A Wu almost burst out laughing watching Qi Yihan carry a ridiculously mismatched large bag. The bag looked quite harmonious and pleasing when Miss Li carried it, but for some reason, it looked completely out of place on the Prince, as if he had stolen it from someone else.
Qi Yihan shot A Wu a look, "Do you have an opinion?" His face darkened, as if he were about to devour someone.
"No," A Wu conceded, "Your subordinate was worried you might be tired and wanted to carry this bag for you."
"No need!" Qi Yihan refused outright. He didn't know what "couple's outfits," "couple's bags," or "CP sense" meant, but he just felt a sense of pleasure from the fact that he and Li Man'er were carrying the same bag, so he rejected the offer without a second thought.
A Wu dared not speak further, lowering his head and saying in a low voice, "Your Highness, we are ready and can depart at any time."
With a wave of Qi Yihan's hand, everyone left the sheltered mountain cave and continued their journey deeper into the mountain range.
Fortunately, the snow the previous night had not been heavy, so the trek was not too arduous. Only the wind was fierce, making it difficult to keep one's eyes open.
They traveled non-stop that day, not even lighting a fire at noon. They simply drank some water in a sheltered spot, gnawed on some dried meat, ate two pieces of candy, and set off again.
As dusk approached, their luck ran out. They couldn't find a cave for the night and had to find a sheltered spot to build a makeshift shelter.
What they called a shelter was merely some branches, creating a simple windbreak.
Life in the wilderness was arduous and dangerous. The number of people on patrol was increased to three.
Li Man'er directly spread her quilt on the ground, leaving half of it for Qi Yihan and gesturing for him to sit beside her.
A Si, being observant, quickly moved aside, not wanting to be a third wheel.
The other members of the team had long mastered the ultimate art of willful blindness, wisely looking at the sky, the ground, or the air, but never at the Prince and his wife.
"You're willing to make some space for me now?"
"It's warmer to huddle together." Li Man'er shared half of the blanket with him, and they both held bowls, slurping the congee with shredded meat.
The cold wind howled, yet a bowl of congee tasted unusually delicious.
After boiling a pot of melted snow to wash their bowls, everyone prepared to rest.
The weather was too cold for Li Man'er to entertain thoughts of romance. She closed her eyes, intending to replenish her energy.
Before she could fall asleep, however, the sound of wolf howls reached her ears. Li Man'er shivered, immediately threw off the blanket, and scrambled to her feet. Qi Yihan moved even faster, stepping out of the branch shelter before her and looking grimly in the direction of the howls.
"Prepare torches." The distance was too close; the wolf pack would be here soon, and a fierce battle was inevitable.
Qi Yihan did not want to lose a single man, so he urged everyone to prepare quickly. Fortunately, they had brought the crossbows that Li Man'er had contributed earlier. These were powerful weapons and gave them a fighting chance against the wolf pack.
Everyone dared not be careless, holding a torch each, with their crossbows cocked, ready for battle.
The wolf howls grew louder, and soon, pairs of green eyes appeared in their sight. In an instant, the wolf pack burst from the woods, baring their teeth and encircling them.
The forest was the wolves' domain, extremely advantageous for them. However, they were wary of the torches in human hands and dared not approach, only circling the humans, growling threateningly, as if ready to pounce at any moment.
The weather was cold, and they had no food. These humans venturing into the mountains had become their coveted prey.
"More than twenty..." A Si remarked, "Driving them away is not difficult, but the challenge is to leave none alive." Wolves were cunning, ferocious, and held grudges. Only by killing them all would they ensure they wouldn't be targeted again. As long as they remained in the mountains, they could face retaliation from the wolf pack at any moment.
Qi Yihan quietly asked Li Man'er, "Are you scared?"
Li Man'er chuckled, "When we came to Mobei, we encountered wolves too, and not one survived."
A Wu held a torch, vigilantly watching the wolves with the other team members. Suddenly, an old wolf lunged at A Wu. As it moved, four or five more wolves pounced, their actions clearly divided, each with a different target, coordinating their attack with remarkable intelligence.
Unfortunately, the men Qi Yihan had brought were all skilled fighters, proficient in martial arts and well-coordinated. They would not be thrown into disarray by these beasts.
Those holding torches waved them to deter the wolves, while their weapons were not to be trifled with. The men behind them fired their crossbows, hitting one wolf with each shot, with remarkable accuracy.
Soon, six or seven wolves fell. The remaining wolves, witnessing this, dared not advance rashly, looking for opportunities from a distance, their growls constant, as if ready to pounce at any moment.
Qi Yihan spotted a particularly strong and large wolf behind the pack, appearing fiercer than the others. Knowing it was the alpha, he said, "A Wu, kill the alpha."
A Wu's torch moved instantly, thrusting towards the wolf closest to him. The wolf recoiled in fear but could not escape, a large patch of its fur catching fire.
This was the signal. The humans attacked preemptively, their crossbows and swords raining down on the wolf pack. A Wu took the lead, dispatching the old wolf near him and charging towards the alpha.
Driven by the instinct to protect their leader, the other wolves threw themselves at A Wu without hesitation. Li Man'er seized the opportunity, pulled the trigger, and took down each wolf in turn, clearing the obstacles for A Wu.
The alpha wolf knew it was time to fight for its life, exerting all its strength to lunge at A Wu. Its jaws aimed for A Wu's neck, while its claws simultaneously targeted his abdomen.
This swipe would undoubtedly rip open his insides. A Wu directly flung his torch away. The burning torch instilled great fear in the alpha wolf, which instinctively dodged, creating an opening for A Wu. He slashed the alpha's front leg with his sword.
A pained howl immediately erupted. The alpha wolf fell heavily to the ground and struggled to rise.
Seizing the moment of weakness, A Wu swung his sword and ended the alpha wolf's life. Seeing this, the other wolves turned to flee, but in their panic, they were all captured by the team members armed with crossbows.
In about fifteen minutes, all the wolves were dealt with. The occasional injured wolf was also dispatched by the team members.
"Are you alright?"
"We're fine."
"Anyone injured?"
"No, those beasts were too skinny and lacked strength."
A Wu immediately reported to Qi Yihan, "Your Highness, none of our brothers are injured." He glanced at Li Man'er and, uncharacteristically, added, "Thanks to Miss Li's crossbow."