Chapter 110: Hunting in the Wild 1

Third Bro felt an inexplicable sense of foreboding stirring in his heart.

People in their line of work weren’t exactly on the wrong side of the law, but they weren’t exactly upstanding citizens either. Running into folks from the straight and narrow right as they entered the mountains was hardly a good omen.

To be honest, if the boss hadn’t offered such a hefty payout for this job, he wouldn’t have taken it. From the video alone, it was clear that the red fox, the yellow weasel, and that five-step snake were eerily intelligent—scary so. Chen Ji hadn’t outright said in the video that these animals were spirit beasts… but who would?

Anyone who came to the mountains for this kind of hunt carried a certain reverence. Normally, they’d leave such creatures undisturbed and slip away quietly. He had no desire to cross Chen Ji, especially since the man was a temple priest of the Mountain Lord Temple—or at least a descendant of one. They all scraped by in these hills; messing with the Mountain Lord’s priest, even a half-trained one, could bring down some bad luck. The Mountain God might not care about the man himself but would give face for his ancestors’ sake.

Third Bro tamped down his unease, pocketed the business card, and waved for the others to leave the main path. Second Brother followed close behind. “There are tourists in the mountains now,” he said. “We need to be extra careful.”

Everyone nodded. Second Brother had shown them the video earlier, and the boss had sent them because of it. Those tourists must have been drawn by the same thing—no point griping about them.

Old Five chimed in. “Doesn’t matter. They’re heading to the Mountain Lord Temple, which isn’t our path. That young lady’s just a village official; she doesn’t know the mountains well. They won’t stray far from the main road.”

What they called the main road was really just the track Chen Ji used to go up and down the mountain—wide enough for a motorcycle at best. Between his construction work and renovations after moving back, the wild grass had been cleared, making the path distinct. Follow it uphill, and you’d reach Chen Ji’s Mountain Lord Temple. Head downhill, and you’d end up in Shangyang Village.

Second Brother nodded. That made sense. The young folks looked like regular tourists—well-behaved ones, not the kind of reckless hikers who roamed everywhere. As long as they steered clear of the main road, they should be fine.

The group plunged into the underbrush, spirits lifting at once. After all, in the video, Chen Ji had first encountered that five-step snake in a nearby thornberry bush. They all knew five-step snakes ate meat, but what if this one had a taste for thornberries?

Third Bro made a hand signal. The other three men gripped their poles and pushed into the thornberry thicket, scanning for snake tracks while plucking some berries.

Suddenly, Second Brother jabbed his pole and flicked up a bamboo leaf viper hiding on a branch. He casually dropped it into a burlap sack. Third Bro asked, “Found another one?”

The others shook their heads. That was normal—even hunting on purpose didn’t guarantee instant results. Third Bro eyed the sack in Second Brother’s hand, hesitating.

The weather was mild, so the snake wouldn’t suffocate in the bag. But it was still a venomous viper, and they were just getting started. Carrying it felt like a hassle.

Second Brother shrugged. “We’ll roast it tonight.”

Fourth Bro teased, “Can you even cook, Second Bro? Don’t poison us all.”

Second Brother replied flatly, “Then don’t eat it.”

Everyone chuckled and pressed on deeper into the mountain. They left some thornberries behind but popped the rest into their mouths. Supplies were limited on these trips; foraging fruit was a nice bonus, and no one turned it down.

High atop a locust tree, the five-step snake coiled lazily, watching the men pass below. They reeked of blood—a far cry from those young folks earlier.

What were they here for?

Second Brother and his crew ventured deeper, soon entering a dense forest. From there, a short, steep slope led up, allowing them to skirt the Mountain Lord Temple and reach the backwoods trail.

The thick canopy blotted out the sunlight the moment they stepped in, plunging the light into gloom. All of them perked up, on high alert. It wasn’t exaggeration; experience had taught them that sunless spots like this were far more dangerous.

Poisonous bugs and snakes loved the damp shadows, and poor visibility made strikes all too easy.

Second Brother and Third Bro swapped positions, with Second Brother taking point. He swept a stick in a fan pattern ahead, parting the grass. Sure, it might scare off snakes, but their real target was that big tiger. The serpents were secondary.

Old Five brought up the rear. He caught a faint rustle of grass and raised a hand. The group froze, eyes darting around. Old Five listened intently, hearing the persistent scrape. He held his breath, slung his gun, and drew a long sickle and stick instead. He crept toward the sound, Fourth Bro covering him with a rifle trained on his direction—in case something huge lunged out.

It wasn’t just the white tiger they had to worry about. Little Azure Mountain had wolves, feral dogs, wild boars—all ferocious. A three- or four-hundred-pound boar, all sinew and fury, wouldn’t go down to a sickle alone.

