Gotter, fearing Bai Qi behind Harry, knew that ten of him wouldn't stand a chance against the demon. Yet, Gotter understood he couldn't panic; if he did, all would be lost.
Mustering his courage, Gotter groveled, "Noble Lord Demon, humble Gotter offers his utmost respect. May the Demon Lord tell this little wolf your purpose here."
Bai Qi gave Gotter no quarter, responding in a low voice, "Harry has become my loyal subordinate. Now that my subordinate has been wronged, I, as his master, must naturally step in to ensure justice. Do you not agree?"
"Yes, yes, yes."
Gotter nodded frantically, though inwardly he felt a chill.
Damn it, the worst-case scenario he feared had arrived.
His eyes darted, and a scheme formed in his mind. Gotter looked at Bai Qi and said, "Noble Lord Demon, King Gotter of the Wolf Tribe wishes to pledge the loyalty of all our wolffolk to you, willing to go through fire and water for you."
Gotter's plan was to surrender, and to do so he offered to lead all the wolffolk in allegiance. This way, they would all be the demon's subordinates, and the demon would have no reason to attack them. Later, he could find a way to deal with Harry.
Bai Qi chuckled inwardly at Gotter's quick thinking. As a wolf, Gotter was undeniably sharp. However, his betrayal of Harry and his attempt to seize Harry's wife had extinguished any possibility of Bai Qi accepting Gotter. After all, no one wanted a treacherous subordinate, even a capable one.
Bai Qi mused, "It is indeed an excellent proposal. It is just unfortunate that I already have Harry under my command. What shall we do about this?"
Bai Qi feigned distress.
In mere seconds, the hearts of all present were in their mouths.
After deep thought, Bai Qi slowly declared, "Then you shall challenge Harry. If you win, I will agree to take you as my subordinate. Of course, if you lose, I imagine I don't need to tell you the consequences."
"But, Lord Demon, my loyalty to you is..."
Gotter tried to resist one last time, but a single look from Bai Qi silenced him, forcing him to swallow his words.
Resigned, Gotter reluctantly stepped forward to face Harry.
Honestly, Gotter had no confidence in defeating Harry; it was a foregone conclusion that he would lose. However, with the demon watching, escape was impossible.
Harry looked at Gotter and said, "Bring those three along as well. We can settle old scores and new ones all at once."
Hearing Harry suggest a one-against-four fight, Gotter's spirits lifted. He quickly called the other three wolfmen forward.
Then, with a ferocious glare at Gotter, Harry declared, "Harry, you will pay for your arrogance."
"Lord Demon, Harry is speaking rashly. A one-against-four fight is extremely unfair."
Bai Qi glanced at Emilia and stated, "This is his choice."
The battle began. Gotter's side, the four wolves, launched their attack on Harry. Under Gotter's instruction, the three wolves charged at Harry in a triangular formation.
Facing the menacing three wolves, Harry remained unfazed. He pushed forward with both claws, one blocking an attacker while a headbutt sent the third wolf flying.
"Good heavens, how can Harry... be so strong?"
Emilia exclaimed, startled by Harry's performance.
Not only Emilia, but the other wolfmen were also greatly astonished.
After knocking away the third wolf, Harry brought his hands together in the center, slamming the two wolves he held against each other.
The immense force sent stars swimming before the eyes of the two wolves. Before they could react, Harry's powerful punches slammed them to the ground.
"Harry, be careful!"
As Harry was dealing with the three wolves, Gotter stealthily approached from behind and launched a surprise attack, his sharp claws aimed at Harry's back. Had this move succeeded, Harry would have been killed.
Harry had anticipated Gotter's ambush. When Gotter was only half a meter away, Harry sent the three wolves flying with three swift punches, then spun around. One hand deflected Gotter's claw, while the other seized Gotter by the throat.
The immense strength made it impossible for Gotter to breathe. Harry then pinned Gotter to the ground. Before Gotter could resist, Harry's claws pierced his skin, and his right lung.
The intense pain caused Gotter to gasp, but with his throat constricted, breathing was a struggle, let alone with a punctured lung.
This was merely the beginning; Harry was no ordinary foe, and he intended to inflict all his suffering upon Gotter.
Harry withdrew his claws and began raining blows upon Gotter's head, disfiguring his face. Finally, in his agony, Harry snapped Gotter's neck, bringing his life to a brutal end.
With his revenge exacted, Harry let out a victor's roar. In that moment, the former Wolf King had returned.
The surrounding wolfmen hailed the Wolf King's name.
Bai Qi was not surprised by Harry's victory. Harry's strength had always surpassed Gotter's, and with Bai Qi's magical enhancements, Harry would have been unworthy of recruitment if he had lost.
Now that Harry had won and reclaimed his throne as Wolf King, Bai Qi had also gained over thirty wolfmen subordinates, significantly filling the gap in his lower to mid-level ranks.
Having secured this wolf tribe, Bai Qi was not satisfied. For now, he chose to let the wolfmen operate independently, allowing Harry to gather more wolffolk.
To increase Harry's efficiency, Bai Qi further empowered three wolfmen in the tribe to serve as Harry's deputies and also transferred the Mountain Demon to assist Harry.
The Mountain Demon's greatest drawbacks were its voracious appetite and limited intelligence, but its combat power was undeniable. If well-fed, it could even rival the enhanced Harry.
With the formidable Mountain Demon as an asset, Harry's efforts to rally other wolf tribes would undoubtedly be smoother.
Then there was the current living environment of the wolfmen.
As a wealthy Lord, Bai Qi would not let his subordinates live in squalor. The current farm was in a dismal state, and thirty wolfmen already seemed crowded. Without improvements, there would be no room for any newly recruited wolfmen.
Money could move mountains, and with the tireless help of the Shadow Legion, the farm's area was doubled in just half a day, complete with modern facilities.
However, Bai Qi was not entirely pleased. To better conceal this force, Bai Qi, with ruthless efficiency, directed the ninjas to excavate a massive underground fortress, the size of two football fields, equipped with every conceivable amenity.
Bai Qi's actions had significantly boosted the wolfmen's loyalty. After all, no one wanted to live in a dirty, cramped hovel.
If the wolfmen had previously submitted to Bai Qi out of fear of his might, they were now truly devoted to him.