I was a lord farming, how did I become an emperor?

Chapter 157 A Family of Five

Seeing Rhodes approaching, the white wolf immediately became alert.

The white wolf emitted low growls from deep within its throat, clearly intended to intimidate Rhodes.

But Rod's steps remained steady, and his expression was calm.

“My men have completely surrounded you; they can take your life in a moment.”

"Even if you are a magical beast, you cannot stop the rain of arrows and spears."

Rhodes stared at the white wolf, then pointed to the sky, "And these two wyverns."

As if to coordinate with Rhodes, Frost Thunder flapped its wings and landed, staring at the white wolf from both the front and back.

"Even though they are still fledglings, you definitely can't escape."

The white wolf crouched low, its gaze sharpening.

Rhodes could sense that this guy was gathering his strength.

"But don't be nervous, I just want to have a good talk with you."

A smile suddenly appeared on Rod's face.

"Oh, by the way, can you understand what I'm saying?"

To make sure he wasn't talking to himself, Rhodes asked the white wolf for confirmation.
"If you can, please sit down and let's talk properly."

"If you cannot, then I will now order my men to attack and shoot you."

Luo De's tone remained calm.

But the wolf's hooves behind him sent chills down his spine.

Shoot them if they don't understand?

This is different from what was said before!

“I am raising my hand now. If you do not react before I lower my hand, my men will attack.”

As soon as Rod finished speaking, he immediately raised his hand.

Then slowly lower it down.

The air seemed to freeze, and time seemed to stretch on endlessly at that moment.

"Prepare!"

Rod shouted, and his voice echoed through the valley.

At this moment, all the hunting teams raised their longbows, and their sharp arrows, gleaming with a cold light, were aimed at the white wolf.

The spear-throwing team also raised their spears.

If Rhodes gives the order again, all attacks will instantly engulf the White Wolf.

Even a magical beast cannot withstand the sharp blade enchanted with the Refined Edge.

Wolfhoof, standing behind Rhodes, was on tenterhooks, watching everything unfold before him with bated breath, praying that it wouldn't be the worst possible outcome.

Just as Rhodes was about to place his hand beside him, the white wolf suddenly stopped attacking, gracefully sat down on the ground, and calmly gazed at Rhodes with its icy blue eyes.

"very good."

Rhodes received a satisfactory answer, but his eyes still held surprise.

"You can understand me after all."

Rhodes then asked curiously, "Then can you talk?"

The white wolf stared silently at Rhodes, and finally slowly shook his head.

interesting.

Rhodes suddenly felt very amazed.

Even savages and imperial people need to communicate in a language, but this white wolf beast in front of them can understand their words directly.

Spiritual communication?
That sounds a bit far-fetched.

"Then why can you understand what I'm saying?"

Rhodes asked the white wolf directly.

This time, the white wolf didn't answer; he just stared straight at Rhodes.

Clearly, it had no desire to answer.

However, even if it wanted to answer, it couldn't tell Rhodes.

Rod realized what had happened and stopped dwelling on it.

"Black Pine Ridge, the place you are in now is my territory."

Rhodes changed the subject and said to the white wolf, "Everything here is mine, and I have the final say in everything."

"I don't know if you understand, but similar to the customs of your monster territories, this is a rule of the nobility in the Shattered Rock Empire."

"If you were just an ordinary wild animal, I could treat you as prey, either hunting you down or letting you roam freely."

Rhodes looked the white wolf over and continued:
"But you are a magical beast now, a magical beast that can understand human speech, so I can treat you like a human."

"To get along in a better way."

Rhodes felt his monotonous talking was getting a bit repetitive, so he reminded the white wolf...
"Nod if you understand."

The white wolf pondered for a moment, then slowly nodded.

Whether it was his eyes playing tricks on him or not, Rhodes even saw a hint of elegance.

"Great, I'm very happy to hear that."

Rod smiled and leaned against a flat rock, casually pulling out some jerky from his pocket.

"Would you like to try a couple of bites? It's not wolf meat."

As he spoke, Rod shook the jerky in his hand.

White Wolf nodded.

Rhodes tossed the jerky directly to the white wolf, who caught it deftly and chewed it slowly.

The man and the wolf ate while silently gazing at each other, creating an atmosphere of strange harmony.

"You're not afraid I'll poison you?"

A slight smile played on Rhodes' lips.
"Since you can understand it, I'll just say it directly."

"You can work for me, and I will provide you with a stable diet."

"Simply put, I have a team under my command who like to live and fight alongside wolves."

Rod stepped aside and pointed to Wolfhoof and his Steppenwolf behind him.

