Unfortunately, the wolf didn't care because not only did it ignore her glare, it even tightened its grip around the rope and increased its pace, causing Xue Yao to stumble forward again.
Her wrists were already beginning to ache, and every step she took made her mood worse. If she had known things would develop to this point, she would have left the white wolf in that cave. No, leaving him there wasn't enough. She should have beaten him with the drumstick a few more times before leaving. Thinking about it now, she felt that she had shown too much kindness.
Xue Yao's mood plummeted further as she glanced at the wolves surrounding her like a wall. The only good part was that she got to walk close to Honghong, who was still dragged along the floor.
Her eyes quickly scanned her body for any sign of injury. She let out a sigh of relief as she didn't see any.
'If only Honghong could shrink back to her small bird size, it wouldn't be difficult to escape with her… but what about my space… I can disappear with her into my space just like those rock rabbits…'
A weak groan suddenly pulled her from her thoughts. Xue Yao immediately turned her head, and when she saw Honghong's eyelids trembling slightly, relief washed through her chest. Although she often complained about the annoying bird, seeing her unconscious body being dragged around had left a knot in her heart that refused to loosen.
"Honghong?" she called out cautiously.
Honghong slowly fluttered her eyes open, her gaze unfocused as she stared at the sky above her. For a moment, she looked completely lost, but the instant her eyes landed on the wolves surrounding them, all the colour drained from her face.
"Xue Yao..." Her voice trembled. "We are finished." She said calmly, as if afraid the wolves would finish her off if she raised her voice.
Xue Yao's brows immediately pulled together. "Can you stop saying things like that? Every time you open your mouth lately, it sounds like you are announcing our funeral."
Honghong looked as though she wanted to cry. "Xue Yao, this is different. The White Moon Wolf Clan is very famous among the beast clans. They are powerful, prideful, territorial, and very vengeful. If they decide they hate someone, they can remember it for decades… no…for millennia." She whispered as invisible cold sweat dripped down her face
The more Honghong spoke, the heavier Xue Yao's heart became.
She slowly lifted her head and looked toward the white wolf walking behind the group. His presence still made the surrounding wolves lower their heads whenever they looked at him.
A sigh escaped her lips. 'Fine, let me try entering my system's space.'
Xue Yao closed her eyes, and with the will of her mind, she tried to move herself and Honghong into her space.
One second passed, and two seconds passed.
She slowly opened her eyes. Her eyes landed on the wolf dragging her, on Honghong, who was still being dragged… Everything was the same as it was a couple of seconds ago.
"Why is it not working?" She muttered under her breath as she frowned.
She closed her eyes tightly again, but nothing happened. She did it again and again, but nothing happened.
Xue Yao let out a frustrated sigh. 'It must be Tian Lan's handiwork. If I get my hands on that little system, I'm going to rip her apart…' She fumed, almost to the point that smoke was coming out of her ears.
'Xue Yao, Xue Yao...' she lamented inwardly. 'You really are your own worst enemy.'
Her mother's face suddenly appeared in her mind.
If Lin Shuying knew what had happened, she would probably beat her first before asking questions later.
The thought almost brought tears to her eyes. She shouldn't have fallen asleep; if she hadn't, she wouldn't be captured now. At least she could listen to her annoying family's voices again and be the little black sheep of the family.
A drop of tear rolled down her cheeks. But she quickly wiped it away.
As they continued travelling, the dense forest gradually began to thin out, and shafts of sunlight slipped through the spaces between the trees. At first, Xue Yao didn't pay much attention to her surroundings because she was too busy worrying about her future, but soon something caught her attention.
A large mountain appeared ahead. She frowned, as she believed it was a dead end.
"Xue Yao, we should run before they open the gate to their village," Honghong whispered.
"I've been thinking of ways to, but I can't find any." Xue Yao replied, unable to hide the frustration in her voice.
"What about the Sticky Smelly Socks?" Honghong tilted her head slightly as she glanced back at the wolves beside her.
"Isn't that what got us to the state we are now?" Xue Yao nodded at the rope binding her hands and the one tied around Honghong.
Honghong let out a defeated sigh.
Soon, one of the wolves stepped forward, his hind legs digging into the soil. It opened its jaw, and a white light burst from its mouth, colliding with a protective invisible shield around the mountain.
The shield parted, rippling, and the wolf stepped forward and placed its hand on the mountain.
Suddenly, a large groan echoed through the air as the mountain began to part.
Xue Yao's mouth almost fell to the ground. It wasn't a mountain, it was a wall. Her heart raced in her chest as she knew it would be almost impossible to get out of there.
'Tian Lan.' She called.
Tian Lan materialised from thin air, swirling softly around before facing her. [Yes, how may I help you?] She said in an unhurried tone.
'Take Honghong and me into your space.' Xue Yao said, her nails digging into her palm.
Tian Lan paused for a moment. [I can't do that.]
'Why?'
[Because as a beast tamer, your specialty is to have as many beasts as you can tame. And this is a good opportunity to have the wolf clan under your control.]
'Screw that, Tian Lan, get me out of here now!'
[I can't offer you any help.] Tian Lan folded her hands across her chest. [Capture the Alpha's heart and you will be safe… and remember, the faster your level grows, the more advantage you will have.]
'You must be kidding…' Xue Yao did not finish her words before Tian Lan disappeared into thin air.