These five sand monsters, having just endured a period of frenzied mental torment, were now extremely agitated. Safety, caution, and careful maneuvering had long been forgotten.
This method is called the feeding effect, and I used the same tactic when my grandfather and I were catching pheasants.
However, instead of poisoned bait, we fed the chickens by soaking pierced corn kernels in high-proof liquor to make them drunk.
Pheasants are also very cautious animals. If they sense that the food they are eating is abnormal, they would rather go hungry than eat the problematic food again.
The old man was an experienced hunter, and he had his own methods for dealing with these cunning birds, which is what I call the feeding and baiting method.
The first time is like fishing; you can't just use poison right away, or you'll scare the pheasant away.
The old man's method was to feed the pheasants in small amounts at fixed locations each time, so that the pheasants were neither full nor willing to leave.
After being fed several times in a row, these pheasants' brains become clouded by their desire for food, as if glued together.
If the old man sees that all the food has been eaten for two consecutive days, it means that the pheasant has completely let its guard down.
Just like the highest level of lying, if you want people to believe what you say, the best way is to be three parts truth and seven parts falsehood. A lie that is half truth and half falsehood is the best lie.
At this point, the old man would mix a large amount of corn soaked in high-proof liquor with some corn that hadn't been soaked in liquor and feed it to the baby.
The pheasants, having already lowered their guard, naturally ate the corn without worry. We only needed to hide in the shadows and wait a few minutes; once the alcohol took effect, we could easily pick up the corn from the pheasants.
At this moment, the sand monsters are like enlarged pheasants. The little bit of meat I cut off won't fill them up at all; it will only make them want to eat more.
In addition, my intention to slow down the feeding speed made these cautious guys even more restless. Their minds were so occupied with food that they didn't think about anything else.
Seeing that I threw in so much meat at once created a huge sense of disappointment in the Sand Beasts. This sense of disappointment was actually positive, as it made these guys feel extremely happy instantly.
It's like someone who's been starving all day. You really want to eat, but they insist on feeding you a bowl of rice in countless tiny balls. How can you not feel anxious?
Just as you're getting used to eating these rice balls, still feeling resentful, he suddenly brings you a large bowl of sumptuous food and says, "Eat up, there's a big bowl of this."
This kind of fatal psychological gap means that even if you had several pounds of arsenic added to your bowl, you would probably eat a few bites without hesitation.
The sand monsters were indeed fooled; they had no suspicion whatsoever. They were only worried that their companions would get there first, so they quickly devoured the meat in large mouthfuls.
Seeing that all five sand monsters had eaten the poisoned bait, I nodded with satisfaction; they were doomed. Aconitine is highly toxic, and the effects would take effect very quickly.
Before that, I had another problem to deal with. My gaze was fixed on the Sand Beast leader, who had been staying next to the Saber-toothed Tiger and hadn't come over, about twenty meters away.
If you don't kill the tiger, there will be future troubles. Since you've already started, you should go all the way and kill the whole group.
I have witnessed the vengefulness of the Sand Beasts. Even an ordinary Sand Beast is terrifying, let alone the most cunning Sand Beast leader.
I'm going to kill it today!
I had already set up my crossbow on a tree branch. I took a deep breath and said to myself, "Now there's only one Sand Beast left. As long as I kill it, I can get down safely."
Twenty meters is quite a challenge for me. Looking at the body of the sand monster, it was only the size of a fist because of the distance.
My fingers were trembling slightly from nervousness, and my heart was beating faster.
This arrow was a matter of life and death for me. I had a feeling I only had one chance to deal with the Sand Beast leader. If I missed, I wouldn't have a second chance to shoot it.
Just as I was taking aim, a scream came from the sand monster below, and it began to roll and convulse on the ground.
I suppose I was afraid I wouldn't be able to kill them, so I increased the dosage of aconite a bit too much, and now the toxicity has already taken effect ahead of schedule.
Hearing his companion's screams, the Sand Beast finally stood up and began to approach me, following the direction of the sound.
It's getting closer to me! It really is getting closer to me!
At this moment, I was overjoyed. I was just wondering how to kill this guy who was the furthest away. Since you've come to my door so sensibly, I don't have to worry about it anymore.
The leader of the sand monsters walked slowly towards them, as it had no concept of poisoning. Seeing no other threatening predators, it did not hurry.
But my current mood is just like those five sand monsters from before. The huge sense of loss makes my hands tremble even more, and my heart is about to jump out of my throat.
I swallowed hard, constantly telling myself to stay calm. This sand monster couldn't escape now; as long as I shot an arrow through its lung, everything would be over and everything would be alright.
But the more I tried to calm down, the more unsettled I became. For some reason, I even started to feel a little panicked.
At this moment, the sand beast had already come within ten meters of me. I knew I couldn't wait any longer, so with trembling hands, I managed to steady the crossbow and pull the trigger of the Xuan Blade.
The moment I pulled the trigger of the Xuan Blade, the Sand Beast leader, who had been watching me, seemed to sense something was wrong and accelerated towards me.
"Whoosh!"
The crossbow bolt was traveling at incredible speed, already piercing the air. However, it missed the sand beast leader's vitals, instead striking its hind thigh.
The Sand Beast leader rolled on the ground in pain and slid a distance.
Seeing this, my heart skipped a beat, and I quickly drew another arrow and nocked it.
The Sand Beast leader had already seen that the thing I used to injure it was in my hand. Although it was the first time it had ever seen a crossbow, it didn't understand how I had done it.
But one thing is certain: the thing in my hand is more powerful than those ferocious beasts, and it definitely has the ability to kill itself.
Before I could aim and fire again, the Sand Beast leader, dragging its injured leg, leaped into the dense jungle.
At that moment, even if I wanted to use a shotgun, it wouldn't be in time. After weighing the pros and cons, I sighed helplessly.
In the end, my worst fears came true. At such close range, I made the same mistake as the sand monster below, which was already convulsing.
Isn't that ironic?
The unease in my heart was like an uncertain time bomb buried deep within me.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com