Chapter 44
The biting cold wind blew through the mountain forest. The cypress trees swayed gently, the bushes trembled slightly, and the melodious sound of the wind, mixed with a “rustling” sound, echoed in the mountains.
The sleeping mountain goats were awakened by the wind. They slowly lifted their heads from their companions’ backs and looked around alertly. Seemingly not sensing any danger, the large goat heads froze for a moment before resting back on their companions’ backs.
On the bare trunks of the cypress trees, the little squirrels, which had been motionless for a long time, as if glued to the trees, finally “woke up.” They held onto the trunks with all four paws and, under the cover of the wind, moved towards the ground inch by inch, carefully.
Are they starting to move?
The chipmunk, watching from a distance, tightened its grip on the tree trunk and couldn’t help but feel nervous.
The red sheep had let their guard down, allowing the beastmen to approach smoothly. But the size difference was too great, and it would not be easy to capture the mountain goats. The squirrels were no match for the sheep. They probably planned to change back to their human form after getting close. But the beastmen were unarmed. How many sheep could six people hold down?
Claws scraped against the bark, and the faint sound was instantly swallowed by the wind.
The furry little squirrels descended to the ground one after another. Just as Hua Shi’an thought they were about to change back to their human form to hunt, they, as if by agreement, silently slipped into the bushes and then climbed up the large trees closer to the herd of sheep.
The little squirrels scattered, one squirrel per tree, six squirrels, six trees… wait, wasn’t the hunting team six people? Hua Shi’an carefully counted again and found that there was indeed one squirrel missing, and it was the most crucial one, the red-bellied squirrel—Hong Yong.
When did he disappear? Where did he go? Just as he was wondering, the rock squirrel beside him suddenly nudged Hua Shi’an with its head and then lifted its furry little paw to point to the front right.
Following the direction of the paw, a red shadow came into view. Hua Shi’an’s suspended heart fell back into his chest. And when he saw the red-bellied squirrel’s position, he suddenly realized that the squirrel team had gone down the tree and then up again, not just to get closer to the herd of sheep, but to form a formation!
The red-bellied squirrel was at the forefront, alone on a tree in front of the herd of sheep. The squirrel team, in pairs, seemed to have just changed trees, but in reality—they were like a precise fishing net, silently surrounding the herd of sheep from behind, forming an arc-shaped encirclement.
There was something strange again. If they were confident in catching the mountain goats, it would be more convenient to hunt if they formed a circle. Why was the rear so heavily guarded, while the crucial front was only assigned one person?
No, they’re not going to hunt on the spot. They’re going to drive the herd of sheep!
“Squeak—”
A sharp cry pierced through the wind and broke the silence, as if blowing the horn of attack. The squirrels, which had been ambushing on the tree trunks for a long time, straightened their hind legs, straightened their backs, and shot out like arrows from a bow, leaping down from a high place.
The furry figures drew a parabola in the air, looking like a cluster of willow catkins scattered by the wind from a distance. And just as they were about to reach the ground, the little squirrels’ bodies began to twist and expand. The fluffy, soft fur turned into firm skin, and the small, delicate paws turned into pairs of broad, rough hands.
By the time they landed, the five soft, cute, and seemingly harmless squirrels had instantly turned into five tall and sturdy, burly men.
“Baa, baa—”
The change happened in an instant. From absolute safety to the eye of the storm, the first to react was the sentinel sheep, which threw its head back and bleated. The herd of sheep, which had been at ease deep in the bushes, was alarmed by the impending danger. They pushed off with their hind legs and leaped up, their fur trembling with fear.
“Quick, run, surround them!”
Without giving the herd of sheep a moment to react, Hong Yunlang threw his arms up and shouted. He pushed off with his back foot and shot off, like a lightning-fast cheetah, leading the four beastmen to charge at the herd of sheep from different directions.
The herd of sheep was in complete chaos, like a hornet’s nest that had been poked with a stick. The extremely panicked mountain goats were in a complete mess, charging and running wildly, fleeing for their lives.
