RAAHC 33

Chapter 33 

So, in the fourth generation, he became an orphan with no known relatives. When he was still a baby, he was placed on a raft and sent downstream. It was his reclusive master who found him in the woods and brought him back.

The master was a peculiar middle-aged man with hair as white as snow, his face covered in wrinkles like the bark of ancient trees. He had a multitude of them, and when he smiled, the folds could trap mosquitoes. His moods were unpredictable, but he never resorted to violence, only to acupuncture.

In his earlier years, he didn’t understand what that was. It was only as he grew older that he realized it was “medical skill.”

The master was a healer, spending his entire life dealing with herbs. He carried a lingering bitterness with him at all times. His hands, young and strong despite his appearance, were steady and unwavering. When he inserted needles, there was no trembling, as if he had been born to do this.

When he was nine years old, the master started to have trouble seeing things clearly. At first, he thought his master was just growing old. It wasn’t until the master couldn’t taste the lack of salt in the food he cooked one day that he realized his master was ill.

A healer couldn’t heal himself. The master’s health deteriorated day by day until one day, lying in bed, he asked out of the blue, “Do you want to learn medicine?”

He nodded. He wanted his master to live a better life, and there was no other reason.

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Mbl xypvla vwadle bkp blye, alhlyzkdt pbyar lulp yxkepv bkp tayu byka, yp kq bl nswze rklanl vbaswtb vbl ekx zktbv yde kdvs bkp blyav.

“Ohld kq usw xwpv plhla lxsvksdp yde zshl yp y blyzla sq swa nzyd?”

Mbl hsknl, ytle ulv rsolaqwz, alpsdyvle zkjl y vlxrzl clzz kd vbl dsv-ps-prynkswp assx. Tl oyp vyjld ycynj cwv lhldvwyzzu dseele.

Mbl xypvla pktble. “Usxl blal… tkhl xl uswa byde.”

Tl nsxrzkle, qllzkdt y pzktbv rykd kd bkp qkdtlavkrp yp psxlvbkdt rklanle vbaswtb bkp pjkd yde qzlpb, nywpkdt bkx vs kdpvkdnvkhlzu qzkdnb.

Gqvla lhlauvbkdt oyp esdl, vbl xypvla’p hsknl talo bsyapla, yp kq bl bye ytle vld ulyap kd yd kdpvydv.

“Gzz vbl plnalvp sq swa nzyd… yal pvsale kd vbl bkeeld nsxryavxldvp sq vbl pvweu. Rq usw’al kdvlalpvle, usw nyd vyjl y zssj… kv’p psxlvbkdt R’x zlyhkdt clbkde.”

Ekvb vbyv, bl nzsple bkp lulp yde alxykdle pkzldv.

Not long after that, his master passed away. In his final moments, his master whispered a name he had never heard before before taking his last breath.

He took care of his master’s affairs, which essentially meant finding a serene spot in the picturesque countryside, digging a hole by the hillside, and burying him. He used a small knife used for processing medicinal herbs to carve a plaque and placed it there.

If there was anything worth pondering, it was that he discovered his master’s face was a mask. Underneath the wrinkled, elderly visage was the face of a middle-aged man… at most in his forties. He wondered if this counted as dying young. But now that his master was gone, there was no point in dwelling on it.

All he could do was guard the stack of medical books his master had left behind and slowly transform their contents into his own knowledge.

And so, in the blink of an eye, ten years passed.

During these ten years, he learned to live on his own, venturing down to the nearby small town for daily supplies and learning which herbs could be harvested and what could be sold for profit.

In his master’s small library, he found a few silver notes. They weren’t of great denomination, but they were enough to last an ordinary family a lifetime. He didn’t attach much value to these worldly possessions. He understood that money could buy many things, including… people.

Yes, people.

One day, as he was descending the mountain to buy some miscellaneous items as usual, he unexpectedly passed by a marketplace. In the center of the square was a tall cage, and inside it was a raggedy-looking person.

The person wasn’t very old, perhaps just a teenager, but at this moment, he was imprisoned in the iron cage like an animal, with heavy shackles on all four limbs and scars covering his entire body. The only remarkable feature about him was his unique eyes, which were a wild shade of green, and they were currently glaring menacingly, radiating a sinister aura as if they were laced with poison, capable of delivering a fatal blow with just a gaze.

He didn’t know why, but he found himself strangely drawn to this scene. He stood at the outer edge of the crowd, listening to the seller’s enthusiastic pitch for this “merchandise.”

