Chapter 20 — Changed the entire Inheritance Lineage to Choose the Wolf King

"I'll go," Lang Phong said, breaking the tense silence that covered the room. There was no hesitation in his voice, as if this decision had been carefully considered by him before anyone had time to suggest it.

"Impossible!" Yen Chi reacted immediately, holding his hand tightly. "You are the Wolf King of an entire kingdom. If you are discovered invading Stormwolf Clan territory in the midst of this diplomatic tension, the consequences will be unpredictable. It could be worse than what we are trying to prevent."

"I understand the risk," Lang Phong replied, his voice still steadfast. "But think about it, who else can take on this job? Dinh Vu can't go because he needs to stay to command the defense force and continue the investigation here. Mr. Dich needed to stay to complete his argument for the trial. She can't go because all her actions are being closely monitored right now, and any absence from her will immediately be considered evidence of a crime."

"Then send an elite commando team, not yourself," she still tried to persuade, even though inside she felt his helplessness before his determination.

"A group of unfamiliar commandos can be detected more easily than a lone individual moving discreetly," Lang Phong explained. "And more importantly, I have the ability to fully transform faster and more powerfully than anyone in my army — I can travel long distances in the shortest possible time, and if I need to fight to rescue Iron Phong, I have enough strength to deal with any resistance."

Yen Chi was silent, tears threatened to flow but she tried to hold them back. She knew he was right, even though every instinct in her wanted to keep him from this danger.

"If you leave," she said at last, her voice trembling, "you must promise me you'll return safely. I can't... I can't lose you, especially now."

"I promise," Lang Phong replied, hugging her tightly. "I will return, with Thiet Phong, before the trial takes place. I swear to you on my honor as a Wolf King."

That night, under the secret witness of Dich Bach Duong and Chu Dinh Vu, Lang Phong transformed completely into a giant, strong and majestic white wolf, then quietly left Nguyet Anh Thanh through a side gate with few guards, heading straight towards the distant Son Lang mountain range.

Before leaving, Yen Chi pulled him to a private corner and put a small piece of cloth embroidered with a wolf's head in his hand - a symbol she had hand-embroidered during sleepless nights waiting for news from her hometown, planning to give it to him on an important occasion yet to be determined. "Bring this," she said, her voice choking. "Let you know, no matter where you go, my heart will always follow you."

Dinh Vu had prepared the most detailed map possible of the border area, based on the little information his reconnaissance team had collected, along with a vague description of the location of Vo Thanh stone tunnel that Yen Chi provided. Lang Phong carried that map, along with a special whistle that could make sounds that only wolf ears could hear, used for emergency contact with the reconnaissance team ambushing near the border if support was needed.

He galloped through the darkness, the speed of a pure-blooded wolf far surpassing that of any horse, stopping only briefly to reorient himself to the map in the light of the waning moon. By morning, he had covered most of the distance, approaching the boundary of the Storm Wolf Clan's territory.

He stopped in a clearing not far from the border, transformed back into human form to rest for a moment and observe the situation before continuing. Sitting with his back against a large tree, he took out a map, trying to more accurately determine the possible location of the Vo Thanh stone tunnel based on the topographic features Yen Chi had described — a jagged rock range, a forgotten hill in the east of the territory.

While resting, he couldn't help but think about Yen Chi, about the worry evident in her eyes as she saw him off. He remembered the moment the Wolf Seal appeared among them in the cave in Black Forest, and a strong faith surged through him — that bond was real, and it would guide him through this trial, to return safely to her.

He continued his journey as soon as it was light, weaving through the less traveled trails, staying away from the densely populated areas of the Storm Wolves to minimize the risk of being discovered. After many hours of patient searching, relying on both the map and the sharp intuition of an experienced Wolf King, he finally discovered a rocky hill whose shape matched Yen Chi's description — isolated, with few footprints, with an entrance cleverly camouflaged behind a dense bush.

He approached, carefully observing his surroundings before discovering two guards guarding in front of a heavy stone door, almost blending into the surrounding cliff if not observed carefully.

This is the Vo Thanh stone tunnel.

Lang Phong hid behind a large rock, carefully observing the patrol habits of the two guards, waiting for the most appropriate time to act. He knew he had only one chance — if he failed, not only would the mission to rescue Thiet Phong fail, but he himself could be captured, making the whole situation much worse.

As dusk began to fall, one of the two guards left his position to patrol around the area, leaving only one guard in front of the tunnel door. This is the opportunity Lang Phong has been waiting for.

He moved quietly, taking advantage of every shade of tree and every stone to hide his movements, approaching the remaining guard from behind. With the speed and strength of a pure-blooded Wolf King, he overpowered the guard in a matter of seconds, without making any loud noise that could alert the other patrolling nearby.

He quickly searched the guard's body, found a bunch of old keys, then approached the heavy stone door, carefully trying each key until he found the right one. The door opened with a heavy creak, revealing a dark passage leading deep underground.

"Thiet Phong!" he called softly, his voice just enough to echo in the narrow tunnel space but not loud enough to leak out. "Thiet Phong, are you here?"

From deep in the darkness, a hoarse, surprised voice responded. "Who is there?"

"I am Bui Lang Phong, Wolf King Bach Lang, Yen Chi's fiance," he replied, moving deeper into the dungeon. "I came to take you out."

There was a short silence, then the sound of unsteady footsteps rang out, and in the dim light coming in from the cellar door, Lang Phong saw Thiet Phong's thin, emaciated figure after many days of being imprisoned in the dark. His eyes were squinted because he was not used to the light, even the weak afternoon light.

"Yen Chi... is she okay?" Thiet Phong asked immediately, his voice filled with worry even though he himself was in a pathetic situation.

"She is waiting for your testimony to prove her innocence before the upcoming trial," Lang Phong replied, helping Thiet Phong out of the dungeon. "We have to go now, time is running out."

As soon as the two of them reached the tunnel door, shouts rang out from afar - the patrolling guard had returned and discovered his comrades had been restrained. Lang Phong did not hesitate, quickly picked up the still weak Thiet Phong, partially transformed to increase his strength and speed, then rushed into the darkness of the forest, leaving behind the shouts and footsteps of pursuit that were gradually fading away.

Thiet Phong, even though his whole body was weak after many days of being imprisoned without food and water, still tried to cling tightly to Lang Phong, gritting his teeth to endure each jolt as the two rushed through dense bushes and rough rocks. "I'm fine," he said, though his weak voice betrayed his assertion, "just keep going, don't slow down for me."

Behind, the patrol team's trained wolves rang out loudly, along with the flickering torchlight through the dark trees, showing that the pursuit was increasingly narrowing the distance. Lang Phong put all his remaining strength into each step, taking advantage of the strength and speed of a pure-blooded Wolf King, heading straight towards the border, where he knew Dinh Vu's reconnaissance team was waiting in ambush to provide cover if the worst situation happened.

The race against time, and against the pursuers, is only just beginning.