Feng Jiu’er stared at that patch of undergrowth.

Though she had already braced herself for some fearsome enemy, when she saw five or six pitch-black wolves burst out of the thicket, she was still startled.

Wolves! And not merely those six!

Behind them, from the undergrowth on the distant slope, came another eruption of rustling before more than a dozen wolves came leaping out — every single one of them black-furred and sharp of fang.

Terrifying wolves. Even compared to the ordinary wolves Feng Jiu’er had encountered before, these were far more fearsome.

“They’re not normal!” Jiu’er drew her short blade with a swift motion, and stood back to back with Mu Mu, guarding against the wolf pack that was gradually closing in.

“They look like they’ve been trained — bred specifically as instruments of killing.”

Mu Mu gripped the long staff, shielding her behind him.

“Mu Mu, you don’t need to worry about me — I can protect myself.” Jiu’er did not want to divide his attention.

Even so, looking at the approaching wolf pack, she began to feel a twinge of regret that she had not prepared herself better. Those medicinal powders, poison needles, and the like — the very next opportunity she had, she would stock up a whole supply, in preparation for unforeseen needs.

In this era, danger was everywhere. Assassinations, traps, murder — they came without warning. Self-defense items were absolutely not something she could do without.

Mu Mu said nothing, but his protective posture never shifted by so much as a fraction.

His cold, sharp gaze fixed upon the advancing wolf pack, and he asked, in an unhurried tone: “Jiu’er, have you offended someone? If you would rather not say, I will not press you further.”

“I must have offended the Empress.” Feng Jiu’er let out a long breath. “Those medicinal herbs — the Empress gave them to me, and asked me to use them against a certain person.”

“I hadn’t yet decided how to handle it when Commander Zheng arrived.”

“It seems they colluded together. The real target they’re after is you.” Mu Mu narrowed his eyes, his gaze fixed hard on the wolf nearest to him.

“That must be it. In any case, ‘Women and petty men are equally difficult to deal with.'”

“You yourself are also a woman.” A slight curve touched Mu Mu’s lips — and in the very moment that the nearest wild wolf lunged toward them, he suddenly spun around and gathered Jiu’er into his arms, pushing lightly off the ground with his feet and leaping upward.

Jiu’er had just been readying herself to deal with another black wolf charging at her, when, quite unexpectedly, she found herself lifted bodily off the ground by him.

By the time she had gathered her wits, she was already seated on a tree branch.

Below, Mu Mu had his long staff in hand and was locked in battle with the black wolves surging up at him from all sides.

From the distant slope came the sound of a flute — lilting and melodic, drifting from afar, yet somehow, despite the distance, heard with striking clarity.

“Mu Mu, be careful!” Feng Jiu’er finally understood why Mu Mu had only brought her up here rather than carrying her away from the area entirely.

Across this entire mountain summit, there were simply too many black wolves — more than she could begin to count.

As the melody of the flute shifted, more and more black wolves joined the encircling ring below.

She could not tell who harbored such ruthless designs — whoever it was had penned this uncountable number of black wolves here, in the rear mountain of the Imperial Guards Academy. These wolves had plainly been bred as killing weapons, their fangs so long and so razor-sharp.

Even with Mu Mu’s exceptional martial arts, facing so great a number of black wolves, he was gradually beginning to struggle.

What was most critical of all — from the previous night, he had been holding off the elite fighters of the Imperial Guards Academy and moving ceaselessly along those sheer cliff walls, for one reason alone: waiting for her.

Then, once she had returned today, he had carried her for the better part of the day.

His inner energy was deep and abundant, true enough — but it could not withstand this unrelenting drain without end.

“Mu Mu!”

“Do not come down!” Mu Mu let out a sharp commanding shout. A sweep of the staff sent several more black wolves flying back — but from behind him, another wolf lunged straight for his back. With a tearing sound, razor-sharp claws raked across Mu Mu’s back, instantly carving a vivid crimson line of blood across his skin…