“This is a child raised by wolves, untamed and wild. But to ensure he doesn’t harm his future employer, we’ve used the strongest chains and drugs to control him. And don’t judge him by his current state. Once he’s cleaned up, that face, that figure… oh, you won’t be disappointed.” The seller clucked his tongue, inciting some lewd laughter from the audience. The lascivious glances of those around him made him feel slightly uncomfortable. He furrowed his brow in disgust and discreetly sprinkled some powdered medicine from his sleeve onto their clothes.

With his master’s eccentric temperament, it was only natural that he would raise a disciple with unpredictable emotions. He was a man who followed his own rules, lacking any moral compass of good and evil, seeking only his own pleasure.

So, on a whim, he bought the child, using up the savings left by his master.

However, there was still an unexpected turn of events when he opened the cell door… The guy who should have been weakened by the medicine suddenly sprang up, his sharp white teeth sinking into his arm. A sharp pain followed, but he didn’t even blink. Amidst the gasps of onlookers, he gently tapped the back of the youth’s neck, and suddenly, those deep green eyes widened, but his body went limp and fell into his arms.

Even as he lost consciousness, the man continued to cling to him, like a small beast refusing to let go.

The teeth had already sunk into his flesh, leaving a bloody mess. He struggled for a while, but couldn’t get the guy to release his grip. He finally had to remove the man’s jaw, freeing his arm.

When he returned to the mountain with the unconscious youth, it was already late in the day. He casually gathered some wild grains and fruits to fill his stomach. He then removed the shackles on the youth’s limbs and replaced them with silver needles for acupressure.

Once everything was done, he slept soundly. When he opened his eyes, he was met with a fierce face. The little wolf cub must have woken up at some point, realizing he couldn’t move. He glared at him with all his might, and upon awakening, he even grinned, baring sharp white teeth.

The two of them shared a bed, albeit with a gap in between. He slowly got up and ran his fingers through the youth’s dirty hair. “Stare at me again, and I’ll pluck your eyeballs out.”

At first, the youth seemed taken aback, but then he let out a hoarse laugh. “Try it… without them… I’m worthless…” Every word seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth, and his accent was quite unfamiliar, indicating that he didn’t speak much.

However, this small exchange piqued his interest. He carried the youth to a nearby stream and gave him a bath. The youth was covered in various wounds – burns, whip marks – and with the bruises, they didn’t stand out much against his tanned skin. But when touched, the youth would make pained gasps.

In the end, he was just a child… He didn’t have much sympathy in him, but his movements became gentler. He was splashed with water while washing the youth’s hair.

The troublemaker lay on the shore, completely naked, with wet, long hair cascading down his back. His limbs were punctured with silver needles sealing acupoints, rendering him immobile. All he could do was glare at him, a mocking smile playing on his lips.

“Spineless scum.”

These three words were pronounced clearly, indicating that he wasn’t one to hold back… He chuckled. “Got anything else? Speak up, I’m listening.”

Perhaps he had teased too much, but the youth exploded like an enraged cat, spewing out a string of foul words. He listened, all the while lifting the youth’s wet hair and wringing it dry. He then used a towel he had brought along to wrap the youth up and held him close.

The youth was too thin; his ribs were clearly visible in front. It didn’t take much effort to carry him back to the room. Once he laid him flat on the bed, he applied some wound-healing ointment on him.

A strong medicinal scent permeated the room as he worked. The youth wrinkled his nose in disgust, about to struggle, but he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his waist. Caught off guard, he let out a cry of pain before biting down on his own lip, refusing to utter a word.

“Hold on, if you don’t knead the blood stasis away, your waist will be ruined,” he said, pressing a few more times. By the time it was over, the man was drenched in sweat, panting heavily.

He removed the needles from the youth’s limbs and fetched one of his own robes to drape over him. He looked at the lengthened piece of fabric. “We’ll get you some proper clothes… Oh!”

The youth, who had seemed on the brink of death, suddenly pounced on him, pinning him down on the table behind them. The medicine jar spilled all over the floor.

This little troublemaker… he thought, but he was being choked, making it difficult to breathe. In his blurred vision, all he could see were the man’s eyes, blazing with excitement as if he were about to devour prey. Yet, he didn’t feel fear.

After all, he was just an inexperienced cub, his teeth hadn’t even fully grown. How could he compete?

