Ye Fei, noting the Golden Vine Flower's preference for sunlight, kept moving forward in the direction of the sun.
Ye Fei's sense of smell was always keen, and from a distance, he caught a faint, elusive scent of the Golden Vine Flower.
Concentrating further, Ye Fei then rushed towards the source of the medicinal aroma.
As he drew nearer, the fragrance in the air grew stronger.
Awoo, awoo.
However, with proximity came the sounds of wolves, their roars growing louder.
Ye Fei immediately became alert.
His footsteps, however, did not falter; he continued to press forward.
From afar, Ye Fei heard cries for help.
"Help!"
"Someone save me!"
"Beast, get away from me!"
Ye Fei's heart tightened, and he exerted his full strength, dashing ahead.
Finally, Ye Fei stopped behind a large boulder.
There, a woman dressed in black combat attire was cornered by three giant wolves.
Behind her, a patch of Golden Vine Flowers bloomed.
"Beast, stop right there, or I'll burn them all!"
The woman, with a plain face, was clearly in a state of extreme tension.
Her voice trembled slightly as she spoke.
Ye Fei assessed the combat strength of both sides and decided to intervene.
After all, the Golden Vine Flowers he needed were behind the woman.
If she were to resolutely burn them, he would be devastated.
"Miss, allow me to lend you a hand!"
Ye Fei raised his staff and charged.
The woman in black combat attire was surprised to see someone else in the dense forest, a flicker of astonishment crossing her face before quickly turning into relief.
"Wonderful, sir, thank you for your assistance!"
"Let's deal with these three beasts together!"
With Ye Fei's arrival, the woman in black combat attire gained confidence.
The three giant wolves opposite them, baring their fangs, were startled by Ye Fei's sudden appearance and became even more vigilant, growling incessantly and their predatory eyes fixed on Ye Fei.
"Beasts, if you know what's good for you, leave quickly, or you'll face my wrath!"
Ye Fei's expression was stern. He preferred not to engage the wolf pack directly, as they were pack animals. If they could be deterred, that would be ideal.
The tangible killing intent emanating from Ye Fei made the three giant wolves uneasy. They began to whimper and growl lowly but did not launch an attack.
Ye Fei's mind stirred, understanding that the wolves had sensed his threat.
They hesitated to act rashly.
However, just as Ye Fei felt a sense of triumph, one of the giant wolves, with lightning speed, lunged at him.
"Beast, you dare to attack!"
"Taste my strike!"
Ye Fei reacted swiftly, raising his staff, as thick as a child's arm, and thrusting it towards the attacking wolf.
The two sides clashed.
The woman in black combat attire watched Ye Fei with concern, fearing he might be at a disadvantage.
Ye Fei moved with extreme agility, dodging the wolf's lunge.
Then, with a swift turn, he swung his staff with even greater ferocity, aiming for the wolf's abdomen.
As the saying goes, "tough as iron and bone, soft as tofu at the waist," Ye Fei sought a decisive blow.
"Good, very good, if I don't show you a thing or two, you won't know how formidable I am!"
"Take this!"
Ye Fei now unleashed his full power, determined to cripple the wolf with a single strike.
Seeing Ye Fei's fierce resolve, the wolf let out a few more cries and charged with renewed vigor.
Boom, boom, boom.
Ye Fei was faster, his staff striking the wolf's abdomen.
With a resounding thud.
The wolf yelped in pain and dared not advance any further.
Ye Fei's intention was not to eliminate the wolves, and having achieved his goal of deterring them, he saw no need to prolong the confrontation. He then declared,
"Beasts, I spare your lives today, now be off with you!"
Ye Fei retrieved his staff, his gaze still sharp and fixed on the wolves.
After a few moments of hesitation, the three giant wolves immediately turned and fled into the distance.
Only after the wolves had completely disappeared did Ye Fei weakly wipe the cold sweat from his brow.
"That was perilous; it was not easy for me."
If his father hadn't arranged these marriages for him, he wouldn't have had to exert himself so much.
The woman in black combat attire, witnessing the drastic change in Ye Fei's demeanor, couldn't help but look astonished.
"Miss, time is of the essence, we should leave quickly."
"Although I've driven away those giant wolves, they might return. If more of them surround us, I won't be able to do anything."
As Ye Fei spoke, he was also swiftly gathering the Golden Vine Flowers, not stopping until his bag was full.
"You're right, we should indeed leave quickly. It's not safe here."
"However, I still need to gather other medicinal herbs. I cannot leave this mountain just yet."
The woman in black combat attire nodded.
"That's perfect then. Since neither of us has completed our tasks, we can find a safe place to lie low for a while."
"Miss, what do you say?"
Ye Fei suggested.
"Alright, let's go now!"
The woman in black combat attire quickly agreed.
The two then immediately left the area side by side.
The woman in black combat attire was also a practitioner, so as Ye Fei slowed his pace, she could just about keep up.
They traveled for nearly an hour before they were far from the area where the giant wolves were.
"Excellent, we are finally safe."
The woman in black combat attire was already breathless, her hair disheveled.
Even her clothes had several small tears from brushing against branches.
Ye Fei was doing slightly better but still appeared quite dishevelled.
"Miss, I don't even know your name yet."
"Since we've had this encounter, at least let's exchange names, shall we?"
Having escaped danger, Ye Fei quickly reverted to his usual playful nature.
"Yuan Bing."
Ye Fei nodded and then said.
"A fine name, a very fine name."
"Miss, my name is Ye Fei."
"Now that we've exchanged names, should we continue together or part ways here?"
Ye Fei asked.
"Mr. Ye, these deep mountains are quite dangerous. If you don't mind, having a companion would be best."
"What do you think?"
Yuan Bing had come to these mountains to find medicinal herbs for her grandfather, and she did not wish to fail. Therefore, with Ye Fei, such a powerful ally, she was reluctant to pass up this excellent opportunity.
"Alright, since you say so, I'll accompany you on your journey."
Ye Fei readily agreed.