1oo34 New Urban Farmers Chapter 81 Encountering a Bear in the Mountain Stream
At the edge of the dense forest in the ditch. The pebble beach, overgrown with weeds and branches, bears the traces of a small flood. (Morning swallows)
There are no naturally formed mountain streams in this valley. Nor is there any crystal-clear flowing water to admire. If you're extremely lucky, you might encounter some unusual fish or other aquatic creatures in the streams and pools below.
However, this requires extremely good luck.
"How much longer until we reach Dewang?" After breathing in some oxygen, Li Ningguang's complexion improved considerably, and his breathing gradually calmed down. He looked around at the mountains blocking his way with some worry.
To reach the rocky cliff, one must pass several campsites. Qingshuiping is the first route. However, Qingshuiping has only gone a little over halfway through the first route, and he's already considering turning back.
Liu Dewang, who was drinking water from his kettle, quickly said, "Boss, we're almost there! Please hang in there a little longer!"
"After going around this mountain and crossing two more ridges, you'll see a stream. Cross the stream and you'll reach Qingshuiping. It's spacious there, and being at a high altitude, you won't have to worry about heavy rain!"
"Go to hell with your nonsense and this torrential rain!" Li Ningguang cursed. Judging from the description, it seemed like the storm was coming soon, giving him some hope.
Zhang Guodong laughed out loud and said, "It's best if we don't encounter any more torrential rain or something, otherwise we'll be in deep trouble!"
People have a deep fear of heavy rain and even thunderstorms.
Just then, Lao Qing, who had been silent beside Zhang Guodong, suddenly darted out, startling everyone. They watched as a large, fat rabbit darted forward from a distance of over ten meters.
"A wild rabbit!" Liu Dewang shouted immediately.
"Where? Where?" Li Ningguang stood up immediately upon hearing that there were wild rabbits.
"There it is. Old Qing is chasing it! Goodness, it's so fast!" Liu Dewang pointed in the direction Old Qing had rushed off to and saw the wild rabbit running headlong up the mountain. In fact, Old Qing was more than twice as fast as the wild rabbit and was rapidly closing in.
As expected of the wolf king, it is three times faster than the average blue wolf!
Zhang Guodong inwardly cheered, "Great! In the forest! Old Qing is the king!"
Of course, hehe. Wild rabbits are plump and meaty in early spring, having been raised all winter. Consequently, their running speed is significantly affected. Old Qing's lightning speed is nowhere near that of wild rabbits!
Zhang Guodong watched Lao Qing's performance with excitement. The others were stunned. The live hunting demonstration added a splash of color to the otherwise monotonous journey.
"Great, we'll have rabbit meat for dinner!" Li Ningguang said happily.
Zhang Guodong rolled his eyes. "You want Lao Qing to catch a rabbit for you? Dream on. Does he even ask if I, the owner, agree?"
"Brother Li, who can eat one rabbit? Old Qing's rations are more than one rabbit, at least one and a half!" Zhang Guodong laughed.
He's grinning slyly, thinking he wants to eat rabbit meat? We'll talk about that after Lao Qing has finished.
"Guodong, you can't do this! It's such a waste that the five of you can share it and Lao Qing can have some too!" Li Ningguang hurriedly said.
"Haha, don't worry, Dewang. Tell Brother Li if there aren't many wild rabbits or pheasants in these mountains. If we're lucky, we can catch a wild ibex." Zhang Guodong said to Liu Dewang.
Liu Dewang was well aware that there were actually quite a few wild animals in the mountains, but they were hard to find. However, many of these wild animals had one thing in common: when they were thirsty, they would go to the mountain gullies to drink water.
"Yes, boss, there may not be many other things in these mountains, but there are plenty of wild game!" Liu Dewang nodded.
Li Ningguang, still unwilling to accept it, asked doubtfully, "Really?"
"It couldn't be more true. Before coming here, I specifically checked the local flora and fauna. There are abundant wild rabbits and pheasants, as well as rare wild ibex. In the water, you might encounter forest frogs, fish, and shrimp. Of course, if the season is right, there are plenty of wild game. However, these mountains also have animals like bears, golden monkeys, and even snakes. It's not just about wild game; especially dangerous ones like bears. After hibernation, they start to stir. Having not eaten all winter, they come out and roam around."
The same applies to snakes that awaken early.
