Chapter 210: 210, Deal reached

Ren Xiaosu studied the wolf king’s peculiar expression and said, “If the Kunshan Wolf King has no desire for this, there are other things.”

As he spoke, he drew a pistol from his coat: “How about this?”

The wolf king remained silent, its face settling back into calm.

Ren Xiaosu slipped the weapon away, and the two sat opposite each other on the mountain path, moonlight cascading from the heavens, the atmosphere uncharacteristically serene.

“How about this?” Ren Xiaosu produced a bottle of antibiotics, a parting gift from Lao Wang. He had not been ill lately, but should those students fall ill, it might prove useful.

Yet the wolf king showed no reaction.

Hammers, shovels, pots—Ren Xiaosu unearthed a dazzling array of objects, but the wolf king remained unmoved. Ren Xiaosu sighed, “If you’re so particular, our gift exchange won’t get far.”

Wait—there was one more item. This time, Ren Xiaosu retrieved a small vial of dark elixir from his storage space: “How about this?”

He spoke without much hope. Ren Xiaosu uncorked the bottle, and the wolf king sniffed the air, its nostrils flaring. Suddenly, it nodded at him.

Ren Xiaosu blinked. Could this wolf king truly understand human speech?

He hurled the porcelain vial, and the wolf king caught it in its mouth before rising. Ren Xiaosu finally exhaled, relieved. It seemed meat would not be scarce in the future: “I hadn’t expected someone with such a robust physique to need this.”

The wolf king’s eyes flickered with confusion at his words. It had not yet grasped what Ren Xiaosu had given it—only that the scent in the air held an inexplicable allure.

What drew it was not the medicine’s odor, but the enigmatic aura of the palace embedded within the dark elixir.

The two parted ways, their brief exchange leaving Ren Xiaosu convinced their bond had deepened—at least to the level of trading partners.

So long as they were not enemies.

In the latter half of the night, the entire outpost was roused by a cacophony of wolf howls. Clad in their garments, the men emerged from their huts to gaze toward the mountains, unable to discern the source of the cries.

Li Qingzheng, wrapped in his military coat, muttered, “What’s gotten into this pack at midnight? They’ve been howling for over an hour—are they hunting?”

Ren Xiaosu’s voice wavered slightly: “Probably hunting. Who knows?”

“Do you think they’re summoning allies to attack the outpost?” someone wondered.

“That’s unlikely. Attacking our post would require no grand summons—just a few hundred wolves charging, and we’d be done for,” another replied.

“That’s a bit harsh, isn’t it?” a soldier protested.

Ren Xiaosu spoke gravely, “It’s called having a clear-eyed understanding of one’s own limits…”

Yet he felt uneasy, suspecting the wolves’ unrest stemmed from the dark elixir he’d given the wolf king.

For the next two days, the wolf king sent no new prey. The remaining sheep had been stripped of their less desirable parts. Li Qingzheng and the others ate heartily, but Ren Xiaosu could not bring himself to touch the meat.

It wasn’t a matter of cleanliness, but what the meat symbolized to him—the haughty disdain of a scion from the consortium.

Of course, he was also not hungry.

Li Qingzheng sat by the bonfire, eyeing the skeletal remains of the sheep, and sighed, “I wonder what’s wrong with this pack—they’ve stopped sending food.”

“Perhaps they’re exhausted,” Ren Xiaosu replied, wondering if he should have explained the elixir’s effects to the wolf king. After all, external and internal applications differed.

Watching the wolf king cease its offerings after consuming the medicine, he worried he had incurred its wrath.

But that night, as Ren Xiaosu slept, a sound like unloading cargo echoed outside. Peering through the window, he saw the wolf pack had returned, dropping several mountain goats, wild boars, and pheasants on the ground—every variety imaginable!

The quantity was staggering—not only had they compensated for the missed days, but they had also provided an abundance beyond measure!

When the wolves departed, the entire outpost was stunned. A soldier turned to Li Qingzheng: “You’re the wolf king?”

Even Li Qingzheng was taken aback: “Could I truly be the Kunshan Wolf King?”

Those unaware of the truth regarded Li Qingzheng with newfound reverence, while the students who knew exchanged complex glances toward Ren Xiaosu.

A student asked, “Classmate, how did you manage this?”

“Perhaps the wolf king learned my master was ill and sent extra prey to aid his recovery,” Chen Wudi mused.

“I’m not mad,” Ren Xiaosu snapped.

He reckoned the wolf king’s sudden generosity stemmed from gratitude, not realizing it harbored such a hidden ailment…

Someone remarked, “How long will this last? At least it’s winter—storage time will be longer.”

“Still, we can’t leave it all out here. Let’s cure the meat into jerky,” Ren Xiaosu sighed. “Cured, it’ll last until spring.”

The group worked feverishly to skin and butcher the animals, though their brought salt proved insufficient, and seasonings were lacking.

Typically, curing required slicing the meat into strips and rubbing salt into every surface before drying. This spared them from wasting salt, for the meat itself contained the necessary minerals—eating it would replenish their salt intake.

“Supplies will arrive in two days. We can trade some meat for salt and seasonings. With this much, we’ll never finish it all,” Ren Xiaosu said.

“That won’t do,” Li Qingzheng whispered. “Those supply soldiers will cheat you blind. Better we sell it in the market. We’ll not only get more salt but also pocket some coin. Bring back more goods, and winter on the mountain won’t be so hard to endure.”

“Agreed,” Ren Xiaosu nodded. This would also give him a chance to visit the market and check on Yan Liuyuan and the others. If they faced trouble, he could resolve it alongside them.

Everyone labored on the open ground before the outpost. Li Qingzheng weighed the meat in his hands and sighed, “This is better than my days in the market.”

“Master, what is happiness?” Chen Wudi asked Ren Xiaosu.

Li Qingzheng laughed, “Happiness is having meat to eat, isn’t it?”

Ren Xiaosu glanced at Li Qingzheng and whispered to Chen Wudi, “Everyone’s happiness differs. When you vanquish demons and spirits, are you happy?”

“Happy!” Chen Wudi exclaimed.

“Then that’s happiness,” Ren Xiaosu said.

“Understood!”