Xiangmin Yu Jiang's father perished while sleeping in the fields, devoured by wolves; nothing remained but a pair of shoes.

Yu Jiang, only sixteen at the time, picked up the straw sandals, consumed by a grief so profound he wished for death.

When his mother slept that night, Yu Jiang crept out, iron hammer in hand, heading to the very spot where his father met his end, desperate for vengeance.

After a while, a wild wolf approached, circling him, sniffing the air. Yu Jiang lay perfectly still; the wolf brushed its tail across his forehead, then lowered its head to lick his thigh—Yu Jiang remained motionless.

The wolf bounded forward, preparing to snap at his neck. Yu Jiang sprang up in a sudden burst, swinging the iron hammer down to shatter the creature's skull; the wolf died instantly.

Moments later, a second wolf bolted toward him. Yu Jiang repeated his tactic, striking it down with equal force.

He waited in the tall grass until midnight, but the surroundings fell silent, and no more wolves appeared.

Drifting into a fitful sleep, he dreamt his father appeared, saying, "Slaying these two wolves will quell your immediate rage, but neither is the true culprit. The one who took my life is the White-Nosed Wolf King."

Yu Jiang woke with a jolt and waited quietly for the Wolf King. By dawn, there was no sign of it. He decided to take the two wolf carcasses home but worried about frightening his mother. Instead, he found an old, dry well and dropped both animals inside.

That night, Yu Jiang returned to the fields to wait again, but found nothing.

He repeated this vigil for three or four consecutive nights until finally, a wolf materialized, seizing Yu Jiang's thigh in its jaws and dragging him away. After only a few steps, the thorns along the roadside tore into his muscle, ripping his skin. Yu Jiang endured the pain silently, making no sound, his eyes shut as if dead.

The wolf tossed him onto the ground and extended its sharp claws, intending to rip open Yu Jiang's belly.

Yu Jiang erupted from the ground, bringing the hammer down in a swift blow that knocked the wolf staggering. A second strike ended its life.

Under the moonlight, he scrutinized the beast—it was, in fact, the White-Nosed Wolf King.

Yu Jiang rejoiced, hoisted the wolf onto his back, and hurried home. He told his mother the truth, and weeping, she followed him to the dry well, where they indeed found the bodies of the two wolves.