Descendants of the False Gods - Chapter 18

Chapter 18: Wolf Cubs

Years ago, when Yan Tie brought Yan Bo and the two infants back to Yan Village, he began seeking skilled doctors to treat his brother’s legs. However, the diagnosis remained consistently discouraging.

Later, in a remote area near the deep mountains west of the imperial region, Yan Tie found a reclusive old man. It was rumoured that this elder’s ancestors had been disciples of a divine race’s military doctor, mastering numerous healing methods. Eventually, the old man revealed that his ancestor had been that very military doctor of the divine race.

He claimed that his medical skills had been passed down through generations, but the human empire was now ailing beyond what doctors like him could heal. Hence, he chose to live in seclusion, detached from worldly matters.

It was only after Yan Tie knelt at the old man’s door until he fainted that the elderly doctor agreed to treat Yan Bo. The treatment process spanned over three months, during which the old man carefully realigned and stabilised Yan Bo’s fractured legs. Before leaving, he advised Yan Tie that Yan Bo needed to rest quietly for at least a year to allow his bones to heal fully.

Yan Bo spent two years recovering his leg bones, but prolonged inactivity had caused severe muscle atrophy. For the past few years, Yan Bo had been secretly undergoing muscle rehabilitation. He wished to surprise his family, so he still used a wheelchair in front of others.

Upon their return to the village, Yan Tie’s elderly father, the village chief, collapsed from a sudden fit of rage upon learning that Yan Bo’s legs had suffered multiple fractures. When he awoke, he found himself paralysed, confined to a bed or a wheelchair.

With his father incapacitated, Yan Tie was compelled to assume the role of the village chief, managing the village’s affairs. The journey to the land of the divine race had brought one misfortune after another upon their family.

Yet, there was a silver lining that brought joy to the entire village — the arrival of the two divine race infants.

After Yan Tie brought Yan Bo home following his surgery, the old chief decided it was time to name the two children. When they had hurriedly left Xingyue City, there hadn’t been time to ask for the children’s names.

The old man insisted that since Yan Tie and his brother had brought the children home, they should be present for the naming. A group of elders eagerly awaited the brothers’ return, eager to participate in naming the children.

Unprepared, the Yan brothers had not considered names beforehand. The village chief eventually invited a renowned diviner to read the children’s fortunes. The diviner claimed to see both water and stone in the children’s destinies, yet he could not discern which was dominant. He left the final decision to the village chief.

After three days of deliberation, the old chief proposed two names to the entire village. Everyone agreed, and the children were named “Lan” and “Luo.” In their local dialect, “Lan” symbolised the mist on the mountain, while “Luo” represented the stones exposed above water. The interpretation aligned with the divination — one embodied the gentle fluidity of water, and the other the strength of stone. The village celebrated the naming for three days.

Inside the cave, Lan and Luo cautiously approached the earthen bed with their training bows in hand, stepping over the giant wolf’s corpse. Seeing the three massive wolves motionless, their courage gradually grew.

Lan tentatively prodded the wolf’s head with the bow. The wolf’s head shifted slightly, but when the bow withdrew, it fell back into place. Next, he nudged the wolf’s forepaw, which slowly unfolded.

Suddenly, the fur on the wolf’s belly twitched, startling the two children. For a moment, they feared the wolf might still be alive, and they instinctively stepped back.

Upon closer inspection, they realised the giant wolf remained motionless. However, something in its embrace was squirming, causing the wolf’s belly fur to ripple.

As the elder brother, Lan braced himself and gently lifted the wolf’s hind leg with his bow. There, nestled beneath the wolf’s body, were a few newborn wolf cubs. Two of them squirmed restlessly against their mother.

Children are quick to forget fear when faced with something curious. Their attention turned from the chilling air to the tiny creatures before them.

Setting their bows aside, they crouched near the wolf’s belly. Lan reached out first, his fingers brushing against the cubs’ delicate, wrinkled skin. Luo hesitated, his hand hovering above the fragile, hairless creatures.

Lan whispered encouragingly, “Don’t be scared. It feels quite nice.”

Cautiously, Luo touched a cub, poking and stroking them. He soon discovered that only two of the four cubs were moving — the others seemed lifeless.

The living cubs made faint, pitiful cries, endearing yet sorrowful. The lifeless ones seemed tragically cold.

“Do you think they froze to death?” Luo asked.

“Maybe,” Lan replied. “I feel cold too.”

Their clothes were still damp from the wolf’s blood. Although the wind inside the cave was minimal, the chill still seeped through. The brothers huddled in the farthest corner of the bed, attempting to pull the quilt over themselves, but it was trapped beneath the giant wolf’s body. Left with no other option, they clung to each other for warmth.

After a while, Luo whispered, “Will the two little ones freeze to death too? Should we bring them over here? It’s warmer.”

Lan considered it and nodded. “Alright.”

They carefully picked up the two surviving cubs and retreated to the corner, pressing close together for warmth. There, two children and two wolf cubs huddled tightly in the corner, sharing their fragile warmth.

Meanwhile, Yan Tie was rushing up the snow-covered slope. Moments earlier, a mutated giant wolf had slipped and tumbled down the hillside. Initially, an elder had mistaken it for a large snowball until the beast’s mournful howl revealed the truth.

Realising the danger, the elder urgently sounded the bamboo clapper at his door, a signal used by the villagers to alert one another during emergencies.

Yan Tie arrived swiftly, grabbing a spear to finish off the incapacitated wolf and securing the village’s safety. However, when the elder mentioned mistaking the wolf for a playful child rolling in the snow, a dreadful thought struck him — the children on the mountain.

Abandoning the spear, he seized a machete and hurried up the mountain. Upon reaching the cave entrance, his heart sank. The snow was stained with blood, the wooden door to the cave was gone, and drag marks scarred the ground.

The cave was eerily silent. His sword and shield lay discarded, and the body of a mutated wolf sprawled lifeless on the floor. Yan Tie’s heart plummeted as he noticed another wolf’s corpse further inside. Blood stained the earthen bed, where a third mutated wolf lay dead.

His vision blurred with tears as he cried out, “Lan! Luo! Where are you?”

Startled by the shout, the two children slowly emerged from the corner, clutching the wolf cubs. Lowering their heads, they softly replied, “Uncle, we’re here.”

Overwhelmed with relief, Yan Tie embraced them tightly, his tears flowing freely. “As long as you’re safe… Uncle will take you down the mountain now.”

Before they could leave, Luo hesitated, nudging Lan. The elder brother glanced at their uncle, guilt in his eyes, and stammered, “Uncle… Can we keep them? If we don’t, they might freeze to death.”

“Who?” Yan Tie asked, puzzled.

Luo gestured to the wolf cubs nestled in their arms. Yan Tie’s brows furrowed before he finally sighed, his expression softening. “Fine. If you wish to, then keep them.”

After all, these children had just survived a terrifying ordeal.