Transmigrated into Hoh Xil - Chapter 2

Three days passed, and Xia’er’s condition gradually stabilized.

But last night, his wound had suddenly become inflamed and worsened.

His injuries were simply too severe. The fact that he had held on for this many days was already remarkable.

I had tried asking passing hikers for help, but they feared an attack from the pack and kept as far away from me as possible.

From a distance, I overheard them talking.

“Xia’er is hurt. The pack seems to have chosen a new wolf king, and they’re still adjusting to him. I saw them hunting from far away. They’re doing well—they took down a kiang and had a feast.”

“That makes Xia’er look rather pitiful by comparison.”

Someone sighed. “What’s going to happen to him? I really like Xia’er. He’s quite popular online. Of all the wolves I’ve seen while hiking across Hoh Xil, he’s the strongest and the finest wolf king. Rarer still, he possesses remarkable intelligence.”

After a long silence, only one observation remained—

“Survival of the fittest.”

I also tried to seek help from the rangers, but I lost my bearings in the wilderness and couldn’t find them.

Fortunately, while hunting, I ran into Tashi again—

the dog who had caused this whole disaster!

I would be lying if I said revenge had played no part in that bite.

With his hind leg injured, Tashi struggled to stand.

I growled to intimidate him and repeatedly tried to drive him into searching for herbs that could reduce inflammation and ease pain.

But the moment Tashi found an opening, he bolted!

Heh.

How could a domestic animal possibly compare with a wolf’s speed and hunting ability?

Never mind speed—the endurance that allowed wolves to run for hours without stopping was one of the chief reasons we ranked among nature’s apex predators.

It was only one dog…

I was a wolf of the north!

Awooo—

“Huff—huff—”

I couldn’t catch him.

I couldn’t catch him at all.

How could Tashi still run so fast when he was injured?

Apparently, I really had gone easy on him.

Tashi was about to disappear from sight.

All my effort would be wasted!

I was beside myself with frustration.

Then, before long, a soul-shaking wolf howl rang out.

“Awooo—”

White-rumped snowfinches chattered warning cries. Plateau pikas shot into their twisting underground burrows. Startled kiangs flung out all four hooves and fled.

And then—

a lithe figure sprang into the air on powerful hind legs, swift as lightning. In midair, the smooth curve of his body became an unsurpassed scimitar, cleaving through the wilderness’s heavy twilight.

It was a jet-black wild wolf.

Xia’er!

That was right. Xia’er was the only entirely black wild wolf ever recorded in Hoh Xil.

With formidable jaw muscles and a bite force that left even other wolves in awe, Xia’er sank his teeth precisely into Tashi’s throat.

Tashi howled in agony.

“Awooo—”

I bounded happily to Xia’er’s side and stopped him before he could bite through Tashi’s windpipe.

Keep him alive. I still had an important use for him!

Though he did not understand, Xia’er chose to respect my wishes and released the barely breathing Tashi.

Then, with a heavy thump, Xia’er collapsed.

“Huff—huff—”

His breathing was labored. Fever radiated through his fur in waves.

This was bad.