Chapter 28: Urgent Need for a Sanctuary-Renascido no Ano da Fome Antiga: Começando a se Esconder nas Montanhas Profundas para Caçar(O fantasma da montanha não sabe ler.)

Although there was no snow tonight, there was certainly no moonlight either. The massive boulder outside the cave entrance was a pitch-black void, making it impossible to distinguish whether it was the silhouette of a stone or an animal lurking there.

The cave was located not far from the water pool. When Su Yanwen first discovered this spot, he had been quite pleased. It was close to a water source and convenient for hunting. However, he had completely overlooked one issue: it was equally convenient for wild animals to come here to hunt.

Seeing Su Yanwen hunched over at the entrance, Zhao Yue'e assumed he was angry. She whispered, "Cao'er is timid; please don't..."

"Hush." Su Yanwen hurriedly placed a finger to his lips, signaling for silence.

Zhao Yue'e clamped her mouth shut, tilting her head as she tried to peer at the scene by the entrance. Everyone’s hearts were in their throats, while Su Yanwen kept his eyes fixed on the outside without blinking.

The sound of movement reached the cave entrance, and a fleshy, dark shadow loomed right at the threshold. Judging by the shape of the shadow, it was at least a large beast, like a tiger or a bear. The entrance was narrow, which would restrict its speed. Su Yanwen’s hunting knife had been honed to a razor edge; if the creature dared to charge in, he would not hesitate to stab at its eyes first. Even if his current weapons weren't enough to kill such a beast, he could at least ensure it wouldn't get away unscathed.

Yet, the dark beast stopped at the entrance, leaning its face toward the campfire. By the light of the flames, Su Yanwen could see it was that same jet-black wolf. It shook its body, adjusted its posture, lay flat on the ground, and reached a paw into the cave.

Zhao Yue'e was so terrified she didn't dare to breathe. Her face was deathly pale as she sat there, frozen, trying her best to scoot backward. She hugged little Cao'er even tighter, both to keep the child from seeing such a terrifying sight and to prevent her from making a sound that might provoke the beast. Having seen a creature of such size with her own eyes, Zhao Yue'e finally believed what Jiang Beichen had said.

Judging by the wolf's behavior, it had likely been drawn by the bloody scent of the duck that had been slaughtered or the aroma of the duck soup in the pot. Su Yanwen was drenched in sweat. He gripped his hunting knife in one hand and a thick torch in the other, preparing to use both simultaneously. He planned to burn its eyes with the torch before seizing the chance to plunge the knife into the wolf's throat.

*Clang!*

The wolf’s paw swiped directly at the iron pot, knocking it over. Perhaps the boiling soup inside had scalded its paw, as it let out a sharp howl of pain, rolled its sturdy body, and slammed into the rocks at the entrance. Then, it snatched up the duck that hadn't been processed yet and vanished into the darkness.

Zhao Yue'e and Cao'er both let out a scream of terror.

Cao'er turned around immediately, caught sight of the terrifying scene by the firelight, and began to cry. Zhao Yue'e rushed to soothe the child.

"It’s alright, it was just a wolf. It’s likely gone for good, don't be afraid," Su Yanwen said softly, returning to sit by the fire. He had lied, but it was the only way to comfort his wife and daughter.

Fear still lingered in the eyes of Zhao Yue'e and Cao'er. Su Yanwen glanced at them again and said, "It's fine. It seems we'll have to cook the duck soup all over again. Living in a cave isn't as safe as living in a house; it's not surprising to encounter wild beasts at night. Don't worry, I will protect you." Su Yanwen spoke with conviction.

Zhao Yue'e gently patted Cao'er’s back, comforting her for a long time before they began to stew the soup again. The howling faded quickly; death was unlikely, but it was more probable that the wolf had carried the duck away to eat it. The light outside was too dim, and the area near the cave was too dangerous, so Su Yanwen did not go out to investigate immediately. As long as he guarded the fire and the entrance, they remained relatively safe.

But this couldn't go on. He had chosen this spot for its proximity to water and fishing, but those advantages had become liabilities. It seemed that once dawn broke, he would have to find a more suitable place to live. After all, he needed to start preparing to build a proper house.

At daybreak, Su Yanwen took his wife and daughter out of the cave. Outside, everything was covered in snow. Perhaps because the water was slightly warmer, one could see many low shrubs along the banks, and many small fish swimming in the clear water. At first, Cao'er had been quite excited, as it was rare to see swimming fish in the village, but after a few days, she had grown accustomed to it.

Su Yanwen followed the stream downward. As he got closer to the village, hunting became more difficult, but the safety factor increased significantly. About one-third of the way down the mountain, Su Yanwen stopped. This was a vast, open, and flat area filled with tall, dense pine trees. If he cleared and trimmed the pines slightly, he could open up a large space. Furthermore, the water flowing down from the mountain converged here into a small brook that ran toward the village. It was convenient for both gathering materials to build a house and drawing water for drinking. It was much closer to the village from here—only about twenty minutes to reach the foot of the mountain. However, the risk of wild animals appearing here remained high, so unless necessary, the villagers were unwilling to approach this area.

"We will settle down here."

Zhao Yue'e and Cao'er exhaled puffs of white mist as they surveyed their surroundings. The fallen snow lay softly on the pine branches, and the sunlight pierced through the gaps in the foliage, casting mottled golden light. Pinecones adorned the trees, and occasionally a squirrel would dart past, causing a flurry of snowflakes to drift down. It wasn't hard to imagine how beautiful this place would be in the summer, especially after a rain, when mushrooms would surely carpet the ground.

"This place is good. It's convenient for water, and even gathering firewood is so close," Zhao Yue'e remarked. "But... where will we live?" There was no cave here.

Su Yanwen observed the surroundings. "We'll make do for tonight and build a simple shed first."

He sprang into action, selecting a few trees that were easy to fell and cutting them down with great effort. Building a house in a single day was a pipe dream. Using the tree trunks and some cloth, he erected a makeshift tent. As long as it could shield them from the cold wind and falling snow, and with a campfire burning outside, they wouldn't freeze to death, provided they didn't encounter a blizzard.

He checked the time; it was time to meet Dalang as agreed. Hearing that Su Yanwen had found a place to live—and wouldn't even need to move again—Dalang simply followed him back. Upon seeing the environment, he was filled with emotion. He didn't say much before heading back down the mountain.

Su Yanwen didn't waste time either. In the village, one had to be cautious and guard against others, but here, it was entirely his own domain where he could work with abandon. He skinned the dog and stored the meat separately.

When night fell, the tent provided almost no shelter, and the wind blew in from every direction.

"Father." Cao'er woke up suddenly from her sleep. Her small face was covered in tears as she cried out, "A wolf, a huge wolf."

Although Zhao Yue'e comforted the child, she too looked anxious. Seeing this, Su Yanwen let out a long sigh. Looking at the insecure tent, he said firmly, "We'll make do for tonight. Tomorrow, I'll go into the village and ask everyone to help us build a house."