Cautiously， Mo Wen approached. The moonlight revealed the ground outside the den was littered with dry grass and leaves， and the cave walls bore deep claw marks， likely territory markings from the wolves. The air carried a faint metallic tang， evidence of past hunts.
Every instinct screamed danger， yet desperation urged him on. He steadied his breathing， each step cautious， as if fearing to disturb the very ground beneath him. The forest was eerily silent， the usual night sounds absent， as if nature itself was holding its breath.
As he began to retreat slowly， a threatening growl emerged from nearby， sending a chill down his spine. Multiple green eyes gleamed in the darkness， encircling him. Panic surged through him， but he forced himself to stay calm.
Realizing he had no escape， Mo Wen backed against a tree， bracing for the imminent confrontation. His mind raced， searching for a solution， but the wolves closed in， their growls growing louder， more menacing. There was no way out， and he could only hope to survive the night.
Under the moonlight， atop a high slope， a giant wolf the size of an adult human emerged from its hiding place， exuding a calm， proud， and confident aura in every movement. A female wolf stood on a high perch， her howls echoing into the distance， met by a chorus of answering calls.
Despair enveloped Mo Wen. Grasping a dry branch， he knew it was futile. More wolves appeared before him， and the sounds of leaves rustling and twigs snapping behind him signaled he was surrounded. He was fresh prey， a feast for the wolves.
Suddenly， a massive wolf emerged， its jet-black fur shimmering coldly in the moonlight. Even in full stride， his form dwarfed that of a grown man， exuding an aura of irresistible dominance. With a few swift and graceful leaps， he effortlessly vaulted over the wolves standing on the hillside， moving like a phantom in the night. As he landed， his robust wolf form began to shift， bones emitting faint creaks， limbs elongating， muscles rearranging. In an instant， a tall man stood where the mighty wolf had been， eyes gleaming with a deep， piercing intensity that seemed to see through everything.
A deep， resonant voice from the man asked，“Your scent... it's familiar. Who are you?“
Mo Wen stared in astonishment at the human form standing before him. The man was tall and imposing， dressed in luxurious garments， with a dignified yet rugged face， and a thick mane of hair. He approached slowly.
After a moment， Mo Wen， having recently experienced many bizarre incidents (see the series book 1，“The Beginning of All Mysteries“)， was still quite shocked by the werewolf's sudden appearance. He hesitated for a bit before replying:“Sir， I am a lost traveler， unable to find my way out.“
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“Where are you trying to go?“ the werewolf asked.
“I wish to cross this forest and reach the other side.“
“Are you fleeing from something? What crime have you committed?“
“I have committed no crime. I seek a place away from civilization where I can stay for a while.“
“You are lying!“ The werewolf's massive body advanced slowly， exuding an overwhelming sense of pressure that made it hard for Mo Wen to breathe.
Mo Wen gazed into the werewolf's yellow eyes and said，“I have never killed， never bullied， never stolen， nor robbed. I earn my living honestly. I only want to find a place of my own，to avoid the crowd， to focus on my plan.“
The werewolf found no trace of deceit in Mo Wen's clear eyes and felt a twinge of disappointment.“Even if you cross the forest， the place you seek does not exist.“
“I saw lights there， and it seems a friend of mine has recently gone that way.“
“You are wasting your time!“ the werewolf growled.
“As long as I am on my path， it is not wasted time，“ Mo Wen replied.
“What if you took the wrong path?“ The werewolf's piercing gaze seemed to challenge Mo Wen.
“Is there truly a right or wrong path? Even if it's wrong， isn't it still an experience for oneself?“ Mo Wen's eyes did not waver.
The werewolf hesitated after hearing this. That familiar feeling returned， and he asked suspiciously，“Have we met before? Where is your hometown?“ Upon learning of Mo Wen's origins， the werewolf murmured，“It seems I was mistaken. You may go.“
He then pointed Mo Wen in the right direction. The surrounding wolves turned and dispersed slowly.
Before leaving， Mo Wen bowed in gratitude and asked，“Honorable werewolf， are you from the Lupus Purugus clan? I heard that around twenty years ago， your kind visited many human villages. Is that true?“
The werewolf， hearing this， laughed heartily， as if recalling something amusing.“No need to be evasive. Back then， we slaughtered many remote human villages. Humans continually encroached on our territory， and everyone had to rise in resistance. Some took advantage of our rage， and it spiraled out of control.“
“Now that human settlements have shrunk and no longer invade your lands， you coexist peacefully with them?“ Mo Wen asked.
“Wretched monkeys， the lot of you. As long as you do not disturb our territory， we have no interest in seeking revenge.“
“I see，“ Mo Wen said thoughtfully.
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Under the watchful gaze of the werewolf， Mo Wen quickly left the forest along the path indicated to him. Glancing back， he couldn't tell if the tall figure had merged with the trees， or if those yellow eyes were still watching him.
After an indeterminate amount of time， he finally approached the building. The bright full moon hung in the silent sky， illuminating the well-manicured grassland surrounding the structure. A row of tall trees separated it from its surroundings. The three-story Western-style house stood out starkly， yet seemed oddly familiar to Mo Wen， as though he had seen such a structure before. He was certain he had never been here， but it felt like he had lived in this place in a dream.
Standing before the lonely house， Mo Wen felt an ominous presence， an invisible force pulling him forward despite his deep fear and unease. It was the Ghost Festival tonight， and Mo Wen couldn't shake the sense of foreboding.