LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 350: The Hunt
"Woof! Woof!"
Suddenly, loud barking sounds erupted from the dense woods.
Immediately, several Mountain Patrol Dogs burst forth.
The Mountain Patrol Dogs were sleek and highly alert, adept at searching and ambushing prey within the jungle—they were the hunters' best partners and helpers.
The next moment, accompanied by heavy panting, a burly black-furred wild boar gave chase.
This boar was not only unusually massive, but the long tusks protruding from its snout were silvery-grey, metallic in color, and extremely sharp at the tips.
It was a tier-one Long-tusked Wild Boar, a little overlord of the forest. Its skin was exceptionally tough and resistant to blades and fire; it was also incredibly strong and utterly wild.
Ordinary hunters would avoid confronting a Long-tusked Wild Boar at all costs, not daring to test the might of its tusks.
What was most terrifying was that the appearance of a Long-tusked Wild Boar meant there was definitely a nest or even a group of them.
Behind this Long-tusked Wild Boar followed a dozen or so of its kind, large and small.
They thunderously crashed through the vines and saplings blocking their path, following their leader in pursuit of the fleeing Mountain Patrol Dogs.
However, just as the entire horde of boars burst out of the forest, an abrupt change occurred!
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
Dark Mysterious Black arrows swiftly tore through the air; the triangular arrowheads glittered with a dark golden luster, crossing a distance of over a hundred steps to collide head-on with the boars.
Thud! Thud! Thud! Experience more tales on empire
The skin of the Long-tusked Wild Boars, though as tough as a samurai's armor and impressively resilient, couldn't withstand these arrows which clearly possessed special penetrative power; a hit meant a certain pierce.
Moreover, the archers ambushing the herd demonstrated excellent bowmanship, with less than one-tenth of their fired arrows missing their mark. On average, a boar was struck by three to four arrows, and the one leading the charge was turned into a hedgehog.
They let out agonized squeals, lost their balance, and tumbled to the ground, plowing deep grooves into the earth.
Crimson blood gushed from their wounds, quickly staining the mud.
Not far from the jungle, a series of agile figures leaped out.
They carried longbows and had war sabers slung on their backs, wearing animal hide armors that blended in with the bushes, exuding a fearsome aura.
"Aroo!"
The blood-soaked boar leader let out an angry and indignant roar. It struggled to its feet and charged at the hunters with bloodshot eyes, ready for a desperate fight.
Swoosh!
Another arrow shot forth like lightning, hitting the Long-tusked Wild Boar leader's left eye, piercing straight into the brain without the slightest hesitation.
The boar leader collapsed with a thud, silent forevermore.
"Nice!"
The hunters cheered in unison, some even blowing whistles.
"Brother Xiao's arrow skills are amazing!"
"Number one in Datian Village!"
"Not just the best in Datian Village, but the best for miles around!"
"Exactly, exactly..."
"All right."
A burly, middle-aged hunter chuckled, "Stop bragging and hurry up to clean up these wild boars."
"Yes, sir!"
The group of hunters put away their longbows and jovially ran over to process their spoils.
A Monster Beast's body was a treasure from head to toe, and the Long-tusked Wild Boar was no exception. Its hide could be tanned for boots and armors, its tendons and bones were materials for alchemy, its meat was a supplement for fortifying Qi-Blood, and not to mention the medicinal dishes that could be cooked with its offal...
A several hundred-pound Long-tusked Wild Boar could fetch quite a few Spirit Stones in Wan City.
Especially now, with the deep winter approaching, these wild pigs were all fattened up and strong, the most valuable they would be.
The hunters cooperated with each other, using ropes to hang the bodies of the wild pigs upside down from trees.
While draining the pig blood, they also scraped clean the muddy pig bristles.
Some hunters took a few hearty gulps of the piping hot pig blood, feeling incredibly refreshed.
As they were busying themselves, that hunter surnamed Xiao quickly moved through the thickets and in a blink, arrived in front of Wang Chen, bowing respectfully and said, "My lord, all the game has been taken down!"
"Very good."
Wang Chen nodded, "Tell everyone to speed up, we will scout ahead a bit more."
The hunter in front of him, who was utterly respectful, was Xiao Hong, who had recently been appointed as the captain of the Datian Village Guard Squad.
The Guard Squad of Datian Village was made up of fifty members, mostly young villagers, with a majority being martial artists and some being cultivators.
After some training, Wang Chen took them into the mountains to hunt.
The results after a few times were remarkable!
Now, Wang Chen basically did not interfere with the Guard Squad's hunting operations, allowing them to perform freely, only providing necessary assistance in searching for game at most.
Unless they encountered monster beasts they could not compete with, he never joined the fight.
As the saying goes, it is better to teach a man to fish than to give him a fish. If the hunters developed a habitual dependence on Wang Chen, once he left, the established rules and systems would surely collapse!
Xiao Hong respectfully replied, "Yes!"
His reverence and respect for Wang Chen stemmed from his heart, without any trace of insincerity.
Xiao Hong himself was originally a hunter from Datian Village, and his hunting skills were second to none in the village.
But because he was an outsider by family name, he had always been ostracized by Huang Deqi and others, finding himself still single despite his age.
Everything changed with the arrival of Wang Chen, the new village chief; the once unchallengeable Huang Deqi fell from power, the three major families lost their reliance, and he was appointed as captain of the Guard Squad...
Just the other day, matchmakers from the village approached him saying several families had taken a liking to him.
They wanted to take Xiao Hong as a son-in-law.
And they didn't want a dowry!!
During this period, Xiao Hong felt like he was living in a dream.
To prevent this beautiful dream from falling apart, he put forth all his strength, leading the Guard Squad in the mountains to encircle and hunt monster beasts.
The reason Xiao Hong respected Wang Chen was because the latter provided the Guard Squad with a batch of demon-hunting bows, armor-piercing arrows, and beast skin armors purchased from Wan City, and even provided more than a dozen Storage Bags for the cultivators in the squad to use.
These fine weapons and equipment dramatically increased the fighting power of the Guard Squad, making the hunt for the Long-tusked Wild Boars a breeze.
This was something they wouldn't have dared to dream of in the past!
Others, when they became chiefs of the village, would think of every possible way to amass wealth for their own cultivation needs, but Wang Chen did the opposite. He did not exploit the villagers; instead, he provided a considerable amount of Spirit Stones to subsidize the village.
Xiao Hong truly hoped that he could continue to serve as the chief of the village.
With profound emotions, Xiao Hong returned to the midst of the hunters and joined them in processing the game.
The cleaned wild pigs were stored in Storage Bags to stay fresh. The Guard Squad then rested on the spot for half a "two hours," eating some dry food to replenish their energy, before they continued deeper into the mountains.
According to the plan, they were to stockpile a large quantity of game before winter set in, ensuring that every villager in Datian Village would have meat to eat.
With Wang Chen, the Purple Mansion cultivator, backing them, everyone was bold and confident.
A few Mountain Patrol Dogs charged at the front, nimbly navigating through the thickets, using their keen sense of smell to search for game.
Today was destined not to be a quiet day!
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First update delivered.