Chapter 51: 51, Reasonable and logical

The silver wolf king gleamed in the moonlight, its fur coated in a layer of moonlight as if it could emit its own glow.

On the mountain cliff, the wolf king's silver fur swayed with the wind, resembling a finely crafted piece of art.

Yet Ren Xiaosui had no intention of admiring it; he only wanted to run!

Wasn't it said that the wolf pack had already left the territory of the 113th Barrier? Wasn't it said they had entered mountains hundreds of kilometers away? How could they suddenly appear here?

The mountain cliff was not far from here—perhaps within ten minutes, the wolf pack could arrive. What worried Ren Xiaosui most was that the other wolves were nowhere to be seen. If they were already approaching...

Ren Xiaosui shouted, "Quick, into the canyon!"

Liu Bu froze, "Into the canyon? Are you mad? Isn't that seeking death?"

"Not entering the canyon means certain death!" Ren Xiaosui rushed to the pickup truck, grabbed the relatively intact large rat, and dashed toward the canyon. He had dealt with wolf packs the most, so he knew exactly how terrifying their opponents would be.

Perhaps the Barrier's purge of the wilderness had eliminated the wolves' natural predators, allowing them to roam freely in the wild without fear.

Ren Xiaosui glanced back and was startled to find that those behind him still had the leisure to fetch their belongings by the campfire and load them into the vehicles! It seemed the wolf pack appeared distant, so no one was particularly panicked.

Moreover, Ren Xiaosui's claim that the wolves would not enter the canyon gave them confidence: as long as they entered the nearby canyon, less than ten meters wide, they would be safe.

Ren Xiaosui thought, "These people are truly fearless of death. At a time like this, they still fetch their clothes—shouldn't they at least take food and water first?"

At this moment, Ren Xiaosui realized that among the entire group, only he, Yang Xiaojin, and Xu Xuanchu were clear-headed.

Xu Xuanchu immediately went to the car to retrieve firearms and ammunition, while Yang Xiaojin used a gun to force a driver into the vehicle and drive...

But what could Ren Xiaosui do? He couldn't accompany them to their deaths. He ran toward the canyon, observing the sheer cliffs on both sides, as if these steep walls, though treacherous, might offer some footholds.

Ren Xiaosui studied this because he knew well that his earlier assurance to others—that the wolves would not enter the canyon—was a lie to conceal how he had survived. In truth, the wolves had charged into the canyon without hesitation!

Thus, the wolves would certainly pursue them, making escape a grave concern.

The car was indeed a fine means of transport, but now the question was whether it could outrun the wolves on flat ground, let alone on the rocky path within the canyon.

A few days ago, a private army had clashed with the wolf pack, and dozens of armed soldiers were killed by the wolves. These dozen or so people were no match.

As the saying goes, you don't need to outrun the wolves—you just need to outrun others. But these dozen people couldn't possibly delay the wolves' advance; they would all die.

Hence, Ren Xiaosui didn't rush into the car but entered the canyon—not because he was flustered, but because he knew from the start that the car wouldn't save him. He had to find another way.

If forced, he would have to climb the sheer cliff upward. No matter how formidable the wolves were, they couldn't climb walls, could they?

Ren Xiaosui wasn't sure if his strength could carry him to the top, but this was the only path to survival.

At this moment, someone started a vehicle, slammed the accelerator, and drove straight into the canyon. Now the cars weren't enough to seat everyone, as the pickup truck was completely wrecked.

They had already seen the wolf pack emerge at the forest's edge. All faces turned pale with terror as the wild wolves, nearly as tall as bison, approached step by step with unhurried calm.

Liu Bu screamed incessantly, and even many soldiers from the private army looked ghastly pale.

Those who had been collecting their belongings moments before now realized their folly—if not for that, they might have already entered the canyon!

"Wait, don't close the door!" someone shouted, "We can squeeze in!"

But before the speaker could squeeze in, Liu Bu kicked them down, and with a bang, the door slammed shut!

"Hurry, drive! Drive quickly!" someone roared.

At this moment, Ren Xiaosui's heart was unnervingly calm. On this wilderness, there was no right or wrong—survival was right, death was wrong.

What he could do was ensure he was the last one alive. That was all.

The four remaining vehicles streamed into the canyon, leaving behind two people who couldn't board in time. Suddenly, two agonized screams echoed outside the canyon, and Ren Xiaosui's heart chilled—he realized the wolves were faster than he had imagined.

As the vehicles passed him, one stopped. Yang Xiaojin in the back seat pointed a gun at the driver's head, then turned to Ren Xiaosui and said, "Get in."

Ren Xiaosui was stunned. He hadn't expected Yang Xiaojin to threaten the driver to stop, nor had he planned to get in! Could the car outrun the wolves in this place?

Seeing Ren Xiaosui hesitate, Yang Xiaojin drew another black M9 pistol and pointed it at him: "Get in."

Ren Xiaosui: "..."

He turned to look outside the canyon, and upon doing so, he froze. Following his gaze, Yang Xiaojin saw the wolf pack halt at the canyon's mouth, dozens of massive wild wolves standing silently, their fur still stained with fresh blood.

Liu Bu, in the car, stared at the wolves and said blankly, "So they truly dare not enter the canyon. We're saved!"

Everyone felt the relief of surviving a catastrophe—the wolf's maw had spared them!

Someone even began to cry, "We're saved!"

Liu Bu muttered quietly, "Didn't expect this refugee brat to be telling the truth."

Yet at this moment, Ren Xiaosui's heart was far from at ease, for he had lied to them earlier—but he hadn't expected these wolves to actually stop...

What did this mean?

It meant that Jingshen Mountain had undergone some change within a year, which was why the wolves had suddenly halted here.

It also meant that the mountains beyond the canyon were far more dangerous than imagined. The words "No living soul may enter" were no lie.

What to do?

Someone got out of the car to gaze at the wolves outside the canyon and said, "Why don't we camp here, wait for the wolves to leave, then return the way we came?"

Ren Xiaosui thought, "I've never heard a more foolish suggestion. If you want to return, I will never go back."

Xu Xuanchu nodded gravely, "Exactly. We have no way back."

In such a situation, the forest was the wolves' domain—you wait for them to leave? Where would they go? Remember, the journey back to the Barrier takes three days. In three days, the wolves could transform into werewolves and hang you up to beat you...

Of course, werewolves were impossible—it was just a metaphor...

No one answered Xu Xuanchu, for they all knew that no matter when you returned, it would be death. The only way out was to reach the 112th Refuge Barrier!

There was no turning back!

At this moment, Liu Bu looked at Ren Xiaosui and asked, "What are you carrying that rat for?"

"To eat," Ren Xiaosui replied matter-of-factly, "Or keep it for the New Year?"

Liu Bu almost vomited: "Eat it?"

Ren Xiaosui said, "The food was on the pickup truck, and now it's gone. What else would they eat? Besides, they ate my biscuits, and I eat them—it's only fair."

Liu Bu: "..."

It sounded reasonable, didn't it?

In fact, Ren Xiaosui knew that one of the biggest problems these people faced now was food and water.

Though Ren Xiaosui had been disgusted by Liu Bu, this rat was not meant for his own consumption.