Volume One, Chapter 14: A New Crisis Arises

“I—I don’t want to die!!!” Zhang Xiaoman’s voice trembled uncontrollably, filled with overwhelming fear.

Her words echoed the thoughts of everyone present.

At this moment, Ye Feng, the only man among the women, felt a heavy weight settle deep within his heart, though what surfaced more was a bitter smile.

He had originally believed that if they were careful, they could avoid the attacks of these wild beasts.

But in the end, he had underestimated the danger.

Previously, he had made a firm decision within himself: to survive and bring the women with him back alive.

Yet now, it seemed that promise was about to be broken.

“Rumble—”

Just as the five wolf dogs prepared to attack, the sky suddenly cracked like a bolt from the blue.

In the next instant, dark clouds gathered thickly, and rain poured down in torrents as if it cost nothing.

The group was startled, for this thunderclap was no ordinary sound.

But that wasn’t the main point—the crucial thing was that the five attacking wolf dogs appeared to be terrified of the thunder.

In the blink of an eye, they vanished without a trace.

Especially two hyenas, who turned and leapt away but fell with agonized howls.

Their pitiful cries brought a sigh of relief to everyone.

Yes, they truly felt relieved.

“Looks like heaven is on our side,” Lin Yao exhaled heavily.

The two heaving mounds in front, rising and falling with their breaths, formed gentle curves that stirred something within Ye Feng’s heart.

“Stop dawdling. Take this chance to leave here quickly,” Chen Jing immediately urged.

“Where do we go?” Gao Feier suddenly asked.

“There’s a cave not far ahead. If you trust me, follow me,” Zhang Xiaoman, now somewhat calmed by the rain, spoke up decisively.

“You’ve got some nerve to say that! If it weren’t for you, would we be in this mess?” Lin Yao snapped angrily.

“Enough talk. Let’s just follow her. If we stay any longer, even if the wolves don’t come, we’ll get sick. There’s no doctor here,” Ye Feng said firmly.

No one argued. They quickened their pace, following Zhang Xiaoman.

Within ten minutes, they indeed saw a cave.

More precisely, it was a space formed by piled boulders.

Three sides were enclosed by rock; the side facing them was open.

The safety wasn’t ideal—if wolves came, escape would be the only option.

But for now, it was sufficient shelter from the rain.

As they approached, they realized someone was already inside.

Two men and a woman.

One was a man in his forties, holding a dagger with a fierce expression that made him seem not to be trifled with.

Beside him was a younger man, about twenty-something, thin and clearly frightened, lacking composure.

The woman, in her thirties, wore disheveled clothes and was barely passable in looks.

Yet her somewhat voluptuous figure lent her some appeal.

Their arrival immediately drew the trio’s attention.

Especially the burly man with the dagger, whose predatory gaze swept over the women before settling on Zhang Xiaoman.

Though not the most beautiful among the women, Zhang Xiaoman’s slightly childlike face made her stand out, much like Lin Xiaoxiao.

More importantly, her figure was good, and after her earlier disheveled state, her clothes were somewhat revealing, exposing faint glimpses of snow-white skin.

This was most tantalizing to the mind.

Particularly for an older man, seeing such a young and exposed woman was an irresistible target.

“Hey kid, you’re alone with all these beauties—think you can handle it? Want to give me a few? I’ll help you out,” he said, as expected.

The dagger spun a few times in his hand before he caught it smoothly.

Ye Feng’s gaze sharpened.

This man’s skill with the blade was practiced and confident.

He was clearly a trained fighter.

Against ordinary people, his physique would be a great advantage.

But this burly man was similar in size and a skilled fighter as well, which immediately put Ye Feng under tremendous pressure.

Having just escaped the threat of hyenas and wolves, now they faced a new danger.

The slight relaxation in his nerves tightened once more.

“If you don’t want to die, shut up! This bat I’m holding has already been stained with several lives. If you don’t want to be next, keep quiet,” Ye Feng said with a newfound calmness born of experience.

Even if the man was truly a skilled fighter, Ye Feng decided to feign composure, at least to make his opponent uncertain of his true strength.

“Tsk tsk tsk—kid, you haven’t even grown your hair yet, and you’re talking big like that? Aren’t you afraid of losing your teeth?” the burly man sneered.

He was no child; intimidating him was not so easy.

“You can try…” Ye Feng replied, swinging his bat to hurl a palm-sized stone at the man’s feet.

Strangely enough, what was meant as a warning went astray and struck the man in the groin.

In that instant, the burly man howled in pain.

“Pfft—Ye Feng, do you play ball often?” Lin Yao burst out laughing.

“Maybe it’s because I’ve been handling the ball a lot these days—when the feeling comes, the aim’s just right,” Ye Feng said seriously.

At first, the women were puzzled.

But in the next moment, Lin Yao’s face flushed crimson.

Even Chen Jing’s cheeks showed a faint blush.

“Kid, I’m going to kill you!!!” The recovered burly man wildly lunged at Ye Feng, dagger slashing with fury.

His ferocious expression drained the women’s faces pale.

Could Ye Feng, just a student, really fight him?

Without hesitation, Ye Feng raised his bat and met the attack head-on.

But his heart skipped a beat the next instant—he missed.

The man’s skill was undeniable; he had indeed guessed correctly.

A sharp pain pierced Ye Feng’s left abdomen, chilling him.

Yet in that moment, he gritted his teeth and swung the bat with all his might.

He staggered backward several steps before collapsing onto the ground.

The man, struck on the shoulder by the bat, also staggered but did not fall.

Clearly, the blow had not caused serious injury.

“Ye Feng!!!” The women’s faces turned ashen seeing blood steadily flow from his abdomen.

Ye Feng was their pillar of strength; if he fell, they truly wouldn’t know what to do.

He said nothing, pain overwhelming him.

Clutching the wound, the sharp agony sent waves of weakness through his body.

In the end, he had overestimated himself.

A bitter smile touched Ye Feng’s lips.

“If you die, kid, I’ll take good care of them,” the burly man said mockingly, twirling his dagger as he approached.

The women’s expressions hardened with dread.