So, without hesitation, he inserted the silver needle he had in his hand into the man’s body. He took advantage of the moment when the youth released his grip in pain to stand up. With three or four quick moves, he sealed off the pressure points. Then he gasped for breath and glared back at the youth, who lay sprawled on the bed.

After a moment, when the stifling feeling in his chest had completely dissipated, he slowly straightened his posture, looking down at the young wolf he had purchased. He said coldly, “If you try that again, you’ll be lying down for the rest of your life.”

Perhaps because the pain from earlier had not completely subsided, he saw a hint of fear flash through those deep green eyes, quickly concealed by stubbornness.

Over the next three months, the same thing happened two more times. He would tie the youth up like a hedgehog and lock him to the bed for a full half month. Only after another needle treatment did the youth involuntarily shiver.

This seemed to make him behave much better. He considered finding a helper like his master did, but this little wolf’s nose was sharp. Basically, once he smelled a medicinal herb, he could find it again in the mountains. Although sometimes, the youth would glare at him with deep-seated resentment… what difference did it make?

He had figured it out; this was just an ungrateful little white-eyed wolf. If you treated him well, he doubted you, if you treated him badly, he resented you. In the end, he was simply unpredictable, and there was no distinction.

Rather than being kind to him, he decided to play along with his own temperament, toying with him from time to time. It made the youth feel on edge, and oddly, he behaved better.

Actually, he couldn’t blame the youth for being so sensitive. Raised by wild beasts since childhood, then captured by hunters and passed around among human traffickers for several years… He tried to put himself in the youth’s shoes and looked into those green, eerie eyes that seemed capable of devouring people.

Feeling mischievous, he reached out and touched the youth’s face. It was true that the little wolf cub had grown into a decent-looking young man. When he was emaciated, it wasn’t easy to notice, but now that he had gained some weight, the beginnings of a handsome visage were evident.

He thought as he quickly withdrew his finger before the person could bite him. He casually ran his hand through his hair and said, “Have you bitten all your previous owners to death?”

The young man spat on the ground and replied, “Those beasts…” After cursing, he stared at him with intense eyes, as if saying, “You might be next.”

He quite liked the wildness in the other person’s nature – straightforward and unreserved, emotions clear as day. There was a unique transparency to it.

So, he gently stroked the young wolf’s head again. When the young wolf attempted to bite him, he firmly held onto the teeth and skillfully unhooked the person’s jaw.

The young wolf had two sharp fangs, which would sometimes peek out when he smiled, sparkling and oddly adorable.

However, the biting force was far beyond that of an ordinary person. The bite mark on his wrist still remained, and if this bite had connected, it would have torn a piece of flesh away.

“I treat you like a human; you should show some human decency as well, as if you’re afraid I don’t know about your sharp teeth,” he said lightly, wiping away the saliva at the corner of the other’s mouth and adjusting the jaw back in place. “From today, I’ll call you… Hmmm, Lang should  do, the ‘Lang’ in ‘Langzhong’.”

He wasn’t particularly skilled in many things, having only studied a few medical books in his lifetime. Naturally, he derived the name from familiar characters: “Lang” for a person and “Lang” for a beast, distinct but connected.

The young one seemed to understand something. There was a flicker of light in his eyes, but he only fiercely rubbed his stiff jaw and gave him a glare, not saying another word.

Although he had a name now, he didn’t use it often. Most of the time, it was just “kid,” and watching the person bristle with anger was quite amusing.

He had lived on this mountain for nearly twenty years, and there had been his master’s company before. After his master had passed away, he hardly spoke at all. If it weren’t for the occasional trips down the mountain to replenish supplies, he might have become like this young one… With that thought, he beckoned for the other to bring him a glass of water, thinking of saying something nice. However, when he felt the hostile gaze, he swallowed his words.

…Forget it, he took a sip of water, not wasting his breath.

One day, the two of them went up the mountain to collect herbs. Due to recent rain, the soil was wet and slippery. The young one lost his footing and tumbled down the slope, covered in mud.

He had always been somewhat afraid of heights, so he gritted his teeth and slowly made his way down, holding onto tree trunks for support. His legs were still trembling when he reached the bottom.

The young man lay in the dirt and mud, covered in grime. His clothes were torn from the rocks, and he had scratches all over his body. He sat down panting, wanting to check on the young one but was suddenly pushed down with great force. His head hit a rock, causing a sharp pain. Then, he felt the person fiercely biting his throat, forcing him to tilt his head back, squinting at the sky above.

