Reborn in 72, I hunt to support my family and spoil my younger sister rotten.

Chapter 188 Invisible Pressure

As dawn broke, the old wolf king returned to his cave.

Its amber eyes gleamed with excitement in the morning light, clearly indicating that it had made a discovery.

Li Xiangyang and his group were already fully prepared and ready to depart.

The roe deer meat they ate last night replenished their energy.

Although He Mancang's ankle is still a little swollen, he is already able to walk.

"Looks like we've found them. Let's go."

After Li Xiangyang finished speaking, everyone followed closely in the footsteps of the old wolf king.

The old wolf king led them deeper into the mountains.

After walking for about an hour, the old wolf king suddenly stopped and looked back at Li Xiangyang.

On the hillside not far ahead, the outline of a cave can be vaguely seen.

"Looks like it's there," Li Xiangyang said in a low voice. "Ergou, you stay here. Uncle He's foot injury hasn't healed, so he's staying here too. I'll go check on him."

Just as he was about to step forward, the old wolf king gently stopped him.

It tilted its head back and sniffed the air, its eyes suddenly becoming alert.

Li Xiangyang immediately understood its meaning: "Are there other wild animals?"

The old wolf king nodded slightly, gesturing towards the cave.

Li Xiangyang observed carefully and found some fresh footprints on the snow near the cave entrance; they were bear footprints.

"A brown bear." Li Xiangyang frowned. "It seems this cave already has an owner."

This discovery complicates matters.

If the educated youth were indeed in the cave, and there were brown bears inside, it would mean they might already be...

Li Xiangyang dared not think any further.

Just then, the black cat suddenly pricked up its ears and ran towards the cave.

Its movements were light and swift, clearly indicating that it had discovered something.

"There's movement." Li Xiangyang raised his rifle. "Ergou, get ready."

A faint groan came from inside the cave, followed by voices: "Who...who's outside?"

Although the voice was weak, it was definitely a human voice.

Li Xiangyang was secretly pleased, but remained vigilant: "I am Li Xiangyang from Xiaoliang Village, and I'm here to see you."

"Li...Li Xiangyang?" The voice from inside the cave carried a hint of surprise. "Thank God...the five of us are trapped here. Xiaohong and Xiaofang are injured, and another one has a fever...there's a bear outside, and we're too scared to go out..."

Hearing that all five people were still alive, Li Xiangyang felt a little relieved, but he also knew that the situation was more complicated than he had expected.

With two injured and one feverish, getting everyone out safely under these circumstances is no easy task.

"Hold on, we'll figure out a way to get you out." Li Xiangyang said as he quickly thought of a solution.

At this point, we must not only consider rescuing people, but also guard against the brown bear that may return at any time.

And most importantly, the five people must be brought safely back to the village before dark.

Right now, every extra minute spent here is torture for these frail educated youth.

Just then, the old wolf king suddenly looked up into the distance and let out a low howl.

In an instant, wolf howls echoed from all directions.

Soon, a dozen wolves emerged from the woods and, led by the old wolf king, silently dispersed, surrounding the area.

"Is this to help us corner that bear?" He Mancang said in surprise, his gaze shifting among the wolves.

"At most, we can help with guard duty. Even the wolf king can't completely control the pack to make unnecessary sacrifices, otherwise its position would be in jeopardy. We need to evacuate as soon as possible."

"Ergou, you stay here and keep watch. Uncle He, you have difficulty moving around, assist Ergou. I'll go and bring the person out."

Although he had the help of the wolf pack, Li Xiangyang knew that he had to race against time and said urgently.

"What if the bear comes back?" Wang Ergou gripped his gun tightly, his expression grave.

Li Xiangyang's expression turned serious: "Then we'll have to fight them head-on. Judging from the marks at the cave entrance, this bear is quite large. The reason it didn't hurt anyone is probably because it considered those educated youths as its food supply."

"Those inside the cave, I'll be right in, don't be afraid. By the way, could you describe your injuries in detail?"

"Xiao Hong twisted her ankle, and Xiao Fang scratched her thigh with a tree branch; she's still bleeding."

A weak voice came from inside the cave, "Little Zhang has a high fever and keeps talking nonsense... We tried to lower her temperature with snow, but..."

Li Xiangyang frowned.

The situation was worse than expected; with three wounded and two weakened, a safe evacuation would not be easy.

Moreover, we also have to be wary of that brown bear that could return at any moment.

Li Xiangyang strode forward and climbed up the vines into the cave.

The cave was dimly lit, but as his eyes gradually adjusted, he could make out five figures huddled in the corner.

Three girls huddled together for warmth, one of whom, Xiao Zhang, had a flushed face and was clearly running a fever.

The other two boys weren't much better off; they looked extremely tired, with bloodshot eyes.

It was obvious that he hadn't slept for a long time.

"Don't be afraid, I'll take you out," Li Xiangyang said in a low voice. "My companions are guarding outside, let's hurry."

He quickly checked on the three wounded.

Xiao Hong's ankle was badly swollen, Xiao Fang's thigh wound, though not deep, was still bleeding, and Xiao Zhang's forehead was frighteningly hot.

"Stop the bleeding first." Li Xiangyang took out the red medicine powder and quickly treated the wound.

External injuries can be treated with medicine, and for a sprained ankle, Old He's bone-setting skills can help. The problem now is this person with a fever.

In these days of scarce medical resources, it's hard to say whether someone can be saved.

"Those who can walk, help the wounded; I'll carry Xiao Zhang on my back."

After giving a brief instruction, Li Xiangyang carried the drowsy Xiao Zhang on his back, saying, "Stay close to me, don't fall behind."

Upon reaching the cave entrance, the educated youth looked at each other in bewilderment, none of them daring to move.

The cave entrance was more than three meters above the ground. When they came in, they climbed up the vines, so the distance wasn't noticeable. But when they wanted to get out, the distance became immediately apparent.

"What are you all standing there for? If we don't leave now, we'll all be dead here when that bear comes back!"

Upon seeing this, Li Xiangyang's voice was filled with anger.

At this moment, even a minute's delay could be fatal.

“But…it’s so high, what if we fall…” one of the boys said in a trembling voice.

"Useless! Someone like you, going on adventures..."

Without giving a chance to explain, Li Xiangyang took out a rope from his backpack, wrapped it around the boy's waist several times, and tied a tight slipknot.

"Don't worry, I'm holding you, it's perfectly safe. I'll help you down first, and then you can meet up with the others."

After being scolded, the boy gritted his teeth, said nothing, and began to move down the vines.

With the rope for protection, he gradually found his footing and finally landed safely.

“Next.” Li Xiangyang looked at another boy, his tone leaving no room for argument.

With a partner demonstrating, the second boy went down faster.

Once the two strong boys reached the ground, transferring the wounded became much easier.

In the distance, Wang Ergou and He Mancang gripped their guns tightly, watching their surroundings warily.

They are the last line of defense for these people, and they dare not relax for a moment.

Li Xiangyang then began arranging for the evacuation of the wounded.

Time ticked by, and everyone could feel the invisible pressure.