pdf-ebookys Chapter 231 truly puts them at the forefront of the times.
Chapter 231 truly puts them at the forefront of the times.
Just then, a low howl came from the bushes in the distance. Unlike any we had heard before, this howl was clearly filled with anger.
The black cat and the little tiger both pricked up their ears, and their fur stood on end again.
"Did you hear that?" Li Xiangyang said in a low voice, "It's angry. If we don't get rid of it, it will eventually return to the village with the rest of its jackals to take revenge."
"So what do we do now?" Wang Ergou subconsciously touched the remaining bullets. "Should we chase after them?"
"Deal with these corpses first." Li Xiangyang deftly drew his knife. "They're not worth much, but take all the hides and flesh you can; we can't waste them. But we need to hurry; the strong smell of blood will attract other wild beasts soon."
The two immediately got to work.
The air was exceptionally fresh after the rain, but the smell of blood was all the more intense.
Xuanmao and Xiaohu took turns keeping watch.
While working, Li Xiangyang kept an eye on his surroundings.
He knew that in the mountains and forests, every moment of carelessness could have fatal consequences.
Just as they were quickly dealing with the dozen or so jackals, the black cat suddenly tensed up, its tail held high, and its eyes fixed on the distant woods.
Little Tiger immediately adopted a defensive stance, letting out a threatening growl.
Li Xiangyang and Wang Ergou simultaneously stopped what they were doing and looked for cover nearby.
Not far away, the sound of a branch snapping came from the woods, followed by heavy footsteps.
A deep roar shattered the tranquility after the rain.
In the woods, a pair of eerie green eyes were staring intently at them, their gaze filled with bloodthirsty greed, clearly drawn by the scent of blood.
"A brown bear! Great! If we manage to take it down, our efforts won't have been in vain."
Upon seeing the brown bear, Wang Ergou was not afraid at all; on the contrary, he was eager to try.
"Don't fire yet." Li Xiangyang reached out and pressed down on Wang Ergou's gun barrel. "If one shot doesn't kill it, it'll be dangerous if we provoke it. It's not stupid; it's looking for an opportunity to attack."
Li Xiangyang pointed his gun steadily in the direction of the brown bear. "Right now, it's all about patience."
Just then, several howls of jackals came from afar, sounding as they gradually moved away.
The brown bear's attention was momentarily diverted by the sound, and it turned its head slightly in the direction from which the sound came.
"The opportunity has arrived, let's strike."
The moment Li Xiangyang finished speaking, both shots hit the brown bear in the head.
The brown bear let out a deafening roar, its massive body staggering a few steps, but it still did not fall.
Blood flowed from its head, staining the damp soil after the rain.
"Keep fighting!" Li Xiangyang practically roared.
Two more shots rang out.
This time, the brown bear finally collapsed to the ground with a thud, its body crashing heavily and splashing up a cloud of mud.
"It's done!" Wang Ergou shouted excitedly, but Li Xiangyang was still on high alert.
"Don't go any further, fire another shot." Li Xiangyang held his gun steadily. "A brown bear of this size will be deadly unless it's completely mortified."
The two men cautiously approached and fired another shot into the bear's vital area.
Li Xiangyang only put down his gun after confirming that the brown bear showed no signs of life.
"What a pity, after so many shots, the pelt is worthless now," Wang Ergou said, looking at the wounds on the brown bear's head.
Li Xiangyang smiled and said, "In this situation, trying to get a perfect hide is suicide. Just getting one is good enough; be content. We need to hurry and deal with this. This volley of gunfire has probably alerted all the wild animals within miles."
Wang Ergou nodded, also understanding the urgency of the situation.
The two worked together seamlessly and began to deal with the brown bear.
They were very familiar with this kind of work, but they still had to be extra careful in this situation.
"Brother Xiangyang," Wang Ergou asked in a low voice as he carefully peeled the bear paw, "Do you think the alpha dog might take this opportunity to come back and kill us?"
Li Xiangyang paused, then continued his work: "No. The pack suffered such heavy casualties. Even if it wanted to, the other jackals wouldn't allow it. If it insisted on sending its companions to their deaths, its position would be in jeopardy."
The two didn't dare to delay any longer, skillfully processing the most valuable parts of the brown bear before packing them up and carrying them on their backs.
"That's about enough." Li Xiangyang looked around. "We need to get out of this area quickly."
The two walked north along a dry ridge.
Although the road is rugged, it has the advantage of a wide field of vision, making it less likely to be ambushed.
Li Xiangyang walked ahead, carefully examining the terrain.
"Brother Xiangyang," Wang Ergou followed behind, panting, "where are we going?"
"Let's find a sheltered place with a water source. We've been through so much trouble; it's time for a good rest."
After walking for about an hour, the sun had fully risen.
The two finally arrived at a sheltered mountain hollow, where a protruding rock formed a natural eave.
"This is it." Li Xiangyang put down the bundle on his back. "Sir, start a fire and put the meat on to stew."
Wang Ergou skillfully gathered firewood and quickly built a fire.
Li Xiangyang then found a few flat stones and set up the pot.
The two set up a pot, waited for the water to boil, and then put the prepared meat in.
Xuanmao and Xiaohu lay at the feet of the two, their ears twitching from time to time, clearly not completely letting their guard down.
"Brother Xiangyang," Wang Ergou said suddenly as he added some wild scallions to the pot, "I'm thinking, maybe we shouldn't sell this bear paw."
"What, you still want to keep it?" Li Xiangyang raised an eyebrow.
“Yeah,” Wang Ergou stirred the meat in the pot, “We made a lot of money hunting earlier, so let’s splurge this time. What do you say?”
Li Xiangyang laughed: "You kid, you're really not good at managing money. But it's okay to splurge once in a while, so let's do it this way. Since you want to splurge, I have some of the mountain produce that Master Zheng gave me last time. When we get back, we'll invite Master Zheng over for a good meal of bear paws and ginseng. But bear meat is very nutritious, can you handle it?"
"Hehe, actually, after the engagement was finalized, Hongxia and I are already... all set."
Wang Ergou grinned smugly, then lowered his head somewhat embarrassedly, "Anyway, we're all getting married..."
"Goodness, I knew it! No wonder you wanted to splurge a little," Li Xiangyang teased, poking at the fire with a twig. "You're quick on the uptake, aren't you? You're really ahead of your time."
Li Xiangyang laughed and playfully punched him, "But you've already done all that, you really need to hurry up with the wedding. What if you have a baby? How will the girl face anyone after that?"
“You’re right,” Wang Ergou nodded quickly. “Well, actually, when we were preparing, I told Hongxia that it was bound to happen sooner or later, and we’d get married next month.”
"That's more like it." Li Xiangyang looked at the meat bubbling in the pot. "But you're really something, kid."
Wang Ergou chuckled, "Of course, Hongxia and I, tsk tsk..."
"Stop, stop," Li Xiangyang quickly stopped him. "It's best not to talk about this kind of thing. If Ma Hongxia finds out you're showing off outside, you'll be in big trouble."
The two chatted and laughed as they watched the broth in the pot gradually thicken.
Xuanmao and Xiaohu rubbed against each other, their mouths watering.
Before long, while the two chatted idly, the meat in the pot was cooked.
Both of them were hungry, but neither of them was in a hurry to get some.
Dining outdoors is often the most dangerous time.