Chapter 29 Her Puppy (2)

In the desolate wilderness, where only sand and stones stretched as far as the eye could see, the sudden appearance of a human figure looked suspicious from every angle.

The moment her subordinates heard the sound, they swiftly drew their blades and closed in, warily scrutinizing the figure crouching on the ground.

The metallic rasp of blades unsheathing and the glint of cold steel immediately made the youth anxious.

He let out low, beast-like growls from his throat while tugging at Yu Jingshuang’s robe, attempting to pull her behind him as if to shield her.

His distinctly abnormal behavior caught Yu Jingshuang’s attention, causing some of the wariness that had just risen within her to dissipate.

Yu Jingshuang gestured for her subordinates to partially sheathe their blades, while she carefully observed the restless figure pacing around her anxiously, attempting to tug at her robe with his teeth and lead her away—

This was a youth who was not particularly tall, even somewhat excessively thin. Even when glaring fiercely, his gaze remained clear, carrying a distinctively animal-like innocence.

She recalled reading in her youth that in some regions, when people could not afford to raise their children, they would wrap them up and abandon them in deep, wild forests, leaving them to fend for themselves.

If unlucky, those children would starve to death or be devoured by wild beasts.

But there were rare exceptions—if a she-wolf or tigress happened to have just lost her cubs and heard the cries of a human infant, she might also be moved by maternal instinct and raise the child as her own.

Such children would not speak and would possess only animal instincts. People called them "wolf-children" or "tiger-children."

They would wander the mountains and forests their entire lives, living only among wild beasts and rarely approaching human settlements.

Yet the behavior of this feral child before her was entirely different from what was described in the books. How strange…

Yu Jingshuang mused slightly, then crouched down, grabbing the nape of the youth’s neck and applying slight pressure to force him to lift his face.

She was so close that the youth’s body stiffened instantly. His previously restless limbs obediently retracted, and he seemed to shrink into himself as much as possible.

Despite his fear, he still tilted his small, delicate face upward, eyes tightly shut, long eyelashes trembling finely, allowing her to study him at her leisure.

"Huh?"

Among the subordinates behind her, someone also noticed the youth’s peculiarity and spoke hesitantly, "Could this be a feral child?"

He then shook his head, dismissing the idea, and said, "But that can’t be right. Aren’t they supposed to be extremely wary and dislike humans? Why is he so obedient in front of Lady Yu? Let me take a look too…"

As he spoke, he also leaned down and reached out to touch the youth’s chin. Yu Jingshuang felt the person under her grip stiffen abruptly and immediately sensed something amiss. She had just called out, "Don’t make any sudden moves—"

The youth’s eyes turned fierce as he twisted his body and lunged forward—

The subordinate, horrified, jerked backward but still failed to dodge in time. Three red marks instantly appeared on his face!

If Yu Jingshuang hadn’t still been gripping the youth’s neck to restrain him, it might not have been just a matter of broken skin and bleeding.

The youth tried to lunge and bite again but was stopped by Yu Jingshuang, who coldly grabbed him by the collar and slapped him squarely on the forehead.

The slap landed heavily, and he immediately whimpered like a kicked puppy, shrinking back, feeling wronged.

He covered his head, his beautiful eyes glistening with a faint layer of tears.

Even so, he refused to give up, cautiously raising his eyes to sneak a glance at Yu Jingshuang’s expression through the gap between his arms.

Yu Jingshuang released him and stood up, her brows slightly relaxing as she said cheerfully to her subordinates, "The robe he’s wearing has signs of stitching, which at least suggests there are people nearby."

She glanced back at the youth on the ground, just as she met his bright, shining eyes.

She fell silent for a rare moment, her expression complex as she said, "Whether he’s a fool or a feral child, let’s take him with us."

She looked up at the sky and walked toward her horse, worrying as she went, "It’s about to snow. He’ll freeze to death if he stays here alone."

The youth hesitated as he watched her leave, wanting to follow but not daring to.

