Wolf Guard Ari galloped into the distance, his hooves leaving a trail of uneven prints in the snow. Will watched his back, lost in thought.

He hasn't been with me long, but he's meticulous—never made a single mistake. During the fierce battle at Wolf Fort, my legs went numb and I couldn't stand; Ari carried me out of the encirclement…

Will stood before snow-draped ancient trees, his figure as straight as a pine. Opposite him, three hundred fully armed Wolf Riders stood at attention. Their warhorses pawed softly at the snow, making a quiet, rhythmic sound, waiting for their king's order to march into the unknown.

Ari won't betray me…

The Wolf King turned slowly and commanded another Wolf Guard, Aken, who waited nearby: "Go to Wolf Fort at once. Deliver my order—all warriors remaining there are to assemble and march to Nightfall Peak in the Wolf God Mountains!"

"Yes!" Aken stepped forward and took the iron knife-shaped token from Will's hand, the symbol of the Wolf King's Command.

"Wait!" Just as Aken mounted his horse, Will called him back.

"What other orders do you have, my lord?"

"Bring the human captive, Shao Si, with you to Nightfall Peak." Will said.

"Yes!" Aken bowed to the Wolf King, then galloped off in the opposite direction of Ari, adding another trail of prints to the snow.

Aken isn't just my guard—he takes care of my daily life. His roasted meat is my favorite. He can't be the mole; if he wanted to harm me, he'd have poisoned my food long ago. Who could the mole Blood Moon Apostle mentioned be? Will shook his head with a bitter smile and looked up at the night sky. The Blood Moon seemed to have grown a little larger. The great battle is coming—I must eliminate the hidden danger quickly!

Just then, he heard the clatter of running footsteps. Looking toward the sound, he saw a pack of werewolves rushing over from the side. Leading them was a wolf with two crisscross scars on his face—his chief Wolf Guard, Wolfe.

Wolfe, you failed again!

As the pack drew near, Will locked eyes with Wolfe. In that moment, no words were needed—he knew everything.

Fuck! The Wolf King seethed. His order had been: "Kill those two divine humans at all costs, or come back with your head." Clearly, Wolfe hadn't completed the task. And this wasn't the first time! Recently, Will had grown dissatisfied with Wolfe's performance; several missions he'd assigned had gone wrong.

Most notably, Wolfe had sent the Wolf Beauty, A Shan, to infiltrate the Great Wall but hadn't reported it to him. Will only found out after she died, which infuriated him. He could've used that as a bargaining chip in his negotiations with the White Wolf King, but Wolfe's "mistake" had cost him that leverage.

Wolfe, what's wrong with you? Do you think you're too important to respect me? Do you really think I won't kill you?

Will's face was ashen as Wolfe approached him.

"My lord, I'm sorry. I failed to complete the mission." Wolfe's voice was low and heavy.

Fuck! Go to hell! Will said calmly: "What happened?"

"I had the two divine humans trapped in a cave, but the black market merchant Wilder showed up out of nowhere and helped them escape."

Wilder? That bastard! Will frowned. He just invested five thousand obsidian in me, and now he's ruining my plans! What's he playing at? Wolfe and Wilder—are you two teaming up to piss me off?

Will snorted: "Business is business. Wilder only cares about profit. Black market merchants play both sides—it was to be expected. That's no excuse for your failure."

"It was my mistake. Punish me, my lord…" Wolfe knelt on one knee in the snow.

Punish you? How? Execute you for real? Will sighed softly: "Bro, we've been through life and death together. Even if you made a huge mistake, I can't kill you…"

"It was my fault. Please punish me." Wolfe said loudly.

Fuck! Is that supposed to be a humble plea? You're speaking louder than I am! Will had made up his mind—he had to teach Wolfe a lesson. He wouldn't kill him, but he couldn't let this slide. I've been too lenient with you because of our brotherhood. That's my fault, but starting today, things have to change…

The Wolf King walked past Wolfe. "Bear Forest is exposed. We can't stay here any longer. We leave immediately."

"Where to?" Wolfe stood up.

Will shot him a sideways glance. Wolfe seemed to realize something and knelt back down on one knee.

"Nightfall Peak." Will said flatly.

"Leave now?" Wolfe looked surprised.

"Exactly."

"But… the White Wolf King…"

"I've sent Ari to inform him. For the sake of the entire wolf clan, Old Watt will act." Will's tone left no room for argument.

I hope so…

"But… the human scouts just sent intelligence back to the Great Wall. They'll be on alert." Wolfe said.

Will snorted: "So what? Humans are never united. Even if they get the intel, the Great Wall Legion's rotten, outdated, sluggish decision-making will stop them from doing the right thing." And we have a mole there…

Just then, a horse's neigh cut through the snow-filled sky. Will turned and saw one of the Wolf Rider warhorses twitching, its nostrils blowing white mist that curled in the cold wind. It stood out sharply among the quiet, waiting horses. The mole doesn't show his colors normally, but he'll reveal himself at the critical moment… Wolfe, could you be the mole?

"Also, human scouts are very active around the Wolf God Mountains. If our army assembles at Nightfall Peak, won't we risk being exposed?" Wolfe asked.

You're talking a lot today—are you trying to reveal yourself? Will stared into Wolfe's eyes, searching for an answer. "Do you know why I let the commoner Ding Rui go?"

"…"

"That commoner is smart. He knew I'd send wolves to track him, so he took a detour on his way back to the Great Wall to hide the human outposts beyond the wall. But little did he know, that's exactly the route I wanted."

"If we march along Ding Rui's route back to the wall, we can avoid the human scouts." Wolfe realized.

"Exactly."

Will's gaze shifted from Wolfe to the three hundred Wolf Riders opposite him. I can't tell if you're the mole, but these wolves are my last chips. If I lose this time, I'll never recover…

The Wolf King walked to the assembled Wolf Riders, took a deep breath, and said: "I will lead you!"

"We obey the Wolf King's command!" The wolves' reply boomed like thunder, echoing across the Bear Forest Snowfield.

Great morale! Perfect momentum! Even though the Black Wolf Clan and Wild Wolf Clan had their differences before, this time we'll put them aside and fight together! Will was satisfied with this alliance.

"The glory of our clan will be witnessed by us all!" Will shouted.

"Witnessed by us all!" the Wolf Riders replied.

"Target—Nightfall Peak! Move out!"

"Yes!" The Wolf Riders quickly formed their formation, hooves thudding in unison.

"Wolves march at night!"

At the Wolf King's command, the Wolf Riders galloped forward. Snow dust flew into the air, and howls filled the sky. Beneath the night, the Wolf Riders raced across the snowfield like dark ghosts, dancing with the crimson glow of the Blood Moon.

Will watched the scene, his heart swelling with indescribable joy. With warriors like these, how can I fail to breach the Great Wall?

"Let's go too." Wolfe stepped forward.

The surge of pride in Will's chest was instantly shattered, making him even angrier. Who told you to stand up?

"Wolfe, you failed to complete my mission. From now on, you're no longer a Wolf Guard. In the coming battle for the Great Wall, you'll lead the charge on the front lines." Will said in a deep, cold voice.

Wolfe's eyes widened, his face showing disbelief.