woman rose early to prepare food. The sun hadn't yet risen when the meal was ready. The early start was mainly because Li Fei needed to leave early to hunt the wolf. After breakfast, Village Head Zhao escorted Li Fei to the village entrance.

"Village Head Zhao, don't worry, I will definitely return victorious!"

"I know you can do it. I just have a small worry."

"Worry about what?" Li Fei said with a smile. "Worried I'll run off with your grain and oil coupons?"

"Good!" Village Head Zhao glanced at Li Fei. "I'll be waiting for you to claim them!"

"I will, I'll be back to collect them later."

"I'll wait for you!"

"Heh heh heh!"

The sun slowly climbed over the eastern horizon, bathing the earth in a warm current.

"Old man, what's wrong with you?"

Village Head Zhao sat by the edge of the kang, continually sucking on his eyelids. "I'm agitated. I don't know why, but I just feel restless!"

"You! What will people say about you?" The old woman sat beside him. "You were restless when people were scarce, and now that you've found someone, you're still restless. What is bothering you?"

"I'm afraid this will turn out to be another meat bun thrown to a dog..."

The old woman said nothing, got down from the edge of the kang, and went into the yard to tidy the firewood.