Chapter 8: The Celestial Wolf's Bright Moon

  On this evening, almost every household in the village had white paper money floating in front of their doors, and heart-wrenching wails could be heard everywhere, mixed with intermittent cries. Those women who, despite their efforts to resist the beasts, failed to preserve their chastity and purity chose the path that Chinese women often choose, and can only choose.

  A row of graves, built overnight, Lei Zheng sat quietly in front of three new graves and one old grave, falling into a long silence. Lei Zheng couldn't write, he faced his father's, mother's, older sister's and second sister's graves, repeating the same word in his heart... Revenge!

  He repeated it over and over again until the word was deeply etched into his bones, allowing the words to settle and churn in his blood.

  For some reason, except for the village chief who was already over 70 years old and had personally witnessed Lei Zheng drawing lots under the full moon, almost no one dared to approach Lei Zheng. Every time the village chief came over, looking at Lei Zheng kneeling in front of the grave like a stone statue, he would let out a sigh, leave some food that might be roasted sweet potatoes or roasted potatoes, and then quietly walk away. Facing the food delivered to his side, Lei Zheng would unconsciously pick it up and eat it.

  Like this, Lei Zhen sat for seven days and nights in front of his relatives who had been buried underground for a long time. When he dragged his legs that had lost consciousness back to the village that could no longer return to its original appearance in a short period of time, and walked back to his home that was gone forever, Lei Zhen was stunned again.

  One by one, his loved ones died in front of him, he was so grief-stricken that he actually forgot the companion who drank the same mother's milk and grew up with him since childhood, he actually forgot the companion who was shot multiple times to protect him!

  Seven days have passed, and the wolf, which had been shot through by five or six bullets, was still alive after only simple treatment and bandaging. Its eyes, which should have closed long ago, were still open, and they told Lei Zheng more clearly than ever that it was still awake at this moment.

  The wolf's vitality was tenacious, looking at this companion who was already covered in scars and barely had any breath left, looking at its body that could no longer get back up, Lei Zheng really didn't know why it still hadn't died until now! Lei Zheng also didn't know, did it not feel pain? Did it not feel tired?!

  The wolf's gaze was fixed on the north, and Lei Zhen followed its gaze to the distant horizon. His eyes came to a halt because Lei Zhen suddenly realized that this direction was exactly where their den was located, where they grew up together! Their old mother wolf, who had long since passed away, was buried by Lei Zhen near the den.

  "Do you want to die in your own nest?"

  Lei Zhen picked up his former companion, holding its slightly chilled body, Lei Zhen's nose couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness, when did its body become so light?!

  When Lei Chen held his partner and headed north, he hadn't left the small mountain village yet. The wolf that had struggled on the ground for seven days and nights, exhausting all its strength and life potential, had already closed its eyes peacefully. It trusted its partner and understood what it meant.

  Holding a stiff and cold wolf, Lei Zheng walked silently. When he returned to the wolf's den where they used to live after five hours, Lei Zheng finally understood why his partner had struggled not to close its eyes. It was also a mother, with children here!

  The small mountain village, after experiencing the brutal sweep of the ghost soldiers, was already in a pitiful state. However, compared to this wolf's den, it still seemed too peaceful and serene. A rough count of the wolf cubs in the den revealed that this litter, born to the mother wolf in Lei Zhenhuai's arms, originally had nine cubs, but only one had survived until now.

  Inside the entire wolf den, everywhere was piled with residual bones. Without the care of the mother wolf and without food, these nine wolf cubs were in the wolf den, in order to survive, they threw away all their disguises, they killed each other, they relied on swallowing the bodies of their brothers and sisters, trampling on the bones of their brothers and sisters, to extend their own lives!

  Those who can survive till now are the real strong ones among them, the most ferocious, the most brutal and the most ruthless!

  Lei Zhen had once heard from Zhang, the peddler, that when a dog gave birth to nine puppies, they would be put together without food and left to fight each other. The one that survived after killing all the others was said to be even more ferocious than a wolf - a Mastiff! But who could tell him that those nine were originally wolves' tenacious creatures? After experiencing such bloody fighting and struggling, what did the surviving one count as?!

  Lei Zhen put down the body of the mother wolf in his arms, and he scrutinized the small wolf standing proudly among the bones. It was really small, so small that it didn't seem to pose any danger at all. However, when it discovered Lei Zhen's approach, it immediately bared its strongest weapon - its teeth, and assumed a posture of fighting to the death!

  When Lei Zhen stretched out his hand to try and pick up the little wolf, it bit down heavily on his arm without hesitation.

  It bites really hard!

  Lei Zheng could clearly feel that the muscles in his right arm were letting out a mournful wail, his supposedly sturdy muscles had been torn apart by the small wolf's surprisingly sharp teeth! The little wolf tasted the bloody flavor, its eyes flashing with excitement, it struggled to tear and bite, trying to rip off the delicious flesh from Lei Zheng's arm.

  A piercing pain, wave after wave, heavily struck against Lei Zheng's nerves, but at this time, Lei Zheng, who was still a spoiled child by his mother ten days ago, this fourteen-year-old child, faced with this situation, actually chose not to move!

  He remained motionless, crouching in front of the wolf's den, quietly watching the little wolf as it gnawed and bit at his arm, finally tearing off a bloody piece of flesh along with the skin.

  The little wolf chewed the food in its mouth with great effort, and a happy hum came from its throat. However, its eyes remained fixed on Lei Zheng. Although it didn't know why Lei Zheng allowed it to do as it pleased, the physical difference still made it clearly feel the absolute dominant power that Lei Zheng had over this still too fragile life.

  Lei Chen's arm, which had lost a piece of muscle and was dripping with fresh blood, continued to stretch forward, finally landing on the little wolf's head. The little wolf's entire body trembled violently as it felt the overwhelming power transmitted from Lei Chen's arm.

  But it soon got lost in Lei Chen's gentle touch, his eyes revealing an unspeakable sorrow. The little wolf was stunned, staring blankly at Lei Chen who had been hurt by it but didn't show any malice, sniffing the familiar scent on Lei Chen that was just like its mother's, and finally... the wariness in its eyes slowly turned into sadness and affection.

  It finally allowed Lei Zhen to hold it in his arms, Lei Zhen gazed at the wolf with eyes flashing too much ferocity, yet in front of him, it removed all its defenses. Lei Zhen took a deep breath. He suddenly discovered that he had a home again, and in this world, he found another loved one.

  "Your mother was my best friend, she died to save me." Lei Zhen put the little wolf into his own arms and slowly warmed it with his chest. The little wolf had experienced the most tragic battle, its body covered in wounds, and it also carried a chill. He said softly: "From today on, I am your father!"

  At this time, the setting sun was about to fall, and the fiery clouds on the horizon looked so fierce and yet so beautiful. When a strong gust of mountain wind swept through the treetops, it seemed to bring with it the flames from the sky, shaking them violently. In this bloody heaven and earth, in this world filled with killing intent and sorrow, Lei Zheng carefully hugged his last loved one in his arms, step by step walking out of the village, step by step merging into the blood-colored sunset.

  From a distance, it seemed as if Lei Zheng had slowly walked into a burning paradise, and at this moment, even his body seemed to be burning along with it...