"God, I hope it's not a pack of wolves or a fierce tiger!"
He knew he had been targeted by a fierce beast lurking in the shadows, and a fatal strike was about to descend.
Looking around, there were no tall trees in the vicinity, only low arbors and tea-oil trees, with the shrubbery predominating.
Running away recklessly was tantamount to courting death.
Facing danger, he was not panicked but responded with a composed and cool head.
He tucked the medicinal hoe into his waistband, gripped the firewood knife tightly in both hands, and gradually began to retreat backward, leaning against a relatively thick tea-oil tree.
The wood of the tea tree was hard and grew slowly, with a low stature.
The crown of the tree was no more than three to four meters tall.
"Oooh——"
A low growl sounded, and a lame old wolf slowly emerged from the thicket.
Its wolf fur was disheveled and dull, and its body was so emaciated that its ribs and spine could be seen.
The belly was so sunken it was nearly a line.
This indicated it was extremely hungry, having likely gone a long time without food.
Its eyes emitted a cold and ferocious light, staring fixedly at Qin Niu, full of greed and bloodlust.
The cold-blooded ruthlessness was fully embodied in it.
If Qin Niu panicked and fled, he would fall right into its trap.
Don't think its limp deceives; two legs fundamentally can't outrun four.
Especially in the dense underbrush of the mountains, it goes without saying.
It relished seeing its prey panic and frantically run, waiting until the prey's stamina was nearly spent, before it would suddenly unleash its strongest combat power, biting from the side or from behind.
Wolves have many killer moves, with their favorite two attack methods being a throat lock and snapping the prey's cervical vertebrae.
Its claws were also extremely sharp, easily able to carve wounds three to four centimeters deep into the fragile skin of a human, just like a dagger.
If you were hit by one swipe of its claw, you'd be lucky to survive, let alone escape with half a life.
Its bite force was equally astonishing; despite the old wolf being lean and weak, it could easily snap both the tibia and fibula of Qin Niu's lower leg.
Facing such a powerful and ferocious beast, he dared not underestimate it.
He rapidly contemplated ways to escape.
As the wolf advanced step by step, the fear-inducing ferocity grew stronger, pressing heavily on Qin Niu's spirit.
To subdue the opponent without fighting was the best strategy.
This old wolf was battle-scarred, with a wealth of hunting experience, using the tactic of intimidation to perfection.
"Hey!"
Qin Niu swung the firewood knife at the approaching malicious wolf.
It deftly dodged.
Without any intention of backing down, the wolf bared its fangs, with drool dripping down.
It was very hungry, and such a large 'prey' would be enough for several meals if taken down.
Seeing that the evil wolf had no intention of backing down, Qin Niu's heart sank to the bottom; a bloody battle today was inevitable. Either he would die, or the old wolf would.
He rapidly prepared for the upcoming bloody fight.
The greatest strength of humans is their intelligence.
He naturally intended to make full use of that.
The firewood knife in his hand was heavy, with a total length including the handle of only about forty centimeters.
The advantage was its strong chopping force and great destructive power.
The disadvantage was that it consumed a lot of physical strength with each swing.
In terms of agility and quickness, he was definitely no match for the old wolf.
Even ferocious beasts, when old, cannot be compared to ordinary humans.
The camellia tree he was leaning against had three main branches, and all of them split from the root.
It was like a trident pointing to the sky.
This might be utilized.
When the old wolf lunged to bite, if its body got stuck in the crotch of the tree, even for just a second or two, it would be enough for Qin Niu to seriously injure it.
With its agile movements, it was impossible to hit its vital parts now.
He couldn't even nick its fur.
He gripped the firewood knife tightly in both hands, confronting the old wolf.
As it was daytime, this was to Qin Niu's advantage. As long as someone entered the mountain to chop wood, they could immediately become his reinforcement.
The old wolf, rich in survival experience, seemed to realize this as well.
It grew increasingly anxious.
Roar!
