Taihang Mao Dafu, a practitioner of both Western surgery and Traditional Chinese Medicine, specialized in treating falls and traumatic injuries. One day, returning from making house calls, he encountered a wild wolf halfway on the road. The wolf had something in its jaws, which it spat onto the ground. Mao Dafu opened the bundle and found several pieces of gold and silver jewelry inside. He was just wondering about it when the wolf gently tugged at his clothing, seemingly begging him to treat an ailment.

Seeing that the wolf meant no harm, Mao Dafu nodded his assent. The wolf led the way, guiding him to a cave. Inside, a female wolf lay gravely ill, suffering from a festering abscess on her head. Mao Dafu took out a small knife, lanced the sore, applied some medicinal powder, and took his leave. The sky was already darkening. Fearing he might run into danger, the wolf got up to escort him out. After walking three or four li, several wolves appeared head-on, their eyes glaring menacingly, and they surrounded Mr. Mao, snarling repeatedly. Mao Dafu was terrified. The first wolf quickly darted into the pack, letting out soft whines, seemingly recounting the whole affair to its brethren and pleading on Mao Dafu's behalf. Upon hearing this, the pack dispersed, and Mr. Mao returned home safely.

Prior to this incident, a silver merchant in the county town named Ning Tai had been murdered while on the road, and the culprit had never been apprehended. Coincidentally, the jewelry the wolf gifted Mao Dafu belonged to Ning Tai. When the county magistrate learned of this, he immediately arrested Mr. Mao and subjected him to intense interrogation. Mao Dafu protested his innocence vigorously, but the magistrate did not believe him and prepared to use torture. With his grievance unable to be justly resolved, Mao Dafu pleaded with the magistrate, "Your Honor, please grant me a few days' reprieve. Let me venture into the mountains to consult the wild wolves, find the true culprit, and then you may proceed with the punishment."

The magistrate nodded, ordering two yamen runners to escort him into the mountains, arriving at the wolf's lair. However, the wolf had gone out and had not yet returned. They waited until dusk, but the wolf remained unseen. The three returned dejectedly. On the way back, they encountered two wolves. One of them bore a fresh scar on its head, and Mao Dafu recognized it as the patient he had treated. He stepped forward, bowed deeply, and said, "I benefited from your gift last time, but it has only led me into legal trouble now. If you, brother wolf, do not clear my name, I am certain I will be beaten to death upon my return."

Seeing him bound, the wolf charged at the yamen runners in fury. The runners drew their blades for self-defense. The wolf howled loudly several times, and hundreds of wolves swarmed in, surrounding the runners layer upon layer. Trapped, the runners looked distressed. The wolf approached and began tearing at the ropes binding Mao Dafu. The runners understood the signal and quickly untied Mr. Mao. Only then did the pack of wolves depart.

Upon returning, Mao Dafu recounted the events to the magistrate, who marveled secretly, realizing that Mr. Mao was likely innocent but felt he could not release him until the true culprit was caught. One day, the magistrate was out inspecting the area when a wolf dropped a worn-out shoe onto the road. The magistrate paid it no mind. Seeing him pass, the wolf quickly snatched up the shoe again, rapidly caught up ahead of the magistrate, and threw the shoe down in the road once more.

The magistrate cried out in surprise, ordering his subordinates to collect the shoe, saying, "Go and investigate whose shoe this is!" Before long, his subordinates reported back: "The shoe belongs to a woodcutter from a certain village. This man was climbing the mountain to chop wood when he was chased by two wolves and dropped his shoe in his haste."

The magistrate suspected the woodcutter might be the murderer and ordered him arrested. After a rigorous interrogation, it turned out to be true. It was revealed that the woodcutter had indeed killed the silver merchant, taken the large sum of money, and in his panic, hadn't had time to search the victim's inner clothing for jewelry before fleeing. Consequently, the jewelry was carried off by the wolf, leading to that strange incident.