My 1995 Small Farm.

Chapter 506 The Miao Family Hunting Trip (Part 3)

One person was pleasantly surprised.

The two of them were shocked.

The dog was terrified and only started barking when the leopard had gone far away.

"This dog performed well in the orchard hunting game, but it's not as good as it is in the mountains."

A slight disappointment flashed through Chen Ling's mind. Chasing Mountain Dog hadn't been up the mountain much, so it was a bit of a misnomer.

But soon, this slight disappointment was dispelled by a heart full of joy.

There are leopards here?
So, is it possible to...?

"Lingzi, what was that just now? Was it a leopard?"

"It's a leopard, trying to catch and eat the monkey."

"Ouch, that was terrifying! My hair practically stood on end..."

"Oh, right, monkey."

Wang Qingwen and his brother rushed forward to check on the fallen monkey.

"This monkey is already dead. Let's take it back later; it's at least a piece of prey."

The wild monkey's throat had been bitten open, and its head had hit the rocks when it fell from the tree, leaving it bloody and mangled.

The dead can no longer die.

"Huh? What's this?"

As soon as Wang Qingwen turned the wild monkey over, he saw that the monkey was holding a dry, smooth thing in its hand, along with a long tail.

At first glance, this thing looks like a cat that has been dead for a long time, dried out, hairless, with only dry skin left.

"Could it be a leopard cub? Did a wild monkey catch and kill a leopard cub, which is how the leopard came to be?"

"Brother, you're really good at guessing."

Wang Qingzhong, who was standing next to him, was immediately amused: "This is not a baby leopard. How could a baby leopard be stuck to this wild monkey's hand?"

This is a baby monkey. I don't know what happened, but it didn't survive. After it died, the mother monkey couldn't bear to part with it and would hold it in her arms forever.

They would keep it until it smelled bad and rotted, but they would never throw it away.

"It's stuck to my hand! It's just skin and bones; I have no idea how long it's been dead."

"Oh, is that it? I've heard Dad talk about things like that before."

Wang Qingwen squatted down and clicked his tongue: "The wild monkey is actually not that annoying. Lingzi, do you think we can take this monkey back?"

"...Yes, you can bring it."

Chen Ling thought for a moment. This monkey was the leopard's prey, and snatching food from the leopard's mouth would easily provoke the leopard's resentment and revenge.

However, for him, who had been eyeing the leopard for a long time, this was not a bad thing.

It would be a good thing if the leopard came looking for revenge.

"It's good that we can take him. He's at least a prey. We can't stay in the Miao village forever. Our parents must still be worried about Ah Zhong at home."

Hunt enough prey as soon as possible and go home.

Ah Zhong, get some grass, make a straw basket, and take this wild monkey with you.

As Wang Qingwen spoke, he took out a "ghost head knife" given to them by the Miao village and went to cut some long wild grass.

The ghost-head knife of the Miao village looks like a sickle without a curve, just like the bamboo knife used by bamboo weavers.

When necessary, the demon head knife can be attached to a wooden stick to become a long knife.

It can be used for self-defense when encountering ferocious wild animals.

This is similar to the hoes and broadswords used in their area...

Without the long stick, it's just an ordinary hunting knife slung at the waist; with the stick, it becomes a majestic long knife.

Simple, yet useful.

Cut the grass, bundle it, wrap it around a few times, and make a grass basket.

This straw basket can be used for more than just hunting.

Sometimes we'd catch a chicken or something and rush to the market to sell it, or cut some meat—it was all done this way, using whatever was available locally, which was very convenient.

After the two brothers finished, they saw Chen Ling holding a ghost-head knife, looking like he was about to skin the wild monkey.

He asked, "Lingzi, what are you doing?"

"Oh, it's nothing. Since wild monkeys are considered prey, I need to cut off two pieces of their tails and leave them here..."

Chen Ling blinked.

The two brothers-in-law immediately understood.

This was left for the 'mountain spirits and monsters' under the command of the Earth God.