It growled and charged straight at Qin Niu.
When Qin Niu vigorously swung his knife at its head, the wolf twisted its body and dodged to the side.
It was merely a feint.
This was its first probe after losing patience.
Through this exchange, it seemed to have discovered Qin Niu's weakness.
It began to lower its body and darted left and right, quickly closing the distance with Qin Niu.
The second attack came swiftly.
This time, it aimed to bite Qin Niu's calf.
Due to the limited length of the firewood knife, Qin Niu had to crouch down to confront it.
It was while he was slightly crouched that the old wolf suddenly leaped, fiercely aiming for his neck. The cunning beast employed a feint to perfection.
Luckily, Qin Niu's quick reaction saved him. While dodging by tilting his head, he swung his knife with all his might.
The wolf agilely twisted its body to avoid the blow.
Qin Niu's back was soaked with sweat, but even more so with relief from the narrow escape.
Just now, he had almost been throttled by the beast.
It definitely had the capability to bite through Qin Niu's neck in one go.
"You think you can outsmart me?"
He was a human, the most intelligent of all creatures, and he was angered by being outwitted by a wild wolf.
Without waiting for the old wolf to launch a third wave of attacks, he quickly made a move, tucked the firewood knife at his waist, and switched to holding the medicine hoe in his hand.
They were both weapons, which made no difference in the eyes of the old wolf.
But Qin Niu was very clear that the medicine hoe was weak in the offense and could at most cause it minor injuries.
The firewood knife, however, could claim its life.
"Come on!"
He roared at the old wolf.
The old wolf, as he wished, lunged to bite again.
It still used the same old trick of darting left and right, a move that was very effective against this slightly clumsy human.
This time, it genuinely went for Qin Niu's calf.
In warfare, deceit is never too much, and the wolf was extremely cunning with its feints and actual moves.
Frightened, Qin Niu quickly dodged to the side and simultaneously swung the medicine hoe fiercely in retaliation.
Somehow, the medicine hoe 'slipped' from his grasp and flew out.
"Ah…"
Qin Niu, weaponless and panicked, was full of openings.
The old wolf, with its extensive hunting experience, was certainly not going to miss such an opportunity. Without his weapon, the man was like meat on a chopping board, ready to be cut as it pleased.
Without any hesitation, it lunged at Qin Niu, aiming for his throat.
Qin Niu's body rolled backwards, flipping over through the fork of the tree, narrowly avoiding a fatal bite to the throat.
The wolf's claws mercilessly raked across his body.
His thin clothes were as fragile as paper under the sharp wolf claws.
Four deep gashes appeared on his waist.
Luckily, he dodged quickly and wasn't "chomped at the waist."
It was precisely by using his body as bait that he successfully trapped half of the old wolf's body in the tree fork.
Qin Niu paid such a heavy price and had already pulled out the kindling knife tucked at his waist, chopping fiercely into the old wolf's spine.
"Ow——"
It let out a scream of agony. Its spine, housing vital nerves, was severed, causing its hind legs to instantly paralyze.
Qin Niu pulled out the knife with force, targeting its neck this time.
It turned its head, mouth opening to bite, but the paralysis of its hind body robbed it of its usual agility.
Thud!
The knife chopped fiercely into its cervical spine, accompanied by the sound of bones being cleaved.
Blood was already gushing out.
But it wasn't dead yet; it let out a weakened howl and struggled to move its body, trying to escape.
That's right, it was seriously injured and knew it couldn't beat the human in front of it, so it decided to flee to save its life.
"If you had retreated right from the start, perhaps you could have gotten away unscathed. Now that we've come this far, do you think I can let you go?"
Qin Niu's eyes showed a decisiveness that belied his age.
He swung the kindling knife in his hand fiercely, chopping again at the old wolf's neck.
The strike hit precisely the previously wounded spot.
Crack!
The neck, having been hit in the same place twice, had its cervical spine completely severed, and its head drooped powerlessly.
It was still not dead, however.
