"The moon?"
Though he had said he was sleeping, Lan Yangyang was merely closing his eyes to rest. Hearing Xi Yangyang and the others talking, he secretly pulled a lollipop out from behind his back.
Looking at the lollipop, tears welled up in his eyes. As if remembering some bad memory, he muttered to himself.
"Let's go. We've gathered almost everything; it's time to head back!"
Mei Yangyang waved her hand to signal that they had enough materials, then led Xi Yangyang and the rest back the way they came, returning to Sheep Village.
"The Mid-Autumn Festival! The Mid-Autumn Festival!"
Meanwhile, Xiao Huihui sat obediently at his desk, holding a crayon in his hand, facing an unfinished greeting card.
Though the card was not particularly refined, it was filled with a child's abundant love.
It depicted Mom and Dad, Brother Big Sheep, and Brother Lan Yangyang, but none of them were in the center. In the middle was a cute little sheep—Meng Xiaoyang.
"I wonder how she's doing."
Xiao Huihui held the crayon in one hand while resting his wrist on the table and his cheek in his palm.
He puffed out one cheek, thoughtfully wondering what Meng Xiaoyang was up to.
"What are you doing, son?"
Hui Tailang suddenly popped up beside him and looked at Xiao Huihui. Hearing his father approach, Xiao Huihui hurriedly hid the greeting card.
"It's nothing, Dad! I'm just doing some drawing!"
Xiao Huihui said guiltily. The greeting card he was drawing was meant for his mom and dad, but since Xiao Huihui was still a child, he always liked to create a little surprise.
"Well, Dad is making dinner for tonight. Once evening comes, your mom and I will take you outside to admire the moon!"
"Yay, Dad!"
Hui Tailang said excitedly. Xiao Huihui nodded in eager anticipation, though he still had some little wishes in his heart, such as spending the Mid-Autumn Festival with Meng Xiaoyang.
Hui Tailang smiled, brought a glass of juice from the side, placed it on the table in front of Xiao Huihui, and then turned and left.
Xiao Huihui breathed a sigh of relief. Hui Tailang opened the door, stepped out to the front of Wolf Castle, and stretched his limbs to get ready to catch some sheep.
"This Mid-Autumn Festival, I am definitely going to get my family some mutton!"
Hui Tailang looked determined as he prepared to brave the danger and catch a sheep before the Mid-Autumn Festival night arrived, just to add a bit of atmosphere.
"You'd better not go. It won't be good if you get hurt."
Just as Hui Tailang was about to open the door and leave, Red Wolf stepped in front of him, grabbed his hand, and said softly.
The thing was, every time Hui Tailang went out to catch sheep, he always ended up getting hurt to some extent.
"All right, Red!"
Hui Tailang happily turned around to meet Red Wolf's gaze, even though she wore a reluctant expression.
Hui Tailang understood that Red Wolf simply didn't want to see him get hurt and was worried about him.
"I can't wait!"
"The Mid-Autumn Festival!"
Though they were in two different places—Sheep Village and Wolf Castle—Hui Tailang and Xi Yangyang both smiled knowingly, looking out into the distance and anticipating the Mid-Autumn Festival night.
Soon, time slipped away bit by bit, and the Mid-Autumn night finally arrived, bright moonlight showering down like raindrops.
That holy, beautiful, and towering moon hung high in the sky, giving one a deeply relaxed and comforted feeling.
Sheep Village was hung all over with lanterns. Under the Mid-Autumn moon and ten thousand household lights, the entire village was draped in lanterns and festive displays.
Tables and chairs were set out in the center of the village, laden with all kinds of delicious food and, of course, mooncakes, which were an absolute must.
Over at Wolf Castle, while it wasn't quite as dazzling, it was exceptionally cozy.
A table and three stools were set up in front of the castle entrance. The Hui Tailang family sat together on the stools, eating the food on the table and enjoying the moonlight, perfectly displaying the warm and happy atmosphere of a family reunion.
"Here, Meng Xiaoyang!"
Xi Yangyang smiled as he sat on a stool and handed a piece of mooncake to Meng Xiaoyang beside him.
"Thank you, Brother Xi Yangyang."
Meng Xiaoyang smiled happily at Xi Yangyang, then took the mooncake and began to eat.
"The moonlight is so beautiful!"
Mei Yangyang and the others gazed at the moonlight, eating the mooncakes in their hands, feeling a heartfelt sense of happiness.
*Bang, bang, bang!*
At that moment, on the other side of the moonlight, fireworks soared into the sky and burst open, instantly scattering sparks in a dazzling display.
Colorful and brilliant, all sorts of fireworks patterns exploded across the night sky, weaving together in a gorgeous and breathtaking spectacle.