His heart was racing, and the tension from their descent down the mountain still hadn’t completely faded. His hands were trembling, so he didn’t dare to make any sudden moves.

The sharp pain from the wound forced him to stay alert. He struggled to speak, “If I die, you’ll go back to the way things were before… Your eye color is too unique, and you don’t have any background. The people down the mountain… they won’t let you off.”

He said these words intermittently, feeling the other’s strength slightly relax. He finally breathed a sigh of relief, “Come down now. I don’t have the energy to punish you anymore… I know your leg is broken; let me take a look.”

He knew he must be panting, and his face was probably redder than usual. He looked somewhat disheveled. So, the young wolf watched him like he was examining his prey’s current state, taking a while before responding, “You’re different from them.”

The young man no longer had that accent when he spoke; every word was clear, “They treated me poorly, and I could tell. But you, I can’t tell. In a wolf pack, we decide dominance through biting… and now, you’ve lost. You should… submit to me.”

He was momentarily taken aback, then he laughed. It triggered his neck wound, and fresh blood flowed.

He wiped the blood from his neck with his hand and took out a pill he carried with him, crushed it, and applied it to the wound. Then, he tore a piece of his clothing to use as a makeshift bandage, wrapping it around the wound.

When the young man didn’t get a response, he made an impatient snorting sound. The young man’s nose nuzzled against his chest, and he forcibly lifted his head by grabbing his hair, saying, “Look at me.”

The other’s hot breath sprayed near, and the young man’s expression turned somewhat fierce, like a young beast threatening its prey with bared teeth… strangely cute.

Thinking this, he suddenly leaned in and kissed the furrowed brow of the young man. As expected, he saw the other’s expression freeze, and a deep blush spread from his neck to the tips of his ears. He jerked his head back in pain when he accidentally touched his injured ankle, breaking out in a sweat.

This made him even happier. He squatted in front of the young man, looking down at him from above. “So, you still want me to submit, hmm?”

The other’s eyes were red now, and he tried to pounce again but was swiftly acupunctured by him, immobilized.

“I gave you a name, not to turn you back into a wild animal,” he said calmly, extending his hand to touch the injured ankle. He gently prodded the joint; luckily, it wasn’t broken, just sprained and swollen. “Submission between people is not achieved through violence or biting, it’s here.” He pointed to the young man’s fluctuating chest. “And here.”

With that, he bent down, carrying the young man on his back, and swayed his way back home.

By the time they finally reached home, he was exhausted. He threw the young man onto the bed and began panting. When he looked up, he saw the other still staring at him, and he smirked, saying, “What are you looking at? Do I need to throw you into the ravine for you to calm down?”

With that, he couldn’t be bothered to explain anything further to the young, defiant wolf. After resting for a while, he proceeded to tend to the young man’s leg. Although it was just a sprain, he made it look like a severe injury. Because the cast was quite heavy, the young man had been unusually calm for over a month, rarely speaking to him. Instead, he kept to himself, lost in his thoughts.

He did notice, however, that the young man was learning new things at a much faster pace. For this reason, he went out of his way to buy a few sets of children’s books as gifts and took the young man with him on his trips down the mountain. At the beginning, the young man would bite anyone he saw, and each time, he had to acupuncture him and bring him back. Eventually, he grew impatient and said, “If you really want someone dead, just let me know. I promise they’ll vanish without a trace, better than you resorting to murder in broad daylight.”

The young man hesitated for a moment and then retorted fiercely, “I’m not your pet! I’m definitely not your slave!”

“No one wants to control you; it’s just that you’re weak and easily leave evidence that can implicate me,” he replied, ignoring the growing agitation in the young man’s demeanor. He continued sternly, “If you want to be a beast instead of a person, you can leave my house right now, go wherever you please. But if you still want to be a person, then behave and obey.”

He added, “I’ll provide for you, teach you everything I know, and when you grow up, you’ll have to repay me for all of this—however you see fit. I want you to understand that this is a transaction, so you don’t need to doubt anything, nor do you owe me anything.” He paused for a moment, noticing the skepticism in the young man’s eyes gradually fading, as if he had finally uncovered some truth, accompanied by a hint of irony and mockery.

This was an untamed wolf, he thought – one that couldn’t be tamed with kindness. All he could do was reward with a whip and a treat.

“You’re just like them, after all,” the young man, raised by wolves, remarked with bitterness. “Humans truly are not good creatures.”

“You’re right about that,” he chuckled. “So, I’m in the process of turning you into a human.”