"Whoosh!" Suddenly, an arrow shot from afar toward Teng Qingshan's right hand. Teng Qingshan, whose perception of his surroundings was exceptionally sharp, immediately retracted his hand and stepped back slightly, then turned his head to locate the arrow's origin. Teng Yonglei and the others beside him were instantly furious. Teng Yonglei roared, "Which son of a bitch is shooting from the dark, ambushing people!"

"Blow your mother's lies!" A furious shout answered, and dozens of people burst from the forest, also clad in animal hides. Leading them was a massive, disheveled brute nearly eight feet tall.

"Oh, so it's the Wang Family Village from the north. Wang Datou, what, you want to fight because you saw us catch the sable?" Teng Yonglei sneered. The men from the Teng Family Village all chuckled. Teng Qinghu laughed heartily, "Uncle, these petty cowards only dare to use sneak attacks! What are they compared to us!"

"Shut up," the disheveled strongman commanded. Beside him, a lean man in animal hide snarled angrily, "This sable, we spotted it first. It took us over an hour to drive it out of its nest. The sable bolted randomly in panic, and you got lucky enough to scoop it up!"

Teng Qingshan watched it all silently.

Perhaps the Wang Family Village people really did find the sable first, and perhaps they desperately wanted to catch it. But sables were incredibly nimble and fast; catching one was difficult. The Wang Family Village men hadn't caught it, which conveniently benefited the Teng Family Village men who succeeded in seizing the creature.

"That's because you lacked the ability!" Teng Yonglei stepped forward, his gaze sharp. "The sable is fast and elusive. If it weren't for us, the sable would have vanished long ago."

"But we were the ones who drove it out of its nest," the big, disheveled man insisted, fixing his eyes on Teng Yonglei. "Leizi, you can't hog it all."

"Wang Datou! Wang Chongpeng! Listen closely to me!" Teng Yonglei’s tone hardened. "Whether you chased it out of the nest or not, I don't care to know. I only know one thing: we saw this sable in the Great Mountain, and our men caught it. This sable is ours! You won't get a single hair from it! Play nice or play rough, bring whatever you have—all the men of the Teng Family Village are ready!"

The group from the Teng Family Village stared at the opposing side, poised to strike at any moment.

At this juncture, yielding was out of the question.

That was the rule of this world!

What is mine is mine! If you dare reach for it, I'll sever your hand! If you dare fight me to the death, I will take your life!

The disheveled strongman, 'Wang Chongpeng,' swept his gaze over the men of the Teng Family Village, then glanced at the sable in Teng Qingshan’s hands. The creature only had a minor wound on its leg, and its pelt was nearly flawless. Such an intact sable pelt was extremely rare, easily worth three thousand taels of silver minimum; with the right buyer, it could fetch much more.

Three thousand taels of silver!

That was worth fighting for!

"Archers ready," Teng Yonglei's voice rang out.

Immediately, the strong men of the Teng Family Village carrying bows raised them, arrows nocked, ready to loose at any moment.

"Hoo!" Many hunters from the Wang Family Village also immediately drew their bows, preparing to shoot.

"Damn it," Wang Chongpeng stared at the opposition for a few moments, licked his lips, and his beast-like eyes swept over Teng Yonglei's group. He sneered, "Teng Yonglei! You're tough. But mountains shift and water flows. I've noted this today. Let's go!" Though unwilling, Wang Chongpeng had no confidence in winning a real fight, so he chose to withdraw his men.

Teng Yonglei and his group burst into laughter.

Watching Wang Chongpeng and his men disappear into the forest ahead, the men of the Teng Family Village roared with laughter. Teng Yonglei happily slapped Teng Qingshan’s shoulder and boomed, "Qingshan, boy, you've done a great service this time! That flying knife skill was excellent, haha... A sable without any major injuries, just a cut on the leg. Such a pristine pelt should fetch four or five thousand taels easily." As he spoke, Teng Yonglei gently took the sable from Teng Qingshan and carefully placed it into a satchel on his back.

"With this one sable, our Teng Family Village will be much better off!" someone remarked.

Teng Qinghu threw an arm around Teng Qingshan and chuckled, "You're something else, kid. I’ve been a hunter for two years, and the game I've killed doesn't even compare to this one sable of yours."

"Just luck," Teng Qingshan replied with a smile.

Just as the Teng Family Village group was reveling, dense footsteps suddenly echoed from ahead, accompanied by bursts of wolf howls. "Awooo~~~" "Awooo~~~" The frantic howling caused the faces of everyone from the Teng Family Village to change drastically. In the Great Mountain, they didn't fear tigers or bears; grouped together, they dared to fight any beast.

What they feared was encountering a wolf pack!

A frenzied wolf pack! The larger the number, the more terrifying the pack became!

"Archers to the inner ring, others surround the outside! Prepare!" Teng Yonglei’s expression turned serious.

"Teng Yonglei!" A loud shout came from a distance. The Wang Family Village men were fleeing back in haste, running extremely fast, many covered in blood. Furthermore, the Wang Family Village contingent was noticeably smaller. Trailing behind them was the wolf pack.

"Damn it!" Teng Yonglei roared in anger.

"These sons of bitches!" Many from the Teng Family Village cursed. It was clear: the Wang Family Village group had run into wolves, couldn't fight them off, and were now dragging them down too. From the Wang Family Village perspective, however, it was understandable; in a life-or-death moment, dragging the Teng Family Village men into the fray gave them a slim chance of survival.

