Chapter Fifteen: The Brilliance of the Light Source

“The howl is a way for wolves to communicate with each other. Every wolf has a distinct howl, and through these calls, they connect with their companions and gather the pack together,” Haoyun explained.

“There’s another purpose for the howl—it helps maintain territory among packs. When one pack starts howling, sometimes a nearby pack will answer. In this way, they keep their distance from each other.”

“Then what about this situation? Wolves all around us are howling!” Haoyun asked uncertainly.

He paused, clearly puzzled—this wasn't the usual occurrence. Suddenly, his eyes brightened as he looked up at the sky. A red moon hung high above, brilliantly bright, casting scarlet patches across the ground.

On nights of full moon, wolves often howl, but now the moon was full and crimson—what did that mean?

He seemed to recall reading about this in a book, perhaps The Book of Beasts, which described the habits of animals in the new age.

The red moon appears alongside the full moon. Sometimes, there’s only a full moon, but occasionally the red moon emerges—it seems to manifest only under particular circumstances… yes.

Haoyun lowered his head in deep thought, his eyes suddenly gleaming as he spoke.

“The red moon is summoned forth!”

The wolves around them, those wild howls—in the time of the red moon, wolves go mad, and two long, red fangs grow from their mouths.

“When the red moon rises, it’s a sign that wolves are about to go berserk. They’ll grow two long, crimson fangs. Normally, they won’t attack enemies outright, but they will strike at anyone who invades their territory, even at any cost—”

“Enough talk, get the light on!” Haopo interrupted him urgently.

Haoyun, abruptly cut off, felt a flash of irritation, but glanced around—he saw nothing but red eyes circling them, as if ready to strike at any moment.

Haoyun saw the mass of eyes and panicked. His hand shot into his pocket and fished out a round object. Realizing it was the wrong item, he put it back and fumbled again.

“Don’t panic! I’ll protect you!” Haopo reassured him, seeing Haoyun’s distress.

“Mm!” Haoyun was touched by the words, however briefly. He finally grasped the right object—a black, round item that he shook in his hand.

Tracing along its grooves, he pressed a spot and tossed it into the air. The sphere hovered two or three meters above the ground, silently splitting along its patterned seams.

“Everyone, back to back! Form a circle and watch over each other!” Haopo commanded.

No one could watch all directions at once—not in daylight, and certainly not at night. But with two or three people in a tight circle, they could keep every angle in sight. It wasn’t a formal battle formation, but it was already an excellent tactic.

The others, upon hearing the call, moved swiftly. They’d been tense, unable to focus, and lacked a leader. The command was exactly what they needed.

They moved quickly, closing the gap in a few steps. Before, Xiaoshan and Ruoxi were on the north side, while Haotian’s group was to the south, only a few dozen paces apart. If something like the earlier incident happened again, or if more wolves appeared, Xiaoshan wouldn’t be able to cover everyone. The risk of injury was high—even one wolf had kept him scrambling, nearly wounded.

Now, huddled together, they only needed to watch the front, left, and right—no longer worrying about an ambush from behind. The pounding anxiety faded somewhat. Their grips on their swords unconsciously loosened, and they felt much more at ease.

But in the still night, with only the sound of each other’s breathing, the waves of howling, and the growing mass of eyes in the grass, their nerves were stretched thin.

Sweat slicked his palms. The more he glanced around, the more impatience showed on his face—he was growing anxious.

“Why are the howls multiplying? Are there more wolves coming?” Haotian asked the group, troubled by the rising noise.

There was only silence. The howls were louder, more chaotic—if it wasn’t more wolves, then what?

As the sphere unfolded, its mirrored facets reflected light, brightening the ground and increasing their field of vision. The wolves grew restless at the sudden illumination, clearly unsettled by this turn.

Some of the wolves even growled low, as if showing irritation.

“Why aren’t they attacking?” Xiaoshan blinked, impatient after waiting so long.

“Know your enemy and yourself,” Haoyun replied. “Wolves respect every opponent. Before attacking, they always study their prey—they’re never reckless. They have extraordinary patience. They’ll observe to find weaknesses, often for an hour. Their actual attack lasts only three to five minutes, and it’s over. That’s why they seldom fail.”

“But we’re a tough nut for them to crack,” Haopo interjected.

“The stronger the prey, the more closely the wolves watch. They want to spot our flaws, to win with the least cost,” Haoyun continued, unwavering.

“That’s why the wolf went for me first?” Xiaoshan asked.

“Even with perfect coordination, the pack can’t bring us down!” Haotian declared, sidestepping Xiaoshan’s question.

“The light is on—now we strike!” Haopo’s tone was calm, as if none of this fazed him in the least.