In that instant, Old Green accurately bit off the fat rabbit's neck, halting its forward lunge perfectly. The wolf, though addicted to the fish from Peach Blossom Spring, was highly aggressive and had a particular fondness for bloody hunts before sharing its meal with Old Green.
The rabbit struggled for a couple of moments before dying.
Then Lao Qing gracefully ran back and placed the rabbit in front of Zhang Guodong. Clearly, it was hunted for Zhang Guodong!
Zhang Guodong's husband, however, let Lao Qing enjoy the meal. Lao Qing understood and, without any hesitation, began to tear the food apart, splattering blood everywhere, making everyone's scalp tingle. This wasn't a wolfhound; its eating manners were as ferocious as a wolf's.
At this moment, Du Wenqiang pouted and said, "Boss, actually we can hunt ourselves."
Upon hearing this, Li Ningguang slapped his forehead and exclaimed, "Oh dear, I forgot I brought a folding bow and arrows! Quickly, take them out! They're such a pain. I'm so tired from walking all this way!"
Du Wenqiang nodded and immediately rummaged through his travel bag. He was quite dissatisfied with Zhang Guodong's preferential treatment of an animal; how could an animal be compared to a human? But little did he know the importance of Lao Qing, Da Hei, Er Hei, and Si Xiao Qing in Zhang Guodong's heart.
They are companions, not pets.
Old Qing and the others are sentient beings, so Zhang Guodong could not possibly raise them as pets, nor could he possibly make them submit to being used as hunting tools by others.
Zhang Guodong smiled but didn't speak. He could hear the dissatisfaction in their tone. Although there hadn't been any conflicts along the way, he had noticed the fear and even contempt that Wang Zhen and Du Wenqiang held towards him.
Okay, since you can handle it yourselves, then please do as you please.
Li Ningguang skillfully disassembled and assembled the alloy bow and arrows with great interest, seemingly oblivious to his subordinates' complaints. This was a folding type; when not in use, it could be folded into a very small square, taking up minimal space. Even the arrows were the same—telescopic—with locking mechanisms in the middle.
However, this set of bows and arrows was quite expensive, gleaming silver, costing $10,000 a set. Li Ning brought three sets this time, and Liu Dewang, who was nearing the age of Wang Zhenzhuangxian Qiangren, was a little envious.
Although there were no guns to shoot, bows and arrows were still very useful for hunting.
For Lao Qing, a wild rabbit was just an appetizer; he only ate half a rabbit to feel full. However, Lao Qing wasn't allowed to eat his fill in the mountains.
Firstly, it facilitates their running; secondly, hunger stimulates their wildness and bloodlust, which is extremely beneficial for hunting prey. These are all lifestyles that have been passed down through generations for the survival of the species.
Seeing Li Ningguang and the others disassembling and assembling bows and arrows, Zhang Guodong got up and walked deeper into the forest.
Now that we're in the mountains, the training for Big Black, Second Black, and Little Green in the wild is about to begin. Let Old Green lead Little Yuan behind the group. This will be extremely beneficial for both hunting and adapting to the wild environment.
After Zhang Guodong could no longer see Li Ningguang and the other three, he sensed his surroundings and then released Dahei, Erhei, and Sixiaoqing. At the same time, he transferred all the medicinal herbs in his travel bag to Taoyuan, simply filled in some soil, and would deal with them later.
The six little ones were very wary of the unfamiliar environment, and only when they saw Lao Qing there did they become affectionate and try to please Zhang Guodong.
"Alright, you six, stay with Lao Qing and don't cause any trouble or follow me!" Zhang Guodong said to the six of them.
Whether it can understand or not, Zhang Guodong no longer needs to be considered. Old Qing is like a wise elder of the Qinglang clan. It will faithfully fulfill Zhang Guodong's instructions.
With a howl, Old Qing led the six little ones into the forest and disappeared from Zhang Guodong's sight like lightning.
Very spiritual!
If people saw this, they would be extremely surprised. How could a wild beast understand human language? But that's the truth. Sometimes Zhang Guodong wondered why Peach Blossom Spring had such a significant influence on highly intelligent animals. For example, he could sense spiritual energy fluctuations within a range of several meters, and his physical abilities were much more agile.
This seems to be a power bestowed upon it by the Peach Blossom Spring.
