Chapter 105 - 100: Operation Boar Hunt
Along these well-trodden paths, bushes were cut back and the grass was trampled flat. Markings were visible on the trees lining the route.
The deeper they went, the more the paths diverged.
Some areas showed no signs of human activity. Suddenly, a sound echoed from within the forest.
The bushes ahead rustled, and a group of seven people emerged, heading toward them. Several members of the team wore raincoats and carried kitchen cleavers and various modified polearms.
Upon suddenly encountering other people in the forest, both groups halted simultaneously, then slowly moved to pass each other.
The other party gave Qin Ziwen’s and Du Yu’s Long Spears a long, hard look.
Neither side said a word. The tense atmosphere only dissipated after they had put some distance between them.
Du Yu said grimly, "Aside from my master, the last people I want to run into in the forest are other Hunters."
"I understand." Qin Ziwen nodded. This was only the second time he had encountered another group this deep into the forest.
In a place this remote, if either side had ill intentions, it would lead to a bloody battle.
Besides, the great forest was vast and wild. A body could be dumped anywhere, and plenty of animals would be there to dispose of the evidence.
’But it’s still just morning. They’re already heading back.’
Qin Ziwen grew thoughtful. Considering the direction they’d come from, he thought he had figured out their origin point.
’Returning this early... they must have set out around three or four in the morning.’
’These people are really hardcore.’
In the group that had just passed them, someone remarked, "Those two were brave, daring to go into the forest with just the two of them. But their weapons were impressive. That rifle looked pretty well-made. I wonder how they got it."
"It probably wasn’t a rifle. It looked like a Long Spear."
"President Luo, should we go back and..." Someone in the group made a gesture.
Someone next to him threw cold water on the idea. "Forget it. Those two look like trouble. Besides, if they dare to come out here alone, they must have some real skill."
Deeper in the forest, Du Yu began searching for signs of wild boars.
After more than two hours of searching, the temperature climbed, soaking their undershirts in sweat.
Du Yu suddenly crouched down, parting the weeds on the ground. "Here. Wild boar tracks."
Qin Ziwen came over. It was a small mud puddle. The silt inside had hardened somewhat, but at the bottom were two hoof prints, each as wide as a bowl.
The tracks were wide, roughly the size of two adult hands put together.
Du Yu said, "These tracks are two days old, but it looks like this is its territory. A boar this size has almost no natural predators. Without any threats, its range won’t be very large, and it will stick to a few fixed game trails."
With that, Du Yu followed the trail, and soon found identical tracks in another patch of mud up ahead.
The deeper they went, the more numerous the tracks became. They could even see areas of heavily compacted earth at the base of some trees.
Parting a clump of grass, Du Yu nodded. "Sir, look. Wild boar droppings. They’re still pretty fresh—probably from yesterday."
After surveying the area, he buried a Beast Trap in the game trail and covered it with a layer of grass.
"Sir, let’s set up the trap right around here."
He scattered some dried mulberries on the ground, then broke apart a Gray Sweet Potato and sprinkled the pieces evenly around the area.
Du Yu explained, "As long as these things attract the boar and keep it lingering in the area, it’ll lower its head to eat while it moves around. That makes it much more likely to step on the trap."
"I get it. How long do you think it’ll take for the boar to get caught?"
"I can’t be sure. But it’s used this game trail for the past two days, so there’s a good chance it’ll come this way again today."
After glancing around, Du Yu pointed to a large tree. "Sir, we should hide up in the trees."
"It’s not necessarily safe to hide nearby, but boars can’t climb, and they don’t tend to look up. We’ll be safer in the trees."
Qin Ziwen took his advice and climbed a large, old tree nearby. Du Yu positioned himself in the tree directly above where they’d set the trap.
The Beaked Eagle flapped its wings and landed on a branch nearby, tilting its head as it watched the two men climb into the trees.
"Shh." Qin Ziwen put a finger to his lips.
As if it understood, the Beaked Eagle stopped flapping and simply shuffled on its talons to stand beside Qin Ziwen.
The minutes ticked by.
The forest air grew increasingly hot, and Qin Ziwen took some dry rations from his pack.
Qin Ziwen figured the giant boar was unlikely to show up now. ’The weather’s too hot, and for something that weighs a ton, moving around would take too much effort.’
Just as he’d predicted, the giant boar was a no-show, even by three in the afternoon.
RUSTLE...
From the dense woods nearby came the sound of something brushing against the undergrowth.
Qin Ziwen, who had been dozing while holding onto a branch, felt a gentle peck on his arm. He snapped his eyes open, and a moment later, his pupils widened with delight.
Directly below them, a jet-black giant boar, like a small, moving hill, was slowly approaching.
The giant boar seemed to know it was the undisputed king of this territory, and it walked with incredible arrogance.
Instead of walking with a hunched back like other boars, it held its snout high in the air, its eyes narrowed to slits. Its gait was slow, and it would pause every few steps to flick its tail.
’This thing...’ Qin Ziwen recognized it. It was the same enormous boar that had tried to ambush him before.
Du Yu’s body went taut like a drawn Bow. He had never seen a boar so massive; it was a true beast of the mountains. His eyes, however, grew brighter, and the corners of his mouth twisted into a savage, excited grin. ’Now *this* is a real hunt! Hunting a behemoth like this is what it’s all about!’
The giant boar seemed to catch a scent. It stopped, glanced from side to side, and finally lowered its head, its gaze landing on a patch of grass nearby.