In their culture, it's called worshipping the mountain god.

He then stopped talking.

Just watch quietly.

However, they were unaware that Chen Ling had other motives besides this.

It's about luring the leopard.

Chen Ling had prepared several kinds of hunting poison last night.

There are those who drive away beasts.

There are also those who attract beasts.

All of them are products of Dongtian.

Now, while cutting off the monkey's tail, let's also lay some bait.

It all depends on whether the leopard takes the bait.

He wasn't really sure about this kind of thing.

Looking in the direction the leopard had gone, he thought, 'Felines are cautious, and we can't stay here long. We'll just have to rely on luck.'

Back when he was at home, he used to set traps to catch lynxes deep in the Qinling Mountains, in a particularly well-marked animal trail.

As a result, nothing was found.

His repeated failures in catching leopards also made him less confident.

Now we're baiting the hook, which means we'll cast a couple of times, whether we have a chance or not.

Cut the monkey's tail off at the base, then chop it into several sections and scatter them around the monkey.

In the grass, on the rocks, hanging on the branches...

Complete them one by one.

Chen Ling left behind a straw marker.

This is a signal to the Miao people.

Then he took out a plum tube and blew it out with a loud sound, three short and three long, which spread through the mountains and forests.

This is a message being sent to the Lynx and the others.

Tell them there are wild animals around and to be careful.

"Let's go, there's nothing left here, and the wild monkeys have been scared away... Let's go check the water first."

They tied the dead wild monkey up in a straw basket, and Wang Qingzhong carried it in his hand. The three of them, along with the dog, slowly descended the steep mountain path to the stream at the foot of the mountain.

Leopards have been spotted in the vicinity.

Choose to attack monkey troop and hunt monkeys.

Not wild boars.

This actually explains the problem to some extent.

Or perhaps the wild boar herd wasn't nearby.

or……

Now that the pig herd has grown large enough, the leopard has no chance to make a move.

However, this is the breeding season for wild boars.

If there are piglets, they are relatively easy for jackals, wolves, tigers, and leopards to catch.

And it tastes delicious.

This suggests that the wild boar herd is most likely not nearby.

Chen Ling wondered to himself.

The three of them had arrived at the water's edge.

Listening to the rushing water, I used my hunting knife to part the dense weeds, searching for traces of wild boars.

Chen Ling was mentally prepared for the possibility that he would come up empty-handed this time.

But to my surprise, apart from the annoying mosquitoes, everything else went quite smoothly.

Not long after walking along the stream, fresh footprints and droppings left by wild boars were found in a wide area.

and……

Although this white Taihang dog performed poorly when facing a leopard, it surprisingly reacted quickly after sniffing carefully upon seeing fresh 'pig tracks'.

It barked softly and stretched its chain, trying to walk upstream along the stream towards the southeastern hillside on the other side.

This surprised and delighted Chen Ling.

I used to think this mountain-chasing dog rarely came to the mountains and wasn't very useful.

Surprisingly, it turned out to be pretty good.

So he waved to his brother-in-law and said, "If you've found a slut, just follow her there."

The two brothers-in-law, when it came to actually doing it, knew absolutely nothing about hunting.

They're not even as good as Wang Jusheng and his brother-in-law.

However, one good thing about the two is that whatever Chen Ling says goes.

Moreover, he grew up in the mountains near Fenglei Town and often travels in the mountains.

He's far better than Zhao Dahai.

"I really didn't expect that a leopard would be spotted nearby, and these wild boars hadn't gone far... I'm afraid the leopard just came down from the mountains with this herd of wild boars..."

"Yes, that's the case in our Yaowang Village. There are more wild boars and deer, and wolves have started to cause trouble too, but we only hear wolves howling; there aren't any near the village."

"Well, it's fine as long as there aren't any nearby. Otherwise, our village might have to follow the example of the Miao village and bring out the wolf-hunting team for training again."

That's how things are in the mountains.