Blood continued to gush from the wound.
It was now unable to make any sound.
Seeing the blood flow, Qin Niu felt it was a pity.
This was top-notch food for cultivation!
Confirming that this old wolf no longer posed a threat, he grabbed one of the wolf's ears to prevent bites, not that it was likely, still being very cautious.
Then he bowed down and drank blood from the wolf's neck wound.
The taste was somewhat fishy and salty with a hint of sweetness.
He drank heartily.
As the Wolf Blood entered his stomach, he felt a warm flow slowly spreading within his body, reaching every part.
The physical energy spent in the fierce battle with the wolf was rapidly recovering.
After about ten minutes, the wolf's blood had run dry, and he had drunk his fill, his abdomen even slightly swollen.
This old wolf had lived for many years, and the Wolf Blood within its body was the essence of essences.
Much more nourishing than the blood of ordinary wolves.
He felt the wound on his waist still stinging painfully, and his clothes were torn as well. Fortunately, the wound was not deep, and the bleeding was minimal and had already stopped.
Being so thin, he probably didn't have much blood to begin with.
"Even though it's daytime, the mountains are still dangerous. I must hurry back, especially since the smell of blood can easily attract other beasts."
Qin Niu looked at the corpse of the old wolf; it was high-quality meat and a great nourishment for the body. He had to drag it back home.
He picked up his fallen hoe and tucked it along with the kindling knife at his waist.
Then he bent down and exerted strength to pull the lifeless body of the old wolf out from the tree fork.
"Huh! My strength seems to have increased quite a bit!"
After a bit of thought, he understood what had happened.
It must have been the consumption of Wolf Blood, which allowed him to absorb some of its energy, leading to a noticeable increase in physical strength.
He dragged the wolf's body down the mountain.
This was a subspecies of Grey Wolf, weighing close to eighty pounds or more.
If it were in its prime, the weight might have even reached over one hundred twenty pounds.
On the way, he thought he'd have to rest many times.
Unexpectedly, his strength seemed inexhaustible, which would have been unimaginable on an ordinary day.
Wolf Blood truly was a great tonic.
The benefits it brought to the body were beyond imagination.
When the villagers saw Qin Niu dragging back the corpse of a wild wolf, they all looked on with envy.
One of the gossipy village women called out to him, "Ah Niu, where did you get a dead wolf?"
"I stumbled upon good luck and found it in the mountains!"
Qin Niu responded without lifting his head.
"Oh my, that's some good fortune, I wish I could come across such luck just once!"
The village woman said with even more envy.
Qin Niu dragged the wolf's corpse back home, shut the door, and planned to rest a bit before dealing with it.
Subconsciously, he checked his personal attributes.
Qin Niu
Cultivation: Mortal Onefold 20.1/100, Low-Level Farmer 72/100, Low-Level Insect Master 3/100
Lifespan: 51 years
Cultivation Technique: None
Skills:
Planting Skills: Seeding Proficient 22.1/100, Soil Loosening Somewhat Accomplished 126.5/1000, Fertilizing Beginner 0/10, Watering Proficient 21/100, Weeding Somewhat Accomplished 126.5/1000
Insect Control: Insect Trace Identification Beginner 0/10.
Martial Arts: Chopping Beginner 0.1/10.
Talent: None
Divine Skills: None
Labor Points: 269.7
Initially earning 30 Labor Points per day, his increase in proficiency in Soil Loosening and Weeding to Somewhat Accomplished boosted his planting efficiency, allowing him to now earn 50 points per day.
So far, he had accumulated 269.7.
What surprised him was the addition of a Martial Skill — Chopping — among his skills.
It was the first basic martial skill he had come to understand on his own.
Then there was his cultivation level, Mortal Onefold 20.1/100, which had risen by 2.1 points in a short amount of time.
He knew this was due to drinking the Wolf Blood.
No wonder he felt much stronger.
If he ate the entire wolf carcass, to what heights could his cultivation reach?