In the following days, Wolf One and Wolf Two continued to lead the village dogs into the mountains to hunt.
Song Wei and Lin Zhen even joined them twice, witnessing firsthand how, under the leadership of Wolf One and Wolf Two, the pack of dogs managed to hunt down a wild goat.
Although it was only a half-grown wild goat, it was still quite impressive.
“This style of hunting—the two wolves are mimicking the hunting methods of a wolf pack.”
Wolf One clearly held the position of the alpha, while Wolf Two acted as the second-in-command. Even their movements and positioning resembled those of a wolf pack.
There were wolves in these mountains. To help Wolf One and Wolf Two learn the hunting techniques of a wolf pack, Song Wei and Lin Zhen had taken them into the mountains during their early hunting days to observe and learn from the local wolf packs.
Wolves are pack animals, but Song Wei never expected that her two wolves would turn the village dogs into a makeshift pack.
Under their leadership, the dogs even managed to mimic the wolves’ hunting style quite convincingly.
After catching the wild goat, Wolf One and Wolf Two howled triumphantly and began eating.
The two wolves ate first, followed by the other dogs, who, with their not-quite-authentic wolf-like howls, shamelessly crowded around Wolf One and Wolf Two.
Even when scolded, they stubbornly pushed their way in to grab a bite, showing no shame at all.
But in reality, Wolf One and Wolf Two only growled half-heartedly. The force of their bites didn’t actually hurt.
Once their bellies were full, the two wolves rested briefly before leading the pack back to hunt.
After all, there were mouths to feed at home.
So, Wolf One and Wolf Two took the dogs to raid a rabbit warren.
Their keen noses quickly located a rabbit burrow.
Remembering the saying “a cunning rabbit has three burrows,” Wolf One and Wolf Two directed the dogs to spread out and guard the other entrances. Wolf Two, along with two dogs skilled at digging, began to excavate the burrow.
Meanwhile, Wolf One led two strong dogs and three cats to keep watch in the surrounding area.
The three cats perched in the trees, while the dogs stayed below, creating a full perimeter of surveillance.
Soon, rabbits, startled by the commotion, bolted from the other entrances.
The moment they emerged, a dog would snap them up.
One after another, the rabbits were caught.
This particular warren yielded four rabbits—proof of the rabbits’ notorious fertility, as the burrow was packed with inhabitants.
There was even a litter of baby rabbits.
Wolf One and Wolf Two, along with a few others, gently carried the tiny, barely palm-sized rabbits and placed them on the grass, unsure of what to do with them.
They were too small to even make a snack.
Then Song Wei and Lin Zhen emerged.
The two wolves happily trotted over to them.
The dogs wagged their tails so vigorously they looked like fans.
“You did well. Keep it up,” Song Wei said as she picked up the baby rabbits and placed them in her basket.
The other dogs, still holding the dead rabbits in their mouths, eagerly brought them over and dropped them at her feet. Carrying the rabbits made it hard to continue hunting, so the humans’ arrival was perfect timing.
Song Wei smiled and patted their heads. “I’ll keep them safe for you. We’ll divide them up when we leave.”
“Woof woof!”
Song Wei patted Wolf One and Wolf Two on the head. “Go on.”
“Owoo~”
At the call of Wolf One and Wolf Two, the dogs continued their hunt.
Song Wei and Lin Zhen followed leisurely behind.
“Good thing I brought the camera.”
Thinking of the photos she had just taken, a smile spread across her face.
The deeper they went into the mountains, the more prey they encountered.
They even came across a snake as thick as an arm.
Several dogs took the lead in attacking it, while the three cats stealthily ambushed it from the shadows.
In the end, the snake fled in a sorry state, nearly meeting its demise.
Song Wei: “Should we make snake soup?”
Lin Zhen tapped her forehead. “Let’s not. The brigade leader and his people are quite superstitious about snake spirits.”
Song Wei nodded. “Good thing the first time I caught a snake, I didn’t share the meat with the Wang family.”
The different clans in Ping’an Brigade didn’t share the same ancestry, so their beliefs in animal spirits varied.
However, unless there was a famine and no other food was available, creatures like weasels, foxes, snakes, and hedgehogs were generally left alone.
After driving off the snake, they encountered a herd of deer.
It was a group of sika deer, about thirty in number.
Song Wei almost wished she could join the hunt herself.
But then something unexpected happened.
A pack of wolves arrived.
Their target was also the sika deer.
Faced with the battle-hardened wolf pack, Wolf One and Wolf Two’s dog brigade seemed a bit outmatched.
But under the firm leadership of Wolf One and Wolf Two, the dogs managed to stay calm.
After a brief standoff, the wolf pack and the dog pack each targeted different deer.
The dogs went after a large but elderly sika deer, while the wolves took down two young, robust ones.
The priority was securing food.
Once the hunt was over, the remaining deer fled, and the atmosphere grew tense and heavy.
Wolf One and Wolf Two stood at the forefront, warily eyeing the opposing wolf pack.
Though the dogs and cats were frightened, their bond of camaraderie held strong, and none of them retreated.
The wolf pack parted, and the alpha wolf, larger than the others, stepped forward.
Song Wei and Lin Zhen remained in the trees, not making any sudden moves since no fight had broken out.
The alpha wolf had a scar running across its face, giving it a particularly fierce appearance.
Unlike the other wolves, which had gray fur, its coat was darker, with black fur on its legs and chest.
It had a unique look.
But Wolf One and Wolf Two also had black fur.
The alpha wolf glanced at the two young wolves. Unlike the youthful and slightly inexperienced Wolf One and Wolf Two, the alpha exuded a calm and commanding presence, its eyes sharp and intelligent.
It didn’t signal the pack to attack. Instead, it let out a howl, and the wolf pack retreated with their prey.
The alpha remained in place, only turning to leave once the pack had moved off. Before departing, it glanced back at the two young wolves.
With the danger averted, the dogs and cats relaxed, barking and meowing joyfully.
Then, all the dogs and the two wolves worked together to carry the 200-pound sika deer out of the mountains.
After they had left, the alpha wolf, which had seemingly departed, quietly returned and began following Wolf One and Wolf Two.
None of them noticed.
“Should we stop it?”
Song Wei hadn’t expected the alpha to come back.
Lin Zhen stared at the alpha wolf, deep in thought.
“I don’t sense any malice from it.”
Song Wei nodded. “Neither do I.”
If the alpha had malicious intentions, its large pack could have easily taken down the inexperienced dogs during their initial encounter.
But what was happening now?
Lin Zhen kept his eyes on the alpha. “Don’t you think the alpha looks a bit like Wolf One and Wolf Two?”
Song Wei blinked. “Are you saying… the alpha might be the father of our two wolves?”
“It’s possible. You found Wolf One and Wolf Two near this area, right? Wolf packs have large territories, and it’s unlikely another pack would share the same range.
Both of them have black fur, which matches the alpha’s features. I noticed that none of the other wolves in the pack have black fur.”
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