Unruly Phoenix Xiaoyao

“I can explain.” Ning Xiaoyao lowered her head to face Peach. Then, she observed Little White Fatty’s brother and Little White Fatty whom she had raised. Ning Xiaoyao felt deeply apologetic towards Peach.

“Xiaoyao, thank you for raising Little White Fatty!” Peach thanked Ning Xiaoyao instead. “I was wrong!” Ning Xiaoyao suddenly felt like crying. She really did not expect that Little White Fatty to turn out so differently from his pack.

Peach walked towards Ning Xiaoyao and affectionately rubbed her mouth against Ning Xiaoyao’s face. “This is Xiaoyao I have mentioned to you about. She saved me and Little White Fatty in the past.” Peach told the larger white wolf next her.

The big white wolf looked at Ning Xiaoyao and introduced himself, “I am Wei.” “I am Ning Xiaoyao.” Ning Xiaoyao raised her hand towards Wei.

“I am Oil Jar.” “Big Boss Black.” “Little Gyrfalcon.” The other animals quickly introduced themselves.

“I am Wu.” Little White Fatty’s brother introduced himself. Ning Xiaoyao and the rest looked at Little White Fatty, who was lying on his stomach. He resembled neither Wei nor Wu.

“His courage is lacking,” Wei patted Little White Fatty on his head a few times and told Peach, “Train him for a few days and he should be fine.”

“Yes.” Peach nodded. Ning Xiaoyao and the rest of the animal friends looked at Little White Fatty with sympathy. There will be tough days ahead for Little White Fatty. “Xiaoyao!” Little White Fatty stood up from the snowy ground and howled, attempting to run to her.

Wu lifted his paws and with one swat, Little White Fatty was flat on the ground again. Ning Xiaoyao and the rest looked away, pretending not to see anything. Although they felt heartbroken, they could not interfere with this.

Little White Fatty wanted to cry. Hey! You guys can’t abandon me like that!

“Xiaoyao, why are you here?” Peach sat down in front of Ning Xiaoyao. “We came to rescue a person from the hunting ground up ahead.” Upon hearing Peach asking about their business, Ning Xiaoyao immediately turned serious. “Peach, are you guys aware of a person named Lou Jing?”

Peach shook her head and looked at Wei. Wei asked his subordinates, “Do you guys know?”

The pack of wolves shook their head. “He is a slave,” Ning Xiaoyao continued to explain, “His face was disfigured by the Northern Hu, and he has no tongue. His right hand and left leg are crippled.”

Wei cocked his head. “A Yongning citizen?” “Yes!” Oil Jar squeaked.

“There is indeed such a person in the hunting ground. Every ten to fifteen days, the Northern Hu will chase him out into the sunlight. We have seen him before. His face is uglier than a hyena.”

“He was disfigured,” Ning Xiaoyao immediately objected, “Lou Jing used to be very handsome in the past!”

“Why is he being chase out into the sunlight?” Big Boss Black was more astute than Ning Xiaoyao and asked Wei, “He usually doesn’t see the sun?”

“He is being imprisoned in the dungeons,” Wei explained, “If you want to save him, you have to go into the dungeons.”

“It’s extremely dangerous.” Peach cautioned. Ning Xiaoyao caught a few fluttering snowflakes. “In this weather, it is unlikely that the Northern Hu will let Big Brother Lou out of the dungeons.”

“He is as good as dead. Xiaoyao, I can help you to bite him to death.” Wei growled.

Ning Xiaoyao: …nooooo!!!

“Are there many Northern Hu men in the hunting ground?” Big Boss Black asked. “There’s a lot of them, but fewer than my pack of wolves.” Wei replied.

“Wei is the most powerful wolf of the wasteland.” Peach looked at Ning Xiaoyao and explained.

Since her hubby is the Big Boss Wolf of the wasteland, why did Peach choose to go all the way into the forests near the capital to give birth? Ning Xiaoyao looked at Peach and then glanced at the imposing Wei, whose height was beyond her waist-level. She made a wise decision then and there - she would not ask this question.