"Teng Yonglei, don't get angry. We ran into the wolf pack right after we left; even without us, you would have encountered this pack," 'Wang Chongpeng,' the disheveled strongman, called out.

"Enough nonsense, prepare quickly," Teng Yonglei snapped.

Wang Chongpeng immediately turned and roared, "Everyone get ready! We'll fight these wild wolves one more time!"

Teng Qingshan scanned his surroundings. Wild wolves were gathering everywhere, their numbers increasing. Clearly, the wolves sensed danger and were not immediately attacking, instead forming a tight circle. "Every one of these wolves is about one and a half meters tall. Such massive wolves will be far more troublesome than any I encountered in my previous life," Teng Qingshan constantly watched the perimeter.

"Uncle," Teng Qinghu whispered, "There are too many wolves."

"At first glance, there are over a hundred, and I can’t see the far edge," Teng Yonglei lowered his voice too. "Remember, we must find the alpha wolf. Kill the alpha, shock their morale, and the wolves will retreat!"

These men living near the foot of the mountains all understood that wolf packs weren't mindless brutes that charged enemies they knew were stronger. Wolves were cunning and intelligent. If they could kill the alpha first and then intimidate the frenzied pack with superior spirit, the wolves would retreat.

Wild wolves prowled around them. Many had fresh blood in their mouths, evidence that they had just bitten someone. The number of wolves around them kept growing.

"How can there be so many wolves?" Teng Yonglei swallowed hard, sweat beading on his forehead, then glared at Wang Chongpeng not far away.

"We only ran into about a hundred wolves before; not this many," Wang Chongpeng also felt a sense of foreboding.

"On Mount Dayan, even when you run into a wolf pack, it's usually only a few dozen. What I see now exceeds two hundred," Teng Yonglei grew nervous, looking towards Teng Qingshan at his side. "Qingshan, this situation is truly dangerous. I'm afraid even I can't guarantee protecting you. So many wild wolves appearing means only one thing: the Wolf King is on the move!"

Teng Qingshan's heart jumped: "The Wolf King is on the move?"

"Yes. When I was twenty, I encountered a Wolf King's procession once. Back then, only three hunters from the team made it back alive," Teng Yonglei said grimly.

"Awooo~~~" Suddenly, a high-pitched wolf howl echoed.

"Attack!" Teng Yonglei roared instantly.

The archers, who were ready, loosed their sharp arrows. They flew dozens of meters, either piercing a wild wolf or falling short. All the wolves, however, let out low growls and charged from all directions regardless of the danger, their fierce eyes glowing green fixed on the group of humans.

"Kill!" Teng Yonglei and Wang Chongpeng roared almost simultaneously.

Both clans raised their long spears, thrusting at any wolf daring to pounce.

"Chik!" The spear plunged into a wolf's body; with a quick pull, blood sprayed.

The men of the Teng Family Village formed two lines, the front ranks stabbing, the rear ranks supporting, preventing sneak attacks. Spear shadows danced wildly, and one by one, wild wolves were severely wounded, howling, or killed outright. Every hunter fought like a frenzied beast, showcasing the powerful striking ability honed by years of practice.

"Pfft!" A spear pierced deep into a wild wolf.

"Aow." The wolf roared and bit down instantly on the arm of a strong man from the Teng Family Village. With a crunch, the arm snapped, and blood sprayed everywhere.

But the men of the Teng Family Village had no time to offer sympathy or mourn, for everyone was in extreme peril.

The Teng Family Village situation was manageable, but the Wang Family Village group was far worse off. They had already lost many before, and now several more were wounded. They were dying even faster, with only seven survivors left in a short time. Among the men of both villages, the most conspicuous figure was the smallest boy—Teng Qingshan!

"Chik!" "Chik!" "Chik!"……

Spear shadows danced like venomous snakes. Red tassels fluttered, and blood splashed—a ghastly, tragic spectacle.

The long spear in Teng Qingshan's hands seemed to possess a life of its own.

"Thud!" "Thud!" "Thud!"……

One wild wolf after another had its head pierced and died instantly, collapsing onto the ground.

"Hmm?" Teng Qingshan's expression shifted. He shook his spear; it moved flexibly like a swimming dragon, stabbing violently at the head of a wolf lunging for Teng Qinghu, then he retracted it.

"Thanks!" Teng Qinghu glanced back gratefully.

"Ah!" Another scream of pain. A clan member’s thigh was ripped open by a large chunk of flesh, and he was immediately tackled by a wolf, which bit down hard on his throat. The battle against the wolves had only lasted a moment, yet the Teng Family Village had already lost three members, with many more injured.

"Uncle Lian!" Seeing the clan member just killed, pain shot through Teng Qingshan. These were elders of the clan, those who had watched him grow up. However, Teng Qingshan knew that no matter how skilled he was, he could not protect everyone.

"Awooo~~~" Another wolf howl rang out.

Instantly, the wild wolves attacked the group from the Teng Family Village with even greater madness, ignoring all danger.

Teng Qingshan's ears twitched: "The Wolf King is right there!" His gaze was razor-sharp as he fixed on a spot in the distance. Ignoring everything else, Teng Qingshan suddenly charged toward the source of the wolf king’s last roar.

"Uncle, you stay here, I'm going to kill the Wolf King!"

"Qingshan!" Teng Yonglei's face changed drastically.