Wolfhoof's Wild Wolf was an alpha wolf, but in front of the white wolf, it was as timid as a three-year-old girl, standing next to Wolfhoof and not daring to look directly at the white wolf.

"You should understand that their current wolf companions are too weak; they're just ordinary wild beasts."

"I want to make this team stronger, and the wolves stronger too."

"And you just happen to be that kind of powerful wolf-type magical beast."

"Your bloodline can strengthen the wolves under my command."

"Your job is simple: sleep with some female wolves and have litters of wolf pups."

"Occasionally, they would provide me with some white wolf blood so I could concoct potions that could mutate the wasteland wolves..."

Before Rhodes could finish speaking, the white wolf suddenly stood up.

Well--

A low growl came from the white wolf's throat again. Its lips curled up, revealing sharp fangs, and its eyes also became somewhat sharp.

"Hmm, you seem a little unhappy."

Rod frowned, somewhat puzzled.

What are you dissatisfied with?

"To enslave your bloodline?"

Rhodes asked tentatively, then explained, "You've misunderstood. The Wolfhooves tribe are partners with wolves, not slaves."

"They even ate and slept with the wolves, as if they were their own family."

The white wolf didn't seem satisfied with Rhodes' explanation and was still baring its teeth.

"Is that your blood?"

Rod frowned. "Don't worry, the blood I draw will replenish your body, and you can eat as much meat as you want."

The white wolf still did not sit down.

"Then what are you dissatisfied with? It's your offspring. Whether you raise them or we raise them, it's the same thing."

Rhodes felt somewhat irritated looking at the white wolf.

"You're just baring your teeth. I know you're unhappy, but why aren't you happy? Can you give me a reason?"

"Never mind, I just wanted to collaborate with you."

“I think you can understand, so I chose to come out and discuss this with you properly.”

"But I'm not giving you a choice."

Rhodes' tone suddenly turned cold, and his gaze towards the white wolf sharpened.

"I can provide you with a superior and comfortable environment so that you can survive, start a family, and live a good life."

"You help me build a powerful White Wolf team, and we'll benefit each other."

"But if you don't comply, then I can only turn you into nutrients to feed the other wasteland wolves, hoping they can evolve a bloodline like yours."

Rod said without any hesitation.

The atmosphere in the valley tensed up again. The white wolf stared at Rhodes, his icy blue eyes seeming to be in deep thought.

After several seconds of silence, the white wolf suddenly retracted its fangs.

Then, to everyone's surprise, it bent down and picked up the wild deer it had previously hunted, continuing to drag it forward, seemingly ignoring Rhodes's threat completely.

Rhodes was stunned for a moment.
"What does this mean?"

Do as you please, whether you want to kill or torture me.

"Holy Lord, should we... take action?"

Wolf Hoof asked cautiously.

Wolfhoof liked the white wolf very much, but the Holy Lord's disregard was an offense.

If Rhodes orders the execution, then he must obey.

To Wolfhoof's surprise, Rhodes shook his head.

"Don't make a move yet."

Rhodes watched the white wolf's departing figure.

The white wolf could understand what he was saying, but left leisurely without any guard up, seemingly not wanting to be hostile.

"Follow it."

Rod took the lead and followed.

He had only taken two steps when he suddenly stopped, as if he had just realized something.

The fact that this white wolf is so determined to drag the food back to its den suggests that there are other wolves in the den.

Should the white wolf go back and discuss it with his tribe?
It seems there's more than one white wolf.

Rod's lips curled into a smile, and he immediately quickened his pace to catch up with the white wolf.

"Hey, are you a male wolf or a female wolf?"

Rhodes' question went unanswered by the white wolf, who continued dragging its prey forward.

"You're going too slowly. Let my men carry it."

After speaking, the white wolf paused for a moment.

It then released its prey, nodded its head, and pointed ahead with its nose.

Rhodes understood; this guy meant, "Okay, let's move on."

This guy is way too smart, isn't he?
Rhodes had a strange feeling that the white wolf was like a human.

Rhodes waved his hand, and Wolf Hoof behind him stepped forward to pull the wild deer off the ground and carry it on his back.

The white wolf strolled ahead leisurely, as aloof as a wolf from the north.

It really is.

Rhodes quickened his pace to catch up with the white wolf.

Guided by the white wolf, the group soon saw a dark cave entrance at the end of the valley, which stood out conspicuously against the white snow.

As they approached the cave, the white wolf blocked the path of the wasteland wolf in front of Wolf Hoof, shook its head, and then looked at Rhodes.

"You mean you don't want him and his wolves to go in, right?" Rhodes asked.