“Would you like me to help?” Wei asked Ning Xiaoyao again. “I want Big Brother Lou to survive.” Ning Xiaoyao dug her fingers into her palms. “Can you not bite him to death?”

Wei and Peach exchanged glances with each other. The wolves know to pay a debt of gratitude. Hence, Wei said to Xiaoyao, “Okay, let’s play a higher stake game instead.”

“A higher stake?” “I will lead our pack of wolves and attack the hunting ground. Xiaoyao, you can take this time to go into the dungeon to save that person. Wu knows where the dungeon is. He can show you the way.”

“Are you planning to bite all the Northern Hu men to death?” Little Gyrfalcon asked.

“It is not possible to bite them all to death.” Wei was a very realistic wolf boss. He was well aware of their limits. Ning Xiaoyao let out a breath of relief. It would be too cruel to bite them all to death!

“How will you save him?” Wei questioned Xiaoyao. “Wait, what are you all doing here?” Ning Xiaoyao responded with a question. Surely the wolves’ den was not at the cliff?

Wei was silent for a moment. Although he still looked majestic, Ning Xiaoyao could see that he was a bit embarrassed. “What is the matter?” Xiaoyao turned to Peach.

“It is snowing now. Our wolf pups need meat to survive. We intend to attack the hunting ground tonight.” Since Peach did not consider Ning Xiaoyao as an outsider, she explained the plan without hesitation. “You came at the right time.” Wei informed Ning Xiaoyao.

Ning Xiaoyao felt that she definitely came at an apt time. However she wanted to clarify further. “Are the wolves intending to attack humans for meat?” “How could the delicious meat of the cows or goats be compared to human meat?” Wei was disgusted. Ning Xiaoyao felt she was out of line, and decided to keep quiet.

“Why don’t you join us tonight?” Peach invited Ning Xiaoyao. “Okay.” Ning Xiaoyao nodded.

“Someone’s coming!” a sentinel wolf called out. “Let’s meet here after dark.” Wei suggested to Ning Xiaoyao. Just as Little White Fatty attempted to jump onto Ning Xiaoyao, Wei held him by the scruff of his neck. Then, Wei departed with the rest of his pack.  

“Xiaoyao, aooooo~” Little White Fatty cried out pitifully. “We will meet tonight. Listen to your parents!” Ning Xiaoyao hollered to Little White Fatty. Now that the Big Boss Wolf’s family has reunited, she no longer had any reason to take Little White Fatty with her.

Meanwhile, Shadowgale and the rest of the group rode hard on their horses and arrived shortly. Fresh wolf paw prints could still be seen on the snowy ground. Shadowgale noticed them and immediately raise his alertness. He dismounted and asked Ning Xiaoyao, “There were wolves here?”

“Little White Fatty’s parents came,” Ning Xiaoyao was reluctant to part with Little White Fatty and sighed, “They took Little White Fatty away.”

Shadowgale and the rest: … The snow pup that His Majesty adopted from the forests near the capital? His biological parents are from the Snow Wolf Valley? How bizarre!

“Little White Fatty’s father is the Big Boss Wolf here. He is a gigantic snow wolf.” Ning Xiaoyao gesticulated an estimation of his size. “I have already made a deal with Little White Fatty’s father. The wolves will attack the hunting ground tonight, while we go into the dungeons to save Lou Jing.”

“You made an agreement with a wolf?” Shadowrain was flabbergasted. “Yes, ah.” Ning Xiaoyao replied. The Dragon Guards did not know how to respond. His Majesty could speak to wolves?

“Let’s wait for dusk,” Ning Xiaoyao waved her hand, “I am hungry. Let’s find a place to prepare food first.” Ning Xiaoyao led the whole group out of the valley and didn’t give them a chance to voice any further comments.

“Is this for real?” While they were searching for a place to take shelter from the snowstorm, Shadowbolt whispered to his brother. Shadowgale replied, “If the wolves really appear tonight, we will simply follow them into the hunting ground.”

Shadowbolt’s mouth twitched. True, this is a simple matter. Why is he making it so complicated?