However, aside from this ability, the influence of Peach Blossom Spring on Zhang Guodong himself is not so obvious at present. Even if eating aquatic products and vegetables that are easy to absorb spiritual energy is beneficial to practicing martial arts, it is a long-term accumulation and cannot be effective overnight.
After finishing all that, Zhang Guodong felt relieved and returned alone.
Li Ningguang and his two companions were already equipped with bows and arrows. The gleaming arrowheads posed a considerable danger to anyone.
"Huh, where's Lao Qing?" Li Ningguang asked in surprise.
Zhang Guodong said, "Old Qing went out hunting, so don't worry about him getting lost!"
"Haha, that's good. This journey is so boring, but with this bow and arrow, we'll definitely get to Qingshuiping smoothly!" Li Ningguang said.
With Lao Qing around, they really couldn't sleep well. Now that Lao Qing is gone, everyone feels much more at ease.
We set off again.
Zhang Guodong remained at the back, while his lackey Liu Dewang lingered beside Li Ningguang, his eyes darting around, searching for prey for Li Ningguang. When they got serious, the prey became easier to spot; while not easy to find on dense forest slopes, wild rabbits and pheasants were frequently encountered in the ravines.
However, from a distance, wild rabbits and pheasants are initially wary rather than immediately running away. This is why they weren't spotted earlier.
Li Ningguang's archery skills were relatively poor, and he lacked strength. Wang Zhen and Du Wenqiang, on the other hand, were more skilled archers. Hitting two pheasants with over ten arrows was a respectable achievement.
Hare usually has the ability to dodge arrows, which are relatively large moving threats, unless the arrow is concealed by branches or leaves.
Compared to rabbits, pheasants are not as quick or agile in their reactions.
Usually, the arrow has already arrived just as the plane is about to take off.
"Cannonball!" Liu Dewang suddenly exclaimed. "Boss! Quick! Quick!"
"Where?" Li Ningguang asked hurriedly.
Zhang Guodong looked in the direction Liu Dewang pointed. Thirty meters away, a creature resembling a small deer was looking up at them; it had clearly appeared suddenly. Even with arrows pointed at it, it didn't run away. Liu Dewang raised his voice a bit, startling several rabbits and pheasants drinking water in the ravine, but the deer-like creature was surprisingly bold and didn't flee.
"Is this a baby?" Zhang Guodong asked doubtfully.
When he went to Qinglang Mountain, he naturally ate the meat of the baby pig, which was all lean and very delicious, but he did not see what the baby pig actually looked like.
"Is that a deer? What kind of deer?" Li Ningguang didn't immediately shoot an arrow, but looked at the curious animal in front of him with a puzzled expression.
Liu Dewang panicked. How could this be a deer? It was definitely a wild goat! The old hunter had shown him one when they first went into the mountains. These wild goats, also called wild sheep, looked like deer, but were definitely big and clumsy. It would be a shame to release them!
"Who cares what kind of deer it is, it's from this mountain gully. Let's shoot them first!" Li Ningguang said immediately.
Just then, a bear's roar, seemingly in a fit of rage, echoed through the deep forest, followed by several wolf howls. The creature that appeared to be carrying cubs, upon hearing the wild beasts' roars, immediately leaped up, then stopped, and ran off, quickly disappearing from everyone's sight.
Completely unexpected! They got away?
"Boss, how come there's a wolf here?" Du Wenqiang looked at Zhang Guodong with a stern expression, but there was a hint of schadenfreude in his eyes. Perhaps it was Zhang Guodong's old fox?
But the bear's roar was real.
An old man encountering a bear? He'd be hard-pressed to win!
"How should I know?" Li Ningguang said irritably. "Hurry up and start looking for the strange stuff!"
Zhang Guodong was a little worried. He had Lao Qing take the six children out for exercise. But what if they encountered a bear? Those guys are thick-skinned and tough; Lao Qing would be in danger!
Bi: The Lunar New Year is almost here, so I'll continue updating "Heavenly Path" and ask for more monthly votes! Also, this book won't have a breakout year, but it'll be relatively stable at 6,000 to 7,000 votes a day. A breakout year is expected after the New Year, so please understand that I'm working hard to accumulate manuscripts. Those with monthly votes, please support me! I don't ask for much, just to stay in the top ten until the end of the month, but my current vote count is very low and I urgently need your support! Thank you!
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