By the time the twelfth lunar month arrived, the population of Dongning City had increased by more than 10,000.

Most of these people were evacuated from the prefectures and counties in the north.

With an increase in population, food consumption naturally intensifies.

Meanwhile, the pressure on the hunting team has also increased.

Fortunately, it wasn't just the hunting team that had a great haul.

Even women and children were able to collect nuts in the snow on the outskirts of the city.

Pine nuts, hazelnuts, lion's mane mushrooms, hazel mushrooms...

A wide variety of nuts and mushrooms have greatly enriched the food options available to the city's residents.

Some people, unable to find wild fruits, simply gather tree branches and firewood, and look for wild grass.

However, it can make up for the shortcomings in life.

The best news was that the grassland bandits had returned to the royal camp.

As December arrives, the entire world is blanketed in white.

The snow in the wild was more than half a foot thick, and every step left a deep hole, making walking difficult, let alone the four legs of a horse.

The cessation of raids by grassland bandits means that a period of peace and tranquility is on the horizon.

As a result, hunting and gathering teams went out more frequently.

Even Li Xin couldn't hold back any longer.

He was getting a little restless after being cooped up in the city for a month or two.

As the year drew to a close, Li Xin joined He Chaojun and others in a hunting party to go hunting in the mountains.

After leaving the city, the group headed towards the mountains northeast of Dongning City.

Wearing boots and a cotton-padded coat made of animal hide, they were quite warm.

Some members of the hunting party were pulling sleds as they moved forward.

Some skilled team members, wearing simple skis made of wooden planks, moved swiftly through the snow.

"This is good!"

Li Xin nodded in satisfaction.

He Chaojun replied with a smile, "These are all used by local hunters."

During this time, many members of our hunting team have also learned it.

They were much faster at chasing rabbits, pheasants, and roe deer.

"The wisdom of the masses is truly invaluable!"

Li Xin couldn't help but praise him, saying, "When I have time, I'll learn it too."

"good!"

He Chaojun smiled and said, "Your Highness, I'll teach you then!"

After walking for a while, Li Xin was too exhausted to walk any further.

Walking with uneven steps is too tiring.

He also sincerely admired the members of these hunting teams.

Left with no other choice, Li Xin sat on the sled and followed the team forward.

Several horses pulled the sled, and the speed was indeed much faster.

Sitting on the sled, Li Xin also looked around at the scenery with curiosity.

Although he had been to Northeast China in his previous life, he had never seen the pristine winter mountain forest scenery.

As you enter the mountains, all you can see in the surrounding area are towering pine forests.

Not far along, a brightly colored pheasant, startled by the crowd, struggled to run away.

"Quick! Encircle them!"

He Chaojun shouted excitedly, "Xiao Wang, Lao Liu, you two go from the north!"

Old Zhang, Dazhi, you two come up from the south!

Under He Chaojun's command, several members skillfully stepped onto their skis and surrounded the area.

The pheasant, exhausted from running, finally collapsed into a snowdrift, trying to hide.

However, its long tail feathers were sticking out and still trembling, as if calling for the crowd to come.

Before long, the hunting team surrounded the pheasant and captured it.

"We're open for business!"

He Chaojun said excitedly, "Liu Dayou, Zhang Guangcai, according to the old rules, split up!"

The hunting party members split into several groups and headed into the mountains and forests.

After entering the mountains, we indeed gained a lot.

In just over an hour, several sleds were piled high with pheasants, rabbits, and roe deer.

It seems the saying "You can beat a roe deer with a stick and scoop fish with a ladle, and a pheasant will fly into your cooking pot" is indeed true!

In the afternoon, just after the hunting party had finished eating their rations, they heard an unusual noise coming from ahead.

"Silence!"

An old hunter shouted, then brushed aside the snow on the ground, pressed his ear to the ground, and listened quietly.

What happened?

Li Xin was somewhat puzzled, but he held his breath and looked around.

The members of the surrounding hunting teams were all on edge.

They listened to the old hunter's words without question.

This shows that the old hunter had a very high reputation in the hunting team!

Before long, the old hunter got up and looked straight ahead.

While watching, they were also moving quickly.

Upon reaching another location, the old hunter once again brushed aside the snowflakes and pressed his ear to the ground, listening intently.

A moment later, the old hunter's face changed drastically, and he roared in terror, "Oh no! It's a wild boar! Scatter!"

"Wild boar?"

A young member of the hunting team frowned slightly and laughed, "It's just a wild boar, what's there to be afraid of!"

"If we take it, it'll be enough to feed us for a long time!"

"Um?"

The old hunter glared at the man and said in a deep voice, "In our area, there's a saying: first pig, second bear, third tiger!"

Wild boars are even more dangerous than black bears!

"If you don't want to die, do as I say!"

Seeing the old hunter's cold and gloomy gaze, the young man immediately fell silent.

Just then, a commotion arose from the distant mountains and forests.

On the hillside, snow tumbled and rolled, and a tall, imposing black figure darted down.

Everyone saw it clearly.

A huge wild boar, about four or five hundred paces away, was staring at them menacingly.

"That size, he must weigh at least four or five hundred pounds!"

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!