After sunset, the snowstorm continued to rage on. The wind carried the howls far away as answering howls echoed indefinitely around the valley. However, since the pack of wolves weren’t visible, it gave people goose bumps.

“Holy sh*t! There are so many wolves!” a Dragon Guard exclaimed. Although he knew that the pack of wolves would not hurt him, he instinctively reached for his knife and held onto it. The rest of the Dragon Guards did the same.

“Xiaoyao, I hope we will both succeed on our mission.” Wei looked at Ning Xiaoyao.  “Mmhm.” Ning Xiaoyao stuck her hand out. Wei looked at Ning Xiaoyao’s hand. He did not understand her gesture.

Oh right. This wolf is not Little White Fatty. How would the Big Boss Wolf understand how to shake hand with a human!  Retracting her hand, she responded, “Wei, you guys have to be careful. Northern Hu men are pretty ferocious.”

“I know. This isn’t our first time doing something like this.” Ning Xiaoyao suddenly felt that people from the plains have it hard.

“Xiaoyao, I will lead you guys to the back so you can bypass them.” Wu ran ahead and told Ning Xiaoyao to follow him. “Where is Little White Fatty?” Before departing, Ning Xiaoyao did not forget to ask about her Little White Fatty. 

“He is in the wolves’ den.” Wei replied, “The little guy is too weak. He cannot follow us to the hunting ground.” Scratching her head, Ning Xiaoyao decided that she will avoid all topics regarding Little White Fatty. She felt that she had let down both Wei and Peach.

-----

As wolf howls surrounded the valley, the people in the hunting ground started to feel anxious. “I knew it!” the manager of the hunting ground snarled, “After a few snowstorms, these bastards are here again! Get the men to prepare. We’re going to slaughter them all! 

Thundering drums quickly rang out from the hunting ground. When the men had completed the formation of their defence, the packs of wolves appeared around the fences of the hunting ground. They were so numerous that they covered the entire place, causing the men in the hunting ground to suspect that the entire wolf population was here.

Ning Xiaoyao and her group followed Wu to the back fence on the left side of the hunting ground. There was a man-made deep ditch. Since the wolves could not jump over such a wide gap, there was nobody guarding this side of the hunting ground.

“Xiaoyao, are you guys able to get across? My mother told me you are amazing.” Wu asked Ning Xiaoyao. “No problem!” Ning Xiaoyao picked up Wu and jumped straight over the deep trench.

Wu had never been up close and personal with a human before. When Xiaoyao picked him up, his fur stood on ends. However, he forgot his uneasiness when he realised he had penetrated over the fence with Ning Xiaoyao. He looked at Ning Xiaoyao with admiration, “Xiaoyao, you can fly!”

Shadowgale and the rest flipped over the fence. Wu was dumbfounded. “All of you can fly?”

“We humans have no wings, so we can’t fly. We were using the lightness technique.” Ning  Xiaoyao patted Wu on head. “Are we heading to the dungeons?”

“Let’s go,” Wu regained his focus and led Ning Xiaoyao further into the hunting ground. A long and desolate shrill howl came from the front of the hunting ground followed by a series of wolf howls. The humans in the hunting ground started to shout, “Kill!”

“They are fighting now.” Wu told Ning Xiaoyao. Ning Xiaoyao nodded. Those sounds indeed suggested that the fight have begun.

“Why is nobody here?” Shadowgale asked.

“They have hidden the women, the children and the old ones underground.” Wu explained to Ning Xiaoyao. “These cowardly human beings.” 

Shadowrain asked, “Your Majesty, is the wolf talking to you?” Ning Xiaoyao chuckled. She felt that she was unable to translate what the wolf said.

Wu took Ning Xiaoyao and the rest across the east-west line of the hunting ground and stopped in front of a row of small houses made of worn out wood and felt cloth. “The servants live here. The slaves are living in the caves behind the houses.”

Ning Xiaoyao looked at Shadowgale. She suddenly felt very anxious now that she was about to meet Lou Jing. Heavens know what condition he was in.