Although many wild animals ran into the mountains near Chenwangzhuang.

But it's not like they've all gone by; not a single one wanted to stay in their old nest.

The large number of wild animals left.

Originally, these were jackals, wolves, tigers, and leopards whose survival abilities were weaker than their counterparts.

It was the perfect time for them to thrive.

How could they bear to leave?
However, they were originally weak or their groups were very small.

Therefore, most of the time, people only hear about them but never see them.

Unlike large packs of wolves or jackals, they don't attract much attention.

……

Heading southwest from Leijialing leads to the direction of the Miao villages including Ranjiazhai.

There are also villages to the southeast.

But the terrain here gradually becomes gentler.

Although it's not as spacious as Ranjiazhai, where there's a large open space.

But it was definitely much easier to walk on.

Less than an hour.

Chen Ling and his two companions crossed several mountains and ravines.

The trees here are tall and thick, many of them old, some so thick that it would take three people to hug them.

There are also dense bamboo forests, distributed in large areas.

We walked through bamboo groves and pine forests.

Wild boars are most commonly found in pine forests.

In many places, the thick pine needles have been pushed aside.

The thick pine tree was covered with pig hair, and the bark had been rubbed off by wild boars.

Some of the pine resin that had flowed out was even rubbed off beyond recognition by wild boars.

It becomes a powerful insect repellent for them, mixing with mud to form thick layers of 'armor'.

"Wow~"

The white dog was barking, urinating under a pine tree on the outer edge of the pine forest on this ridge, while looking down at the ridge and barking incessantly.

Soon, a commotion came from afar, as if something had been disturbed.

"Huh? There are pigs?"

Chen Ling's eyes narrowed.

With his sharp eyesight, he had already spotted the black figure moving about.

"did you find it?"

Wang Qingwen and his companion quickly put away their belongings and gripped their guns tightly, fearing it would affect their accuracy.

Even the dead monkey was thrown onto the treetop next to it.

"Lingzi, what should we do? Should we go to meet them?"

"No need, I'll take care of it... You and your brother guard this place. If you see any wild boars coming, just shoot them."

He meant that he took the dog to chase the pigs.

This is a ridge location. When wild boars are driven uphill in a panic, it is very difficult for them.

Wolves go up the mountain, pigs come down the mountain.

Wild boars are easiest to kill when they charge up the hillside.

However, when descending the mountain, it charges recklessly and with tremendous force, capable of breaking even small trees, making it extremely dangerous for beginners.

The three were on high alert.

Suddenly, I heard a dog barking from the other side.

Moreover, there were also gunshots, 'bang bang', and bursts of shrill, pig-like screams from wild boars.

Faintly, one could also hear people shouting, their cries drowned out by the barking of dogs and the squealing of pigs.

"No, these are Lynx and his gang..."

Chen Ling's expression changed. "Big brother, second brother, you two should stay here and not wander around. I'll go take a look."

Before Wang Qingwen and his brother could say anything, they saw Chen Ling yank off the dog's leash, and the two of them charged down the ridge.

The white dog had no courage in the face of the leopard.

But they are quite brave when facing wild boars.

Chen Ling thought that the lynx might have trained them with wild boar blood or something similar.

Once inside the mountains, the sight of pigs would trigger excitement and agitation.

Otherwise, the lynx wouldn't have specifically chosen these two Taihang dogs as the chasing dogs to apologize to the Miao village.

"Woo~"

The sound of plum blossoms drifted from the dense forest on the opposite hillside.

It's the lynx relaying the location.

They might have heard the dogs barking here, but it's uncertain who it was.

Upon hearing the sound, Chen Ling quickly shouted, "Coming!"

He leaped across the stream at the foot of the mountain and scrambled up the hillside in a few steps.

He's extremely fast.

It was almost the same size as the white Taihang dog next to it.

At that moment, his voice was heard, and the gunfire from Lynx and the others had stopped.

The only sounds were the increasingly piercing and sharp cries of wild boars and the frantic barking of dogs, filled with both panic and rage.

