"Turn on all the lights first, then quickly start a fire." Si Cheng knew that in the environment ahead, hungry animals might attack humans.
The villagers turned on all the remaining flashlights they had, and the people near the fire quickly and efficiently used the still-burning embers to reignite the fire.
"Everyone, quickly check your companions around you to see if anyone is missing." Si Cheng kept his eyes fixed on the opposite side, not forgetting to remind everyone to check.
"Yes, everyone should count the people in their own teams and see if anyone is missing." Several older members of the family who came out also realized what was happening and quickly told everyone to count the number of people.
Fortunately, no one was missing, but we really didn't know what kind of animal it was. We could only tell from its bright eyes that it was staring at us, but it didn't make a sound.
"Everyone, try to form a circle, back to back." Si Cheng noticed that everyone was scattered around and urged them to quickly gather together.
"Yes, everyone retreat behind the fire. With so many of us around, it shouldn't dare to make any rash moves."
No one dared to relax; they all held their breath and stared at the other side, and the two sides remained locked in a standoff.
As dawn broke, everyone gradually began to see the animals on the other side more clearly.
"Is that a dog or a wolf?" From this distance, you can probably only see a frame.
"It looks a bit like a wolf." When they realized there was only one on the other side, everyone relaxed.
"Luckily it was just one. If it had been a group, we would have been in big trouble yesterday. These watchmen were sleeping like the wind."
Si Cheng took a closer look and saw that it was a lone wolf, but he didn't know why it had come here.
"That's a wolf. Let's make some noise and see if we can scare it away." Si Cheng realized that the wolf had no companions, so he thought it would be fine to just scare it away.
He took the machete from Yun Tao's hand and started tapping it against the back of his own blade, making a clanging sound. The others followed suit and started tapping as well.
Upon hearing these sounds, the wolf became agitated, pacing restlessly from side to side and howling.
"Everyone, retreat quickly and be on guard!" Si Cheng saw that Lone Wolf didn't seem to be retreating; on the contrary, it showed signs of attacking.
A few timid people quickly squeezed into the crowd, while those who had gone with Si Cheng to fight bandits in Majia Village last time gripped their machetes tightly and cautiously guarded their surroundings. Most of them knew that wolves were pack animals, and the howl of this lone wolf just now might be calling for its companions.
"We can't let it howl any longer. If it attracts a pack of wolves, we'll all be in trouble." Si Cheng turned to everyone and said, "Wait a minute, you just need to be on guard. I'll go deal with it."
“I’ll go with you.” Some voices echoed from behind.
"No one should follow us. Don't worry, I can handle it." Si Cheng had dealt with wolf packs before when he was serving in the military, so he had some understanding of the animals' habits and attack methods. The best way to prevent it from gathering more wolves was to get rid of it as soon as possible.
As he ran forward, the lone wolf also moved, charging directly in his direction.
The monkeys and bears behind them also took a few steps forward, ready to attack at any moment.
When they got closer, they realized that the wolf in front of them was very thin and bony. It probably hadn't found any prey in a long time, which was why it was staring at them so intently.
The wolf stopped when it reached Sicheng and began to feign an attack. It pretended to take two steps forward, stretched out its right leg and scratched him, then quickly retreated.
Si Cheng held the machete in his hand without moving, waiting for the wolf to attack again.
The cunning wolf began circling Sicheng, who could only stand still and follow its lead, trying not to reveal any weaknesses and seeking an opportunity to launch a sudden attack.
Then the wolf made several more leaping attacks, but Si Cheng dodged them all.
Seeing that its attacks had failed to bring Si Cheng down, the wolf grew impatient. It took a few steps back, then suddenly leaped up, its eyes fixed viciously on Si Cheng's neck, opening its gaping maw as if to bite off Si Cheng's throat.
Seeing such a great opportunity, Si Cheng took two quick steps forward, leaned back to avoid the wolf's attack, and swung his machete directly at its belly.
The wolf collapsed the moment it hit the ground, and blood gushed out from under its body.
Seeing that the wolf had fallen to the ground, the people who had been holding their breath watching Sicheng and the wolf fight gathered around.
"Brother Cheng, are you alright?"
"Brother Cheng, are you hurt?"
Hearing everyone's concerned voices, Si Cheng smiled and said to them, "I'm fine. Everyone should hurry up and pack up and leave here."
“Yes, that wolf just howled. We don’t know if it will attract a pack of wolves. Let’s leave here first.” Yun Mingwei had studied hunting before and knew the habits of these animals, so he agreed to leave quickly.
"What should we do with this wolf?" Some people felt reluctant to leave the wolf on the ground; even if they didn't eat its meat, they could at least take its skin.
Si Cheng looked at the blood on the ground and then looked around worriedly. "Everyone, put out the fire quickly and cover the bloodstains with the ashes. Wrap the wolf in wood ash as well. After you've done that, everyone leave immediately."
"Yes, everyone, let's get to work together." Yun Mingwei then remembered the old hunter's advice: in this situation, you must quickly deal with the smell of blood.
Dozens of people worked together to quickly cover up the blood and pack up the wolf and their own belongings.
Si Cheng hoisted the wolf, which weighed about a hundred pounds, onto his shoulder and told everyone to hurry up and leave, while he would bring up the rear.
Human potential is limitless. What should have taken a whole day to reach the deep pit was accomplished by noon.
After crossing the deep pit and removing the bridge above, everyone finally sat on the ground, not caring about their image, and didn't want to move at all.
"I'm exhausted. I feel like my legs don't even belong to me anymore. Luckily we arrived, or I wouldn't have been able to walk anymore."
"That's right. My heart has finally calmed down. Before, when I was walking, I could hear my heart pounding all the time."
"If your heart doesn't beat, that would be terrible."
"I mean, my heart was pounding. Today was so exciting, even more so than last time."
"Luckily, Brother Cheng was there, otherwise I don't know how badly I would have gotten injured this time."
"Aren't you all hungry? My stomach has been growling for ages." Yun Mingwei pressed his stomach; he hadn't eaten since last night, and his stomach was already about to burst.
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