Mo Fan hurried back to Bo City and was greeted by Zhang Xiaohou upon arrival. Zhang Xiaohou had joined the Weifang Special Forces, under the command of Chief Instructor Zhan Kong.
Zhan Kong hadn't left Bo City yet because his main mission was to kill the Winged Wolf.
"Fan Bro!" Zhang Xiaohou rushed over and gave Mo Fan a big hug.
Mo Fan wasn't too fond of being hugged by men, but since Zhang Xiaohou had always looked up to him like a little brother, Mo Fan tolerated it.
"Is it tough working in Weifang?" Mo Fan asked, noticing that Zhang Xiaohou had changed quite a bit.
"No, not tough at all. I feel more fulfilled every day, and now I finally feel like I have a purpose." Zhang Xiaohou said, beaming with pride about his time in the Weifang Special Forces.
Mo Fan listened carefully without interrupting, and before they knew it, the two had arrived at the Weifang camp.
"By the way, Fan Bro, what brings you here to see the Chief Instructor?" Zhang Xiaohou asked.
"I'm here to help Zhan Kong take down the Winged Wolf. I plan to collect its soul remnants, and if I can get its soul essence, even better." Mo Fan replied.
"What?!" Zhang Xiaohou stopped in his tracks, stunned.
He never expected his big brother to want to take down the Winged Wolf. That beast was at the Commander level, a creature that had brought immense harm to Bo City.
"Are you serious, Fan Bro?" Zhang Xiaohou asked.
"Whether I'm serious or not depends on what the Chief Instructor thinks." Mo Fan shrugged. If Zhan Kong didn't agree to let him join, then it would be nothing more than a daydream.
Zhang Xiaohou was still struggling to process the shock.
They soon arrived at Zhan Kong's office. Zhan Kong, who was busy studying something, looked up and was surprised to see Mo Fan.
"What are you doing here?" Zhan Kong asked, puzzled.
"I'm here to assist you in taking down the Winged Wolf." Mo Fan said directly.
"Nonsense!" Zhan Kong scolded him. "You should be training at your magic academy, not getting involved in this madness."
"I'm serious. While I can't deal with the Winged Wolf, I can handle the Bone-spiked Wolves and One-eyed Demon Wolves just fine." Mo Fan explained.
"Are you really planning to kill the Winged Wolf?" Mo Fan pressed.
After a brief silence, Zhan Kong admitted, "Yes, I want to kill the Winged Wolf. The fall of Bo City is partly my responsibility… I won't let the Winged Wolf or the Black Vatican get away."
Seeing that Zhan Kong didn't deny his intentions, Mo Fan pressed on, "I'm not here to throw my life away. I've fully mastered three magic elements and need real battles to improve. Also, I have a Flame Wolf as my summoned beast, and I want to collect the Winged Wolf's soul to help it evolve into a commander-level creature."
Zhan Kong paused, then realized Mo Fan's fire element had indeed reached its peak.
"Damn… what kind of freak are you?"
"And why invest so much in a summoned beast? They're costly and not as reliable as contract beasts." Zhan Kong couldn't understand Mo Fan's dedication.
"Maybe it's just a matter of conviction." Mo Fan smiled. His strength didn't depend on his wolf, but he was committed to helping it grow stronger because of their bond and loyalty.
Zhan Kong and Zhang Xiaohou were both speechless, unable to fully grasp Mo Fan's reasoning.
"So, are we doing this or not? If you don't want to, I'll wait until I'm a higher-level mage and then hunt it myself." Mo Fan challenged.
Zhan Kong felt a headache coming on. He had indeed planned to kill the Winged Wolf, which had been severely wounded during their last encounter. The beast hadn't recovered, and unlike Zhan Kong, it didn't have access to top-tier healing mages.
However, Zhan Kong's superior had insisted on a more defensive approach, delaying any aggressive action. Now, with Mo Fan's arrival and his growth, Zhan Kong knew that if he refused, Mo Fan would still go after the Winged Wolf eventually.
"Fine, I'll take you. But remember, it's a huge pack you'll be up against." Zhan Kong warned.
"No problem." Mo Fan agreed confidently.
"Chief Instructor, Bro Fan, let me come too!" Zhang Xiaohou jumped in eagerly. He might not be the strongest, but his wind element had reached mid-tier, and his earth element was at mid-tier level one. Plus, as a scout, he could be useful, even if only to distract the wolves.
"Fine." Mo Fan agreed before Zhan Kong could refuse. "He can pull aggro and assist us."
"Since he joined Weifang as a scout, he'll face more of these situations in the future anyway." Mo Fan reasoned.
Zhang Xiaohou's involvement would help him grow stronger. As long as he survived, he'd go far.
"Alright." Zhan Kong reluctantly agreed.
With the plan set, the three of them left the Weifang base and headed towards the wolf pack's territory near Snow Peak Mountain. Zhan Kong had already scouted the area, so they weren't worried about getting lost.
(End of Chapter)