A lame lamb was knocked to the ground. Before it could struggle, it was swallowed up by the surging herd of sheep. A stumbling ewe barely managed to regain her balance. Before she could let out a cry of grief for her lamb, she was knocked to the ground by another charging old sheep.
Sharp horns and sharp hooves cut bloody gashes in their companions’ fur. Dust and wool flew into the air. Amidst the rising and falling cries of grief, the mountain goats that had successfully escaped did not look back once, completely unaware of the trembling bodies of their companions behind them.
Effortlessly, six mountain goats were separated from the herd and were left forever in the bushes. The remaining mountain goats followed the path planned for them by the beastmen and fled without looking back.
He had thought that letting the herd of sheep fall into chaos was the hunting team’s plan, and it was time to count their harvest. But who would have thought that as they passed by the bushes, no one even glanced at the prey they had in hand. The red-bellied squirrel leaped down, changed back to its human form, and led the five beastmen on a wild chase.
Still chasing? The chipmunk tilted its head and chirped. It deftly slid down to the foot of the tree and, with the three little squirrels that had come down with it, quickly chased after them.
Red sheep were only timid. Their speed and endurance were quite good. The beastmen switched back and forth between their human and beast forms, running and jumping, in relentless pursuit, but they were always a little behind, keeping a distance from the herd of sheep that was neither too close nor too far.
This was a pure waste of effort. The beastmen’s stamina would definitely run out before the red sheep’s. They were about to lose them. Just as Hua Shi’an was hesitating whether to change back to his human form and shout, a muffled sound suddenly came from ahead.
“Thump—”
It sounded like a heavy object hitting the ground. The thick sound wave rippled out layer by layer. Before the echo of the first sound had faded, the second, third, fourth… it was like a landslide, a magnificent sound.
What happened? An earthquake? Hua Shi’an was startled.
At the same time, the hunting team, which had left them far behind, suddenly stopped. The road seemed to have come to an end. The sky-blotting cypress trees were becoming fewer and fewer. The sky ahead was bright, but the herd of sheep that the beastmen had been chasing was gone.
Hua Shi’an realized something. He pressed down hard with his front paws, manually applying the emergency brake. Seeing that the little squirrels behind him were also starting to slow down and brake, he boldly changed back to his human form and hurried forward.
The suddenly disappearing herd of sheep, the successive muffled sounds, the biting, raging cold wind. Hua Shi’an trotted to the back of the beastmen, stretched his neck, held his breath, and looked. Sure enough, there was no road ahead.
A sharp, giant axe had fallen from the sky, splitting the forest in two. A narrow, deep rift valley appeared abruptly at the end of the road. The “cross-section” was smooth and flat, with steep cliffs on both sides. Standing on top, you could vaguely see the bottom of the valley, but at this height, if you accidentally fell, you would be crippled if not dead.
The herd of sheep had not disappeared into thin air. The small white dots flying on the cliff face below were the prey they had been chasing all along. The red sheep’s climbing ability was superb. They walked on the cliffs as if on flat ground. In just a short while, two red sheep had already successfully reached the bottom of the valley.
They definitely couldn’t catch up. The hunting team had no intention of chasing them either, because—there were no more than six moving white dots on the cliff face.
Perhaps they were unfamiliar with the terrain, or perhaps they were in such a panic that they couldn’t stop in time. Not expecting the sudden appearance of the rift valley, the panicked herd of sheep was defeated in their area of expertise. They charged straight towards the nearly vertical cliff and fell into the valley.
Cries of grief and wails were endless. The red sheep that had fallen off the cliff did not die immediately. They were still struggling desperately, crying for help. But their companions who had walked down the cliff did not stop. Seemingly knowing that they were powerless, they soon disappeared into the dim valley.
At this point—the hunt was a complete success.
Looking at the scattered mountain goats at the bottom of the valley, the captain, Hong Yong, smiled with satisfaction. After the few surviving mountain goats had gone far, he raised his arm and waved it forcefully, arranging the beastmen in an orderly fashion, “The hunt is over. You can relax now. Everyone, take a rest first, and then spread out and look for a way down. It’s time to get our harvest!”
During the hunt, to avoid scaring the prey away, no one could make any sound without the captain’s command. The beastmen had been holding it in for a long time. Hearing this, they were as if granted a pardon and excitedly jumped up on the spot.
