"Whoosh!"
A black shadow flashed by, and countless branches and leaves were bent by the strong wind it created.
Yu Jin had walked the path from Whispering Woods to Springvale many times, which was why he dared to run at full speed.
Otherwise, if he did that in an unfamiliar place, he would always end up in some inexplicable locations.
Yu Jin had been beaten many times because of this, but he never learned his lesson. Because those who beat him, he had killed them all.
Soon, the familiar windmill of Springvale appeared in Yu Jin's sight.
"Draff! Come out! I've taken your commission!" Yu Jin arrived in Springvale, waving the commission paper in his hand and shouting.
"Ah! Is it Mr. Yu Jin? A pleasure to finally meet you." Under Yu Jin's loud voice, a man with beast ears on his head soon walked over.
"The pleasure is mine," Yu Jin said, shaking Draff's hand, and his first sentence almost choked him.
"Ha… haha, it's truly my honor to be noticed by Mr. Yu Jin," Draff clearly understood Yu Jin's temperament and quickly responded.
"You were attacked by wolves? Aren't you Hunters?" Yu Jin got straight to the point, throwing out the doubts in his mind.
"Uh… that's true, but… it's probably not quite what you're thinking."
Draff scratched his head, seemingly unsure how best to explain. He organized his thoughts, then said:
"Actually, calling it an attack isn't entirely accurate. A forest far from our town was burned down by a mountain fire."
"So the boundaries between hunting grounds and hunting territories got mixed up. A fellow from our town wandered into the wolves' territory and got scared…"
"Wait? Hunting grounds? Hunting territories? Is there a difference?" Yu Jin interrupted Draff, asking curiously.
Hunting and hunting, aren't they the same thing?
"Mr. Yu Jin doesn't know. In the area from Springvale to Wolvendom, besides us humans, there are also wolves."
"Wolves? If it's just wolves, they shouldn't pose a threat to you, right?"
"It's different. The wolves of Wolvendom are smart and never actively attack humans, as long as you don't step into their territory."
"They are like… like people," Draff said after thinking for a moment.
As the most respected and oldest Hunter in Springvale, Draff had witnessed the wolves of Wolvendom hunting.
Strategies, feigning weakness… all sorts of schemes that didn't seem like something animals could devise were fully displayed by the wolf packs of Wolvendom.
They were Hunters for humans, and they were Hunters for wolves.
"So, what's this about needing someone who can speak wolf language in your commission?" Yu Jin nodded. He had also seen intelligent wolves before, so it wasn't surprising.
"To negotiate with the wolf pack to redefine the boundaries. Not only have our people wandered into the wolves' territory, but wolves have also come into ours."
As Draff spoke, a worried expression appeared on his face. It was still fine now, no bleeding, but he didn't want to drag it out any longer.
If someone or a wolf really died, that would be a huge problem.
On the human side, there were the Knights of Favonius and Vision wielders. But the wolves were not to be underestimated; among them were giant wolves several meters tall.
If a fight really broke out in the deep mountains and old forests, it would be hard to say who would win or lose.
So Draff wanted to quickly define the boundaries to prevent any incidents.
"You can't speak wolf language, so how were the boundaries set before?" Yu Jin found a blind spot.
"It was passed down from our ancestors."
Draff's single sentence silenced Yu Jin.
"Alright, alright, take me there, I'll help you negotiate!" After roughly understanding the situation, Yu Jin waved his hand, finding it quite troublesome.
He wasn't very good at this kind of negotiation.
"Good, good, good!" Draff breathed a sigh of relief seeing Yu Jin's confident demeanor. These past few days, he hadn't slept well or eaten properly.
He had just been drinking all day.
Actually, this wasn't so bad; his daughter hadn't scolded him for drinking these past few days.
Perhaps she knew he was troubled inside.
"Young men, grab your gear and follow me, we're going to talk to the wolf pack!" After confirming Yu Jin's help, Draff began to shout for people.
