or concept of history, as long as they could anticipate the coming of winter, their crude method of time-keeping was good enough for their needs.
"You guys have never seen me?" As the wolves were very forthright, Hao Ren believed that they would not lie to him. "So, there were others?"
"There are a few wolf packs going around. Their territories are bordering ours. Some borders are rather ambiguous so some kids may inevitably wander cross the line." The alpha wolf was displeased. "Those morons are incapable of talking, much less thinking. That’s the reason they’re weaker and only fit to be our vassal packs—albeit insubordinate."
The alpha wolf shook its head as it said, "Those morons would trespass and find food in our territory when they’re hungry. Growling is the only means to communicate with them. It’s weird that although we’re both wolves yet, they’re so stupid."
Hao Ren listened quietly as he kept everything he had heard to himself.
There were still many unsolved mysteries in The Plane of Dreams but at least for now, he knew the existence of two types of wolves—one that talked and was as intelligent as humans while the other was essentially a wild wolf—they were identical in appearance.
But why? Hao Ren found that it was not the result of normal evolution. Then again, this was The Plane of Dreams, a strange space, where things probably did not exist as per the normal sense of the world.
Furthermore, traces of human activities were found in the steppe and a large human world allegedly existed beyond the horizon (the alpha wolf called them as ‘human packs’). How many more mysteries were out there?
As promised, the alpha wolf delivered Hao Ren to the man-made shacks.
"You've arrived. Now, I shall leave with my pack." Once Hao Ren got off its back, the alpha wolf stretched its body and said, "This was my first time carrying such a heavy load. I’d make you carry me the same distance if only I had defeated you."
"Thank you for the ride." Hao Ren rubbed his hair as he found the alpha wolf interesting. "I’ll be hanging around here for a while. We may meet again. If you need anything, I’ll be happy to help."
The alpha wolf was a real opportunist; it nodded and immediately pointed at the poor kids which were still bleeding in their mouths. "My men have lost their teeth. They won't be able to eat and will starve to death. But as the leader of the pack, I won't abandon them. Instead, I’ll send a few wolves out to look for something which they can eat. Can you please help us on this?"
Hao Ren did not expect to witness it go straight to the point so quickly. His forehead broke out in sweat as he reached for the MDT. "Hey buddy. Fix their broken teeth, would you?"
"Sorry buddy, I am just a PDA, not Doraemon!"
"I know a veterinary..." Hao Ren turned to the alpha wolf as he wiped away the cold sweat from his forehead. "...who would be more than willing to attend to your problem. If only I could bring her in... I mean bring her over here. I’ll make sure she fixes the broken teeth of your wolves."
"I’ll take your word for it, human." The alpha wolf nodded. "But humans aren't known for keeping their word so, I have no high hopes for you. Goodbye, I hope we won't have to lock horns with each other the next time we meet."
The alpha and its pack left right after it finished its last sentence. They ran quickly and disappeared into the grassland.
"Open enemies are better than false friends. I think I’ve met one at last," Hao Ren mumbled to himself.
The MDT was surprised. "Whoa, I didn't know you could be so philosophical?"
Hao Ren yanked the MDT out and hung it from his pocket to dry in the wind. Ignoring its statement, he walked straight towards the little house.
It was the place where the nomads once lived but, it puzzled Hao Ren. As far as he knew, nomads did not usually build permanent structures. They followed the water as well as grass and only built tents. It seemed that the nomads in the plane had a different way of living. They had their unique ways of dealing with their day-to-day problems.
Just as Hao Ren placed his hand on the door, all of a sudden, a strong gust of wind blew throughout the steppe.