Chapter 135: Black Wind the Tibetan Mastiff

Zhang Can increasingly found himself capable of handling things with ease. To put it less flatteringly, his skin was getting thicker.

He also realized that this newfound composure stemmed from the strengthening of his own internal abilities. Previously, when facing Su Xue, he had been completely at a disadvantage, lacking the strength to resist. Now, however, he naturally felt that he held the upper hand, and Su Xue no longer seemed as formidable to him as she once had.

"Do you want to eat something?" Su Xue asked suddenly after a while. Zhang Can nodded casually. "Sure!"

The danger and disaster had passed, and the pressure in both their hearts had lifted. Although they felt somewhat uneasy about the loss of three lives, these people were strangers to them. Because they were unfamiliar, there was no emotional bond; thus, the sorrow lasted only for a moment before fading away.

At the time, it wasn't that Zhang Can hadn't wanted to save them, but he had been powerless. It was a stroke of luck that he had managed to save his own vehicle; had he hesitated even for a moment, all four of them would have been buried alive in the mudslide.

Seeing that Zhang Can had no objection to eating, Su Xue decided to get up and go out herself. She could have had the dining car staff deliver food, but having nothing better to do, she suddenly felt like moving about.

The staff in the train’s dining car had been instructed by the conductor to provide the highest standard of service to Su Xue and her group. Upon her arrival, they immediately set to work cooking. Su Xue didn't order anything elaborate after checking the menu, just two simple side dishes; the options on the train were nothing compared to a hotel restaurant.

When Su Xue returned to the compartment, Zhang Can noticed two small plates of food and two bottles of Xiao Shi Xian liquor on the tray. He couldn't help but chuckle. "Su Xue, you drink?"

"Rarely. I'm in a good mood today, so I'll have a little. What about you?" Su Xue replied casually, asking him if he wanted some while making it clear she wouldn't pressure him.

Zhang Can nodded. "Alright, a little won't hurt. I don't usually drink either, but having survived such a disaster, a little wine is a good way to calm the nerves, if not to celebrate."

They ate and drank, taking turns with the food and the bottles. Without glasses, they drank straight from the bottles—hardly a graceful sight for a young woman, but Su Xue didn't care.

Zhang Can had a low tolerance for alcohol and rarely drank. Today, with his guard down after the ordeal, a couple of ounces went straight to his head, leaving him feeling hazy. Su Xue’s tolerance was slightly better, but they both ended up tipsy. With no one to stop them, they finished the bottles and both passed out.

It wasn't until a long, shrill whistle from the train jolted them awake. When they opened their eyes, they found themselves wrapped in each other's arms on the sleeper bed. They froze, let out a startled cry, and quickly scrambled apart.

Their heads were spinning, and no matter how hard they tried, they couldn't remember how they had ended up on the bed or why they were embracing. They had no memory of it at all. Fortunately, it was just an embrace, and people sleeping are rarely in control of their actions. They blushed, tacitly agreeing to bury the incident and never mention it again.

When the train reached the station, two soldiers accompanied Zhang Can and Su Xue out to the square, where they met up with Wang Qian, Zhu Shiyuan, and Zhu Senlin.

Upon seeing Wang Qian, Su Xue rushed over and hugged her uncle. Wang Qian patted her head comfortingly before embracing Zhang Can. Zhu Senlin, however, hugged Zhang Can with tears and snot streaming down his face; the ordeal had truly terrified him. He was a veteran of the antique and financial markets, but he had never experienced a life-or-death situation before.

Zhang Can felt indifferent. His previous tension had been purely out of concern for Wang Qian and the others. Now that it was over, he felt even more composed. In fact, he felt a sense of joy, as the danger had triggered a surge in his latent abilities, revealing new, more powerful gifts.

The two soldiers offered a tearful military salute to Zhu Shiyuan, who returned it before saying in a low, firm voice, "I understand, and you understand—our battalion is made of fine men."

Wang Qian felt a pang of guilt. After a moment of silence, he said, "Xiao Zhu, I am truly sorry about this. It all started because of me..."

Zhu Shiyuan immediately snapped into another salute, his voice raised. "This has nothing to do with you, sir. For a soldier, obeying orders is our duty. We are always prepared to carry out missions, and missions naturally carry risks!"