As the fireworks bloomed and various patterns appeared in the sky, Man Yangyang sat on his stool, unlike the others who were admiring the moonlight. He watched the fireworks in the distance, engrossed as he ate his mooncake.
"Huayangyang..."
Sitting on his stool and looking at the fireworks in the sky while thinking of Huayangyang, he nibbled on his mooncake and muttered to himself, wondering if Huayangyang was also admiring the moon somewhere.
He wondered if only that fireworks show from back then could be made whole again...
"Give me back my cheese and pork floss mooncake, yogurt snow skin mooncake, and molten salted duck egg mooncake! You hateful Fei Yangyang."
"I won't give them to you. You've already gotten fat eating these mooncakes! Can't you eat some traditional ones instead? I'll just take care of these for you."
Nearby, Lan Yangyang and Fei Yangyang were bickering and fighting over the scarce cheese and pork floss mooncake.
"The moon is so beautiful."
"It really is."
Mei Yangyang and Nuan Yangyang marveled at the beauty of the moonlight, while Meng Xiaoyang sat on her stool, soaking in an atmosphere she had never experienced before.
On the other side, the Hui Tailang family of three ate mooncakes, leaning against each other as they looked up at the moon.
"Mom and Dad!"
Xiao Huihui happily held Hui Tailang and Red Wolf's hands while gazing at the moonlight. Red Wolf gently stroked Xiao Huihui's head, answering his various questions.
Hui Tailang looked up at the moon overhead, a unique emotion in his eyes. He seemed to be smiling, yet at the same time, he looked as though he were crying.
Laughing and crying at once, Hui Tailang held a mooncake in his hand while a plate of braised fish sat before him. He gazed up at the moon in the sky, bathing in its light as he missed his father.
Xi Yangyang raised his head to look at the moon in the sky, silently wishing his mom and dad a happy Mid-Autumn Festival.
"Dad, Happy Mid-Autumn!"
"Dad! Mom! Wishing you a Happy Mid-Autumn!"
The fireworks bloomed recklessly, the moonlight spilled unrestrained, and longing was conveyed without reservation.
The Mid-Autumn Festival, the festival of reunion!
Wishing you a full moon, a happy reunion, and all your dreams fulfilled on the Mid-Autumn Festival!!!
Sheep Village Guardian: Escape
"Damn it, a good thing I was prepared!"
Seeing that all the little sheep had escaped, Huier Taitailang showed no panic at all. He immediately pulled a whistle from behind his back and began to blow it.
Vibrating sounds began to ring out, and in less than three seconds, countless little wolf soldiers instantly flooded out of the cave, surrounding the area. Stretching as far as the eye could see, there were a full three thousand wolf soldiers.
"In the face of my flawless trap, stop struggling!"
With a flip, he landed in front of the little wolf soldiers, spreading his arms wide as he looked at Xi Yangyang and the others.
Xi Yangyang couldn't help but swallow hard; right now, his gun was out of commission.
Beside him, Dao Yang looked at the scene before him, his hand slowly reaching toward the flower on top of his head.
Yet he held no sword in his hand, for his blade had long since been snatched away by Hui Tailang at the very beginning.
"The Chip."
The tense atmosphere made everyone's hearts beat wildly, their breathing shallow as they exhaled puffs of carbon dioxide.
Facing three thousand wolf soldiers, one Huier Taitailang, and a useless dog named Hui Tailang, the seven sheep had a terribly stacked deck against them.
Everyone stared nervously at the little wolf soldiers, not daring to make a single move. Fei Yangyang looked at everyone's tense expressions, his gaze shifting back and forth before landing on the chip clenched tightly in Lan Yangyang's hand.
"I absolutely cannot let everyone get hurt! I'm going to be a hero."
Xi Yangyang stood in front of the others, looking at the enemies ahead. Right now, the only way out was to charge through, but could they succeed?
...
They could.
*Bang.*
The entire area fell silent in an instant. Before anyone realized what was happening, Fei Yangyang picked up the chip, and with a *bang*, punched it directly into his own chest.
"Fei Yangyang, you—"
"I will definitely save you all!"
Amidst everyone's shock and panic, Fei Yangyang's gaze was resolute. His tone was light, but despite his efforts, his facial expressions began to betray signals of agonizing pain.
With this chip, Lan Yangyang had lasted at most three seconds before collapsing to the ground, lying flat and completely motionless, his limbs so stiff he couldn't even stand up.
That showed just how severe the side effects were, likely because the chip was designed for the Wolf Tribe to use.
Though Fei Yangyang's physical stamina was much greater than Lan Yangyang's, he could at most hold out for three seconds longer—even pushing his limits to the absolute maximum, maybe five seconds.
