Chapter 96: Slow Journey in the Snow (Part 1)

The sky turned gloomy, the fifteenth day of the first month, with a heavy leaden gray spreading across. The gray sky and the white earth blurred at the horizon. The wind picked up, not fierce but cold enough, hinting at an impending snowfall. The road stretched ahead, and Han Gang's group was getting closer to the ancient capital.

Lu Ming, who frequently traveled between the capital and the western regions, knew the route well. He rode his mule and pointed to a direction slightly southeast, "After about eighteen li, we'll see the city of Jingzhao."

Han Gang nodded. Eighteen li could be covered in an hour, and they should reach the city before the gates closed. However, he felt a bit annoyed as he looked down at Lu Ming on his mule. If not for the poor condition of his mule, they would already be staying in the inn in Chang'an.

Hearing Lu Ming's words, Han Gang's group slightly increased their speed, making it difficult for Lu Ming's mule to keep up, and he began to complain as they moved.

However, after just one li, their speed slowed down again. The mule stopped complaining, but Lu Ming started shouting, "What's going on! What's happening! Why is there a blockage?"

In front of them, a crowd had gathered for some reason. Seven or eight carriages and horses had stopped, along with a hundred or so people, blocking the road to Chang'an. On both sides of the road, the snow was deep, over three or four feet, unlike the road where the snow had been trampled by the constant flow of carriages and pedestrians. The road, which should have been a foot higher than the surrounding area due to its foundation, now seemed to be sunken in the snow. As long as the snow didn't melt, it would be impossible to detour off the road, just like the tax checkpoint earlier.

"What's going on?" Han Gang was puzzled. He and Liu Zhongwu spurred their horses forward, pushing the crowd aside and forcing them to the side of the road. Despite the complaints from behind, they reached the front.

"Wolves!" Lu Ming screamed like a woman.

"Better not be a tiger!" Han Gang said coldly. At this time, environmental protection was not a concept, and tigers, wolves, bears, and other predators roamed the mountains freely. In the counties near the Qinling Mountains in Shaanxi, it was rare for a city not to have been visited by a tiger. In Han Gang's hometown, Xiaolongwan Village, a tiger would visit every two to three years. Seeing a tiger on the road was not unusual, let alone wolves...

It was just that there were more of them.

In front of the road, blocking the travelers, an unbelievable scene unfolded: two or three dozen hungry wolves had gathered. At the center of the wolf pack was a dead horse, stripped of much of its flesh. The size of the horse was limited, and only the strongest few could get to the front, burying their heads in the carcass, tearing off strips of flesh and crunching bones, making a sound that made one's teeth ache. The remaining hungry wolves circled around, their eyes glowing green, occasionally trying to push into the inner circle for a share, only to be slapped back.

The dead horse still had a bridle around its neck, and the carriage it had been pulling was nearby, surrounded by the wolf pack. Outside the wolf pack, there were five or six more two-wheeled carriages of the same type. The people on the carriages had come down, about fifteen or sixteen in total, men and women, all looking anxiously at the carriage in the wolf pack, wanting to approach but not daring to, hesitating.

"There's someone in the carriage!" Liu Zhongwu exclaimed in surprise.

"Um!" Han Gang nodded. He had seen and heard it too. The hungry wolves, unable to get to the meat, were circling the dead horse and the carriage, with some impatient ones trying to jump onto the carriage. The curtain at the carriage door was trembling, and muffled screams could be heard through the fabric.

Wolves were not common in winter, and large packs rarely appeared. Most of the time, they were lone wolves, and even in groups, they rarely numbered more than three or five. They usually ran away at the sight of humans and did not dare to linger on busy roads. Han Gang had encountered wolves several times in the wild, both in Qin Prefecture and on this trip. They were much thinner than domestic dogs, but their ferocity was evident at first glance.

However, Han Gang had never seen so many wolves at once. The more mouths there were to feed, the less food there was to go around, whether for wolves or humans. There must be a reason for such a large pack to gather.

"These beasts are drawn by the scent of blood," Liu Zhongwu suddenly said, answering Han Gang's question.