Old Five tracked the noise. After five or six steps, he crouched low. A gray shadow darted through the grass ahead. Without blinking, Old Five hurled the sickle. It flashed like lightning into the brush, followed by a thud. Everyone paused, then relaxed.

Whatever it was, the sickle had floored it—not a big beast, or they’d gotten a lucky kill.

Old Five parted the grass with his stick. A pool of crimson blood stained the ground, and a scruffy wild rabbit twitched in it, limbs jerking. Half the sickle pinned it to the earth, the blade embedded in its flesh. Old Five grinned. He scooped up the sickle and rabbit. “Lucky break—rabbit for dinner!”

Wild rabbit was tough, but perfect for barbecue. The others grinned too, tension easing. Just then, Old Four let out a sharp yelp. They whipped around to see him shaking his clothes frantically. Hearts racing again, they moved to help—only for Old Four to slap his side hard. A thumb-sized hornet tumbled from his hem.

They peered closer. A hornet, alright.

Third Bro stepped up. “Stung?”

“Damn it!” Fourth Bro cursed. They were mountain veterans—not like those kids in shorts and tees. Their clothes had snug cuffs precisely to keep bugs out. Yet somehow, as he’d bent to scratch an itch on his leg, the hornet had slipped in through his collar!

Fourth Bro stripped off his shirt. Sure enough, a red welt bloomed on his belly, the hornet’s stinger embedded deep. The skin swelled visibly. Second Brother pulled out a lighter, heated his dagger tip, and bent to extract the stinger.

“Strong venom,” Second Brother said, glancing up. “Hold still.”

“Go for it.” Fourth Bro braced himself. Second Brother lanced the wound. Blood welled up fast. Fourth Bro squeezed out the poisoned blood, grimacing in pain. Second Brother dug ointment from his pack to staunch the bleeding and neutralize the toxin.

They wrapped it up in under three minutes. Fourth Bro pulled his shirt back on like nothing happened, and they pushed onward.

An hour later, they spotted the steep slope. No fancy gear needed—these men moved nimbly, using sickles and ropes to scramble up effortlessly. Halfway up, they all froze.

Someone was calling for help up top?

“Help! Somebody help me—!”

The four exchanged glances. A woman—young, by the sound. Third Bro swore inwardly. Was she with that college village official?

Talk about rotten luck.

As they looked up, they spotted her: a girl in a skimpy tank top and shorts. From their angle, her long pale legs dangled enticingly. She dangled midair, crying and shouting, clutching a branch for dear life. “Help! Is anyone there? Save me!”

Second Brother glanced at Third Bro—their leader this time. Third Bro gritted his teeth. “We save her.”

They had to climb anyway; rescuing her was easy. Ignoring her would look suspicious.

Third Bro called up. “Hang on up there, miss! We’ve got you—just hold tight!”

The girl sobbed. “People! Hurry, save me! Help!”

They climbed faster and soon saw her clearly. Fourth Bro chuckled lewdly and lunged, grabbing her waist. “Stay still—I’ll get you up!”

She looked up, prettier than any TV star. Fourth Bro’s pulse raced; he hauled her with extra vigor. She was only two or three meters from solid footing. The old hand had her up in seconds, copping a feel of her leg on the way.

Fourth Bro smirked.

The others crested the slope. He softened his tone. “You hurt anywhere?”

Third Bro shot him a disapproving look but said nothing.

The girl seemed delicate, blushing as she met Fourth Bro’s eyes. “N-no… Th-thank you, big bro!”

That did it—Fourth Bro practically bubbled inside. Then she whimpered, “My leg… it hurts… boo-hoo, I don’t think I can stand…”

Third Bro frowned, about to intervene, but Fourth Bro was already running his hand along her leg. “Here? Does it hurt here?”

Second Brother watched, then murmured, “Have Old Four take her back. Rendezvous later.”

They couldn’t just abandon the girl here and walk away. Otherwise, if she later told anyone she’d run into four guys in the mountains carrying gear, spotted her injury, and left her stranded… the suspicion would be enormous. Calling forest rescue wasn’t an option either, but fortunately, the Mountain Lord Temple wasn’t far off. Having Fourth take her there would at least make things look reasonable.

Third Bro nodded at the situation and said, “Fourth, you take the little lady to the Mountain Lord Temple.”

Fourth had been mulling the exact same idea, so Third Bro’s words were music to his ears. He agreed on the spot and turned to the girl. “Come on, let your big brother give you a piggyback ride.”

“Then I’ll take her back first, Third Bro. Catch you at the next spot!”

The girl thanked Third Bro and the others profusely before finally clambering onto Fourth’s back. Fourth gleefully ran his hand along her leg, reveling in how silky smooth it felt, while keeping up a steady stream of chatter with her.

A bizarre glint flickered in the girl’s eyes, her voice so honey-sweet it seemed like you could wring water from it. “Thank you, big brother. I wasn’t paying attention…”