Wang Qian sighed and patted Zhu Shiyuan on the shoulder. He understood soldiers well, but the weight of the situation—which had indeed been triggered by his affairs—was heavy. Among soldiers, the bond of brotherhood was held in the highest regard.

Zhu Shiyuan and his men drove Wang Qian’s group of eleven to Shizhuzi Town on the outskirts of the city. Wang Qian had an old friend there. An hour later, having arrived at the residence, Zhu Shiyuan and his men bid farewell to return to their unit.

Wang Qian’s friend, Zheng Dabao, was of mixed heritage. He was tall, at least six foot two, with a thick, full beard that made him look quite fierce.

Zheng Dabao’s home was a three-story villa with a large, fenced garden, suggesting he was quite wealthy. As the group arrived, Zheng Dabao came out to welcome them, laughing heartily as he embraced Wang Qian.

"Come in, come in!" Zheng Dabao beckoned, pulling Wang Qian toward the yard. As they entered, a low, guttural growl echoed, followed by the clanking of heavy chains.

Zhang Can and the others were startled. At the gate, a massive beast with black, curly hair and a lion-like head stared at them with bright, piercing eyes. It growled deeply, exposing long, white, sharp teeth. It was a Tibetan Mastiff, and judging by its size—nearly as large as a young calf—it would have easily bitten a man’s head off if not for the thick iron chain around its neck.

Wang Qian smiled and introduced it to the group. "This is 'Black Wind,' one of Old Zheng’s three treasures. Don't let its size fool you; it’s incredibly fast. Three years ago, when I first saw it, it was just over a year old. It’s grown quite a bit since. Old Zheng told me that Black Wind once killed seven male wolves all by itself."

Seeing that the group wasn't particularly impressed—mostly because people from the interior had never seen wolves outside of nature documentaries and assumed they were scavengers—Wang Qian continued. "Don't underestimate these wolves. The ones I'm talking about aren't the kind you see on TV that scavenge for scraps. These are wolves from the deep desert—incredibly ferocious and relentless. They are larger, and they hunt in packs. Do you know what old hunters in the Xinjiang desert fear the most?"

Zhang Can smiled. "That goes without saying. You've made your point, Wang Ge—it's those wolves, isn't it?"

Wang Qian nodded. Once they were inside the villa's living room, Zheng Dabao had the seven bodyguards rest in a smaller room while he invited Wang Qian, Su Xue, Zhang Can, and Zhu Senlin to sit in the main parlor.

As Zheng Dabao arranged the hospitality, Wang Qian explained, "The reason desert wolves are so terrifying isn't their individual strength, but their numbers. They move in packs, they know how to surround their prey, and they are fearless. No matter how many are killed, as long as the alpha doesn't retreat, they will attack until the end."

Zheng Dabao’s wife brought out milk tea. In Xinjiang, it was an essential beverage, as common as tea or bottled water in the interior. There was a saying: "Better to go a day without food than a day without milk tea."

The tea was piping hot. As they sat on the carpet around a large cloth spread on the floor, Zheng Dabao’s wife poured the tea. It wasn't served in cups, but in small bowls. Zheng Dabao raised his bowl to Wang Qian and the others. "Wang Ge, please!"

Zhang Can and Zhu Senlin followed suit. The tea was hot, but it had a rich, fragrant aroma with a hint of the gamey scent of livestock and the bitterness of tea. If not for the animal notes, it would have reminded Zhang Can of coffee. After days of train rations, it felt incredibly soothing.

Zhang Can and Zhu Senlin finished their bowls quickly, blowing on the tea as they drank. Before long, their bowls were empty, and Zheng Dabao’s wife immediately refilled them. Zhu Senlin, touched by the hospitality, kept drinking, as did Zhang Can.

Soon, Zhang Can felt a warm current flowing through his body, making him feel completely invigorated. Both men were sweating from the heat of the tea. When they tried to stop, Zheng Dabao’s wife was so quick to refill the bowls that they found it hard to refuse. By the third bowl, they were struggling; the milk tea was so filling that their hunger had completely vanished.

When Zhu Senlin finally set his empty bowl down and insisted, "I'm full!" Zheng Dabao’s wife still reached for the teapot to fill it again, leaving both men stunned.