The Northern Mountain Forest, a sprawling expanse of wilderness surrounding High Cloud City, was dominated by a towering dark mountain visible from any point within its dense canopy.

Hiss, hiss...

Roar, roar, roar...

Growl, growl, growl...

Night had fallen, and the forest was alive with the cacophony of monstrous roars, each more thunderous than the last, as if every creature was vying for dominance.

Amidst the shadows of the outer periphery, two young women were seen sprinting.

"Young lady, we should be safe now. They aren't following us," Wan'er whispered anxiously to her companion.

Hiss, hiss...

"Stay vigilant. The danger here is no less than the bandits," the young lady warned, her eyes scanning the darkness.

"Young lady, do you hear that? Someone is coming!" Wan'er said, her voice tinged with worry.

"Quick, grab anything you can use," the young lady ordered, picking up a large rock from the ground.

Two figures emerged from the gloom, one tall and one shorter. It was Lin Tian and Uncle Jiang.

"It's you!" exclaimed Wan'er, recognizing Uncle Jiang.

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"Greetings, young ladies. I'm glad to see you are unharmed," Uncle Jiang said, waving.

The young lady looked surprised. "I didn't expect you to venture into the forest as well."

Uncle Jiang smiled but remained silent. Lin Tian chuckled, "Staying on the road meant facing those black-robed men, so we had no choice but to head into the forest."

Understanding dawned in the young lady's eyes, and she apologized, "I'm sorry we've dragged you into this."

Removing her headdress, she introduced herself, "I am Ling Zi, and this is my sister Wan'er. I hope we can help each other get out of here."

"I am Lin Tian, and this is Uncle Jiang. It's nice to meet you," Lin Tian replied.

Uncle Jiang's voice broke the introductions as he started to rub sticks together. "Enough talk. Let's make a fire."

Soon, a fire crackled, and the four sat around it.

"So, where are you heading?" Uncle Jiang asked.

"We're heading to High Cloud City," Wan'er replied.

"What a coincidence! We're headed there too," Uncle Jiang said, laughing.

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps surrounded them, and twelve pairs of shining eyes appeared in the darkness.

Howl, howl, howl, howl...

The eyes formed a tightening circle around them.

Lin Tian and the two young women were gripped by fear.

Uncle Jiang's expression turned grim, but he remained composed. "Each of you, grab a branch and light it on fire. It should scare the wolves."

Ignoring the others, Uncle Jiang drew his sword.

One wolf stepped out from the darkness, its cold eyes fixed on them as if they were prey.

Howl, howl, howl, howl...

As the wolf lunged, Lin Tian shouted, "Be careful!"

Uncle Jiang swung his sword, decapitating the wolf. Blood splattered, and the lifeless body fell.

Intimidated by Uncle Jiang's prowess, the other wolves retreated.

The young women were stunned by the display of strength, clearly unaware of Uncle Jiang's capabilities.

Lin Tian smiled proudly. "Uncle Jiang is a martial arts expert, the strongest in our village."

A sudden roar echoed, and eyes as bright as the moon appeared behind the retreating wolves.

The roar seemed to embolden the wolves, who surged forward to attack Uncle Jiang once more.

Surprised but unafraid, Uncle Jiang swung his sword, cutting down several wolves and forcing the others to hesitate.

Heavy footsteps echoed, and a colossal white wolf appeared, leaving Uncle Jiang no time to react.

Uncle Jiang narrowly dodged the giant claws, regaining his footing.

Seeing the creature, Uncle Jiang's face paled with fear, though he quickly masked it.

"Run!" he shouted to the others.

Understanding the gravity of the situation, they scattered into the forest.

Uncle Jiang sighed in relief as they vanished. Smiling, he faced the giant wolf. "I was already dying from the poison. At least I can face a worthy opponent."

The giant wolf roared, disdain in its eyes, as if Uncle Jiang was insignificant.

The wolf attacked again. Uncle Jiang blocked with his sword, but the force sent him sprawling.

The wolf growled, signaling the others to attack. Soon, all the wolves descended upon Uncle Jiang, the forest floor soaked in blood.

Lin Tian, running through the dark forest, suddenly stopped, feeling a sharp pain in his heart. He hesitated, then turned back, hoping Uncle Jiang was still alive.

"Uncle Jiang, please be okay."