“My Beast God! Sheep, so many sheep! There must be more than ten of them, right?”
“It’s like a dream. We’ve never caught so many prey at once, even in the Clear Sky Forest! Hong Jian, pinch me. Is this a dream?”
“Come, come, I’ll help you.”
“Hiss—it hurts! Damn it, Hong Yunlang, you really went for it!”
“The ones at the bottom of the cliff, plus the ones in the forest, there are probably almost twenty sheep. Heavens, I’ve never seen so much prey in my life!”
“The key is that it didn’t take much effort. It was even easier than catching the green iguana before!”
“It’s all thanks to Brother Yong’s smart brain. He always has new methods!”
“Brother Yong is mighty!”
The beastmen were playing and joking. In the end, everyone started to praise Hong Yong.
The young captain’s face turned red. He couldn’t suppress his smile, but he deliberately put on a stern face. “Alright, alright. If you’re not tired, go and find a way down. What are you making a fuss about here?”
They had run so far, so they were more or less tired, but the joy of the harvest was greater than anything else. The five beastmen quickly dispersed, and with uncontrollable excitement, they each went to look for a way into the valley.
So it wasn’t a coincidence. Making the mountain goats fall into the rift valley was the hunting team’s plan? Hua Shi’an was stunned. Seeing that Hong Yong was about to leave, he quickly followed. “Have you been here before? How, how did you guys know there was a rift valley here?”
He seemed to have known they were following behind. Hong Yong was not surprised to see Hua Shi’an and the three sub-beastmen here, just a little helpless as he sighed. “Lord Priest, hunting is very dangerous. You shouldn’t have brought them with you. If the prey is difficult to deal with, we’ll be too busy to protect you.”
Knowing he was in the wrong, Hua Shi’an touched his nose in embarrassment. “It won’t happen again. We just wanted to help, and also… we were curious.”
“We haven’t been here before.” Hong Yong stopped, looked down at Hua Shi’an, and patiently answered his question, “My father once said that when you’re hunting, you’re not just dealing with the prey, but also the dangers that exist in the forest itself.”
“You have to be familiar with the terrain and understand the environment to have a chance of catching prey. Otherwise, if you’re chasing prey and accidentally fall off a cliff yourself. So when we encounter a herd of beasts, we first observe and get a clear picture of the surroundings before deciding what method to use to hunt.”
Hua Shi’an was stunned. He then asked, “So you thought of using the method of driving the herd of sheep to hunt when you saw the rift valley? But the problem is, how did you know the herd of sheep would definitely run away? They have such large horns. What if they’re not afraid of people and even attack them?”
“Heh.” Hong Yong suddenly chuckled. “Although we haven’t caught much prey in the Giant Tree Forest, don’t underestimate our hunting team, Priest. Even if the mountain goats didn’t run away, the six of us beastmen could still catch three or four of them without a problem.”
So confident?
Hua Shi’an’s eyes widened. He coughed lightly into his fist. “I didn’t underestimate you.”
Hong Yong added, “Of course, the most important reason is that social animals are mostly herbivores, timid, and not very aggressive. If we suddenly jump out and change back to our human form, and then roar a few times, they will most likely choose to run away.”
Hua Shi’an: “Uh, not necessarily. There are also social animals that eat meat. You guys should be more careful when you hunt in the future. If you encounter a social animal with brown fur with a hint of gray and a mane on its neck, don’t hesitate. Change back to your beast form and run.”
Without asking any more questions, Hong Yong started walking forward again and waved his hand with a smile. “Mm, I know, Lord Priest. I’ll go and get busy then. You guys wait for us here. Don’t go back to the forest for now. The smell of blood might attract more ferocious wild beasts.”
Not causing trouble was a form of help. Hua Shi’an nodded. “Okay.”
The beastman gradually walked away and disappeared into the jungle in the blink of an eye.
A makeshift team that couldn’t catch any sheep? He had been proven wrong, hadn’t he?
Hua Shi’an licked his dry, chapped lips. So what if he had been proven wrong? As long as there was meat to eat.