Han Gang looked more closely and noticed a long trail of blood on the snow, with faint wheel tracks on either side. These dozens of wolves were not a single pack but were drawn from all directions by the scent of blood. The caravan did not abandon the injured horse when the wolves appeared, which is why they were now surrounded.

Han Gang shook his head, looking at the carriage surrounded by the wolf pack. The situation was not good. The biggest mistake was not abandoning the carriage early. Wolves are naturally afraid of humans, and the initial lone wolves would not dare to fight humans. The people in the carriage could have gotten out and walked forward. With the horse carcass attracting the wolves' attention, they would have been safe. But as time passed, more and more hungry wolves arrived, and now it was impossible to leave.

As the scent of blood spread further, more emaciated wolves emerged from the fields beside the road. In the short time Han Gang had been waiting, the number of wolves had increased by three or four. If they waited any longer, the single dead horse would not be enough for the growing number of wolves. The stimulated wolf pack would start attacking other horses and humans, and the entire caravan might end up as wolf food.

"Mr. Han, what should we do?" Liu Zhongwu asked for Han Gang's opinion. Although he was seeking Han Gang's advice, his suddenly serious expression told Han Gang that he would act regardless of his opinion.

Lu Ming interjected, "We should quickly return to the town we passed and find help. With a group of people, we can drive these beasts away."

His suggestion, made to mask his own cowardice, was not practical. Liu Zhongwu gave Lu Ming no face, "If we wait for help, everyone will be dead. Mr. Han, what do you think?" He asked Han Gang again.

"A few dozen wolves? They have food, what's there to be afraid of?" If the wolves were hungry and had no food, Han Gang would not get involved, as even a small bite could be fatal. But with a dead horse to feed the wolves, there was no need to fear they would attack. Han Gang threw the bag tied to his saddle to Li Xiaoliu and began checking his weapons.

Liu Zhongwu plucked his bowstring, the hum indicating that his two-stone longbow was in good condition. "I hope there's a beauty in the carriage, it wouldn't be in vain for my efforts," he said with a light laugh.

Liu Zhongwu was not a dull person and could tell a joke, and he had good relations with his peers. Otherwise, so many brothers would not have come to see him off when he left for the capital.

Han Gang, while adjusting his attire, checked his bow, arrows, and sword, and then doused Liu Zhongwu's enthusiasm, "It's definitely not a beauty, probably just an old man!"

"Can you see that?" Liu Zhongwu thought his eyesight was better than Han Gang's. He was known for his sharp eyesight, able to see a person's face clearly from a hundred paces and spot a white fox in the snow. How could a scholar who read by lamplight every day have such good eyes?

"Of course! The person in that carriage is the owner of the entire caravan, and a decisive one at that." Han Gang drew his sword, checked it, and sheathed it again.

"How do you know that?" Liu Zhongwu asked cautiously, wondering if Han Gang had some special ability. If he did, he would need to keep his distance in the future.

After checking himself from head to toe, Han Gang patted his body, finding no flaws, and explained to Liu Zhongwu, "Didn't you see how many people are gathered at both ends of the road? If anyone else in the caravan had the authority to make decisions, they would have offered a reward to drive away the wolves. But without their master's command, no servant would dare to act."

Han Gang looked back at the sky to the west, which had become even darker. "It's getting dark. We need to act quickly," he said to Liu Zhongwu.

Liu Zhongwu laughed, "I was waiting for you to say that!"

With a shout, the two men spurred their horses forward, stopping about twenty paces away, and drew their bows. Their actions drew the attention of all the onlookers, and the people in the caravan let out a low cheer. Lu Ming was speechless, wondering how a civil official like Han Gang could be so brave.

The bowstrings twanged, and two arrows flew. The crowd was about to cheer, but Liu Zhongwu's arrow buried itself in the snow, and the wolf it aimed at, which was feasting on the horse's belly, did not even look up. Han Gang's arrow, however, hit the carriage's shaft with a thud.

"Damn it!" Liu Zhongwu shook his head, cursing. His archery skills were not bad, but his fingers were frozen, making it hard to control the force and draw the bow. The same problem affected Han Gang. They shot two more arrows, but none hit the wolves.

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