Escaping this place in eight seconds was extremely difficult...
So the only option was to overload the chip. If he pushed himself to the absolute limit and overloaded it...
He could extend it by at most another two seconds. But ten seconds was still far too difficult to get everyone out safely.
However, given the current situation, ten seconds was more than enough to wipe out the three thousand wolf soldiers right before them.
As the powerhouse of the team, Fei Yangyang could never stand by and watch his companions get captured.
Though rash and impulsive, when it came to a fight, Fei Yangyang would charge in without hesitation, ignoring any and all danger.
Standing before others, even if he stood alone as a single sheep, he would grit his teeth, turn the world upside down, and wipe out those three thousand wolf soldiers!
Ignorant of anything else, under everyone's gaze, less than a second after installing the chip, Fei Yangyang burst forward with explosive force.
Bare half a second later, Fei Yangyang appeared right in front of Huier Taitailang, executing a spin and an uppercut that sent Huier Taitailang flying through the air.
Seeing this, the little wolf soldiers shouted and rushed forward with their weapons raised.
*Buzz, buzz, buzz...*
A violent ringing filled Fei Yangyang's eardrums in an instant.
He felt as though his brain was about to explode; the sensation was agonizing.
Yet he could not stop...
Pushing off the ground, he leaped into the air and slammed both feet down hard onto the earth. In an instant, a powerful shockwave rippled out in all directions.
Fei Yangyang charged straight into the horde of three thousand wolf soldiers, his fists flying continuously.
"No good, the speed is still too slow! At this rate, there's no way to guarantee everyone's safety!"
"I must not stop here!"
"All of you, come at once!"
Enduring immense pain, his eyes bloodshot, Fei Yangyang glared at all the little wolf soldiers before him and challenged them to attack together.
In that moment, Fei Yangyang stood alone against three thousand wolf soldiers!
"Endless and unceasing, clamoring on and on, afraid nobody will notice them, feeling so smug, making a fuss, stirring up trouble everywhere—"
Wild winds raged as Fei Yangyang's fists delivered tremendous force, sweeping away everything in his path.
Spinning his body, Fei Yangyang slammed down toward the ground, throwing a punch that made the earth tremble.
"The ground is shaking so badly, the cave is collapsing! Good thing it's not an earthquake."
As Fei Yangyang cleared away the little wolf soldiers ahead, Xi Yangyang and the others followed behind him, emerging from the cave.
The powerful energy shockwave had directly collapsed the cave behind them. Panting, they ran with all their might to keep up with Fei Yangyang's pace.
Nuan Yangyang ran out last, standing in place and catching her breath as she wiped the sweat from her forehead.
She muttered to herself, but before even two seconds had passed, the ground beneath their feet suddenly began to shake, and then the earth cracked apart in every direction.
"No way, is it an actual earthquake? Well, at least it's not too severe!"
Nuan Yangyang patted her chest, trying to remain optimistic since the earthquake didn't seem too violent—the ground had merely split into three sections.
Yet before she could even celebrate for two seconds, a second tremor struck. This time it was much worse, and the ground directly fractured into six pieces.
"Are you kidding me?"
"Good thing the earthquake isn't all that—"
"Don't—don't say it!"
Looking at this astonishing scene, the others panicked the moment Nuan Yangyang tried to speak. They rushed forward and clamped their hands over her mouth to ensure the earthquake wouldn't get any worse.
Amidst Xi Yangyang and the others' commotion, the ten seconds had passed, and every single little wolf soldier lay sprawled on the ground, unconscious.
However, Fei Yangyang's situation was extremely precarious. He was right at the center where the ground had split apart during the earthquake, and as the chip's enhancement faded, he plunged straight down. The chip in his chest fell directly into the abyss below.
Yet he couldn't move an inch; his body was covered in bruises, and even the slightest movement sent waves of intense pain through him.
"Fei Yangyang, watch out!"
Though the ground beneath them had split open, it was still shaking.
"Ah, help!"
On the other side, Huier Taitailang had already tumbled into the fissure, screaming as he fell.
The ground shook violently, making it impossible for anyone to keep their footing. Seeing that Fei Yangyang was about to fall just like Huier Taitailang, Dao Yang hurriedly grabbed the sword that Hui Tailang had hidden away earlier—which had just been uncovered by the earthquake—and threw it out.
"Thank you, Grandpa Dao Yang."
Caught by Dao Yang, Fei Yangyang was finally saved. However, on the other side, Meng Xiaoyang was too small to jump across the widening gap before her.
"Careful, Meng Xiaoyang!"
Meng Xiaoyang accidentally tripped over a stone and looked as though she was about to tumble into the abyss. With a swift, agile roll, Xi Yangyang scooped her up and held her safely in his arms.