Actually, not shouting for people was fine too; the main thing was to have enough momentum. If it was just two of them against a large crowd, their morale would be diminished before even starting negotiations.
Draff's voice was quite loud, and soon, the somewhat quiet Springvale became noisy.
Young Hunters put on their leather armor and, with hunting bows on their backs, gradually gathered around Draff.
However, among the group of young adults, there was one exception.
It was a pink-haired little girl with cat ears. At this moment, she had a serious expression, looking like a little adult.
"Diona, why are you here? Go back quickly, what are children getting involved in?" Draff looked at his daughter and immediately waved his hand, wanting her to go back.
"I'm not little anymore! And, I have a Vision! If you get injured, I can even help heal you."
Diona wasn't afraid of her father at all; instead, she bared her teeth and argued forcefully.
"Let this little one come along, trust me, it'll be fine!" Yu Jin said to Draff, looking at Diona who was really bristling like a kitten.
"This… alright, I'll trust Mr. Yu Jin." Draff looked at Yu Jin, then at his angry daughter, felt guilty, and agreed.
He didn't know why, but whenever Diona got angry, he would get scared. Draff and Diona's positions were completely opposite to their relationship.
"Alright, let's go! Let me see the wolf pack of Wolvendom!" Yu Jin saw that everyone was ready, so he waved his hand, eager to start.
The wolves of Wolvendom, as Draff said, would actively avoid humans. So even though Yu Jin roamed all over Mondstadt, he had only seen the wolves of Wolvendom a few times.
"Good! Let's go! Once this matter is resolved, we can hunt with peace of mind!" Draff was also infected by Yu Jin's enthusiasm.
He also waved his hand like Yu Jin, then led everyone out of Springvale and deeper into Wolvendom.
Wolvendom was a rare rugged area in Mondstadt, with crisscrossing ravines and countless dense forests and thick vines growing within.
If one wasn't careful, they might step into an empty space and fall into a ravine. At best, they would sprain their legs; at worst, they would die instantly.
Of course, this was only if one was traveling alone. With many people, no hardships or obstacles could stop their progress.
Such was the case with Yu Jin and his group. A group of experienced Hunters navigated the dense forest, clearing weeds and recognizing directions.
Although troublesome, everyone was still moving at a considerable pace.
After an unknown amount of time, the unchanging green before their eyes finally changed.
A charred area appeared before everyone's eyes—it seemed that was the burned forest Draff had mentioned.
"Sigh~, why are we so unlucky? Wolvendom never had mountain fires before," Draff said helplessly, covering his forehead as he looked at the burned forest land.
Yu Jin looked at the forest, some parts turned to charcoal, others merely blackened, and he finally understood why someone would trespass into wolf territory.
This pitch-black area, if you walked even a little further in, you would probably get disoriented.
Just like the Damselette not far away.
"Ah! Wolves!" A vigorous shout came from afar, but there was no panic in her tone, rather some excitement.
"Hehe, the wolves of Wolvendom, I wonder what they taste like." If Yu Jin was unsure before, now the Damselette was definitely excited.
Because Yu Jin could almost see her drooling.
"Quick! Stop her!" The Damselette's shout was loud, and Draff clearly heard her words.
Subsequently, a large crowd of figures surrounded the Damselette, making her pause in surprise.
The Damselette looked up and saw Yu Jin and Draff leading the group. Then, as if remembering something, her small face immediately fell.
She pulled the raccoon-like creature behind her, clasped her hands together, and said:
"I'm sorry! Don't catch me! I didn't mean to!"
The small sapling in her hand was still trembling, clanking against Yu Jin's armor.
-------------------------------
I've already uploaded 30 chapters of this story on Patreon!
If you enjoy it, come check out the latest chapters in advance.
Here's the link:
[patreon.com/Greyhounds]
Thank you so much for your support!!
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"