The sun climbed higher into the sky, bathing the village in warm morning light. Yet the scars of last night's battle remained impossible to ignore.
Villagers quietly dragged away the bodies of the Xuemu warriors along with the carcasses of their trained wolves. The air still carried the scent of smoke and blood.
Wu Zhen remained where he had been since dawn, seated silently as he watched the rising sun.
From a distance, Jing Lei simply watched him.
Suddenly, Baba appeared behind him carrying a strip of white cloth.
Thwack.
"Ow—"
Jing Lei instinctively rubbed his lower back after receiving an unexpected smack from Baba's cane. He turned around in confusion.
"Stop daydreaming," Baba grumbled, shoving the folded cloth into his hands.
Jing Lei accepted it blankly.
"...What's this for?"
Baba stared at him as though he were hopeless.
"For him," she answered, nodding toward Wu Zhen. "Didn't you notice his wound has opened again?"
Jing Lei blinked before looking toward the lakeside.
Only then did he notice the blood seeping through the bandages wrapped around Wu Zhen's forearm. Despite sitting as calmly as ever, one of his old injuries had reopened during the battle.
"...Me?" Jing Lei asked uncertainly.
Baba sighed in exasperation and struck him on the waist again.
"Who else would I be talking to?"
She turned and hobbled away, muttering under her breath,
"Young people these days are far too timid."
Jing Lei looked down at the cloth before reluctantly walking toward Wu Zhen.
"...Senior Wu."
Wu Zhen glanced at him.
"Baba asked me to change your bandages."
Jing Lei pointed toward the wound on Wu Zhen's arm.
"It opened again."
"It's only a scratch," Wu Zhen replied indifferently. "It doesn't hurt."
"...Baba will hit me again if I don't."
Wu Zhen raised an eyebrow.
"...You're afraid of getting hit by an old woman?"
Jing Lei answered with complete seriousness.
"...Her cane really hurts."
For a brief moment, Wu Zhen simply stared at him.
Then, without another word, he turned around and extended his injured arm toward Jing Lei.
Permission granted.
Jing Lei carefully unwrapped the bloodstained bandage before replacing it with the fresh cloth.
His movements were slow and gentle, careful not to cause unnecessary pain.
He kept his eyes lowered the entire time, but he could still feel Wu Zhen's gaze resting on him.
Pretending not to notice, Jing Lei silently finished tying the knot.
"...It's done."
Only after speaking did he finally look up.
He froze.
Wu Zhen was still looking at him.
"..."
"..."
"I-I'm going to help the villagers now."
Jing Lei hurriedly cupped his fists in farewell before almost fleeing the scene.
Wu Zhen remained seated, quietly watching Jing Lei's retreating figure until it disappeared from sight.
.
.
.
"...They were all defeated?"
A deep, emotionless voice echoed through the stone chamber.
"And none of them returned?"
"Y-Yes, Chief."
The kneeling man trembled, forehead pressed against the floor.
"They... they were all killed. Even the trained wolves..."
The man seated upon the stone throne slowly stroked the fur of the massive wolf resting across his lap.
His expression never changed.
"...One failure."
His voice remained low and calm.
"I don't intend to see another."
The temperature inside the cave seemed to plummet.
Everyone kneeling below instinctively lowered their heads further.
"...Understood, Chief."
.
.
.
"Jing Lei! Wu Zhen!"
Qing Li ran toward them with a bright smile.
"Miss Qing?"
Jing Lei looked up.
"Do you need something?"
She shook her head.
"No. Baba asked me to give these to you."
She handed each of them a necklace.
Wu Zhen immediately recognized it.
The necklace was made from leather cord, decorated with two small fangs and small swan feather framing a brilliant crimson pearl.
Jing Lei examined his curiously.
"Miss Qing... this necklace..."
"Oh, that?"
She scratched her head.
"We found those red pearls lying beside you when we discovered you beneath the Lingmu Tree."
"Baba asked me to turn them into necklaces and return them."
"I don't really know why."
Wu Zhen looked at the pearl in his own hand.
"...I found these while hunting a rare bird for Yang Luo."
"He returned them to me."
"I never knew the reason."
Jing Lei immediately extended his necklace toward Wu Zhen.
"Then... this one should belong to Senior Wu."
Wu Zhen looked at the necklace resting in Jing Lei's palm.
After a moment of silence, he turned away.
"You keep it."
He slipped his own necklace into his robes before walking off without another explanation.
Jing Lei watched him leave in confusion.
"...Um..."
Qing Li tilted her head.
"Are you alright?"
Jing Lei smiled politely.
"Thank you, Miss Qing."
She laughed awkwardly.
"Don't thank me."
"Baba would've hit me if I hadn't delivered them."
"I should get going."
"There are still injured villagers waiting for treatment."
She waved before jogging away.
Now alone, Jing Lei slowly opened his hand.
The crimson pearl rested quietly in his palm, glowing softly beneath the afternoon light.
After staring at it for a long moment...
He quietly fastened the necklace around his neck.
.
.
.
Several days passed.
During that time, the Xuemu Tribe launched repeated attacks against the Lingmu Tribe.
Yet every assault ended the same way.
Wu Zhen crushed them before they could even reach the village.
No matter how many times they came, he never allowed Jing Lei to join the fighting.
"This is already the second attack this week."
Wu Zhen wiped the blood from his face with a clean cloth Jing Lei had prepared beforehand.
"I'm certain they'll keep attacking until they obtain the Lingmu Tree."
"Senior Wu..."
Jing Lei hesitated.
"...Please let me help."
"You've fought alone every time."
"I'm not weak—"
Wu Zhen interrupted him before he could finish.
"I've never considered you weak."
His voice remained as calm as ever.
"But I'll deal with what I can handle myself."
The words struck Jing Lei harder than he expected.
It wasn't anger.
It simply felt...
...as though his help wasn't needed at all.
Before Jing Lei could respond, Wu Zhen had already turned and walked away.
Completely unaware of the disappointment he'd left behind.
.
.
.
"...Defeated again?"
The Xuemu chief's voice echoed through the cavern.
"How many times has this happened now?"
With a deafening crash, his fist slammed into the armrest of his stone throne.
The subordinate kneeling below immediately began shaking.
"It's because of those outsiders, Chief."
"The Lingmu Tribe took in two strangers—an Alpha and an Omega."
"That Alpha..."
"He destroyed our warriors almost single-handedly."
The chief leaned back, resting his chin against one hand.
"...Then remove him."
"Is that so difficult?"
"B-But... he's far too strong, Chief."
The subordinate's voice trembled uncontrollably.
A slow smile spread across the chief's lips, Cold, Cruel, and Calculating.
"...Then we'll lure him out."
"We simply need... the right bait."