The meddlesome subordinate earlier approached with a crestfallen face. The burly man now had three bloodstained marks on his cheek, making him look utterly ridiculous. He attempted to talk to the youth: "...Hey, um, will you come with us?"

Facing him, the youth’s expression instantly turned cold. His round eyes revealed a fierce and wary light, startling the subordinate into retreating several steps as he shouted, "Lady Yu! Lady Yu! He won’t listen to me!"

Yu Jingshuang watched as the youth dodged past the subordinate, darting to her side. He whimpered, making unclear sounds, first tugging lightly at her robe and then rubbing against her expectantly, displaying deep attachment.

She couldn’t help but think incongruously: This demeanor was quite similar to a little dog she had raised in her childhood.

That dog was a small mutt bought by the Yu residence steward for a penny at the market to guard the storeroom. It had a round head and round body, utterly adorable.

As a child, she often played hooky from her tutor’s lessons to sneak out and play with the dog. With just a gentle call, it would soon crawl out through the dog hole, whining and fawning over her.

But later, after she brought Lan Chengyuan home, he, still untamed and retaining some untamed animal instincts, felt a subtle jealousy upon seeing Yu Jingshuang constantly doting on the dog. He even began imitating the little dog, clumsily trying to win her favor.

After Yu Jingshuang realized his insecurities, she was astonished that Lan Chengyuan had become so attached to her, even to the point of competing with a dog for attention. To comfort his fragile heart, she gradually reduced her interactions with the little mutt.

As time passed, the dog grew up and was sent to a rural estate to guard the property. Their bond faded, and she never raised another dog again.

Lan Chengyuan was certainly not a little dog.

He was never truly obedient, only pretending to be loyal and pitiable to win sympathy. Only after achieving his goals would he tear off the disguise, revealing a rational, calm, and almost indifferent face.

Yu Jingshuang sat unmoving on her horse, calmly recalling the past.

She glanced lightly at the youth and sighed softly, guessing that he might not want to go with them. Perhaps these actions were just an attempt to beg for food?

After all, the weather was cold, and the surroundings were barren fields.

She took a cloth bag from the side of her saddle, pulled out some dried meat, grabbed a handful, then after a moment’s thought, put it back.

She leaned down and beckoned the youth over, regardless of whether he could understand, calling to him as if he were a little dog: "Come here, catch."

She threw the entire bag to the youth and instructed earnestly, "This should last you seven days. After the snowstorm passes, you’ll have to find food on your own. This is all I can do for you."

The youth caught the bag with both hands, buried his nose in it to sniff, then looked up at Yu Jingshuang with surprise and confusion. If he had ears and a tail, Yu Jingshuang guessed they would be wagging wildly by now.

She shook her head, dispelling the strange fantasy from her mind, and not wanting to waste any more time, she waved him away: "Go on, go—" as if shooing a child.

The youth seemed to understand that this meant he was being told to leave and stood frozen in place for a moment.

He stared in confusion at Yu Jingshuang’s face, as if unable to comprehend why she had given him food—a clear sign of acceptance—yet was now driving him away.

Yu Jingshuang didn’t notice his expression. She tugged the reins, whipped her horse, and galloped into the depths of the wilderness. Her subordinates also mounted their horses and hurried after her.

A trail of deep and shallow hoofprints were left on the desert ground. Snowflakes had already begun to spiral down from the sky, quietly settling on the youth’s eyelashes and shoulders.

As if sensing something, Yu Jingshuang glanced back while galloping.

On the distant barren hill she had left far behind, among a cluster of jagged rocks, a small figure stood motionless, watching her for a long time.

His long, brownish hair was lifted by the wind, intertwining with his tattered, oversized robe. His hood had slipped comically to his shoulders, making him appear so sorrowful and lonely, as if he might be scattered by the wind into the vast expanse of heaven and earth at any moment.

Yu Jingshuang hadn't been wrong in her judgment—though the boy had a wild, animalistic air about him, he had indeed interacted with humans before. After searching for a long time, she and her companions finally discovered a small village on the very eve of the snowstorm.

