On the nighttime grasslands, the cold wind chilled to the bone.
Two camel wolves carried the Ge family's scout Gu Masters, one old and one young.
"Hoo hoo hoo, it's freezing!" The young Gu Master curled up tight, huffing warm breaths into his hands.
"I told you to wear more layers, but you just wouldn't listen. That's what happens when you don't heed the words of your elders." The old Gu Master chuckled teasingly. He wore a thick fur robe, long sleeves and boots, and a felt hat—he didn't feel the cold at all.
"Uncle, it's not like I've done this before. I just lack experience," the young Gu Master grumbled under his breath, then swore, "Damn it, tomorrow when I go out scouting, I'm wearing the thickest clothes I've got."
"Don't go overboard either. Clothes that are too thick will slow your movements in combat. And if you're too warm, you'll get drowsy. We are the eyes of the Ge family—we need to stay alert at all times. The ideal is slightly warm: you'll start feeling the cold again if you stay still for too long. That degree is best, because it'll keep you moving and scouting without you even realizing it." The old Gu Master's expression turned serious as he imparted his experience.
Three days had passed since the defensive battle against the Turtle-backed Wolf pack.
The old Gu Master's original partner had died on the battlefield. The young Gu Master who filled the spot still seemed green, and needed the old Gu Master's guidance.
"Uncle…" The young Gu Master was about to speak.
"Shh!" The old Gu Master suddenly raised a hand to stop him, his eyes narrowing as he stared at a distant light that had just flared up.
"What is that?" The old Gu Master was instantly on guard, urging his scout Gu into action, but he saw nothing.
"Kid, quickly use your Hand Ear Gu to listen!" the old Gu Master ordered.
"Yes!" The young Gu Master didn't dare be careless. He quickly turned, climbed off his camel wolf, and extended his right hand.
As True Essence flowed into it, a flesh bud sprouted from his right palm as if it were a blade of grass. The bud blossomed open, forming an ear.
The young man pressed his right-hand ear tightly against the ground, listening for any movement.
"Nothing. It's just the sound of the wind." The young Gu Master listened intently, but found no result.
He laughed. "Uncle, you're trying to scare me. There's absolutely nothing going on."
"Perhaps the great battle just ended, and I'm too tense." The old Gu Master sighed. He had just looked again and saw no abnormalities whatsoever, thinking perhaps his eyes had deceived him earlier.
"What is there to be tense about? Our clan has the old Patriarch. And more importantly, we're traveling with the Wolf King, Chang Shan Yin. We wouldn't fear another pack of Turtle-backed Wolves even if they came," the young man said. When he mentioned Fang Yuan, a glint appeared in his eyes, and a look of unconscious reverence surfaced on his face.
Yes, with the Wolf King's help, our clan is truly fortunate." The old Gu Master recalled the scene on the battlefield, a look of deep emotion on his face.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
Suddenly, the sharp sound of arrows cutting through the air came rapidly!
"Who's there?!" the old Gu Master shouted, instinctively leaping from the back of his camel wolf and rolling several times.
Thud, thud, thud...
A series of sharp bone spears embedded themselves in the ground.
"Ambush!" The thought instantly flashed through the old Gu Master's mind. He scrambled to his feet and cast a hurried glance toward the young Gu Master.
The young man had already been pierced through by the bone spears. He lay dead on the spot.
A tremor of pain shot through the old Gu Master's heart. There was no time for grief; he immediately retrieved a signal Gu from his Empty Orifice.
But before he could even activate it, a fatal attack struck him.
He stood like a stone statue, rooted to the spot. A thin red line gradually surfaced across his neck, growing more distinct by the second.
At last, his head slumped sideways. It detached completely from his neck and tumbled onto the grass.
Blood gushed from the stump like a fountain.
Several figures stepped out from the shadows, led by Shi Wu, an outsider Elder of the Man clan. He regarded the two corpses before him and declared with lofty disdain, "Killing insects of this caliber is as easy as turning over a hand."
"Lord Elder is mighty!"
"With the Elder on the scene, the Ge clan's scout Gu Masters are nothing more than decoration!"
The accompanying Gu Masters immediately piled on the flattery.
Shi Wu narrowed his eyes in satisfaction and cast his gaze toward the direction of the Ge clan's main force. "Hmph. The only reason the Ge clan won before was because their scouts performed well and they made extensive preparations ahead of time. This time the Patriarch has dispatched nearly every single Elder. The Ge clan cannot escape their fate this time! Heh heh heh — I really can't wait to see the look of panic and terror on their faces when ten thousand night wolves storm the camp."
Although the Ge clan had already been migrating for several days and had successfully put the Red Flame Valley far behind them — even driving off the turtle-back wolf pack — the Man clan had no intention of giving up.
Three days after the turtle-back wolf pack's attack, Man clan Gu Masters secretly lured a second wave of night wolves toward the Ge clan. At the same time, the Man clan's Elders also mobilized, cutting down large numbers of the Ge clan's scout Gu Masters.
A massive conspiracy had already been set in motion against the Ge clan.
When this pack of ten thousand wolves was discovered, they were already only a hundred li from the Ge clan's camp.
"Wolf attack! Wolf attack!" the scout Gu Master on the watchtower shouted.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...
Several signal Gu were launched into the sky, bursting into brilliant fireworks.
"Everyone up! Wolves — tens of thousands of night wolves!!" The sleeping Ge clan camp was jolted awake.
"Report to the Patriarch immediately!" The scout Gu Master sprinted with all his might.
From all corners of the Ge clan camp, figures gradually emerged. Confused questions and panicked shouts merged into a single chaotic din.
In the command tent, the Ge clan's old Patriarch's face changed drastically upon receiving the news.