The wolf pack arrived faster than anticipated, dozens of glowing green eyes like moving lanterns, appearing particularly eerie in the dark night.
Li Man'er shouted, "Light the torches." They were still too far away; shooting crossbow bolts now would lack accuracy and enrage the wolves.
Over a dozen guards, well-trained, ignited oil-soaked torches, wielding them like weapons.
The wolf pack moved with extreme speed, surrounding the group in the blink of an eye. Li Man'er raised her crossbow, aimed at the lead wolf, and pulled the trigger.
With a *whoosh*, the arrow shot out, piercing the eye of the lead wolf. The ferocious beast let out a pained howl and toppled to the ground.
This was the signal to attack.
Li Nian also raised his arm and pulled the trigger. The arrow flew with speed, striking a wolf in the abdomen.
The guards wielding crossbows were skilled archers, their aim remarkably accurate. Seizing opportunities, they fired their crossbows, killing six or seven wolves in moments.
The wolf pack, filled with fear, hesitated, but showed no sign of retreat.
Fortunately, three bonfires had been lit earlier, and with over a dozen torches, they were enough to deter the animals.
Li Nian, worried about his son, couldn't help but glance back at the carriage. Seeing no wolves surrounding it, he breathed a sigh of relief. He wondered what kind of medicine it was, so potent that it could suppress human scent, preventing the wolves from detecting anyone inside.
"Man'er, it's best to finish this quickly. You and the archers stay back. Let Third Uncle show his prowess and slay all these wolves."
"Third Uncle, be careful."
Li Nian tossed his crossbow to a nearby guard, then charged forward with his sword and a torch. His personal guards, who weren't armed with crossbows, followed, brandishing sabers and swords against the wolves.
Although these men were skilled warriors, wolves were beasts—fierce and cunning. To prevent any mishaps, Li Man'er kept her crossbow ready, shooting an arrow whenever someone was in danger. The other crossbowmen, following Li Man'er's example, constantly watched their surroundings, ready to fire a bolt if anyone was threatened.
Soon, the wolf pack was scattered, with only a few wolves left capable of fighting. The wolf king howled, turned, and prepared to lead the remaining wolves away.
"We cannot let these beasts escape."
Wolves harbored intense grudges. Even if they retreated now, as long as their king survived, revenge would eventually be sought, leading to a fight to the death. They didn't know how long they would be in the northern desert. If these beasts continued to target them, they would gain no advantage.
Strike while the iron is hot, Li Third Master lunged forward with his long saber, and the others quickly followed to assist.
Fearing Li Nian might be in trouble, Li Man'er kept her crossbow close behind him. Before Li Nian could act, she pulled the trigger, her arrow accurately finding its mark on the wolf.
Her objective was to end the fight quickly and minimize casualties. Unexpectedly, the wolf king, upon seeing Li Man'er, seemed to regard her as an mortal enemy. Disregarding its own safety, it bared its fangs and lunged at her.
"Man'er, be careful!"
Li Nian's saber sliced into the wolf, embedding deeply in its bones, making it difficult to pull out. Worried about Li Man'er, he lifted the saber, holding the wolf's carcass, and charged towards her, intending to relieve her of danger.
Li Man'er was faster. At some point, she produced a dagger. As the wolf king leaped high towards her, Li Man'er suddenly leaned backward, lowering her body. As she slid, she thrust the dagger forward, deeply piercing the wolf king's abdomen.
This single strike eviscerated the wolf king, splattering its blood all over her. Yet, she didn't even bat an eye.
Seeing this, Li Nian burst into laughter. "Good, truly worthy of being a descendant of the Li family!" Even as a girl, she was enough to make many men feel ashamed.
The others swiftly dispatched the remaining wolves and converged with Li Nian and his niece.
"How are you? Are you alright?"
"Alright?"
Li Nian looked them over one by one. "Is anyone injured?"
Of the more than ten people, only two had minor scratches on their arms. Everyone else escaped unharmed.
"I didn't expect we'd finish off the wolf pack so quickly."
"It was mainly the crossbows that did the job, catching them by surprise at the start." The guard holding his crossbow said gleefully, "If every soldier in the army had such a powerful weapon, they'd be invincible."
"Alright, those who are injured, come get bandaged. The rest, collect the arrows and bolts from the wolf carcasses, clean them, and reload the quivers."
No one questioned Li Man'er's instructions. If she hadn't brought such effective tools today, several lives might have been lost.
Li Man'er took the opportunity to help Liu Ya and Li Qingyan into the carriage.
Liu Ya, being a martial artist, woke up immediately upon entering the carriage. She instinctively reached for a weapon, only to find herself holding Li Qingyan, both of them safe inside the carriage, with Li Qingyan even asleep.
"What happened?"
The commotion outside the carriage was intense. Liu Ya lifted the carriage curtain and saw many wolf corpses scattered on the ground, a heavy scent of blood filling the air.
"Young Master, wake up."
Li Qingyan opened his eyes, momentarily dazed. "Liu Ya, what's wrong?"
"Something seems to have happened. I see many wolf corpses outside, maidservant."
Li Qingyan quickly pushed open the carriage door and jumped down. "Father, Eldest Sister."
Liu Ya had no choice but to follow him.
Li Qingyan's steps faltered upon seeing Li Man'er covered in blood. He didn't know if it was wolf blood or Li Man'er's.
Li Nian, seeing his son's appearance, knew he was frightened. "Qingyan, it's alright now. Don't be scared."
Li Qingyan stared at the wolves in shock, his face pale, his eyes filled with fear.
"They're all dead," Li Man'er said to Liu Ya. "Carry the Young Master back into the carriage."
Liu Ya tugged at Li Qingyan and lifted him back into the carriage.
Only then did Li Qingyan feel nauseous. He seemed to still smell the pungent odor of blood in the air, and the sight of the wolves' bared teeth in death was seared into his mind.
Seeing him trembling slightly, Liu Ya quickly wrapped him in a blanket. "Don't be scared, Young Master. Maidservant is here! The wolves are all dead. It's alright."
Li Qingyan feigned bravery. "I, I'm not scared. But, Liu Ya, when did the wolves come? I don't remember anything."
Liu Ya froze. She also had no memory of it. She had initially suspected a trap set by brigands, but now it didn't seem so.
"The Young Master was asleep. Perhaps the Eldest Young Lady lit incense in the carriage to prevent you from being frightened?"
"Is that so?" Li Qingyan, being a child, didn't think much of it. "Eldest Sister is covered in blood; she isn't injured, is she?"