Nestled among the mountains, most of the villagers lived off hunting. They were natives living at the foot of the snowy mountains.

Located where three dynasties met, the area was barren and treacherous, so there was no official rule to speak of. The villagers themselves didn’t even know which dynasty they belonged to. They were known for their warmth and hospitality; they'd take in and host anyone who came their way, regardless of identity.

After resting overnight, the snowstorm let up the next day, and Yu Jingshuang went out to ask around.

When she mentioned that her destination was the ancient battlefield on the other side of the mountain, an old woman at the village entrance kept shaking her head. She told Yu Jingshuang that if they wanted to cross the mountain, they would have to wait at least two months for the snow and ice to melt.

Otherwise, forget the complicated terrain—anyone going into the mountains now would get lost. And with the extreme cold, no people or animals around, securing enough food for the journey would be impossible.

However, the old woman tried to reassure Yu Jingshuang, saying she had grown up here and knew the weather best.

Generally, Great Qiang and Daliang on the other side of the snowy mountains should also be in a state of ceasefire and rest during the heavy snow—they wouldn’t be able to fight under such conditions.

So, Yu Jingshuang had no choice but to follow the advice and hunker down in the village to rest. When bored, she would go out to chat with people, using the chance to gather useful information about the surroundings.

Naturally, during a conversation with the old woman at the village entrance, the subject of the boy she had encountered in the desert a few days earlier came up.

“Him? Everyone in the village knows about him. No one knows when he arrived around here. At first, he couldn’t even walk properly or hunt—he just crawled around on all fours, digging for roots and grass seeds. Whenever anyone approached, he would run away. No one could get close to him.”

The old woman sighed as she recalled:

“Later, for some reason, he started following a wild dog on the plains. That wild dog had three pups and taught them how to hunt every day. He secretly learned from the dog, and now he can catch rabbits every now and then. Plus, I couldn’t bear to see him suffer, so I tossed an old robe his way from a distance. That’s how he barely made it through last winter.”

One of the subordinates who had gathered around to listen tsked and commented, “So, even though he looks human, he’s basically just a wild animal, right? He doesn’t understand things like etiquette, shame, or human emotions.”

Yu Jingshuang heard this but said nothing. For some reason, she recalled the sad, lonely look in the feral child’s eyes from that day and something stirred inside her.

*Does he really not understand emotions?* She wasn’t so sure.

Driven by a complex and subtle feeling, she couldn’t help but ask a few more questions.

According to the villagers, the feral child had no fixed abode, kept far from people, and wandered around different places every day. No one knew where he actually lived.

Even the most skilled trackers would get lost in the plains when trying to find his den.

“Get lost?!”

The subordinate was surprised. He had experienced the incredibly complex terrain of the plains himself—without a map in advance, he wouldn't have had a clue how to get out of the desert.

Did the people here have maps if they got lost?

“That’s exactly why, even though he competes with us for pheasants and rabbits, we’ve never run him off,” a child nearby who was drying pelts overheard their conversation and chimed in:

“After autumn and winter, we get bad storms here. Once the snow covers the mountain paths, even the most experienced old hunters get lost in the mountains—but he never does.”

The old woman patted the child’s head and nodded in agreement. “Yes, for some reason, the feral child has an uncanny knowledge of the land. Maybe it has something to do with his wild dog companion.”

“In any case, if someone gets lost in the snow and can’t find their way out by nightfall, he shows up to guide them. This child’s father was once saved by him.”

Knows the terrain well? Guides people?

Hearing this, Yu Jingshuang’s eyes lit up—

She was stranded here precisely because of the unfamiliar terrain. If she could get him to guide them, wouldn’t they be able to reach the other side of the mountain sooner, without having to wait for the spring thaw?

***

**Author's Note**

Can I ask everyone to please bookmark the upcoming story "So I Decided to Strike First" in my column? I really like this one and plan to start it next.

≥﹏≤

Slight Cthulhu | Ancient Cultivation | Strong Female Lead Progression Story!