Chen Ling quickly approached and saw a large wild boar panting heavily, its eyes red, howling wildly and charging around in a muddy, shallow puddle that had accumulated after the rain.

Around it, a lynx holding a long-handled dagger stood facing it from three or four meters away.

On one side, a yellow Taihang dog, covered in mud, barked incessantly.

Zhao Dahai, Wang Jusheng, and the other two were also in a sorry state.

Zhao Dahai and Wang Jusheng, in particular, had lost their shoes, their guns lay in the grass not far away, and their heads and backs were covered in mud, looking as if they had just climbed out of a mud pit.

Everyone was overjoyed to see Chen Ling arrive.

Zhao Dahai, Wang Jusheng, and the other two grabbed pitchforks and axes and charged forward with a roar.

“The rich are here, let’s catch them together. There was a group of pigs in the pond just now, they all ran away when we fired the gun. Once we’ve taken care of this one, we’ll continue the chase.”

"Okay, I'll guard the gate."

The boar was clearly not immobilized yet. Upon seeing this, Chen Ling shouted, drew his hunting rifle from his back, chose a spot on the boar's likely route, and guarded the intersection, ready for battle.

Pig tracks are dense and obvious here.

But a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush; let's deal with this one first.

Chen Ling came over.

With helpers, both the man and the dog gained helpers.

As the group rushed forward, the two mountain dogs, having joined forces, instantly gained even more courage.

Even its calls sounded noticeably more energetic.

It barked and lunged at the wild boar's legs, ears, and other parts of its body, biting them.

The wild boar's cries suddenly became even more pitiful.

But oddly enough...

The wild boar ignored the two dogs' tearing and fighting.

With red eyes, it howled and rammed into people.

Zhao Dahai and Wang Jusheng, being inexperienced, charged the furthest, wielding axes and pitchforks at the wild boar.

In one encounter, the wild boar was injured, but the enraged boar charged at it, knocking it over twice.

Fortunately, Wang Jusheng was carrying a steel fork. If he had been carrying an axe and didn't have Zhao Dahai's fat body, he probably would have been seriously injured.

Er Lengzi also wanted to join in, but Shanmao pushed him away.

The lynx dodged, allowing the wild boar and the two dogs to fight their way out.

This was a deliberate attempt to drive towards Chen Ling. The two worked together seamlessly. As soon as the lynx caught up, Chen Ling, who was already prepared, took advantage of the moment when the two dogs were a body length behind the wild boar and aimed at the boar to fire.

A shot rang out.

The mud-covered wild boar stumbled, but its momentum didn't diminish. It howled and roared as it charged at Chen Ling.

Chen Ling quickly fired another shot.

The pig then collapsed to the ground with a thud.

Seeing this, Zhao Dahai and the others breathed a sigh of relief: "Thank goodness Fugui came; that was really close."

The lynx was speechless upon hearing this.

That fatso still has the nerve to say that.

If it were just the two of them, without these rookies following them, they could easily take down this pig even without the dog.

Just now, it was because they got too excited when they saw the pigs that they couldn't help but open fire, which caused the pigs to become agitated and charge at them. Luckily, they dodged quickly and were not injured, but this wounded wild boar was left behind.

Even so, Zhao Dahai and his companion were knocked over twice in a row.

However, now is not the time to talk about this. Lynx also knows that Zhao Dahai is a complete novice, and Wang Jusheng only wanted to help Chen Ling, so there is nothing to blame him for.

He kept telling them not to do this or that in the future, and then he and Chen Ling dealt with the dead wild boar together.

"By the way, Fugui, what happened when you sent that signal? Did you encounter a wolf?"

"No, we encountered a leopard that was catching monkeys in the trees."

"What? A leopard? No way, there are boars nearby, has the leopard gone mad? Why isn't it hunting wild boars but monkeys?"

The lynx's first reaction upon hearing about the leopard was the same as Chen Ling's.

(End of this chapter)