Chapter 6: 6. Chapter 6: First Encounter

Chapter 6: First Encounter

The eagle discovered someone walking over and looking at it with curiosity. Frightened, it immediately released the pheasant and flapped its wings, trying to fly away.

However, one of its wings was stiff, and in its panic, it stumbled and fell straight to the ground after only a few flaps.

Wen Nuan: "..."

Wen Ran didn't pay any attention to the eagle. Once the pheasant escaped the eagle's clutches, it scrambled away on its awl-like feet.

"Pheasant, where do you think you're going!" Wen Ran shouted sharply, leaping forward.

The pheasant was startled by Wen Ran's shout and ran even faster.

Because it was running so fast, one of its feet slipped, and the whole bird tumbled to the ground. But it was agile; it scrambled up instantly and took flight, flapping its wings in mid-air before dropping back to the ground after only a meter.

Wen Ran threw her whole body forward, but she missed.

A pheasant that could grow this big in the mountains wasn't just lucky; it darted into the woods with lightning speed.

She couldn't let meat that was already at her lips get away—she had forgotten how long it had been since she last ate chicken! Wen Ran quickly scrambled up and gave chase, completely forgetting that she was supposed to be keeping an eye on Wen Nuan.

***

On this side, the eagle struggled to stand up from the ground, continuing to flap its wings in an attempt to fly away. But perhaps because it was too nervous at the sight of a human, its entire body collapsed to the ground again.

Wen Nuan walked over to the eagle and crouched down.

The eagle shivered in terror. Its hooked eyes lost their sharpness, filled instead with fear as it looked at her nervously. Finally, it simply buried its head under its wings, pretending that if it couldn't see anything, nothing existed!

Wen Nuan: "..."

Was she really that terrifying?

Did it have to be this scared?

Wen Nuan stroked the eagle's trembling back. "Don't worry, I don't eat eagle meat. Let me take a look at your wing; maybe you'll be able to fly."

She just wanted to see if her purple energy could heal the injury on the eagle's wing.

Wen Nuan's voice was beautiful, crisp and melodious like the sound of a babbling brook in summer, flowing through one's heart.

Wen Nuan gathered the eagle into her arms.

The eagle's trembling body stiffened for a moment, but it didn't struggle.

Wen Nuan examined its wing; there were no external injuries.

She used her hands to check the tendons and bones of the wing, and they moved flexibly.

"Your wing is poisoned. You must have been bitten by a snake while hunting it!" Wen Nuan couldn't immediately tell what kind of poison it was, so she guessed it had been bitten while catching a snake.

It was lucky to be alive; the poison only made its wing stiff, but it hadn't cost the bird its life.

The eagle shook its head, its eyes full of grievance: It was some bad guy who used its wing to test poisons and concoct antidotes!

That antidote hadn't been perfected even after a year of testing!

Wen Nuan was startled by the eagle's reaction. "You can understand what I'm saying?"

The eagle nodded.

Wen Nuan: "..."

Had this eagle become a spirit?

"Let me see if I can help you detoxify." Wen Nuan placed her hand on its wing, and a wisp of purple energy slowly flowed from her palm into the eagle's wing, then throughout its entire body.

The eagle lay motionless in Wen Nuan's arms, eyes closed, looking completely blissful.

Wen Nuan watched the changes in the purple energy intently.

She didn't notice that a gray wolf was watching her curiously from the bushes.

Of course, it was only because the wolf wasn't emitting any killing intent that she hadn't sensed it.

Soon, the purple energy dissipated.

Wen Nuan placed the eagle on the ground. "Try to see if you can fly."

The eagle flapped its wings and soared into the air in one go.

It flapped its wings flexibly, circled in mid-air, and let out two cries.

Seeing this, Wen Nuan smiled. She hadn't expected this purple energy to be able to neutralize poison.

Though, the poison must have been in a very small amount.

