Under the dark night sky above the grassy plains, a Poison Beard Wolf raised its head and let out a long, piercing howl.
The Poison Beard Wolves shot forward like arrows as their ears twitched from sensing movement nearby. The wolves split into two groups, moving in a tight formation resembling an army as they chased a young girl.
Ge Yao ran for her life. Her horse had already died, and she could only stomp through the mud with her small red boots while struggling at death's door. Her legs felt heavy, as though tied down with lead, and all she could do was gasp for breath as she fled.
The two sides met, and the Poison Beard Wolves surrounded her cautiously, wary of the young girl's Gu worms. However, one of the wolves lost its patience and leapt toward Ge Yao.
But the young girl let out a cry, and with it, a water arrow flew forth and pierced through the wolf's skull. The wolf died instantly, but the scent of blood spread through the air, causing the already agitated wolves to grow even more ferocious as they attacked the young girl in greater numbers.
In a single instant, hundreds of wolves surged forward like a tidal wave, and Ge Yao could only feel despair.
"I'm sorry, Father… I can't hold on anymore!"
"Your daughter knows that you arranged this marriage for her own good, but your daughter does not wish to marry…"
"Oh ancestors in Longevity Heaven, if you can hear me, then listen to my prayer and send a brave warrior to save me!" Her previous attack had consumed the last traces of her white silver primeval essence, leaving her with nothing but prayer.
The wolf king let out a howl, and the wolves charged forward in an orderly formation, radiating an astonishing aura.
"I'm going to die here!" Ge Yao thought sorrowfully.
Awooo!
Awooo!
The howls of Thousand Beast Kings shook the stillness of the night and echoed for a long time, forcing the Poison Beard Wolf pack attacking Ge Yao to retreat.
"More wolves?!… Ah no, they're!"
Ge Yao watched in shock as a gigantic Poison Beard Wolf the size of a bull emerged from between the trees. Sitting calmly atop its back was a middle-aged man who looked down at her with an icy gaze.
The wolf pack that had attacked her earlier attempted to flee, but the man atop the wolf let out a cold snort and sent a Wolf Enslavement Gu toward the Hundred Beast King.
The Hundred Beast King could not resist. Its will shattered instantly, and with it, the entire wolf pack joined Fang Yuan.
"Warrior… thank you for saving me. You are my benefactor, I am Ge Yao!" Ge Yao hurriedly spoke as her cheeks flushed red with embarrassment.
Fang Yuan observed Ge Yao, who wore the leather garments commonly seen in Northern Plains. Her clothes were blue and white with golden edges that highlighted her elegance. A golden-purple belt rested around her waist, while numerous small and exquisite ornaments adorned her glossy black hair. Her skin was slightly dark, yet the rosy tint upon it gave her a unique charm.
Fang Yuan spoke warmly in a tone devoid of malice.
"Little girl, what are you doing in the Poison Grasslands?… Usually, young girls do not come here."
Fang Yuan's aura was at peak stage rank four, and Ge Yao did not dare speak rudely to this senior. She immediately displayed a respectful attitude.
"Senior, this little girl owes you an explanation, but I have yet to know your name. Please forgive my rudeness."
Fang Yuan waved his hand while gesturing toward another Thousand Beast King beside him.
"Little girl, I am Chang Shan Yin, merely a forgotten man. Come here, I will escort you back to your tribe… We can talk on the way."
"Benefactor, are you from Chang Tribe?… Your name sounds incredibly familiar."
Ge Yao revealed hesitation, but admiration and fascination overwhelmed her, preventing her from refusing.
"Senior Chang Shan Yin, this little girl admires you greatly."
However, inwardly, she was evaluating him, and the more she looked around, the higher her evaluation rose!
"Senior Chang Shan Yin is an enslavement path Gu Master. I've already seen five Thousand Beast Kings and around seventy Hundred Beast Kings with twelve thousand Poison Beard Wolves. This is far too much!… Since when did the Poison Grasslands hide such an expert?"
