Early in the morning, before Mei Lin woke up, Li Wei began preparing breakfast. He cooked fried rice, not an exquisite dish, but Mei Lin was delighted and eagerly started eating. She anticipated a challenging day, and the warm meal provided much-needed nutrients.
After a simple breakfast, they made some basic tea, packed their belongings, and started their march through the forest. The day unfolded, and with each step, they ventured deeper into the lush greenery, ready to face the trials that lay ahead.
Mei Lin, just as the day before, bombarded Li Wei with questions. "What will you do when you grow up? Do you want to come with me to the Green Jade Sect?" Li Wei was taken aback by the unexpected question. His heart longed to stay with the snail and the deity, but their departure was uncertain, and he wasn't sure if they would allow him to accompany them. On the other hand, joining Mei Lin could mean learning cultivation techniques and becoming a cultivator himself. Caught in the dilemma, he responded hesitantly, "I don't know, I never thought about that."
"Don't be like that," Mei Lin urged. "When the cultivator arrives, I'll ask him to take you with me. I don't want to go there all alone." Mei suddenly blushed.
Before long, Mei Lin's curiosity led her to inquire about Li Wei's life before he came to the village. Though his memories were hazy, Li Wei began sharing tales of his travels and the mysterious book nestled inside the snail's shell. As he delved into the description of the peculiar contents within the shell, he started connecting some clues, gradually unraveling the meaning of the enigmatic books stored in the small room within the shell.
In a sudden burst of realization, Li Wei exclaimed, "Maybe we can learn to be cultivators if we ask the sleeping deity." The prospect of gaining insights from the dormant deity sparked a newfound enthusiasm in both of them. The possibility of unraveling the mysteries of cultivation opened up before them, and the forest seemed to hum with the promise of discovery.
Mei Lin stared at him incredulously. After a moment, she burst into laughter. "What are you talking about? I have never seen anyone on top of the snail's shell. There is only an umbrella, and underneath it is a chair and a small table. No one is there," she explained with a bemused smile. "What!? How is this possible?" Li Wei exclaimed.
With a continued smile, Mei Lin reassured him saying, "Lu Wei, if I become chosen to be a cultivator, I'll take you with me."
At noon, they arrived at a small mountain stream and sat by the shore, unpacking their food. This place was already frequented by villagers during their trips to the forest for gathering or hanging provisions. They had prepared rice balls for lunch and as they began eating, they ignited a fire and chopped off branches from a nearby tree for fuel. They placed a wok over the fire and started boiling water for tea. Finally, they went to the stream to freshen up. Mei Lin immediately took off her shoes and immersed her legs in the water. At the perfect moment, a group of wolves suddenly appeared on the opposite bank of the stream. A hushed silence fell over the scene. Li Wei and Mei Lin stared at the wolves, frozen in place.
Li Wei understood that they stood little chance against seven wolves. Escaping wasn't an option. The wolves would easily catch up, especially considering Mei Lin's limited mobility. The journey back to the village was more than thirty kilometers long in very hard terrain and Li Wei couldn't outrun the wolves. He immediately realized that none of the wolves were animals with cultivation. Their only chance of survival was to stand their ground and fight.
Mei Lin knew that she couldn't run away. She knew that she would surely die.
As they looked at each other, the wolves began to drink water. After they were full and prepared to leave, but at that moment a rice ball in Mei Lin's hand fell to the ground. That alerted the youngest wolf. It slowly turned around and began staring at the rice ball. The other wolves also turned around and started barking at them.
At that moment, Li Wei turned around, grabbed Mei Lin, and started running back to the camp. He picked up a bigger knife and tossed it to Mei Lin. She caught it and also grabbed the wok from the fire. The work had two bare handles. If you need to pick it up you need gloves or something, as it would burn your hands. Her left palm was instantly burned. Her leg was also burned by boiling water, but at that moment, she didn't even feel it.
Li Wei picked up a smaller knife and put it in his mouth. His right hand was equipped with a larger axe, and his left hand held a smaller axe. As they started running, he also picked up a smaller basket and put it on his back.
The fight was about to begin. The youngest wolf was right behind them. With all his strength, Li Wei struck the wolf near its right eye with the larger axe's dull side. The wolf immediately fell to the ground, rendered unconscious by the blow. Li Wei started running towards the nearest tree for better protection against the wolves, and Mei Lin instantly followed.
They turned their backs against the tree so they wouldn't need to cover their blind spots. Wolves were instantly near them. They immediately attacked. Two of them rushed toward Mei Lin. As they were less experienced, they started with easier prey. Fortunately, that was a mistake. Mei Lin's defense is better than Li Wei's, and she manages to deflect one of them with the wok. Unfortunately, the other one rushes forward and bites her other hand. Successfully her hand starts bleeding, and the fangs pierce through. However, a large knife does its job. His muzzle is cut in half, and one of his eyes is severed. Immediate pain starts spreading through the wolf's body. He lets go and begins biting again.
Li Wei begins swinging with his axes. All the wolves jump towards him simultaneously, which is his intention. He swings at two wolves in the middle, aiming to block the two on the outside from an immediate bite. However, things don't go as planned. One wolf is hit by the big axe in the neck, instantly bleeding profusely. The other wolf, struck by the smaller axe, was undamaged and bit the handle of the axe. The wolf near him misses his bite and accidentally thrusts his front legs into the middle of Li Wei's torso, starting to butcher him. The last wolf grabs Li Wei's leg, causing terrible pain throughout his body. Without thinking, Li Wei's big axe falls on the wolf's head, resulting in instant death. However, the wolf doesn't let go, and the big axe is lodged inside its skull, unable to be immediately removed. Blood was everywhere.