Wen Nuan looked up and waved at it. "Alright, you can go catch pheasants now!"

The eagle dove down, circled Wen Nuan once, let out a cry, and then shot straight into the clouds.

This big sister was so kind, unlike that bad guy who only used it to test medicine. It was going to catch a chicken for this big sister to eat!

After the eagle flew away, Wen Nuan picked up the bamboo pole from the ground, stood up, and turned to look for Wen Ran.

Just then, a gray wolf walked out from the bushes.

Wen Nuan sensed the movement behind her and her heart skipped a beat. She turned around quickly and saw the wolf. Her pupils constricted, and she prepared to throw the bamboo pole in her hand.

The wolf immediately lay flat on the ground, assuming a submissive posture. It looked at her with pitiful eyes, wagged its tail vigorously, and let out two whimpering sounds.

Those pitiful little eyes were exactly the same as the eagle's from earlier.

Wen Nuan: "..."

Wen Nuan was at a loss for words: What was going on?

Was this mountain a mountain of spirits?

Could it be that all the animals here had become spirits?

The big gray wolf did its best to project goodwill. It looked up at the direction in which the eagle had flown away.

For some reason, she felt she understood the look in the wolf's eyes!

Wen Nuan asked tentatively, "Are you injured too? Do you want me to help you heal?"

The big gray wolf shook its head and turned to look in a certain direction.

Wen Nuan: "..."

Sure enough, another wolf that could understand human speech.

She continued to probe, "Is your family sick and you need me to treat them?"

The big gray wolf nodded, then looked at its own back, signaling for Wen Nuan to sit on it so it could take her there.

Wen Nuan: "..."

Was it trying to lure her to a wolf's den?

Wen Nuan thought of the big bad wolf from fairy tales. Was it trying to trick her like a little lamb?

Was she really that easy to fool?

Wen Nuan said, "You go bring them here! I still have to hunt."

This body was still very weak. She could handle one wolf, but a pack of wolves would definitely be impossible.

Even though she couldn't feel any hostility from this wolf at all.

The big gray wolf seemed to sense Wen Nuan's wariness. It pressed its two front paws together, bowed, and wagged its tail frantically.

"..."

Only three words echoed in Wen Nuan's mind: It's a spirit!

It's a spirit!

***

In the end, Wen Nuan didn't even know how she had ended up on the back of this wolf!

The big gray wolf brought Wen Nuan to the vermilion-lacquered gates of a courtyard in the mountains and let out a howl.

Wen Nuan looked at the gold-painted, beast-faced door knockers on the vermilion gates, her eyes flickering.

This was a wolf's den?

Don't make me laugh! This was clearly a house built for humans.

Moreover, she knew that in ancient times, there were strict regulations regarding door knockers.

Gold-painted, beast-faced door knockers were considered high-ranking.

What kind of person lived inside?

She had never heard anyone in the village mention that there were people living on the mountain!

Just then, the gate opened.

Before Wen Nuan could see who had opened the door, the big gray wolf carried her away like a gust of wind.

Steward Yuan rubbed his eyes: Did he just see Da Hui bring back a wife?

No, pfft, pfft, pfft—since when do wolves marry humans as wives!

He hurriedly gave chase.

His master hated seeing women the most!

The big gray wolf brought Wen Nuan to a pavilion.

The pavilion was built over a green lake. It was just entering late autumn; the withered lotus leaves in the lake were curled up, and the weeping willows on the bank were dyed yellow. One could imagine how lush and vibrant it must have been in the height of summer.

Sitting in the pavilion was a handsome man reading a book.

The man's profile was breathtakingly beautiful. His silver-gray robes shimmered with a cold light under the golden morning sun, much like the impression he gave off: cold, aloof, keeping people at a distance, yet dazzling and impossible to ignore!

At this moment, he turned his head. His features were as deep as if carved by a knife, his face peerless. Between his brows lay an innate sense of tranquility and elegance.