And this very expert was her benefactor who had saved her. She felt that she would never be able to repay such a debt.
"What if I offer myself to him?!"
Ge Yao's heart suddenly thumped violently as the thought rooted itself firmly within her mind. No matter how much she tried to suppress it, she could not stop herself from seriously considering the possibility.
"Benefactor does not look bad at all. In fact, he has a certain charm… he's handsome as well. Moreover, he's extremely powerful. Even Man Tribe would not dare oppose him openly or secretly if he wished to take me away!… Since I cannot obtain Snow Wash Gu to prove myself to Father and the elders, then at the very least, I can choose my own husband!"
Along the way, Fang Yuan occasionally spoke with Ge Yao, displaying a friendly attitude that caused her admiration to deepen further and further. Ge Yao asked him about problems she encountered in cultivation, and Fang Yuan did not withhold his knowledge. With concise and easily understandable words, he resolved every one of her issues!
At the same time, Fang Yuan deliberately took a longer route and searched for wolf packs along the way. Before his "chance encounter" with Ge Yao, he had already enslaved four additional Poison Beard Wolf packs. However, Poison Beard Wolves were weaker under sunlight compared to other wolves.
Furthermore, he wished to enslave at least one Ten Thousand Beast King before meeting Ge Tribe. He needed to establish the identity of Chang Shan Yin, the Wolf King who had returned from death. More importantly, he needed to prove the identity of the Wolf King itself.
As for Ge Yao, killing her held little value for him. Even her Gu worm set was worthless in his eyes. Instead, he could use her as a gesture of goodwill toward Ge Tribe. In this life, Ge Yao had never seen Fixed Immortal Travel Gu, so Fang Yuan did not need to suffer through the headache of Ge Tribe's investigation.
"Benefactor, if I may ask… you said your name is Chang Shan Yin, and that you are merely a forgotten man. You are also an enslavement path Gu Master who commands wolf packs specifically. All of this feels incredibly familiar, yet I just can't remember it properly…"
Fang Yuan smiled warmly from atop the wolf's back and said:
"Little girl, you can think about it slowly. We still have plenty of time before leaving the Poison Grasslands."
Ge Yao gradually became more open toward Fang Yuan. At the same time, her curiosity grew stronger and stronger, leading her to ask questions whenever permitted. But Fang Yuan was not worried in the slightest. As a grandmaster of wisdom path, manipulating emotions and thoughts was his specialty. Thus, manipulating the thoughts of a young girl was not difficult at all.
After several minutes of thought, Ge Yao suddenly cried out loudly, shock and joy filling her face.
"Ah! You're the Wolf King Chang Shan Yin!… When I was three or four years old, the elders of my tribe discussed you. You were the one who killed Ha Tu Gu and his bandit group. You're the hero Chang Shan Yin!"
Fang Yuan nodded stiffly, countless emotions swirling within his eyes. When Ge Yao saw those emotions, she wanted nothing more than to embrace and comfort him.
Young girls were always like this. Whenever they saw a handsome, broken middle-aged man, they believed they could make him see joy in life once more and mend him completely.
Ge Yao was no exception.
Several days later, Fang Yuan sat steadily atop the Thousand Beast King while Ge Yao collapsed from exhaustion and fell asleep. The wolf pack had expanded tremendously, now including Night Wolves, Wind Wolves, and even their respective Hundred Beast Kings and Thousand Beast Kings.
Not long ago, Fang Yuan had discovered a Ten Thousand Beast King and its Wind Wolf pack. Thus, he immediately set out to enslave that beast king.
"With a Ten Thousand Beast King, even if I do not release the wolves inside Wolf Cave Gu, I will still possess enough foundation and strength to prove that I am the Wolf King Chang Shan Yin."
Fang Yuan pondered for a moment before finally arriving at the location of the wolf pack.