"Ah, someone save me!"
Nearby, Lan Yangyang shrieked at the top of his lungs. He and Hui Tailang—still transformed into a dog—were dangling from a tree branch, and Lan Yangyang was frantically grabbing onto Hui Tailang's tail and swinging wildly.
Speechless, Hui Tailang gritted his teeth and mustered every ounce of strength, hauling the deadweight Lan Yangyang up onto solid ground alongside himself.
Sheep Village Guardian: A Gentle Father
"Is everyone alright?"
Xi Yangyang steadied himself, holding Meng Xiaoyang in his arms as he looked at the ground split into six pieces.
"We're fine!"
"I'm fine too!"
"Xi Yangyang, I'm alright!"
"I'm okay!"
"I'm not okay!"
Panting heavily, Lan Yangyang lay draped over Hui Tailang-the-dog as he spoke. He was completely exhausted; good thing he was agile enough to haul the dog up with him.
As expected of him!
Hui Tailang: "............*******"
Lan Yangyang: "Hehe (?????)?"
Right now, Xi Yangyang and Meng Xiaoyang were paired together, while Lan Yangyang and Hui Tailang formed another group.
Mei Yangyang was on her own, Nuan Yangyang was on her own, and Man Yangyang was also by himself.
As for Fei Yangyang, he was paired with Dao Yang!
"What should we do now, Principal?"
"Hmm, in that case, let's split up and search!"
"Wait, what about the postcards?!"
At that moment, Xi Yangyang asked Man Yangyang what they should do. Man Yangyang pondered for a moment, reached into his pocket, and began searching for the postcards as he spoke.
As he searched, he felt something was wrong; the postcards seemed to be gone.
"My postcards are gone too!"
"Principal, look!"
"What?"
On the other side, Dao Yang called out anxiously. Suddenly, Mei Yangyang let out a sharp cry.
Everyone looked simultaneously in the direction Mei Yangyang was pointing. There was a tree branch with some shredded paper hanging from it.
Looking closely, one could see drawings on some of the paper fragments. Judging by the pictures, those scraps were—or at least seemed, probably, maybe, ought to be—the torn pieces of the postcards.
"Could this be the postcard?"
"That's definitely the postcard."
A silence hung in the air for two seconds. Clearly, the postcards had been destroyed. What should they do next?
At that moment, Meng Xiaoyang, still held in Xi Yangyang's arms, reached into her own pocket and pulled out a single postcard.
"Brother Xi Yangyang, I have one here."
"What? That's great!"
Xi Yangyang took the postcard from Meng Xiaoyang's hand and gently patted her little head. With two postcards destroyed and only one remaining, where should they go from there?
"There's no help for it. Let's split up and search. Xi Yangyang, you follow the location written on the postcard, and the rest of us will check other paths."
With two out of three postcards destroyed and the team split into six groups, they had no choice but to separate.
Only Xi Yangyang's group possessed a postcard, while the other groups would have to search blindly.
"Whoever finds it first will notify the others!"
"Yeah!"
Everyone nodded; it was the only course of action left. After everyone departed, a robust figure suddenly leaped up from the fissure.
With a swift flip, the figure landed precisely on the spot where Xi Yangyang and Meng Xiaoyang had just been standing. Raising both arms high, the figure struck a pose worthy of the son of Zeus.
As the sunlight beat down, the figure was revealed to be none other than Huier Taitailang. When he had fallen earlier, he had been caught by a tree root, and just as he fell into despair, something had hit him squarely on the head.
Indeed, it was the chip General Wolf had given him.
"Those little sheep aren't getting away!"
Huier Taitailang narrowed his eyes as he spotted Xi Yangyang and Meng Xiaoyang in the distance, and immediately gave chase.
"So boring. So tired. Why am I even doing this?"
Lan Yangyang grumbled as he walked along. Clearly, he should have been the protagonist in this sequence.
His stomach was so empty; he hadn't eaten a thing all the way here.
"Huh, where did this fork come from?"
Walking ahead, Hui Tailang—still in his dog form—was trotting along on his little paws. Lan Yangyang followed closely behind, suddenly nearly tripping over a stone.
Regaining his balance with some difficulty, Lan Yangyang noticed a fork had dropped from his person.
Turning around, Lan Yangyang picked up the fork, completely unable to remember where he had gotten it.
"Oh, it's from that rock."
After a long moment of thought, Lan Yangyang finally remembered. But what good was remembering where a fork came from?
At best, it could serve as tableware.
If only this fork had been this season's equipment, how great that would have been.
"Doggie, I'm so tired. Can we stop and rest for a bit?"