The white wolf was willing to lead the way, but now it's blocking Wolf Hoof's path, so it probably means that it only allows Rhodes to go in.

The white wolf's head bobbed up and down, agreeing with Rhodes's words.

"give it to me."

Rhodes waved to Wolfhoof.

"Holy Lord, would you like to go in yourself?"

Wolf Hoof nervously watched the white wolf, and couldn't help but reach for the axe at his waist.

The white wolf's face remained calm.

“It’s alright. Since it’s willing to lead us to the cave entrance, it won’t be foolish enough to try to kill me. Otherwise, it and its people in the cave wouldn’t have survived either.”

Rhodes looked at the white wolf. "Right?"

White Wolf understood the meaning behind Rhodes' words and nodded.

Trust is mutual.

Rod took the deer from Wolfhoof's hands.
"Let's go."

The white wolf turned around and continued on its way, with Rhode following behind into the cave.

The cave was spacious and clean, without any feces or urine stains, unlike what one would expect from a wolf.

Where are your kinsmen?

Rhodes scanned the cave but did not see any other white wolves.

The white wolf walked to the corner of the cave, raised its paws to pry open the rocks above, revealing the cave inside.

Rod then discovered that there was another cave with an even smaller entrance inside.

In the dim light, Rod saw a mother wolf lying quietly on a haystack, with three furry wolf cubs nestled beside her.

A family of five.

However, the female wolf in front of us was not entirely silver-white like the white wolf.

Her fur was a dark gray base color, making her look like a Steppenwolf, but she was no smaller than a white wolf.

It looks like a mutated Steppenwolf.

When the mother wolf saw Rhodes appear at the cave entrance, she immediately bared her sharp fangs and let out a low warning growl from deep in her throat.

She tried her best to get up, but after a long struggle, she couldn't stand up and could only lie there half-lying down, breathing heavily and rapidly.

She was clearly very weak.

The white wolf crouched low and slipped into the cave, then lowered its head and gently licked the mother wolf's forehead and neck with its tongue, its movements soft and delicate.

Rhodes could see concern and love in those icy blue eyes.

The mother wolf gradually relaxed under the white wolf's comforting presence and lay down again.

Rhodes looked at the mother wolf and her cubs, and understood.

As I guessed, there was indeed a white wolf's concern in this cave, but I didn't expect it to be a cub.

Because wolves typically breed in late winter and early spring, and after more than two months of gestation, they give birth to wolf cubs.

When the cubs are born, it will be springtime when the temperature is warming up, and the cubs will have a higher survival rate.

Furthermore, spring is also the breeding season for other prey, allowing the mother wolf to obtain more food while nursing her young.

Judging from the current situation, this wolf couple clearly mated in late autumn and then had their cubs born at this time.

However, it's normal that the white wolf, as a magical beast, is different from other wolves.

After all, the white wolf is not afraid of the cold, so it doesn't matter when it reproduces.

"But this giant wolf might not be immune to the cold..."

Of these three cubs, only one was silver-white, while the others had gray fur with a few strands of silver.

Rhodes pondered this in his mind, then suddenly realized something.

No wonder the white wolf wanted to leave the Icefield Mountains.

The Icefield Mountains are already cold, and in winter they become extremely frigid.

The white wolf can get used to it, but this giant wolf will probably have a hard time adapting.

And these cubs are even more so.

"Alright, let your wife serve the food."

Rod threw the deer around the corner.

He wouldn't go inside; the she-wolf's brown eyes remained fixed on Rhodes, showing no sign of letting up.

Rhodes could understand; out of instinct, a mother wolf after giving birth would be hostile to everyone.

Rhodes casually found a rock to sit on, and waited for the white wolf to drag its prey into the inner cave before speaking leisurely.
"Since you brought me here on your own initiative, it means you're willing to cooperate with me, right?"

The white wolf nodded, then shook his head.

"What do you mean by that?" Rod frowned.

The white wolf got up, walked outside the cave, and chose a clean, white patch of snow.

Then it raised its wolf paw and scratched at it.

Rod walked forward with a puzzled look, staring at the crooked patterns on the snow, and couldn't help but read them aloud.

"Cooperation is possible, but I will never be a male wolf for breeding."

"I have a family, and I love my wife deeply."

"I can give you my blood."

Looking at the words on the snow, Rod couldn't help but smile.

"You, a wolf, don't need to be so devoted."

As soon as he finished speaking, Rhodes suddenly stared wide-eyed at the white wolf.

How do you know the Imperial script?

The white wolf sighed as if it were a human, shook the snow off its paws, and slowly wrote down...

"curse."

(End of this chapter)