Wang Tieniu squatted down, ran his hand along the thick fur of the black bear, and could hardly contain his surprise.
"Brother Shanzi! Look at this hide, tsk tsk... If we peel it off and use it as a mattress, sleeping on it would probably warm you to the bone!"
Du Jianshan, panting heavily, swung his broadsword, the blade still dripping with blood. He glanced at the black bear's ferocious face, his eyelids twitching.
"Tie Niu, don't get too excited. The bear skin is nice, but it's very heavy. We can't carry it down the mountain."
"Hehe, how could we be satisfied if we didn't carry it back? How much silver is a bear skin worth? Besides, the bear paws and gall are treasures! We've really gotten a great deal this time." Tie Niu said, his eyes shining like two lamps.
Du Jianshan chuckled and wiped his brow: "Cheap? If you hadn't run fast, it probably would have killed you with one swipe of its paw! Besides, we're not just here to try our luck today."
Tie Niu was taken aback: "Brother Shanzi, is there something you haven't said?"
Du Jianshan didn't answer immediately. Instead, he squatted down, placed his broadsword beside the bear carcass, and carefully examined the surrounding terrain. They were in a mountain hollow, surrounded by rocks and bushes. The air was thick with the stench of blood.
"Tie Niu, can you smell it?" Du Jianshan suddenly asked.
Iron Bull's nose twitched: "I can smell it, the smell of blood. That's what happens when we take down such a big guy, isn't it?"
Du Jianshan shook his head: "No, this bloody smell isn't just from us. There's a foul smell mixed in."
Tie Niu was taken aback and turned to look around: "No way? Brother Shanzi, don't scare me."
Du Jianshan lowered his voice: "It's a wolf."
"Wolves?!" Tie Niu was so startled that he fell to the ground with a thud. "No way? In broad daylight, wouldn't all the wolves be hiding?"
“Wolves hunt day and night. Especially in this desolate place, with few people around, they’ll come running as soon as they smell blood.” Du Jianshan said, already pulling out a gunpowder pack from his pocket.
Tie Niu swallowed hard, hurriedly stood up, and gripped the fork in his hand tightly: "Brother Shanzi, what do we do? Do we still want this bear skin?"
"Life is more important," Du Jianshan said in a deep voice. "If we really run into a pack of wolves later, we should save our lives first, and then worry about the pelts."
Tie Niu was reluctant to part with it, his eyes fixed on the bear carcass. After hesitating for a long time, he finally gritted his teeth and nodded.
Sure enough, not long after, gusts of mountain wind blew through the bushes, and rustling sounds came from within. Then, several green eyes lit up in the darkness.
"They're here!" Du Jianshan roared, his musket already raised.
The wolves moved with incredible speed; in a flash, three wolves leaped out of the bushes and headed straight for the bear carcass.
"Damn it, how dare they steal our prey!" Tie Niu roared, his eyes reddening, and charged forward with his pitchfork in hand.
Du Jianshan reacted swiftly, firing a flintlock pistol bullet with a bang, sending a wolf that had pounced into the air sprawling to the ground. The wolf howled pitifully, rolled and struggled a few times, and then fell silent.
The remaining wolves, however, showed no fear. Instead, they howled, and more shadows emerged from all around the ravine.
Tie Niu's eyes widened: "Holy crap! So many?!"
Du Jianshan's expression was grave: "At least a dozen or so. Tie Niu, move closer to me! Back to back!"
Tie Niu immediately moved closer, and the two of them stood back to back, guarding the bear carcass. The wolf pack circled around them, their low growls rising and falling, as if trying to drive the two of them mad.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
