Chapter 6: The Boy Fights the Wild Wolf

The next day…
Kai Xin still did not head to the Purple Bamboo Forest. Instead, after practicing the Whole Heartfulness Art for three weeks, he left Gusu City and went to Hanshan Temple in the western suburbs.
The area outside the city was not safe, but as long as one wasn’t too far away, they usually wouldn’t encounter bandits or robbers. Bandits had their own ranks and intelligence; if one ran into someone skilled in martial arts, they might be killed in an instant, which would be a waste. Kai Xin arrived at the temple and skillfully made his way into the forest.
“What does he want?”
“Don’t ask so much. Just follow and see.”
It was impossible for someone from the Murong family to go unnoticed. Along the way, Kai Xin had already attracted the attention of some curious people, who followed from a distance and also entered the forest.
But they were quickly driven away…
The forest around Hanshan Temple was always full of wild animals. Entering it carelessly meant encountering wild wolves quite often. Before reaching an advanced level, new players could hardly escape them unless they had extensive experience fighting beasts or enough companions.
Kai Xin didn’t realize that his casual actions had added several more souls to Gusu City’s death toll… Using the technique of probing the way by throwing stones, he carefully entered the forest and targeted a lone wild wolf.
Adult wild wolves were the rulers outside Hanshan Temple, roaming the forests in search of prey. Their combat strength was not much weaker than that of a novice martial artist at an advanced level.
This was exactly the target of Kai Xin’s mission.
In “Jianghu,” wild animals were even more realistic than NPCs, as wild wolves were easier to analyze and understand. Their instincts were simple, far inferior to those of humans. In the game, wild wolves were like fierce, brutal carnivores from the real world.
Kai Xin came here to pick a wild wolf as a combat opponent to hone and improve his Shaolin Long Fist skills. His training had only reached an introductory level. To truly grasp the essence of martial arts, real combat was necessary.
When the wild wolf noticed a human intruding in its territory—especially a young child—its cruel green eyes flashed. Its limbs trembled as it rushed forward like an arrow released from a bow, moving much faster than an adult human.
As Kai Xin prepared the starting stance for his Shaolin Long Fist, the adult wild wolf, like a black ghost, leaped high, its sharp claws and fangs, along with the foul smell from its mouth and nose, charging at him!

Any newcomer facing a wild wolf for the first time would find it hard to remain calm in the face of such fierce and rapid attacks. Neither could joy help them stay composed. I remember during my first actual combat outing, when the wild wolf attacked, three newcomers were quickly bitten to death in chaos, their moves failing even to touch the wolf’s body, forcing them to retreat in shame to the city. Of course! This time was different. Happy was confident in dealing with the wild wolf. From start to finish, his gaze never left the wolf’s body; every move was clearly recorded in his mind—starting, spinning, capturing—three simple actions that not only avoided the wolf’s attacks but also allowed him to seize the wolf’s neck the moment it passed by, gripping tightly… “Hah!” With minimal effort, Happy swiftly spun, using the momentum to throw the larger adult wolf at a nearby tree, where it cried out in pain. Though in pain, the adult wolf’s ferocity only intensified! Happy glanced quickly, his lips curling slightly—the level of his Shaolin boxing had started rising again; he had indeed come to the right place. But… the threat from the adult wolf still existed. If it gained the upper hand, the outcome of this battle would be uncertain. Howl!! Sensing Happy’s provocation, the adult wolf dug several sharp grooves into the ground and vanished once more, leaping high into the air. The adult wolf was cunning, but Happy was even quicker to adapt. Almost the moment it attacked, he rushed forward in two steps instead of three, changing his “Golden Dragon Claw” move from a grab to a press, intercepting the wolf mid-air with a single punch! Though his strength was limited, a heavy punch to the face could overwhelm even the fiercest beast. Its roar turned into a pained cry, with blood flowing from its mouth. Take advantage of its weakness! Happy gripped the wolf’s fur with both hands and launched his right leg powerfully! A series of kicks! After all, it was just a child’s strength. Though the adult wolf cried in pain after each kick, it wasn’t seriously injured. But Happy didn’t care, fully immersed in his controlled moves. “Child Hugging Tree!” “Tiger Fighting Stance…” His Shaolin boxing skills flowed effortlessly from his hands, like those of a nimble gibbon, firmly controlling the adult wolf in his grasp.

Every time the adult wolf tried to break free, Happy would skillfully pull it back and deliver a few gentle punches. If the wolf turned aggressive, Happy would quickly escape using clever tactics or even deliver a fierce blow to its face. The wolf’s ferocity was gradually fading. Yet Happy didn’t stop—she kicked off one of the wolf’s legs and continued her fierce attacks until she exhausted all her strength, finally ending the wolf’s life.

Huh…

Receiving the “complete wolf skin” and “large pieces of wolf meat” from the wolf, Happy sat down in seiza position and practiced her core martial arts techniques to restore her energy. Although this journey didn’t allow her to fully unleash her skills, the adult wolf helped her raise her level of “Shaolin Long Fist” to a basic understanding—level 15.7. This was the result of fighting against advanced beasts; if she had fought against novices of similar level, her progress would have been much slower.

The level of martial arts skills corresponds to the level of mastery—impact, speed, and defense. For example, Shaolin Long Fist is a defense-focused martial art, and the higher its level, the greater the power of each move. To put it simply, when two swordfighters attack each other, victory depends on whether you can block your opponent’s sword (successful defense) or have your weapon knocked away and get injured…

Of course!

Martial arts aren’t determined solely by strength. Movement skills and the application of techniques are what truly matter!

Just like in Happy’s duel with the adult wolf. With its strength and speed, the wolf could normally kill several novices, but against Happy, who had an extraordinary understanding of martial arts, it was no match at all. Her knowledge of both herself and her opponent, along with her mastery and application of techniques, maximized the lethality and precision of each move, allowing her to overcome the wolf’s instinctive attacks. This is also why warriors often try to disrupt their opponents’ mindset before battle… A warrior who can’t stay calm isn’t much better than a deadly beast in actual combat.

After completing three cycles of practice, Happy quietly packed the wolf skin and meat into her bag, slung it over her shoulder, and ventured deeper into the forest to search for more isolated adult wolves!